Back Rub - Superhero Ethan

I am coming down with a cold, so this afternoon when Ethan (6) asked if he could play tackle with me I told him I wasn't feeling well. He then told me to sit up because he had something for me. When I did sit up he started to rub my back. It was really nice and boosted my energy enough to play some rounds of "Hop on Pop" (check out the Dr. Seuss book by the same name to get an idea of how that game goes, it is one of their favorites).

Ethan is my superhero today for giving me a nice back rub.

Crayon pick-up - Superhero Julia

I know my students would be surprised to hear it, but I am a big "no homework" guy. I guess I should say that I think homework is good when you are in college and you are only in class for 15 or so hours per week, but for K-12 when kids are already at school for 7 hours a day, I think they need to come home and do other things. This year Julia is in second grade and she gets a 15-30 minute assignment each day Monday through Thursday. Ethan, who is in first grade, just gets one big (45-60 minute) assignment on Monday and he has to turn it in by Friday. So after school on Monday we all sit around our dinning room table to work. I try to catch up on projects that I am working on, Julia and Ethan have their homework, and Christian and Elliott like to get out coloring books and crayons so they can be part of the gang.

Today as we were all working, Christian dropped his crayons on the floor. It was one of those times where I saw it coming, but my hand just wouldn't move fast enough to catch it. After they dropped, I asked Christian to pick them up quickly before Agnes got to them (she is not crawling yet, but somehow she still manages to get things - she must have some kind of magnet in her hands that attracts all of those things babies are not supposed to have). He was busy with his coloring so at first he hesitated. When I asked a second time, Julia (7) jumped over and said "come on Christian, I'll help you."

Today, Julia is my superhero for not only helping, but for also encouraging Christian to do the right thing.

Good Example - Superhero Julia

Try as we might, getting all of our children to be reverent at church has been a little bit of a struggle. Our kids do pretty good, but there is just more wiggling, talking, flying paper airplanes, and kicking the pew in front of us than I would like. We have tried practicing, bribing, and rationalizing, each with moderate success. And although I think most people understand how hard it is for kids to sit through over an hour of adult talks, we were asked once not to sit in a certain spot of the chapel again.

Today, Julia (7) did a great job at church. She let her brother pick where our family should sit without complaining, she sat reverently throughout the meetings, she helped some with Agnes, and she even passed off the second paragraph of The Family: A Proclamation to the World. I know those are things that one might not typically consider acts of kindness, but taken together I think Julia's Sunday behavior counts as a big act of service because she set an excellent example that I think will start to rub off on her younger brothers.

Julia is my superhero today for her example of reverence at church.

Vegetable Sharing - Superhero Christian

We had a couple young moose come visit our back yard this afternoon. I was headed out to the garden to pick the last of our rhubarb when I saw some big brown things start to move around by the side of our deck. It had been a while since we had last had moose in our yard, so it took me by surprise - I think my initial thought were that it must be a bear or Sasquatch or something. Once I realized what it was I called all the kids out and from the second floor deck we safely watched them walk around eating our bushes. They eventually made it to our peas and a cheer erupted from the kids. Then Christian suggested that we go get some of our carrots to feed them. Now you may think that he was trying to see what other vegetables he could get rid of, but our kids actually love carrots.

Christian is my superhero today for kindly wanting to share our carrots with the moose.

Pushing Up the Hill - Superhero Julia

So today's post is actually a kind act that happened earlier this week. (I know, I am supposed to post about something from today, but it is late, I want to go to bed, and I have a hard time thinking when I am tired.) We were on a walk and the four oldest kids all wanted to ride their bicycles. While Julia and Ethan can go pretty fast, Elliott's is one that has to be pushed and for some reason Christian picked out a little tricycle to use. We came to a medium sized hill and Julia and Ethan zoomed right on up. However, there was no way that Christian was going to make it up. Rebecca was pushing Elliott and I was pushing Agnes, so when he asked for help I told that he would have to get off and walk. But before he did, Julia hopped off her bike, ran down the hill, and pushed him all the way up.

Julia is my superhero today (really Wednesday) for helping her brother make it up the hill.

