Conversations with Lexy...

Yesterday afternoon, we heard the unfortunate news that Aunt Barb had to have her beloved dog Fletch put to sleep. Lexy has ALWAYS been very fond of Fletch-- he was a very calm, little dog with the softest fur ever.

When Lexy woke up from her nap, I figured I should try to explain (hoping that it would some how make sense so that our next visit to Barb's house wouldn't include a "Where's Fletch?" hunt.)

Me: Lexy, I have some sad news. Fletch died today. He went to heaven.

Lexy: Why?

Me: Well, he was really old. He lived a happy life, but he started to get really sick, so he died.

Lexy: Why?

M: That's what happens-- we get old, and our bodies get weak and sick, and then we die. But we go to heaven to be with Jesus. Fletch is in heaven now. Just like Grettle! (Barb's other dog that died a few months back-- it's been a rough year at their house.).

L: Grettle's in heaven, TOO?

M: Uh-huh.

L: Grettle died, TOO?

M: Yes.

L: They BOTH died? Oh, that's STINKY.

Learning empathy at the tender age of 3.

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This morning, Bill and Lexy continued their Saturday morning tradition of making pancakes while Tori and I sleep in. This morning, though, they added chocolate chips into the mix! Yum.

As they were making them, Lexy kept wiping the side of the bowl with her finger, licking the batter. Bill told her he didn't want her fingers in the batter anymore, and she complied. A few minutes went by, and Bill was scraping the chocolate chip residue off the side of the bowl, and Lexy opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue hoping to reap the harvest. She quickly pulled her tongue back in, realizing that Daddy had said no, but then came up with a great question.

Preparing to stick her tongue out again, she said, "Daddy, wanna feel my tongue?"

She's brilliant. :)

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And from the files to be re-evaluated in 20 years....

Yesterday evening, we went to Sam's Club to buy some groceries and have the gourmet meal of a hot dog and a drink for $1.50-- a family favorite. We were all sitting at a table, and the girls both kept making googly eyes at this elderly man in a wheelchair sitting at a table behind us. (Always makes my heart sing when they go out of their way to smile and talk to senior citizens rather than act scared of them. I pray that they will never be "scared".)

He was delighted to have their attention and was playing along. He said to Bill and I, "I feel sorry for the boys in about 17 or 18 years."

To which I replied, "I feel sorry for US!" :)

After about 20 minutes of him observing us, he said to me, "You know, that older one is going to excel in Mathematics. I'm talking 'professor at a University' level. And your younger one... I think she'll be a teacher. She has a real way of engaging people."

Crazy that he had NO BACKGROUND on what Bill does for a living, let alone my work in tutoring.

He then handed us his business card... He's a Clinical Psychologist.

I'm still trying to figure out what he observed that led him to this prophetic conclusion....