Nathanael, our Cautious? boy

After Ryan's post about Hannah's Mother's Day card, we thought it only right to include Nathanael's creation. Of course, there is a story behind it! Nathanael's Sunday School Teacher, Miss Tina, grabbed me Sunday to tell me that Nathanael insisted she write a note on his card. He started, "Mommy, NO!" She thought, 'Uh-oh, that does not sound like something that should be on a Mother's Day card.' He continued, "more...." 'Getting better,' thought Miss Tina. He finished, "bad stuff." :) Then, he started to write his name (which he knows rather well--especially for one so long), in the first try he made a mistake, so he crossed it out, and tried again. Miss Tina said when he realized he would not have room for the rest of his name on that line, he fell apart. She finally convinced him to continue writing his name up the other side of the card, and so he was happy again. So sweet.

Two days later, he decided to give Mommy a heart-attack.

We have been going as a family pretty regularly to the outdoor track on base. The kids walk or ride (Thaddeus in the jogger). There, Mom and Dad run or walk as it suits us and the kids play on the nearby playground or the hill. Of course there has to be a hill on our island...for the kids to create panic in their parents.

Nathanael and Hannah ride their bikes down this hill. Now the first time I saw this happen, I was concerned and warned the kids to turn at the end of the hill as it drops off onto the road below (do you see the problem yet?). For the most part they were doing as Mom had dictated. However, I had noticed Nathanael experimenting more and more with pedaling furiously down the hill and braking hard at the end; while his less cautious sister was braking all the way down the hill and turning as directed. Should have been a clue to me!

Tuesday, I had just finished running and was trying to corral Thaddeus back onto the jogger so I could do some more walking when I happened to glance up and see Nathanael head down the hill. 'He's stopping...surely he's stopping--Now. *GASP* HE DID NOT STOP!' I think there was a short moment of silence and motionlessness in the world. Then, I grabbed Thaddeus and pulled the jogger to the side as I heard Nathanael's piercing cry. I figured Ryan likewise heard me and Nathanael and was right behind my mad dash down the hill (nope--he didn't realize the life of his son was held by a thread and kept on running...Thaddeus was more than content to throw rocks down the hill, completely unconcerned for his brother's well being. After all, Mom was on the case, right?)

I arrived to find Nathanael on his bike, sobbing in fear, with his bike embedded in the Island aloe plants up to its seat--all you could see of the bike were the handle bars, the seat, and the rear tire. I stepped over the little wall he had jumped and pulled him back to safety, but decided for my own skin's wholeness and for the effect--Daddy could pull the bike out.

Nathanael had a little scratch on his knee.

The kids were so excited (all of them had to be a part of the fun now), that they dragged one of Ryan's co-workers away from starting his run to show him the bike. He has a little boy about Nathanael's age and twin boys Thaddeus' age. We chatted and laughed about the event all the way down the hill. When he saw the bike in the aloes, though, he got pretty serious and decided he would have to bring his wife and show her.

When Ryan was done with his run and shown the adventure, he promptly had the family kneel at the wall and thank the Lord for Nathanael's safety. We are not sure if Nathanael understands the seriousness of the ride he had, but tried to hammer it home by showing him if the plants had not been there--that car coming down the road could not stop in time to avoid hitting the boy on a bike careening down the hill at mock 2. By the way, Nathanael kept saying his brakes didn't work--in fact they did--he slid for several feet before hitting the wall, flying over it and landing in the aloe plants. Thank You, Lord, for Aloe Plants!

(We went back and took pictures on our walk today. The kids start at the top of the hill, and Nathanael is pointing where he landed...if you look closely, you can see some broken aloe branches.)