The other night we watched Life with the kids. Neko sat, eyes glued to the screen, absorbing every moment. She carefully explained some parts to Shep, helping him understand the trickier concepts.
At one point, they talked about a snake that lives in a sea. The snake has a bit of a problem, as it lives in the ocean, but the eggs require oxygen to survive. The snake resolves this by finding an air pocket below an island, and lays her eggs there. When the baby snake finally emerges, it instinctively makes its way back to the ocean. A bit confused, Shep asked what instinct was.
“It’s like you have a map in your head,” Neko explained. “And an animal knows that in order to survive, it has to follow that map.”
“That’s kind of like my memory,” Shep added. “My mind takes these pictures, and then when I need them, my brain projects those pictures back out through my eyes so I can see them.”
And then they went back to watching the program.
Tom and I sat very quietly, staring at one another. Because, really, there’s not much to say when your own children are having more complex thoughts than you are.