Petyanna

Simão, just coming up to his second birthday, calls us “petyanna”. “are we going to petyanna’s house?” he asks in his toddler Portuguese. We find it kind of cute. It’s a collective term because he sees us as one, rather than two people, which is a nice complement. Simão is imaginative, energetic and talkative (not unlike his father in that respect), and I can usually figure out one word in twenty of what he says. I have a bit more success with Pedro’s Portuguese! Our son Colin, sees him as the real life version of Calvin, of Calvin and Hobbes cartoon fame. He’s even got the same hairstyle.

Besides Simão, we have a number of other surrogate grandchildren. Duarte, who lives down the corridor and has just turned two, is also our real life godson. Nati who comes to church with his parents Madeline and Gil, has unfortunately been down with the mumps for the past week or so. And Anabela, who has just learnt how to stand on her own two feet, is soon to be travelling on a big plane back to visit her real grandparents in Australia.

It’s a real privilege to have these little ones around our house, to find ourselves tripping over toys and picking up bibs and plastic beakers after they’ve gone. It’s especially great if they see us as “petyanna”, and if we are able to reflect the oneness and consistency and stability of a strong marriage , that is a grandparents’ privilege. We hope one day to have grandchildren of our own, but until that day, these will do.

Pics 1 : Our daughter Judith transforming Simão into a tiger, at least for a short while, at our kids' programme "Lusitos". Find out more by visiting our church's Facebook page "A Ponte" in the links.

Pics 2 : Duarte on his second birthday - the guy with the cool hat