A Pair of True Super Heroes

Saturday afternoon the kids went outside to play. Aiden came back in within minutes to ask if he could dress up. Of course Dawson was right behind him and, after "caping" them, off they flew to save the girls from…whatever.

Cries of, "I'M SU-PER-MAN!" and "I'm BATMAN!" echoed through the yard. Arms were out. Capes were flying. They weren't exactly sure who needed saving but they were certain that whoever it was, they could help.

Today when they asked what was on the agenda, laundry was on the list. Aiden, who has become the resident “go to” BIG man of the house, begged to help. And, you guessed it, Dawson did too.

I find it funny that I can hold up helping with the laundry as a reward these days. Although it continues to surprise me, I've made a conscious effort to tap into this early desire to help. They help with the vacuuming, the cooking, and the laundry. I'm dreaming that somehow it will instill these good habits throughout life. Maybe even one day, a daughter-in-law might thank me.

Of course it always doubles the time of the task to have two extra sets of hands chipping in but, most days, I make the decision that this is my job, it's educational, and it's worth the extra effort.

We gathered the laundry from each room and dumped all the clothes in a big pile. We had a race to see who could find the most white items and throw them in the brown basket. Then the colored items were tossed in the blue basket. Believe it or not they were having a blast.

Next the two of them carried the basket into the laundry room. I sat them on the corners of the washing machine and let them dump the clothes into it. They sat there with the lid up so they could watch it agitate a few times. This provided another lesson about full, turning, and how the clothes get clean. As soon as the buzzer went off, they ran to help put the clothes in the dryer and put the second load into the washer.

They were happy and proud. The clothes were clean. They were learning. And, most importantly, we were making a memory - together.

Then it dawned on me. They may not have been wearing their capes, but they found someone to save today.

One day boys, when you're much older, I'm going to pull this out and talk to you about being a true hero.