Parents of the Year Award

And the winners are...
Mike & Lisa Aldrich!
For their brilliant choice to bring their seven year old son to the "Forest of Fear"!
For exposing their semi-innocent son (who thinks Scooby Doo is scary) to characters like Jason and men with chainsaws!
For dragging him through the forest, saying "It's ok- it's probably almost over"!
For prying his hands off his ears and eyes to show him that the characters are just people dressed up!
For making his brothers go first into scary rooms, so that Riley could see how safe it was!
For laughing uncontrollably while he cried!

Comments from Riley about the Forest of Fear:
"It's not at all like Lord of the Rings... Lord of the Rings was scary but it had drama. The Forest didn't have drama."
"I can't even look at any woods now without feeling like I'm gonna pee my pants."
"I don't want to go there ever again."
"Can I sleep in your bed tonight?"

No, You Can't Be THAT for Halloween....

We try to encourage our kids to be creative, to be individuals. Every year in September we brainstorm ideas about costumes. Sometimes I sew, glue, paint, etc. to make their costumes. Some years we just buy parts.

This year Tobey is going to be a presidential candidate, with "Vote for Tobey" signs hanging over his shoulders, and stickers to hand out. Brennan is a mad scientist, and Ry is a ninja (we recently watched the movie "Mortal Combat").

Here are some of the great characters the boys have been- their own choices- over the years...
A Hawk (head, wings, & tail)
Mark Martin (a cardboard box turned into a car that hung waist-high)
Frodo (hairy feet and pointy ears made it perfect)
Ring Wraith (all black- very scary)
Alien with 6 eyes (ping pong balls make great eyes)
Robot (watch out for the exhaust valve in the back)
Headless Man (Mike scares kids annually with this one)
Skeleton (we cut out a complete skeleton out of reflective vinyl and stuck it to a black jogging suit)
Stunt team (each with many injuries, and I dressed like an ER doc)

Here are some of the requests that didn't make the list (or a costume)...
Invisible boy
Doc Oc (eight arms? No way!)
a tooth
Lake Michigan
a jellyfish (too much Discovery Channel)
Iron Man (waaaaay to much work)
Xbox controller
Lego guy
Jesus

Happy Halloween!

Proof

"There is no way that was an accident!" I had already repeated myself too many times. The pencil hole in the top of the vinyl toilet lid was deep, and centered perfectly. At first no one would fess up, but after some pressure it was revealed: Brennan did it (actually, the youngest is always eager to rat out his brothers).
"It was an accident! I went to the bathroom, closed the lid, and when I leaned over to flush, a pencil fell out of my pocket and stabbed the lid! I swear!"
I have heard a lot of excuses, but "it fell out of my pocket and made a hole"? Give me a break!
Tears soon ensued, followed by statements like the classic 'why don't you ever trust me', 'I was in a hurry to do my homework', and other 12-year-old attempts at deferring blame.
"I just don't believe the pencil 'fell' and made a hole!" I repeated.
Without hesitation, I told Brennan (rather sarcastically) that we should try to reenact the scenario. I went and got a freshly sharpened pencil, held it a foot over the lid, and dropped it.
Now there are two holes in the lid, a son telling me "I told you so", two other kids laughing hysterically, and I'm still not sure it was an accident.

Stuck

It was a beautiful summer day. The church next door was under construction, which made for a delightfully muddy place for little boys to ride their bikes. Through my kitchen window I watched my middle child (who has an inherent need to keep up with his brother) follow the elder through a large puddle. The muddy slop proved to be too much for the little bike which still had training wheels on it. The pedals were stopped precariously above the water level, which was halfway up the tires. To proceed out of the puddle would mean dipping a shoe in the water as the pedal turned. What happened next amazed me: my normally resourceful, very active, always filthy two-and-a-half year old just sat there. He would not leave the puddle for fear of getting his feet wet.
“Stuck!” was the cry.
“I stuck, Mom!”
“Stuck!”
Brother was inside almost immediately. “Mom! Tobey’s stuck in a puddle!”
“I’ll be right out” I told him, and as he went to report the good news to the stuck one, I went to find my camera. When I finally left the house to walk over to the puddle, I was amused to see that the free brother had hopped back on his bike and was gleefully riding around as if nothing was wrong. All the while his brother continued to yell.
“Hey! I stuck!”
“I stuck he-ah!”
“Hey Brennan! I stuck!”
So I took a few pictures of my child in the puddle, and then said to him “What are you going to do?”
“Help me!” he replied.
“You have to ride out yourself. I’m not going to get in the puddle with you.” I replied.
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can—just go!”
“I will get all wet.”
“It’s Ok; it’s just your shoes.”
“No!”
“Well, I’ll have to think about how I can help you without getting into the puddle with you.” I said.
For fifteen minutes I sat there looking like I was thinking of a solution, while he sat patiently in the muck. As he watched his brother ride around, I saw his level of frustration grow, and then, all of a sudden, he just started pedaling and rode right out. Not one word from him and he was back in action, wet feet and all.

I have been Tobey Stuck. I knew there was a way out of my puddle, but I chose to sit there because I didn’t want to get dirty.
I have been Brennan Riding. I have watched others get stuck, but knowing how to avoid the mess, stayed away and pretended not to see their dilemma.
I have been Brennan Helping. I have interceded in order to help someone else, seeking the wisdom of another, unable to provide help myself.
I have been Parent Observing. I have watched others get stuck, knowing there was a way out, and just watched and waited to see what they would do.
I have been Muddy Puddle. I have been a hang-up for someone looking to get somewhere, only to find me as a hurdle.
I have been Little Blue Bike. I have carried others into times of joy and great experiences, but also into tough times where we don’t move forward at all.

As you consider where your role might be in a situation like this, remember:
“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8.28, NIV)