Lessons from Ella Kate: Boring is Not Boring

This one will be short.  I have a lot of laundry to put away and I'm sleepy, despite napping three hours (!!!!) while Ella took a nap for once.  Oh, the life of a mommy!


For anyone who doesn't know, I work as a Special Education teacher, and am currently teaching seventh grade.  Even if I wasn't teaching Special Ed, I would still be dealing with many children who have something in common: ADHD.  It seems to be such a huge epidemic which, I believe, is severely over diagnosed.  But that's a topic for another time.


At 12 weeks, Ella has become very much more aware of EVERYTHING around her.  She is constantly looking around, twisting her head one way then the other.  Kyle and I have both noticed that she even does this while eating, no matter how hungry she is or how long it's been since she last ate!  While it is a little annoying (especially for a nursing mommy, ouch!), I am amazed at how quickly she is developing, and I love the look on her face when she zeros in on something new and interesting. 


I use the word "interesting" loosely.  Normally, the thing she finds new and interesting would be considered quite boring to me!   But for Ella, boring is not boring.


So what is it that keeps her entirely focused for long periods of time, no matter how she is feeling?  Oh, her best of friends, of course:

It never fails.  No matter where we are, if there's a fan, she's entranced!  And that brings us back to my earlier comments about ADHD.  When do kids start to lose their focus and their delight in simple things?  I know that, like now, she will continue to get distracted by things around her as she grows and learns.  That's what she's supposed to do.  But her focus on some things is simply amazing. 


The lesson I'm learning is that, sometimes, we all need to be satisfied in the simple things in life.  I sometimes find myself watching TV, on the computer, and flipping through something on my phone all at the same time, and still feeling bored. 



So I take a lesson from Ella: take time to look around and take everything in.  Find that one thing that entertains me, and focus in on it.  Really focus in.  Be satisfied with one thing at a time.  Learn that sometimes I just need to be still and at peace with the world around me.  It is so amazing how she smiles and coos at things that don't respond to her.  Her hanging toys, the ceiling fan, the framed picture behind the couch, sometimes even the wall.  It's all new and exciting to her.  My new daily goal will be to find something simple to entertain myself with, and really enjoy just being in that moment.


Thank you, Ella.  I can't wait for our next lesson!