8 posts tagged “jonah”

I have mentioned before that the kids are taking art lessons through a friend at church. So, I am posting the outcome of one of Jordyn's pictures. I can't help but love it because the subject is so beautiful.

 

Here is the pic she was drawing from:

 

 

Here is Jordyn's rendition:

 

And for further examination, the two side by side:

 

Jordyn is learning that art doesn't have to be strictly a talent, but rather a skill that you can acquire through hard work and practice.

You will be forced to to endure two more posts of shameless bragging when Jake and Jules complete their assignments. Thanks for indulging this mom.

~Tash

 

Yes, I do plan on posting monthly about this baby. Some moms do mom things like take a picture of their baby once a month and put it in a special frame meant to showcase the child's 1st 12 months. If you are one of these moms, I admire you. Me, well I am more like the type who would buy the frame, because it is a great idea, and never develop the pictures and put them in the frame. That's just me, it is a short-coming, but I have recognized it and accepted it. Moving on.

That is why you must either ignore these monthly posts or just look at the pictures and tell me how cute she is. Indulge me, I am doing a mom thing, in my own way. It must suffice because it is progress for me. My poor kids, except Jordyn, have no baby books. And, unfortunately for Jordyn, her's was written by a 19 year old idiot who actually wrote that her favorite tv shows were 90210 and Melrose Place. So, you see my kids have been neglected and I have guilt, so on with the show.

Jessica is "all of our's baby". (Is that even grammatically correct? My editor is currently sleeping, I am sure he will correct it later.) Well, at least that is what I have to tell Jamesyn daily. She will say things like, "Mom, I will let you hold my princess if you want." This is usually while I am already holding her. And, this is the face that she makes when she gives me her permission:

 Or, she will say, "No, Jonah she is MY baby!" as she squeezes Jess for dear life when Jonah approaches. And, this is the face that she makes when she marks her territory:

 

 

 Which causes Jonah to look like this:

 

All the way around, it is safe to say that Jessica is loved fiercely and rightfully so.

Due to all of this love and attention, she has yet to crawl. In fact, she is still not sitting up completely unattended. Just the way Jamesyn and I like it. More princess holding to be had. She does roll all over the family room and zooms back and forth in her walker. She also has two teeth on the bottom. I have yet to buy a jar of baby food. I have been making it. She loves to eat. The only time she lacks patience is when you aren't getting that next bite into her mouth quick enough. She always wakes up around 6:30 am. James is up and he thankfully gets her and changes her. She sucks her pacifier through the whole process. But, as soon as he brings her to the bed for me to nurse and she sees me, she shoots the paci out of her mouth like a cork. She don't play.

She says Dada and has said Mama a few times, but only when I beg her and remind her that I gave birth to her in blow-up pool in my room and can she just throw me a bone already. I have taught her how to give kisses. So, if I say "kisses" she will lean into you with her lips. Ahhhh, nothing like baby lips.  Or, it could be the ten thousand kisses she gets daily that gave her a clue on how it is done. But, I prefer to take the credit.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was sitting at the computer distracted, as is often the case. I felt his little boy fingers on my arm but didn't look over, as is often the case. Sometimes he just likes to touch, for comfort. Often he lingers, but sometimes I feel his little fingers for a moment and that is all he needs to right the wrongs he is feeling or to assure us both that he is mine and I am his.

Today he needed more and climbed into my lap, undiscouraged by my distraction. I hate to say it, I didn't look from what I was reading to look into his little face that seems less round baby and more lean boy these days. 

So, he said, "Mama let's take a picture of us right now."

Again without looking, "I don' know where the camera is." Translation: I'm busy.

"I do. It is right underneath my hat."

And so I looked up, at him, my son whose baby fingers were on my arm but aren't as chubby as they once were. He put on the hat. I took the picture. He couldn't wait to see the result. I knew what I would see: a mom, sans make-up, hair slicked back in a pony, with the whole world in her hands.

 

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!)

 

 

 

Jonah turned four on Sunday, 5-18. We had a great birthay weekend and lived vicariously through a boy to whom everything in life is exciting and new. On Saturday, we went to the Boise Zoo with the Buck's. Jonah loves animals and due to his avid interest in all things Diego, knows a lot of the correct names for specifc animals, such as the"red eyed tree frog". Although it was hot, 95, we were rejoicing in our first really hot day here in Idaho because there was NO humidity. (Sorry NC'ers but, yuck!) After the zoo, Jonah requested to eat out at his favorite restaurant, "Old McDonald's" for "pickle cheeseburgers" and fries. Gotta love the dollar menu.

 

 After church on Sunday, we headed over to the Buck's for Jonah's "party". The kid's all enjoyed jumping on the trampoline, having a water balloon fight that resulted in the grown-ups whoopin' up on the kid's, and playing in the kiddy pool. I made dirt cake with worms, which was perfect for a 4 year old boy.

 

 

I am so thankful for the four years that Jonah has been a part of our family. The girls and I were talking about how different life would be if we didn't have "the babies". It would be pretty easy, but much less fun. The joy that all of his funny sayings, millions of hugs and kisses, sweet smiles, telling all of us how pretty and handsome we are, are a gift from God. I pray there will be many more birthdays to come.

~Tash 

We’ve visited one church while here in Boise, and it was there that Jonah asked (while sitting with us during worship):

 

“Daddy, is this the show?”

 

ME: “No, son, this is worship.”  (On stage was a band with an electric guitar, a keyboard, drumset.  Actually, this worship team was striving for a solemn sound, but Jonah doesn’t detect that nuance.)

