Letter to my son
Dear Son,
"All I want for Easter is my two front teeth, my two front teeth, my two front teeth." That's right, you lost both top teeth within weeks of each other. Those two teeth were wobbly for the longest time. I can see both of your adult teeth coming in already! It was weird to watch the process of the first top tooth come out. It was wobbly, then it was crooked. The tooth was in FRONT of the other teeth and to the side. It was hanging in there by the hardest. You and Daddy were rough housing and you bumped into Daddy's back. It was just enough force to pop that tooth out. We all went on a hunt for the missing tooth. Daddy found it, thankfully. The tooth fairy is busy, busy in our home!
The last time I wrote was in December. Of course, you had a wonderful Christmas. We did so much I didn't have time to blog. Mommy found lots of events and we made just about all of them. I was ready for a vacation after Christmas. In December, you starting having spelling test. Since December, you have only missed one word, "nodded." You heard it as being not, not nod... that's where the error came in. Otherwise, you're doing great and I'm so proud of you!
I asked you what your favorite subject is in school. You said, "Math!" It's a different way of learning math, than when Mommy was a little girl. You enjoy it and I pray you always will.
Your school celebrated 100 days by asking the children to do a family project at home. You could only use 100 items on a poster board. It could be anything, made from any 100 objects. We talked about various options, a butterfly, the numbers 100, the numbers in Roman numbers, an eagle (school mascot), rainbows, stars... and that's when we talked about the recent lunar eclipse. You loved this idea! It was current; it was simple. Three circles, pony beads and poster board - oh and gorilla glue - that's all we needed. Daddy said, "It looks like a kid did it." Well, a kid did do it and you were very proud of it. Yes, it was simple, but you had a great presentation to talk about in class. You even explained why you used red beads for the moon, because it looked red in the earth's shadow.
Mrs. Bonura hung all of the 100 day projects up in the room. A few days after the presentations, you came home SO eager to share what happened. "A teacher from an older kids class came to look at the projects. She pointed to mine and said she liked it and she wanted to know who made it. It was MINE!" Beaming, you were just beaming from the recognition. I don't know which teacher said that, but I wish I could thank her for the beautiful smile she gave you and you shared with me.
Another day after school, you said you helped someone. A girl in your grade level got her knee stuck in the bars on the playground. You said you helped her get out. I asked how you helped. You said, "I showed her what I do when I get my arms stuck in the chair at school. She tried it and was able to get her knee out. She told me "You are my hero." I was a hero today, Mommy." Aw, my sweet boy!
I wonder how you behave in school. You love to make people laugh... how much does this take from your ability to listen and pay attention to instructions. Mrs. Bonura said you have some trouble with this. She moved you to a different table and said this made a difference. We talked about you listening more and not responding if something funny happens. You have a tendency to ricochet laughter once it's started. It's a wonderful thing, but also disruptive. However, Mrs. Bonura did say you are improving!
At Caffe Latte Da, a lady walked up to us and asked, "Does he go to Airline Park?" She recognized you. She was a substitute teacher a few times for your class and remembered you. She said you were very sweet. That made me feel good!
You are close to the end of the school year. I'm looking forward to reading your school journal. You said that you journal every Monday and Friday. Sometimes you are given subjects to write about and other days are "free journal" to write anything you want to. One assignment was to write about something special. You picked "My First Hot Air Ballon Ride." I'm tickled that this memory was special for you. I'm looking forward to reading what you wrote!
You continue to read very well. We are currently reading the "I am" books. Every night we read a few pages. You liked reading about Helen Keller. After finishing the book, you picked up your dictionary and opened it to the last page. It had the alphabet in sign language. Mommy is a south paw (left hand) signer and a right hand writer. Ironically, I held up my left hand, sitting next to you, to teach you how to spell your name in sign language... for a split second, you held up your RIGHT hand.
