The joy of soup, and problem solving

When we used to visit our friends Lori & Bruce, we would laugh at how their cats came running as soon as they heard the can opener.

Well, who needs cats when you've got Jonathan? Last night I started opening a can of pea soup and Jonathan came running into the kitchen, his face alight with excitement. "SOUP!" he yelled ecstatically. "Yes," I said, "And what else?" He replied, " 'Atches!" (in other words, sandwiches) Who knew such a simple meal could produce such joy? Then this morning when he woke up, I went into his room and the first thing he said was, "Soup! 'Atches!" Hmm, still feasting on the good memories, apparently.

Allison shows her maturing self in so many ways--not the least of which is that she is outgrowing her rubber boots, her running shoes, and her spring coat! But I appreciate the wisdom she shows in dealing with small issues. Each week she must complete her "reading bag" homework for Wednesday: read the assigned story and answer questions about it. This week, the Sunday School kids were having a music practice for Easter on Tuesday night, so I suggested to Allison that she get her reading bag homework out of the way on Monday, so that she would be less pressed for time on Tuesday.

Allison arrived home from school on Tuesday with math homework as well, but she informed us that she had asked her teacher, "I have a practice at my church tonight, so could I do your homework for Thursday instead of for tomorrow?" As it turned out, she had ample time after her practice to do her math problems--but she had taken care of her own potential problem ahead of time. It is neat to see how she thinks things through. On the surface she may seem a bit scatterbrained, but her mind is well-organized and detailed.

And she likes soup and sandwiches too!