But to my great surprise, he LOVED the nativity set. He liked the way the little doors on the stable opened and was fascinated with the characters inside. At first he didn't know they were people and animals... he just chewed on them and threw them. The angel lost her wings after being thrown about 25 times.

We left him alone and just let him do whatever he wanted... and before long he figured out that these wooden things were people and animals. We watched as he tried to make Mary ride the camel and soon discover she actually fit on the donkey.

The next day he figured out that the baby went with the mommy and daddy. 

The next day he set they up like an adult would and then he decided they should be in a circle all facing each other with the angel in the middle.

The next day he noticed the beautiful nativity set his parents had on a shelf (far from his reach!) and he tried to put his little pieces with that one.

I watched him play... and I understood what it meant for Mary to "ponder" on the night that Jesus was born. She must have understood the events that were unfolding inside and around her about as much as my grand baby did... it must have been so new... so magical... so mysterious and with time she began to understand.

I know that my grandson doesn't fully understand the birth of Jesus because he played with a nativity set and figured out where all the characters were supposed to be. But the wonder he felt... the joy... the delight... those are the feelings that must have overwhelmed Mary and that she must have pondered... and those are the feelings I pray we all discover anew this Advent season! Happy Pondering!!!