A girl and her chair

Christmas came a little early to the Kent household... Nanna and Poppy, please don't be mad, but we couldn't resist opening up the GIANT box that came our way for two (well, three) reasons... (1) we just had to see what was inside; (2) the only thing cooler than a GIANT box is an OPEN GIANT box; and (3) Spot asked us too (no really, he loves GIANT boxes).

All I can say is, it was a win...

With Festivus upon us, this is all I had time for, but I'm brewing some more substantial bloggage. Till then, peace out, Cyber Monday (and good riddance!).

A Day of Grace

Well, it’s about time, Mommy finally let me play with her Button Machine. We struck a deal, something about how if I hugged her lots and promised to not to wake up and sing at 3am, she’d let me test out her Button Machine. I know she’s been writing you all to say what it’s been like to become my Mommy, but now it’s my turn. So I thought I’d tell you all about my day. It was pretty fantastic, but I’m pretty good at having fantastic days.

So, I didn’t wake up at 3am, but I decided I wanted to see Mommy earlier this morning; I could tell when she put me to bed last night that she missed me. So I yelled for her to come in. She did, after a few minutes, but she didn’t look like she usually does in the morning; she smelled more like bed then soap and had on an old t-shirt, not the shiny clothes she usually wears when she comes to get me. Her hair looked really silly too! I offered her one of my pacis to make her feel better. She brought me a bottle and then I helped her get ready. Mommy thanked me for doing a real good job letting her shower; I even took all the white paper off the role in the bathroom and made sure to dump all my toys on the floor, just like she asked.

After we got all ready in our outside clothes and went downstairs, I went over and tried to eat Cat. No, I didn’t; that would be silly!! I did give him lots of pets and was really GENTLE like Mommy I always says. Mommy made me put on Jacket, and I got real mad at Jacket because he always pins my arms down for a second, but then it was okay. We went outside and scraped all the Cold off the car windows, and then Mommy put me in Seat. I get mad at Seat just like I get mad at Jacket, but Mommy I always tells me that I’m okay and then I am. It helps when I get to squeeze Car Bunny; he always gives me great hugs back.

Then we got to School! My favorite. That’s because Miss Sakineh and Miss Matilda and Mr. William are there and they are my teachers AND my best friends. Except for Mommy and Daddy, they’re the best. They teach me all sorts of things and give me lots of hugs and tell me what a Good Girl I am and feed me yummy food and do Art Projects with me. And they have a special room with furniture that’s the size of me and the rest of the Littles (that’s what Mommy says I am, a Little). I don’t even cry when Mommy leaves because she always plays with me at School and I have so much fun there and I like that I have Family and also School. The other Littles are fun, too; we do everything together. Mostly we show Miss Sakineh and Miss Matilda and Mr. William how to make the Toys work, because they’re always asking us to show them.

So we had lots of play time and lots of eating time, and then nap time. All that was fun, but not nearly as fun as when Daddy picked me up! Daddy comes and gets me most days, and it’s so fun because I have so much to tell him about School. He takes me home and then we play untl Mommy comes home and then we eat again. We have a great system for dinner. Mommy and Daddy give me a food, and I eat a little bit, put some in my hair, and then after throw it on the floor they then give me another food, and we go like that for a while. At the end I usually get Fruit - blueberries are my favorite. I could live on a big blueberry. Then sometimes yummy and delicious prunes. And of course milk! I keep trying to tell mommy and daddy that it’s really called “Nana” but they keep calling it “milk,” or sometimes, “em-eye-ell-kay.” We all know that it’s Nana, though, so I don’t know why they’re confused. Silly Mommy and Daddy. They started letting me have Nana while they put on my PJs. I get mad at PJs, too, just like Jacket and Seat, because they also restrict me for a moment. But having Nana helps.

Then the Best Part of Mommy’s Day comes; that’s when she holds me and I read her a story. Well, when she reads it, she only goes in one direction, but I think she’s learning that Books are made to be opened and shut lots of times and you can just pick whatever place you want. I like snuggling with Mommy, too. Daddy wraps me in Blanket; tonight Daddy rocked me in Chair, which he says is the Best Part of His Day.

I’m tired now, so I’m going to go to sleep; Mommy just reminded me that I have to go to the Land of Nod so I can welcome all the new babies into the world (I have lots to tell them). And Mommy loves me to the moon and back and I love her and Daddy that much too.

Sweet dreams! I’ll come back and visit again.

Father, Son, and the Holy... Comb?

A little flashback to August 14 here; I never did report on Grace’s baptism. And it was so lovely! We had G baptized at First United Methodist Church in North Hollywood, California. And, why did we pick a church nearly 3000 miles away from home? Because it's our family’s church, and the pastor that presides over the congregation not only married M and I, but he also baptized M and his sister (Grace’s Godmother). So the church and Pastor Joey have a lot of personal significance in our lives, and we wanted all our families to be there, which they were.

The family and friends that came were incredible, and everyone did a little something that week to remind us that our California peops, despite a 3 hour time difference, 5 hour flight, and 7-day drive, are really there for us. My parents, sister, and cousin took so much time out of their busy lives to spend with us that week. John, Grace’s G-Daddy, asked his friend Florence to sing a special song for Grace during the service. Pastor Joey gave such an inspiring sermon, and as he walked Grace up and down the aisle, my eyes teared with how much his faith has really fathered us over the years. Rosemary (Grace’s Grammy) and John bent over backward to transform their house and yard into such an inviting space for all of our family and close friends to gather. Troas, Brandon, Sydney and Landon (Grace’s aunt and uncle - and now Godparents- and her cousins) aligned their trip from Pittsburgh with ours so we could all be together. My brother Rob, his wife and their two kids, drove the long way from northern California to be there. Grace’s Great Gram also came down from Santa Barbara to be there for our G. So many friends gathered, for this special day; we were so touched, and we recognize just how blessed we are.

So the holy comb? Well, Grace was, and still is, infatuated with putting anything she can into her mouth. It’s as if she can see through her mouth, not just taste and feel. Like it’s her superpower. So when I went I tried to do run a comb over her head, as quickly as I could, right after we hoisted on her Christening gown, and she grabbed it from me. It went straight between her four little teeth. I think for a moment we locked eyes, and her expression basically said, “Listen, Mommy.... You've got this ridiculous dress on me, I’m in this weird big house with a bunch of people staring at me, and you can have it one of two ways: (1) I keep the comb, and I’ll chill out... or (2) you get the comb back; and we’ll see who’s louder, me or that organ over there. Your choice...” (said behind the two biggest and bluest eyes in the whole world).

So, we went with option 1, we all got to keep her eardrums, and she did great! My little angel and her holy comb.

In closing, the verse below really resonates with me. I am always moved by how we gather over ritual, and how those ceremonies unite us, helping us to recognize how connected we all are. Our gatherings do this, and so do the honesty of infants and the wisdom of the oldest among us: bring us together and show us how to love, from our toes to our noses, without even trying.

1 Corinthians 12:13 “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”