fatherhood

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Dear Jack: Your New “Household Chores for Cash” Program

8 years, 3 months.

Dear Jack,

Every night after dinner now, you and I now tag-team drying the dishes. Specifically, you handle drying and putting away the countless number of plastic water bottles, cups, and containers it apparently takes for our family to function on a daily basis.

Plus, every Wednesday and Sunday, you are now responsible for collecting the garbage from the five smaller wastebaskets throughout our house, so that I can combine them with the tall kitchen garbage, then take them outside to the main garbage bin.

I must say, this system has been working very well over the past few weeks in has been in effect.

For a few dollars a week, I am impressed by the way you get the work done amazingly without complaining.

Sure, the money helps- but I also recognize you’re definitely old enough now to secretly crave some sense of responsibility.

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: Mommy Painted Your Nails for the 1st Time

2 years, 9 months.

Dear Holly,

All last week, you kept asking Mommy: “We paint my fingers and my toes this weekend?”

There was much anticipation for this event.

So Sunday afternoon, before you and your brother watched a movie with Mommy, she took you to the bathroom floor where she carefully painted each of your fingernails and toenails.

Needless to say, you were so proud to have Mommy do this for you.

I wasn’t surprised at all when I dropped you off at school on Monday and the first thing you did when you saw your teacher, Mrs. Kim, was to display your fingers and proclaim:

“Look! Mommy painted my nails!”

Yeah, you are such a little girl.

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: You Started Taking Karate Lessons at the Rec Center

8 years, 2 months.

Dear Jack,

Last Saturday, we drove around the corner to the rec center so you could start intro karate lessons.

The instructor called you up several times to help him demonstrate in front of the class on how to get out of certain attack holds.

He explained that the first action in self-defense is to verbally tell the person to stop.

His focus was on helping students to prevent a fight, as opposed to participating in one.

We are trying out this class over the next couple of months to see if you want to take it to the next level and enroll in an official karate studio.

I have a feeling that could easily be what ends up happening.

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: Your Matching Elsa and Olaf Nightgown for Your Jelly Cat Bunny

2 years, 9 months.

Dear Holly,

Three years ago, which was a few months before you were born, I bought you a Jelly Cat bunny with a flower design for its ears: Blossom Bunny Posey.

It has been one of your favorite stuffed animals this whole time.

Well, for Christmas, Aunt Dana got you an Elsa and Olaf nightgown, that also came with a smaller version of itself for a doll.

Needless to say, your bunny was the doll selected to wear the matching nightgown.

Since Christmas, you have been that much more excited to go to bed each night, knowing you get to wearing your special matching nightgown.

You look so adorable in it!

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: It Was Time to Smash Your 2 Year-Old Volcano in the Cul-De-Sac

8 years, 2 months.

Dear Jack,

In December, you finally erupted your volcano kit that you had received for Christmas from two years before.

This past Sunday, after you took a break from riding your four wheeler and then your razor scooter, as we took advantage of the surprisingly sunny afternoon, you then assigned yourself a fun activity.

You had found that volcano in the garage, along with your hammer.

So needless to say, you had a great time destroying that volcano in our cul-de-sac.

Looking back at the picture, I guess I should have had you wear some goggles instead of the helmet you happened to already been wearing.

Oh well. That volcano lived a good long life.

Love,

Daddy