It's been storming pretty hard all day, and Audrey is quite skittish about thunder. Makes for a fun time. Not. She's maturing about it some, but still kinda scared. Understandable...a big noise, that loud, that you can't even comprehend?? One of her all time fav books has been Dr. Seuss's "Mr. Brown Can Moo. Can You?" In it, Mr. Brown makes all kinds of noises, including thunder. "Boom. Boom. BOOM! Mr. Brown is a wonder! Boom Boom BOOM! Mr. Brown makes thunder!" Recently she has started saying that Mr. Brown is outside when she hears thunder. "Mista Bown says boom boom!" "Mista Bown is WondaPace." (We recently visited the Wonder Place...I laughed out loud when she said he was wonder place.)
Tonight at bedtime, we somehow transitioned from Mr. Brown to Jesus being with us. I told her Jesus was with her, so she wouldn't have to be scared of the thunder. This progressed to a 2-yr-old's view of Jesus: (which she was explaining to me by drawing out her words...imagine making a mental list...I need eggggggs, and millllllk, and breaaaaaad...) "Jeejus evywhewwww. He's outsiiiiiide. He's STONG! (complete with deep, grunting voice and tiny, flexing biceps.) He gonna huuuuuug me and looooove me. Jeejus carries me. He save me. He's in my tummmmmy! He's outsiiiiiide. I not be scay-yuhd. He STONG! (deep voice and tiny biceps again.) Jeejus looooove me." Round and round we went, with me affirming her statements and chuckling to myself.
I LOVE these bedtime chats we're starting to get in the habit of. I love that she can tell me her thoughts and that we can use these sweet moments to be purposeful about teaching her about the Lord. Tonight when she was telling me about Jesus carrying her and being in her tummy, I felt like the Grinch when his heart grew 3 sizes and broke the little x-ray box. My heart was overflowing with her preciousness. I want to freeze time and bottle her up, so that I can always remember what my sweet little 2-yr-old looked, sounded, and smelled like, including all her little mannerisms.