Testimony - Superhero Julia

Once a month at church the main Sacrament meeting is open for individuals from the congregation to go to the pulpit and share their testimonies instead of having planned talks. I was planning on going up and sharing my testimony as well as sharing how proud I was of Julia for deciding to be baptized. However, as I was about to get up, Rebecca nudged me and pointed to Julia (who had been sitting by Grandma Little) who was walking to the stand to share her own testimony. She shared her beliefs about the church and the feelings she had when she was baptized. I was very impressed.

Julia is my superhero today for being brave enough to share her testimony with others.

Baptism - Superhero Julia

In our church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints) when a child turns eight years old they can choose to be baptized, receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and official become a member of the Church. More information on our beliefs about baptism can be found here or here.

Julia turned 8 in November and so she had the opportunity to be baptized today. She was a little nervous, but super excited. There were five other children her age from this area who were also getting baptized at the same time, so there were actually a lot of people there for the program. It was a wonderful evening. Our family sang a song, Grandma Little gave a short talk, there were a couple other talks and songs, and then the ordinances. I was very proud of the decision Julia had made to be baptized and become a member of the church.

Julia (8) is my superhero today for setting a good example for her younger brothers and sister.

Classroom Visit - Superhero Julia

I got to visit Julia's class today and do an hour long presentation on how brains work and ways to take care of them. It was a lot of fun for me and I think all of her classmates had a good time as well. When I was in the class I saw that all of the kids share a two person desk except for Julia and one other kid in the back - they each had their own desks that were side-by-side. Curious, after school I asked Julia about the desk situation and why hers and the other kid's desks were different. Julia's teacher has told me on a few occasions how well-behaved Julia is in class and how much she loves having her in there, so I wasn't at all worried that Julia had done something wrong. At first she said that she didn't want to say because someone's feelings might get hurt. I assured her that it would be okay sharing with me because I am her parent. She then explained that the other kid struggles at school and sometimes has a hard time sitting still and following directions so he needs his own desk away from others sometimes. I then asked her how she got assigned to sit next to him. She said she wasn't assigned, but she chose to because he is her friend. Ethan than jumped in and told about all the games that he likes to play with Julia and that kid at recess time.

Julia (8) is my superhero today for being a friend to someone who might have a harder time at school.

Sharing Pizza - Superheros Julia and Ethan

Our kids' school has a rewards program for reading books on a monthly basis. At the most recent assembly, Julia and Ethan each got two Pizza hut coupons for free personal pan pizzas. Rebecca was away at the temple this morning and the sun was shining, so we decided to walk to Pizza Hut to use the coupons. At first, Julia and Ethan came up with the great idea that they would each give a coupon to Elliott and Christian, so everyone could have a whole pizza. Knowing that that plan would probably end with leftovers that I would be tempted to eat, I suggested that we just use two coupons and they could each have a half. Julia and Ethan were happy with that and so off we went. The pizza place is only about a mile away. We have a jogging stroller that can fit three and so I thought the walk would be no problem. However, after getting all bundled up and outside, I discovered that I left the jogging stroller in the car. That meant that only Agnes would get to ride in our backup umbrella stroller, and Julia, Ethan, Christian, and Elliott would all have to walk. Without my asking they paired up and Julia took responsibility for Elliott and Ethan for Christian. Throughout the walk the older ones watched over Elliott and Christian to keep them safe and cheered them on to motivate them to walk faster. It was great to see them helping.

Julia (8) and Ethan (6) are my superheros today for sharing their pizzas and for watching over their younger brothers.

Kind Notes - Superhero Julia

Julia and Ethan often complain to us that their bedtimes are too early. Although we do ask them to head to their rooms at the same time we put Christian, Elliott, and Agnes to bed, we do allow them to stay up as late as they want reading books, or drawing, or any other quiet activities from the confines of their bedroom. Ethan usually chooses to read some books. Julia, on the other hand, likes to draw and write notes. Today, she left some wonderful notes for both me and Rebecca.

Julia is my superhero today for the kind words that she had to share.

Believe it or not, she did all the decorating for her own birthday cake with minimal help from Rebecca.

