Super Anna

Anna didn't want to go to school.  She was trying to eat breakfast, teary eyed, frustrated, and looking like she dreaded the coming day.  I made her some tea and sat down and waited for her to tell me.

She said, "The work’s not hard, and the homework... I can deal with it.  What I can’t deal with is how much better than other kids that some kids think they are!"

I braced myself and asked, "Are people teasing you, honey?"

"No, but I hear it.  I hear what they say about other kids," I was relieved and then immediately ashamed of my relief.  It's not better that it's other peoples' kids getting teased.  

Anna continued, "I used to hear it last year with _______.  Then I’d go over and say, 'That’s not true.'   With other kids, they’re quieter, but with  _______ they act like he doesn’t have feelings.  But he does have feelings!"

I said, "Anna, you know why this bothers you?  God wants it to bother you, because it's your job to be those kids' Super Hero."

I told her a little bit about how I got teased and how a few kids helped me get through the day.  They were my Super Heroes.  I didn't tell her everything, because it would have broken her heart to know that every single school morning for five years, I had to work up the courage to go to school again, wondering how it was possible to survive one more day.  I didn't tell her that without those few nice gestures from those few kids I might have went through with killing myself.  I just told her those kids few nice kids were my Super Heroes.  And that is true.  They were.  And, I think it's also true that she will be a Super Hero for some kids in her school.

Socks and home invaders

I bought an advent count-down pillow today.  It's got a little Santa that you move from pocket to pocket to count down.

Ally was looking at it and commented that it was only a month and nine days until Christmas.  This got her thinking and she asked me,

"When are we getting the socks out for that guy?"

I looked at my fully functional 8-year-old who had just asked me this, and said, "Ally, the way you asked that question... it doesn't even deserve an answer."

Everyone started giggling and Luke said, "St. Nick!  When are we putting the socks out for St. Nick?"

I said, "Closer..."

So, Anna helped out.  "Stockings.  When do we put the socks out for St. Nick?"

I begrudgingly answered, "He comes the night of December 5th."

My goodness.  Socks?  That guy?  Why do we bother?  ;)

Poop

The other day, we were all in the kitchen having breakfast when Dave said, "I was thinking.  There's so much dog poop out there."

I interrupted, "I know!  It's crazy!  I pick up like eight piles of poop every other day!"

Dave continued, "So I was thinking... Why are we doing this ourselves?"

Then Anna and I both knew exactly what he was getting at, that the kids should help out.  But, Anna got a mysterious little smirk and declared, "I agree!  We should hire someone."

Ally and Riley

Ally has had a temper since day one.  She's learning to control it, and I'm sure there will be times when her ferocity will serve her well, but sometimes she still has her angry outbursts and sometimes they are really funny.

Ally was playing with Riley, who she adores.  Ally sometimes just looks at her and marvels how cute she is.  Ally will comment, "I love how long her neck is.  It's so cute!"

But, when Ally was playing with her, Riley got a little too wound up and knicked Ally's hand with her puppy teeth.  Ally was so angry.  I could see her temper flaring.  Ally looked at the puppy, looked at the long neck that she finds so cute, and decided to insult her, to get revenge for the scratch on her hand.

"You look like a goose!" Ally yelled at Riley.