January 21 – “Is that a pink nest?”

AnnaGrace invited me to play with her yesterday.  Like I had a choice to refuse.  How could anyone refuse such a sweet little thing?  And with three older brothers and a Daddy who all even call her “Princess,” she doesn’t have a chance.  She is destined to be just that – a Princess.  Any guy she dates in the future better treat her as such, too, or experience the wrath of those doting siblings. 

 

We started out with the toy dinosaurs.  I thought maybe we’d do some attacking and fighting and eating each other.  You know, like dinosaurs no doubt did.  Well … not exactly.  Oh, there was some biting going on, mostly by the ones in my charge.  OK, all by the ones in my charge.  But any time it happened, they had to apologize after a scolding by the Mommy dinosaur.  Mostly, though, we just clustered the creatures into tiny little family units so they could snuggle with each other.  Girls.

 

Next we moved to her bedroom.  There we found an array of stuffed animals.  I like stuffed animals.  I have a literal pile of them in my office at home that are souvenirs of back when we used to be able to take trips.  But we didn’t play with the stuffed beasts.  Instead we started at the dollhouse.  Inside there was a family of dogs.  There was also what amounted to a pink nest.  Not sure what bird-ly creature left it behind.  I commented on the nest and wondered aloud where the bird might be.  AnnaGrace quickly corrected me.  Oh, no.  This was not a nest at all.  Silly me.  This was (Picture with me, if you will, the four-year-old girlie girl acting out what she is saying with the toy doggies) “where the little puppies go poopoo.  Then they bury it or take the nest full of poop and dump it where they have the trash.”  U-huh.  Got it.  Girl with older brothers.

 

Next came the discovery (by me) of a Captain America action figure (It’s a guy, so it couldn’t be designated “doll,” you understand).  She immediately transitioned into superhero mode and unceremoniously assigned the Cap figure to me.  Meanwhile, she dug a little deeper and came out with Wonder Woman, who she designated “Superwoman, because she can fly.”  I mentioned that I thought she needed a plane to do that.  Lo and behold, from behind the bed, came flying just such a plane.  What a marvel.  And speaking of marvels, AnnaGrace discovered Captain Marvel while she was back there.  Two women against one man.  I was doomed.  Sur enough, Wonder Woman soon discovered a baby “in the grass.”  She informed (Note I didn’t say “asked”) the good Captain that he would be babysitting.  I asked what she would be doing in the meantime.  “Saving the world.”  Ah. Of course.  Poor old Cap couldn’t bend his arms to hold the kid, but I managed to hook the baby’s leg around Cap’s arm.  That way he could swing it in big circles without losing range of motion.  Great fun.

 

We were assigned “Take AnnaGrace to dance class duty.”  We couldn’t go in to watch, so instead we roamed around one of those craft market consignment shop places.  Lots of random stuff.  We ended up buying a retired Precious Moments figurine and a new jigsaw puzzle.  Tiny images of all things Charlie Brown.  When the individual pieces are put together, they create a large portrait of yet another Charlie Brown image.  1000 pieces.  Looks difficult.  Should be fun.

 

Last night I went with Josh and the boys to church.  The girls had a “Girls’ Night.”  I understand they watched a princess movie with somebody called Merida.  I think she’s the one that shoots arrows.  I got Luke checked in at his class.  The older two knew just where to go on their own.  Then I sat in on the first session of the class Josh was teaching on How to Study the Bible.  It looks to be similar to one I taught a while back.  Of course I’m pretty sure his will be much more scholarly than mine was.  He did a great job, though.  Appealed to the doctor and the lawyer and the seminary student, as well as the sweet little old lady in the room, not to mention the others I didn’t know.  I met one lady after class who told me she has been praying for Josh’s Mom for a few months now.  Really appreciated that. 

 

1 John 3:18 says, “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

 

Father, thank you for my invitation into the world of a four-year-old girl.  Haven’t been in that world much lately.  Very creative.  Like you.  Amen.