Birthday Girl - Superhero Julia

Julia and Agnes have birthdays just four days apart. Add to that Thanksgiving making November one of the funest months in our house. Julia turned eight today. Although we are doing the main celebrations on Saturday, she did get to pick out the meals and activities for the day. For breakfast we had chocolate chip pancakes with coconut syrup and giant sausages, for lunch Rebecca surprised her with Subway and ate with her at school (I got to stay home and eat leftover pancakes with the boys), for dinner we did homemade macaroni and cheese with corn, and then giant oatmeal cookies for dessert. This evening she chose to play more family games like tackles, tag, and London bridges. I think she had a fun time even though we were only half-way celebrating.

Julia is a very kind, caring, loving sister. She likes to organize make believe games with her brothers and lead in whatever activities she might think up for them. She likes to talk to both Rebecca and I and loves to get involved in whatever project we might be working on. But her kindness probably shows up most in how she interacts with Agnes. She frequently caries her around throughout the day, tries to make her laugh by playing games like peak-a-boo, dresses her up, and helps take care of her needs. Often, if Agnes starts to cry, Julia will even run and get her before Rebecca and I can.

This is a note she left me on our whiteboard.

Helping on the Playground - Superhero Julia

Following up on yesterday's post, today I asked Julia to tell me about something nice that she did for someone at school. She said that during recess there was a girl who was trying to figure out a mystery on the playground. Instead of playing her own games, she helped that girl solve the mystery. Based on her report, it sounded like Julia had a fun time while she was helping out.

Julia is my superhero today for befriending a younger girl at her school.

"There never was such devoted sisters" - Superheros Julia and Agnes

I had a fun time today watching Julia (7) and Agnes (1) play with each other. Agnes often just goes along with whatever activities Julia is having her do. In addition to playing games with her, Julia often voluntarily takes care of her by picking her up when she needs attention, picking out clothes for her, and sometimes even changing her diaper. Today, Julia was helping her practice crawling. Agnes is getting really close, but it might be a few more days still. Agnes does get around somehow, but it can't quite count as crawling just yet.

Julia and Agnes are my superheros today for being great sisters by playing with each other and helping each other out.

Preparing for Choir - Superheros Julia, Ethan, Christian, Elliott, and Agnes

Rebecca started conducting before church choir practice today. I thought it went pretty well. It seemed like a good number of people showed up, and from where I was sitting, they sounded really good. Perhaps one other reason why I thought it went well is because with these before church choir practices I end up getting the morning off. Since I have meetings in the morning, there is just no way for me to get home in time to help get the kids in the car and back to church before the start of choir. That means Rebecca has to get all of the kids ready for church on her own.

Although Rebecca did do a lot of work getting everyone ready, she did report that all of the kids were a big help. Not only did they do well in bathing, getting dressed, eating, and getting in the car, they also helped her prepare for the choir. In Julia and Ethan's after school choir they have to go to study hall if they are not listening or participating as the should. So all of the kids made study hall passes for Rebecca to hand out to anyone who needed a time out during the ward choir practice. There were a few older sisters in the choir who I thought came close to getting one :), but luckily the passes went unused.

Julia, Ethan, Christian, Elliott, and Agnes were my superheros today for helping get ready for choir on time.

Deportment Awards - Superheros Julia and Ethan

Today, Julia (7) and Ethan (6) had their first quarter awards assembly at school. In addition for being recognized for their grades and for being the art stars for the quarter, both received awards for deportment. That means that not only did they make it through the quarter without getting in trouble, their teachers also specifically recognized how courteous, kind, and helpful they were to others. I don't ever get to see all the kind acts that they do at school so they often get left out of these entries, but these awards are evidence of how helpful and kind they are when they are away from home.

Julia and Ethan are my superheros today for earning deportment awards.

