My inspiration for this record of my days:

“The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. . . . I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less” -Anna Quindlen

Monday, March 1, 2010

A dizzying intellect

Do you remember that line from The Princess Bride?  “Truly, you have a dizzying intellect.”  I find myself saying that to Jonah frequently.

How else do you respond to this:

“I know why you need water in your throat, Mom.  You need it to protect the blood in your throat.  Because if you didn’t protect it, then the people could see it, right?”

Huh???

Jonah says random things like that to me all the time!

The other day he was riding home from school in my friend Crystal’s car.  She had all of her kids with her, and was giving one of the boys a hard time for getting a frowny face on his behavior chart that day.  After listening to the exchange, Jonah began asking questions.

Jonah: “Why did he get a frowny face?”

Crystal:  “I guess he had a hard time staying in his seat today.”

Jonah:  “Doesn’t he understand the plan of Jesus?”

Crystal: “Umm… uh… I don’t really think that is the problem.  I think he just had a hard time staying in his seat.”

(At this point, I’m sure Crystal was very impressed that not only had Jonah learned about Jesus’ plan for us, but was capable of applying it to good behavior in school!)

Jonah, after a pause: “I don’t really understand the plan of Jesus, either.  Do you think it has something to do with safety?”

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