Seeing the World Through 'Rad's Eyes

'Rad has been loving his new play palace.  The walker we used to set him in did the job - it had a bar across the front that let him move little plastic chips back and forth and a plastic teddy bear sentinel on either side that he liked to gaze at and try to wrap his mouth around.  But the play palace offers a lot more variety and, of course, the option to bounce.  I set him in it while finishing dishes tonight and could hear him spinning the plastic oval filled with little balls and a flipping picture of a cat and dog.  Then, I spun him 90 degrees to the right and could hear him occasionally getting up enough power to push down one of the buttons that lit up and played music.

It's like you can see his little mind working.  I love catching him staring intently at one of his toys, like he's trying to figure out what it is and what it does (that, or he's just leaned too far forward and doesn't have enough abdominal strength to straighten himself).  Could you imagine seeing the world as if everything were new, a mystery to solve?  Besides the fact that I have an awesome baby (and that's a HUGE besides), the parts of life that take up the most time have become so old-hat - chores, the commute, the work day - that it seems like there is no wonder left in the 'Rad-free portions of my day.  It's one of the reason I love spending time with the little guy.  Being with him encourages me to see the world in the way I used to see it.  It spurns me to see the world with less shackles, with a more open mind, and from about 25" off of the ground.  It's a glorious view.

Then I imagine seeing the world through Blue's eyes.  My poor doggy.  It's incredibly cold outside, there's just one of me, and he hasn't been exercised in the past few days.  I'm sorry, buddy.  Please point those sad dog eyes in a different direction.  You're killin' me.