Sunday, January 29, 2017

More letter to kids

Dear Sammy,

It sure is easy to love you. Your mom is on a cruise so it is  just me with you and your siblings

Last night you woke at 945. I went in and fed you a bottle. Just you and me, you were such a happy guy. I fed you a bottle. And you just sat on my lap smiling. It made my heart happy  

Right now I'm in church and you are asleep in the stroller. 

Love you buddy!
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Dear Amythest,

You are going to give me trouble in a couple of years. I know this because you are trouble now. But you're the cute kind of trouble. You have a snarky littl grimace when you're trying to be a stinker. 
 
That is the look of sassy. No one ever needs to be telepathic around you. Your face tells all!!!

Also. You're funny. This is an interchange between you and your mom. 

Me to Tessa : you are a princess and I love you. 
Tessa to me: I hate princesses. 
Me to Tessa: what are you then?
Tessa to me: a warrior. 
😂😂
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Dear Emmy. 

I love you. You're so funny. You're the only one that lets me get you dressed and ready for church. Last night I put you to bed. You asked if it would be cold. I gave you footed pajamas, and two blankets. You came down this morning and said, "Dad, the two blankets and pajamas were not warm enough! I was so cold!" Then giddily you added, "But when I went out into the hall this morning, it was so warm it felt like a hug!"

Silly girl. 

You make me laugh. 
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Dear Dora,

You should know that you have a way of getting other people to do what you want. Sometimes they are happy about it. Other times. Not so much. I am pretty proud of you. No one pays as much attention to those around her as you. 

Also. I got to watch you play basketball. I had no idea you were so much taller than the other kids your age. It makes me proud. But we need to work on your ball handling skills. 
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Dear Eli. 

I hope you don't make honors choir. That's way too much work. I'm proud of you for wanting to do this. I'm also proud of you playing basketball and wanting to do school politics. I don't worry too much about your ability to get a good job in the future. You enjoy learning enough you should be ok. 

We need to work on your basketball skills. And I love how willing to learn you are. 

Sunday, January 22, 2017

Basketball, Chicks, and a Fire

So. We have been looking forward to getting chickens again. There is something about the little birds that is entertaining. They are funny. They explore with their mouths. Kinda funny to watch them peck the walls of cardboard. My kids are so entertained. Better than an IPad or tv. The bobbing and pecking is almost hypnotic. 
    
So. Eli and Dora are in Basketball with Faith school. It's really fun to watch the chaos. Both are the tallest kids on the field. What I think is the neatest is that the kids get awards at the end of each game for most Christlike. I'm excited for them to like basketball and to be learning how to play.     
So we went to Colin's birthday party. I got a prompting to take Sammy home. I got home and found the chicks box and sawdust on fire. I put it out and fortunately they all lived and our house didn't burn down. We have upgraded the chicken accommodations. 
 

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

New Years 2017

 So New Year's Eve my family came down to celebrate. We went out to dinner at the pumphouse. It was really fun. Kids had a great time. Bridget didn't sleep much but we got to have a fun celebration. 

I was so happy to see them all.        

Monday, January 2, 2017

letters to kids IV

Dear Eli,

I have been working way too much. I usually say that, yet I haven't found a money tree, if you could grow me one that would be great. Until you can grow that tree, I will have to work. After you find the money tree, find me the fountain of youth... Actually I take that back, I don't mind working hard, Find me Youth, then Ill invest the money and we can be buddies that are young, healthy and have a good time exploring the world.

You guys came down to spend New Years Eve in Victoria, I was working the night shift, you guys came down and we went to the PumpHouse and saw the Guadalupe river, we need to go kayak that bad boy, I think I figured it out, we can have your mom drop us off on the north road and kayak for 5 hours and have her pick us up.

I was really happy to see you, your mom texted me and told me you were up with her for new years, but Sammy and Tessa were also awake and I think they woke you. You were pretty grumpy the next day but you got over it.. I am excited to take you to London. Also, im proud of you for sharing your cinnamon rolls with your mom, well, I love you buddy, keep up the good work, be good and protect your sisters.
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Dear Dora,

I was looking through my old photos and saw when you were 4 and we had Kanga, you were so cute, too bad Kanga kept biting you. We will get another wallaby someday, but for now, keep being cute. So here's the deal, I will help you go through school, if you will help me when I retire, I feel like you have a good kindness that will keep me comfortable, I hope that you can look out for me, of all the kids, I think I have the best chance with you as my guardian, Eli is too emotional, Emmy too exhuberant, Tessa too manipulative, Sammy too young.

Anyway, you asked me to draw you a cheetah or a jaguar, I just read an article that there are only 7,100 cheetahs in the world. When they all die off, what will we say is the fastest land animal? I hope it is the kangaroo, like they get stronger and faster and stuff, I like the idea of kangaroos being fast.

Dora, youre awesome, I love you
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Dear Emmy,

Ok, so you asked me for a surprise when you came to visit me, I don't remember promising you a surprise, but your memory is so good that I am sure you are right. Well, I didn't have anything for you so I pulled out some canvas and drew you an Eye that you were supposed to paint, You have such pretty eyes. but then I had to bust out stuff for the rest of the girls. Sorry,

How are you so happy? then Why do you get so sad? One thing I love about you is that I know your mood, You are the most exhuberantly happy person. You make me laugh and I love you, thanks. When Im old, I want to stay in your house, I think your bubbly personality will keep me happy.

Im sorry your siblings are so mean to you, I think it is because Eli and dora are so close in age, and you were in the terrible twos when Tessa was born, you were mean to her so as you grew out of the terrible twos, she was going in and all she does is pick on you, this has resulted in you younger two being in confrontation. I really hope you guys can get through it. I love you so much
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Dear Tessa,

Oh Tessa, you and ant bites, you got an ant bite. Any time anything bumps it you melt down. I don't even know how you found an ant in December. I really need to do some investigation, the good news is that my magic bandaids make it cured. Any bandaid cures your ant bites.

So I don't think your mom likes sleeping with you. You all stayed at my apartment for new years eve. You slept with your mom. Either the new room/new environment, or the sleeping with your mom upset you, or you wake crying from your sleep every night and this is the first time you were near an adult, either way, you kept her up most the night.

I really love your expressions, Im not sure how you have so many different expressions, Emmy is happy or sad, Eli is pensive happy, sad, tired, Dora loves animals or is sad, but with only your eyes you can communicate happy, sad, confused, frustrated, grumpy, inquisitive, argumentative, hungry, full, sleepy, eager, bored, patronizing.... I get the patronizing face a lot. You crack me up. You remind me so much of your mom. Ha. Maybe that's why I love you so much. One of my favorite things that you do is when you get excited and run, you put both arms behind you and run, it looks like you are going so fast that even your arms are caught in the wind.
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Dear Sammy,

You made me so happy. You came down with your siblings for an overnight stay at my apartment, I have the crib set up in the closet. I got home from work and you were asleep, I took the other kids to get donuts, You were awake when I got home and when I walked in, you looked at me and nearly jumped out of your moms arms. youre only like 9 months old. I didn't know you even knew who I was!

You are such a happy good kid, you have been an absolute joy, More fun than any of the others. Please keep it up

I love you Buddy.
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