A few months ago, I wrote this Facebook post about how Ishu was blowing my mind ’cause he could start generalizing the sun from one place to the next. From a picture in a book to the real sun in the sky to the reflection of the sun on the building.

And someone messaged me about it and said, “Just you wait.” Knowing that there would be so many more days of these mind-blowing experiences. They were absolutely right.

A few days ago, Ishu was sitting on my lap reading a Highlights magazine (seriously, one of the best gift ideas ever. My cousins gifted this to Ishu and it is the gift that keeps on giving. He cherishes each magazine so much!). Each of the magazines has a theme and this particular issue was about shapes.

On the last page of the magazine, there is a picture of a cheetah with a bunch of spots. He usually points at the cheetah and screams, “TEE-TAAAA,” while I respond, “Yeah, this cheetah has spots!”

But this time, he didn’t do that. This time he stared at the cheetah. So I said, “The cheetah has spots!” He kept staring at the cheetah. And then he wiggled out of my lap onto the floor and ran over to his books.

“BOO BOOK!” he screamed.

“Blue book?” I asked. “What blue book?”

“BOO BOOK!” he repeated as he scanned the shelf for a specific book.

Wanting to help him, I asked again, “What blue book are you looking for?”

He kept saying, “Boo book. Boo book,” until I eventually went back to the couch and let him fend for himself. I couldn’t figure out what he wanted.

Eventually, he pulled out a tiny book and, with his arm extended forward, he ran back to me.

“Boo book!” he screamed enthusiastically.

I looked down at the book and said, “OHHHHHH, THE ZOO BOOK!”

He repeated again, “Boo book.”

I went to open up the book to read it to him, thinking he was completely over the magazine, but he pulled the book from my hands and turned to the page with the cheetah-looking animal.

He pointed to the character and said, “Pots,” showing me that this animal, too, had spots.

He had taken the information from one place, made a connection, and found what he was looking for in the other place.

Mind.

Freaking.

Blown.

I don’t know about you, but watching my kid learn and grow is probably one of life’s greatest gifts.

I know I’m so fortunate to do this. To get to be here with him for all the big and small moments. Like matching cheetah spots. Seems so trivial, but it’s definitely a moment I will remember forever.