more noah-isms

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"thank you. than-kyou. you said, 'Q'!"

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"in. in. 'in' starts with 'N!'"

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upon checking out a dead snake in the street.
me: what did the snake feel like?
noah: what?
me: how did it feel? slimy? rough?
noah: it felt...sad.
me: it felt sad? (trying not to laugh.)
noah: sad like, 'waaa-waaa-waaa!' (pretend cry.)

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for some reason we are sitting on the kitchen floor, and i am feeding noah and isla bites of applesauce.
me: you guys are like baby birds! or like owl babies.
noah: you are the mama owl.
me: who will you be?
noah: i'll be the biggest one.
me: which one was that? sarah, or percy, or bill?
noah: sarah.
me: which one will isla be?
noah: bill.
me: then we need someone else to be percy. how about isla's dolly stella?
noah: okay! (runs to get stella. brings her back triumphantly. sets her down next to us.)
me: here, babies, eat your applesauce! (i feed them bites of applesauce. they eat.)
me: noah, would you like to have another sister or brother someday? do you want to have more than two kids in our house?
noah: yeah! i want to have three little sisters!
me: wow, really? would you be a good big brother to all of those little sisters? would you help them?
noah: i would give them each a car. isla could have a car, another baby could have a car, and the last little baby could have a truck.

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planning isla's birthday celebration.
noah: isla should have a clean party, because i already had a messy party.

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at 8:30am saturday.
noah: is it tomorrow yet?

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we are walking down our street.
noah: what does that sign say?
me: no parking.
noah: it doesn't say 'no parking.' it says 'no parking this side.'

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at the kitchen table, after noah asked for some food and was served.
noah: no, i don't want it.
noah: 'honey, you asked for it!'

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listening to a piano concerto on NPR.
me: what's this fancy music?
noah: it's not fancy music, it's old-fashioned music.

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on fiddling with the underside of the vacuum and finding a roller part that flips up.
noah: look--it's dolly wheels for a vacuum!

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after putting the board book "baby faces" on his new tractor trailer truck.
noah: look--i made a book truck. a library truck. a bookmobile!

and you shall teach them

last sunday st. paul's began our godly play program--to a room FULL of children! i am really happy to be part of this program. i can't imagine a better way for noah to begin learning about our faith. i wasn't sure how he'd do in the 45-minute class, where quiet listening is a big part of what needs to happen. but it looked like he was interested in the story and then in the craft he chose to work on afterwards. he also seemed intrigued by all the other kids, and happy be part of something with the bigger boys.

there's a pretty informative video about godly play here. and this is from the godly play website: "Godly Play teaches children the art of using religious language - parable, sacred story, silence and liturgical action - helping them become more fully aware of the mystery of God’s presence in their lives." it is not about learning the answers; it's about wondering.

on sunday those of us who will "teach" in godly play and other programs were commissioned by our congregation. this is from that service:

the words which i command you this day shall be upon your hearts; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

v. we will recount to generations to come the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the lord:

r. and the wonderful works he has done.

skuut skuut skuut

Click to Play

in which noah skuuts along the interurban trail on the way to woodstock farm.

silverware crash (a movie)

Click to Play

in which isla helps unload the dishwasher.

breakfast conversation

me: daddy might drop you off at school today. would you like that?

noah: i will show him the tractor-trailer dump truck.

me: it's not a regular dump truck?

noah: it's a tractor trailer dump truck. the dumper is hooked to the trailer.

me: oh. is there a hitch?

noah: no. there's a rope. the hitch is lost.

me: oh. i wonder where it could be?

noah: maybe it is with lucy.

me: lucy? what's that?

noah: the doggie kate used to have.

me: ooohh. and where did lucy go?

noah: where?

me: did she go to heaven?

noah: yeah, lucy went to heaven.

me: and you think the tractor-trailer dump truck hitch might be in heaven too?

noah: yeah, it is in heaven.

me: how do you get to heaven?

noah: on an airplane.

me: can you go on a boat?

noah: no. just an airplane.

first first day

today was noah's first day of preschool! i can't believe what a big boy he is becoming. he was very excited for school today--packed up his backpack and hopped in the bike trailer, saying, "mama, ride!" when i dropped him off he checked out a few rooms and settled on... you guessed it, the cars and trucks area. he kept asking if certain toys were the preschool's, meaning, am i really allowed to play with all this stuff? he is in awe of how often they say yes at loving space.

check it out here. the website is lovely and does a nice job of explaining their educational philosophy, which they've taken from a variety of sources. basically, it's this: Together we celebrate what childhood should be: a time to explore the world unhurried, surrounded by friends and encouraging grown ups in an environment filled with endless supplies and opportunities for creative play. it's much more play than school, but i do not doubt that lots of learning will happen there as well. and another plus: it's in our neighborhood! i'm looking forward to the walks there and back as times to process what noah has been busy with at school.

when we signed noah up, we were asked what our hopes and fears are for noah as he begins school.

i fear that he will be hurt, or that he will hurt others. i fear that he will learn things that he's not ready to learn (or that i'm not ready for him to learn). i fear that he will lose his gentleness, that he will become a rough, wild boy, a member of a pack. i fear that he will no longer need me.

i hope that he will laugh heartily. i hope he will make friends, and feel welcomed, and feel ownership, and feel safe. i hope he will be challenged--to get messy, to play in ways outside his comfort, to express his feelings, to protect his needs, to share. i hope he will learn positive ways to resolve conflicts and to work cooperatively. i hope he will grow confident, strong and capable. i hope that he will have lots and lots of fun.