Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Sweet Dreams

This morning, the first thing Kiefer said when he woke us was, "Mommy. God was reading me stories while I was sleeping last night." I did a triple-take after this comment and started asking questions. Sweet and interesting... Did he think he was dreaming, what kind of stories were they, etc.

He said, "the stories were not scary, they were nice!" I guess he associates dreams with nightmares - and I realized we probably talk more about dreams being bad than good. I asked if he could tell me what the stories were about and he said, "no Mama. I don't remember. That was just so long ago!"

I have noticed lately that it's not easy to "break it" to an innocent little guy that bad things happen in this world. I'm sure every parent encounters these topics around this age, but we've had several lately. Why is there dangerous weather? (earthquakes, tornadoes, etc) Why do people die? Why do accidents happen? But one thing remains - God is a part of all of these conversations and where there is bad....
there is also something good.

I'm thankful for God's Love and comfort not only for my child, but also for me on this journey called parenthood. It's not easy or always simple keeping up with a four-year-old question machine. I definitely don't have all the answers. But his questions keep me wondering, thinking and seeking God. Thank God for my son and for all the light He shines on this world - especially in the form of tender moments and sweet dreams.

Dinosaur 101

I received a little dinosaur 101 again this morning. Kiefer is still completely interested in everything about how dinosaurs lived, what happened to them and what makes them similar to or different from animals that live today. I suppose I can thank the Dinosaur Train on PBS along with every other book he's read or movie he's watched to gather all this knowledge!

"Mommy, did you know that pterodactyls are still alive today? That's weird. They must have just stayed away from the meteor. Or the cuddled up in a cave. And then made a little hole."

"And you know how dinosaurs got sick? Like if a great big T-Rex...SCRATCHED (insert reenactment scratching hands and scary mean face) them in the belly! Their bellies don't have anything to keep them safe. You know why they got sick, Mommy? Because back then they didn't have any MEDICINE!"