Moved by the Spirit?

Ahhh, Will. How I delight in my very...special...child.

Will's newest antecdote began at church on Sunday morning. Will would normally go to kids' praise during the sermon, but we had decided that we wanted him to stay with us and sit through the sermon for a while and see how he did. So we packed a bag with legos, colors, and other quietly amusing items in the hopes that he would learn to sit through a sermon.

It turned out the sermon was about Jesus' parable of the seeds. This, we though, was great because Will is really intrigued by natural science and has recently taken a great interest particularly in seeds and plants. As soon as he heard Eddie, our preacher, begin to talk about seeds and what kind of soil they would flourish in, I saw his ears perk up, and my five-year-old was more intensely focused on the sermon that even most adults might have been. He listened attentively as Eddie talked about where seeds fall, rocky soil, and weeds, and what that all meant. He then began to read from the bible to the congregation. He read from Mark 4, and when he got to verse 9, he placed special emphasis on Jesus' words.

"He who has ears," he began, then paused, smiling at the congregation. "He who has ears? Who has ears?" He paused and then continued. "He who has ears let him hear!"

At that moment, my son, who had become so wrapped up in the sermon that he apparently felt that Eddie was speaking only to him, excitedly informed the entire congregation:

"We ALL have ears!"

Oh, my.

Yes, it was very funny. And I would be lying if I said I was upset with him, because I wasn't. After all, Jesus said that we must become like a child to enter the kingdom of heaven, and Will showed us all that day what the enthusiasm of a child can feel like when listening to stories about Jesus. I know that Jesus would have been pleased to hear my son answer Eddie's question so loudly and firmly, so how could I be upset at him? No one else was. It was cute, but it was also really special. And even though afterwards we explained to him that sometimes when a preacher asks a question, he doesn't necessarily want an answer outloud, sometimes he wants us to answer it in our heads, we also told him that he wasn't in trouble and that we were proud he was so interested in what Eddie was saying.

I was worried that he wouldn't learn anything in the auditorium with us, but I think he did. And more importantly, he taught me something: that becoming like a child in Christ is real, and Jesus knew that when he set the example, bidding the children to come unto him. He wanted us all to know and to remember each time we saw a child delight in the wonders of Him that full-hearted faith and undeniable excitement are attainable for us all.

what a predicament

what a predicament
Originally uploaded by je ne sais quoi.

The intrepid Adelaide English is not afraid to climb any mountain or go headfirst where her curiosity leads here. Here, in her natural habitat, we caught her trying to figure her way out of this curious situation...

heehee yeah, we helped her...after we got some pictures...

the graduate

the graduate
Originally uploaded by je ne sais quois.

Ms. Dawn (right) and Ms. Jenni (left) will have my eternal love and devotion for the love, patience and learning they have given Will these past few months. They are the special kind of teachers, the ones you can look back on and always know that they changed you for the better. Thanks to them both.

What a day!

Today was Will's last day of preschool. It was pretty momentous for me, but it seemed like he was just kind of like, "well, okay. Now for kindergarten." I will miss his teachers because they have done a fantastic job with him. We're enrolling Adelaide at the "Mother's Day Out" at Crosspoint next year because it is such an awesome program. I can't imagine anywhere else that a child would come home explaining Picasso's blue period and how "Mr. Vivaldi" wrote music about the seasons (noting that he recognized it from Baby Einstein videos) and still just have fun. It was great and I am so glad we found it.

Will has made great strides in maturity level over the last month. I have noticed it, Ben has noticed it, and his teachers REALLY noticed it. He got a happy face every day at school during May, which was really great for him. As a reward, we took him to a "Build-a-bear" knockoff called Wacky Bear in the Mall of Louisiana. He'd been asking for AGES to do that, so this was his big reward for doing so incredibly well over the last few weeks. I was ready to just feel like I was getting totally ripped off, but it was actually a fun experience. Ben took Adelaide so that I could pay total attention to Will, and we had a good time. He picked out his bear, and then the worker at the store stuffed it--but he let Will help. Will pressed the pedal that activated the stuffing mechanism, then he let will put the blinking "heart" inside the bear (The worker placed it so it was in the right place.) We got to name him (as creative as Will is, you'd think he'd have been more inventive than "Wacky"...but whatever...) and make a "birth certificate." Then Will picked out clothes for the bear. We got out of there for under $30, so I felt pretty good about the experience.

After that, Will was very serious about doting on Wacky. He carried him around like we carry Adelaide (do you think I'll need to make a "bear sling" for Wacky?) and was very contientious about where he put him. In fact, when Ben was taking Will to potty before we left to come home, I offered to hold Wacky while they went to the facilities. Will was actually skeptical -- he was like, "Mommy, take good care of him!" As I'm walking Adelaide in the stroller over to the Aveda store to browse, I answer him with, "Will, I can take care of a baby, I think I can take care of your bear." I then turn back the way I'm headed and promptly walk the stroller directly into a glass wall. Luckily, Will didn't see that or he probably would have done his bathroom business right there, he was being so OCD about the bear. It was cute, though. (Oh, and the baby -- and the glass wall -- are no worse for the wear.) He's sleeping with him now.

