Today, I had to call the insurance company to set up a new policy for our new car. My daughter was fascinated by the call and particularly the call-waiting music that the insurance company played. She had lots of questions. Why did I need insurance? Where was the person I was talking to? Why didContinue reading “Insurance”
Category Archives: Education
Bird Watching
“I’m going bird-watching,” my daughter told me this afternoon. She headed outside with her binoculars. Soon, she was perched on the porch with her mom looking at birds eating from our bird feeders. When she came inside, she told me about deer bones she found in our front yard. She created a map for futureContinue reading “Bird Watching”
Christmas Party
Tonight, our family attended the church Christmas party. Our church is small, so only twenty-six people attended. My daughter was the youngest, and she ran the party. My daughter likes to talk and move. She’s cute, so she gobbles up attention. During tonight’s ornament exchange, she played up her love for her ornament and drewContinue reading “Christmas Party”
Space Ghost Anecdote
I watch old cartoon clips with my daughter, the kind of things I thought were funny when I was in high school. Space Ghost Coast to Coast is one we like a lot. It’s goofy and absurd, and when I laugh at it, my daughter laughs too. The show drips with irony. Wacky clips ofContinue reading “Space Ghost Anecdote”
Reading Scripture
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”
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”
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”
Learning Together 