Category Archives: Jonah

Finished a book

Today we sat outside in the fresh spring air and finished reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It’s kind of like coming full cirlce. Just before Brenna turned three she pulled it off the shelf and brought it to me saying, “Read this! Read, read, read, read…” Well, I took it and opened it thinking, “She’ll last two seconds and then I can go get something done.” But, instead, we finished the entire book in two days. I figured she wasn’t really getting what was going on, but realized that she was playing with her plastic animals calling one Aslan and asking for protection from the White Witch.

I’m glad that I’ve kept up with the reading novels, even though my kids are so young. I think adults often underestimate what kids are capable of understanding. We also think they’re not listening when they really are. Jonah has not been one to sit on my lap and listen to a book without pictures, but he knows everything that happened to little Sophie in The BFG and loves Harry Potter. He normally plays with toys and comes and goes out of the room as Barry or I read, but he gets it none the less. I love it that his play is based on Shel Silverstien poems rather than Bob the Builder or Dora. I’m thankful that this is something I stumbled upon and stuck with it.

Brenna’s almost five now. I thought it’d be fun to post a list of the books we’ve read since the first time we read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Charlotte’s Web
Stuart Little
Little House in the Big Woods
Little House on the Prairie
Farmer Boy
On the Banks of Plum Creek
Trumpet of the Swan
Black Beauty
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
The BFG
Peter Pan
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Matilda
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (w/ Dad)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (w/ Dad)
The Magician’s Nephew
Where the Sidewalk Ends (w/ Dad)
Falling up (w/ Dad)
A Light in the Attic (w/ Dad)
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

I’m not sure what we’ll start next. We may just continue with the Chronicles of Narnia, but Spring is getting me itchy to read Laddie again and share it with my family.

Okay, I watch Oprah sometimes…

but really, not much else unless it’s Cyberchase or Zoom after the house is picked up in the evening. So, what has inspired my daughter to give Jonah a makeover?

Brenna: Okay Jonah. We’re done playing gymnastics. It’s time for your makeover. We need to get you looking good.

Jonah: (dutifully follows)

Brenna: I’m the makeup artist. First I’ll do your hair. Let’s slick it down…

This is all going on at the moment I’m writing this.

I remember dressing my little brother Ben up in my clothes. There was one time we went all out with fake boobs and everything. My Dad’s only comment was, “You look a little lopsided there.”

Now Ben’s a bartender who cross dresses on Saturdays for extra tips.

Hmmmmm…..

Just so you know some more

No one has rhuematic fever. We have actually all stopped puking.

Last night I went to bed at 6:00 because I was completely delusional and freezing cold, and too hot. It was a good thing I did, so that I could get some rest in between Jonah getting up. It seems like he got up 8 times. That could be an exaggeration—but the screaming!! The irrational whining!! Will he ever stop being two?!

One time he got up because he wanted wrapped up. I went into his room with him and attempted to put him in bed so I could wrap him up. “NOOOOO! It’s not the right way. I need the fish part here (pointing to his forehead) so I can be all snuggled up and hold it.” I tried again. “You have to wrap me up OUT of bed!!”

“Jonah, use a quiet voice. Brenna is sleeping.”

“No. I am waking up. I need a waking up voice.”

“Okay, let’s wrap you up. Climb up in bed.”

“No. I can’t do the truth, it’s too tricky.”

This went on for at least half an hour. Every time he got put in bed he screamed irrational things about how the truth is too tricky. Exasserbated, we finally resorted to moving Brenna to the spare bedroom and shut the door on Jonah. I’m suprised the neighbors didn’t call to complain that we had woken them up because Jonah just laid by the door, kicking and wailing and screaming that whatever way we wrapped him up was not the truth.

“That’s not the truth!!!! The truth is too tricky!!!!”

Poor Barry didn’t get much sleep, but Logan slept like a log.