What a juxtiposition -- my big boy, maturing, leaving preschool behind, snuggled up with a teddy bear in bed. I love it, though. I am glad that my child is learning to mature, make good decisions, and be a helper, but that he is none to ready to leave childhood behind. I really do cherish these moments. The way God has blessed our family this year is incredible, and when I see my firstborn hold out his arms for me to hug him and tuck him into his Buzz Lightyear sheets, I feel it so acutely -- that love, that happiness, that true contentment that is permeating my life right now. I embrace it.

007 as a preschooler

P10100131
Originally uploaded by je ne sais quois.

I'm sure this is what 007 looked like at HIS preschool class parties. Will is, after all, a super spy.

Will Van Gogh1

Will Van Gogh1
Originally uploaded by je ne sais quois.

Will learned about major artists this year in Pre-K, and they did projects in the style of some of the masters' classic works. This is mine and Ben's favorite one of the Van Gogh's. It is so good, and the texture (which you can't tell on the scan) is just great.

Will Picasso face

Will Picasso face
Originally uploaded by je ne sais quois.

Will learned about major artists this year in Pre-K, and they did projects in the style of some of the masters' classic works.

Will Van Gogh irises1

Will Van Gogh irises1
Originally uploaded by je ne sais quois.

Will learned about major artists this year in Pre-K, and they did projects in the style of some of the masters' classic works.

Will Van Gogh starry night1

Will Van Gogh starry night1
Originally uploaded by je ne sais quois.

Will learned about major artists this year in Pre-K, and they did projects in the style of some of the masters' classic works.

Adelaide's cover shot

Adelaide's cover shot
Originally uploaded by je ne sais quois.

Here she is...Miss Baton Rouge baaaaby

Haha, well, it isn't the greatest because I had to scan it in. I just ran by tonight to grab a couple. But I had to share!

she hated the hat

smiling to the side
Originally uploaded by je ne sais quois.

I mean hated. fought. like I was strapping a bonnet full of bees on her head. But she forgot about it long enough to laugh at what her brother was doing.

happy baby

happy baby horizontal
Originally uploaded by je ne sais quois.

will all fall down

will all fall down
Originally uploaded by je ne sais quois.

hands at the window

hands at the window
Originally uploaded by je ne sais quois.

so I'm in the kitchen cutting up zucchini for dinner when I hear banging. Not surprisingly, this doesn't really cause me very much pause. But then I hear Adelaide doing her "crazy belly laugh" thing. I look over and this is what I see! I literally dropped the vegetables on the countertop and RAN for my camera. It was adorable.

my boy in the window

my boy in the window
Originally uploaded by je ne sais quois.

I love this photo of him. He just looks so happy, in a real way, not a wild crazy way.

for you mommy

for you mommy
Originally uploaded by je ne sais quois.

I mean, yeah, it's a clover, but it is really sweet.

Easter Egg hunt bounty

Easter Egg hunt bounty
Originally uploaded by je ne sais quois.

Will shows off his take from the church Easter egg hunt when we were visiting in Kentucky.

My pal Poko

This morning, as I battled Adelaide's all-through-the-night diaper, Will walked in and stood by the door, looking quite thoughtful. I glanced over at him with my "yes?" eyebrows, and he sighed.

"Mommy, when is Poko coming back? I miss him."

Who, you may be wondering, is Poko? A stray animal from the neighborhood? A child with an unfortunate and bizzarre name? A Native American spirit Will has be channelling in his spare time? (For those of you who know about Will's escapades, this is a legitimate concern, I suppose.)

Let me introduce you to Poko the way I met him.

Last summer, I was in the last months of my pregnancy with Adelaide. Will was mentally preparing to be a big brother, I suppose, and was looking for something to nurture. He desperately wanted a pet. We tried explaining to him that now was not really optimum pet procurement time, what with the new little sister's imminent arrival. This for some reason was not an acceptable explanation to him. Being the strange little boy that he is, however, he chose to create a superhero-pet named Poko that he would draw pictures of and write stories about. (Why can't he just throw a tantrum like other kids?)

Poko became sort of a fixture around the house. Will talked about him like he was real, and so we played along. We saw no harm in his imaginary super-pet, so this was a productive diversion for all.

Poko pretty much lived in stories and a four-year-old's drawings until one hot day in July. I was heavy with baby and on modified bedrest (modified being that I could get up and do things until my fingers swelled to the size of hot dogs and my face was the color of ketchup) and Will had gone outside to get the paper for me. I watched him from the window, and he returned with the news in tow. A few moments later, however, he began to act strangely. I mean, more strangely than usual.

He was running around the house, laughing, calling after Poko. It was an imaginary game of chase, and Will was having a grand time.

"Look, mommy!" he shouted. "Look at Poko! I can't catch him!"

"Umm hmmm," I answered, scanning the front page of the paper. But Will didn't relent.

"Mommy!" he shouted, breathless from the chase. "Mommy, come look! Poko is up there!" He pointed to the top of the molding above one of our doors. Considering that Poko was a well-known super pet, I didn't think much of his sudden flying ability.

