akiland

Elliot wanted a very specific wizard’s cloak for his birthday, even though I explained it was sized for adults. He asked for it for weeks.

He opened the present. I helped him put it on. He insisted he could create magic with it, but in the dark. We went into the bathroom and turned out the lights. He said there were magic words we needed to say (a spell). We tried a few things. nothing happened.

Then he thought we should try with some light, like a light stick. He calls them glow sticks.

We got a blue one and went back into the darkness to repeat the attempt.

After a while, we emerged and he removed the robe. We’d try again later.

He did not seem crushed or upset or phased at all.

It was so precious to experience this together; to experience my child’s innocence first-hand.

Elliot came over with Max and Karolina for a fire outside before Max and I went to see Kraftwerk.

He said, “I wanted to do the fire because I really wanted to see you.” I felt so good and hugged him.

Then he told me it can be hard living in Karolina’s apartment sometimes because it is small. He likes our house.

Miss Michael (Hebrew teacher) came on later.

Elliot: “You know what I’d do if I was in the 1980s? I’d beat up all your bullies.”

Hello Rebecca, Kate, and Anna,

I am looking for your advice.

It was very difficult to get Elliot to school this morning. First he complained of a headache, but after we talked for a while, he began to cry while sitting in my lap.

Elliot said he did not want to go to school because of recess. Some kids at recess ask him to play soccer and, although he likes soccer, he doesn’t always want to play it. He wants to do other things. When he tells the children “no” or “I don’t want to play right now”, they call him names, make fun of him, or generally make him uncomfortable. According to Elliot, they need so many kids in order to play soccer, so when Elliot says no, it’s more difficult for them to play or they can’t play at all (I’m not sure) because there’s no quorum.

Together we made a “worry box” with some minimal decorations, wrote down his worries, and put them away in the box. I also encouraged him to stick up for himself, to tell teachers if someone was calling him names, and that ultimately it is his choice whether he wants other children to spoil his day or not. I did not want to lecture so this was very subtle, maybe too subtle.

I am not sure if any it helped. I feel like it didn’t have much impact. Needless to say, he was late because of this emotional coaching.

Eventually, I told him that I expect him to go to school and, through tears, he very reluctantly went into the car.

This situation came up once before, maybe two weeks ago. I don’t know what else to do and would appreciate any advice you could give. Perhaps there isn’t anything else I should do. I know that navigating these kinds of relationships is part of growing up.

Thank you,
Eric
cc: Karolina

“i wish my whole family was still alive. So I could taste Grandpa Ben’s banana pancakes. And Grandma Renee’s meatballs.” I wanted to cry. Elliot asks me to cook them for him. I want to do it every day.

This is difficult for me to write.

Elliot and I have been watching “The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams” TV series. I watched it when I was age 6, 7, 8 and fell in love with it. Adams was my idol for many years, and I wanted to grow up and live in the Colorado wilderness in a log cabin with animals.

Elliot cries when the the opening song, “Maybe” by Thom Pace, comes on. He asks me about the song’s lyrics all the time. “Is that true, daddy? Is there a door into another land inside the forest?”

At first it was gentle tears. But yesterday, Elliot cried with full bawling and sobbing. When I asked him what is wrong he said, “It’s so beautiful.” I hugged him and held him so close.

We listen to “Maybe” on the Spotify, too. And he cries very loudly.

He did it again tonight (April 9, 2025). Cried hysterically. “It’s about beauty,” he says through the tears. I hug him hard and hold his hand.

“That whole song is about the beauty of nature,” as he sobs. “I cry because it’s so beautiful. If God didn’t create nature, I wouldn’t cry.”

I hug him. I tell him how special he is, that he appreciates nature. He says he was born with it and that Gabe doesn’t appreciate nature. He tells me that he doesn’t think he wants to be indoors playing video games; he wants to be outside in nature.

I tell him he is a wonder, and that I’m so lucky to be in his life. I’m thrilled that he has found music that stirs big feelings, and I tell him so. This is the beauty of music. I’m not sure he agrees with me — he says it is the beauty of nature that is making him cry.

Then he says this song is more special than John Denver or “Time in a Bottle” (Jim Croce).

I am overjoyed to have such a sensitive son who cries over the beauty of a song.

Hello,

It’s been such a pleasure to teach Elliot—he brings so much enthusiasm to art class! We recently worked on watercolor paintings that express emotions, and Elliot created a wonderful painting. This activity helps students develop an understanding of how artists use color and expression to tell stories. I’m excited to see his next masterpiece!

Best Regards,

—
Rose Lucas
Lower Division Art Specialist
Denver Jewish Day School
2450 S. Wabash Street, Denver, CO, 80231
rlucas@denverjds.org

Elliot was so happy to bring Grendel in the car ride to school. We did this once before when he was in Kindergarten. I sent these photos to his teachers and they shared with the class.

We met Emily and Raymond Saft at Wings Over the Rockies. Emily is Elliot’s first girlfriend.

After a couple of hours, Emily said she was hungry. Elliot asked me for the car keys. I kept putting him off, I thought he’d might lose them or misplace them. But he was very persistent. Eventually i agreed to open the car door with the remote control from the museum front door.

He ran to the car and brought back a loaf of challah bread and piñon nuts for Emily to eat.

He’s only 6 and so kind, so thoughtful of others. I can’t stop thinking about it. I’m so proud of who he is.

A few weeks ago Elliot asked if he could be friends with my friends when he’s a grown-up. He likes spending time with them – Zev, Sagi, Eric Morrison, Michael White, and the rest.

This picture is from November 21, 2024 in Cisco, Utah – the partial ghost-town. He is imitating the Distant Early Warning video by Rush, which he likes a lot.

Age 6. Uranium glass at the Leadville Antique Store. Elliot used the new radiation detector for the first time!

He likes to color eggs with a black sharpie and put them in Grendel’s bed. Then Grendel sleeps on it. He’s done this many times. Soup that he cooked for me. This is the 2nd soup he’s made for me.

“What was the furniture like in the 1980s?”

“Can you tell me what candy you had in the 1980s?”

“what music did they play when you went roller skating in the 1980s? What songs?”

“What cereals did you have in the 1980s? Did the fruit loops have blue?” He says he remembers me telling him there were no blue m&m’s.

“Which kind of stuffies did you have in the 1980s?”

“Did restaurants have video games in the 1980s?” ( we are in the pizza parlor with a few. I told him I live getting pizza and playing video games. Most of theme pizza parlors had some games. Even the 7-11!

“Did you have jeeps in the 1980s?” My answer: Yes, but they only had two doors.

“I wish I lived in the 1980s.” He mentions wanting to see me as a kid.

“I can’t believe you were alive in the 1980s and you’re alive now! Is it because you eat healthy food?”

“Did you like your childhood in the 1980s?”

He asks me a lot about roller skating. What was the music? What did I do? Did I skate with girls?

“What toys did you have in your house in the 1980s?”