March 5 – “Family history”

I got to do a tiny bit of homeschooling yesterday with a bit of a family flair to it.  Chris was helping Mom with a bath, so I was responsible for keeping Cailyn entertained.  I decided to take as my cue something I had heard her say earlier in the day.  She asked Chris to look up “Meckison dolls” on her phone internet connection.  That was a new one to me, so I was intrigued.  Seems a Meckison doll has quite a colorful outfit and could come with a piñata.  Figured it out yet?  Apparently she had seen a doll dressed in traditional Mexican clothing and remembered it.  So from that cue I decided to tell her the story of the Alamo.  She knew the Alamo was in San Antonio with Zakary and Caleb, but she had never heard its history.  She has now.  Not that she was particularly riveted with my storytelling.  She did react when I mentioned the Mexican leader’s name.  “DadDad, that sounds just like Santa Claus.”  Indeed it does. 

I continued the lesson with a ten second sweep through the Civil War and rushed through history to the story of a youngster who moved to Galveston, an Island near Texas, with his Mommy and Daddy.  The boy’s name was Jesse.  He grew up and went fishing a lot.  Later he and his Daddy knew so much about fishing that they started taking other people out on their boat so they could catch fish, too.  One day Jesse met a very beautiful girl.  He knew right away she would be his princess.  Her name was Oralee. 

At that point Cailyn’s eyes got really big, and she sat upright.  “DadDad, wait.  The princess’s name sounds just like MeeMaw’s name.” 

How’s that for insight?  I assured her she was absolutely correct.  In fact, that princess was MeeMaw.  Before long Jesse and Oralee got married and found out they were going to have a baby.  And they wondered if it would be a boy or a girl. 

“I hope it’s a girl, DadDad.” 

Ah, the baby was born and it was … a boy.  They named him Jesse like his Daddy.  But later they had another baby.  Do you think it was a boy or a girl? 

“I want it to be a girl.”

Of course you do.  But this time the baby was … a boy.  And they named him Kelley. 

Her eyes grew wide again.  She was beginning to pick up the game.  “That’s you, DadDad.”  Right again.

Jesse and Oralee then had one more baby.  And this one was …

She sadly interjected, “It was another boy.”

Yes, it was.  This one was called Stanley.  But the little boy named Kelley grew up and he went to Houston and he met a girl.  The most beautiful girl he had ever seen.  She was his princess …

“That was Nani, DadDad.” 

You’re right.  But back then he called her Chris.  So Kelley and Chris were married, and soon they found out …

“They were having a baby.”

Right.  And they wondered if the baby would be a boy or a girl.  Boy or girl.  Boy or girl.

“It’s a boy, DadDad.  It’s my Daddy.”

Well, not yet.  The first baby was a boy.  And his name was Uncle Kel.  They just called him Kel at the time, though.  And then they were going to have another baby.  Would this one be a boy or a girl?

“It’s my Daddy.”

Not yet.  But it was another boy, and they named him Uncle Josh.  And then they had another baby and it was …

“My Daddy!”

It was your Daddy.  And they named him Nathan.  And Nathan grew up and met a very beautiful girl.  He fell in love with her and he knew she would be his princess.  Her name was …

“Mommy!”

Yes, it was your Mommy.  But back then people called her April.  And before long Nathan and April found out they were going to have a baby.  Would it be a boy or girl? 

“It was a girl, DadDad!  It was me!” 

You’re right!  It was a beautiful little girl, and they named her Cailyn.  Nani and DadDad were at the hospital waiting, and Daddy came out and told us we finally had a little girl in the family.  And we were very, very happy.  We snuggled with you, and tickled you, and kissed you and loved you.  Of course at this point there had to be some demonstration involved, which brought on an explosions of giggles. 

All in all, I thought it was quite the creative way to pass the time.  Chris was finished bathing Mom.  I still had some work to get done.  And Cailyn?  She had some ideas of her own …

“Tell me another story like that one, DadDad.”

Psalms 69:34 says, “Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them”

Father, thank you for my family history and for the history that is in the making.  Amen.