parenting

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Dear Holly: Cake for Breakfast on Saturday Mornings?!

6 years, 4 months.

Dear Holly,

This morning I took you for a 7 AM dentist appointment… just your typical check-up and teeth cleaning.

Good news: No cavities!

I told your dentist that I take part of the credit for that because of how thoroughly I brush your teeth every night.

And of course, I have to do a good job scrubbing your teeth:

Mommy always lets you have a “treat” after dinner… which may or may not be leftover Halloween candy from last year. That’s not my department, so I really don’t know for sure…

But I definitely contribute to your sugar intake on Saturday mornings now, since I recently initiated “Saturday Morning Family Breakfast” at 8:30 AM every Saturday.

I choose a fun nearby place to go eat a fun breakfast- and then we start off the weekend right as a family!

Last weekend, we returned to Grecian Pizzeria; which happens to have their own bakery.

The week before, you ordered French Toast, which you loved… But to me, sugar is sugar.

Therefore, this past Saturday, you enjoyed Mint Chocolate cake for breakfast!

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: I’m the Parent Who Takes You to the Birthday Parties

11 years, 10 months.

Dear Jack,

In our household, there are certain responsibilities that Mommy and I have assigned to ourselves:

She handles the budget, the scheduling, the travel plans, and the school details.

I handle cleaning the bathrooms, taking out the garbage, vacuuming the floors, half of the grocery shopping, killing the bugs, doing my own laundry, most of my own meals, and… taking you and your sister to kids’ birthday parties.

Last Saturday, you and your sister had a 10 AM Chuck E. Cheese party 20 miles north of us that lasted 3 hours, to be followed by another 3 hour party at your friend’s house about 10 miles south of us.

And the thing is, all 3 of us had fun all day.

Even me. For some reason, I enjoy shuttling you and your sister to your friends’ birthday parties.

Whereas if I was running around town having to do shopping and other errands, I would be exhausted and angry.

But for some reason, I enjoy being involved taking you to these parties.

I suppose it’s a way I feel like I bond with you; while in some way, reliving my own childhood; 30 years later.

 

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: You’ve Got Your 1st Loose Tooth!

6 years, 3 months.

Dear Holly,

All this week, you’ve been telling Mommy and me that you think you have a loose tooth. On Monday, I tried to wiggle the front tooth you said was feeling wiggly.

While I couldn’t feel it move, you insisted you could.

This morning, as Mommy and I waited with you for the school bus, Mommy tried wiggling it.

And I saw it myself: Your front tooth definitely visibly wiggled a little bit.

So now, it’s only a matter of time before you lose your first tooth. Every picture I take now may be the last one where you still have all your baby teeth!

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: I Negotiated With You So We Didn’t Have to Go to the County Fair!

11 years, 10 months.

Dear Jack,

Something that was well established since our family’s (infamous?) Walt Disney World trip last Christmas was this:

I DO NOT do well in large crowds. It’s one of my personal living nightmare scenarios.

Therefore, when Mommy and I finally had to give in to you and your sister asking to go to the County Fair last weekend, I was definitely dreading it.

The anxiety and fear were building up.

Then on Saturday morning, as we had already waited nearly 20 minutes in a line just trying to get off the Interstate exit to get to the parking lot of the fair, Mommy kindly asked, “Jack, are you SURE you want to go to the fair today? We could do something else instead…”

At that point, I chimed in: “For the amount of money we would spend on you and your sister at the fair today, I will gladly give you both a stipend to spend at Target. Plus, we can go out for pizza first, at Mellow Mushroom.”

Like comedian John Mulaney says, “It is 100% easier not to do things than to do them, and so much fun not to do them- especially when you were supposed to do them.”

Officially, our entire family had more fun by cancelling our plans than going to the fair!

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: Your 1st Week of Junior High (6th Grade)

11 years, 9 months.

Dear Jack,

With this being your first full week of 6th grade, it became apparent to me after your first day:

Your version of 6th grade is truly Junior High… as compared to my version of 6th grade 30 years ago for the 1992-1993 school year.

The way you constantly change teachers for every single class actually reminds me of high school. When I was in 6th grade, I only remember switching teachers for 3 subjects.

But for you, you already have elective classes that change throughout the year.

And you love it! You are so happy to be in Junior High!

 

Love,

Daddy