Dada - Superhero Agnes

Over the past couple of months Agnes (10 months) has been saying her first words. She started with "mama" and that eventually turned into "mom." Then it was banana, or as she says it "nana." She is actually pretty cute with that one and will excitedly repeat it over and over whenever she sees someone eating or hears someone talking about that fruit. It seems that maybe she has been studying some of Dad's psychology textbooks as she got the words associated with her physiological and safety needs (Maslow's hierarchy of needs) mastered first.

Over the past week or so she has been experimenting with the da sound. At first I was getting excited, but then I realized that she was just indiscriminately saying the sound. However,  "da" has now turned into "dada" and she now seems to say it in reference to me. Today we were playing a game where she would say dada a few times and then stop. I would then say it and she would repeat a few more time, then me, then her, then me again, and so on (looks like she has moved up the hierarchy to social needs).

Today Agnes is my superhero for learning how to say dada.

Hugs and Thank Yous - Superhero Ethan

As promised, a second superhero post for today.

Although it was freezing this morning when I took the kids to school, by the time the afternoon rolled around it had really warmed up (by "really warmed up" I mean it maybe got to 60, which is good for this time of year in Anchorage). With the good weather we all decided to go for a walk to the park before our guests came over for dinner. When we got back, Ethan (6) asked if I could fix his bike. Although the steering had been a little out of alignment for a few months now, somehow when we got home today his handle bars and his front wheel were not even remotely facing the same way. At first I was going to say no because I had to set the table before dinner, but then I told him I would work on it if he could run up and set the table for me. He agreed to the trade and off he went.

It was actually a pretty easy fix so when I came in Ethan was still working on the table. I went upstairs to let him know that it was all fixed. When he heard that he replied "Thank you Dad! That is something I would have never been able to do by myself. That is so great." He then said "I have something to give you" and he walked over and gave me a big hug.

Ethan is my superhero today for so nicely expressing his gratitude.

Entry Way Pick-up - Superhero Christian

We were having guests over again for dinner this evening. Usually when someone is coming over we spend the last 30 minutes before they arrive picking up everything from books, to toys, to clothes, to dirty diapers. Today though we had planned ahead and were able to fit in a walk right before the visitors were to arrive. When we got home the kids had just thrown their shoes and coats on the floor in the entry way. Since Ethan was off to set the table (more on that in a second post for today since I didn't get one in yesterday), I hollered out to see if Julia could help clean it up. Right after I finished calling for her I started tripping over Christian (4). As I looked down to see what he was doing, I realized that he was throwing all of the shoes and coats and everything else into the closet.

Christian is my superhero today for picking up the entry way without even being asked.

Let Them Eat Cake - Superhero Ethan

When I went to pick Ethan (6) and Julia up from school today, Ethan came out of his class with a smile, carefully carrying a cupcake in his hands. As I approached, he said, "I can share with you Dad." Although I thought that was nice, I am not too much of a cupcake fan and I was confident that the one that he got from someone who was having a birthday in his class could never compare to the masterpieces that Rebecca makes (she does a cream cheese frosting that I could eat by the spoonfuls). When we got to the car he let me know that he would share with Julia, Christian, and Elliott instead. At home I cut it into quarters and he happily gave each of his siblings a piece. It was fun to see the excitement that came to each of their faces as they ate their shares. And it was really neat to see that Ethan was willing to give up an entire cupcake that would fill him up for one or two bites so that his siblings could have some.

Ethan is my superhero today for sharing his treat with his siblings.

Place marker for Dad - Superhero Julia

Last night, after one too many pokes and complaints about someone crossing a line, Rebecca and I decided that it was time to switch around the seating arrangement at the dinner table. When we brought the idea up to the kids, they all had many comments of protest to share; so, we just told them that when they woke up in the morning, they would each have a place marker with their name on it in their new spot. Suprisingly, they all kind of liked that idea. After they went to bed, Rebecca and I went through many possible arrangements, thinking of all the different ways things could play out. It made me think of all those movies where the captains and generals are standing around a map discussing the battle plans. Well, it turned out to be a big success - at least for Day One. They were all happy about their new seats and it seems like there was an improvement in manners.

All five kids were sick today, so Rebecca stayed home with them while I went off to church. While at home they did a few craft projects along with other relaxing Sunday activities. One of the crafts was to color their place cards. Not wanting me to miss out on having a fancy place marker, Julia (7) designed and colored the one that said Dad.

