


Pip has taken to bouncing around the house chanting "Hap-py Day" or sometimes "Hap-py, Hap-py! or "Happy Birthday!" or "Ha-le-lujah Hap-py Hap-py!" He is a very sweet little bear. Today at church Pip and his friend J both started saying "Hallelujah" during Eucharist. Besides the fact that it's sweet to hear little toddlers say holy words, it's really convenient. If they are going to holler something in church, you want it to sort of "fit." "Amen" or "hallelujah" or "blessed" are all fitting. "Poop" and "bum," not so much. I whisper in Pip's ear during church services to encourage his vocabulary toward the "Hallelujah" direction. We 'Piscers tend to say "alleluia" instead, but the beginning "h" makes the word easier for a toddler to pronounce. They like words with definite beginnings.
I never got around to writing out a post on my other blog about babies and toddlers in church, but the whispering description of what's going on is a big item on my list of "how to help kids understand and be involved in church." In big words, Pip receives an instructed Eucharist almost every time we go to the Table. In small ones, I whisper to Pip about how God loves us and what we're about to do. I try to make prayer fun for him and also clue him into the service flow. So I might say, "Now we're going to tell Poppa God thank you." "Father" is a relationship word, sure, but Pip only knows what "Poppa" means because he knows how he feels with his Poppa. Thus, God the Father is "Poppa God" to Pip. And leading up to the "Holy, holy, holy," I might whisper, "Yay! Yay! Yay! Everybody sings!" When the last supper is recounted, I help Pip cross himself by moving his little arm and whispering, "Forehead, belly, shoulder, shoulder, chest. Kiss your little hand, and now you're blessed." Once he hollered "Blessed!" right after crossing himself in this way. And leading up to the fraction, I start whispering, "Ha-le-lu-jah! Ha-le-lu-jah!" When he sees the bread, I tell him "that bread never runs out." When it's time to receive, I whisper, "Jesus kisses!" Sometimes we go deeper, and sometimes I just try to get him to look generally in the direction of the cross or the chalice. The boy has a habit of expectancy, though. He comes knowing there's love at that table.
So, today Rev. Paula placed bread in Andrew's hand and said, "The Body of Christ, the bread of heaven." And Pip swiped it right out of his hand and ate it. Never fear, Andrew's portion of God bread was replaced. I was giggling so hard that I could barely drink from the cup.
Pip stats from his 15 month check-up last week:
Head: 95%; Height 75%; Weight 10% He's growing right along his curve. He was 20lbs, 11 oz. He's taking after me with the Tweetie Bird proportions. His winter hat is sized for the average 3-5 year old. The pediatrician said it's because of all those brains.
Remember that movie Harvey with the giant rabbit? I think it was that movie where Jimmy Stewart was in favor of being kind instead of smart if you had to make that choice. I feel really blessed to have a baby who has an incredibly sweet and kind disposition as well as being bright. An example to us all.