A glimpse

Every Sabbath, we worship together, offer prayer and thanks and gather round the Table together, joined communally with a FAMILY more vast than we even have eyes to recognize. And when we return home, we gather round the table once more to feast and fellowship, tying cords one strand at a time. Making them stronger. Tighter.

A tradition we have is to sit and read the paper together, at times, reading aloud some of the news-and discussing them and at other times, quietly together, but separate, lost in our own printed words. In the beginning, it was Matt and I reading and discussing while the kids ate, swinging legs under the table and giggling and tickling one another with bread-crumbed fingers. But lately, Corynn and Andrew have joined in the conversation. As is natural, the five year old initiates more frequently than the two year old. But both are now capable of pronouncing our new as-of-today Presidents' name. Barack Obama. It is pretty darn cute coming off the lips of babes, who can't properly pronounce simple words like "Kiss"-yet say pronounce something as foreign as Barack Obama impeccably.

Barack Obama. The children know who he is and why he is important. Ask them why he is special and they will say "Because he is the first black President of the United States." Ask them why he needs more prayer than most and they'll say "Because he believes in killing babies."

This day, this important day, I pray especially fervently for our new President. Nothing is impossible with God, not even a heart change for Barack Obama. Barack has the potential to lead us well---if God changes and uses him for His glory. If radical heart surgery is done by the Great Physician.

Speaking of Presidents--a new obsession has formed. Again, with Corynn. and it all began with a Christmas stocking placemat. Every meal Little Miss BEGS to be tested on Presidential stats. The girl is crazy! Here are some of the stats she knows and recites (thanks to the back of the placemat!):

Who the tallest president was
Who the shortest president was
Who the first president to appear on TV was
What presidents appear on Mount Rushmore
The name of the father and son presidents
Who our current president (was)
Who our current president IS today
How many presidents had glasses
How many presidents had blue eyes
How many presidents had beards
How many "Andrews" there were
How Teddy Roosevelt got his name
Which president served two separate terms
and which had the silliest hair (which in her estimation was Martin van Buren)

All these things with no curriculum, no unit study and no "school time". Just an after dinner game that just happens to thrill the girl~like an educational version of Guess Who?!?

I've even learned a thing or two!

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A girl with a stocking-cap clad girl of her own. She asked me to take a picture of it.



A boy who loves nothing more than making engine sounds and loading and dumping capret lint, beads, keys, blocks and anything else he can find.


And a snuggly one, who warms me AND my heart while we snuggle.


These are the sights of my every day.

The children playing alone at times, together at others. Asking questions because they want to know the world and all that is in it-right now. BEGGING to hold Adele and being impatient as they wait their turn. Explaining things-of real consequence and sometimes not-but ALWAYS meaningful to the attentive ears and yearning minds of the little bodies. Giggles. Crying. Helping and getting in the way. In the other room or underfoot.

All these things have real beauty. Every day beauty. Beauty everyday.

It's all in the eye of the beholder.