Storytelling

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Dear Holly: You Chose a Shopping Spree Over a Birthday Party!

7 years.

Dear Holly,

Mommy and I have always went all out for your birthday parties. However, this year, as we prepared the expenses of planning your 7th birthday party, we came up with a simple proposal for you:

What if we simply gave you cash for half of the expense that a birthday party with your friends would have cost us?

With no hesitation, you agreed to our deal.

So a trip to Walmart and Target, with a handful of 20 dollar bills, was your “birthday party” this year.

And you were so happy!

As you stated to Mommy and I a few months ago:

“Money is my BFF!”

 

 

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: Doing Chores to Earn Souvenirs?

7 years old.

Dear Holly,

Last week while Mommy and I were on vacation in Michigan, Nonna and Papa came up to take care of you and your brother.

While I definitely received many pictures of you playing and having fun, I also got this photo of you helping clean the house.

I am so grateful that you recognize the importance of contributing to chores; especially that you perceive it as fun, to some degree.

Of course, you knew good and well that Mommy and I would be bringing you souvenirs from Traverse City…

So I guess you earned them!

 

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: A Father’s Letter to His Daughter on Her 7th Birthday

7 years old today!

Dear Holly,

Thinking back to seven years ago on the day you were born and how I imagined you would be as a little girl, I would say my predictions were spot on.

You are so joyful, so adventurous, and so sweet.

After all, your middle name is Joy, and you have definitely lived up to that name!

I am actively reminding myself now that my youngest child is 7 years old, this is basically the last call for certain things a kid will do in my house.

Like last week when you turned a shipping box in to a car, using your imagination.

I cherish every moment I have with you. I celebrate your childhood. I don’t take having a beautiful young daughter for granted.

Hapy 7th Birthday!

I love you so much!

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: The Power Sander You Invented for Rebuilding Hot Wheels

12 years, 5 months.

Dear Jack,

Last Friday night, Mommy went to Nashville with her friend Cheryl to see Lady A in concert. That meant that it was just you, me, and your sister.

After dinner, while I was getting your sister ready for bed, I didn’t see you or hear you around anywhere. I just assummed you where outisde in the cul-de-sac playing with the neighbors.

At 7:55 PM, I opened up the door leading to the garage and found you working on your cars:

Disassembling them to rebuild them.

“Look, Daddy, I built a power sander!” You showed me how you took a pencil and attached it to your power drill, using the eraser side to sand the new paint job you gave your Hot Wheels.

In the course of me writing my Enneagram book this year, I finally came to the realization you are truly an Enneagram 5 with a 4 wing:

The wacky inventor! 

 

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: You Lost 3 Teeth in the Past Week?

12 years, 4 months.

Dear Jack,

Last Thursday you came home, proudly announcing, “I lost a tooth today at school. I stored it in my mouth for the rest of the day.”

You then reached into your mouth and pulled the molar tooth out of its socket.

Then over the weekend on Saturday night, while we were at Nonna and Papa’s house in Alabama, you told everyone you thought you might be losing another tooth.

Within 30 minutes, you pulled it out. Apparently, the Tooth Fairy pays $20 for molars?…

And once we got home on Sunday night, just 24 hours later, you effortlessly pulled out a 3rd tooth.

I then mumbled under my breath: “This probably means puberty is on its way…”

 

Love,

Daddy