9.01.2006

Another reason to love 'em

Logan's long been fascinated by the night sky. As an infant there would be nights he'd simply not settle down. The only thing that would settle his crying jag and eventually lull him to sleep would be bringing him outside. Hot night, cold night. Didn't matter. We'd be out there in our yard with a infant still softly sobbing until the momentum of his fit subsided. He'd tip back his fuzzy little head and just stare.

As the nights began to arrive earlier sometime after that first birthday we started to include the night sky into our bed time routine. Bath. PJs. Stories. Good Night Moon for real. New moon or cloudy nights really messed things up.

This ritual introduced astronomical words to Logan's vocabulary - he knew planets. He knew certain constellations. As he grew he expanded the depth of both his fascination and his knowledge. The point is, although he's only 4 years old, Logan has been quite attached to the idea of 9 planets for at least the last 3 years. Seriously. And quite frankly he loves Pluto.

When the vote came down and outer space changed recently we didn't tell him right away. "It'd confuse him," said Dad, "No need to break it to him now."

"This is Logan," I said. "He's going to fight with the first teacher that tells him there are only 8 planets. We need to start weaning him off Pluto now."

Days passed. Almost a week. We told him.

He said simply, "That's silly. Why'd they go and do that. When I grow up I'm going to be a space scientist first so I can change Pluto back into a planet."

Go right ahead young man. Knock your socks off.

Tonight, as we pulled up the covers and shut off the lights Logan started with his nightly routine of questions. "How long does it take light to get from the sun to the moon and then to Pluto?"

Really, this is not something Mommy knows. I, aching to sit down and relax, flippantly said, "A very long time." He glared at me through the darkness. I added, "How about we look it up tomorrow?"

It was my turn to ask a question. "If you discover a planet some day what would you name it?"

He didn't even think. "Pluto!" he said with conviction. "And then I'm going to tell those silly people Pluto's moon Charon is really a planet too."

6 comments:

kateandjona said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
kateandjona said...

In a few years, when he's all grown up, I'll be watching for a scientist named Logan to reinstate the planet status of Pluto. And I'll smile.


(2nd attempt - it deleted my comment the first time I tried!)

... Paige said...

Just a matter of time til I see his name in the Science field. Then I can say, I remember him from the stories his mom told on her blog.
What are we gonna do with out our 9th planet?

kenju said...

When Logan reinstates Pluto - I'll be giving him a standing ovation!!

Michele sent me.

srp said...

Here from Michele.

I just can't believe they took Pluto. I can think of another one that I would have rather seen go. Perhaps Logan can get Pluto back some day and perhaps discover Goofy as well. (That would be my name for a new planet.)

OldLady Of The Hills said...

WOW! That is fantastic and incredible. That he knows so much about the planets at his age. Reading this you feel that he WILL discover a new planet in the not too distant future!