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From Batman & Robin to Cole & Kai

From Batman & Robin to Cole & Kai             

           Both boys have been interested in a lot of things since they are babies (maybe since they were inside the womb, writing this post reminds me of all the kicking and twirling). They can't just sit still, they always have to touch, smell, look closer, taste, ask questions, learn more, and I think this is also why we choose to unschool. We saw how they are naturally curious and their sense of wonder and imagination is way beyond classroom walls.  However, with all the wonderful and exciting things around them, there are a couple of things that stand out, that matter to them more, and that they feel are more relevant than others. 

              A week or two ago, we still had Batman, Robin, Spider-man, and other DC and Marvel superheroes on the kids' bedroom wall (which I think ONLY serves as their gallery, we co-sleep). Oh, how they would sit quietly drawing pictures or researching in Youtube/Piinterest after their evening bath! They would wear costumes and masks, role play, have us read comic books to them, collect and play action figures with each other or with friends. They would ask tons of questions about the characters, the stories, the changes/evolution in different movies, and more than what we can, sometimes, handle. I love how they are passionate about their interests and we feel fortunate that we have the opportunity to let our kids follow them. They might not make sense to us (parents), but we trust our children and we believe that they should be allowed to find meaning in their own ways. Their birthday parties had superhero themes too! (We let them decide on that and guide them with the details.) Adam had carnival games for his Robin 5th birthday and for James' 7th birthday, he wanted a Batman tea party. 
           However, a transition, interest-wise, is happening. James changed his birthday plan for the second time (after a "Movie Club" theme). Lately, he's been asking if he could have Ninjago masks and Japanese food for his birthday. I've also been printing Ninjago colorpages for the boys and their friends. Yesterday, just for the sake of making them feel special, we initiated a one-and-a-half  hour trip to buy Nijago toys. If I can only take a picture of the look on their faces when daddy announced the news, it was priceless! We even teased them "Ayeeeee, excited.." and they cannot hide their happiness. As a bonus, we passed by a 5D mini movie theatre and tried it because it's cheap and they had a buy- one-take-one ticket deal. 

           Our hearts were filled with so much happiness and the boys expressed how much they enjoyed the day and thanked us repeatedly. I hope we can do this as often as we want to. These are tiny "gifts" that we give or share with our children without any reason, with no strings attached, not as rewards for good behavior, but just mere expressions of how much we value them just for being who they are, just for being part of our lives. 

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