As I am sitting in front of the computer right now, Zoe has her back turned to me, standing at the water table and pouring water from a scoop held in one hand into a funnel at the top of a tower. We used to do water table play almost every day over the summer, but she never was able to reach the top of that tower. Some of the water spills and splashes down from around the top of the funnel and some of it flows out of the funnel tube in a stream and activates a small wheel, which quickly turns, carrying the water down to a tipping scale, which flips the water onto another spinning wheel. Zoe watches this happen again, and again, and again. She sometimes turns to look at me over her shoulder, saying her signature, "Wooww!" or "Uh-oh!", and something random, like, "Wash your hands!" and "That slide!" She is fully in the moment, immersing herself visually, auditorily, tactually, proprioceptively, and emotionally in the repetitive, yet ever-changing task of scooping and pouring water from one container into another. The tower tips and she asks for help, but then lifts it back into place by herself before I get there. "You did it!" I say. Leaves drift down from the trees as a light breeze blows through our back yard. Zoe has not noticed this, or has she? It's so fascinating to me, how much she picks up on, without our realization. She whirls around and says, "Maaamaaa! Zoe!" while looking at me, with a big smile on her face. She must have thought of us while experimenting with the water. She bursts into song, "Baby Shark, doo-doo-doo-doo!" without turning around, enjoying the bouncy melody playing inside of her head. These moments are so simple, yet so intricate when I sit down and truly observe and notice all of the moving pieces. Like water flowing through the parts of the tower, there is cause and a rippling effect to everything. Everything that has been intentionally and unintentionally poured into Zoe, spins and mixes and comes out in ways that are totally unexpected and wondrous. I am so grateful to be able to witness it, as her mother.
