When God Goes Bowling

Sometimes you have to lie to your kids. If they're cute lies... that makes it okay, right?

Today we had a sudden thunderstorm come on just as I was putting the boys down for their naps. It's a little distracting for a 2-year-old and 4-year-old to go to sleep when they're hearing random, crackly booms come from the sky!



Tank didn't seem too bothered. I thank God that I have been given some time with a child who actually looks forward to naptime for the most part. Sometimes I'll get some complaining.. but usually.. he's sweetly telling me "nigh-nigh" as I close his door. I don't know how long this phase will last. But I'm holding onto it while I can! Because I know it's a phase... and that it will end eventually!

Sunshine was the one who kept mentioning the thunder. He's also the one who fights naptime, especially when I make it at a decent time like 12:30p or 1p instead of like.. 5p.

I should mention that thunderstorms are loud at our house. We have three skylights that really amplify any noise that comes from the sky.. like rain.. hail.. and thunder... and bird poop. I'll have to tell you about Sunshine and bird poop another time though. You get the idea though... it's loud.



Wow... check out all that hail! It looks like snow!

K. I'm back now. So, it's loud.. and I'm trying to put my loquacious and reluctant 4-year-old down for a nap. If there's a distraction to be spoken about.. he's gonna spoke about it. (Yes, I meant to type spoke. It's not a typo.) So he was saying something about the thunder.. and mentioning how he wasn't brave.

Ah great... I thought to myself.. How am I gonna get this kid to go to bed and be quiet for a few hours? I think I need my quiet time more than he does.

"You know what? You're going to be hearing that thunder during your naptime today. But don't let it scare you, okay? Because it just means that God and the angels are bowling," I blurted out.

"Bowling? Where?"

"In Heaven!"

"They have bowling in Heaven?"

Hmm... I don't know if they'll have bowling in Heaven... we'll all be busy worshiping.. won't we?
"Sure, Honey. Can't you hear it?"

BANG! rumble... rumble... rumble...

"Uh huh.. I want to go bowling with them sometime.."

"Oh you will. So you just sit here and listen to God bowling during your naptime, okay?"

"Okay!"

Well that worked. Both Tank and Sunshine took wonderful naps!

Bond would rather me tell Sunshine the real reason thunder happens... like.. something about.. hot air from the lightening.. meeting cold air? ... and... that makes it loud? How do I explain something to someone when I don't quite understand it all myself? I dunno.. I think the bowling explanation is more fun. I won't mind when Sunshine comes home from his first day in preschool and tells me that thunder is NOT really God and the angels bowling.. that it's really hot air meeting cold air blah blah blah that makes the thunder. I guess I'll need to come up with something smart to say about why I told him it was God and the angels. I probably have some time.

I learned something about Millie today too: While every other dog on the face of the planet is deathly afraid of thunder.. she could care less. And we're talking THUNDER here people. Oh she'll perk her ears up a little.. maybe look out the window if she's near one. But I think she's probably thinking someone just shot a really big gun and.. "Hey... where's the bird? Where's the bird? I'll go get it! Let me at it! I'll bring it right to ya!!"

A new rug on the other hand? Oh she'll run to the ends of the earth to get away from that... that... whatever it is! I love my dog. But she's a little confused. At least she'll let me take a nap without making me make up stories to calm her down!