I like how the "I am" books start off with stories from the individual's childhood. You learned that Albert Einstein loved a special Christmas gift he received when he was six years old. It was cool that the gift was a compass. Daddy gave one to you already. This last camping trip with the cub scouts, you used the compass to follow a path and locate flags along the way! When we read about Albert Einstein and how, as a young boy, he was amazed with how it pointed in the same direction, no matter if he was high up or down low or turned around or moved around. You could relate to his fascination and interest.
At the December cub scout meeting, awards were given out for highest popcorn sales. One by one, boys names were called out. The boys ran to the box to pick out a cool gift. You kept muttering, "I'm NEVER going to win!" I told you to think positive and that if you didn't get anything this year, that we would really work hard for next year. Then, the 9th highest seller was announce and it was YOU! You jumped and ran out of your seat, before I could even take a picture. You didn't have to be told to go to the large box. Daddy followed you and watched as you picked through the items. He said, "There were some really cool gadgets in the box to choose from, but when Gregory saw that, he grabbed it and there was no changing his mind." You showed me the naked rubber chicken that squeaked! Your face lit up in laughter and everyone else around you laughed too. It was perfect for you, for your humor, for your love of life. Later in the car, you said, "I'm going to give this to TJ tomorrow. Because Christmas is all about giving." The was the best gift you could say. Daddy and Mommy were so proud of you, but Daddy wasn't going to let you give that up. "Give it to me instead of TJ." Sorry, TJ, Daddy's request won.
For the January lion den meeting, the focus was on being a good leader, a good citizen and learning the flag ceremony. You wanted to carry the flag. It was decided that Preston and Daniel would be the leaders, which had the lines to learn.
However, at the pack meeting Preston said he wanted to be the color guard instead. I asked if you wouldn't mind being the leader. We didn't practice the words, because during the lion meeting, you carried the flag instead. I knew you didn't want to be the leader. It was written all over you face, but you agreed to do so. You did a beautiful job, speaking clearly and reading well! Thank you for stepping up and not having a melt down when asked to do something different than what was planned.
You and your fellow lions have accomplished all of the mandatory adventures to move from lion to tiger! Oh my! We still have until the end of May to finish the electives. This month, you will be working on your slider and a couple of other electives too. I figure, if you are in the cub scouts, get the most out of it and have fund doing so :)
It was neat that the Cub Scouts have a day at the D-Day museum. It was crowded with lots of scouts. You loved seeing the museum, but ummm.... some of the stories had us rushing you into other sections... just a little too graphic.
Did I mention that you did caroling with the cub scouts and also had a movie night with cub scouts? They really do a lot of fun stuff.
Basketball is come and gone. You participated and loved it. At practice you sometimes bounced around as much as the balls! There's a huge different from last year. Your confidence has grown in leaps and bounds. You made goals and have good control of the ball. You are still working on the concept of offense and defense, but it's coming together.
Soccer shots at school started soon after basketball ended. I love to watch you play. You like making the goals. I like the games that are taught, because you can see how it becomes part of the actual soccer game. Just as you write, you are a lefty kicker. Your feet do a little dance right before you kick. Maybe you want to kick with your right, because you see other children doing this... or it's a comfort thing.... I'm not sure.
When Soccer shots started, we couldn't enroll you with art again. It was at the same time. Mommy had to promise you that we would do art projects at home. You just recently finished an Easter picture. It didn't take you long. You love to draw!
Though we didn't sign you up for baseball, you still get practice in with Daddy. Tonight, the two of you were playing catch. It was a beautiful afternoon outside; it was great to see you enjoying the weather and the sport.
This summer, Mommy signed you up for tennis too! When Mommy and Uncle Rob were early teens, we took tennis lessons. We used to be really good at it. For some reason, Mommy and Uncle Rob would start talking in silly accents when we played. Fun memories. I hope you like this sport, as much as we did.
Goodness, I can't believe summer plans are already on a roll. So far we have you enrolled in some vacation bible school weeks, tennis and art, as well as cub scout week. Daddy will have to take a week of vacation for the cub scout week, because an adult has to be with you all day, for the full week. Daddy is eager to do this, because it will include bb guns, sling shots and bow and arrow lessons. Oh and next month, you and Daddy are going to spend the night on the USS Kid with other cub scouts!
