Perceptions of a 4 year old.

Perception of Space:

Ella's friend Paige lives far away.
The mall is far away.
Bisbee is really, far away.
Grandma's house is REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY far away.
The moon is REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, far away.

Perception of Velocity:

Ella got to ride in Jacobs car (an awesome '91 Plymouth Laser) for the first time yesterday. I think she's the only one who fully appreciates the car.

Ella: Dad, this car is fast!
Jacob: How fast is it? Fast like a jet? Fast like a laser?
Ella: (Thinks for a minute) It's fast like a bike!!!

Perception of Time:

Ella lives within a 3 day span. The past, present, and future each consist of 1 day. Santa just visited yesterday. We are eating lunch today. Tomorrow is her birthday. It makes sense. She can measure a day pretty easily. It starts when she wakes up, and ends when she goes to sleep. Weeks, and months aren't quite so easy to measure, and a lot harder to explain. A year might as well be an eternity, considering she's only lived 4. Things get especially confusing when she mixes up her tenses, but she's starting to get the hang of it.

I'm realizing that perception is a matter of experience, and my daughter's perception of life is pretty wonderful. I think I'm going to try and follow her lead and live more in the present, appreciate the simpler things in life, like bicycles, and put the moon on my list of possible vacation destinations.