May 6 – “800 billion gazllion dillion”

We managed to squeeze in a super-quick trip to Waco on Monday.  We had to get back on Tuesday because Cailyn had a reservation to spend the night with us.  Mommy is now working nights at the hospital and Daddy was on shift with the fire department.  That means Nani and DadDad to the rescue.

The point of our journey was to watch Caleb and Zakary play baseball.  By some freak happenstance they both had games back to back on the same night.  We arrived around lunch time and stopped by Rudy’s Barbeque to satisfy that basic need.  That gave us an hour or two to play with the boys before we had to load up for Zakary’s piano lesson way out in the country somewhere.  He went inside and the rest of us lolled around in the porch.  Nani found a rocking chair.  Caleb and I settled into the porch swing.  Caleb only informed us of his boredom on one occasion, so I would call that a win.  Luke went on a series of explorations of the yard and garden, always checking back to make sure one of the big people was keeping an eye on him.  Country life at its finest. 

From piano lessons we made our way straight to the baseball fields.  The boys are playing in a neighborhood coach pitch rec league.  Mom and Dad wanted them to have the baseball experience without the accompanying Little League Stress Syndrome to see if they really liked the sport.  Caleb’s group seemed to have gotten the memo.  I think the boys had a good time, whether they made an out or not.  Caleb hit the ball each time he batted and even worked his way around to score once.  Now the opposing coach in Zak’s game might have missed out on the “just for fun and learning” lecture.  There was a ref of sorts, but I think he was there to return the equipment and empty the trash cans after the game.  After missing one fairly obvious call at first when a kid ran way out of the baseline to avoid being tagged, he actually made the call later when another kid ran almost into left field to avoid a tag.  The opposing coach (who was pitching) stopped the game and argued the call.  I think he even protested the game until he got his way.  Not a single one of the kids had any idea what was happening.  Hmm.  Can we learn something here?  I think we lost both games, but Zak also hit the ball both times he batted, so he was pleased (Me, too).  Warranted a stop at Little Caesar’s for a celebratory pizza.

The next morning Caleb went with me to get donuts.  He had lobbied for that right the night before.  See, we have a tradition at cousins’ sleepovers.  The first two awake when DadDad leaves the house for donuts gets to go with him.  So far that honor has fallen on Micah (who on occasion has been the only one awake) and Zakary (who Micah started waking up to join us).  They sacrifice a few extra minutes of being awake the night before for the privilege of being the Donut Man.  Now that concept of sacrifice was swept under the rug in Caleb’s desperate attempt to make his move into the picture.  I heard arguments about the right thing to do and the fair thing to do and rotating the privilege.  The little guy would make a splendid lawyer (or as his Daddy recommended, a politician).  The compromise we reached (however temporary it may be) was for me to wait for him to wake up the next morning and he could ride with me.  Of course, we had not even discussed IF I was planning to go for donuts.  That was a given.

So Caleb and I went for donuts on Tuesday morning.  On the way home he was musing about something.  Finally it came out.

Caleb: “Let’s imagine, DadDad.  A mommy had 800 children.”

Me: “800?  That’s a lot of kids.”

Caleb (sensing my connection and getting excited: “Yes, DadDad, and they were all boys.”

Me: “Wait.  All boys?  How did they all get to be boys?” (Be careful what you ask, old man).

Caleb: “Oh, DadDad.  That’s how they came out of their Mommy.  And there was no Daddy and they all wanted donuts.”

Me: “Whew.  Wait a minute.  Did you say they all came out of the same Mommy?”

Caleb: “Yes.”

Me: “OK.  No Daddy.  And they all want donuts.  That’s gonna take a lot of donuts.  So let me get this straight, it was the same Mommy to all 800 of those boys?”

Caleb: “Yes it was.  And they all came out at the same time.  And after they ate all the donuts, she had 800 more.”

Me: “800 more children?  All boys this time?”

Caleb: “Yes, DadDad.  And they wanted some donuts, too.  And they ate 800 million bazillion donuts.  And then Mommy had 800 billion gazllion dillion more children, all boys, and they wanted donuts.”

Me: “I think Mommy was an ant.”

By this time we were back home, so I took his proposal for all the children in to Christi.  She was less that excited at the prospect, but Caleb, always the reassuring one, made sure she knew that all those boys wouldn’t eat all the donuts until they were toddlers (or something along those lines).  As usual, Christi took it all in stride.  Upon hearing my ant assessment, she offered, “Or maybe a spider.”  Now that’s creepy.  Think about it.   800 billion gazllion dillion tiny little baby spiders, all squeaking in their tiny little baby spider voices, “Gimme a donut.” 

1 Corinthians 15:57 says, “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Father, thank you for keeping us safe on our quick little trip.  Oh, and thank you for donuts.  Amen.