Commercial Learning

We are growing a tomato plant on our patio.    2 green, shiny tomatoes started to plump up on the branches just a few weeks ago.   I don't know who was more excited:  Norah or me.

Just the other day, I arrived home to Norah shouting, "Mommy, the tomato fell off our plant."   

"What?"  I gasped.  "Did you eat it?"

"No, Mom," Norah said, rolling her eyes.  "We don't eat green tomatoes.   Only red ones."

"Oh..." I said, "but how will they ever get red?"  To my shock and amazement, Norah said, "We water them to make them grow.  The sun travels for many miles to dry up the plant and make the tomato red."  We had never discussed the process in full detail.

Wow.   For me, this was among the mounding evidence that Norah is a genius (which, of course, she is). But yesterday I realized there is perhaps a more logical explanation for her knowledge of gardening when we were watching Curious George.   Before  Curious George began, SunMaid raisins aired a  commercial.    And what do you know, the voiceover chimed, "the sun travels many miles..."   Hmmm...sound familiar?  I guess commercials are good for something.