It's a picture of a house, right? Then I asked Chloe to tell me what was in the picture and this is what she said:


She drew a FLOOR PLAN people. (Well, floor plan and elevation, if you want to be accurate). Now I know Chloe draws well for her age (she just turned four in April), but what struck me most was the content of her picture. I couldn't help but wonder how much of her concept of space and design came through HandyMan and I? How much have our weekly trips to Home Depot informed her little brain about construction and the possibility of building things and putting things together? Does she "get" that her home is a well-designed one, that its efficient and detailed?

I wonder these things because I see in her so many things that are not her father and I. She is a natural athlete who excels at whatever sport she tries. She is focused and stubbornly determined. She is loud and boisterous and makes friends easily. Those are things that are all "Chloe".

Would she have drawn this picture if we weren't her parents? What would she have drawn if we had spent more time in the kitchen with her than in the garage? As a parent, one of my joys is watching my daughter grow and seeing her personality reveal itself, little by little. Will we grow more the same or more different? What is innate in her and what have we helped her develop?

Do you wonder those things about your children too? Deep thoughts for a warm summer's night!