I'm a Ninja

Luke has been sick, but is feeling better... much better.  He's bouncing around the house this morning, perhaps a bit stir-crazy, but not free of illness for 24 hours, so he's staying home from preschool.  Spinning around the house in his green Thomas the Train pajamas, he says to Ryan, "I'm the green ninja," a reference to one of his favorite shows/toys/marketing genius, Lego Ninjago.  A couple of spins later and he follows with, "And Brady is my sensei."  So much truth there.

How to Get a Cat Down from a Tree

Some background - A little while ago we got a kitten.  Her name is Callie (or Kalamazoo, depending on if she is in trouble or not) and she's now about 6 months old.  She's been spending time outside during the day lately when we're home and recently discovered our large elm tree in the front yard.  The lowest branch on the tree is about 15 feet off the ground and apparently it made Brady nervous for her to be up in the tree.  So, he decided she needed to come down.  I walked  around the corner of the house to see Brady with a football in his hand and his arm cocked back ready to throw it up into the tree.  I initially didn't realize Callie was in the tree, so he got a throw off before I could stop him.  As it bounced off a branch, I looked over to see Brady's friend standing opposite of him with his arms held out ready to catch the cat.  It took me several minutes to convince the boys that:

1.  Knocking the cat our of the tree with a football is a terrible idea.  In fact, I think I used the phrase "terrible idea" more than once talking to them.

2.  If they did succeed in knocking her out of the tree, she could be really hurt, either from the football hitting her, or from the fall.

3.  No matter how hard they try, they will not be able to catch a falling cat in their arms.

4.  Cats come down out of trees on their own if you leave them alone.

The whole time that I am trying to explain all of this to the boys, Brady is standing there holding the football, ready to throw it again; his friend is standing there with his arms out saying, "I can catch her, I really can"; both boys are looking at me with doubtful looks on their faces that say "I hear what you're saying, but I really think the football method is a better idea", and Callie is climbing higher and higher into the tree.  Finally, I convince the boys to move on and shortly after, Callie, deciding the aerial assault is over, climbed back down the tree.  Crisis averted.

Two Moons

Back when Luke was 2 1/2, he noticed a crescent moon in the night sky one evening.  After looking at it for a minute, he says "Where is the other moon?"  No one could figure out what he was talking about.  I tried to explain to him that there was only one moon, but he wasn't having it.  Finally a couple of weeks later, he's outside at night again, sees the full moon in the sky and says "Dad, I found the other moon!"

But Who Will Fix My Sandwiches?

Luke came downstairs after bedtime the other night incredibly upset.  When we asked him what was wrong, he said he didn't want Daddy and Mommy to die then dissolved into tears.  Apparently he had been laying awake in bed thinking about it for quite a while.  After getting over the initial shock of such a mature subject for such a little guy, we asked him about what made him think of the idea, and it appeared he had come up with the subject completely on his own.  We talked about Jesus, our need for salvation, and the promise of reunion in heaven some day, but that didn't stop the tears.  Finally, he said, "But when you die, who is going to make me peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?"  Now we get to the root of his concerns.  Can't say we had a good answer, but assuring him he would still get peanut butter and jelly sandwiches seemed to work for the time being.