Rules, God and Rocketships

A rare photo-less blog post (my first one?)... but the dialogues here stand on their own with no visuals needed. Conversations with kids can be so refreshing, so innocent, so sincere and so unpredictable. They can inspire, lift us up, make us laugh (or cry) and remind us of why parenting is the most rewarding (and challenging) endeavor in the world. Over the years we've always treasured these simple moments. These are a few exchanges I had with Luke from the past weekend - definitely worth sharing.

Pulling into the church parking lot.
Luke: "Dad, how about I take my iPad into church and keep the volume off?"
Dad: "No, you can't do that. It's against the rules."
Luke: "So many rules... how do you remember them all, Dad? When we get home, please write down all the rules so that I can remember them when I'm grown up."

At mass, returning from communion.
Dad (motioning to the kneeler): "Luke, please say a prayer. Church is almost finished, we're going to leave in a minute."
Luke (kneels down, crosses hands together, bows head and closes his eyes): "Dear God, I'll see you next week."

Saturday evening, about 45 minutes after Luke has gone to bed, but he has not fallen asleep. I've heard him scurrying about in and out of his bedroom several times to get a drink or peek at the TV show that Maddie is watching. Finally he walks into the office where I'm on the computer.
Luke (squinting his eyes and pulling up his PJ shorts): "Dad, something on my leg is bothering me."
Dad (kneeling to examine the leg): "I don't see anything. Let me carry you back to your bed."
Now in Luke's bedroom
Dad: "Were you scratching your leg?"
Luke: "Yes, and I put some Chapstick on it."
Dad: "Oh... okay. Chapstick isn't for legs, buddy. It's only for lips"
Luke: "Can you write that rule on the list too, Dad?"

Upon preparing to leave to pick up a few items at Home Depot, I ask if anyone needs anything while I'm out. Luke hands me a list with the following items:

Rockets
Connectors
Bed Legs
Steering Wheel

Dad: "What are these for?"
Luke: "So we can build our rocketship!"