head, shoulders, knees, toes and the cerebellum

Jack has had an entertaining obsession lately--the human body and how everything about it works. It all started with the brain about two weeks ago. I can't remember exactly what spurred the question, but Jack asked what a brain looks like. So, to satisfy his curiosity, I looked online to find some pictures of the brain and showed him. His favorite was a picture of a real brain with a color coded overlay defining the four lobes and the cerebellum. After that viewing, Jack declared two things:

1- "Mom, I want to know everything there is to know about the brain!"

2- "My favorite part of the brain is the cerebellum."

A few days later, his curiosity focused on ears, and then the nose, and then the heart, and the eyeballs, and the intestines (his new favorite part of the body). I can hardly keep up with his questions!! I finally found a very helpful book that included bonus materials that are now hanging in our hallway. Here's a photo of Jack declaring his favoritism for that "squiggly stuff--that's my small intestine" displayed so well on our newly acquired 4-foot high posters of the human body.

Needless to say, Jack has spent A LOT of time in the hallway studying the "enormous pictures of the human body" and has been asking many more questions. One of my most favorite . . .


"Mom, which half of my body has the muscles?" (see above photo to understand the basis for his inquiry)


With all his curiosity, I've begun to think that perhaps Jack is destined to become a doctor when he grows up. I decided that I'd ask him and this is what he had to say about that:


Mom: "Jack, are you going to be a doctor when you grow up?"
Jack (without hesitation): "No, Mom."
Mom: "Well, what do you want to be when you grow up--a fireman?"
Jack: "No, Mom. I don't know what I want to be yet!"

I suppose I should have realized that he is far too young to actually know what he wants to be when he grows up, but I thought he'd be like most other kids and name the first thing that came to his mind. Apparently, I have a lot to learn. I wonder what we'll be studying this week! I really should sign up for an online anatomy class or human biology class. Head, shoulders, knees and toes is just not going to cut it anymore!!


Cute Jack. Funny Jack. Smarter-than-Mom Jack. I love Jack.