Where Is God?

So we thought Matthew how to pray. Sometimes we have to ask him millions of times to pray before bed, and sometimes he just does it.

His daily evening prayer consists of sign of the cross at the beginning. Then he blesses everyone and himself. In the prayer itself he thanks God for everything, including 'nice good day', 'good food', 'breakfast, lunch and dinner', 'thank you for going zoo', 'thank you for playing with friends', 'thank you for ice cream', 'thank you for mom and dad', and anything else that happened to him during the day. He concludes with sign of the cross, blesses everyone again and himself.

All that accompanied by heavy jumping around the bed on his knees, and when finished he drops his body on the pillow. So once I dropped with him.

- 'Matthew that was a very nice prayers' - I praised him.

- 'Matthew do you know where is God?' - I asked him.

- 'On the shelf' - Matthew replied and pointed towards his dresser.

Theoretically he is very correct. We never got to hang the cross on the wall.

Things We Only Say At Home

So we have fun. I sometimes pinch him in the bum, so he pinches me back.

One day we went outside and met with our local nanny and all her children. Matthew likes to play with them a lot, but he adores Lady Margaret, the nanny. One day when we arrived at her place, first thing he said to her was - 'I pinched Mommy's bum'. 'Matthew don't say that. We can only say that at home' - I explained laughing inside. 'I understand' - Matthew replied and ran to children to play.

Another time ...

We are playing hockey outside. Matthew is really good in hockey for his age. He always makes me run on the street to catch the ball. We only play ball hockey for now.
- 'Oh Sh!%' - I heard him saying.
- 'Matthew this is a bad word and we do not say things like that when things go wrong' - I told him.
He is at the age that he understands, so rather than ignoring it we rather explain that to him when it happens. They will pick up the bad words eventually, so why not teach him right from a start.
- 'Matthew we do not say bad words ever' - I explained again.
- 'I understand' - he confirmed.
The things kids pick up from the TV, and they know when to use it. We watch kids channel almost 80% of our time, so the time we switch to something else, here he is picking up the bad words. But he knows now, and he understands.

Later that day in the evening ...

I was talking to Matthew about something and I remembered what he did when playing hockey.
- 'Hey Daddy, Matthew said a bad word today' - I called to my husband.
Matthew smiled.
- 'Oh no Matthew why did you do that for' - Daddy put a serious face mask on and asked.
- 'Daddy we only say it at home, right' - Matthew called back to Daddy.
- 'No Matthew bad words, we never say them' - I started to explained to him.
Matthew looked at me kind of confused.
- 'F$#@&en Damit' - he replied, and walked away with smile on his face.

Oops we definitely missed that one. After that we had another little talk. Matthew now understands.

Only Three Years Old & Wants His Own Car

We were eating lunch together and talking. Daddy left the table to get something. I told Matthew that after lunch we have to go to the car dealership to look for a new car.
- 'No, no, I don't want to go to the car dealership' - Matthew demanded.
I explained that we need to get a second car.
- 'Daddy needs new car for work, and Mommy will take the KIA' - I told him.
Matthew started to think, and he is very obvious usually by grabbing his head or tapping on his forehead.
- 'What will Matthew drive?' - he asked with both hands in front of him, almost demanding.
I thought that was very funny and cute.
- 'Well, you can drive your red wagon' - I replied.
He looked at me, first surprised and then laughed.
- 'Oh that is funny' - he jokingly replied.

My Next Politician To Be Always Knows When To Skip Numbers

We often take Matthew to the local coffee shop for sweet treat, sometimes a cookie, a bagel with butter or his favorite timbits (cut centre from the doughnut). Matthew usually places his order and then we do ours. That day he insisted on having timbits. I advise him that he was only to have three. At the counter, I told him out loud that he only to have three timbits. I ensured that the clerk behind the cash register heard, and she did.

- 'So Matthew tell lady you are going to have three timbits today' - I told him.
- 'Matthew speak louder so lady can hear you' - I added.
- 'Okay three timbits' - Matthew replies to me.
Then he turns around to clerk and trying to speak loud.
- 'Four timbits, please' - he places his order.
She laughed and got him four timbits.

The other day we were coming back from visiting our local English garden. As always Matthew is very friendly with people by saying Hi or talking to them.

While walking out, three ladies were passing by. I was tagging on the back trying to take some flowers pictures. When I caught on, I joined the conversation.

- 'He is the next Prime Minister' - one of the ladies said to me.
- 'This is not the first time someone told me this' - I replied.
- 'Ask him who is the Prime Minister of Canada' - I told her and she did.
- 'Stephen Harper' - Matthew replied proudly.
- 'What is your name?' - another lady asked him.
- 'I am Matthew and I am three' - he replied.
- '... and next year I will be five' - he added.
- 'You know why he said five' - I told them.
- 'Why?' - they asked.
- 'Because he really wants Nintendo DS and he can have it when he will turn five' - I answered.

Funny enough today while out shopping, Matthew started his greeting round in the store. An old man came up to him to whom he said Hi, shook his hand and asked him.

- 'Are you a politician?' - he asked.
- 'Yes' - Matthew replied not knowing what it is.
- 'Will you take taxes away from us' - he continued.
- 'Yes' - Matthew replied.
- 'You know this is not the first time someone told me this' - I told the old man.
The man laughed and walked away. Daddy came and picked up Matthew.
- 'No you will not be a politician' - he whispered into his ear.

I'm Eating A Chocolate Vanilla Mouse

- 'Matthew what kind of ice cream is this' - I ask while he was eating his ice cream cone.
- 'Mmmmmm its a mouse' - he replied.
- 'A mouse, what's that' - I asked surprised.
- 'It is a swirl ice cream, not squirrel' - Daddy corrected him.
- 'I am eating vanilla-chocolate swirl ice-cream coooone' - proudly with ice cream all over his face he corrected himself.

I turned my head away and started to laugh. Matthew could not remember the 'swirl' word, he knew was similar to 'squirrel', so he picked another furry rodent a 'mouse'.

Children Learn To Count

Short and sweet counting post. It is amazing to see how children see patterns when they learn certain things, especially counting. Matthew is now three years old and this is how he counts.

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

... Twenteen

'Matthew, it is Twenty and not Twenteen' - I corrected him.

'Okay Mommy, Twenty' - he corrects himself and continues to count.

Twenty One

Twenty Two

Twenty Three

Twenty Four

Twenty Five

Twenty Six

Twenty Seven

Twenty Eight

Twenty Nine

... Twenty Ten

'Matthew, no it is Thirty and not Twenty Ten' - I corrected him again.

'No Mommy its Twenty Ten' - Matthew replied.

'Matthew, next is Thirty One' - I wanted him to continue.

'No Mommy, I am done counting NOW' - he replied.