J is such a smart little boy for someone who has just 15 months under his belt. He has learned that when I go to the closet to get Kashi's leash it means I am taking my puppydog for a walk. J will toddle over to me, sign the word "please," and hold his arms up toward me. Who could resist that?

He will either walk beside me, heedless of the number of falls he takes along the way, or he will ride inside my sweatshirt. Either way, J spends much of his time in wide-eyed, quiet contemplation of the world around him, said ruminations occasionally punctuated by deep sighs.

Oh, the lessons we can learn from the very young...God is a mighty Creator whose artist's hand painted such a lovely portrait on this planet...