Reaching for the Moon

A few weeks back we visited our local Gymboree, which is basically a gym class for babies. The leader did a fantastic job guiding the 6-7 toddlers around giant obstacle courses and singing group songs.

Judah, however, could care less about the group activities.

He was busy engaging in his life-long obsession with balls of all shapes and sizes. He would not stop picking up balls from a huge bucket full of them and was thrilled when he encountered this mini-basketball hoop.

He had seen basketball hoops before at the park and had always wanted to shoot a ball through them (but obviously couldn't!). So this mini-hoop was, quite frankly, his idea of paradise.

Just yesterday, I showed Judah the bright full moon in the sky and told him it was like a big ball of light.  He started saying 'ball', pointing to the moon and tried to grab it.

I told him that's a ball even mommy can't get for you.  He jumped a few more times with his arms high overhead, trying again.  Part of me melts whenever I think of this.  Moon metaphors are so wonderfully sappy.  Judah, shoot for the moon son.  Mommy loves you to the moon and back.

And part of me marvels how 18 month olds are so lacking in perspective.  Is his depth perception so bad that the moon isn't obviously out of reach?  But come to think of it, I think I'd much rather adopt his view.