#42

David and I had season tickets to ASU football when we were first married. We had the opportunity of watching ASU in some of their best years. We went to Pasadena California and watched them play the Rose Bowl game in 1997. We watched Pat Tillman play in all his ASU greatness! We were huge Pat Tillman fans! When Pat was drafted by the Cardinals of course we were happy. And after 9/11 when he turned down a huge contract to enlist in the military we were shocked... sort of! It's not like it was out of character for him just so unlike most professional athletes. I was worried for him! But of course I'm a girl, a wife and a mother and the thought of war and one of my own having to go into battle frightens me to the core! And then to hear the news that Pat Tillman had lost his life in battle was devastating! I felt so bad for his wife and for his mother. For all who would miss him! And then to find out that he died of friendly fire was like putting a little salt in the wound. It was so sad! Pat Tillman was a good man!
Now that we have children playing sports we have encouraged them to get #42 if it's available. They don't know who Pat is but they know that we liked Pat and want to represent his number. It's kind of a funny thing when you think about it. But you know how sports fans are... They are kind of funny that way!

In the 3rd grade the biggest project of the year is the wax museum. The wax museum is where the student picks someone in history who has made a difference and they do a report on them. You know like, Abraham Lincoln or the Wright Brothers. They make a poster about them and then they dress up like their person and do an oral presentation speaking in 1st person as if they were that person telling about their life. And then finally the entire 3rd grade is in the wax museum. At the wax museum their poster is displayed and they stand next to it in costume and act as though they were made of wax standing completely still. All the parents and the student body then tour the wax museum.

Carsten wanted to be Harvey Unga who played football for BYU. He told us that there were other kids being Jimmer Fredette who played basketball for BYU this year. David and I were kind of confused by this because these weren't people who have made a difference in history, they were more like sport heroes. We encouraged Carsten to be Pat Tillman because he was a sports hero yet he was also someone who made a difference in the world. He was an example to us all. Carsten agreed and the project was on it's way!

When I went to the school to see Carsten give his oral report I noticed that his teacher kept referring to their person as their hero. So maybe I just didn't get the "HERO" memo of the assignment. I'm glad Carsten did his report on Pat Tillman though because Pat isn't someone everyone is familiar with here in Utah. Everyone was able to learn something new including Carsten.

David and I both went to the school for the wax museum and Carsten was so NOT into it! He was sitting on the ground next to his poster acting bored! We insisted that he stand and act as wax. He stood up and just stood there. WOW! Quite the actor we've got on our hands!

We used electrical tape to change the ASU uniform number from 12 to 42 and to put Tillman's name on it. It turned out pretty good! Carsten's poster looks a little as if his mom did it! But Carsten did help a little! He helped tape it all together. The funny thing is that one day when I was at the school, Carsten's teacher came up to me holding another students poster and said, "This is your competition! This is what one of the other mothers have done!" And then went on to explain how this assignment was really big and probably too big for the kids to do on their own. He was encouraging the parents to really help out! I got the message loud and clear and so did Carsten! He pretty well insisted that we help. So I hope that somewhere along the way he really did learn something!