Of course, you attend Home Depot Kid classes and Rouses Kids Cooking classes. You even made a King Cake at the cooking class. Mardi Gras was fun this year. Your school had a great parade and the cub scouts did as well! This year you caught beads, next year, I'm hoping you will be willing to be a participant in the parade route.
One of the many school field trips brought you to Mardi Gras World. Ohhh, I want to go there again. I want to work there! The vibrant colors and awesome pieces made me want to grab a paint brush and jump into the artwork. It was fantastic to get so close to the floats. The kids enjoyed it as much as the adults.
Now, you know if we talk about Mardi Gras, that your birthday is somewhere in the mix! Mommy bought enough cupcakes for both kindergarten classes. Everyone sang happy birthday to you and Mrs. Bonura gave you a birthday hat. You were too adorable! Mommy struggled with your birthday plans. You wanted friends from both classes to go, but there was no way we could afford that large of a party or even find a venue for such a gathering.
Mommy asked if you would be okay with something smaller, just us and your grandparents. You understood about the classes being too large. You said, "Okay, but can I invite Daniel and Jack?" Being that the party was at Oma and Opa's house, I had to get their approval. Oma said Okay. Then you started adding names to invite, friends from St. Augustine and neighborhood friends. Oma said okay a few more times and then said, "Okay, that's enough." You had a sweet, small gathering. Though you don't see some of the St. Augustine friends that often, ya'll played as if it was just yesterday you were in pre-k together. It was so beautiful to witness the friendships.
Since then, Mommy asked for a St. Augustine playdate at Lafreniere Park. You were tickled to see more friends. Ya'll played with the soccer ball, ran through the playground, dug holes in the ground and ended the playdate with a craft project.
I know I'm forgetting things, such as the New Year's celebration at Rock The Spectrum. You and Daniel loved it, from zip line to trampoline! You had plastic cups and gave a toast. At noon, (not midnight!), balloons dropped from the ceiling. The countdown was delightful and a perfect way to start off the New Year.
We went to a robot challenge, where different teams built robots. The robots had to lift objects and move them into appropriate locations. That same weekend, we went to Engineering Day in Baton Rouge. You participated in various Stem projects. Tables were set up throughout the museum for you to work on robots, magnets, constructions and so much more! We were there for 2 hours and still didn't get to do everything. Oma didn't come with us this time but she said next year she will definitely go with us, because it was that enjoyable.
I remember worrying how you would fit in with Airline Park. Oma asked how you were doing. I said, "He is doing great. I'm the one who is a mess." The most important thing though is that you are enjoying it. You're keeping up and you like school. I hope during the summer, there will be more playdates and social activities. You're still only 6. I have a six year old son. Wow.... it still gets to me. Everyone tells me that you are tall for your age. You are so young, full of faith and love.
You still hold my hand and tell me that you love me every day. I cherish these simple moments, because all too soon, it won't be a cool thing to do. You are getting into video games, but you make time for picking flowers, going on walks and playing sports. Your confidence is amazing for a six year old - you are willing to get on a horse without freaking out now. You try new things, but you are cautious. You don't like getting hurt, physical or feelings. You will share when a classmate says, "I'm not your friend any more." Things like that make you sad. You are sensitive and rough house at the same time.
You're also brave. You don't mind your teeth coming out. You are excited to share the news with your schoolmates.
You get dressed for school in the morning, make decisions about school snacks and lunch meals. You are taking showers instead of baths - yeah! You are a big boy and still... so young. You believe in magic, the Easter bunny and all the beautiful qualities of life. Please, keep this! You even told us how the leprechaun would visit.... and yes, he did! He gave us all cool Irish shirts to wear for the Irish parade we went to.
You can light up a room with laughter. You certainly light up our lives!
