The Noticer

This past Sunday, we had a special speaker at church. Also, Son numbers 1 and 2 woke up early that morning. Midway through the service, Son #2 was trying to stay awake. Son #1 was in the Children’s Church, and we didn’t have to meet with the teachers after church, so I think he behaved himself.

As I said, Son #2 was trying to stay awake, which meant he was squirming. Up and down, over and under, back and forth, it just wouldn’t end. At one point, when he was sitting on my lap, he leaned back over my arm, looked up at the ceiling, and started laughing at the chandeliers.

Son #2 is two and is learning to speak very well, but he has trouble with some words. For instance, “that” is “dat.” “There” is “dere.” His “th” is “d,” and his “s” is non-existent.

At one point, he tried talking to me loudly. I shushed him. I said, “Son #2, be quiet. Pastor is preaching.”

“Pator preaching?” He turned his head and looked up at the pulpit.

“Yes.”

Then he turned halfway around and looked back at me out of the corners of his eyes. “Pator preaching?” His voice raised slightly at the end of his question. His eyes narrowed.

“Yes.”

“Pator preaching?” He asked incredulously. He let out a little laugh.

Our pastor was standing against the wall on the right side of the platform. Son #2 lifted his arm, pointed his little finger over to the right side of the church, and said, “Daddy, dat pator over dere.”

I guess I didn’t think he would care about the difference between the words preacher and pastor.

“Okay, smarty-pants, the preacher is preaching.” I corrected myself.

He shook his head. It doesn’t feel great to be judged by a two-year-old.

But he is a very sweet young man, and he notices things. The other day is a good example.

I got off work and sat down in the La-Z-Boy. He approached the recliner.

“Daddy, you what any-ting?”

“No, I’m good, Son. Thank you.”

He turned halfway around, then looked back at me as if he was studying me.

He went to the kitchen and told Charity, “I bing Daddy toffee.” He meant tea.

That boy helped his Momma fill a glass of tea and brought it to me.

Then he went back to the kitchen and said, “I bing Daddy chips!” Soon, he rounded the corner with a bowl of chips.

Son #2 is good at recognizing a need and trying to fulfill it. But you don’t want to cross him. He has a mean uppercut. He can hold his own against his big brother. We won’t get into that, though.

There are times I think he’s just trying to butter me up. He probably is. I guess it’s a good thing I like butter.

to a boy with a thousand-watt smile,
– Caleb