Monday, May 30, 2005

Super Sophie!

Sophie has been discovering her inner super-hero lately. She finds various thing that work well as super hero props--jump ropes, old hats, towels, whatever. Then she costumes herself and tears around the house rescuing people and things.

I like to ask people what super power they would have if they could choose one. I love how some people--men usually--have already given this most important question some extensive thought. They tell me their answer in all seriousness, explaining why they went with whatever particular power over another. Others just say--"Oh--flying," without even taking a minute to think.

My super power would be telekinesis. No question. I could sit on the couch and clean the house. I could grab Sophie from across the room before she whacks her head into something. I explained to a friend that I could also fly, because I could just sit in a chair and move the chair around. This friend--who by the way has given his super power much thought--scoffed and said--"Yea--but then you'd be a super hero who flies around in a chair. That's not cool." OK then--I'll fly myself around on a rug--or a Harley.

Erik, my husband, after a lifetime of weighing pro's and con's of various super powers has finally settled on shape-shifting. This isn't a bad choice. You can fly as a bird--swim like a fish--run like a leopard. Or--in a pinch, if someone gives you flowers and you can't find a vase--voila--you become one!

My mother has chosen mind control. She didn't want to admit this. When I asked her what super power she would choose, she said, "Well, I think I'd like people to want to do what I want them to do." "Oh," I said, "Mind control." "No," she answered "not mind control. I just want people to want to do what I want them to do." Yea--mind control.

Generally, toward the beginning of the school year, I ask my students to write for me about what super-power they would choose. Because the majority of my kids are teenage boys, I get a lot of invisibility and x-ray vision. My favorite answer thus far is "cheese-vision." The ability to turn anything into cheese by looking at it.

So here's your invitation. What super-power would you choose if you could only choose one? (No cheating patrice!) You can go with a traditional power like super strength or flight, or make up your own--like cheese vision or the power to flip fried eggs perfectly.

Today's best thing about being a mom:
Pop-tarts

Today's worst thing about being a mom:
Potty-training

6 comments:

amandak said...

Super Soph to the rescue!! That rocks. She and Zach are going to have SO much fun playing. Only a week and a half and I'll BE THERE! I CAN'T WAIT!!

hazel said...

that's so cute about sophie. trent went through a phase where he wore a cape all the time - around the house, to daycare, to the store - and I miss those times.

superpower. hm. because I am way too greedy, I'd want the power to conjure up any superpower I wanted. is that legal? I'd be super superwoman.

Missuz J said...

That's totally cheating.

MC said...

I would like to be able to look into the future and see everything that was going to happen to me so that I could know that it is, in fact, all going to be okay. I would still be willing to go through all the steps to move toward the future...but I would feel much less anxiety because I would know what was going to happen. So what's that...ESP? I know that life would be a little less fun this way, but I think I would feel way more grounded.

NME said...

I think I'm with your mom. I want mind control. That way you don't have to do everything yourself - you can make others do it or stop doing it. You don't have to foil a bank robbery - just make the robber give up. And I could even use it on the president! Now that would be sweet.

Katy said...

I'm with you on the telekenesis...wow that's a hard word...ANYWAY! doesn't mom already have the mind control power, or does reverse psychology and guilt trips not count??