Mamasan phoned me, a little upset and disappointed.

She plans to take the grandboy to an interactive display where the visitors get a glimpse of true poverty.The experience is nowhere near as immersive as actually being in true poverty, but it is as close as a young American mamasan and her boy will get any time soon. At least I pray this is the case.

Her peers in the area haven’t heard of it, and their responses are what is upsetting to young mamasan.

They range from, “Are you sure this is appropriate for your son?” to, “Are you sure he’s going to have fun at this thing?”

Her response is heart-warming to me and give me hope for those of her generation: “H**l yes it’s ENTIRELY appropriate, and this is something he and I NEED to understand.”

Even as young parents, mamasan’s mother and I were pressured into the “but is it FUN?” mindset for kids’ events we chose to take the children to.

We parents aren’t in the business of making sure the kids have “FUN” all the time. Sometimes life’s most important lessons aren’t “FUN” but are needed, nonetheless.

Keep educating, young mamasan. Our kids’ kids should value others’ needs far above their own entertainment.

Mamasan (trying to hold a phone conversation)

Grandboy (won’t stop making noise)

Mamasan (frustrated): ENOUGH!

Grandboy: Hi, yes?

Mamasan (to the person on the phone): Hold on. (To grandboy): What is it?

Grandboy: I am Enough. Nice to meet you. I’m Enough. You said Enough, so here is Enough (puts clean pair of underwear on his head like a cap) reporting for duty!

Mamasan: I blame your grandfather

Mamasan asked the grandboy what he’d wish for if he had three wishes.  Knowing his imagination, she was prepared for almost anything.

She was rather surprised by his response, even after she said he had an infinite scope here.

He wanted:

1. Enough water to last his lifetime
2. Enough food to last his lifetime
3. A steady and reliable job to pay for his needs.

Sounds unimaginative, but in the real world, if you have this, you can do more than you think you can!

Kudos to the both of them

I can tell the grandboy has been studying his minecraftery using online videos…

Me: Hey you should put a lever (American pronunciation) on the block over there.

Grandboy: Gwumpa you mean LEVER (British pronunciation), don’t you?

— Next he’ll be asking for sweetcorn topping on his pizza

Here is the grandboy’s contribution to a school project.

From mamasan: “when asked what a dream of his is, he said “to be flexible with work” hahaha he said he “wants to be able to take days off of work” when he gets older”

I pray he achieves his dream. We work to support our families. If he can keep his focus on his family, then this is a dream achieved.

Grandboy, interrupting me during prayers: What? God’s YOUR dad? He makes stars and fish and stuff.

Me: Well I have a dad here on Earth and a dad who is in heaven​ – God. And you do too.

Grandboy (makes a face): My dad is bad. He breaks the law. I don’t like him.

Me (gently): Listen. Yes. He did do that. But God still loves him anyway. I pray your dad gets better and learns to do good things.

Grandboy: God loves him even if he’s bad?

Me: Yes. He might not like what he does, but he still loves him. Just like I may not always like what you do, but I always love you.

Grandboy (folds hands): God, please help my dad be good so he can do good things like me. Okay, God? You can do it. Amen.

— We could all use a prayer warrior like that in our corner 🙂

Grandboy is visiting, playing Minecraft and is creating a giant toilet with underground cast iron plumbing.

Why? Because, well I don’t know why, I just can’t come up with a good reason why not…

and then he made a lighthouse, with lights that turn on only at night