Julia is my superhero today for thinking of my happiness while I was away.

Storytime - Superhero Ethan

Ninjago is kind of a big deal in our house right now. I think it all started a few weeks ago when Ethan (6) brought home some Ninjago books from the library. Added to the excitement from the books, this week we were able to check out the first season of the Ninjago show. I think the shows are okay, but all of the kids love them. We were able to watch a few episodes last night and all we have heard since is talk about who the Green Ninja might be, or how the ninjas learned spinjitsu.

This morning Rebecca was in a rush to go to the temple. I had big plans to get up early to make sure breakfast and everything was all ready for her, but for some reason on Saturday mornings I always end up sleeping in. By the time I did wake up she already had breakfast in the oven and was getting dressed to go. I wondered how she was able to accomplish so much since the children were also up already. In addition to her just being amazing, she had some huge help from Ethan. I found him sitting on the couch with Christian and Elliott by his side. He was reading a pretty difficult Ninjago book outloud to them.

Ethan is my superhero today for using the power of the Ninjago to entertain his brothers this morning.

Two More Great Playmates - Superheros Christian and Elliott

This week was a busy week for Rebecca - on Wednesday and Friday she watched two kids (ages 5 & 1) all day for a friend, and on Thursday she watched three kids (ages 4, 1, &1) part of the day for a different friend. Although Rebecca was the true superhero, Christian (4) and Elliott (2) deserve props too. They did a great job sharing their mom (it was funny to watch all the kids squish close to her as she would try to read them stories), their Legos (that's a really hard thing for Christian, especially when it comes to the Star Wars guys), their other toys, and just be good friends while playing with these other children. They helped make it so the other children didn't miss their parents so much and so they had a fun time while they were visiting.

Today Christian and Elliott are my superheros for being good friends.

All Tied Up - Superhero Ethan

This evening while Rebecca and I were preparing dinner, the kids were downstairs playing pirates. They seemed to be playing really well, so I was a little hesitant to break things up when it was time for Ethan (6) to set the table. When I did go down, Ethan was tied up on top of one of those big plastic kids cars that has the high top. He was laying face down arched over the top with a couple karate belts keeping him lashed to the roof. Julia and Christian were pushing from behind and I think Elliott might have been inside. When I asked what they were saying, they told me that Ethan was the lookout for the pirate boat.

Ethan is my superhero today for taking the tough job in the game of pirates.

Kind Playmate - Superhero Agnes

One of Rebecca's friends is out of town for the week and so Rebecca and I offered to watch their two sweet children for a couple of days while their dad is at work (it is really all Rebecca watching them, but I am working from home these two days so I can be an extra set of eyes and hands if she needs them). Having the two kids over actually works out well because their oldest is a boy that is right in between Christian's and Ethan's age and their youngest is a girl that is just a couple of months older than Agnes. So although every once in a while there is a conflict over the toys or which games to play, for the most part they all get along great.

The day started off with some Duplos. Agnes (10 months) isn't mobile yet, so she just sat and played with the few that were around her. Our friends' daughter on the other hand is mobile, and she was crawling all over the place. When she saw Agnes with the Duplos she must have thought they looked fun because she crawled right over and grabbed one out of her hand. I thought Agnes was going to cry (that is what she usually does when her brothers take something from her), but instead she just picked up a new one and started playing with it. A little bit later, the other girl had dropped her Duplo and came over to grab the new one that Agnes was holding. This time Agnes held it out to give it to her. Then Agnes picked up another one and with a smile, held it out to give it to her as well.

Today Agnes is my superhero for doing a great job sharing with our guests.

Breakfast Caller - Superhero Elliott

Although we like to eat breakfast as a family, every once in a while Christian or Elliott will still be sleeping when it is time to eat. Given the rarity of this event, we usually just let them sleep in, thinking that they must be super tired.

Today when we gathered for our morning family prayer, Christian was still in bed. When Elliott (2) didn't notice him with the rest of the family he shouted "wait for Christian!" When we told him that Christian was still sleeping, he politely asked if he could go wake him up. At first we said no, but Julia and Ethan reported that they had already been in his room and he had been stirring in his bed. So, we gave the okay and off Elliott went. As he trekked down the stairs I could hear him saying "time for breakfast Christian, time for breakfast." After a couple of minutes, they both came up with smiles on their faces.

