I'll get that squirrel!

Gigi and Elijah hung a lighthouse birdfeeder on the Mulberry tree in our backyard a few weeks ago, and everyday since Eli has been watching to see if any birds were eating. To his dismay, one day he looked out and there was a squirrel hanging upside-down trying his best to knock it over and get at the seed. Eli flipped out and we saw the squirrel trying over the course of a few days to get at the seed.

Today I noticed that the squirrel had succeeded. The birdfeeder was knocked to the ground and all the seed was gone. Elijah was really distraught when he saw this and the following transpired:

Eli: Daddy, Daddy! What happened to my birdfeeder?
Me: Looks like the squirrel knocked it over, buddy.
Eli: But why? Why he did that, Daddy?
Me: He was hungry and wanted to eat the bird food
(Then a few minutes explaining why a squirrel would eat bird food...ommitted)
Eli: But me and G-kochamami (Gigi) did make it for the birdies?
Me: I know, buddy and I'm sorry. We can fix it tomorrow, OK?
Eli: Daddy, tomorrow let's go to the store and buy more food and fix it.
Me: OK buddy, that's a great idea
Eli: Daddy, and let's make a sign too.
Me: A sign?
Eli: Yea....we will put a sign that says "No squirrels coming"
Me: You mean, "No squirrels allowed" buddy?
Eli: Yea, Daddy. We will make a sign that says "No squirrels allowed".
Me: OK, Elijah. That is a fantastic idea.

I promised I'd get him a BB gun if the sign doesn't work :)

Me Too, Me Too

The three of us (Gina, Eli and me) were sitting around that table while Eli ate his dinner. Gina and I were talking about my upcoming prelim exams for my PhD program at Michigan....so it was a fairly mature conversation. Eli was just watching us talk and decided he wanted to participate. Here's how it went:

Me (to Gina): so, I just have to know the IS literature like the back of my hand and be able to demonstrate to my professors that...(interrupted by Eli)
Eli: Daddy, Daddy!
Me: Yes, buddy.
Eli: Daddy at my school the tell me....they....buguz we should not....I...I...I was in the tot lot...Daddy, I should not pick my nose.
Me: (puzzled) That's right, buddy. You should not pick your nose.

He just wanted to be included, so we tabled the prelim talk for a while.

Theology

I was putting Eli to bed during our trip to St. Joseph, Michigan this weekend and we had the following discussion:

Me: OK Elijah. You know that Jesus loves you very, very much don't you?
Eli: Yea
Me: Good. Jesus loves you more than anyone else
Eli: Daddy?
Me: Yes, buddy.
Eli: Are you Jesus?
Me: Oh no....definitely not, buddy. But I love you very much and Jesus loves you very much too.
Eli: Is Jesus is sad when I make bad choices?
Me: Yes He is, buddy, but He forgives you and helps you make good choices.
Eli: Daddy, where is Jesus? Is he in Chicago?
Me: No, no, bucky. Jesus lives way up in the sky, above the clouds because Jesus is God.
Eli: No he doesn't, Daddy.
Me: Really?
Eli: Yea, buguz God lives in Heaven, Daddy, not up in the sky.
Me: You're exactly right, buddy.

So much for my three years of seminary....