Jonah, King of Valentines
A few more great (at least to us) Jonah stories: in preschool, the teachers and kids were doing a project involving expressing feelings. They asked the children what they loved. Some replied that they loved their mommy; some that they loved their daddy; some that they loved their cat or dog. Jonah replied: “I love the park!” So much for mom and dad who are officially chopped liver. We’re actually glad he made that answer because it’s important to us that he develop a strong bond with the outdoors.
Tonight at bedtime Jonah said: “When my grow up my will wear glasses.” I asked why. “Because doctors wear glasses.” I asked, “Do all doctors wear glasses?” “Yes, I think so,” he replied. How does a kid decide he’s going to become a doctor at 4? Does this mean he has to start taking his premed courses? Should we hold him to it: “No, you can’t be a trash hauler, Jonah, you committed to being a doctor at 4 and that’s what you have to stick to.”
On Valentine’s Day, as the parents waited to pick up their children after class, the children came down and exited into the alley. They were all dressed in unbelievably cute king and queen paper crowns. Jonah cried out: “My Valentine’s king, daddy.” He was also carrying a paper bug and he flapped its wings and asked: “Know what this is daddy?” “No what is it?” “It a love bug.” Can you think of anything cuter or more charming? I dare you.
Janis sleeps downstairs with the babies for now since she’s afraid they would wake up Jonah (who sleeps upstairs) if we put them upstairs in the nursery nights. When Jonah wakes up in the morning and wants to see mommy I tell him: “You have to be quiet when you go downstairs because mommy is sleeping. Don’t knock on her door until you hear her stirring in the bedroom. Mommy needs to sleep” Yesterday morning when he came down Janis was awake and called out to him to come into the bedroom. He said: “I can’t mommy.” “Why?” “Because my have no clothes on. My not want you to see me naked.” As if we haven’t seen him so before?
The nearest I can figure out where this came from was when we went on a walk yesterday and he asked why people have curtains over their windows. I explained that they don’t want strangers looking inside because they might not be wearing all their clothes and that people like to be safe and secure in their homes with no strangers looking in on them. I also said it was OK for people in your own family to see you without clothes on. I think in his reinterpretation of what I said he may’ve gotten a little carried away.
