Patience

One of the things that's always confounded me about the kids is their level of patience.  Specifically their incredibly varied levels of patience.  In some situations if you tell them that something won't take place for 25 minutes they'll act like it's the end of the world - they can never possibly wait that long.

And then of course by the time they're done whining about it the time is up.

But on the other hand they can perform tasks that could make a piece-work factory floor guy go mad with the repetitions.  Like when Denis was maybe 3 and he 'rode' his tricycle up the driveway.  He wouldn't get off the bike and walk it up.  He wanted to stay in the seat.  And so he reached his little legs forward, pulled the bike up 6 inches, lifted up to pull forward again and lost 4 of the 6 he gained, and then did it again.  Must have taken him 45 minutes to make it 30 yards.  But it didn't bother him one bit.  It drove me crazy to watch him, but he didn't seem to mind at all.

Liam had one of these events over the summer.  The larger McGrath clan went up to Michigan Adventure amusement park for a day.  Everyone had a great time.  In the middle of a hot afternoon I gave Liam a 20oz. water bottle and asked him to fill it up.  This was a standard single-use screw top water bottle: Absopure, Poland Springs, something like that.  Well he runs off with the bottle to refill it.

There's a lot going on so I don't even realize how long he's been gone until he comes back with the bottle filled up.  It must have taken him 30 minutes, and the fountain is all of 1 minute away from our spot.  I asked him what he'd been doing and he answered that he had been filling up the bottle.  And sure enough, the bottle was full.  OK, whatever.  We're on vacation and I'm in no mood to start a fight.  We drink the water pretty quickly (much faster than it took to fill it up!) and this time I decide that I'll fill it up.

So I walk off to the fountain and immediately run into problems.  The shape of the bottle and the curve of the fountain are clearly incompatible.  I can cram the neck of the bottle on it, but can only get it to fill about 20% that way.  I look around for another fountain - there isn't one.  I look for a spigot or some other source of water - none to be found.  Now I'm really confused.  How did Liam fill it up?  I drank my fill from the fountain and returned with a mostly-empty bottle of water for the family.

When I got back I tracked down Liam.  I asked him where he filled up the bottle.  And of course he points to the fountain I've just come from.  So then I ask him - Well how is it that you were able to fill it up, it doesn't fit?  Oh, he says, I noticed it wouldn't fit right away, so I used the cap.  What do you mean, I say, you put the cap into the stream of water to shoot it into the bottle?  No, he replies, I'd just fill the cap with water and pour it into the bottle.

I'm sure my brain simply didn't comprehend what he was saying the first time he said it.  It was too outrageous.  When I finally understood I was no less astounded.  The cap must hold 1/4 oz. or less.  He likely never filled it completely.  And every time he poured I'm sure he spilled some.  It must have taken him filling the cap 150-200 times to get the water bottle full.  And yet that's what he did.  While at an amusement park full of fun rides.  With no complaint and no bragging.  He in fact didn't even seem to think anything about it.  I asked for it to be filled, this was the only way to fill it, and so he filled it up.

150 thimble-sized caps worth.  Amazing.

What I want to know is where is that patience when it's time for piano lessons?