It's one of the most universal experiences of motherhood, the joy of seeing life's wonders through a child's eyes. It's been written about so many times, in so many ways, by so many people.
And yet, I have to write it again, because never do I want to forget this morning.
Corrie and I were in the deli section of the grocery store, when she happened to notice the rotisserie chicken oven, slowly spinning and laden with meat.
"WOOK!" she yelled, pointing. "A chicken!"
And then? As the rotisserie continued to spin...
"Wook! Hee comes chicken again!"
And then? Three seconds later...
"Hee comes chicken again!"
This continued for quite some time, as she laughed and clapped and the people around us smiled, and I realized it's been a very long time since I had ever received such joy from poultry.
So I write this, and I turn it over and over in my heart, the heartwarming life lesson taught to me--daily--by a blonde-haired, brown-eyed bundle of exuberance about the wonder in the simplest things around me.
So I won't forget.
I love childrens eyes when they discover something new
their eyes light up :)
Posted by: jen | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 01:34 AM
I think that is quite possibly one of the cutest moments ever. [At least one not involving one of my children, that is :)]
Posted by: Loralee | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 01:48 AM
That is too stinkin' cute!!! I love it!!
Posted by: Mandy | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 03:25 AM
Aaaaah - how sweet. I can just imagine her glee.
Posted by: Marcia Francois | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 03:52 AM
My people always loved the "lomsters" at Sam's:-)
Posted by: Elizabeth | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 05:55 AM
What a sweetie she is!
When my DS was a toddler (now a teenager) he called our deli rotisserie "the chicken carwash" --- i guess because the birds were skewered on the horizontal and there was a lot of dripping going on!
Posted by: floorplan | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 05:57 AM
Leave it to the kids to make us stop and smell the roses.
Or chicken, in your case.
Posted by: Lisa@Take90West | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 06:23 AM
Awww - that is sweet. Yep, we often foul (ha ha) up and don't recognize the joy in small things.
Posted by: Dana | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 06:52 AM
I'm obviously not awake yet. I mean "we often fowl up..." Note to self: don't try to be cute before you are awake. :)
Posted by: Dana | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 06:53 AM
Your post reminds me of a favorite quote from Chesterton's Orthodoxy:
"Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again” and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that he has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we."
Posted by: veronica | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 07:16 AM
Thanks for sharing that moment. Aren't we lucky, we moms, that moments like that often happen just for us?
Posted by: Jenny from Chicago | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 07:33 AM
That sweet girl - you give her a big ole hug from me.
Posted by: boomama | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 07:50 AM
I could eat her up.
Posted by: chilihead | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 08:10 AM
For some reason that brought tears to my eyes. The sweet innocence of childhood. :)
d
Posted by: dawnz | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 08:29 AM
LOVE this post.
Write it all down. Take pictures. It's all there. We just have to scoop it up.
XOXO
Posted by: MamaLee | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 08:49 AM
This is sweet! I will be thinking of this when I am standing at the deli counter in the grocery store later today!
Posted by: Randi | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 08:50 AM
I can't wait to experience things like that with my munchkin....at the same time, I'd love for him to stay just as he is now!
Posted by: Kirstie | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 08:54 AM
Posts like this one makes me wish that I could blog 11 years ago.
Posted by: Shalee | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 09:06 AM
It is so much fun watching a little one's eyes light up over the ordinary. I only notice things like this when the power goes out but Princess notices them all the time.
Posted by: T with Honey | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 09:09 AM
what a precious moment!
Posted by: Steamy Kitchen | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 11:00 AM
Cute!
Posted by: New Diva on the Blog | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 11:47 AM
Your post made me hungry and happy at the same time :)
Posted by: Janine @ Moving Mama | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 12:20 PM
This is a great reminder. My 2-year-old son is giddy about tractors, and since there's a ton of construction going on in North Texas we see at least 15 a day. I haven't yet tired of his squealing EVERY time he sees one, but your post reminds me how lucky I am to be a mom to my two little guys. Thanks!
Posted by: Mary Jo | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 12:51 PM
This reminds me of when both of my girls were toddlers. On rainy days we would go to Costco and they would watch the chickens spin for ever! Such sweet times...
Posted by: Megan | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 01:20 PM
I love this post, Shannon!
It's always the simple things that seem to get our attention.
Now when I get my chix at Costco I'll be thinking about this ...
Sandy
Posted by: Sandy@Reluctant Entertainers | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 01:29 PM
Sometimes it's the simple things that remind me why I became a mom in the first place.
Posted by: Thea | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 02:57 PM
It IS the simple thing in life that bring so much joy. I might even enjoy the chicken next time I see it rotating...
Posted by: charlotte | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 03:11 PM
Oh, that made me laugh! And fits right into the theme for my life this fall - "Be present Today" (which you can read more about in a post on my blog!)
Posted by: jenn | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 03:11 PM
Yes, we are blessed to be able to see the world through a child's eye even if it is just in small moments like these!
Posted by: Kara | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 03:44 PM
The simplest things bring children so much joy.
Posted by: Renee | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 03:52 PM
Thats just a sweet as can be.
I just love those roasted chickens by the way!
Trina
Posted by: Trina | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 05:13 PM
"such joy from poultry". . . Only a two-year-old can give us a good enough reason to link those words together . . . unless you're momrn2, who also wrote about poultry and its attributes today : )
Thanks for the smile. I'm going to go turn over some old memories and reminisce a bit myself today. I miss those years of so many "a-ha" moments.
Posted by: peach | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 05:22 PM
What a beautiful story. Thanks for that. It is something we all need to remember but most of us forget.
Posted by: Sandy M | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 07:56 PM
Oh my what a great moment! Thanks... love people that can write to share such a simple thing to remind us all the wonderful things of children!
Posted by: Patti | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 08:09 PM
That is the sweetest things I have read in a long time. How precious. :)
Posted by: Alexis | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 08:33 PM
Get it, you "turned it over and over"
in your heart! !! :) Laurie
Posted by: Laurie | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 09:11 PM
Sigh. I know what you mean...
Posted by: Faerylandmom | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 09:45 PM
Similar incident here.
While putting my 5yr old nephew to sleep, he used to look at the wall-clock and everytime the seconds hand passed 20 he used to jump up and scream "20" and ask everybody to join him in the celebrations...this used to go on for 20-30 minutes each day before he slept. Needless to say, we moved the clock to a different place.
This post brought back some happy memories.
Posted by: anonymous | Friday, August 24, 2007 at 02:34 PM
Again! And it goes around again! I'm smiling just imagining it.
Posted by: Daisy | Sunday, August 26, 2007 at 04:54 PM
The joy is always in the little things, isn't it, though? That's what I've learned over the past 16 years.
Posted by: Karen Vogel | Sunday, August 26, 2007 at 07:30 PM