Music Time

I had to hand over a check to daycare today to pay for Amelia's enrollment in an elective music class. This check did not have big numbers on it, but it was indeed a big deal to me. Forget for a moment that I am a cheap, cheap man who feels like this sort of thing quite possibly should be covered by the much larger check I have to write for Mia's tuition each month. That part isn't a big deal. After all, I admit I am cheap. Also, forget for a moment that I don't know what the hell she is going to learn in class at 14 months. I'm sure there are all kinds of cognitive effects that I'm not nearly educated enough to understand. No, the big deal to me is what today meant - my tiny baby has grown so much that it is time for her to start actively participating in things like this. She's no longer a needy infant. She is a very bright young girl who is not only keenly aware of her surroundings, but is able to participate and contribute to her classroom. It amazes me to see her teachers handing her sheets of paper to pass out to various parents as they pick up their child. I can't wrap my head around her dancing in sync to children's songs like "If you're happy and you know it...". As silly as it may sound, I think seeing Sophie develop from a puppy and hit a ceiling on her understanding of things(sure, she blogs, but it's not like she can pass out papers in class) set a warped expectation of the speed of growth of which children are capable. From one week to the next, Mia seems to have picked up new abilities, new understanding of what I'm saying to her, and even new words of her own. So, do I expect her to learn how to play electric guitar in her new class? No (although you can expect a video and a call to the Oprah show if she does!). But, I do expect her to have fun, take another step closer to being a "kid", and likely blow me away with how much she is able to master.