Love Always,
Mommy
"All I want for Easter is my two front teeth, my two front teeth, my two front teeth." That's right, you lost both top teeth within weeks of each other. Those two teeth were wobbly for the longest time. I can see both of your adult teeth coming in already! It was weird to watch the process of the first top tooth come out. It was wobbly, then it was crooked. The tooth was in FRONT of the other teeth and to the side. It was hanging in there by the hardest. You and Daddy were rough housing and you bumped into Daddy's back. It was just enough force to pop that tooth out. We all went on a hunt for the missing tooth. Daddy found it, thankfully. The tooth fairy is busy, busy in our home!
The last time I wrote was in December. Of course, you had a wonderful Christmas. We did so much I didn't have time to blog. Mommy found lots of events and we made just about all of them. I was ready for a vacation after Christmas. In December, you starting having spelling test. Since December, you have only missed one word, "nodded." You heard it as being not, not nod... that's where the error came in. Otherwise, you're doing great and I'm so proud of you!
I asked you what your favorite subject is in school. You said, "Math!" It's a different way of learning math, than when Mommy was a little girl. You enjoy it and I pray you always will.
Your school celebrated 100 days by asking the children to do a family project at home. You could only use 100 items on a poster board. It could be anything, made from any 100 objects. We talked about various options, a butterfly, the numbers 100, the numbers in Roman numbers, an eagle (school mascot), rainbows, stars... and that's when we talked about the recent lunar eclipse. You loved this idea! It was current; it was simple. Three circles, pony beads and poster board - oh and gorilla glue - that's all we needed. Daddy said, "It looks like a kid did it." Well, a kid did do it and you were very proud of it. Yes, it was simple, but you had a great presentation to talk about in class. You even explained why you used red beads for the moon, because it looked red in the earth's shadow.
Mrs. Bonura hung all of the 100 day projects up in the room. A few days after the presentations, you came home SO eager to share what happened. "A teacher from an older kids class came to look at the projects. She pointed to mine and said she liked it and she wanted to know who made it. It was MINE!" Beaming, you were just beaming from the recognition. I don't know which teacher said that, but I wish I could thank her for the beautiful smile she gave you and you shared with me.
Another day after school, you said you helped someone. A girl in your grade level got her knee stuck in the bars on the playground. You said you helped her get out. I asked how you helped. You said, "I showed her what I do when I get my arms stuck in the chair at school. She tried it and was able to get her knee out. She told me "You are my hero." I was a hero today, Mommy." Aw, my sweet boy!
I wonder how you behave in school. You love to make people laugh... how much does this take from your ability to listen and pay attention to instructions. Mrs. Bonura said you have some trouble with this. She moved you to a different table and said this made a difference. We talked about you listening more and not responding if something funny happens. You have a tendency to ricochet laughter once it's started. It's a wonderful thing, but also disruptive. However, Mrs. Bonura did say you are improving!
At Caffe Latte Da, a lady walked up to us and asked, "Does he go to Airline Park?" She recognized you. She was a substitute teacher a few times for your class and remembered you. She said you were very sweet. That made me feel good!
You are close to the end of the school year. I'm looking forward to reading your school journal. You said that you journal every Monday and Friday. Sometimes you are given subjects to write about and other days are "free journal" to write anything you want to. One assignment was to write about something special. You picked "My First Hot Air Ballon Ride." I'm tickled that this memory was special for you. I'm looking forward to reading what you wrote!
You continue to read very well. We are currently reading the "I am" books. Every night we read a few pages. You liked reading about Helen Keller. After finishing the book, you picked up your dictionary and opened it to the last page. It had the alphabet in sign language. Mommy is a south paw (left hand) signer and a right hand writer. Ironically, I held up my left hand, sitting next to you, to teach you how to spell your name in sign language... for a split second, you held up your RIGHT hand.
