Year 1, Day 43

With a loud and distinct "VRRRMMMM," Jackson whips his cars around the road mat and crashes them into each other. It is so unbelievable to me that he is playing and making noises related to what he is doing?! I ask him to put his little man in the firetruck, and he did it - perhaps coincidence, but if not, isn't it outrageous that he hears me and can follow one step directions? I know his growth is probably right on target for his age, but it seems like an incredible feat to me . . . I still don't follow directions on a daily basis, so I am glad he's wired a little differently.

So, here is the best news of the day related to Jackson. Unprovoked and completely at random, Jack's daycare teacher took me aside and said "Jackson is really great at puzzles. He must have a lot at home?" I chuckled inside, because he doesn't have one board puzzle at home and to my knowledge, has never seen a puzzle outside of daycare. Mostly because I am puzzle phobic. I know you need to expose children to every experience possible, regardless of if you like it or not, but I wasn't ready for puzzles yet. You have to understand that I am completely inept at spatial reasoning. I can't put together an elementary puzzle to save my life, and never could. These people that can do 500 piece puzzles in hours and conquer a feat as great as putting together the "Little Red Riding Hood's Hood" puzzle (all different shade of red) is completely out of my comfort zone. I do not do puzzles.

Without the ability to have spatial reasoning, a person finds herself incredibly challenged in life. I can't picture things in mirror images, I can't read a map to save my life or any loved one, and I can't do many sports that require hand and eye coordination. I'm sure, by now, this is classified as a disease and treatable with some kind of prescription with hideous side effects. I'll pass on that diagnosis and proceed with my life. Maybe I'll seek out a support group for people like me that suffer from puzzle phobia and spatial ineptitude. Great news that Jackson won't suffer this fate! Thank goodness that someone exposed him to cardboard pieces of utter frustration.