parenting

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Dear Holly: We Went Snow Tubing at Gaylord Opryland in Nashville

5 years, 8 months.

Dear Holly,

We had already pre-purchased our tickets to go snowtubing at Gaylord Opryland, since they kept selling out every time we planned to go. And then… the blizzard came.

Fortunately, I have a Jeep, so we were able to ironically drive an hour away to through snow where we live in Spring Hill, to Nashville, where it was not snowing.

Then once we arrived in Nashville, we went snow tubing in the manufactured snow.

In theory, we could have just as easily went tubing on any of the hills in our neighborhood. The thing is… we wouldn’t have.

There’s something about organized fun sometimes that truly makes it more fun!

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: It’s Hard to Get a Picture of You Not Making a Silly Face

11 years, 3 months.

Dear Jack,

I feel like, in the past 11 years, this isn’t the first time I’ve said this; but it’s more likely that you will make a silly face when I take your picture, as opposed to you genuinely smiling.

Honestly, I can understand how you feel. We take a lot of pictures of you. Because as your parents, we know that you are going to look back on the pictures we took of you when you were young, and you will appreciate it.

But you don’t appreciate it right now.

So this past weekend when we went out to Nashville to go snow tubing, I saw a statue of a snowman and insisted you get your picture taken.

I assured you that I didn’t need you to smile… only to make the same ugly face as the snowman.

And you did.

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: You Won a Medal at Gymnastics This Week!

5 years, 8 months.

Dear Holly,

This Tuesday, you won a medal in your gymnastics class- and you have been so proud ever since!

You insisted the next morning that you be able to wear it to school.

Your brother had some reservations that you might lose it during the school day, but I figured if it meant that much to you to show it to your teachers and friends, it would be worth the risk.

And you’ve worn it every day since!

It makes me so happy to see how hard you work at what you love!

Great job, Holly!

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: You’re a Fan of the Carolina Panthers

11 years, 1 month.

Dear Jack,

I’d say it’s been a solid year now that you have consistently been a fan of the Carolina Panthers.

You own so much Carolina Panthers gear at this point, it’s hard to catch you on a day you aren’t wearing one of their t-shirts or hoodies. You even have a huge sticker of theirs on your laptop.

Perhaps it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that nearly a quarter of your Christmas gifts had the Carolina Panthers logo on it.

While we were at Disney World for Christmas break, we passed another boy your age, who made a point to tell you, “Nice shirt.”

He was wearing one himself.

You smiled in a way that made it obvious how proud you are to identify with that tribe… even though in our family, we don’t actually watch sports!

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: You Rode the Tower of Terror at Disney World!

5 years, 8 months.

Dear Holly,

This Christmas was undeniably a big deal for you: We went to Disney World!

Naturally, I had expectations that you would totally be enthralled by getting to meet the Disney princesses. But that wasn’t really your thing.

What I did not expect was for you to be too interested in the rides, other than the ones for little kids.

Yeah, I was wrong.

Because the only ride you didn’t go on, between Disney World, Epcot Center, and Hollywood Studios, was Space Mountain- and that was only because you were certifiably one inch too short!

In theory, you should have been way too terrified to go on the Terror of Terror.

But not only did you go on it, you really weren’t that scared by it.

You made a great riding partner for me the whole time! Now we know you love to go on rides- even ones that are supposed to be scary!

Love,

Daddy