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I’ve been asked about this cross three times within the last week.  I’ve worn it for eleven years, and it has lived far longer than I.

This cross was with my grandmother over seventy years ago on her first communion in the Roman Catholic Church.

When she was a young girl it was stolen from her home, and somehow, someway recovered from the thieves before they could pawn it.

She gave to me for my sixteenth birthday, and I wore it every Sunday when I found my way back to the Roman Catholic Church.

Then I wore it the evangelical United Methodist church I found a home in when I was a teenager.

I wore it when I was confirmed in the Episcopal Church,

and when we baptized our daughter in the Anglican Church.

And finally, I wore it and it was blessed when we were chrismated into the Holy Orthodox Church.

This cross has had quite a history and has found itself in many, many different churches, but I am pleased to know that it’s found its final destination, as have I, in the Orthodox Faith.

Adeline and I were playing in her Playhut and tunnel when I pretended (I swear!) to get stuck in the tunnel.  Adeline screams at the top of her lungs “Mama, stuck!  Mama stuck!” and then looked at me and calmly said, “Don’t worry, Mama.  You’ll be fine!”

When Adeline was being especially naughty (jumping in the bathtub, I think), I said, “Adeline, no!  There are rules!”  Adeline quickly responded, “Rules are beeping (sleeping)!”   I corrected her and said, “Rules are always awake!”  Now she walks around saying, “Rules are awake!”

Like most two-year-olds, Adeline is way into the world ‘no’.  Today I asked if she wanted to play ‘Miss Mary Mack’ with me.  She replied, “No Macks, Mama!”…and then proceeded to play.

Walking down the stairs she says to me, “No, no, no, Mama! A don’t pay on stayers!”  I really wasn’t playing on the stairs, but I guess she’s heard that a time or two!

I showed her pictures the other day from our recent picnics, and now she begs for pictures of  ”Margaret and Adeline and hugging!”

Nothing throws me back to Adeline’s infancy quicker than watching her sleep.  As I watch her, I half expect her to wake up and give me that brand new baby wail, or maybe she’ll stretch out, root around, and do her “fours” (her trademark four fingered stretch).  Instead she speaks in her sleep, “Luboo,Mama” or “Oh, no!  Way my tig? (Where’s my pig?)”

She’s an independent little thing, and I’m grateful to her and to God for these sweet little moments when the impossible is possible, and I cradle my newborn two years after her birth.

We had a lovely trip back to Davenport last week.  In just a few short days we were able to reunite with some friends we hadn’t seen in years, hang out with some dear friends, visit my mother, and ate at Village Inn.  A good few days it was!

Anyway, this is a quick little icebreaker post.  I haven’t been writing much because I’ve been reading a ton.  I have some literature courses that start next week, and I don’t expect to have any time to read leisurely until graduation next spring!  I’ll post more often soon…promise.

This is what I call The Late Night Crew. From the left, going clockwise:  Big Pillow, Sheep, Bear, Pig, Cupcake Pillow, and their fearless leader, Adeline.  This crew might go to bed at 7:00 PM, but they’ve been known to stay up singing and chatting until 9:00 PM.  This toddler and her “aninals” or “babies” can grind out an all-nighter with the best of them, as long as she’s had her energy drink (apple juice) and an after-dinner snack, “walwinds” (almonds).