Skygazing

Over the past year or so, Sam has become fascinated by the moon. I think it started one night when he was having a rough time and I brought him upstairs to our bed. When we got to the window at the top of the stairs, I pointed out the moon to him, a very bright full moon which was lighting up the room like a streetlight. He stared at it for several minutes, objecting when I finally continued on to bed.

Nowadays, when we're outside or driving after dark, he tends to ask us to point out where the moon is in the sky. He still gets pretty confused when we're driving and the moon changes locations on him. He thinks that if he first spots it off to his left, it will ALWAYS be to his left.

The other week Sam asked to see the moon, which was fairly easy to do--it was clearly visible from the bay window in our dining room. Sam wasn't happy, however.
Sam: Where's the moon?
Liz: See, it's right there, through the trees.
Sam: Through the trees?
Liz: Yep.
Sam: Nooo. That's not the moon!
Liz: Yes, that's the moon.
Sam: Not the moon. It's broken?
Liz: Well, it looks a little different today, doesn't it? A bit skinnier?
Sam: It's broken!

Explaining the waxing and waning of the moon to a three-year-old felt like a losing battle, though I did tell him that the moon takes turns being really round and fat, then thin and dark.

The other day, when we were walking out to the car at Ms. Emma's house (his daycare provider), he looked up and spotted the moon in the sky.
Sam: It's the moon!
Liz: That's right!
Sam: You fixed it?
Liz: Uh...