Faith Like a Child

On Saturday night Mark and I went out without the kids. It was wonderful in a thousand ways, particularly because we appreciated it so much, having not been out in a every long time.

With time to kill after dinner before our movie started, we went looking for a winter coat for Luke, who at 4.5 years was still wearing his 3T coat. Our intention was to find the one we wanted at the right store, and to then wait until Black Friday to buy. After finding a great coat with matching snowpants at a great price, we changed our plans and came home with the new coat.

The best thing about buying things for Luke is that he makes it so much fun. You see, he thinks that everything is wonderful, and he appreciates a new coat the same way his parents appreciated eating out alone.

His enthusiasm for new things is refreshing. After Paul was born, we bought him some striking animal posters for his bedroom. For days on end he laid in bed gazing at the posters. He insisted on going to bed with the lights on so that he could look at them, and everyone that came to the door was invited to his room to see the posters. This summer I made him a pillowcase that was his constant companion for weeks. He was crushed when his pillowcase wasn't allowed to follow him to church or when it needed an inevitable washing.

Needless to say, he loved his new coat. It is red, his color of choice, and he stayed up late waiting for us so he could try it on. For the remainder of the weekend he wore his snowpants and winter coat indoors, sometimes with only underpants underneath since his clothes were getting sweaty baking in the outerwear. At bedtime, reluctantly wearing jammies, his coat and snowpants accompanied his bed like a companion blanket.

On Sunday afternoon, overtired with excitement over the new coat, we had to put a stop to wearing his new ensemble indoors. Luke's snowpants slipped on the top step of a large flight of stairs and he toppled down the whole flight. He wasn't hurt, most likely because of the immense padding of the fleece-lined coat, but the slippery material indoors had to go.

Kids are fun. Christmas will be fun. They just love everything. Today, as we start this short week beginning with a blizzard, I hope to have my eyes open a little wider, and excitement take over my practicality just a little bit more. I hope to love my life as much as he loves his.

Happy Monday.