Filling the Silence

"Too skinny. Too small. Sinker not swimmer. The horn on the bus goes beep beep beep."

Sitting in the reading nook, Daniel's sweet voice carries through the house.  The boy talks or sings all day long.  He was an early talker, like his biggest brother, Elijah.  He really started talking All. Day. Long. once the biggest and bigger brothers started school in August.  Suddenly, there were no other voices to overshadow his and he takes full advantage of that fact All. Day. Long.  Often he takes people by surprise because they don't expect a toddler to answer their, "How are you?"  with an actual answer.

Around March he began the question phase of his life.  While John preferred to ask why, Daniel prefers to ask "What is that?"  This is an all encompassing question used to determine both objects and people.  It also comes in handy in the grocery store.  There are a million ways to answer this without offending any one person who is being pointing at.  Elijah preferred "Who is that?" and it usually got us wrapped into a conversation with a stranger who had to comment on my petite talker. 

Not that we get out of those conversations.  Daniel was loudly proclaiming the gospel from the grocery cart a few weeks back when a dear, sweet older lady stopped me.  "He sure has volume doesn't he?" She said, very quietly.  I agreed and tried to shush my Jesus loves me singer.  "Oh, never try to squash his voice, dear,"  she continued. "People have told me to speak up my whole life.  You let that voice be loud." 

Or there was the week when Daniel was scolding his brother John with the exact words I had used just moments prior.  The older gentleman getting pizza next to me could barely contain this chuckle.  It is quite something to hear a toddler saying, "John, you keep your hands on the cart we'll talk about letting you have a sucker when we are done."

Daniel's second favorite question is "What?"  He uses this to make you think he didn't hear you, thus getting you to repeat what you said four times before finally giving up.  I am pretty certain he got it the first time but finds his amusement in controlling the adults in his life.  This little man of mine is dangerous. 

I cannot think of a more joyful way to fill the silence of the day than with Daniel's sweet voice as he talks to his animals, reads books, sings wonderful mash-ups of songs, and questions my every move.