October 14 – “A Sesame Street-worthy tribute to the letter “O”

 

 

I am enjoying more and more having actual conversations with two-year-olds (Cailyn in particular, though I wish I could talk to Caleb more often).  Yesterday was apparently "talk about Halloween" day.  I guess they have been doing some Halloween stuff at her day care.  We picked her up, and in the car she was so insistent that she wanted her pumpkin that I had to go back inside and ask what was going on with pumpkins.  After looking at me blankly for a few seconds, her teacher finally remembered that I was the one who had just left with Cailyn.  She pondered the question for a moment, then pointed to the wall across the room.  "Oh, pumpkins," she said.  "We colored some pumpkins and put them on the wall for everyone to look at."  And with that she was off to continue teaching.  Great start to our time with Cailyn.  No pumpkin.  But I had something up my sleeve.

 

When we got to the house Cailyn immediately noticed that Chris had hung a fall wreath on the wall next to the door – many-colored leaves and the like.  She stopped dead in her tracks, arms out to the side, legs apart, knees slightly bent, mouth open to form Sesame Street-worthy tribute to the letter "O."  She slowly turned to face me with a twinkle in her eye, and asked, "And what's that?"  About the time I came out with "Nani's flowers," she noticed the other big change on the front porch – my secret weapon of the day.  Her eyes lit on the big pumpkin Chris had set out on the porch just that morning.  She struck the pose – down to the wide open mouth.  "It's a pumpkin, DadDad."  That's my girl.  Observant.  Wise beyond her years. 

 

That was all it took.  She began a search for more changes, and wasn't disappointed.  She found some scarecrow decorations hidden amid the plants on the porch.  It was a lot to process, so she decided we would just sit outside in the rocking chairs and wait for her Mommy and Daddy to come pick her up.  That's when the Halloween conversation began.  She didn't stay in the chair long.  She was up roaming around, looking for more scarecrows when she turned and announced, "I gonna dress up at Halloween."  "Oh, you are?" I responded.  "And what are you going to dress up as?"  Without missing a beat she proclaimed, "I Batman."  Can't say I expected that one.  Last week she mentioned witch, and I would have expected maybe one of her other favorite, like princess.  But Batman?  I thought maybe one of the boys would pick that (although I understand Jachin and Micah have chosen to be the Mario Brothers.  Ah, the Wii generation).  But no.  Cailyn would be Batman.  And she asked me, "You be Batman, too, DadDad?"  That's some pressure there.  Where would I get a Batman costume?  But I had a brainstorm.  "How about I be Superman?"  See, I already have a Superman t-shirt and red cape.  She quickly approved of my choice, so I guess I'm all set.  Unless of course she comes up with a different choice by next week.  Or this afternoon. 

 

During one of her revolutions around the porch she happened to glance through the glass storm door into the house.  And there it was again.  Stopped dead in her tracks, arms out to the side, legs apart, knees slightly bent, mouth open to form Sesame Street-worthy tribute to the letter "O."  I asked what she saw, and she excitedly replied, "Let's go see."  Sure enough, she had seen some decorations Chris had set out.  She did her usual thorough inspection and decided that there just might be more going on than she thought.  She made her rounds through the different room of the house until she came to the kitchen and noticed the one thing we should have hidden away.  A huge bag of candy.  Again with the pose.  It didn't last quite as long this time, though.  She stretched her little body as far as it would stretch until her tiny fingers managed to grasp a corner of the plastic bag.  And she had it.  We hastily told her that the candy was for Halloween, thinking she would surely understand that meant she would have to wait until then.  But, ah, this was Cailyn, daughter of Nathan, granddaughter of, Kelley.  She had an immediate reply.  "I be Halloween.  I have candy now."  Great answer.  We let her hold the huge bag, and even carry it around the house.  We just never got around to opening it.  And, yes, we remembered to hide it when she went down for a nap.

 

Proverbs 28:25 says, "A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the Lord will prosper."

 

Father, thank you for another glimpse into the wonder of discovering new things.  Help me work on my own Sesame Street-worthy tribute to the letter "O."  Amen.