The Story of Quack

For Christmas my cousins sent us a gift which included the book "Make Way for Ducklings", placemats with the story's artwork, and a scruffy nubby little stuffed duck. You were totally enamored by the book, which is set in Boston, because as you exclaimed excitedly when I read it the first time "I've been there!". The book remains one of your favorites. You also immediately took the duck under your wing, and it became your necessary sleeping cuddly.

I was happy to have it replace any one of your bears, as the duck is much smaller and easier to pack for overnights and such. The best thing about the duck is that it had this worn and loved look from the get-go, like it's been with you since day one, and you treat him like he has. When I asked you what your Duck's name was, you barely hesitated..."Quack" you said. Quack is the last of the eight ducklings in the book, and you no doubt had decided this was the one and only. Now, every time I read the story and it names off all the ducklings, you give me this little look and wriggle with excitement because the book is talking about YOUR quack. And many a night as we're settling into bed, a slightly concerned "where's Quack?" escapes your lips as you try to re-locate your little friend amongst the entangled sheets.

Tonight, we were reading "The Tooth Book" and one of the pages shows a boy gobbling up a bunch of junk food. It sparked a conversation about how too much junk food can make your teeth sick, and give you a tummy ache. We've had this conversation many times before, but you were re-processing it again tonight, when you announced that if Quack got sick, you'd take him to a "duck doctor". You then proceeded to explain to me in more detail what you would do.

"If Quack was sick I would carry him in my arms out to the car (complete with demonstration of how Quack would be tucked under our right arm). I'd put him in the car, strap him in my car seat, get in my car and drive him to the Duck Doctor. Then I'd take him out of the car, carry him into the Duck Doctor (gesture again), and um, and um... and um... put him up on the table. Then the doctor would make a really tiny hole in him and he would go in and fix his tummy ache. Then I'd put tape over the hole and the hole would go away, and then quack would be all better."

Besides that little "and, um" section, this story flowed freely from your lips with pauses not to think up what was to come next, but where one would expect to hear them when listening to a story.

Your eloquent explanation of what you'd do in this scenario is the epitome of coalescence. I could almost see the bits and pieces of your past experiences, and guess at conversations you've had with other children and probably adults. There was something truly powerful about what you were saying. You weren't just making up a story, you were really walking through what you would do, telling it directly to me as it came to you. Is this early signs of complex problem solving...

Never under-estimate the capacity of a three year old.

Mom