Several years ago Emily, my wonderful sister, gave me a T-Shirt that said across the chest
"Mr. Fantastic." If I remember the story line correctly it was Emily's way of telling me to cheer-up and to feel good about my self.
A little while after that gift I met my future wife (awkwardly of course, where after about 10 trips to a drinking fountain at Stone Gardens I mustered the courage to say, "Hi I'm Josh").
When I knew Laura was the gal I wanted to be with forever, I decided to propose to her using a T-Shirt that read
"Mrs. Fantastic." This was the day after I had to convince Laura I was not going to propose to her just so she would be surprised, to say the least when I presented the shirt Laura was a bit confused.
As our family moved to the East Coast the "Fantastic" remained a constant theme in our lives. When Laura announced to me that we were expecting our first child she had another shirt made for me that read
"Fantastic Father."
Given this theme, and just a week away from Emily's Birthday I figured this would be a good way to announce the new installment of the Fantastic Family line....
The Fantastic Four!
If you indulge me I will now geek out a bit and take this way too far.
Mr. Fantastic.....Laura, in our family aka Mrs. Fantastic is the leader, and like her Male counterpart she has the power to stretch and bend with everything that life throws her way. She can be everywhere at any given moment, holding babies, toddlers, groceries, barking dogs, and the cat by the scruff of the neck, all the while she is with another hand working on a computer doing research for work, paying our bills, doing our taxes, and finding amazing coupons to save us a few bucks. I don't know how she does it and I love her all the more for it.
Invisible Woman...Alma, in our family aka Alma Fantastic, like her female counterpart has a tendency to at first be very quite and almost invisible in room that is new to her. She will observe things, get a feel for them, and then immerse herself confidently. She also has a power...those big blue eyes that pierce through everything, I'm a sucker for them. From her love of Motorcycles to her desire to wear a "party-dress" and dance most days. She is both beauty and power bound into one wonderful person. Alma is also an amazing big sister. Alma sings to him, gives him toys, "reads" to him, includes him in conversations, kisses his head and simply cherishes him.
Human Torch.....Baby James aka Baby Fantastic. Of what we know of James' personality he does not hide how he is feeling. If he is happy you get one of the most wonderful smiles either wide open mouth or just one cheek popped up. If he is upset or uncomfortable he let's us know, turning fire red he belts it out and this boy has some lungs. Like the Human Torch he is the little brother of the Invisible woman, and James could not adore Alma any more. When James gets in a frustrated mood, nothing calms the flames like his big sister singing the alphabet, it is beautiful to watch how much they have already bonded.
The Thing....Me, aka Mr. Fantastic for our family. Anyone who has spent more than 2 full days with me knows that inside I'm just a hairy, sweaty, kid who will always wish he had super human strength. Like my counterpart I can be a bit grumpy and a bit of a downer, but after an intense physical exertion I can usually get my head on straight. Beneath my sighs and the classic Chisholm scowl (furrowed brow) I'm a loveable guy, who just wants to be a superhero to take care of and be with all those I love and cherish.
I love you all family and friends so much!
