baptism

Got the kids baptized over the weekend. Strangely affecting.

- Nana and Baba came down from Vermont. It's a long trip for them and they no doubt missed the comforts of home and their own beds but they didn't make so much as a whisper of complaint. Both looked wonderful at Church and I could hear Baba's voice during all the songs, except when Kate was on his lap and he wasn't able to follow along.

- Aunt Robin sent the nicest card from Ireland -- here several relatives lamented the inability to find baptism cards for non-infants -- and beautiful Celtic crosses for the ceremony. Jack wore his even though it got tangled in his tie; Kate might still be wearing hers for all I know.

- All the Rosenfelds and Papa Earl were on hand, with Reanna going up to read the first reading (from the Old Testament) and everyone looking so nice that I didn't feel overdressed in my suit.

- During the baptism, Kate said with some chagrin to Pastor, "You're getting water on my dress." But she didn't freak out, as she does when I drip water on her after washing her face. Jack was completely calm and well-behaved as Pastor put water on his forehead. They shared a towel with each other to dry off, happily not fighting.

-Kate was completely unwilling to smile and look at the camera for family photos, so we got several with all of us smiling beautifully while Kate showed the back of her head. Then we got some without her in them. Later, Reanna took a picture of me and my Dad, and Kate said, "Can I see?" I showed it to her, and I said, this is what a picture looks like when the people in it are smiling and looking at the camera. She said, "OHHHhhhh." I said, do you think you could do that sometime? She said, "Yes! Yes, I will!" So we took some pictures of her with Baba, and maybe later we'll use the magic of technology to doctor one of the other pictures with a smiling Kate face. Or not.

- Jack smiled broadly (a little too much so at times) for almost every photo, willingly bribed by the promise of jelly beans.

- The kids made an amazing amount of noise playing together that evening, while I sat with Baba on a bench and watched. Kate chatted away happily with Uncle Ian ("Ekan! Ekan!" she said if he looked away).

- Dinner was cereal with strawberries and toast with apricot jam. And it was really good.