Elliott is my superhero today for making sure that his brother didn't miss out on breakfast with the family.

Daddy Daughter Outing - Superhero Agnes

I had a minor crisis today. In the middle of working on a few research projects from home my jump drive stopped working. I couldn't figure out what happened (maybe it was the multiple times of forgetting it in my jeans and having it go through the wash or the years of ignoring the eject warning or the mud that would get caked on it when I would ride my bike to work in the rain). Whatever the reason, it stopped working today. I knew I backed it up on my work computer about a month ago and so no tears were shed, but I still hated to lose a month of work. I was anxious to get to my office to get the back up files, but I didn't want to leave Rebecca home alone to help Julia and Ethan with their homework, hold Agnes (she was a little fussy), and prepare dinner. So I decided to bring Agnes along with me.

Agnes (10 months) was the perfect companion. She was perfectly quite and occupied herself while I downloaded the files I needed, she went along happily as I ran a few other errands, she looked really cute wearing a "Daddy is my hero shirt," and she gave me lots of smiles.

Agnes is my superhero today for keeping me company on my outing.

Waffle Makers - Superheros Julia and Ethan

For my birthday my parents got me a waffle maker and we have been loving it. It is one of those fancy kind that can cook two waffles at the same time. With the amount of time it saves we have even been able to fit waffles into the school morning routine. Yesterday, Rebecca suggested that we try a chocolate waffle recipe that she had found. I was a little surprised given she is usually super health conscious (our typical waffle recipe is 100% whole wheat, with flax seed added to boot). Paired with our homemade raspberry syrup, I had really high hopes. However, chocolate waffles didn't end up turning out as good as they sound, and by the end of breakfast we still had a couple left over.

This morning Ethan (6) and Julia (7) woke up early and came in to ask what they could eat. Our usually Sunday morning breakfast is oatmeal, but Rebecca and I were still getting ready for church, and we were not going to be able to prepare it for a little bit. Instead, Rebecca had suggested that they eat the leftover waffles from yesterday, and suggested that they start preparing some for Christian and Elliott as well.

They did an amazing job getting things ready for them. Not only did they get out waffles for them, they toasted them up in the toaster, cut them into individual squares (it is a big deal to cut right along the square lines to our kids), and poured on the syrup. When Rebecca checked on them next, everything was ready to go! Now I am wondering why they are always asking me to cut up their waffles, get them milk, and everything else on other days.

Today, Julia and Ethan are my superheros for preparing an early morning snack for Christian and Elliott.

Cleaning Helpers - Superheros Julia, Ethan, Christian, Elliott, & Agnes

Once every three months we have the opportunity to help out in cleaning our church. Today was our turn. All of the children woke up early excited to help out. After a quick breakfast we rushed out the door. I am not sure if they got a lot done, but they were more than happy to help out in their own way - they helped with the dusting and with the mopping. They even did a good job sharing the cleaning supplies with each other without fighting too much about whose turn it was to do what. Even Agnes did a great job hanging out in the baby sling while I worked on the bathrooms. As we were finishing up, the children disappeared for a little while. I found them in the gym with a couple of chairs set up facing the stage and the lights off. They asked me to sit down and then they presented a short play of kung fu fighting.

Today, all of the children are my superheros for happily doing their part to help clean the church.

Sticking Up for Dad - Superhero Elliott

As we sat down to watch a movie with the kids tonight I pulled out a book so I could catch up on some of my work. Ethan, being a little ornery or maybe just trying to tease me, snuck over and grabbed it while I wasn't watching. Rather than try to get it back, I decided to just let him have it and work on something else. After a little while he put it down. When he did, Elliott (2) grabbed it, said "this is Dad's book," and ran off. Ethan did chase after him to get it back, but Elliott just kept on insisting that it was my book.

Today, Elliott is my superhero for sticking up for what he thought was right.

