Yesterday, our dog Nina jumped up with her front legs to get a drink out of the bird fountain. When Tucker saw her he laughed hysterically and said “Why is Nina drinking like a Utah Raptor.” For those of you who aren’t dinosaur experts, a Utah Raptor is the monster of all velociraptors. I know that because my son is a big fan, and I do mean BIG. Sometimes, I think all he sees are dinosaurs.
He isn’t the first kid I have ever heard growl, but he is the first kid I’ve heard “roaring” on a regular basis. He walks around with his arms out like a T-Rex or Raptor half the time and moves his legs in stomping motion.
He has a soft side too though. When he is not being a T-Rex, he is mama’s little snuggler. Every morning, I sit in the rocker and say “cuddle up buttercup,” and little Tucky T-Rex comes running into my arms. Every night, he loves to read books and we have lots of fun doing that. Last night, for the first time, he “read” me a book, by heart of course. So precious.
When we say our prayers, I remind him of how God created everything around us – the grass, the flowers, the trees, and our family, and I usually ask him “What would you like to tell God thank you for today?”
I never know what he is going to say. Sometimes, he gets on a puppy tangent and names every dog and puppy he has ever met, and nothing else, and that’s okay. I think God probably enjoys that with a laugh and a smile.
A few nights ago, he said the cutest prayer though, and it’s very fitting to Tucker if you know him.
“Thank you God for the tree that I can climb…climb all the way to the top.”
I will note that I’ve never let my brave little dude climb to the top of a tree at his age, but I believe someday he will. And I believe God thought that was a beautiful prayer, the kind of sincere prayer we all need to hear now and again.