Month: July 2021

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Dear Holly: I Took You to Preschool for the Final Time This Week

5 years, 3 months.

Dear Holly,

You start Kindergarten next Friday. And with us leaving today to go on one last little summer vacation, that means these past few days were the final times I would take you to preschool or pick you up.

More specifically, this makes the last time that I as a parent will walk into a preschool for one of my children.

Your brother was finishing up preschool when you were born.

So this makes the first time in over a decade that we as a family are truly graduating from preschool.

I’m taking it all in. A chapter in our lives is closing- and another is beginning.

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: Your Swimming Pool in the Garage

10 years, 8 months.

Dear Jack,

As the summer comes to a close, we’ve finally put our $20 swimming pool to use for the first time this week.

But to avoid sunburn and exhaustion, we decided it was best to put the pool in the garage. That way you still get the fresh air and heat from being outside, without it being too much.

So each afternoon this week, your friend Landon has come over to play in the “garage pool” with you.

The two of you seem to mutually appreciate our family’s new entertainment venue.

But based on the fact I have to keep refilling the air in it every morning, I’m putting sure that the majority of the $20 we spent on it is nearly all gone. In order words, we got our money’s worth!

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: Your Freckles

5 years, 2 months.

Dear Holly,

I feel like I mention this every so often, but I love your freckles!

And I know you do, too.

In fact, you brought home a picture today that you drew of yourself at school.

You made sure to include lots of little dots on your face to show your “freckles and make-up”.

(I’m not sure about the make-up part!)

Despite me actually being over “half-Hispanic”, you definitely got the “over 1/3rd German” part from me, more noticeably.

I never imagined I would have a daughter who looks like you, but I’m really glad you turned out this way.

You are so special.

Love,

Daddy

 

 

 

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: You and Your Sister Secretly Got Each Other Gifts While You Were Apart

10 years, 8 months.

Dear Jack,

Until this past weekend, you hadn’t been in our house for 3 weeks! First, we were in Georgia on vacation, then you spent the next week at Nonna and Papa’s in Alabama, and then last week you were away at CentrKid camp.

When you finally made it back to our house and saw your sister again, you had a special gift prepared for her: A pair of little matching stuffed animals; one for you and one for your sister.

And your sister had saved you some little plastic balloons from her friend’s birthday; that was her surprise gift for you. She even carefully wrapped them up for your to open!

At no point had Mommy and I suggested the two of you get gifts for each other; but to our surprise, you both did!

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: Hiking to the Secret Cabin in the Woods!

5 years, 2 months.

Dear Holly,

I’m so glad our family was able to go back to Big Canoe, Georgia. And this time, I got to take my Jeep- and take it out on the Jeep trail near our cabin we stayed in.

Halfway through the Jeep trail there is a very old cabin that we got to explore.

You loved it! And you loved Disharoon Creek that flowed right in front of it.

I think one of your favorite parts of our trip was hiking and exploring around the cabin with me.

It is my hope that as you get older, you and I can become hiking buddies.

I always loved hiking and exploring in the words.

That’s one of the traits you got from me- that, and not eating bread or popcorn!

Love,

Daddy