Am I a Hero?

Last night before Kuba fell asleep he asked me in a sweet, sleepy voice, "Mommy, am I a hero?" In his pre-school class they have been talking about hero's...not super-hero's. They have been discussing the qualities that make a hero; like being brave, or working hard at something, or being a good friend. His question was so sincere and so sweet.

Of course I answered yes. A true hero.

And then we talked a little bit about the super power of love.

Kuba, you are a true super hero when it comes to love.

Helluva March Day

Favorite Routine

I have a favorite domestic routine. It's grocery shopping with Kuba. It has been our task and it usually falls on a Thursday afternoon, right after I pick him up from pre-school and right before we pick Anders up from school. It is simply so much fun that I have to write about it.

Ever since he was a baby we have been bookin' it down the produce, grocery aisles and dairy sections, gathering all that we need for the week. Kuba has been completely entertained and entertaining. These are our routines: getting a bagel sample (which has now turned into getting a frosted doughnut - with sprinkles), visiting the lobsters, picking up a bread sample, stopping to choose at least 2 books from the Golden Book rack in the magazine section (which Kuba reads until we get to the cereal aisle, where he then trades them in for another Golden Book), and then winding our way back to the checkout. Our favorite grocery store has just added child size grocery carts and Kuba now trades his books in for a kid size grocery cart at about the same aisle as the last books, and finishes the shopping leading or following me down the last few aisles. SO enjoyable, so much fun, so interactive, so happy. This is one routine I hope lasts until he leaves home for college. There is something about this task that really brings out the best in both of us. What a team!

The Boys on Winter Break

These are the boys.
Big now, 7 and 4.
Clearly - healthy and beautiful.
I remain eternally and deeply grateful to be their mom.

Shirtless

My dad doesn't like to wear his shirt when he's home and the wood stove is burning. He gets too hot. It seemed that each time I looked, Anders too was shirtless. I loved this. My father spent lots of time with the boys on this visit...being all around silly and affectionate. This made for a really nice connection and added more to their relationship. My father can be extremely goofy (read embarrassing at times) and this is so Anders type of humor...so the two of them had a complete riot together - secretly I was hoping that Anders would not bring some of his humor home (but you see what kind of copying happened with the shirt!) but I'm not feeling too hopeful. And quite honestly, the more he gets of my dad the better, even if it does come with some slightly immature humor.

Spying with Grandma

We went to visit grandma and grandpa over the winter break and quite honestly it was so wonderful for both my parents and the boys. The love and playfulness between the eldest and youngest in our big family was quite remarkable. Here are some photo's of grandma playing spy with Kuba and Anders. It was a fun game that lasted for days and grandma was a willing participant and guide. Her thought: the game was ideal for teaching the boys about the power of observation. She has been calling and getting updates from them about what they are currently spying on now that they are home again.

The Seven Year Old Jig

As you might imagine, it has been a fantastic journey this life with Anders. The fact that he has turned seven simply amazes me. Seven seems like such a big kid age. In reality....there is a marked shift in his growth - socially and emotionally, as well as physically. I have had a lot to learn as his parent this year and I remain steadfast as his student, he as my teacher.

This is the very first year he has shown so much happiness about turning a year older. Most years he has been rather sad to leave the age he was, this was especially true when he turned 5 and 6, but this year ... only joy, pure joy. It was so wonderful to watch him experience such eagerness about his birthday and turning seven. He wouldn't zip his coat shut that day because he wanted to show off his number seven t-shirt - again a new experience to observe because clothing is not something he is conscious of.

Highlights of the year? Hmmm...watching as he navigates the social world more and more...balancing his need for time and space before jumping in to something, and finding that at times there is no time. I have learned so much about acceptance this year in relationship to this. Anders has always been slow to warm up to folks...he takes his time. Comfort and relationship are primary needs and if they are not there, a social curveball is thrown for him and he can hesitate to step firmly up and into things. (Some folks would call this shyness...I have learned to call it his style - when he is comfortable he is absolutley the farthest thing from shy) He is a very loyal and loving friend - qualities that are endearing. He has some stunning friendships and is the kind of kid who expresses love and gratitude for the folks he loves.

He hasn't been in a very good classroom this year and he is learning to navigate all sorts of things...mostly a classroom climate that is not conducive to building self-esteem, community, or healthy learning and it can be tough for kids to make sense of an environment like this. Luckily Anna and I have been in the vicinity to do damage control. And we are hoping he has a much better teacher next year. This is something about his seventh year that I won't forget. How as a mom to help navigate the world of public school.

Here are some characteristics of my son that I can easily name after seven years of watching him grow: He is physically very handsome, and very, very strong. He's agile and very good with his body - he loves gymnastics, climbing, riding his bike, scooting, and swimming. He is a fantastic example of someone who relishes delayed gratification. He saves things. Money, candy, gifts, etc. He can hold on to things that he truly loves to stretch out the experience. He is such a kind and sensitive boy. He's a real friend. He shares things he loves and empathizes with those in pain. He is an amazing big brother and loves his little brother so much. He is funny, loves humor, loves computers, loves tv, loves to scoot, loves to read, loves to hear stories and loves his family. He loves to play with animals, use his imagination, and be silly. He likes school...even if he doesn't have the best teacher.

Happy birthday Anders - you truly are the most loveable amazing kid in the whole wide world!