Coptic Dad & Mom

It's very hard to write with a toddler. It's very hard to think with a toddler. Truly, it's very hard to do any normal human activity with a toddler.

Except snuggling. Snuggling with a toddler is pretty epic. My son's arms are soft and chunky little things that wrap around my neck so tightly. And when he smiles at me... Sigh. Don't get me started.

Then there's laughing. Laughing with a toddler is pretty epic. My son has this incredible deep belly laugh. My daughter and I adore him for it.

Yesterday I tried to copy him. I tried to laugh from deep within my belly and realized I couldn't remember the last time I had done that. When did I get so serious?

Being an adult is a huge waste of time. Being a toddler. Snuggling and laughing. That's where it's at.

Inspired by Priest's wife's post last year, I now ask my daughter once a year the same questions (and new ones) to see how her answers change as she grows.

What is the best part of being a PK?
That I can go to church early if I want.

What is the hardest part of being a PK?
That I have to go to so many events--everything! Or most of the things.

Would you like to be married to a priest? Would you like to be a tasoni?
No. I don't know. (wiggles her finger) Why not? Um, I don't have answer to that.

Who's your favorite saint?
St. Demiana and St. Sophia

Do people look at you differently because you are a PK?
(shakes her head) No, no one treats me differently.

What's the strangest thing you've learned as Abouna's kid?
I learned that every single Abouna has a beard!

What's your favorite church time (feast, season)?
Holy Week. And I mean it. Because we sing my favorite song which is "Thok Ta Ti Gom." It's so hard to remember (laughs).

Do the kids at school notice that your father is different?
Yes. That's a big yes. They ask me lots of questions.

How do you feel about your dad wearing black?
I feel fine. Awesome! Cool. It doesn't really matter.

What's your favorite thing about your dad?
That we go to huge conventions together, like the priest family convention. Because family conventions mean lots more kids to play with.

What's your favorite thing about your mom?
That she's Tasoni. Because tasonis are cool.



Notice that tasonis are cool, but she still doesn't want to be one ;). I should note that she was the one who reminded me that it was time for this interview, and she took the process very seriously.

Two weeks into kindergarten, I made my daughter get her first tardy. We woke up on time, we got dressed on time, we got into the car on time. And then I realized there was no gas in the tank. In order to make the trek to school, we would need to fill'er up. I went to the gas station, filled exactly three gallons, and hopped back in the car, racing to get a spot on the highway. It took three minutes to fill gas total.

Those three minutes put us in a dismal spot on the highway. I could already tell the final outcome would depend on one pesky traffic light a block away from school. As we drove, my daughter and I talked about how important it is to be on time and what the consequences of getting a tardy might mean. During the course of the conversation, I heard myself say, "Getting a tardy doesn't mean you're a terrible student... or a terrible mom."

Suddenly, I realized that internally I was making this tardy out to be yet another sign that I am a terrible mom, an official time-stamped slip. But no, getting this tardy meant nothing more than that the car needed gas. In the broader icon of my life (and hers) this tardy wouldn't even figure.

It ended up taking 12 more minutes than usual to get to school, making us late for drop off by one minute. We could literally see the last few people filter into the building as we raced across the parking lot. But as I stood in the office to sign her in, I was at peace.

This morning, we woke up with less than ten minutes left to get ready for school. "We will NOT get a tardy!" we proclaimed. We bolted all four out of our beds. She was dressed, laces tied, in four minutes, while lunch was packed. Hair done in two.  Out the door. Recycling by the curb.That's called teamwork, dedication. That's called God's mercy, an angel nudging us awake with exactly the minimum amount of time left to get this here morning started.

Getting that tardy had an unforeseen consequence. It galvanized us into a well-oiled morning machine! United for a common cause, we're unstoppable!

Ok, crawling back in bed now... I had a rough weekend. The Lord knows, I need some sleep.