It was quite a year, wasn’t it? In the words of the semi-verbal little people, “happy ya-ya sha-bup, year!” That’s Ellie slang for “Bring it on!” Of course, it’s also been used interchangeably for “Hooray!” and “Welcome to my mouth.” But we’re open to many interpretations in our house.
For us, this year was all about Ellie. Indecipherable phrases were uttered. We got completely hooked on the Tolkien mania. We made new discoveries and tried many new things. An interesting item of note: We’ve prayed a lot more this year. Every night before bed, in fact. Ellie’s begun requesting it. “Pway, Daddy?” We scrunch our eyes shut and thank God for Kipper and the slide and pray for the park and the fireplace and for Kipper. Daddy prays for teething, for no tummy aches or random wakefulness at 3 and 4 am. We thank God for such a good, healthy, smart kid, that she’s so sensitive and yet adventurous, how she loves to swim, and hop and spin, and how it thrills us to hear this unexpected child in her new-found words, telling things what time it is: “Time to slide, fire-pace.”
She’s gobbled up knowledge like “caw cheeth” (cottage cheese), and gained personality and new preferences each week. We can’t believe all the growing, the tastes and opinions beginning to show. Never before have we realized so strongly, the relentlessness of God. He pursues us. You can’t escape. When she counts to 20—every time forgetting fifteen and repeating eighteen—when she recites her favorite books, when she asks to sing “eetsy-beetsy,” you feel assaulted by an insidious need to thank God for His love. It’s just normal, everyday parenting things, but until you’re drowning in amazement at such unconditional love, you can’t appreciate the pride God feels for you. I know how that sounds to people without kids. But until very recently, I was one of them. He truly loves us beyond any ability to reason.
So it’s a little late, but I’m hoping to extend the sentiment of Christmas a bit, especially for those of you who like us, feel a huge let down returning home with the post-holiday blues. Let’s just keep the good times rolling, okay? Thank God for the reminders of His love this year in the midst of the busy season of life. You’ll still have time for all that busy, happy ya-ya sha-bup later.
Kipper rules! (And Tiger is the George Costanza of the cartoon world.)
Don’t blink – my baby girl just turned 7! Of course we don’t get depressed about it, we just keep having more kids, and a puppy, and a hamster…
My baby turns twenty this year. It seems strange and such a huge milestone for all my kids to be in their twenties — and for me to still be in my twenties, too. ;o)
“happy ya-ya sha-bup” has morphed into indepth discussions about topics like existentialism, prophecy, why God used jealous competition between two sister/wives to create the twelve tribes of Israel, and what Jesus meant when He said, “take up your cross and follow Me.”
It’s both humbling and deeply gratifying when your kids know more about many subjects than you. It’s frightening and thrilling when they embrace God’s will and sell out to Jesus — the fulfillment of all your deepest prayers, and yet you know it could mean (probably will mean) much testing and seasons of suffering in their lives.
I think the ache that accompanies the unconditional love you mention is fueled in part by the knowledge that, as much as we love them, we aren’t in control. This is best, of course, because we wouldn’t choose what they need most. We would shield them from the very tools God uses to conform them to His image.
I pray 2005 will be a year of grace and peace in the Silva household. May His hand be clearly seen in all that comes your way. And may your faith grow and overflow in pure worship.
His peace, Mick.
For you sorry sods who don’t know Kipper, check out http://www.hitentertainment.com/kipper/. Any kid under 5 is guaranteed to be mesmerized for hours. It’s magic!