News from the Smaller Set

  • I walked down stairs to find M dredging chicken bits for some fried chicken with “help” from Lil’ G (the 4.5 yr old).
    • M: Okay G, It’s your turn—you can do these next two pieces.
    • G: [Looking out over the counter] Welcome back—I’m Rachel Ray. First we’ll take the chicken, then we’ll put it in the egg like this…
  • Last week, Lil’ G informed us that Doodoo’s mother had passed away and that she’d be coming to live with us. (In actuality, Doodoo’s been living with us since we were in PA—she’s one of G’s imaginary friends…)
  • Though her second birthday is still over a month away the signs are clear: Lil’ H needs to move to a toddler bed. We’ll be commissioning Fr. John Julian to write the requisite “life-transition” prayers… :-D

4 thoughts on “News from the Smaller Set”

  1. lutherpunk

    Maybe there is a potential calling for G here…remember her trying to stage an entire cooking with the kitchen play set in my living room?!?!

  3. John-Julian, OJN

    Thank the Almighty God for imaginary friends! Those kids know more about mystical theology than most of us will learn after two PhD’s!

    I’ve tried hard to promote the idea that fantasy (a la Tolkien, Lewis, Pullman, etc.) is today’s mysticism, and I think it is wonderful!

    Too bad that we tend to beat it out of the kids as soon as they start to “grow up” by telling them that fantasy is a lie, not true, false!

    (And, come on, we all really know that there are dragons, unicorns and talking trees — even if we won’t admit it publicly!) I hope y’all know C.S. Lewis’s poem about the Unicorn being left off the Ark!

    I wish Doo-doo many happy years in the Olsen household!

    But, being so ancient as to be nearly extinct, and having lived 75 whole years in reasonable spiritual health without having suffered a single “Transition Liturgy” I think I’ll pass on the request. As your link noted, it’s not exactly my cup of tea!

  4. Marshall Scott

    Actually, Derek, that prayer has already been written. This is from the Report to the 2006 General Convention of the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music:

    Moving from a Crib to a Bed
    The new bed may be made up with the child’s help. Members of the household, including the child, may move in procession from the crib to the bed with pillows, blankets, stuffed animals or other objects regularly part of the nighttime ritual.

    Good and loving God, your watchful care never slumbers, and you give gifts to your children even as they sleep. Thank you for bringing us all to this day into which N. has grown in your protection. Give her blessed rest wherever she lays her head. Keep her well and fill her dreams with hope. Awaken her every morning to the sureness of your love with joy and courage for the day at hand; through Jesus, our Savior and Friend. Amen.

    Blessings on you and your household in important transitions.

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