Prayers

I just wanted to make a record here of a nice milestone.

We have always had family prayers with out 2 boys. We encourage them to kneel properly, fold their arms, remain quiet, and say 'amen' at the end.

For quite a few months now, Andy has been following Cooper's example and saying his own prayers (with help). Sarah or I will whisper into his ear and he will repeat what we tell him. He is getting better and better at it.

Cooper, on the other hand, is saying his own prayers, but by himself. It usually starts with him being thankful for his family, then our Heavenly Father gets a grand rundown of the day's events. Super important stuff.

Third and Fourth Genders

Sarah and I have been trying to help Cooper recognize the difference between boy and girl lately. In doing so, Cooper has now identified additional genders. Yes, that's right, there is more than just 'boy' and 'girl.' The other day we had a conversation that proceeded as follows:

Mom: "Cooper, are you a boy or a girl?"

Cooper: "um, girl"

Mom: "Nope, you are a boy. Mommy is a girl"

Dad: "Cooper, am I a boy?"

Cooper: "No"

Dad: "Hmm. Am I a girl?"

Cooper: "No. You're old"


Yes, I have transmorphed into that gender that gets us all over time, old.

Not content with just one extra gender, however, yesterday Cooper identified yet another. The conversation went like this:

Mom: "Cooper, are you a boy or a girl?"

Cooper: "A girl"

Mom: "No Cooper, you're a boy. Mommy is a girl"

Cooper: "No, you're a friend"


I think that's how we should introduce each other from now on.

"Hi, nice to meet you. This is my wife, Sarah. Since we've had kids we aren't male and female any more. Sarah's a friend, and I'm old."

Hong Kong scots

A couple of weeks ago I saw something that goes up there on the list of things I never thought I’d ever see.

I was walking toward an escalator on my way to work, and just as I rounded a corner I saw four chinese men playing the bagpipes. Yes, that’s scottish bagpipes. They were actually playing quite well, but to complete the ambiance of the thing they were also wearing full scottish regalia.

Let me attempt to paint the picture for you, since most of it is a sight you have no doubt seen before, at the very least on television.

Imagine the unique and unmistakeable sound of bagpipe music whistling oddly through the Hong Kong air. Turn a corner, and there are the bagpipes in question held by four men in full, thick kilts in bold scottish reds, greens, and browns, knee-high bleach white socks, and scottish hats. Peer at the faces looking for the peach-white freckled faces and blonde hair of scottish highlanders, and, nope, there are the brown almond eyes, black hair and tannish skin of four smaller-stature chinese men struggling with bagpipes almost as large as they are.

I don’t know how they managed to do it, but they did play pretty well.

Definitely something I’ve never seen before in my life. And a good chance it will stay in my memory for quite awhile.

Hash browns stare down

Anyone who knows our two little boys knows that they are little food beggars.

The other day, we were on the bus with the boys, and something caught Andy's attention. He was absolutely transfixed on the man nearby who was enjoying his McDonalds meal. Andy stared and stared at the man eating, never easing his intense gaze for any other distraction. He was completely fixed on the food this man was eating.

I guess the man must have picked up on his mealtime spectator, because after some time of having a 1 year old staring his food down he finally reaching into his bag and handed his hash brown pattie to Andy. Andy took it without hesitation and munched away happily.

We thanked the mysterious hash brown benefactor, and he seemed pleased. Though I'm not sure he was pleased to have made our little Andy happy, or if he was instead pleased to be able to continue eating without an intense audience.

Missing my boys

Last week I returned late Tuesday night from a trip to the States for my Masters Degree. The boys had been missing me while I was away, periodically searching the house for their absent dad.

In a jet-lagged grog, I woke up early Wednesday morning to, "Hello! Hello! Hello!" from Andy; and from Cooper, because he's Cooper, "Miss me daddy?"

Yes, Cooper, I missed you; I missed both of you.

Baptizing Italians

We will be having a baptism in our little branch here in Discovery Bay this Sunday. The thing that makes it very unique for me is that it is an Italian family that will be getting baptized. In fact, they have asked that I perform the baptism. I'm honored to do it; but the most touching aspect of the coming event for me is that, 10 years after I was a missionary in Italy, I am still baptizing Italians.

Frantic for kisses

The other day, I was in our bedroom, working. Suddenly, Cooper started to just scream outside the door, pounding his fists again and again. He was shouting, "Daddy!!! Daddy!!! Daddy!!!" It was unsettling. I'm sure the neighbors could hear, and were probably wondering how I could be so merciless to my own son.

The truth was, I had a lot of work I needed to do, and I didn't want to let Cooper in and have to deal with whatever problem he was having. So, I tried to ignore him.

Useless.

When Cooper wants to be heard, he will be heard. He continued to scream and pound on the door for 1 . . . . 2 . . . . 3 . . . . 4 . . . . 5 minutes straight, and I just couldn't take anymore.

I walked to the door, ready to be a mean daddy. I jerked the door open, looked down, and tried to say in the nicest voice possible, "Yes, Cooper?"

He looked up at me, and ever so casually said, "Kiss?"

So I bent down and gave him a little kiss. Immediately, he turned around and hopped off to go play in the living room.

That kind of thing just couldn't have ever been scripted any better :)