Obsession

My eldest son is obsessed with all things numbers.  I don't just mean interested (though that's true), or that he's good with numbers (though that's also true); he is obsessed.  Microwaves, timers, clocks, watches, calculators are all a source of endless fascination.

Case in point: we recently decided to start limiting the amount of time Levi is allowed to look at watches in the same way that other people limit television or computer time, because it was becoming increasingly impossible to tear him away.  Those of you who attend my church and witnessed the hysteria during the baptism this past Sunday?  Yeah, that's because I told him to be "all done" with his grandma's watch so that we could talk about the baptism.  

Last week I caught him with a chair pulled out so he could watch a timer counting down on the microwave.  As if it was a hit movie or something.

The radio is broken in my car, so we're on our own to amuse ourselves on any car rides.  Levi generally fills the silence with a constant stream of chatter.  This follows four main subjects: "silly words" (his made-up languages and gibberish, and most recently, endless repetitions of the "name game" song), alphabets (English, Greek, Hebrew, German, phonetic sounds, or any combination of the above), driving rules (traffic lights, turn signals, speed limit signs, etc.), and, of course, numbers.  

Sometimes he just counts.  In our 15-minute drive to Bible study on Wednesday mornings, several times he has reached the 300s before losing interest (or we arrive).  Often, he puts the numbers to a tune, the usual culprit being "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"; this morning, I distinctly heard the melody of "Fairest Lord Jesus" below his counting.  

And, given the inclusion of timers in his obsession, sometimes he counts backwards.  I took advantage of the air-conditioned play-place at McDonald's for lunch today, and of course we heard things beeping in the kitchen while we were there.  Levi decided the timer was set for 20 minutes, and began counting backwards in what we call "clock numbers" (meaning that the first number changes after 59 instead of 99 like "regular numbers") as we got in the car.  (20, 19:59, 19:58 . . . )  Somewhere around 17:30, he lapsed into "Fairest Lord Jesus" again, and I laughed heartily.  But nothing prepared me for what came next:

"Sally the camel had 16:52 humps . . . Sally the camel had 16:51 humps . . . Sally the camel had 16:50 humps . . . so ride, Sally, ride!  boom boom boom . . . "

It's a good thing we were already pulling into the garage, or I may have driven off the road, I was laughing so hard.  I find myself wondering: what on earth do other mothers of nearly-three-year-olds talk about all day?  I KNOW this can't be normal, this constant number-related chatter and song, but I suppose other toddlers get obsessed about other things . . . right??

Funny kid.