I’m listening to my girl in the bathroom & this is what I just heard:
“wait a sunket! what… in..the…weird?”
it’s gone come out.
one come out…
one come out…
one come out…
(pause) whatcha doin’ mommy? workin’ on yer pooter?
(pause) ok, i’m done.”
A Day with Papa
We set out for a summer hike
For wildlife and trees
A seven and a three year old
In seventy degrees
A pole hand-crafted, fit to cast
With string and safety pin
A Papa’s voice encouraging
To wriggle it again
I place a flower in her hair
She gathers all she can
A daunting forest up ahead
We’re walking hand in hand
A father’s love, grandfather’s love
Protecting, yet it’s bent
Upon the unveiling of adventure
His, a life and time well spent
At McDonald’s Play Land, I sat from afar & watched this scene ~ a little girl in a purple dress approached Angel & this was the conversation:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi! I’m Sarah! What’s your name?
- Angel
Hi! I’m five.
- I’m free. I have gum when I’m five.
You’re three? I was three when I was a little girl. (pause)… You wanna be friends?
- Ya!
Okay!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
…and off the two of them went, hand in hand, into the play structure. I thought about how complicated it can be for grown-ups to gain a friend, & then laughed to myself as pictured that exact scene between two grown men.
“My tummy says, ‘I’m Humgry!’ I like angel-cerral.’” (Cupcake Pebbles. “Pebbles” from the Flintstones, she says looks like her friend, Dru, and she says she looks like Bam-Bam, on the cereal box).
She’s currently scream-singing in the kitchen as she sees a mess on the floor that needs attention,
“CLEAN UP, CLEAN UP! EH-BUDDY, DO MY SHARE!”
Apple doesn’t fall far.
One of our favorites:
It’s short but sweet, and inevitable whenever we play a rousing game of hide-n-seek:
“…Where ARE Rooo?”
And here’s another she said last night. I was kneeling by her bed asking her if she wants to pray for her friends & she said, yes. So we were naming her friends and I suggested her teacher @ Parents Day Out, “Ms. Shelly”, to which she responded,
“No, Ms. Shelly not my friend. Ms. Shelly too tall.”
“Ms. Shelly hairs is cray-see. Her hairs is … circles.”
I thought that was pretty cute and intelligent. It made me smile, like so many things that come out of that lil mouth of hers.
Late last night on our way home from Tyler to see Papa Rick, Granny & Deenie (ok…and Dusty), we stopped to let the kids pee in the grass & I looked up to see an amazing sky. We got back on the road and through our moon roof I saw those stars again, and we decided to make it a sun roof so I could sit backwards with my knees in the crease of the passenger seat, and my head stickin’ out the top.
It was THE WEIRDEST thing! To look up and see just a million and a half stars, the moon & milky way, & watch the half-lit trees on either side of 79 pass us by at 79 MPH. Within 20 seconds, I saw a shooting star. If the fall chill didn’t get to my arms, I would have done that the whole ride home. I just stayed for a lil while longer with my hands over my ears which also kept my hair from whipping my face, and just let out a “HALLELUJAH!” – Angel quickly echo’d my cry, “Haw-yoo-ah!” and we smiled at each other.
It was an unexpected wink from God.
God is teaching us today about the futility of boredom, the life-giving power of kind words, the importance of eye contact and touch, a surprising connection between old and young, and the hope of a purpose-filled life on earth. The sand will run out sooner than we think. And I think again, am I pursuing what is only temporary? Or will I commit to pursuing that which will last?
Oh, that this conviction would linger…
Pandora:
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