Last year, their birthdays fell on the very first week of Covid stay-at-home orders in our state.

With two boys born three years apart on one day (count back nine months from April 4 and you’ll see that July 4 is a well-celebrated holiday in this formerly military household — just call us “patriotic” 😉), and with that day frequently falling over spring break, April 4 has become somewhat of a team holiday inside our home.

And spending Nos. 11 and 14 locked down with the ‘rents whose idea of fun was Life Skills Saturdays *probably* wasn’t on the top of their pre-teen and teen celebration plans. (Listen, we are firm believers that having uncool parents builds character. We’re in this for YOU, sons.)

This year, Superhero 1 and Superhero 2 turned 15 and 12 on Easter Day. And after a year filled with so many things Covid put to death last year (R.I.P. showers, makeup and anything that does not include stretchy pants), it felt almost symbolic that this day exactly one year after shut-down brought with it what feels like new life.

And a reflection of light not just at the end of the tunnel but, in hindsight, all THROUGH it.

Superheroes 1 and 2 ended their school years last year with 8th grade and 5th grade drive-through graduation parades and started high school and middle school at least partially virtually and in masks.

And although the world said it would be a throw-away year with a pandemic and educational restrictions our people had never seen, God, in all His grace, transformed Covid obstacles into the most beautiful opportunities for these two boys.

Creating the Cards for Comeback Campaign

(Warning: Cute and crafty moms create birthday scrapbooks for their kids. Magical and amazing mamas make these viral birthday videos. When your only skill in this life is stringing together way more sentences than necessary to communicate every detail of your child’s year, your kid’s birthday gift each year is a blog. Congratulations, superheroes. You won the geeky mom lottery. All those who did not birth, raise or finance these two *may* want to stop reading here. This is essentially the blog version of making strangers watch your vacation home videos. You’ve been warned.)

As an introvert, entering high school with reduced class sizes, rules about no talking and touching and a face covering to disguise socially awkward social reactions was essentially God’s personal gift to Superhero 1.

For two days per week, he attended class in person, and for three days per week, he learned virtually from home.

And with physical space and lots of margin to pursue his passions on his own terms, this self-motivated self-starter whose only two emotions include hunger and tiredness just THRIVED.

He completed his high school coursework, the Dave Ramsey financial class for high schoolers and a fifth-period Chinese class he added after school.

He spent his free time tackling online cooking classes (I would give my right arm for another tiramisu gelato class!), playing board games with his little brothers and practicing for the SAT that just qualified him to take community college classes early.

He bumped trumpet practice from one hour to two hours per day, and in February, he auditioned virtually for the All-District Concert Band.

After a devastating audition last year that kept him from even making the State Band as an 8th grader, this determined freshman, by God’s grace alone, secured the first chair seat for the 9th and 10th grade band that covers 18 counties in our state.

What’s more beautiful than his talent, however, is the way he has chosen to use it this year.

See the video HERE: https://youtu.be/Xij3R16Yjz0.

To play the National Anthem at his dad’s military retirement ceremony.

See the video HERE: https://youtu.be/sn3W_fsubb8.

To teach weekly lessons to our dear family friends.

And to compose his own version of “Amazing Grace” for his beloved student when this beginner needed an easier version of one of his favorite songs.

He’s been active in his youth group (who, this summer, rucked and hammocked 36 miles of the Appalachian Trail), taught guitar lessons at his little brother’s Wednesday co-op, helped lead the teen station at first semester’s Thursday friends co-op and wrapped up virtual driver’s ed (to which his little brother replied, “I don’t think it’s really safe to let a bunch of kids on the road who just attended a Zoom meeting.” Wise words, little Padawan. Wise words.).

This summer, his incredibly precious 8th grade Odyssey of the Mind team found out that they (shockingly) came in 2nd place in the WORLD in their virtual competition.

And of course, throughout it all, he’s been running.

Because his favorite sport is an outdoor individual event with no equipment or ball-passing, it was one of the first to open back up on a modified schedule in our state.

As a freshman, this sweet superhero who is FAR more stubborn than he is naturally gifted (Theis genes = running gifts times none) ran a new 5K trail PR of 17:03, earned a spot on the varsity cross country team alongside some of his favorite people in the world, placed 4th overall in his high school conference and was honored with this year’s Rookie of the Year award.

He also kicked Super-Spouse’s and my booties in the hilliest half marathon we have ever run, finishing with a time of 1:33 and earning this mama a second place overall finisher pottery prize.

One of the most beautiful things about this boy, however, is his servant’s heart.

Though he can be quiet and awkward and relationally a tiny bit (er, a lot bit) in the dark, he has by some miracle of Jesus made THE best three friends one could ever imagine at his high school. These kind, thoughtful, dedicated and motivated boys, all of whom have the sweetest hearts and constantly encourage one another in the most beautiful ways, “hang out” together by running.

Eight to ten miles on Saturday mornings.

Just for fun.

(This is clearly how this girl who couldn’t pass her middle school mile spent her free time with friends in high school also.)

They are delights, and I would take every one of them home with me forever if I could.

Because they, like this boy we are blessed to call our own, have the most beautiful servant’s hearts and are constantly helping and thanking and serving behind the scenes, both at their own homes and at ours.

I barely turn off my van before that teenager is in the driveway unloading it, and Superhero 1 cooks and cleans and babysits multiple days every week. This future hopeful orthopedic surgeon even stepped in to play medical assistant when Mom was about to yack as Super-Spouse removed Superhero 4’s stitches from his chin on our couch on Easter Day. (At-home PA for the win!)

He returned to school in-person five days per week last week, and I already lament my days at home without him.

Sushi searches and meal prep dates just aren’t the same without this kind, quiet, considerate kid by my side.

