MagNEAT-o

So, the last two weeks have been all about Superheroes. It all began with a set of magnets Jackson got from his Aunt Susan and family for Christmas. He loves to look at their descriptions and stick them on anything magnetic. We had to go through the entire booklet, talking about each one, etc. I got tired of the questions, so I had him go through and write a "G" next to the good guys and a "B" next to the bad guys. Yesterday he couldn't get the light on in his room (the switch up high next to the fan needed to be pulled) and he called for my help. I came in to find him standing on his bed, reaching for the switch, saying, "Aaahhhh...If I was Mr. Fantastic, I could reach this!"

Then questions began with asking everyone in our family which super power they desired. Jackson had already decided and announced that his power was that he could take on any other superhero power around. He wanted to know what mine was, what I thought Cash's was, and proceeded to ask Libby what hers was. She definitively answered, "Thirty Minutes." And while this didn't make much sense to Jackson, I decided she had a pretty good idea. I decided I'd like to have that power. I couldn't help but begin to compile a mental list of things I wish I could do in "Thirty Minutes": •• Conceive, carry, labor, and deliver a baby. (Did I say conceive? Okay, maybe not that part.) • Cook, eat, and clean up dinner •• Wash, dry, fold, and PUT AWAY all laundry in my house. •• Update all photo albums and scrap books...

Well, anyway, you get the idea. (And of course, I'd never really want that. That would be wishing my life away.....actually, today I discovered my own super power. Here it comes. ABLE TO GIVE A SATISFYING ANSWER TO MEANINGLESS COMMENTS/QUESTIONS FROM A PRESCHOOLER!!!!! I don't know who you are, but if you have made it this far into my blog, you deserve this highly sought after list of responses to things your toddler says when you have NO IDEA what she has said, or questions from your son that have no real answer, etc. Just go down this list. I guarantee you will pacify them before you get to the bottom.

1. Yes!
2. I'm not sure, sweetie.
3. Maybe later.
4. Wow, _____ (insert child's name here) that's cool!
5. REALLY?
6. That sounds good.
7. You are so smart.
8. I know!
9. Okay, we'll do that later.
10. You're right!

Lastly, I have also discovered Cash's super power. He is MAGNEAT-O. He has a magnetic force inside his body that attracts him to dirt. When he is crawling on the ground, he picks up all dirt that is within a three foot radius of him. It just scoots across the ground, like a magnetic attraction...sticking to his hands, his face, his clothes, his socks, and his round belly. (I have decided he's just a neat freak. One day he will use his powers to dust my home in "thirty minutes.") It is especially amazing to watch while I am sweeping. It is as if, when the dirt comes together in a pile, he is drawn to it like a wolf to a dead animal. He stops whatever he is doing and, with impressive speed, crawls toward the dirt pile, as if he is dying to touch it, throws any toy in his way to the side, and quickly begins to spread it around, and of course, give it a taste. Maybe the dust and dirt fuels his super powers. I will not treat him as an outcast. We will try to figure out how he can use his power to bring the world to a new level of cleanliness.

I hate to leave Jimmy out of our super powered family. So his power is, and always will be, the ability to get my attention, make me roll my eyes, and provide a good laugh for me in a single bound.