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Dear Holly: What You Do at Sleepovers as a 9 Year-Old

9 years, 4 months.

Dear Holly,

I am still not over the fact that Mommy and I are at the point in life where she and I can just go away for a weekend, leaving you and your brother at Nonna and Papa’s… and it’s totally okay with everybody!

And it helps even more that your cousin Darla joined in at your most recent sleepover, ensuring that there would be nonstop 9 year-old activities the whole time!

Of course, much of it revolves around your collection of dolls… as the event becomes “the dolls’ sleepover” perhaps more than your own, as you perceive it.

I love it that we live in the same state as family now!

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: Working on Your Mechanic Skills

14 years, 10 months.

Dear Jack,

It is pretty typical that you go drive your side-by-side vehicle after school, to return by dinner.

A few weeks ago when you got back to the house, you casually announced, “I flipped it. One of the parts broke. I was able to turn it back up on its wheels and then I had to push it home.”

We thought you were joking.

Fortunately, you barely had a scratch on you. Not only were you okay, but the new parts (a steering tire rod and hubcap) only cost about $60. (I was expecting the wreck to have caused hundreds of dollars in damage.)

With some help from Papa, the new parts have now been installed and you are actually out driving right now as I write this.

Now… no more flipping it over!

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: How You Resemble Your Brother in Appearance

9 years, 4 months.

Dear Holly,

Yesterday your school pictures came in the mail, along with your brother’s pictures. Mommy had set your pictures right next to each other on the kitchen table.

I never really think about it, but by seeing your photos together like that, I realized, “Oh, my kids really do look a lot alike.”

You both have the same caramel colored hair; with hints of red and blonde.

And you both have the same almond-shaped eyes that could cause a person to wonder: “Is their mom Asian?” (Some of your brother’s football teammates asked him if his mom was Asian last year when they saw her at one of the games.)

I see the similarity in the way you both smile as well.

To me, your bother resembles Mommy more and you resemble me more.

As I look at these two pictures, I think, “Wow, these are my kids. I’m one lucky guy.”

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: The Fishing Pole You Made a School

14 years, 10 months.

Dear Jack,

When you’re at the house, you don’t really have much to say to us, as your parents. So when you come home from school, it can be difficult for us to know what kind of day you’ve had; because when we ask, we typically just get a mumbled “good” out of you.

But this week, you came home from school proudly sporting a handcrafted fishing pole you made from mechanical pencils and other random school supplies you found in the halls at your school.

When you demonstrate your creativity like this, I know that’s your way of saying without speaking the words: “Of course I’m happy!”

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: The Truck in Our Backyard

14 years, 10 months.

Dear Jack,

As we currently have a construction crew at our house to build our new sunroom, Mommy noticed that the crew left one of their trucks in our backyard at the end of the day.

I didn’t think anything of it when she sort of half-jokingly asked me, “Hey, will you go out there to that truck to make sure nobody died out there in it?”

A few minutes later, I casually reported back to her: “I can confirm there are no dead bodies in the truck in our backyard.”

From there, she and I went out on our daily post-dinner walk in the neighborhood. It was during that time that your sister asked you if there really was a dead body out in the truck in the backyard, based on what she overheard Mommy and I saying about it.

You didn’t think your sister would believe you, but she did… when you jokingly told her that there really was a dead body out there.

She immediately reached out to cousin Darla to announce the news both in text and voicemail: “So yeah… there is literally a dead body in the truck in our yard.”

A few hours later, I finally happened to check my phone; realizing that Aunt Dana was trying to figure out the details of the supposed murder mystery that had occurred just down the street at her brother’s house.

For the record…

Yes, the workers left behind their truck in our yard overnight.

No, there were no workers left behind in that truck.

Love,

Daddy