Popcorn Sharing - Superhero Julia

Every Friday we have a family tradition of watching a movie together and eating popcorn. At Julia and Ethan's school they also sell bags of popcorn at 50 cents per bag on Fridays. Ethan hasn't really been interested in the school popcorn that much, but Julia talks about it almost every Friday. I could understand if they ate it in class and she wanted some so she could fit in and eat it with everyone else, but they just hand it to the kids as the walk out of the classroom door at the end of the day. So, we have had plenty of talks with her about how she can have as much popcorn as she wants at home and how we make our huge bowls full on Friday all for about 5 cents, and the bags are so tiny in comparison. Still, she has continued to want that school popcorn each and every week.

Since Julia (7) is always polite in asking for for the school popcorn and since she has been willing to pay her own money, today we finally gave the okay. I can imagine how excited she was to receive it as she was standing in line waiting to come home. When Rebecca picked her up she had her popcorn in her hands and she was smiling from ear to ear. She held that popcorn close until she made it home and then called her siblings around to share. She ended up probably eating less of it than her brothers, but she was still so happy.

Julia is my superhero today for sharing her hard-earned (not just because she had to spend her own money, but also because it took her months to convince mom and dad) popcorn with her siblings.

Tea Party Fun - Superhero Julia

Every so often Julia (7) prepares a special tea party for the family. In preparation for a tea party this afternoon she cut up apples, prepared some carrot stick, made some lemonade, and got one Oreo cookie for each person. She then set the table and called us all in. When we arrived at the table a special personalized note was set at each of our places. The one she wrote to me said "Dear Dad - I hope you have a good and special day. Love Julia". Others said "Dear Mom - You are the kindest mom on earth.", "Dear Ethan - You are so good at sharing.", "Dear Christian - You are so kind, I hope you like the tea party.", "Dear Elliott - I love you! You are young, but nice.". We all felt very loved and excited for the tea party after reading our notes.

Julia is my superhero today for sharing her kind messages.

Getting Ready for School - Superhero Julia

On Thursday I have to go in to work early for meetings and so Rebecca is left getting Julia and Ethan off to school on her own. This means she has to help them with their lunches, has to prepare breakfast, encourage them to brush their teeth and get dressed, and prepare Christian, Elliott, and Agnes so they can all hop in the car and drive them in. While she is amazing at doing this, she also does usually get some great help from Julia. She reported to me that today was no exception. Julia got Elliott's socks and coat on, put toothpaste on everyone's toothbrush, gently encouraging Ethan and Christian to get their coats on, got Elliott in the car, buckled him up, and wrapped him in a blanket since it was a cold morning.

Julia is my superhero today for helping the morning go smoothly.

Helping clean up - Superhero Julia

I had a church meeting at our house tonight and so when I came home I was busy cleaning up and getting ready for it. Julia came to me and asked me to spend some time playing with her and her brothers. Looking back now, I should have said yes and made that a priority, but at the time I was just a little too stressed getting ready and so I had told her no. She wanted to spend time with me so much that she dropped the activities that she was doing and started to help me get things ready.

Julia is my superhero today for helping out and for valuing time with me so much hat she chose work over play.

Playing with Company - Superheros Julia, Ethan, and Christian

My cousin and her boyfriend recently moved to Alaska. We've been meaning to get together with them, but just never found the time to do it until today. Not only did they come over, but my Uncle and Aunt are up from Oklahoma visiting them, so they came over too. We spent a lot of time with them when we lived in Oklahoma for school, so we were really excited to see them all. Julia, Ethan, and Christian were great hosts. Not only did they use pretty good manners during dinner, they entertained our guests with plenty of jokes, and roughhousing. Sometimes the three of them get a little too wild for guests, but today it all seemed welcome. They had a great time and so I think our guests did too. Elliott also did a good job, but he had just woken up from a nap so he was a little more subdued than the other children.

Julia, Ethan, and Christian are my superheros today for playing well with our visitors.

Holding the Phone - Superhero Julia

Julia (7) continues to be a huge help at home while Rebecca has been away. Today she set the table again and prepared the dinner, all with minimal help from me. When Rebecca called this evening, Julia was the first to talk to her. After her came Elliott. Even though Elliott knows how to talk on the phone, Julia was afraid that he might do it wrong or might not realize that this was his chance to talk to Mom. She stood there by him and held the phone up next to his ear. She also coached him of things to say. She did that for about five minutes until it was Christian's turn. Although I was impressed by her arm strength to be able to hold the phone for him for so long, I was even more impressed by how kindly she helped Elliott make the most of his phone call.