Time with Dad - Superhero Agnes

In a previous post I mentioned that Agnes prefers Rebecca over me - and how could I blame her? Today when I came home from teaching a class Rebecca was holding Agnes with one hand and trying to cook dinner with the other. I offered to help by taking Agnes, but as soon as I reached for her, she turned away from me and held tight to Rebecca. I don't want to give the wrong impression - Agnes does like spending time with me. However, if she is tired or hungry or upset, then she just wants her mom. I tried a couple more times to reach out to her, but kept getting the same reaction. Finally, after giving her a hug and kiss, I just took her. She cried for a second and looked back longingly at mom, but then she was a good sport and we had a good time together. I know it is a little thing, but her going with me freed Rebecca up so her arms wouldn't be so tired, and so we could all eat dinner in time (we had some plans for later that evening), and so I could have some quality bonding time with her.

Today Agnes is my superhero for spending some time with Dad.

Reading Buddy - Superhero Christian

Rebecca has recently started Christian (4) on reading lessons. For all of our children she uses the book "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" by Siegfried Engelmann and we would highly recommend it. Since starting the lessons I have noticed Christian picking up books more often and instead of just looking at the pictures, saying out-loud what he remembers from the last time the book was read to him.

Another thing about Christian is he loves Star Wars. Frequently when I ask him to say a prayer for dinner or do a chore or pretty much any time I call him, he responds "I am not Christian." When I ask him who he is, his most common responses are either Luke or Harry Potter.

Today I found him in the living room with a Star Wars book that Ethan had checked out from school. Elliott was sitting by his side and he was reading out-loud to Elliott teaching him about all of the characters in the book. For example, on one page he read "This is C-3PO. He is a droid. He can talk many languages" and the book actually says "Meet C-3PO. He is a droid. He can speak many languages." On the next page he read "This is R2-D2. He is a droid too. He can fix other droids." The page actually reads "Meet R2-D2. He is a droid. He can fix other droids." It is great to see him passing on his love for Star Wars to Elliott.

Christian is my superhero today for reading to Elliott.

Petrificus Totalus - Superhero Christian

Over the summer Rebecca read the first two Harry Potter books to the children. All of the children loved them. Even though Elliott couldn't really understand, he still enjoyed playing Harry Potter games with his older siblings. One game that they still love to play is wizard dueling.

Today we were talking to Christian (4) as Julia and Ethan were finishing up with some of their morning routine. Part way through the conversation Ethan came up from a little ways behind and shouted "petrificus totalus." Mid-sentence, Christian shut his mouth, dropped his arms to his side, and fell over backward. Christian continued to let his brother cast spells on him, acting out the resulting enchantments.

Christian is my superhero today for playing along with his brother.

"The Best" - Superhero Elliott

At dinner, somehow our kids started a conversation about who is "the best." I don't know how it came up and it made me a little sad because we are always trying to show them that we love them equally and trying to teach them to put others first. Before Rebecca and I fully realized what the conversation was about they started a vote. As they went around the room, each of the kids of course voted for them self, except for Elliott (2) who voted for everyone else. I told Elliott how kind that was and so after a little more conversation they all decided that Agnes was "the best."

Today, Elliott is my superhero for setting an example of thinking of others first.

Thirsty girls - Superhero Julia

Agnes was still finishing up her breakfast today as the rest of us were clearing our dishes. When Julia (7) brought over her cup she filled it up for one more big drink of water. As she was drinking, she noticed Agnes watching her and making some noises to get her attention. Julia put her cup down and said "I know what you want my little Agnes." She then held Agnes' cup for her to help her get a drink. She continued to stay by her side and helped her finish up her meal.

Today, Julia is my superhero for looking out for the needs of her little sister.

Watching Out for Brother - Superhero Elliott

Elliott was so nice to Christian this evening that I felt I needed to do a second post.

As the kids were watching our Friday night movie, I had a project I was working on on the other side of the room. Part way through the movie Christian got hurt and came running over to me crying. I started to ask him what was wrong when Elliott (2) came running over behind him with a worried look saying "what's wrong Christian, what's wrong?" After asking a few times he gave him a big hug. After that, Christian was feeling much better and they both returned to the movie.

Today Elliott is also my superhero for being so concerned about Christian.

Dessert Compliments - Superhero Christian

Rebecca and I usually make our own doughnuts, but today she picked out a discounted dozen from Fred Meyer. The ones we usually make are Krispy Kreme style, but the ones we got this time were chocolate and maple bars, some with sprinkles on top. It had been a long time since I had eaten doughnuts from the store, so I had high hopes. However, I guess the doughnuts we got were discounted for a reason because they were pretty stale.

