4 posts tagged “jonah at 4”
Not to steal my husband's introspective thunder. (BTW: I am perfectly content NOT to look for suffering. I know it will find us, but I hope we can hide a tad longer. Is that shallow? Yes. No prob, I can do shallow. ) But, I just really must share this latest nugget of Jonah's wisdom.
Me: Jamesyn can you please go wake up your Ate's? (Tagalog for big sister's)
Jamesyn: Yes Ma. (I have such obedient children, it amazes even me. Or, it could be that I have stepped up my discipline in the last week from minimal to Don't mess with me, sucker. But, that is the subject of another post.)
Me: (Knowing that the girls don't tend to be "morning people", which is why I sent Jamesyn in....just kidding) You should wake them up with a sweet kiss. I bet they would really like that.
Jamesyn runs off to bestow her good morning kisses.
Jonah: Ma, Boys are the one's who are supposed to kiss princesses.
Me: You know Jonah, that is so true.
Jonah: Princesses don't kiss princesses.
And really, it doesn't get simpler than that. If only our culture could heed the wisdom that is innate enough for a four year old to get.
~Tash
Well, I am six lessons into Teach Your Child to Read In 100 Easy Lessons with Jonah. I just want to ask the author if they would consider changing the name of the book to one that more accurately reflects just how each lesson will go. Here are my suggestions:
Teach Your Child to Read While He Sits on His Head in 100 Lessons
Teach Yourself How to Say "Sit on Your Bottom!" 100 Times in One Lesson
Teach Your Child in 45 Minutes What is Supposed To Take 15
Teach Yourself How To Be Patient In 100 Frustrating Lessons
Teach Your Child How To Say "EEEEEEEEEE" & Have Him Turn Around & Forget He Ever Saw the Letter in 1 Lesson
I could go on, and really it isn't that bad. I mean, I have done this before. I have successfully taught my children to read in less than 100 lessons, because we never do finish the book. However, I do believe that Jonah the Wise will need at least 100 lessons.
It is just that there is so much going on in that little head to remember how to say "EEEEEEEEE" more than once. Take last night, for instance:
(I am reading to him before bed a few different Bible stories out of one of his books.)
Jonah: How did Jesus go up to heaven?
Me: Well, He ascended. Which means He sort of just rose up into the sky. Sort of like flying.
Jonah: (Long Pause) Does he have fire that comes out of his feet?
And later:
Jonah: When we go to Heaven, I am going to have a lot of questions for Jesus.
Me: Oh, really? Like what?
Jonah: Well, I will ask Jesus how did He go up to Heaven like that? And, I will ask Him how did He heal people who couldn't walk?
Me: Those are good questions.
Jonah: But, Ma, how did God get all that power?
Me: He didn't get the power. He just always had it. He always has been.
Jonah: But how?
Me: It is a mystery, Jonah.
Jonah: Do you think Jesus will answer my questions?
Me: I think He will love to answer your questions, Jonah.
So you see, when you are weighing theological matters, who cares if you can remember how to say your sounds while sitting on your bottom or your head?
What I need to remember is that I am teaching my kids in 100 easy lessons all day long. I am teaching them about the One who ascended into Heaven without fire coming out of His feet, but by the power that He always had. He is the One I want this wise little boy to learn about most. And he will. The question is: what will he learn with all my little lessons? Will it be that if you sit on your head and Mom prefers your bottom, that said head will be bitten off? Or, will he learn that like Christ, I have grace for wiggly little boys who have lots of questions that I love to answer?
So, Jonah can get himself dressed. Usually, because there are so many extra hands, he doesn't have to. And, now I sort of remember why. Because this is how he looked when he had the freedom to dress himself this morning:
Bones and I were in the loo at the Boise zoo (just big enough for two people, BTW), just exiting the men's toilet and headed for the sink, when we both spied a man wearing a red bandana (a la Harley Davidson chic) using the urinal, to which Jonah the Wise exclaimed,
Daddy! Is that man a pirate??
I couldn't help but laugh, albeit a little nervously, because the would-be pirate was standing at an easy six feet. I couldn't answer the question in time, because just then Jones repeated a little louder,
Daddy, I said, "Is that man a pirate?!"
(Obviously he doesn't know that pirates require parrots on shoulders, missing limbs/teeth, and at least one hook for an appendage!)