Julia was my superhero today for helping Elliott on the phone.

Help with dinner - Superhero Julia

On Tuesdays, Julia is the only one who has homework. So today while she was working away on it, the boys were all checking out the new books I picked up from the library. I was expecting her to go join them once she was done and I finished checking her work. But instead, she asked if she could set the table and then help me cook. I know she likes cooking, so I wasn't too surprised, but I don't know where the offer to set the table came from. Although I did some of the measuring a chopping for the meal, she ended up cooking the rest of the fried rice all on her own. She then made some homemade pudding for dessert, including finding the recipe in the cookbook, getting out all of the ingredients, and then making it all up. It allowed me to catch up on some of the dishes that I had fallen behind on and gave us lots of time to read together after dinner was over.

Julia was my superhero today for helping me prepare dinner and dessert.

Sharing Swords - Superhero Julia

Per our usual Sunday routine, after church today we headed over to visit and take the sacrament to an elderly lady that we have come to know since moving up to Alaska. Contrary to our usual routine, since Rebecca was gone, I needed to take all four remaining kids in with me - they usually rotate weeks and only one gets to go in with me at a time. The lady and her son that we visit have a small toy bucket in the living room that the kids always run to. Being the oldest, Julia and Ethan made it to the bucket first today and they both grabbed the two swords. Elliott also wanted a sword though and when Julia (7) saw this she gave hers to him and pretended a toy drumstick was also a sword instead.

They all had a good time fighting. As I was picking up some of the messes I turned around to see Elliott attacking the 90+ year old lady we were visiting. She was doing her best to block the blows with her hands and the swords were only foam, but I could tell that it was a little too much for her, and so I quickly found him new target to attack. Last time we had visited he gave her a sword at least, but I guess this time he wanted to get his opponent by surprise while she was defenseless.

Julia is my superhero today for giving her sword to Elliott, even though he ended up using it for devious purposes.

Sweet Goodbyes - Superheros Julia, Ethan, Christian, and Elliott

It was a busy day for us today. I took off at 5:30 in the morning for a flight up to Fairbanks. Luckily I was able to carpool with a co-worker so the kids didn't have to wake up early. I was up in Fairbanks for a day long meeting and didn't get back until 7pm. That meant a long day for Rebecca, having to do everything on her own from getting the kids ready in the morning, taking them to and picking them up from school, getting dinner ready, eating, and doing our Friday night activities all without me. What made it harder though is that she had a flight out to North Carolina for a week long family reunion at 9:30 this evening. That meant she also had to pack and get ready for that and, on top of everything else, she wanted to get things ready for me so it would be a smooth trip while she was away. So we had about an hour overlap between when I got home and her flight.

All of the kids were very kind in saying their good-byes. During that hour they all made cards for Rebecca that expressed their love for their mom and told her how much they missed her. They also gave her lots of hugs and kisses. After we dropped her off at the airport I sat in the car and had a brief talk about how this could be a really fun week together for us, but we would all have to work together. I asked them what fun things they would like to do this week and Julia was the first to reply. She said that we should watch lots of home videos of Mommy and Agnes. I said that it would be fine for some, but thought if we watched too many we might just get lonely and sad. Ethan chimed in and said he didn't think we could watch too many and that was what he wanted to do too. It was a somber drive home from the airport, so looks like I will have my work cut out for me trying to keep the kids happy while mom is away. 

(I think this contrasts greatly with their reaction to me being gone for the day. A little after I got home I asked Elliott if he missed me. He said no. Trying to see if he realized I was gone, I asked him if I was there for some of the Friday activities, like playing after school, dinner, and the move. He was sure I was there for all of them. I promise I am not an absentee dad, but I guess mI'm going away is just a much bigger deal than dad being gone for the day.)

Julia, Ethan, Christian, and Elliott are all my superheros today for giving Rebecca and Agnes such a warm good-bye.

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.