All the way to the store tonight (and back) I’ve been trying to dream up a new post. Sometimes inspiration comes in floods, and sometimes it doesn’t come at all. That’s how I was feeling tonight. I couldn’t think of anything even remotely interesting to put on paper, let alone on the perma-web.

Fast forward to that peaceful place when Jonah is in bed and daddy is in the office working. No TV, no distractions. Just me and the Goose. I was enjoying some quiet time with Zachary when a random thought occurred to me. “I wonder what Zachary knows/thinks about his mommy.” So while he was beating his Zune at checkers, I thought up 20 questions to pose to my beyond-his-years 5-year old. Here are the results:

Obviously I’m asking the questions (Q), and he’s responding (A). 😉

Q. What is mommy’s favorite color?
A. Red. Just like me.

Q. What is mommy’s favorite animal:?
A. The muskox. Ha ha! i’m just being sarcastic. ((Sarcastic is his new favorite word. Isn’t that cute? Did you notice the sarcasm?)) You really love polar bears.

Okay. The kid’s 2 for 2.

Q. What is mommy’s middle name?
A. Jean. Because of Great-Grandma Jean.

Honestly, I had no idea he knew what my middle name was.

Q. What’s daddy’s middle name?
A. I have no idea.

Q. What’s mommy’s favorite food.
A. My guess would be spaghetti since we have it so much.

Q. What’s mommy’s favorite team.
A. The Vikings, d’uh!

Q. What does mommy do?
A. You work on the computer all day.

Q. What does daddy do?
A. He sells snacks and sodas to people.

Q. What’s mommy’s favorite music?
A. U2. ((Okay, while U2 isn’t a music, it’s still a good answer.))

Q. What’s mommy’s favorite thing to do?
A. I’m guessing work on the computer since you do it so much.

Ouch.

Q. How old is mommy?
A. [insert scrunchy face, and steamy ears] You’re 37.
My response: how do you know that?!
His answer: because daddy’s 38 and you’re 1 year younger.

Damn, was I that smart at 5??

Q. Who does mommy like better, Iron Man or Spiderman?
A. Iron Man. I know you don’t like Spiderman. ((I know this fact breaks his heart, because he loves Spiderman.))

Trick Q. Who’s a better driver? Mommy or Daddy?
Correct A. You are, because you have a sports car and they’re harder to drive.

That’s my boy! 😉

Q. How does mommy usually feel?
A. Kind of mad. Well, kind of mad when Jonah is running around. When he’s in his chair you’re usually happy.

Hmm, note to self: keep Jonah strapped in chair all day.

Q. Who do you think mommy would rather be: Princess Leia, or Darth Vader?
A. I know you like Darth Vader cuz he’s cool, but I think you’d want to be Princess Leia cuz she’s good and Darth Vader’s bad. You’re good.

I love that my kid still thinks I’m good. Give it a few years, he’ll think I’m Vader.

Q. What color eyes does mommy have?
A. Blue.
Follow-up: What color eyes do you have?
A. Blue.
Follow-follow-up: What color eyes does daddy have?
A. Blue
Follow-follow-follow-up: What color eyes does Jonah have?
A. Mom, this is stupid. his eyes are blue too.

Q. Did my kid just call me stupid?

Q. What do you like best about mommy?
A. You love me.

Q. What do you like least about mommy?
A. You work on the computer all the time.

Q. How would you describe mommy?
A. You’re the awesomest mommy I’ve had in my life.

As opposed to the mommy he sent back. Okay, seriously, you just can’t buy better positive affirmation than that!

And finally,

Q. Who’s the boss in our house?
A. Mommy. Oh, and daddy. I’d better say daddy too.

That’s right–he knows what’s what!

And there you have it. 20 things my kid thinks and/or knows about me. Now That’s a meme!

With TV and the internet to keep us connected, it seems that we are more disconnected than ever. Wars are waged that we don’t know about. Crimes are committed and inhumanities are performed every day. We stumble happily through our days, blissly ignorant. We are sheltered from what goes on in the rest of the world, with the exception of the occasional, glossy “American Idol: Idol Gives Back” special. Unfortunately, once in awhile, the rest of the gritty world sneaks in, one way or another.

This is what happened to me tonight while I was surfing. A graphic-web designer blog I was checking out had a post “One of the Most Heartbreaking & Harrowing War Shots You’ll See [Be Warned Very Upsetting].” On this post was a picture. A very heartbreaking picture, and a link to Heather McClintock’s web site. Heather is an award-winning photographer who has been documenting the life of the Acholi people in Northern Uganda. For 20 years they have been engulfed in civil war–the casualties of which are usually women and children. Like many wars, this one was started “in the name of God” and for Christianity. I’m always surprised when I learn things like that. I don’t recall the sixth commandment reading “Thou shalt Not kill, unless it’s in My name.” That’s just what the Lord’s Resistance Army is doing, however. Killing for Christianity.

The LRA is accused of widespread human rights violations, including murder, abduction, mutilation, sexual enslavement of women and children, and forcing children to participate in hostilities.

Wikipedia: The Lord’s Resistance Army

The UN’s head of humanitarian affairs, Jan Egeland, has described the situation [20 years of war] as the most neglected humanitarian crisis in the world.

BBC News: Q&A: Uganda’s northern war

The Juba Peace Talks developed with hopeful constancy, and concluded in March of 2008 with the Final Peace Agreement (FPA) ready for the signature of Joseph Kony and President Museveni. However, in April of 2008, Kony twice failed to appear and sign the FPA and officially ended the Juba talks mediated by the Southern Sudanese government.

Invisible Children

I am saddened to see these images and to learn of this war. And I am fortunate to be as blessed as I am. First I’m going to buy a red Emmy bracelet, then I’m going to go in and watch my boys sleep for a while.

© Heather McClintock

Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man.