I like how the "I am" books start off with stories from the individual's childhood. You learned that Albert Einstein loved a special Christmas gift he received when he was six years old. It was cool that the gift was a compass. Daddy gave one to you already. This last camping trip with the cub scouts, you used the compass to follow a path and locate flags along the way! When we read about Albert Einstein and how, as a young boy, he was amazed with how it pointed in the same direction, no matter if he was high up or down low or turned around or moved around. You could relate to his fascination and interest.
At the December cub scout meeting, awards were given out for highest popcorn sales. One by one, boys names were called out. The boys ran to the box to pick out a cool gift. You kept muttering, "I'm NEVER going to win!" I told you to think positive and that if you didn't get anything this year, that we would really work hard for next year. Then, the 9th highest seller was announce and it was YOU! You jumped and ran out of your seat, before I could even take a picture. You didn't have to be told to go to the large box. Daddy followed you and watched as you picked through the items. He said, "There were some really cool gadgets in the box to choose from, but when Gregory saw that, he grabbed it and there was no changing his mind." You showed me the naked rubber chicken that squeaked! Your face lit up in laughter and everyone else around you laughed too. It was perfect for you, for your humor, for your love of life. Later in the car, you said, "I'm going to give this to TJ tomorrow. Because Christmas is all about giving." The was the best gift you could say. Daddy and Mommy were so proud of you, but Daddy wasn't going to let you give that up. "Give it to me instead of TJ." Sorry, TJ, Daddy's request won.
For the January lion den meeting, the focus was on being a good leader, a good citizen and learning the flag ceremony. You wanted to carry the flag. It was decided that Preston and Daniel would be the leaders, which had the lines to learn.
However, at the pack meeting Preston said he wanted to be the color guard instead. I asked if you wouldn't mind being the leader. We didn't practice the words, because during the lion meeting, you carried the flag instead. I knew you didn't want to be the leader. It was written all over you face, but you agreed to do so. You did a beautiful job, speaking clearly and reading well! Thank you for stepping up and not having a melt down when asked to do something different than what was planned.
You and your fellow lions have accomplished all of the mandatory adventures to move from lion to tiger! Oh my! We still have until the end of May to finish the electives. This month, you will be working on your slider and a couple of other electives too. I figure, if you are in the cub scouts, get the most out of it and have fund doing so :)
It was neat that the Cub Scouts have a day at the D-Day museum. It was crowded with lots of scouts. You loved seeing the museum, but ummm.... some of the stories had us rushing you into other sections... just a little too graphic.
Did I mention that you did caroling with the cub scouts and also had a movie night with cub scouts? They really do a lot of fun stuff.
Basketball is come and gone. You participated and loved it. At practice you sometimes bounced around as much as the balls! There's a huge different from last year. Your confidence has grown in leaps and bounds. You made goals and have good control of the ball. You are still working on the concept of offense and defense, but it's coming together.
Soccer shots at school started soon after basketball ended. I love to watch you play. You like making the goals. I like the games that are taught, because you can see how it becomes part of the actual soccer game. Just as you write, you are a lefty kicker. Your feet do a little dance right before you kick. Maybe you want to kick with your right, because you see other children doing this... or it's a comfort thing.... I'm not sure.
When Soccer shots started, we couldn't enroll you with art again. It was at the same time. Mommy had to promise you that we would do art projects at home. You just recently finished an Easter picture. It didn't take you long. You love to draw!
Though we didn't sign you up for baseball, you still get practice in with Daddy. Tonight, the two of you were playing catch. It was a beautiful afternoon outside; it was great to see you enjoying the weather and the sport.
This summer, Mommy signed you up for tennis too! When Mommy and Uncle Rob were early teens, we took tennis lessons. We used to be really good at it. For some reason, Mommy and Uncle Rob would start talking in silly accents when we played. Fun memories. I hope you like this sport, as much as we did.
Goodness, I can't believe summer plans are already on a roll. So far we have you enrolled in some vacation bible school weeks, tennis and art, as well as cub scout week. Daddy will have to take a week of vacation for the cub scout week, because an adult has to be with you all day, for the full week. Daddy is eager to do this, because it will include bb guns, sling shots and bow and arrow lessons. Oh and next month, you and Daddy are going to spend the night on the USS Kid with other cub scouts!
