A Famous Norwegian

My oldest had to pick an early explorer but he wanted something no one else would have picked because everyone was picking Christopher Columbus or Marco Polo. If you had the same as someone else you could pair up as a group. He said he did not want to pair up with anyone. He gets that from his mom ~I hated group projects because we don't like to leave things up to other people and I guess Braedyn feels the same way. He had a similar experience to mine where someone took all the credit. He doesn't really like the "group" projects.  The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

So I asked him if he had heard of Leif Ericson and of course he had not but he may have if we were still in Minnesota! There is even a statue of him in near the capitol. I told him him he should research that explorer because our families heritage is Norwegian and he was a famous Norse Explorer. He was intrigued. So we got home and he went into his room to start his research. I was proud of him he was learning not only of just any early explorer but someone from history and his heritage. These days things like this are lost. He thought the coolest part was that he was a viking and he came to America before Christopher Columbus!

I was proud of him and he is going to tell his teacher today who he picked and I am anxious to hear what she says...and if she had heard of him. 

We were discussing how we are Norwegian because Grandpa Jacobson's parents came to the United States from Norway and there is still family there and my relatives were also Norwegian. At our breakfast table this is what happens every day I am just used of it~A simple discussion turns into a competition...

He says, "Well I am more Norwegian than you because I have blue eyes and blonde hair and I play hockey"... That kid! Everything has to be a competition or an argument.  Hmmm I wonder where he gets this from!

So I replied, "Cooper you may look like you are Norwegian but your brothers are too and you are also German and French.

So we had a little history lesson at the breakfast table this morning before heading out the door...

It's always nice to know where you come from and kids are most curious about this I am learning as they get older. I remember when I was in elementary school I found a family tree book at my Grandma Nelson's. I found it very interesting to page through it all the way back to the ships that came to America. Knowing where we came from gives us an identity. I guess this is my job because unfortunately they don't get to go and spend all summer hanging at grandma and grandpa's house sitting on the porch chatting away the day or digging through old picture/story books. Those were summer's I treasure and I still remember. These days families are spread out more and moving around and away from each other. We move to where the best opportunity is for the family. We don't love each other any less and we have to make that effort to keep the families close. It is a part of who we are...