Advent season is here. Each year of our marriage, my wife has lit a candle each advent night and led us through scripture readings about Christ’s coming. This year, my daughter is reading scripture. I’ve received my Christmas present early. She reads prophecies from Isaiah and Jeremiah with poise and skill. My wife asks herContinue reading “Reading Scripture”
Author Archives: Jonathan Sircy
Negotiating Feelings
My daughter came home from school feeling sad. She had gotten herself into some personal drama, and though things had turned out okay, she was shaken. She was playing with a toy. A girl (Girl 1) in her class asked for it. When my daughter did not give the toy up promptly, Girl 1 calledContinue reading “Negotiating Feelings”
Play Practice
My daughter is starring as the angel in our church play. “Starring” is misleading. The play only has four actresses. My daughter is the youngest of the four and has the fewest lines. Still, we want her to do well, so I practiced with her this afternoon. We read through the entire play, with meContinue reading “Play Practice”
Post-Thanksgiving Concert
My daughter took the opportunity this afternoon to put on a concert. The prelim was much more ambitious than the show itself. It included: Credit cards for my wife and me to use at the event Elaborate parking instructions (“in case some people don’t want to walk,” she told me) Specific timetable (“there’s going toContinue reading “Post-Thanksgiving Concert”
Thanksgiving Catch-Up
Here are three notes from the past three school-free days. My daughter made a small “Bedtime Prayers” book for her cousins. It showed off her art skills, her care for her cousins, and her love for Jesus. She devised this project on her own. With the TV or Spotify on blast, my daughter has startedContinue reading “Thanksgiving Catch-Up”
Sharing Prayers
After dinner, I typically work on my prayer calendar. I have a list of people I pray for each day, and I send them texts or emails with what I prayed for them. My daughter can’t see that this is what I’m doing, however. She only sees me typing away on my laptop. This evening,Continue reading “Sharing Prayers”
My Daughter, the Actress
Our daughter is a drama queen. At school today, she learned about the pilgrims. She came home and decided to be a pilgrim. Her performance involved an apron, a bonnet (which she approximated by putting her underwear on her head), and an “old-timey” bed. She is practicing for the Christmas play too. Because our youthContinue reading “My Daughter, the Actress”
Short Memory
Tonight, my daughter demonstrated the benefits of a short memory. One hour after a tantrum of epic proportions, she talked to my wife and me about her day as though nothing had happened. “You know,” she said confidentially, “I’m not that crazy about tomato sauce.” We did know. “Oh boy,” she said, rolling her eyesContinue reading “Short Memory”
Storytelling
Tonight, my daughter attended her first middle school girl’s basketball game. When she got home, she reimagined what she had seen as a game between cats and dogs. She drew a picture first, then wrote the story. I was proud of her for writing it down without asking for our help. You can tell. TheContinue reading “Storytelling”
Collage
Yesterday, my daughter showed me something she made at school: a collage of photos featuring her and two friends. The project featured an audio file where my daughter described the idea behind the project. She called it “You and Me” (she didn’t know how to spell “Friendship Collage”). I was impressed. “Did everyone make one?”Continue reading “Collage”
Learning Together 