Dear Jack: Helping Your Sister with Her Birthday Legos

11 years, 6 months.

Dear Jack,

One of the birthday gifts Mommy and I got for your sister was a Lego Friends set, featuring two girls, an elephant, and a purple Jeep.

The set clearly says it’s designed for ages 6 and older, but why would your sister bother building the thing, when she has you?

Granted, you didn’t mind at all, volunteering for the job once we sensed that she was feeling a little intimidated by the construction project ahead of her.

I am proud to see you step up to help her like you do. And I’m seeing it more often now than ever before.

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: House Arrest Summer Camp

9 years, 7 months.

Dear Jack,

Every previous summer of your life, I felt a bit guilty that you had to spend 5 days a week at a summer enrichment program, as opposed to hanging out at the house like I did during my summers as a kid.

Now, thanks to Covid Culture, your only option is to hang out at the house with Mommy and me; as we spend all day working from home.

It’s almost like trading one parental guilt for another.

I feel bad that I can’t spend quality time with you during the day, even though you are right there in the next room.

But we are making it work.

You are especially good at keeping me posted on your newest self-assigned Lego project; as our living room is currently an ocean of Lego blocks.

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: Star Wars Matters Now

9 years, 1 month.

Dear Jack,

You and I recently went to go see The Rise of Skywalker; as more of an obligation to the fact we’ve seen all the other new Star Wars movies.

I knew that you liked it, but by this past weekend, I realized that at age 9, you are old enough to officially care about Star Wars now.

This past weekend when we visited the public library to check out some books and DVDs for the week, as is our family’s custom, you specifically wanted to check out Episode II: Attack of the Clones.

I softly warned you that it’s not one of the best ones, but you didn’t care.

Turns out, you loved watching it.

Afterwards, you started looking up Star Wars Lego sets online to spend some of your Christmas money on.

The funny thing is, you have yet to see the original 3 Star Wars that came out between 1977 and 1983.

We’ll get there…

 

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: Our Trip to Legoland (San Diego Vacation/2016 Mitsubishi Outlander)

5 years, 10 months.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to Legoland (San Diego Vacation/2016 Mitsubishi Outlander)

Dear Jack,

Mommy and I couldn’t take our Kindergartner son to San Diego without taking him to Legoland, could we?

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Grandma helped us out by staying in our hotel room with your baby sister, while Mommy and I spent half the day with you, at what had to be for you the boy equivalent of Disney Land.

Seriously, I could see that it was a nearly 6 year-old boy’s dream come true. Undeniably, Mommy and I loved it too!

We started out by going a ride that took us through the Lego versions of popular traditional fairy tales. It’s so cool to see everything made out of Legos.

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I didn’t realize there would be so many rides there, but that’s mainly what we did. We went on a roller coaster, a train ride, a boat ride, a laser tag ride, and a Lego version of the tea cup ride at Disney Land.

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Mommy and I also let you play a carnival game, as you always love try to win a prize. Granted, we only let you play the games where “everyone wins a prize.” You were very proud of the dragon you won.

You were mesmerized by the miniature version of the world. They even had a Lego layout of all the Star Wars movie.

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I loved the giant Chewbacca, as well.

We finished up our visit to Legoland with the build-a-boat exhibit. You and I built a Lego boat, then got to race it down the chute alongside other kids’ Lego boats.

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I am confident that our trip to Legoland will be something you never forget.

Dear Holly: Everyone Loves to Hold You (San Diego Vacation in a 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander) Dear Holly: Everyone Loves to Hold You (San Diego Vacation in a 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander)

Mommy let you buy a $4 Pixel set to work on during the drive back to our hotel. It was funny because Mommy and I sat up front together, while you worked intensively in your own work station in the 3rd row seat in the very back of the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander we drove.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to Legoland (San Diego Vacation/2016 Mitsubishi Outlander)

Needless to say, you finished the Lego set by the time we made it back to your sister and Grandma.

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: Our Trip to Legoland (San Diego Vacation/2016 Mitsubishi Outlander)

Dear Jack: Your 1st Day of Pre-K at Rainbow Child Care Center

4 years, 9 months.

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Dear Jack,

Last week while our family was on vacation in California, your preschool Rainbow Child Care Center opened its new Pre-K classroom.

So this Tuesday was your first day of Pre-K. I put together this little 90 second video from that morning as I dropped you off.

As you can see from the video, we have a 2015 Toyota Avalon this week which I am reviewing, so I decided to include it in the video. After all, the fancy car ride there was a big part of your 1st day of Pre-K.

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I mentioned a few weeks ago that I don’t feel that you’re growing up way too fast. Instead, I feel you’re growing up at the right speed.

It makes sense it my head that you’re nearly 5 years old and are just a year away from staring Kindergarten. And I think you feel the same way. You seem proud to be big boy.

Speaking of your new Pre-K classroom, here’s the video you and I made together a few weeks about it:

When we came back from California this week and checked the mail, you had received your prize money from winning 2nd place in the Williamson County Fair Lego Competition.

Dear Jack: You Won 2nd Place in the County Lego Competition!

Mommy took you to go spend your $20 earnings. You purchased a $15 toy: the Hot Wheels Snap Rides Truck and Trailer.

It’s something you’ve been talking about for weeks. You love getting to build your own vehicles.

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This whole time I thought you would end up spending your prize money on more Legos, but it also makes sense that you’d buy cars you can build as well.

As we get settled back in from vacation this week, I’ll be working on several more videos and pictures from California.

We had a lot of fun! I can’t wait to share!

Love,

Daddy

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