Laugh Lines of a Sunday Sort

Grace has been doing quite well now that she sits with us through the first half of the church service. Her favorite part, no doubt, is the music -- she stops her coloring or writing, or whatever she's doing, and spins around to face the front in complete rapt attention. She usually wants me to hold her so she can see better, and she belts out the songs one by one, whether she knows them or not (more often than not, it's the latter, which phases her not in the least). Usually, if she doesn't know the song, she'll grab on to a word she recognizes and will just sort of hold that for awhile -- a harmony, of sorts.

This morning we were singing a particular worship song, and she asked me what it was about. When I told her she said, "Yes, that's right. I like this one, because it's all about God." Well, yes, you'll find that to be true, when you're singing in church ...

The next song came up and once again she asked me what it was about. This time, I told her as I held her in my arms, the song is also about God, how much He loves us and takes care of us, and how strong He is.

She looked at me for a moment, and then held her arms out on either side of her, crooking them at the elbows as she imitated a "strong man."

"Yes," she said. "I like this song too because it's all about God. And God likes His vegetables, because He is healthy and strong!"

**************************
As I am writing these moments down, we are killing some time until we are able to leave to spend some time at Andy and Jacie's house, in celebration of Andy's birthday. It's a dinner gathering -- just us, and Andy's brother and sister-in-law, I believe, and we have about a half-hour yet until we need to leave. For the kids, however, this is an eternity. Aidan, especially, has been antsy all afternoon, trying (and failing) to wait patiently until he can see his buddy, their son Caleb.

Finally Aidan could take no more of it. He just came by my side, his little brow creased in frustration. "Can we go yet, Mommy? Please? I'm just dying to see Caleb!"

Sorry, buddy -- they're not ready for us yet.

"Oh, man!" he exclaimed. "This just too much! See what just happened? I've waited so long that I can't even picture him anymore!"