Rose-colored Glass(es)

Do you remember when we were kids and there would be contests in which game pieces were given out and then you had to hold the game piece behind the special "decoder" (which was a red film) to see what your game piece said? (I tried Googling that to see what it was actually called, but alas, I wasn't able to find my answer.)

Anyway, I remember that seeming like magic as a kid. That a squiggly image could suddenly say something, like, "You win!" (Or, more often, "You are not a winner. Try again.")

Well, this same technology is being used on one of the toys Burger King is giving out in its "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatlballs" Kids' Meals. (A movie a highly recommend for ages 5 and up, btw.)

On this toy, the red magic is being used to show different foods that Flint's machine made. You press a button, it flips to a different image and then you close the "door" (the red film) and suddenly the food item appears. (I realize these photos aren't great, but it's a banana - trust me.)

Owen is fascinated. Aidan and I agree that it's a pretty neat toy (especially for something that came in a kids' meal ), but Owen just can't believe his eyes.

After playing with it for a good 10 minutes or so, he turned to me and said, "Guess what food this is," showing me the squiggly image. "I don't know," I said, not wanting to ruin his magic. Shutting the door to reveal a banana, he turned back to explain, "Use the green parts to organize it." Sure enough, the banana is a subtle green beneath the red squiggles.

To organize it. It's these little windows into his brain that I love so much. The way he looks for a clue to help him make sense of the rest of what's happening.

I'm sure we all do this without thinking about it, but it's his awareness and the fact that I know he has to work so much harder at it that gives me pause.

If only everything in life came with a special decoder...a little red film that took out the squiggles and helped us see the important stuff. That helped us organize things.