 

At our last church in NC, Jonah sat with us during the final Sunday, and asked the very same question.

 

“Daddy, is this the show?”

 

He hasn’t said that about All Saints Presbyterian Church here in Boise, nor did he say this at Grace Fellowship Church in Vacaville, when he’d sit with us.  (Though most times he would be in nursery with the other younglings.)

I don’t say this to shame either church, but only to further reflect on how God works even in our children, even in little loose cannons like Jonah who bounce like ping-pongs around the house with nary a nod nor question to lead you to think he’d be capable of grasping something as innate to our beings (and profound) as…

 

“Reverence.”

 

Again, I don’t cast stones at churches struggling with another “R” word:

 

“Relevance.”

 

However, I do think that “reverence” has more “relevance” than many modern worship directors may think, while “being relevant” may not be so…relevant.

 

 

 

Crikey, I forgot the best part...of course.

Tasha asked Jamesyn: "What did Jesus do for you?"

Jamesyn: "Died..."  At THIS point she began her pontification of how her Kuya Jonah almost met his demise (Thank GOD it was only "almost"!).

The story sounds much better with that last point in it.

Oh, one other thought:

Jonah asked me last week in church why he couldn't have communion.  Thankfully, we take communion each week, so the question will present itself over and over, but I forgot to answer him last Sunday.  It was a blessing to see his hungry little eyes and wet, quivering lips as the elements were passed; it was a bit of a reminder of the curse to realize he's "outside the camp" in this area still (and moreso to see that HE KNOWS he's "outside the camp" regarding the sacred meal).  The rudimentary desire is there, as whatever the Hussey's do, we do as a family (in most cases).  That's his life: we're a family, we do things together.  As part of the family, he sees us enjoying a solemn meal, and he wants to participate. 

More of a blessing was going over the meaning of communion with him tonight, and hearing his precious question: "Daddy, why does Jesus let us die?"

...

(Crickets chirping in background, I helplessly look at Tasha, who's making "whole wheat/carob-chip cookies" for our first time, but yum...back on point, I think I blacked out and revived right before his penetrating, doe-like eyes, so quickly I don't think Jones noticed.  We call that "skill" in the parenting trades.  Tha's right.  "Skill.")

Back to the lame answer I pulled out of the cobwebs in my brain:

"Jonah, we die because we've sinned, but the good news is that just like Jesus, we won't stay dead.  Jesus will make us come back alive again, and we'll be with Him where He is.  That's our hope."

(We're going through the Westminster Confession of Faith this year, so by the end of the year I expect that kid to know all about "Original Sin."  More on that next year...)

Some quick tidbits about the drive here to our new temporary home away from Home (with Christ, that is).

First: at around 10 a.m. or so when we left, we were pleased to hear Jacob say, "I think I'm going to throw up." Let's review the details. We were on 80, just out of a town prophetically named "Nyack," and were being chased by a snowplow for Cal Trans. Incidentally, we were conveniently located by a block or so of signs that said, "Dude, no parkie here or spankie-spankie" or something to that effect. In other words, I couldn't pull over, it was 2 lanes with 4-ft-high snow banks on either side.

Back to the story: Jake no sooner says he's sick, than he belches the prophetic burp and hey! It's "Breakfast, take two." Yum.

Poor Jakie! Imagine the discomfort. I couldn't soothe or help him in any way for another five minutes as we pulled into the one-stop into Nyack, but it had a fantastic bathroom and convenience store. The town's aptly named as I think Jacob perfectly pronounced gurgled it with his re-presentation of his last meal.  "NNYAACK!!"

Following that lowlight are some highlights from "Jonah the Wise," or "JTW." I think I'll publish or at least collect the sayings into a tome of sorts. He's such a fun kid!

[At my mom's house, my mother called me by my middle name, which has been her tradition all my life.  She calls out, "Michael."  Jonah's on her lap.  Jones looks at my mom and says:]

JTW: Lola, my Dad's name isn't 'Michael.'  It's 'James.'

Lola: No, your Daddy's name is 'James Michael.'

JTW:  [Look of utter shock, wide-eyed, as he shakes his head in disbelief and says to himself--out loud:] OH MY GOODNESS!  My Dad's name is 'Michael'??!

[On the road, in a town called "Winnemucca" or something of that sort, which when translated from the Piute native tongue means, "Oh thank goodness we can FINALLY stretch our legs...Let me out of the wagon!!"  Anyhow, we found a McD's Playplace, a bona fide oasis in the middle of no-man's-land, so I take the kids inside while TL stays in the car nursing Jessi.  Upon reaching the urinals, which were the zero-clearance type that actually touch the ground, Jones says:]

JTW: Oh my gosh!  This is PERFECT!! (i.e.: I can't possibly miss!)

[On the road just past Winnemucca, shortly before Oregon, we're passing through a valley with nearby mountain ranges on either side.  Jones sees them and asks:]

JTW: Daddy, do you know what those mountains blow?

Me: What?

JTW: I said, "Daddy, do you know what those mountains blow?"

Me: Um...not sure what you mean, but no, I don't know what those mountains blow.

JTW: They blow really, really hot lava!

Me:  ....(I tried to argue to the contrary, but he insisted they were volcanoes...he won.  Watch out for them when you visit.)

[The following took place in NC, shortly before we left, as our victuals were running low the final week.  There was breakfast being made and the following occurred:]

Jake: Mom, can you make me an egg?

Tash: Well, there's only one egg left.

JTW: Well, Mommy, you should really go to the store and buy Jakie some eggs because that one's mine.

So thoughtful!