Way Post Natal: March 2005 Archives

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March 31, 2005

Tiny Perspectives

Sometimes people have a hard time seeing from someone else's perspective.

Its so easy to see things from our own perspective. I this, and me that.

Well, while many people may not be able to see things from another's perspective, I would be willing to wager that even fewer people would be able to see things from a non-human perspective.

For all you weakend and disturbed by Isabelle's cat exploits, this story is not for you. It includes pain and torture. Yes, reader it even includes death. Please stop reading now if the death of something that breathes the same air as us is unconscienable to you.

But it does include hope. It includes a young child's innocent perspective on the death of non-humans. It includes her ability to see through the eyes of something other than what we are, to be them, and to wonder why the cruel fates are stalking them.

So I ask Isabelle what she did today.

She says, "We poisoned ants."
And I aksed her what she thought of that.

Her face becomes animated and she says,
"The ants were saying,
'Oh no, what's happening.'
'We're dying. Please help us.'
'We've been poisoned.'
'Don't let us die.'"

With her typical elvish grin, she smiles at me and wonders off into other parts of the house to play.

Posted by oriondark at 8:58 AM | Comments (1)

March 30, 2005

The Two Types of Cake

Recently, my wife made me a cake as a kind of surprise.

She didn't tell me what kind it was. She also forbade the boy to tell me what kind it was.

Well, he comes up to me and says, "I really, really want to tell you what kind of cake mommy made you."

"No, boy. I don't want to know."

"Please, daddy. Let me tell you."

"Boy, no."

"How about if I tell you what kind of cake it isn't?"

"Hmm. Okay."

"Its not chocolate."

"Okay."

"And its not crappy."

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As a parent, I wonder what insight my children have into my head. Was Ender precognating the possibility that I might think that since it wasn't chocolate, it might be crappy? Or was he taking that assumption upon himself.. Not chocolate but not crappy.

------------

And for those of you still reading on, despite my attempts to bore you with my children's tales, the cake had chocolate frosting and was, well, it wasn't chocolate and it wasn't crappy.

Posted by oriondark at 4:47 PM | Comments (2)

March 25, 2005

Hiding in the Middle of the Room

There are a limited number of hiding places in any given home.

As you get bigger, the number of places you can hide begins to shrink.

These two statements seem valid, on the surface, but they are not.

It back in the dim fogginess of the first 2 years of the boy's life that I take you now.

He has a father that enjoys being a father and enjoys being able to trick his young son.

So its evening one night (is it every evening one day?), and I decide to play hide and seek with my boy.

Of course, first I have to start with obvious hiding places, so the boy will get the idea.

So, I go to a room, crouch behind the bed and call his name.

Step, step, step. Search. Nothing.

I call his name again; step, step, step.. Found Dada.

Well, once he has gotten the sense of the game, I decide to try something new.

I get a blanket and stand in the corner of the room with it covering me.

I call him again.

Step, step, step. Nothing.

He has entered the room I am in, and yet still can't find me. He walks right around the blanket. Nothing.

Posted by oriondark at 10:01 AM | Comments (0)

March 8, 2005

Interview Game

Here is how the blogging �Interview Game� is played:

Leave me a comment saying �interview me.� The first five commenters will be the participants.
I will respond by asking you five questions.
You will update your blog/site with the answers to the questions.
You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions. (Write your own questions or borrow some.)
I got linked to this chain by way of Phil, who has asked me five questions. Below are the questions and my answers:

1) What is the most important thing to you in deciding on a career or individual job?

Alright, this is actually a decently tough one. Currently, as a job (not a career), I operate in the world of software development. Why did I choose this? I suppose the quick and easy answer is that I could learn technical crap at an alarming rate, I have no degree to speak of, it was decently challenging at first, and the money was good.

I've operated (whether from right convictions or not) on the idea that I can be a "Christian" employee anywhere, so I didn't have any compunctures about devoting my "career" time to software development.

One of the main things that led me down the software road was the challenge of learning new things, which now seems to be rather boring. I suppose its akin to climbing a big mountatin. Sure there are other peaks, but none as satisfying as that inital huge challenge. And then there's the fact that I like people much more than computers which kinda messes up my whole career choice.

I suppose I am rambling and not really answering the question.

The easiest and most simple answer is the glorification of God.

That's my most important thing. However, a lot of other considerations enter the mix. Money is one. For the church and for the family (not necessarily in that order... I haven't ferretted that out yet.) Another is influence exerted. This includes all sorts of things such as atmosphere (and a realistic view of how it affects me), co-workers (and how they affect me). Then there is consideration for how fulfilling the job is. An unfulfilling job is my bane.... but one I've learned to live with in certain circumstances throughout my life. I don't like debt more than I don't like an unfulfilling job.

So, I guess if I could choose a direction, independent of what I see as my financial responsibilites, I'd probably do full-time work at the church and with my family.

2) Why do you blog?

Right now, I mostly blog to embed some of the things that my children do in my own mind and to share them with others. I've considered going the serious introspection route as many others have done, but haven't gone there yet. The stream of conciousness thing is, ummm, out for me.

3) What are the factors in your life that have contributed most to your personality?

That's a tough one. I would say the good restraint portion of me (if there is such a thing) came from my parents. The exuberance of my life comes directly from understanding my position in Christ and that positions unassailability. The sarcasm and joking probably comes from two places: Hell and my siblings. Since I am often not as restrained as I should be, I would say that is me not having shed the old man, and since I can be quick sometimes in good ways, that comes from years of sharpening under the loving, but sometimes painful thumb of my siblings.

4) What counts as �success� in life?
A good death, in which, people's view of me is that, "He was a servant of Jesus Christ."
Of course some "success" is not up to me, but I'd really also love to have all of my children belong to the kingdom. Hmmm... maybe that one is first. Either way, they are coeval in my mind.

5) Where is a location, foreign or domestic, that you would like to visit, and why?
Austria. It is the birthplace of the tonality that is most commonly used in music today. Its history is rich with both musical mathemiticians (of whom I am suspect) and passionate musicians. It also is a beautiful place and seems like a rather isolated country on the world-front. Which is good, I guess, unless you are a theonomist or a politician. Or have a call to interact with the world as a whole.

I mean, check out the Sound of Music. Is that some beautiful scenery or what?

Posted by oriondark at 11:50 AM | Comments (8)

March 7, 2005

Good Yelling

We try to pray before meals.

Sometimes the kids pray.

And this morning, Ender's final statement before "In Jesus Name, Amen" was..

"And please help mommy to have a good attitude when she yells at us."

Posted by oriondark at 12:34 PM | Comments (2)

March 6, 2005

Two Pharisees and an Eater

So its dinner time and as a family, we pray.

Most often, myself or my wife prays.

Sometimes one of the kids prays.

And often, both the boy and the elder girl pray.

So the boy ends his prayer with "And please help Isabelle to not be disobedient and listen to her mommy and daddy."

Then its the elder girls turn. "And please help Auralia not to be naughty."

Auralia, only 18 months, looks up from the food she is already eating, smiles, and resumes eating.

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