Heaven

Tonight I was rocking and reading to the girls at bedtime. Two books; then 2 songs. Cora always asks to lead off with Away in a Manger (Cora knows every word; Quinn is hitting some and singing in rhythm).

After Away in a Manger (ending in "bless all the dear children in thy tender care and take us to heaven to live with thee there"), Cora was trying to prolong her time before the second song...

Cora: mommy, let's talk about Away in a Manger.

Me: ok. What do you want to talk about? Heaven?

Cora: yeah, heaven.

Me: ok, what is heaven?

I should stop to tell you that I was gearing up for a great happy convo about heaven. Streets of gold. Mansions. Christ shining as the sun (my girls love to sing Amazing Grace"). She'd asked earlier who Mia's mommy was, so there was going to be a heaven cameo from Grandma Eb...

This is how it went...

Cora: (with a bit sinister voice) it's where people go after they die!!!

Me: so wait, is heaven good or bad?

Cora: BAD!

Me: no heaven is good! We want to go to heaven. That's where Jesus lives!

Cora: why?

I gave a long pause. It hit me that her whole raccoon incident last year could still have her confused (I.e. The raccoon went to heaven; daddy threw the raccoon over the fence; pearl went to timeout; the raccoon's mommy was over the fence, too...). Heaven is tough to explain.

That's when I saw her face starting to crumple and big tears starting to well in her eyes.

Cora: I want my daddy... I don't want to die... And I don't want Jesus to die either! 

Folks, this whole celebrating the death and resurrection of Christ is going to make for a long Easter season at the Messal house. 

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In Itsy bitsy spider (my post- heaven talk recovery song) Quinn is starting to do the dramatic and enthusiastic yelping of OUT.  

Super cute!