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. 

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. 

 

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.        

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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Holiday Fun

We had a really fun time over he holidays. I was off Christmas and Christmas Eve. We had don and carla come over and Emma and John were there too. Kids all got up early. It was really fun to see them excited. We went to Clint and Linsey's place for the dinner on 24. 

 

Eli and I made candied nuts he chose peanuts. I chose almonds. He was right. Peanuts were better. We also made pralines and apple dumplings. They were tasty. 

Carla made big fancy costumes for the pageant.    

Christmas Morning. Kids up too early.   

I had to go back to work so we all went out for hibachi. Love those kids.  

Letters to Kids Volume III

Dear Eli,

you are one fun little guy, i was pretty proud of you this week, you came out to help me in the garage, you want to play basket ball, you want to play PIG. Im not sure if it is because I used to love basketball so much, or if it is because you love it so much, or if it is just because you like to be outside.

This week there were two BIG German Shepards touring our neighborhood, you and Dora invited them to come over so you could pet them, one of the dogs bit your basket ball and popped it, the look of heart break in your eyes... alligator tears... i really had a hard time not laughing, this is another reason I am not a fan of dogs.

We got you a new basket ball, you have been hiding it when youre not playing so no strays eat it.

Love you Buddy!

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Dear Dora,

You are hilarious, the other night you had a puzzle and you wanted my help to solve it, it was a word puzzle, you figured out the answer, it was one of those word puzzles where they give you information and you try to figure out which elf drank hot chocolate and which one ate the candy cane. You got the answer before i did, then when Eli came to try the same puzzle you gloated not to show him... Ever since then you invite me up to do puzzles, you were the one to invite the German Shepard into our back  yard where it bit and popped Eli's basketball.. That was some funny crap, you immediately took your ball and hid it.

You are growing up, last night you wanted to stay and watch Foyle's War on netflix, just to stay up... I really enjoy your little personality

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Dear Emmy,

Your mom had a dream this week. She believes it is a vision, after Dora was born, we got pregnant a few months later, we were really excited. Your mom was about 10 weeks along and she had a miscarriage. We were heart broken, we were so excited to have another little baby in our family but it wasn't going to happen. THen we moved to Oregon, and got pregnant with you and you have been a delight.

The vision your mom had was that heavenly father had planned for you to be sent to our home with an abnormality that would have resulted in a brain injury. YOu would have been given an imperfect body, but would be able to go to celestial kingdom. In your mom's dream, you asked if instead you could have an perfect body and have the chance to live life, and risk it. So, according to your mom, you wanted to have the perfect body and be with us. as she said that, i totally envisioned you arguing with God (like you argue with me). Thanks for coming to our family EMMY!
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Dear Tessa,

You woke last night covered in vomit, came down to say you didnt feel well, I went up, pulled sheets off your bed, and looked over all of your animals for vomit, I dont think any of them were dirty but washed all of your bunnies. I have to say this, you have too many animals. I love you so much, you are so funny about having so many bunnies,, it cracks me up. What i want to know is this: can you tell them all apart, or do you just have your bunnies numbered? or do you just count to make sure all  are there?

I hope you get feeling better soon, i felt bad about your puke, i put you in a sleeping bag, put a towel on the floor and gave you some Zofran. you came down this am at 5 and asked if it was morning time. No child, go back to bed.

Love you tessa!

End of an era.