A Primer in Brotherhood

Another Lazarus quotable:

“Eden, drink the ketchup.  I’m eight years old, and I give pretty good advice most times.  And this is one of those times."

Omaha Zoo Part 1

In August we went to Omaha to visit the zoo.  We stayed at a nice hotel which had the BEST cake we've ever had.  I'm not kidding -- I'm not a big cake person, but this cake was awesome!

We spent a good bit of time watching tv.  We don't get cable at home, so the kids love watching Teen Titans Go and various other things on the Cartoon Network.  Eden is completely fascinated and sucked in by every single advertisement.  At one point she was sitting on the bed in her sleepshirt, sucking her thumb and rubbing her face with her string, when an add for Eliquis (an anti-stroke medicine) came on.  The ad shows a 60-something man running around a college campus as the narrator tells you all the benefits (and drawbacks) of the medicine.  At the end of the ad he says, "Ask your doctor if Eliquis is right for you."  Eden turns to me with eyes as big as saucers, removes her thumb from her mouth, and says, "Mama, I think Eliquis is right for me."

And of course the zoo!  We had a great time there.  When we went to see the rhinos Z got there first and yelled out to me as loud as he could, "Mama, this rhino has the biggest penis EVER!"  A good time was had by all!

"Idiom" and "idiocy" share a common cognate, you know.

Nathan and Z are walking around the Riverside yard, picking up fallen twigs, putting them in the red wheelbarrow. 

Nathan: This tree drops so many branches every time there's a storm.

Z [in his own world again]: WHAT?

Nathan: I said, this tree drops so many branches every time there's a storm.

Z [furiously at work]: You don't need to tell me twice.

"Let There Be . . ."

Tonight I was reading the first chapter of the Jesus Storybook Bible to Z and Eden.  It is, of course, the creation story, so we read how God says, "Let there be light!  Let there be sky and water!  Let there be sun, moon, and stars!  Let there be fish and birds!  Let there be animals that run, walk, and creep!"  Eden interrupted the story here and said, "And after Adam and Eve sinned, God said, 'Let there be mosquitoes!'"

Too true.

Christian Education

Nathan again.  It has been a surprising experience doing Christian education with my children.  So much of what you say sticks with them - just not necessarily what you plan.  So much of what they articulate back to you is fresh and real yet totally age-appropriate.  Here's an example from this morning.  I drive Z to school, and our morning commute is when most of our substantive interaction takes place (the rest of the day is grunting and wrestling).

Z: What's a private school?

N: It's a school that's not run by the government.  A government-run school is called a public school, and it is paid for with tax dollars.  Private schools are paid for by parents.  You have a good public school, but someday you will probably go to a private school.  What mommy and I like about private schools is that many of them talk about Jesus there openly.  And they teach subjects differently, with God in mind.

Z: Oh.  I though a private school was where students got taught privately, one on one.

N: Another great reason for going to a private Christian school is that there's a good chance you'll have Christian friends.  I hope you have non-Christian friends too, but that you are sure to have some Christian friends.

Z: I have a Christian friend.

N: You do?

Z: Yeah, J.

N: Of course.  I can see that J. is taking his faith seriously, which I respect about him.

Z: I don't know if E. and B. are Christians.  I think they are.

N: It's possible.  But sometimes people call themselves Christian, even go to church, but don't really know about Jesus.  That's why it's important that you talk to them about Jesus.  They need to know God.  [Adding a serious tone.]  And life is short.

Z: Life is short.  I thought [my cousin] Ethan's birthday just happened recently, but it's coming up in just a few weeks.

Eden's Preschool Christmas Program

This is ridiculously late, but better now than never!  Eden took part in her preschool Christmas program last Christmas and it was wonderful and so was she.  She marched into the auditorium in her pretty red Christmas dress, so excited to take part in the program!

The children started with a song, which Eden led out on -- all the other children following along.  The theme of the program was that the night Jesus was born was "a night like no other" and each child learned a specific line along that theme.  Eden's was, "It was a night like no other for shepherds and their sheep."  She spoke her line very clearly right into the microphone!

They sang several songs, and, my favorite, they formed a bell choir!  Each child had a differently colored bell, and the teacher held up cards corresponding to those colors.  When the teacher held up your color, you rang your bell!  They played "Silent Night" and did a really amazing job!  All the kids were so serious and so concentrated on their teacher -- it was delightful.

 

From the Past

I found this trio of pictures today while looking through an old album.