Violet has officially hit the "More Stories Please!" phase. I remember Daniel entered it just about this age, too. And just like with Daniel, when the craving for stories hits, we decided to fill it with the best stories a kid could ask for: Bible stories.
Violet was already constantly asking for stories at nap and bed times, but now has begun asking for stories randomly; in a quiet moment in the car, or in the middle of a grocery store. I began with Jonah and was met with great success. She loved every twist and turn. Next up: David and Goliath. After some initial fear of Goliath, she wound up loving the adventure, and even telling me how much she loves Goliath. Little rebel. Daddy introduced the Good Shepherd and the Little Sheep (whom he named Abraham), also to great success.
So one night when I was trying to stay awake, I decided to pick a story I knew reeeaaalllllyyyy well so I wouldn't mess up any details. Hm... "Daniel and the Lion's Den". That's a classic. I named my other kid after the protagonist. How could I mess THAT one up?
Here's a brief list of exactly how I messed that one up:
1) It wasn't King Nebuchadnezzar who threw him in. It was two kings later... King Darius the Mede. I realized this only AFTER my two-year-old could articulate that "King Ne-bud-cah-nezzer was selfish and wanted people to pray to him." Nice, Mommy.
2) Once I switched to King Darius the Mede, I told it wrong for another few weeks, painting him as evil as King N was. Turns out, he wasn't evil, he actually cared for Daniel, and tried to find a way around tossing him in the den. Mommy should read the classics more often, turns out.
3) Not even thinking that just MAYBE Violet might associate Daniel with her brother, I launched into that story full force and had a BAWLING Violet to calm down. She just couldn't hang with her brother being fed to lions. Go figure.
So, now Mommy is brushing up on her basic theology before starting a new story.
Violet is doing the same. She likes to "read" her Bible "by herself". Naturally, she has attached herself to the only book in Portuguese we own, and often reads it upside down, adding all kinds of interesting elements to the stories. You can imagine.
Whether or not the details are 100% correct, I couldn't care less. (No, there were no angels in the whale's tummy, the movie isn't ALL real. Some is pretend. And while we're at it, it may not have been a whale.) Maybe I should care more about the details. But at this stage of her life, just thinking of the Bible as exciting is good enough for me. We have plenty of time to iron out the details. For now, here's all she needs to know:
1) God is our shepherd and he loves us.
2) The Bible is a present from God.
3) The Bible is FULL of amazing, exciting stories.
Next up: Noah and the Ark!
Don't worry, I'll read it first.
Violet was already constantly asking for stories at nap and bed times, but now has begun asking for stories randomly; in a quiet moment in the car, or in the middle of a grocery store. I began with Jonah and was met with great success. She loved every twist and turn. Next up: David and Goliath. After some initial fear of Goliath, she wound up loving the adventure, and even telling me how much she loves Goliath. Little rebel. Daddy introduced the Good Shepherd and the Little Sheep (whom he named Abraham), also to great success.
So one night when I was trying to stay awake, I decided to pick a story I knew reeeaaalllllyyyy well so I wouldn't mess up any details. Hm... "Daniel and the Lion's Den". That's a classic. I named my other kid after the protagonist. How could I mess THAT one up?
Here's a brief list of exactly how I messed that one up:
1) It wasn't King Nebuchadnezzar who threw him in. It was two kings later... King Darius the Mede. I realized this only AFTER my two-year-old could articulate that "King Ne-bud-cah-nezzer was selfish and wanted people to pray to him." Nice, Mommy.
2) Once I switched to King Darius the Mede, I told it wrong for another few weeks, painting him as evil as King N was. Turns out, he wasn't evil, he actually cared for Daniel, and tried to find a way around tossing him in the den. Mommy should read the classics more often, turns out.
3) Not even thinking that just MAYBE Violet might associate Daniel with her brother, I launched into that story full force and had a BAWLING Violet to calm down. She just couldn't hang with her brother being fed to lions. Go figure.
So, now Mommy is brushing up on her basic theology before starting a new story.
Violet is doing the same. She likes to "read" her Bible "by herself". Naturally, she has attached herself to the only book in Portuguese we own, and often reads it upside down, adding all kinds of interesting elements to the stories. You can imagine.
Whether or not the details are 100% correct, I couldn't care less. (No, there were no angels in the whale's tummy, the movie isn't ALL real. Some is pretend. And while we're at it, it may not have been a whale.) Maybe I should care more about the details. But at this stage of her life, just thinking of the Bible as exciting is good enough for me. We have plenty of time to iron out the details. For now, here's all she needs to know:
1) God is our shepherd and he loves us.
2) The Bible is a present from God.
3) The Bible is FULL of amazing, exciting stories.
Next up: Noah and the Ark!
Don't worry, I'll read it first.
1 comment:
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