'That's great, Will," I answered, somewhat distracted. "Poko can fly, huh?"

"No," he said, looking a little confused at my apparent ignorance. "No, he walks up the wall." He answered me like this was the most obvious thing in the world and I clearly had something wrong with me that I didn't see that.

A few minutes later, I got up and walked over to where Will was playing with his imaginary pet. I was just about to ask him what he wanted for lunch when I discovered something shocking.

Poko was no imaginary super-pet today. Poko, rather, was a baby Gecko lizard.

I screamed and dropped the newspaper I was holding.
"Poko....Poko's REAL!" I yelled to the child who obviously knew that.

"Um, yeah," he said, confused.

"Poko...is...real...." I refrained from thumb sucking and reverting to the fetal position in that moment mostly because it was incompatible with my present state of pregnancy. I still consider us fortunate that my unexpected introduction to Poko Gecko did not result in premature labor.

I finally managed to get my wits about me enough to concoct a plan involving a plastic food storage container, a piece of cardstock paper, and the front door. Will was very unhappy about this development, but I explained to him that Poko lived right outside our house and that Will could visit him whenever he wanted. While he wasn't completely mollified at this resolution, I added a bowl of ice cream to the deal and it was settled.

I guess that now as the weather is warming and the geckos are beginning to crawl about our front door again, Will got to thinking about his old buddy Poko. We have since adopted a baby turtle named Swimmer who Will does take care of very well. But I suppose that a boy never really lets go of his first pet, even when its a formerly imaginary amphibian that he only bonded with for one fleeting afternoon.

Intrepid Explorer

BREC Bunny Hop
Originally uploaded by je ne sais quois.

Doesn't he look adventerous and fearless here? Good...because as soon as he was out of Ben's reach, the rock wall was a no-go. I just wanted to make it look like he was preparing for his next adventure in the Andes.

We weren't even supposed to be at the Bunny Hop, actually. We were going to go to our nice, calm, personal church egg hunt this morning. Unfortunately, however, it was being held at the new church property where our next building is to be constructed. I haven't ever been there, but my friend Ann told me it was easy, that it was just at the intersection of Highland and Siegen.

No problem, I thought, that's simple enough. Besides, Ben was driving, so I assumed that any probelms that I had would be alleiated by the Y-chromosome compass in the driver's seat.

But...we couldn't find it. We turned down all sorts of imposing looking private driveways only to discover that we'd apparently trespassed upon the secret Louisiana hideaway of Bill and Melinda Gates. So after a few missteps like that, we gave up. There was huge billboard for the "Bunny Hop" on the road, though, and Will, being that he can read and all, decided that was an acceptable alternative.

So we went. It was okay...just really crowded. And we really don't like crowds. The rock wall was basically ten minutes in line for five seconds of climbing, and then we had to kill like fifty minutes until the egg hunt for his age group.

We kept expecting the guy with the microphone to announce the impending event, but he didn't. At five minutes to the appointed time, we decided to go over and check it out...only to discover about a thousand anxious kids amassed at one side of the egg-sprinkled field, waiting for the guy with the bullhorn to tell them to go.

So I was like, "Oh, no!" I grabbed Will's hand, threw everything but his Easter basket to my unsuspecting husband, and dragged Will across the parking lot, yelling, "Come on, come on! You don't want to miss it," all the while worried that I would have to search all over town for another egg-stravaganza to fulfill my promise to my son if we missed the big show. As we entered the field and approached the throng of people, I began to calm down, thinking we had made it.

Then, before we got to the starting line, as we strolled up to the area thinking we were fine, the bullhorn guy yells, "Go!" and the kids start running. I practically pushed Will onto the field, yelling, "Go go go!"

In the end, he did fine. He got a bunch of cheap candy and plastic eggs that made him very happy, and he even exhibited some smarts in the process -- instead of following the masses to the middle of the field, he went around to the edges, would stop, pick up a couple of eggs, and move on. We were impressed. It worked, and he got a basket with a perfectly respectable treat bounty.

And after all, that is what Easter is all about, right?

(wait...)

LEGO to help "rebuild" NOLA schools...

This is a really cool bit of info. It caught my eye because Will is LEGO-obsessed, but I really think it is a cool idea.

Apparently LEGO will collect the bricks and make a brick-for-brick matching donation to New Orleans schools. Some of the donated bricks will be used to construct a model of the rebuilt city, as envisioned by local New Orleans children and kids across the country, to be donated to the city as a public work of art.

The website says this: "Through the LEGO Builders of Tomorrow program, children are encouraged to donate one or more of their LEGO bricks and send drawings, photos or notes describing something they think would help New Orleans become a strong city again. Each child who donates one or more of their bricks will receive a LEGO-studded rubber bracelet to recognize their contribution to the cause."

I just think it is really a great idea -- I think I'll talk to Will about it tonight and we'll pick out some of his to send along. I would love to feel like we were able to be a part of an outreach to the kids of New Orleans. Besides, it is really a chance to share some child-like joy and imagination to help resurrect some of the art and spirit of NOLA that still seems waterlogged even after all these months.