January 12 – “Here’s to creativity in communication”

We had some house guests again yesterday.  This time it was Kel’s boys, Jachin, Micah and Josiah.  Their Mom had a doctor’s appointment in Houston to have that little baby sister growing in Mom’s tummy checked out.  Jachin and Micah informed us that they were no longer calling the baby by the temporary name of Leia (after said princess of Star Wars fame).  Now she’s Iris.  Jachin said he looked it up and found out that it means “Rainbow.”  Very pretty thought.  Micah did mention that there was another possibility still in the running.  Something more practical and in line with certain expectations.  Something along the lines of “Poopy pants.”  I think Iris has a better chance of survival in the cutthroat world of pleasing the parents as well.  Sorry, Micah.

Josiah, the two-year-old was quite entertaining.  One of their routines when they arrive is that they take off their shoes and leave them at the front door.  I guess that’s something they do at home.  We don’t have that particular requirement here, but it works well for finding footwear when it’s time to go home.  When Josiah took his shoes off, he displayed them proudly for me to see.  And a finer specimen of shoe I have not seen in some time.  I was verbally admiring them when he interrupted me with the important announcement, “I got it at the out-et maw.”  Even old DadDad got that one.  Outlet mall.  Nice shoes, Josiah.

Jachin got involved in the fun when his Mom texted Chris to see how everything was going.  Chris happened to be out of the room at the time her text message alert alarm went off.  So to be good citizens of the household, Jachin (with absolutely no … well, very little … assistance from me) decided to answer the text, purely as a means of reassuring Christina that all was well.  Besides, it was Nana’s phone, so it didn’t matter what we – er, he – said, Nana would get the blame.  Here’s a look at the interchange:

Christina: How are memaw and the boys?

Jachin: Josiah is running naked through the neighborhood.  Jachin and Micah started a fight with the neighbor kids.  Micah has another black eye.  Jachin just has a bloody nose but you should see the other guys.  MeeMaw is composing a new song to submit as the theme for an upcoming episode of Duck Dynasty.
(No answer was immediately forthcoming, so he continued)
Jachin (with assistance from Micah, who was now caught up in the spirit of the encounter): Hello.  Earth to Mom.  The ambulance just left.  Only two of the kids were hurt.  Nana went to the ER in a separate ambulance.  Oops.  I meant to say I went to the ER. (They remembered it was supposed to be Nana talking)
Christina: Is this jachin or dad dad?
Jachin: Neither
Christina: Really?
Jachin: Yes, really.
Christina: So far the only believable part of these texts is the one about micah’s black eye.  And josiah running around naked. J
She continued with some boring stuff about how they were on their way and would stop for lunch.  By this time Chris had discovered what was happening, so she added:
Chris: I finally have some control of my phone.  Get some lunch.
Christina: Thx. Have fun.
Chris: Bring some leftovers for the wild goatJ (No, really, that’s what it says on her phone.  Can't imagine where that came from)
Christina: I’ll see if I can pick up some hay off the side of the road.
Nice to see some creativity on the part of the Moms there.  But way to go, Jachin for initiating that whole interchange.  Here’s to creativity in communication.

Psalms 56:3-4 says, “When I am afraid, I will trust in you.  In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid.  What can mortal man do to me?”

Father, thank you for giving us the chance to participate in the kaleidoscope that is a child’s world of fun.  Amen.