Of course, you attend Home Depot Kid classes and Rouses Kids Cooking classes. You even made a King Cake at the cooking class. Mardi Gras was fun this year. Your school had a great parade and the cub scouts did as well! This year you caught beads, next year, I'm hoping you will be willing to be a participant in the parade route.
One of the many school field trips brought you to Mardi Gras World. Ohhh, I want to go there again. I want to work there! The vibrant colors and awesome pieces made me want to grab a paint brush and jump into the artwork. It was fantastic to get so close to the floats. The kids enjoyed it as much as the adults.
Now, you know if we talk about Mardi Gras, that your birthday is somewhere in the mix! Mommy bought enough cupcakes for both kindergarten classes. Everyone sang happy birthday to you and Mrs. Bonura gave you a birthday hat. You were too adorable! Mommy struggled with your birthday plans. You wanted friends from both classes to go, but there was no way we could afford that large of a party or even find a venue for such a gathering.
Mommy asked if you would be okay with something smaller, just us and your grandparents. You understood about the classes being too large. You said, "Okay, but can I invite Daniel and Jack?" Being that the party was at Oma and Opa's house, I had to get their approval. Oma said Okay. Then you started adding names to invite, friends from St. Augustine and neighborhood friends. Oma said okay a few more times and then said, "Okay, that's enough." You had a sweet, small gathering. Though you don't see some of the St. Augustine friends that often, ya'll played as if it was just yesterday you were in pre-k together. It was so beautiful to witness the friendships.
Since then, Mommy asked for a St. Augustine playdate at Lafreniere Park. You were tickled to see more friends. Ya'll played with the soccer ball, ran through the playground, dug holes in the ground and ended the playdate with a craft project.
I know I'm forgetting things, such as the New Year's celebration at Rock The Spectrum. You and Daniel loved it, from zip line to trampoline! You had plastic cups and gave a toast. At noon, (not midnight!), balloons dropped from the ceiling. The countdown was delightful and a perfect way to start off the New Year.
We went to a robot challenge, where different teams built robots. The robots had to lift objects and move them into appropriate locations. That same weekend, we went to Engineering Day in Baton Rouge. You participated in various Stem projects. Tables were set up throughout the museum for you to work on robots, magnets, constructions and so much more! We were there for 2 hours and still didn't get to do everything. Oma didn't come with us this time but she said next year she will definitely go with us, because it was that enjoyable.
I remember worrying how you would fit in with Airline Park. Oma asked how you were doing. I said, "He is doing great. I'm the one who is a mess." The most important thing though is that you are enjoying it. You're keeping up and you like school. I hope during the summer, there will be more playdates and social activities. You're still only 6. I have a six year old son. Wow.... it still gets to me. Everyone tells me that you are tall for your age. You are so young, full of faith and love.
You still hold my hand and tell me that you love me every day. I cherish these simple moments, because all too soon, it won't be a cool thing to do. You are getting into video games, but you make time for picking flowers, going on walks and playing sports. Your confidence is amazing for a six year old - you are willing to get on a horse without freaking out now. You try new things, but you are cautious. You don't like getting hurt, physical or feelings. You will share when a classmate says, "I'm not your friend any more." Things like that make you sad. You are sensitive and rough house at the same time.
You're also brave. You don't mind your teeth coming out. You are excited to share the news with your schoolmates.
You get dressed for school in the morning, make decisions about school snacks and lunch meals. You are taking showers instead of baths - yeah! You are a big boy and still... so young. You believe in magic, the Easter bunny and all the beautiful qualities of life. Please, keep this! You even told us how the leprechaun would visit.... and yes, he did! He gave us all cool Irish shirts to wear for the Irish parade we went to.
You can light up a room with laughter. You certainly light up our lives!
Love Always,
Mommy
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