re talking - our boy’s kindergarten teacher says they dont worry about those tough-to-say sounds (L, R, S) until they’re like seven.

Praying that things keep going well in these late pregnancy days.

One more “priests in the 50s” note–before I was born, my mother fled my physically abusive father and moved to San Francisco. A pastor in her mainline denomination heard her concerns and said “You promised to obey your husband. Go back and do your duty.” So she did. That was in the 1960s.

one place in my life that i think i made a big difference in people’s lives was at chico’s (women’s clothing store)—where for 2 years i learned people’s names and really listened to their stories—about divorce, job interviews, first dates, children, illness, hopes, dreams, success, and failure. perhaps the reason this was so was because on the night before i started that job i wrote in my journal that i wanted to “be God’s woman in that little corner of ____ (the town-center where our shop was located).”

ordained ministry confers status and a pay scale. but ministry happens wherever anyone is open to the possibility of ministering.

Part of this is that C was hyper-articulate at this age. They are just their own people. By contrast, M careens all over the place and climbs on anything bolted down.

I listened more closely to the divine miss M and it turns out she does say “Daddy.” But it’s not Da-Dee; the second d is very subtle, more at the back of the mouth.

I can also get her to say “ah-ter” for “water.” Maybe she’s just lazy or working on other developmental things.

The nursery worker at the church hasn’t noticed anything amiss and said any concerns can wait two months until her 2 year ped visit. But she is giving me some numbers of resources should they become necessary.

I actually like gah-gen and the other mispronunciations; they’re cute.

This afternoon she and C were taking turns rolling downhill on this sit-down scooter toy, and I said, “Maybe I should take a turn.” She looked at me and said, “Too big, Mommy!”

And then tonight she busted out with “Can I have some water, Daddy?”

No ear infections as of this fate-tempting comment.

So….I would get it checked. She sounds like all is well, but it’s an easy test through a pediatric ENT (they do it with sound waves instead of “put your hand up when you hear a sound…”) and you’ll know for sure.

As for the NCD…maternity leave is an amazing time for discerning the next thing! What could it be like to be “sponsored” by Suburban Pres? Stil be on staff…doing an NCD. There is one like that here in TX that is working quite nicely. Something to think about!