This is called foreshadowing:
Emily: Mommy, can I put my new water bottle in the freezer?
Mommy: It's not a very good idea. If the water freezes, it'll break the bottle. I guess if you only leave it in there a few minutes it will be fine, but you can't forget about it.
In fairness, she remembered it the first time she attempted this. The second? Notsomuch.
Emily, running in with tears in her eyes: Oh, no! I forgot about my water bottle! Mommy!
Mommy: Okay, well, this here is a double life lesson. First, you didn't take care of your stuff. You weren't paying attention and you weren't careful. Also, you didn't listen to me. This is the end result. Second, this is representative of all that is wonderful and life-giving about water on our planet!
Daddy, taking bottle: It tried not to break. Look, even the bottom bowed out. This is really cool!
Emily, perking up for the first time: Really?
Mommy: Oh, yeah. Why'd it split?
Emily: *sigh* Because the water expanded.
Mommy: Yep. Why do the rocks in our yard crush up every winter?
Emily: I dunno.
Daddy: Same reason.
Emily: *confused look*
Mommy: The water gets into those tiny little cracks and expands when it freezes and the rock breaks up and gives moss and grasses a place to grow and over time you get life and life and more life! That's why water is so great and part of the reason it's life-giving.
Emily: Cool.
Mommy: Also, that's why you don't have a water bottle anymore.
Daddy: But it's really neat to look at now.
3 comments:
and that is why you are the geek I love so freakin' much.
I have the image of a momma bird shoving a worm into a baby birds mouth...
gosh I wish I was there.
She still has her monkey bottle, doesn't she? (And it happens with wine as well, Emily...):)
Hey I learned something today! I love how you teach along with the life lesson! Now I would have just said something like "I told you blah blah blah!"
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