While “kind” and “considerate” are words that could describe Superhero 2 this year, “quiet” is absolutely, positively NOT.

This loquacious chatterbox whose love languages include physical touch and quality time in the form of quality conversation doesn’t know the meaning of silence. Or alone time. Or personal space. (All of which this touchy feely talker who gets the *best* 5 a.m. morning hugs from this sweet and snuggly guy will take every single day of the week!)

After Covid shut down his chances at five-days-per-week middle school, Superhero 2 begged us for a new kind of social opportunity — the seven-person co-op proposed by the precious (and very brave) parents of his 5th grade Odyssey of the Mind team.

So for the last eight months, this jolly, joyful superhero who loves words and people more than food and life has been enrolled in the all-virtual academy for his district. Three days and 28 hours per week, this social butterfly attends co-op days at three different houses with his six best friends. There, these bright and beautiful 6th graders sit side by side as they attend their four virtual class meetings every day and then enjoy lunch and recess and student-led P.E. TOGETHER.

Parents and grandparents and aunts and various volunteers teach Spanish and robotics and art and band. Their book club meets on Mondays, their quarterly service project planning team on Wednesdays. And between writing class and student passion presentations and bridge building lessons and plant biology experiments, they build and launch rockets and construct skateboard swings over creeks.

This week, three of these adorable and creative kiddos sent me a rap about rock types they wrote, shot and edited on spring break, just for fun.

And constantly, they send ALL of us parents pictures of and PowerPoint presentations ABOUT dogs.

Because if there is one thing these seven best friends love as much as each other it is their animals.

Superhero 2, the future vet, has definitely found his people.

Earlier this year, the co-op kids helped this compassionate boy write his pitch for adopting Ruth, the deaf and blind dog in need of a home in our area. (Superhero 2 kindly made me a “Baby Ruth” chocolate dog to emotionally manipulate me into pursuing this baby he stalked for weeks on Petfinder.)

And last week, they collectively helped him put together his ONE-HOUR PowerPoint presentation and pitch for Otis, the wheelchair-bound husky who requires his bladder to be hand expressed three to four times per day to be continent.

(Let’s just discuss how PAINFUL it was to explain to this huge-hearted kiddo that, although these canine lives were beautiful and valuable and precious to him and to God and that WE LOVED his heart to run to the forgotten ones, we prayerfully needed to prioritize the physical and medical needs of the HUMAN life inside our home at this time. And this girl didn’t have the stomach or the margin to hand-express a bladder three times per day once he returned to school next fall.)

Thankfully, these animal lovers were able to channel their creative energy into something other than guilting their parents into adopting shelter dogs with names like Casserole and Bobby Bones, and they ran a drive this spring that raised an entire van full of pet supplies for their local animal shelter.

Besides running, hiking, playing with and spending as many hours as possible of each day beside the six kids who really do form this rare and beautiful co-ed friend group, Superhero 2 still loves the same things he always has: tae kwon do, reading, camping, baths and onesies.

He tested for and received his second-degree black belt this year, placed in the Top 10 in his geographic region for tournament points and placed first in forms, bo staff and sparring at his last tournament in February. (Confession: This may or may not be an easy feat when you are literally the ONLY participant in your age and division for two of three events.)

See the video HERE: https://youtu.be/ul9oGTw2CjQ.

This motivated and enthusiastic guy who loves little kids continues to both teach and train at his studio four to six hours per week, and his dream is to earn his fourth-degree black belt before he leaves for college.

His latest endeavor is adding gymnastic elements to his forms and routines, something spurred on by the three co-op girls who taught him to do a hand stand and continually teach him new tricks on his favorite at-home toy, the trampoline.

When he’s not jumping, he’s 100 percent in one of three favorite fluffy onesies snuggled under his favorite blanket reading. (Because, as Super-Spouse says, Superhero 2 just likes to be soft and warm, something that is well known by all six of his best co-op friends, who attended his trampoline park birthday bash this weekend and gifted him both book gift certificates and Christmas Story onesies. There are zero things more appropriate or better adored by this birthday-falls-on-Easter-this-year boy than a pink bunny onesie.)

Last spring break, he finished War and Peace. And this year, he tackled the entire middle school Battle of the Books list, which secured him a place on the middle school team. (This team competed virtually and placed first last week in our district!)

In his free time, he plays the clarinet (thank God for Grandma band directors during Covid), practices Spanish on DuoLingo (ALL the co-op kids have already surpassed my Level 1 college knowledge), snuggles with Alaska, researches homeless dogs (like all normal children), plans outdoor camping adventures or plays board games with his brothers.

See the video HERE: https://youtu.be/s6hSbb3XVtI.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, while the other kiddos are at school and he doesn’t have co-op, he and I run two to three miles at the local park and, one day per week, grab bagels and smoothies at a local coffee shop afterward.

Although he is clear that he doesn’t love running, this sweet and sentimental superhero told me last week that he’s so thankful we do it anyway.

“When I come back home from college someday, this is what I want to do with you, Mom. Go on a run and come to OUR coffee shop together.”

Though those pre-teen hormones can on some days be a doozy, this passionate, compassionate, bold and beautiful little lover who asked me this summer to take him on a Mama-son road trip to an island, just the two of us, melts my heart a million times per day.

I don’t know what this year holds for these sweet superheroes, and I can’t even imagine having TWO teenagers at this time next year.

(Old. This makes me so OLD. And broke. Because THIS is the menu they designed for their Easter birthday day BEFORE they were both ravenous teenagers who would eat their own hands if they didn’t have full access to Thanksgiving-sized meals multiple times per day. Good thing we asked them to cross off SEVEN ITEMS before actually preparing the brunch that took up the entire island.)