Monday, May 12, 2003
Maddie, the "Grip 'n' Grin," Counting, etc.
Dale: Despite her baptism, Madeleine has not acquired a full appreciation of all aspects of the Mass. Over the past two months, I have spent plenty of time out in our church's foyer (the de facto cry room) while she stomps about. I have to generally escort her out 1 or 2 times per Mass. She simply wants to run around the church in fifth gear, looking at the flowers, saying "mama" and "baby" to our statue of the Virgin crading a toddler Jesus, saying "Dzees-is" to our statue of the Risen Lord, and generally making noise.
A lot of noise.
Heather doesn't have this joy--yet--because she has to watch D3, who always wakes up hungry.
However, Maddie does like one aspect of Mass, as we discovered over the last two weeks. Two Sundays, during the Sign of Peace, she stuck out her hand and said "Peazoo."
Startled, Heather looked at me and asked "When did she learn that?"
"Um, now," I replied, just as startled. She then began "peazooing" everyone nearby, including the incredibly patient and wonderful elderly couple we sit next to every Sunday. They were delighted.
Since, Madeleine has done this outside the liturgy, walking up to Heather and me at random intervals (but usually at dinner), extending her hand and saying "Peazoo!" She's even said it to her fork. You haven't lived until you've heard "Peazoo, foak."
But she did it again this week at the Mass again, this time extending it to the head of her fan club, the 8 year old daughter of another young couple in the church. After the Mass was ended, you'd have thought Elvis had arrived.
Maddie's development continues at a frightening rate. As I measured tablespoons of coffee into the machine last Wednesday, I counted them out as she sat in my right arm. "One," "two," "three," I mumbled for her benefit.
She then cut in: "Foah," "fi," "sizz," but stumbled at "seven," repeating "sizz" again (yes, I drink plenty of coffee). I asked Heather if she was trying to teach Maddie to count.
Nope.
Scary. Very cool, but scary. She's growing up fast.
Dale: Despite her baptism, Madeleine has not acquired a full appreciation of all aspects of the Mass. Over the past two months, I have spent plenty of time out in our church's foyer (the de facto cry room) while she stomps about. I have to generally escort her out 1 or 2 times per Mass. She simply wants to run around the church in fifth gear, looking at the flowers, saying "mama" and "baby" to our statue of the Virgin crading a toddler Jesus, saying "Dzees-is" to our statue of the Risen Lord, and generally making noise.
A lot of noise.
Heather doesn't have this joy--yet--because she has to watch D3, who always wakes up hungry.
However, Maddie does like one aspect of Mass, as we discovered over the last two weeks. Two Sundays, during the Sign of Peace, she stuck out her hand and said "Peazoo."
Startled, Heather looked at me and asked "When did she learn that?"
"Um, now," I replied, just as startled. She then began "peazooing" everyone nearby, including the incredibly patient and wonderful elderly couple we sit next to every Sunday. They were delighted.
Since, Madeleine has done this outside the liturgy, walking up to Heather and me at random intervals (but usually at dinner), extending her hand and saying "Peazoo!" She's even said it to her fork. You haven't lived until you've heard "Peazoo, foak."
But she did it again this week at the Mass again, this time extending it to the head of her fan club, the 8 year old daughter of another young couple in the church. After the Mass was ended, you'd have thought Elvis had arrived.
Maddie's development continues at a frightening rate. As I measured tablespoons of coffee into the machine last Wednesday, I counted them out as she sat in my right arm. "One," "two," "three," I mumbled for her benefit.
She then cut in: "Foah," "fi," "sizz," but stumbled at "seven," repeating "sizz" again (yes, I drink plenty of coffee). I asked Heather if she was trying to teach Maddie to count.
Nope.
Scary. Very cool, but scary. She's growing up fast.
