Joseph is Nine

 Joe celebrated his ninth birthday on the 28th of November.  While I am late with this post, rest assured, we were on time on the actual day.  One of his requests was to have over one of his best friends, Chadd.  Chadd is one of the greatest kids I know.  He's cheeky in all the right ways and faces life and its attendant difficulties with tremendous grace and spunk.

 He's also a devoted Leafs fan.  Our family cheers solely for the Senators, thus, a friendly rivalry is a constant source of ribbing.  Chadd's parents started the sledge hockey league in our town so that Chadd would not miss out on being a hockey player.  Their initiative ensured that our boys as well wouldn't miss out on playing hockey.  They have played in the league for three years now and winter Saturday evenings are spent loading up the equipment and playing two hours on ice.  Whenever I see Chadd, I don't see disability; instead, I see what a big yes to life results in - not the suffering predicted by an ultrasound, but the joy and true humanity produced by the yes of Chadd's parents.

 And here is our nine year old yes to life.  I always joke that Joe willed his own conception, as he really is our only surprise baby.  I remember a good friend asking how we discerned having a fourth child.  I answered, "Well, discerning is easy when you are already pregnant."

 Joe's life is part of God's grand design - one of surprises, joy and unexpected happiness.  Indeed, Joe's name means "God adds to the family".

He certainly has added to our family life, and, I suspect, to that of many others.  Last night was the kids' school Christmas concert.  Joe was less than excited at the selection of songs by his teacher.  He stood two students away from her on stage, with a huge smile partially hidden by the songbook that he was using to hide his face.  Afterward, his teacher (a woman who appreciates spunk as a sign of great character) told me that Joe whispered to her as the performance began, "You couldn't have chosen something a little better?"  I could see her trying to keep her composure for the rest of the song.  God bless dear Joe because God has certainly blessed us with him.

An antidote to the fussy baby

 The boys discovered a few months ago that the best antidote to Mariana's crying is to let her play the piano.

While she is not a particularly fussy baby, she does spend a lot of time in the care of a sibling sitting at the piano.

Joe is very talented with younger children - babies and on up.  The younger lot seem to sense his love of fun, and he is very responsible when caring for those younger than him.  When visiting friends, he often finds himself carrying their baby around or letting their toddler wrestle with him on the floor.

This open-piano trick belongs to Joe alone.  His little sister delights in it.  There is something especially touching about a boy and his baby.