Funny Guy Friday... Jesus could have been a great infielder... Happy Birthday Noah...

    This past Sunday, we took separate cars to church as Matthew was an altar server for the 12:00 p.m. mass. He had to be there early, but that was not why we needed separate cars.  No, we needed separate cars because Matthew does not have a pair of shoes that fit him and apparently, he was not aware of the problem until Sunday morning---an hour before church started. I am not sure what dress shoes he has been wearing in the past nine or ten weeks but whatever it was that he was wearing, they were now way too small.
    Once we procured the proper foot wear (bought two pairs from two different stores in less than 20 minutes setting a new world record), he and I got to church in plenty of time. I sat by myself for about ten minutes until Cheryl arrived with Noah and Grace. Noah turned seven on Wednesday and he is going into the second grade. This means he will be going through reconciliation and his First Holy Communion this year.
    Typically, Noah likes to draw in church, and he is quite talented. Jesus on the cross is a personal favorite although almost anything may pop up on his drawing tablet. We typically sit in the same section of the church and the folks that sit behind us will watch to see what masterpiece he is working on. He is great entertainment for both the parents and the kids. Right now, he has perfected Phineas and Ferb, and it would not be out of the question if Phineas were to pop up on the cross. I think his mind works differently than most other seven year olds.
    Anyway, since this is a big year for him, we are encouraging him to pay more attention at Sunday Mass and to the gospel. This past Sunday he came ready to roll. No drawing tablet and no markers, pencils, pens, chalks or paints (he takes his church drawings seriously). At one point, during a lull in the Mass---I think it may have been during the offertory hymn---I put my arm around Noah and snuggled up to him. I was watching Matthew on the altar and was having a proud parent moment. As is often the case, my mind wandered off to baseball and I leaned over and whispered to Noah that I may take Mattthew out later that day to hit him some ground balls. Noah looked at me as if I punched a nun and said, "Really? Really dad? That is what you are thinking about in the middle of church? Groundballs?!!!"
    Like the Grinch who Stole Christmas, when confronted by Cindy Loo Who, I thought of a  quick response. "Well no, not exactly......er uh..... what I was really thinking was that Jesus would have made a great infielder......er uh..... and we should always strive to be just like Jesus! Right? Isnt that what mom says we should do? I was thinking of groundballs as it applies to Jesus. It's mom's fault." 
    "Yeah. Right Dad," was Noah's response. I think he bought it.
    Our little man is turning seven and he is one of the sweetest kids in the world.
    We have three kids and they each have completely different personalities. If I did not know better, I would swear that they had three different sets of parents.
    Noah is bursting with personality. He loves to draw and is a terrific little artist, he is funny. He is considerate. He is nice. He is handsome (I have been told that he looks a lot like his dad). He is smart, and he is a stinky monkey (I just threw that last one in to see if he notices).
    We all love Noah. If you have never met him, let him introduce himself to you through this video that he made last year. Enjoy.
    Happy birthday, buddy! You are the man!