Identity Crisis

As we drove up to the lake on New Year's Day, we passed through a small town called Joseph.  Through the chatter in the car I heard a small voice behind me - it was Logan.

"Um, where's Mary..."

Mary.  Mary?

"...and Jesus?"

Oh, Mary.  Got it!  I'm with you now.

- 1 January 2014

Christmas Eve Communion

As the congregation prepared for communion, my wife turned to my oldest son.

"You remember what to say when you get up there, right?"

"Uh, no," came his reply.

"Okay, they say, 'Body of Christ,' and you say..." she urged.

"Cool beans!"

Oh, that was so close but I'm sorry, that was incorrect.  We were looking for, "Amen."  I had to bite my tongue.  Talk about having the church giggles.

- 24 December 2013

Thursday

Beware all those who visit our house on a Thursday...

Logan began to cry when Ashley took him to the babysitter's house.  He wanted to stay home with the older boys (who had no school) and have Underwear Thursday.

Yes, it's just as naked as it sounds.

- 22 November 2012

The Story of Power World

[Recorded by Ashley & Andy exactly as dictated by Justin.]

• Power World is Justin’s imaginary world.
• The official language is Star language.
• They are fighting The Great Crocodile War.
• There are 855 dragons in Power World.
• There are many green dragons but most of them are red.
• The dragons are single, solid colors and can fly from birth, once taught by Justin...“It’s nice that I have help from Rodeo now.” (Rodeo is Justin's imaginary friend.)
• The babies can only breathe smoke.
• They only eat meat - "people are meat."
• I [Andy] have been arrested and set free numerous times for commenting about what people can and cannot do at traffic lights.  I have been warned that further infractions will result in permanent incarceration.
• There is no such thing as cars.
• There are motorcycles.
• People, especially hunters, float above the ground.
• The motorcycles can also turn into flying machines.
• Coconut trees grow coconuts and swords.
• In 2009, Justin gave Power World to Ethan.
• It has now become a suburb of Blue Land (Ethan's imaginary world).

- 27 July 2009

The Magic of Cooking

In the van after going through the McDonald's drive through, all five of us are headed to the Pendleton pool.

"Hey mom, I'm mixing strawberries and plain lemonade to make strawberries and plain lemonade. "

A lone cricket chirped somewhere in the distance.  Before anyone could think of what to say, Ethan joined in.

"Hey, dad."

"What?" I asked.

"I'm mixing strawberries and plain..."

He trailed off as though he'd forgotten the next ingredient.

"Plain lemonade?" I ventured. "You'll never guess what that makes," I said.

Justin joined in with a wrye smile.

"What?" he asked, in mock wonderment.

"Strawberries and plain lemonade," Logan said, with the kind of satisfied enthusiasm that comes from having successfully taught someone an important life lesson.

"That's the magic of cooking!" he exclaimed.

- 16 June 2013

The Awful Truth

It turns out that boys don't have two volumes after all.  I just have partial hearing loss from all of the racket!  I wonder if my ears will ever stop ringing.

Sweet

As Ethan and I were walking out of school, he looked up and said, "That was nice of Mommy of holding my hand. I love Mommy to hold my hand."

How sweet.  You should tell her.

- 26 February 2007