Poppy and other amazing adventures of a two year old....

So, you've all enjoyed laughing with me about my inaugural "Mommy", so I only feel it fitting to share "the other half" of the story. The same week he began calling me "Mommy," Tim was gone quite a bit, preparing for the chicken bar-b-q at the fire department.

One afternoon, while he was gone, Elisha was standing by the back door, looking wistfully out to where Tim's car usually sits. He does this when Tim is at work, too, asking where Papa's car is. This time he looks out, and I hear him say, "Papa car?" Then I hear a lower, sweeter voice, "Poppy???" I guess this is "elementary, my dear Watson" that if Mama becomes Mommy in America, Papa..... you guessed it..... Poppy. Even though spoken the same- it doesn't quite conjure the same feelings, does it?

So, he did the same thing with Poppy. "Poppy????....... Poppy????..... Here Poppy, poppy, poppy.... smock, smock.... "

Again, trying so hard not to laugh aloud and encourage this, I gently admonished him that we only call our dogs or animals that way.....


I mentioned other amazing adventures......

We received many great toddler books before we went to get Elisha. I am sooooo very thankful- He loves to read!! The library was such a huge success.

This week he's begun his comparative analysis of the literature he is reading. (That's for you, sis- I know you'll love that one:0) You think I'm kidding- I am very serious. We have a little Bible book he has been reading. Every night. And at nap. I can read it to him while Tim is holding him and the book and I'm across the room..... but they are amazing stories, and, thankfully, Mama has not grown tired of the book at all.

Here is where the analysis I mentioned comes in. He used to blow by some of the more "boring" stories, racing the the adventurous ones- like David and Goliath. Each time we read it, I try to bring out a different fact about the story. Well, last week we went a little more in depth with Moses and his leading of the nation of Israel. Usually it goes something like this.....

"And who is this, Elisha?"
"Baby Momma Mama"
"That's right, very good!! That is baby Moses' Mama" And the page is quickly turned and Mama tries to keep up, so the next 4 pages go by so fast, all Mama gets out is, "And then he grew up and became a shepherd and led the people thru the desert, thru the water, Yeah Moses!! Ok- on to David and Goliath....."

Well, last week I backed up and added the part about the Israelites being trapped and God told Moses to touch the water with his staff, pointing to the staff in Moses' hand.

"So Moses reached down and touched the staff to the water- and guess what happened??? See the picture of the water? The water parted and one side went up this way," large, dramatic hand gestures, "and the other side went up this way." More dramatic gestures and sound effects. Well- this made quite an impression on him.

We got to the next story about David and Goliath. Of course, David, being a shepherd, has a staff in the picture. So Elisha stops, turns the page back a couple of pages to Moses, back to David- "Sta..... Sta..... tou wawa..." followed by dramatic rendition of waves parting, complete with Mama's sound effects.

Well, not quite. "No, honey, that is a shepherd's staff- it didn't part the water."

On to the story of Baby Jesus. Guess what Joseph has in his hands? Unfortunately, the illustrators gave Joseph the same staff as the one they gave Moses. He is most convinced, and will turn back as many times as I'll let him to show me that it is, indeed, the same staff.

Now that he has a taste of this comparative literature style, he is using it on other stories. It's like he's become a little fact checker or story line follower over night. He reads the story of the animals going into the ark. When we get to the picture of the ark with all the animals coming out under the big rainbow, he stops, flips back a few pages and compares the pictures of going in, coming out- "on, du, on, du, on, du" (one, two, one, two, one, two)

I just love that he's "getting it" and am doing crazy happy summersaults and handsprings in my mind (sorry- not that limber now to be able to do them in body..... :0P)

I am blown away at what this little guy is doing in my heart. Can you imagine that what I am feeling is not even an inkling of what God feels for me? The pastor of the church we went to today said that we can not really know how to love until we are loved. Thank you, God, that you give the shining example of perfect complete love- even the parts we don't let anyone else know about- you know and you love us in spite of it and through it. Your love is amazing and I pray we all begin to know your love more!!