Ani's Son

Setting: Taking a walk with Ani, she's pushing Jonah in the stroller.

Me: Wow, that’s a cold wind, I’d better put this blanket over Jonah’s legs.

Ani: Sank you so much for covering up my son.

From: Nana

Woman With Wedgie

She is secretly doing storytime with her babies.

I just heard her say:

"There was an old woman and she was going for a long walk in the woods. Then she had to stop for a second because she had a wedgie."

Preschool

Well, she started school yesterday. Kevin and Jonah and I went to drop her off in the morning. She seemed a little apprehensive at first, but she did great. She hung her bag up on her hook and signed her name in the log book.

One of her teachers said to me "you said she would jump right in, but I've never seen anyone jump right in like that!" She said she volunteered for all the activities and had a great time.

I went out for coffee with April and Jonah and then cleaned the house while Jonah took a nap. It was very strange being home without Ani. Ruth and Jonah and I went to pick her up afterwards. She was so excited! Later in the day she said that she wanted to go back to school and stay FOREVER. She was not at all concerned that she wouldn't see me then.

On another note: This morning she said to me "Mommy, when will I be big enough to like drive, and like, pick Jonah up, and like, tell him what to do?"

Also: Jonah climbed up the stairs yesterday! Ack!

Getting ready for School

Ani is 3 1/2 now and is going to start preschool in a couple of weeks. She is so excited! I was talking to her about it the other day and she said "But Mommy, you can't come, it's only for KIDS. You have to just dwop me off."

I know she is going to have a blast, but I'm still a little nervous about it. . .

Crawling!

He finally figured it out! He got the rhythm down and he's FAST! Just last week, at 9 months he learned how to crawl.

He's more interested in pulling up and cruising around the furniture, but he definitely has it down now.

Clapping!

Jonah learned how to clap yesterday! Now whenever you say "yey Jonah!" he starts clapping! It's very cute -- especially when he misses his other hand.

Predicting the Future

Ani: Mommy, am I still going to be Anneke when I grow up?
Me: Yes, you will.
Ani: Oh yes! Dat be so great!

Contemplating her Life

Me: Ani, what are you doing under the table?
Ani: Ooh, just thinkin' about my life.

Pre-existentialist Moment

So the following kind of neatly sums up many funny conversations had with Anneke about life before Ani. The other night I'm putting her to bed and she makes some comment about a picture of Marie and I at our wedding. She asks where she had been at the time. I reply, as I have many times before, trying to explain it in terms of Jonah's arrival:

"You remember when Jonah was born?"
"Yeah."
"Well you know how before Jonah was born he wasn't really around?"
"Yeah."
"Well your Mom and I got married before you were born so you weren't really around then."

She ponders briefly, then lights up as if recalling something so obvious one could seemingly never forget.

"Oh yeah! I was in Mommy's belly ... with Jonah ... we were talkin'."

Scary thing is, she probably really believes this. Really scary thing is, imagining the first time it'll truly sink in for her that her existence is somehow contingent.

Sibling Love

Today as I was cleaning up the bedroom, Anneke laid down on the bed next to Jonah with a stack of books. He listened attentively for about ten minutes and then drifted off to sleep. It was so sweet to see them both cuddling there together. I would have gotten a picture, but then Ani couldn't resist giving him a very enthusiastic snuggle and woke him up.

More Sibling Love

I am so happy to have to kids who love eachother and much as Ani and Jonah love eachother. I'll often be driving along with the two of them and suddenly hear them both cracking up at eachother. It is such a beautiful sound.

I have often tried to do something special with Ani -- either leaving Jonah at home with someone or when he's asleep. I'll say "So, now we can do something with just the two of us!" and she'll say "But where's Jonah?! I want him! I love him so much!"

She also says that when "him get bigger, him gonna put on him dwess and DANCE!"

Also: "When him get bigger, him gonna sleep in my woom and my gonna cuddle him and Cuddle him and CUDDLE him!"

Jonah Gregory's Baptism

Jonah was baptized today and it was a profound service. Early this morning Karen Muyskens, a member of the Church, died after a week-long struggle with a mysterious infection which came on very suddenly. So poignant, this telescoping of the beginning and end of the Christian life into the same, hour-long frame. Utterly heartbreaking and then mysteriously comforting in the same breath.

Jack preached on John 15: 1-11 which is Jesus' image of himself as a vine. I don't know if this was intentionally written to tie in with the baptism, but Jack's description of entrance into the Christian life as analagous to when a branch is grafted onto a vine, which does not always seem to take, was both beautiful and bittersweet.

We were worried because Jonah didn't get his morning nap in, but he was well-disposed and cute nonetheless. During the baptism itself, Anneke, who was somewhat worried about this whole thing on Jonah's behalf, whispered excitedly to her Mom, "He's yiking it!"