December 17, 2013 at 10:23 pm , by Nick Shell

3 years, 1 month.

Dear Jack,

It was just a month ago that we celebratedyour 3rd birthday with your best friend Sophie. I had pointed out the fact that your other friends who showed up to your party were all girls.

And for Sophie’s birthday party this past weekend atShipwrecked Playhouse, the boys were unable to make it as well.

Here you are again in a situation where you’re the only boy, surrounded by girls.

Not that you minded, or even thought it was out of the ordinary.

In fact, you were quite preoccupied by the fact Sophie had told you earlier in the week at school that she had a surprise for you that you’d receive at her party.

The moment you sat down next to her as the cake was being cut, you politely yet very directly asked her, “What’d you get for me, Sophie?”

She didn’t tell you.

However, you patiently waited for her to open her gifts… knowing afterwards you could see what was in your goodie bag from her.

Sophie and your friend Madison both eagerly watched you open your goodie bag, as if that were just as important as the actual birthday kid opening her gifts.

You were happy: There was Play-Doh in there- which I am finding is like currency among 3 year-olds, as cigarettes are in prison.

Afterwards, I really enjoyed observing the way you played, versus the way your girl friends did.

While Sophie and Madison used the phone to repeatedly announce clean-up on aisle 7…

You drove the Lightning McQueen car around the indoor playground, exploring the ins and outs of the joint. Granted, you visited Sophie and Madison, by parking right in front of them as they played on the phone. You served as the sole, straight-faced audience member.

After a few minutes, you drove away without even the thought of giving them any applause.

You acted like a total boy the whole time. And they acted girls, accordingly.

Go figure.

Love,

Daddy

October 10, 2013 at 6:13 am , by Nick Shell

2 years, 10 months.

Dear Jack,

You have once again cracked me up with this week’s bulletin board material at school. Evidently, at our house, we’re all about learning, all the time. Yes, that’s us, the super studious household…

When asked by your teacher about our house, this was your response:

“My house is gray. I do flashcards. My room is brown.”

Flashcards?

It’s true that flashcards have regularly been a part of the bedtime routine for you; I just didn’t realize that you valued them so much, that they would be the first activity you would mention regarding household activities.

I mean, that’s totally cool. I’m just surprised, but in a good way.

Naturally, I would have assumed you would have mentioned playing with your cars or watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with Mommy and me.

But I will gladly accept learning as your answer!

Oh, and then, there’s “the house that Jack built…”.

While your friends were having fun building construction paper replicas of their homes, a couple of your teachers giggled at how serious you were aboutperfectly (!) building yours.

I did notice that yours seemed a little too perfect when compared to your friends’ houses; like an adult did your work for you.

So I picture all your friends smiling and having fun as they worked on this craft; meanwhile you took it as seriously as MacGyver trying to defuse a bomb in a warehouse.

The reason this is so interesting to me is because I don’t see all sides of you. The versions of you that I am most exposed to are the ones where you are responding to your parents.

What I don’t see is how you act in a classroom environment with teachers and friends. That’s indeed a different version of you.

I’m used to the playful version who loves to play and wrestle with me. I have to be reminded that you do indeed enjoy learning, as well.

Interesting.

Love,

Daddy