sunshine walks

Anna (6) and Sofia (4)

today my sister Emily packed her three kids (Caleb-9, Anna-6, Sofia-4) in the car and drove 3 hours south from Maine to visit me, her baby sister.

the girls had a bit of coloring/crafty time and took a little walk, the boys took apart a computer and played a little bit on the Wii. i thought it might be fun to interview the kids and put the highlights on the blog…i was really curious to hear their answers. i hope i can think of different questions to ask them next time.

Caleb (does NOT like to have his picture taken - so no photo here today):
How he would spend a day if he could choose anything: “I would do lots of jobs to earn money, and then the next day go to the Lego store.”
What he wants to do when he’s a grown up: “I want to be a Lego Designer!”
Would he change anything about himself: “I would make it so I couldn’t hear Sofia when she’s trying to annoy me.”

Anna:
Favorite animal: “Cats…and zebras!”
What she wants to do when she’s a grown up: “Play with my kids.” (She later said she thinks 3 kids is a good number.)
Would she change anything about herself: “I would not wear dresses as often. And I would learn to cook.”

Sofia:
Favorite animal: “A owl and a duck and a bird.”
What she wants to do when she’s grown up: “Knit, work, play on computer, play on iPod.” (She also said she wants to be an artist, but clarified that she can do whatever she wants to do, and she will bring her kids to McDonald’s…) Later, “When I’m a human I’m going to be in a dress.”
Favorite song: “Ummm…’The Bible Tells Me So’ and ‘Twinkle’.”

i grew up in the methodist church. which is how we say it, those of us in the churchy know, “grew up in the church,” which is a little silly because i think most of us actually grew up in a house somewhere near whatever church we’re talking about.

regardless. methodists are ALMOST the most reserved christians i know. and i love that. it’s comfortable (i love my comfort zone), it’s traditional (for me), very seldom does someone ask you about your “walk with god” or get nosy with your personal business (good for introverts like me), prayers are generally read from a book, and everyone usually stands very still while singing 3 or 4 hymns i know very well from my childhood.

my husband on the other hand, he grew up going to a more charismatic church. what this means to me (on the surface only): worship band, repetitive worship songs, arms waving, people swaying, TEARS, dancing, audience participation (glib i know). this is not comfortable to me.

after going to a christian college and thereby “experimenting” with churches to find the right fit, and attending my husbands former church with him and his family occasionally for years, i began to think that there were real christians and ordinary christians and the real ones cried in church. but no matter how i tried…i only felt more guilty that i wasn’t feeling it like everyone else and i started to resent church because it just made me uncomfortable and that’s no fun.

all this to say. i like the methodist church. after visiting one on christmas eve with my sister and her family it felt so right to be there. i know this is largely due to my upbringing and the familiarity of it, but also it fits my personality and how much i like to keep to myself about serious things. (ask my poor dear open thinking hubby…it takes a lot to get me talking about…um…anything that matters?)

and this morning i’m not going to church, but just the mention of easter recalls a couple of hymns i used to love to sing out - into the thick scent of easter lilies and into the sea of pastel easter outfits of families i knew but not too well (which is just how i like it).

so in my head i’m singing…
“christ the lord is risen today…ha a a a a le lu u jah”
and
“up from the grave he arose! he arose”

over and over and over. i can never quite remember the rest of the words, but the tunes are there and they’ll be hummed all day…i’m sure of it. sometimes i make up the words and i think jesus and god would appreciate my sense of humor when i sing
“up from the grave he arose! with a little chicken on his nose! (on his nose)”
or
“up from the grave he arose! with nothing on - he needed clothes! (needed clothes)”
(i THINK it’s actually something about “victory o’er his foes”…)

anyway. when i think of church as a kid i remember it fondly.
when i think of church as a young adult i remember it with guilt and confusion and DISCOMFORT (gasp - the horror!).
i think, if i choose to be a churchgoer again, i’ll try to do it like when i was little.