Of Heaven (Again) and Chinese Food (and French Food)

On the other side of the Fourth, the day before he turned five, Joe and Julie had another exchange about heaven that she's been carting around in her phone until she had time to capture it here.  It was also about his Grandma Jane.

Those were the days when the White House seemed terribly big to Joe and he didn't like being upstairs by himself.  The days when we counted the number of rooms in the White House (10--with the kitchen "with the living room inside it!" counting as one--a twofer, if you will) compared to Raleigh House (seven--eight if you count the blue room upstairs).  These days aren't a thing of the past, but it would seem that the White House is already seeming smaller.  But then, it was still a big house--and the living room was in the kitchen, which was sort of radical.

This conversation was also memorable because Joe told Julie he loved her, and she thinks it might be the first time Joe said it to her first.  He added that he loved Daddy, and Clara, and Berenice, and Aunt Kate, and Uncle Scott, and Cousin Nick, and Grandma Connie and Grandpa Charles, and Grandpa Tom and Lynn.  Julie said we couldn't forget Grandma Jane and Raleigh in heaven.  She added that she knew Joe didn't remember Grandma Jane, but that she was pretty great.  Joe asked what she was like, and they had this exchange:

Julie: Well, she liked to read.  Just like you, and me.

Joe: She didn't like China food! [He'd recently learned this bit of trivia.]

Julie: That's true!  But she did like French food.

Joe: What's French food?

Julie: You know the croissants you and Clara get at Rustica?  That's French food.

Joe: We like French food!

Scene.