"OR ELSE!!"

This morning at mass I noticed people in pew across the aisle from us. Their faces showed panic, and I saw someone help a man lie down on the pew. I got Robbie's attention, and he stepped over to see if help was needed. All of this happened right before Communion, and Henry was set on helping his daddy. "I'll be right back, Mom. I need to see what's going on. Daddy needs me." I had to carry him to the altar for his blessing to keep him from walking the wrong way to get to his dad. Once we got back to our seats he could not be distracted. EMTs, two firemen, and a police officer were in the aisle right next to us, and Henry wanted to go check on the patient. He got frustrated, and finally asked somewhat loudly, "Did somebody poke their eyeballs out?" Olivia and I started laughing, and the service was still in full swing. I had a really hard time controlling myself. The matter was much more serious than an eye injury, so I had no business laughing. We happen to have some fun friends who have witnessed Robbie assisting fallen parishioners on numerous occasions, and the wife at one point joked that if Robbie is on the scene they better hope somebody poked their eye out. In truth, my ophthalmologist husband's Advanced Cardiac Life Support training is current, and he's calm under pressure. He may not be a cardiothoracic surgeon (which I honestly summoned on another occasion at mass), but he's no slouch.

Henry's other recent funny quip came after I asked him to share his high point and low point after some time in a classroom. He said his high point was the train table. He said his low point was when some little boy hit him on the back of the head with a toy hammer. "Do you know what to do when somebody does something like that to you, Henry?" He didn't. I said, "You turn around and say in a strong voice, "DON'T hit me." Henry smiled and replied, "Then you say, OR ELSE!!"