As we were eating them I made the comment that Rebecca's homemade doughnuts were so much better. I thought that all of the children would quickly agree with me and start showering Rebecca with compliments - wishful thinking! Instead, the older kids started talking about how much they loved these ones and how they were so much better. Christian (4) came up to me though and told me he had a secret. He then whispered in my ear that he loves mom more than chocolate. He went and told Rebecca next and that brought a smile to her face.

Christian is my superhero today for sharing his compliments with Rebecca.

Club Invite - Superhero Ethan

Our kids love to make forts. On any given afternoon they will grab whatever boxes, blankets, pillows, and cushions they can find and turn the downstairs couches into a castle or some other imaginary play land. Today, they had been having a fun time playing in one of their forts prior to dinner and were excited to get back to it as soon as they were done eating. However, before heading back downstairs, Ethan (6) stopped to talk to Rebecca. He asked her to come down and play with them and said that she definitely didn't want to miss the club meeting that they were about to have. He said that they were going to go over things like club passwords and rules and he was sure she would want to make it. So off she went. I was really happy to see him thinking about Rebecca, but as I was stuck upstairs doing dishes I did wonder why I wasn't invited.

Today Ethan is my superhero for the kind invite that he gave to Rebecca.

Special Friend - Superhero Julia

Last year Julia (7) made a special connection with her teacher. She had impressed her teacher so much throughout the year that on the last day of school her teacher waited by her side at the end of the day so that with tears in her eyes she could tell Rebecca how wonderful Julia had been and how much she was going to miss her. As I have dropped off and picked up the kids this year I have notice that Julia often goes out of her way to find her old teacher, say hi, and tell her how her day has been going. Today as I watched Julia seek her out, I saw how it brought a big smile to that teacher's face.

Julia is my superhero today for being a good friend to her 1st grade teacher.

Great Sharer - Superhero Elliott

We received a package in the mail today from Rebecca's parents. Inside it included some lollipops and mini boxes of Dots. Every year at Halloween time Rebecca tells me about how growing up she could savor her bag of candy through Christmas. I on the other hand would be lucky to make it through the week. Unfortunately our kids take after me and if they were left unsupervised they would just eat until they were sick.

As a side note - The difference of opinion/habits between me and Rebecca is always a small source of contention in our home. For example, she wants to donate the kids candy every year (their school has a trade in program), but I want to let them (and me) eat it as they please. As another example, we sometimes get some nice bar of chocolate from her parents. While she can be satisfied with one piece in a single night, I (as she put it the other night) "munch down the pieces like they are popcorn".

Back to the kids - we told them they could have one piece when they opened the package and one piece after dinner. After dinner Ethan picked a lollipop, but he really wanted to try a Dot too. After he unsuccessfully tried to get Julia to trade one Dot for one lick, he turned to Elliott who happily said okay. I was about to intercede and say that it wasn't a fair trade, but I saw that Elliott was just happy that he could do something nice for his big brother.

Today, Elliott is my superhero for making a trade to help his brother be happy.

Great Little Sister - Superhero Agnes

When we lived in Oklahoma we had a cat that always came wandering around our house. Julia was 2-3 at the time and she loved that cat and thought is was her own. She would pet it and hug it and sometimes pick it up and carry it around by the neck. I am surprised that the cat kept on coming back, but it must have really liked the attention that it got from Julia. Although we aren't really pet people, Rebecca and I had a lot of appreciation for that cat for all that it patiently went through so that our daughter could be happy.

Luckily for Julia, she has four younger siblings who have taken the place of the Oklahoma cat. Today she was looking for someone to play with and she found Agnes (10 months) occupying herself with Duplos. She decided to get one of the toy bins and turn it into a baby something - whats the word for a cradle, castle, and race car all in one? She padded it with blankets and pillows all around, and then plopped Agnes inside. She then zoomed her around the room, built up forts around her, and tucked her in so she could sing her to sleep. I am not quite sure if Agnes knew what was going on, but I swear her facial expression was the same one I saw in that cat all those years ago. Julia is a wonderful big sister, but I think Agnes is also a wonderful little sister for patiently going along for the ride as Julia plays with her like she is her little doll.

Agnes is my superhero today for humoring her older sister as they played together.