“Good night, God bless you, sweet dreams, and I love you.” Thomas repeats to his baby brother, Timothy. I heard these words nightly as a child. I spoke them to my children and now to their children. My son says them to his daughter and my daughter to her sons. They offer a daily reminder …
Who? Me?
Ready or not, here I come. Our neighbors’ children walked over to play with Thomas. The older just completed kindergarten. Her sibling is three and Thomas is two. The oldest counted to ten. Her sister darted behind a porch column and hid her own eyes. Thomas followed her, giggling happily, then circled back to where …
Employed & Exhausted
My youngest child taught me many things but one lesson in particular has come in handy with grandchildren. I was reminded of it when I read a piece of parenting advice recently. Summer days are long and older toddlers who have mostly given up napping need to be employed and exhausted daily or no one …
Can God Read?
“G-O-D, God,” read Thomas. It’s the first sight word I taught him, and why not? It’s the most important word to know, for him and for you and for me. It’s the beginning of understanding everything. Origin of man and the universe? God. Giver of life? God. Sustainer, Creator, Provider, Author, Purpose-Giver, Indwelling Spirit. The …
God’s Obedient Child
“No!” he intoned, and stomped his little foot. Today he did not want to change out of his pajamas. Yesterday he didn’t want to use the potty. The day before, he wanted dessert but he wouldn’t even taste his dinner. Why is this one syllable so easy to learn to use? Why not, “yes, Mom! …
God’s Body Building
Thomas was still too young for Legos. He thought the game was emptying the bucket. As soon as the crashing noise ended, he was on to something new. I called his attention back to the tower I was building but when he swatted it, it stayed put. What fun is a tower that can’t be …
Valley of Blessing
I first met my daughter standing by a stop sign on Hardin Road in a misting rain. Although we’d never met, I put my arm around her and asked if she was alright. I knew a little about her from my son. I’d heard them talking on the phone. He met her at work and …
Saving Siri
“Mumble-mumble-mumble wock,” mimicked Thomas, copycatting Amelia yet again. He thinks it’s funny to repeat what he thinks he hears. Younger by almost a year, she speaks very well but he’s made a game of echoing her baby talk and she picks up the phrase and they repeat it over and over laughing all the while. …
Redirect
I planted toddler tomatoes today. My daddy started them for me and I potted them in planters in the magic spot from last year. In the few days it took me to get them repotted, they tangled themselves into a knot, much like my grandchildren when left unsupervised for half a minute to make their …
Caught Off Guard
“We won’t melt,” I said to my daughter as the sprinkling rain came. The overcast sky had been threatening all day but we’d finally pulled our chairs outside along with the sand box and the water table. Thomas’s front was already soaked from play so we sat, half an hour or more, in the drizzle, …
A Fitting Reply 