Everyday Superkid

We first realized our little Beau had super powers when he started walking at nine months of age. It wasn’t but a few weeks before that he was kicking a soccer ball across Central Park, and racing a scooter down the ramps at our building’s community complex. He had a little ride-on ladybug that didn’t have any brakes on it, and as tricky as it was to control, Beau was skilled enough for us to feel comfortable letting him ride down Park Avenue while we ran after him. He almost has an extra sense, one that allows him to assess his personal equilibrium at a heightened state and push his physical limits without ever really injuring himself. He loves all sports with a special energetic gusto, but his personal favorite activity is playing Make Believe and fighting bad guys with his magic.

We don’t leave the house without at least two capes. Every errand or school day counts as an opportunity to defeat the opposition. Beau’s energy is well managed if it’s channeled properly, and that’s one of the most important traits about his personality that we sincerely needed to understand. He’s four years old, and there are battles that I choose not to fight any more especially if it means that the spirit inside of him is harnessed and even remotely deflated. I don’t want to change who he is, I want to celebrate what makes him the lively, hilarious, exhausting, loving wonder that makes him special, and what his light brings to our lives. It’s not always easy-in fact, most times it’s downright impossible-but we’re still learning together. I’m deliberate about what messaging I allow into his life, and how to make sure he understands when some things are and are not appropriate. With the new Captain America Civil War movie coming out, we won’t be seeing it any time soon, but Beau understands that Iron Man and Captain America are superheroes and that’s enough for him to want to assume those roles and what they mean to him.

Playing with his siblings is something Beau spends most of his days doing, and that’s not limited to his human family. Theo often gets into the mix and different storylines. so when Target sent over a couple of boxes of Captain America Civil War gear, Beau didn’t waste any time handing out costumes to Jack, Zoe, Evangeline and even Theo. We had an entire cast in our backyard at one point, complete with “scripted” parts and full blown superhero attire and accessories. For a week straight, Beau dressed up as various different characters that brought out his colorful, active imagination (not limited to home use, he snuck a few in to school, too).

One of the best parts about parenthood is watching them develop their personalities and creative ideas. Beau often seems like he was handed more than his share in terms of energy, personality. humor, emotion and even personal strength. He’s as much of a lover as he is a wild man, and I couldn’t adore those traits about him more, even though they get the best of me most days. Watching as he develops relationships with his big brother and sister as well as his baby sister and, of course, his puppy-best friend, is gloriously entertaining and special. It’s so much fun to see how different toys and costumes bring those things to life in different ways, and how his imagination needs no prompting, just some fun props.

Take home Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War with toys, gear & more at Target.

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