Weekly Questions

Every week Ian's teacher asks the students a question, and they email him their answer, and then he responds back to them. Here is this weeks question, answer, and reply.

We all need help from time to time. What do you do to help others out?

Dear Mr. D,
I help my mom clean up our playroom, the downstairs, and the backyard. I play with my brother when my mom does her school. I help take care of my kitten by feeding it, playing with it, and putting it to bed. I also help with my brother's kitten by making him not swing it by its arms. He is four and doesn't always know what to do. His name is Evan.
From Ian

Ian:
You sound like a handy guy to have around. I'm sure your mom, Evan, and the kitten all appreciate your help. ;-)
Have a great weekend.
Mr. D

_____________
What is your favorite outside sport.

Dear Mr. D,
My favorite outside sport is baseball because it is fun. It is fun because it has sliding and running.
Ian

Ian:
I agree. Sliding and running are fun. I think I'll head outside and do some right now.
Thanks!
Mr. D
____________
What is your favorite room in your house?

Dear Mr. D,
My favorite room in my house is the playroom because it has Legos in it.
Ian

Ian:
You are lucky to have a playroom to keep all of your toys in. Legos are really cool. I know because I spent many hours helping my grandson build things out of the thousands of pieces he has. My favorite thing to build is a castle.
Thanks for sharing.
Mr. D
___________________
What signs of fall do you hear, taste, smell, feel, or see outside?

Dear Mr. D,
The signs of fall I see outside are the leaves are falling, and the trees are going to sleep for the winter. The ground is getting muddy, and the pumpkins are ready. I get to taste pumpkin seeds.
Ian

Ian:
You have made some excellent observations using several of your senses. I don't know about you, but I think Fall is my favorite time of the year. I like to go out where the air is colder, then come inside and turn the heater on to feel the warmth. I like roasted pumpkin seeds, too, but I like pumpkin pie even better!Thanks for sharing your ideas.
Mr. D
________________________
If you could go to outer space or the deepest part of the ocean, which would you choose?

Dear Mr. D,
I would go to the deepest sea because there are animals there that you can't see at the zoo. I could see clams that are open. That would be really neat. A hammerhead shark would look kind of cool because they have small mouths and really small, sharp teeth.
Ian

Ian:
I agree that the ocean has a lot of very interesting and unusual things to look at. I have never been very deep in the ocean, but I have seen some very colorful and strange looking creatures just snorkeling.
Thanks for sharing!
Mr. D
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Every week I envision his teacher getting his email from Ian. I wonder if he smiles when he reads it. His answers are adorable. I will try to post them every week. They make me smile.

Favorite Words

Scene:
Amanda coloring the boys' favorite things.

"What is your favorite color, Evan?"

"Blue"

"Ian, what is your favorite color?"

"Red."

"Ian, what is your favorite word?"

"Kitty." (I wonder where he came up with that.)

"What is your favorite word, Evan?"

"Milk, oh never mind. Cow because milk comes from cows, and I really, really like cows and milk. Can I have some milk?"

Bandit and Oreo-CutiePie-Sugary-Duck Ears-Boots

I have said in the past that to be a small living thing in the presence of Evan would be a challenge. The only thing I can think of that would be more challenging than this picture for a little kitty would be if there was only one. I don't think I need to describe what would happen if that were the situation. So, we have two kittys. We will try the animal thing one more time because we love our kids, and we like cats better than dogs. So, I introduce to you:
Bandit. He has one name because he is owned by Ian. Then there is Oreo-CutiePie-Sugary-Duck Ears-Boots or whatever happens to be on Evan's mind at the moment. These kittys represent their owners quite well. When Evan's kitty first came into the house, he walked up to Coral's dogs and right up to Evan. Little did he know....he would soon meet his match.

The Color Green

I have to admit there are times in my life that I struggle with feeling significant to God. How can the God who placed the stars in the sky care about my day to day stuff, my struggles, my joys, my heartaches, my laughter, my tears, my successes? I say I don't doubt His love for me, at least that is what I verbalize and try to convince myself of, but the reality is, I do.

The people I love are treasure to me. I love them. Simply but complexly. I care about them personally, and I care about what happens to them on a day-to-day basis. I rejoice when they succeed, and I cry when they hurt. With each new person that finds their way into my heart, my heart expands, it does not throw away one of the other people I love to make room for the new person I love. How come I can grasp this concept with a simple human, but it is hard for me to grasp with the one true living God? If I can love like that imperfectly, God surely can in all His splendor. Amazing.

He has been speaking to my heart lately regarding this issue. How easily I forget His love for me. He has carried me, literally, from one day to the next. I have seen Him work great and marvelous things in my life. But yet, I think He has forgotten me at times. How unbelieving of me. Could I forget one of my children? Of course not. That is a ridiculous notion.

I was driving down the street a couple of days ago. I was a few blocks from my house. I was minding my own business, spacing out, thinking or not thinking. I don't really remember...but, I noticed the color green.

He made so many things functional and beautiful. But it was something so simple yet so complex that I noticed. It really doesn't have a function. I am sure a scientist could explain it to me, but frankly I don't really need the scientific backing on this issue to figure out one of the reasons He did what He did. He used the color green to get my attention because it is my favorite color. There before me were multiple shades of green. I can't even begin to describe the many shades I saw. I did not stop and observe these colors for long. It was seconds that I saw them, but they are burned into my memory to remind me that He cares about me. He could have simply made green green. But He didn't. He made green so many different shades, and He painted so many different textures and shapes those shades of green. He did it because He wanted us to see something beautiful. He did it because things that are beautiful speak life to my soul. He did it because it made my heart slow down and notice that I was important to Him.

Amazing the color green, that speaks of my God's heart toward me.

What decides your vote?

You created my inmost being;

You knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Psalm 139: 13-14

There are things we risk and things we gain with the simple act of voting. Some issues are more important than others. I believe our vote defines our values. I will never see it any other way. People say you can't cast your vote on one issue, but I say I can. Of course I tend to agree with the person I vote for on many subjects, but there is one issue that I will NEVER waver on. NEVER. I would rather loose every material possession I have than stand before my God someday and have to explain why I didn't defend the helpless. I will not do that. I will do my best to defend the helpless. The deciding factor for me is life. All life. I am not God. I will not use my vote to help someone determine the fate of another living person who's soul was bought with a price.

We have to be very careful. Very careful. We have no choice but to vote. There is way to much at risk. To not vote is to say that either option is alright. To throw our vote to the wind thinking we will make a statement by voting for someone who has no hope of winning is slitting the throat of a child's right to live. I wish we had more options, but we don't. I wish my party still stood firm on issues that it doesn't, but I believe our choices are far better now than they were a few months ago. We have someone running for Vice President that obviously holds our standards high. She obviously believes in life or her son would not exist or her daughter's child. I don't think I am being wishy washy or playing both sides of the fence on this issue by thinking we have to vote for one of the top runners. Maybe I have given up hope that my vote even counts, but until I know otherwise, I will cast my vote for the one that I believe gives an unborn child's life consideration, or for that matter, a child's life who has already been born consideration. I will not vote for the one who thinks it is alright to let a baby die that is already born just because his or her parent's are inconvenienced by them. That makes me want to throw up.

I found this article worth reading.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Perspectives/Default.aspx?id=264844

I never knew I was so political, but it is MY blog so I can process things here if I want to. :-)