Wonder

Day 4 of 31 at TWT!

"WHOA. Look at the river!" Sweetie shoots up straight in her car seat, arm pointing out the window. On both sides of our local dam, water is absolutely gushing across what are normally the riverbanks, forming two extra waterfalls cascading into where the river normally begins. 

"Oh yeah, with all the rain we've had, it's really rushing! Do you want to eat dinner by the waterfall?"

"YEAH!" Both girls pause their Shamrock Shake sipping to yell in unison, so we pull into the small park that looks out onto the dam. 

"Why is the water SO brown?"

"Look how it's rushing!"

"Why are there separate waterfalls?"

In between bites of chicken nuggets and green minty swigs, they pepper us with questions and commentary as the sun goes down. 

It's getting duskier, and they're doing well on their dinners. I really want them to really experience the unique scene. "Do you want to get out of the van and walk down to see the water up close?"

"YEAH!!!" they chorus again, wriggling to unbuckle their seatbelts. As soon as we open the doors, the rumble of the water fills the air. 

Rainbow Girl huddles against me as Sweetie skips and scampers ahead on the path. "It's sooo loud!"

"That's right! That's why I wanted to get out, so you could really see and hear its power!"

"Will it still be like this in the morning?" Rainbow Girl, always trying to figure out how the world works, coos in my ear.

"Hmm, I'm not sure. It might not be this big in the morning, but it might be. I don't know how long it will stay huge like this! Do you want to get down and stand next to Sis?"

"Yeah! Yeah!" She squirms down from my hip and hop-scurries over to the railed overlook. As she flashes a big smile at me over her shoulder, her mouth is moving and I can vaguely hear some happy squeals, but the rushing water overpowers her words. 

"I see! It's amazing, isn't it?" I grin, sure that she can't hear me either. She bounces and wiggles while Sis stands still beside her, mesmerized. Brown water turns white as it churns and pours over the dam, filling our ears with a monotonous pounding. I'm not sure which is more incredible: the power of the water or the magic of seeing the wonders of the world through their eyes. 

Wow!