KanningKidSpeak Blog

Starting Small...

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:59:52 -0600

(Ainsley, 6)
[During our nightly reading and prayer time we, once again, discussed the challenges facing many children and their families in Haiti. We talked about how some children didn’t have enough money to eat, buy medicine, go to school, or have homes.]
Todd: “Can you girls remember a time that we were really hungry but weren’t able to sit down and have a yummy dinner?”
Girls: “No.”
Todd: “Can you remember a time that one of us were sick but couldn’t get the medicine to make us better right away?”
Girls: “No.”
Todd: “Can you remember a time that you were super-duper tired but couldn’t get all snuggly in your jammies and curl up in a warm bed for a good night’s sleep?”
Girls: “No.”
Todd: “We’re very blessed, aren’t we? What do you think we might be able to do to share some the blessings we have to help the children in Haiti?”
Ainsley: “We could pray for them!”
Todd: “Yes! That’s a great idea! …And can you think of anything else we might be able to do?”
Ainsley: “Oh! We could give them some money so they could buy some of the things they need!”
Todd: “That’s a wonderful idea! I’ll talk to some folks at church and find out how we can help out.”
Ainsley [after pausing to think]: “There’s just one problem…”
Todd: “What’s that, Sweetie?”
Ainsley [very concerned, looking across the room at her little plastic piggy bank]: “Well… I don’t think I have enough money to give some to ALL the children in Haiti.”
Todd: “That’s ok, Sweetie… we’ll start by helping one child and then just see how far we can get.”

Incidentally… if YOU’RE interested in financially supporting a needy child in Haiti (going directly toward food, clothing, education, shelter, etc.), check out www.missionofhopehaiti.org!!

Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death...

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 22:13:13 -0600

(Lauren, 4)
[During our nightly reading and prayer time we revisited the difficult state of many families in Haiti. This included discussion of malnutrition, illness, and death.]
Lauren [eagerly adding to the conversation about illness and disease]: “…and some of them might get the liberty!” [pointing up and down her forearm with her other hand]
Todd: [after a moment of real-time kid-speak decoding]: “Ah… do you mean, ‘leprosy’, Lauren?”
Lauren [only a little embarrassed]: “Oh, yeah… leprosy.”

Priceless Memories...

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:33:26 -0600

(Ainsley, 6; Todd, 36)
[Ainsley and Todd had their very first Daddy-Daughter Dance! It was held at Casa Blanca on Brushy Creek, a beautiful venue for weddings, receptions, and the like. Lots of flowers, trees, lights, etc. …even a walkway down to Brushy Creek.
Throughout the evening Ainsley had been too bashful to dance with Todd on the dance floor with everyone else around. We spent most of our time walking the grounds, taking in the beautiful scenery, taking pictures, walking along the creek, enjoying the food, and visiting with other daddies and daughters.
Near the end of the evening Ainsley and Todd were taking one last look at the trees and the creek from the open-air wedding outbuilding across the yard from the main building. Everyone else was either in the dance hall or on the way to their cars. With the music still audible from the main hall in the cool evening air, Todd and Ainsley were alone to summarize the evening.]
Todd: “Well, sweetie, it’s certainly been a fun night, huh? Are you about ready to go home?”
Ainsley: “ALMOST… I want to do one more thing.”
Todd: “What’s that?”
Ainsley [With a playful smile]: “You have to guess!”
Todd: “OK… do you want to take another walk?” “no” “Do you want to go see the creek again?” “no” “Do you want to get a snack?” “no” [pause] “Do you want to dance with Daddy?” “YES!”
Ainsley: “But not in there; I just want to dance with you right here.”
[Todd’s heart melts as he thoroughly enjoys his very first formal dance with his oldest daughter. …and in that venue, he begins to painfully anticipate a very similar dance that’s likely to occur in the next couple of decades.]

Todd [After savoring a few moments of bliss, letting it burn permanently into his memory, and clearing the lump in his throat…]: “Ainsley, of all the neat and fun things we’ve done tonight I like this part -right now- the very best.”
Ainsley [Very matter-of-factly but sincerely]: “I like that I got to throw a rock in the creek!”

[No worries… I’ll forever remember that dance for the both of us.]

The formal invitation to the Daddy-Daughter Dance from Sterling. Also shown… Ainsley retasked the custom placecard from our new year celebration at the Andersons’, turning it into a custom invitation that she gave to me. The outside of the placecard now says, “Frm: Ainsley”.

New Vocabulary...

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:31:23 -0600

(Ainsley, 6)
[Ainsley and Todd had their very first Daddy-Daughter Dance! It was held at Casa Blanca on Brushy Creek, a beautiful venue for weddings, receptions, and the like. Lots of flowers, trees, lights, etc. …even a walkway down to Brushy Creek.]

[One of our first views of Brushy Creek revealed what turned out to be a buoy that helps small boats navigate the creek. This was a new word/concept for Ainsley. Looking out from another of the many balcony views…]
Ainsley: “Wow… I can’t even see the bootie from here!”
Todd: “Uh… the ‘BOOTIE’? “
Ainsley [still refining her memory and understanding of the new word]: “Oh… I mean, the boobie.”

[It took a little while for Ainsley to remember the name of the ‘corsage’ (another new word) that she wore on her wrist. She has known the term, ‘bouquet’ for quite a while already.
On the phone with Gramma from Indiana sharing all sorts of details from the night. Of course, we covered all the wardrobe elements first; dress, hair, shoes, sweater, etc.]
Todd: “Oh, and tell Gramma what you wore on your wrist.”
Ainsley [proudly]: “Oh yeah… I wore a boucage.”

Food for Thought...

Sun, 7 Feb 2010 08:02:33 -0600

Or... “Lauren’s Nightmare”
(Lauren, 4)
[Lauren woke up crying heavily in the middle of the night; so urgently that both Julie and I went up to see what was the matter. Right away she complained that her tummy hurt, so we quickly grabbed a wastepaper basket in case she got sick. After many minutes of inconsolable sobbing, a drink, and lots of snuggles, she finally started to calm down.]
Julie [gently]: “Honey, is there anything I can get you?”
Lauren [a bit forlorn]: “I just need a little food. …Not right now, but just… for always.”
[We assured her that we would always make sure she had enough to eat. …this, from the same sweet-hearted girl who nightly prays that “no one in this world would get sick and no one in this world would get hurt.” We may have the makings of a world-class social activist.]