super heroes

I don't remember being too involved with super heroes when I was young, but I do remember loving my Wonder Woman underoos! Truth be told, I really wanted Super Girl because Super Girl had the bra type top and Wonder Woman's was just an undershirt. Alas, I guess I'm more the Wonder Woman type anyway! I loved Lynda Carter's outfit on tv though. Wow, those bracelets would be handy even in 2008! And the head band, I could definitely use that boomerang effect when one of my kids takes off on me at the library or the mall. That would sure garner some attention!

On those days when I get laundry done, cook supper, play a game with the kids, read library books and shower I do feel like Super Mom, I don't think that's the kind of super hero my boys really mean when they play super heroes.

The idea of super heroes comes up often in our conversations, which occur mostly in the van as we drive from preschool to the library or the grocery store.
"Mama?"
"Yeah G?"
"Can I be Spider Man when I grow up?"
"Sure, you can be anything you want." I didn't have the heart to tell him that Spider Man is just pretend.
"But Mama?"
"Yeah G?"
"Who will make my outfit?"
"Ummmm....I don't know."
pause pause pause
"I know! Grammie can make it for me!"
"Yeah," I say, "Grammie can probably do that."
pause pause pause
"But how will she make it so I can shoot webs?"
"Ummm...I'm not sure buddy."
"Oh, okay."
pause pause pause
"Mama?"
"Yeah G?"
"Good thing Grammie can sew!"
"Yeah G, that's for sure!"

Other conversations center around what super hero each family member is going to grow up to be. Gabe used to say Spider Man, now he's on to Bat Man. Ben says he wants to be Super Man. The boys say Lyndee's going to be Spider Girl and currently I am going to be Spider Mommy. Sometimes Ben likes to argue about super heroes.
"I'm going to be Supa Man. But he's not a supa hewo."
"Yes, he is a super hero, Ben," both Gabe and I say.
"NO HE NOT A SUPA HEWO!" Ben says vehemently.
"Uhhnnnngggg....Yes he is Ben," Gabe groans.
"NO HE ISN'T!" Ben bellows.
This goes back and forth for at least a couple of blocks until I finally relent and say, "Okay Ben, we're not going to argue with you. You're right, he isn't a super hero. Whatever you say."
pause pause pause
"Mommy?" says Ben.
"Yeah B?"
"You mad?"
pause pause pause, pull the van over, park, unlock doors, get out, open driver's side van door....."No honey, Mommy's not mad. Spider Mommy doesn't get mad. She's a super hero."
I get back in the van, start driving again.
Ben whispers, "Spida Mommy NOT a supa hewo."
Sigh......

Mostly though, our super hero experiences center around the Spider Man costumes the boys wore for Halloween....and November 1-30, and December 1-31, etc. you get the picture. Honestly, I had to hide the costumes for a few days so that I could actually go somewhere without being two Spider Men in tow. Seriously, Spider Men went to Wal Mart, Sam's Club, Mom's group at church, the library, Hy Vee, the elementary school, play dates, and one day, almost to Sunday worship. On that day, I had to decide. Okay, what is my goal here? Is it to get to church or is it to have my kid dressed in a normal outfit? Fortunately, Ben relented and we actually accomplished both.

After a February hiatus away from the costumes (I think they were in the laundry for most of the month) March came and now they've added a twist to the whole Spider Man theme. Now, the boys want to be Peter Parker. Or Peta Pawka as they both say. Now, they wear their clothes OVER the costumes, waltz in to wherever I am and say, "Hi Mommy, I'm Peta Pawka." Then they speed to the kitchen and closing the pocket doors scream, "Don't come in the kitchen!" Then a few minutes later, one or both of them emerge and saunter up to me, waiting for me to notice the costume.
"OH! Hi Spider Man!"
"I'm Spider Man, did you see any bad guys?"
"Yeah, I think they went that way." I point down the hall. They run down to their room, turn around and run back.
"I got the bad guys!"
"Wow, thanks Spider Men!"
"Okay, bye!" They wave and exit back to the kitchen. Gabe gets his clothes back on and attempts to help Ben get his back on too. They saunter back out and say, "Hi, we're Peta Pawka again." And so it goes until they get tired of changing over and over.

One day, we went walking around the block and Gabe was Peter Parker with his costume underneath his clothes. You have to know that these costumes have built in padded chest and arm muscles so he looks pretty buff as he scooters around the block. He got a little ahead of me as we went down the hill and disappeared from my sight as I struggled a little with 3 other kids in the double stroller. I rounded the corner and there was Spider Man, err, Peter Parker sprawled on the ground. He slowly got up and tearfully announced that he wasn't going to scooter anymore. I was personally very thankful on that day for those built in muscles. If it wasn't for them, I'm afraid, I would have had some more serious injuries to deal with! I highly recommend full body padding to anyone who has a kid with a scooter!

Last but not least in our Spider Man experience, we went to Build a Bear a the Mega Mall a few days ago. Auntie K and Uncle S wanted to get the kids a present and since we had just eaten at the Rainforest Cafe, Gabe chose a monkey and Ben chose a gorilla. Once the animals were stuffed with hearts inside and sewn up, they got to pick out outfits for them. Of course, they picked out the miniature Spider Men costumes. Both of them. Then they got to print birth certificates for the animals. Now what superheroes inhabit our house? You guessed it, Spider Monkey and Spider Gorilla. What a trend. Well, it's definitely a trend this Spider Mommy can handle. I'll take super hero kids any day!