My Little Catholic Kolbe

Mark got an adorable little table book for Christmas about lessons every father must teach his son. We've had a blast over the past week or so thumbing through all the little one-liners and dreaming of the future fun we'll have with our boys. One page in particular stood out to me; it reads:

"Remember, your primary duty as a father is to develop your son's spiritual well-being."

Mark and I have firmly believed this about having children since the get-go, but seeing it on paper and written by someone else just really hit home to me. The spiritual well-being of these boys is our greatest responsibility as parents. And Mark has said it before too: "My most important job is to get you and the boys to heaven!"

That being said, Mark and I have been trying our best to get these guys started in our faith at an early age. For the most part we've just assumed that they'll pick it up as they grow and comprehend God more easily. And, of course, praying and leading by example is essentially the most obvious route to take in this journey. We pray with the boys, take them to mass, read them books about God and how much He loves them, and let them see us praying as well.

I must say that we've been amazed at the way the understanding of God has blossomed in Kolbe this year. It started with his love of wearing his rosary around his neck. Shortly there after he began getting one of Mark's rosaries out of his nightstand drawer whenever possible and carrying it around. He then quickly developed his own makeshift sign of the cross which has become progressively more perfected over the passing months.

And just within the past month or so, some of the cutest, most pride inducing moments ever! A few Sundays ago at mass Kolbe kept climbing down from the pew during the homily and walking to the end of the aisle. With clenched teeth, I repeatedly whispered, "No, no, Kolbe! Come sit down, please!" He would come sit back down just to get back up and repeat his actions a few minutes later. Suddenly I realized what was going on. Kolbe would walk to the end of our pew, step out in to the aisle, hold on to the pew, crouch down beside it, and then come sit back down. He was genuflecting!!!

Let me just say that had my camera been in my bag, I would have started snapping pictures right in the middle of mass! Totally not kidding. Heck, I came close to hollering out Hey! Look at my two-year-old kid, everyone! Ultimate proud mom moment.

Another favorite is how during the Lord's Prayer he loves to glance around the congregation at everyone holding hands. When he notices the people at the end of each pew holding out their free hand to the "invisible" brother or sister beside them, he holds out his hands too. And sometimes at the end of the prayer when everyone raises their hands higher for the "for thine is the kingdom, the power..." he will stick his arms straight up and throw his head back, looking up to the ceiling for the rest of the prayer. He also likes to hold his arms out like the priest during the consecration, too. And if Mark closes his eyes and bows his head, Kolbe will pretend to close (i.e. squint) his and bow his head as well.

If it sounds like I'm bragging, it's because I am. While all of these things seem "cute" to onlookers (and me as well), the thing I'm most proud of is that the very concepts we want him to learn the most are starting to come through. And it feels so rewarding to actually be able to see that our efforts are completely worth it. Though making it through mass with two babies is sometimes one of the most exhausting activities of my week, it's something I will never ever give up on if it means laying another brick in their road to heaven.