parenting

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Dear Jack: Papa’s New Customized Tractor Machine Car Thing

10 years, 6 months.

Dear Jack,

Last weekend when we showed up in Alabama for Memorial Day Weekend, Papa had a surprise waiting for you to enjoy. The thing is, I still don’t know what the thing is…

I don’t know what it’s called- if it has a name.

But Papa took an old riding mower and customized it to go much faster; like a heavy duty, off road go-kart.

It was just your speed- both literally and metaphorically speaking. You loved it!

I get the feeling that Papa will continue to add more to it each time we see it again.

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: Your 1st Overnight at a Friend’s House

10 years, 6 months.

Dear Jack,

Despite you spending a week at a time out at Nonna and Papa’s house 3 hours away in Alabama multiple times now, you had never spent the night at a friend’s house… until this past weekend.

With as much time as you’ve been spending with your friend Landon over the past month or so, including his entire family driving down to Alabama for my 40th birthday party, we’ve definitely got to a certain level of comfort where it made sense to say yes when you asked if you could spend the night at his house.

Needless to say, it was a success.

This is a milestone in you growing up!

 

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: Dressing Up for Wacky Day, With My Face as the Theme!

10 years, 5 months.

Dear Jack,

You had mentioned earlier this week that “Wacky Wednesday” was coming up at school. My closet happens to serve as a prop station for such an event!

For example, you considered wearing my Afro wig, but decided it would be too hot and itchy.

Yesterday as I was loading you up in the Jeep, I got a good look at your final costume:

A t-shirt that a friend made for me back in college, featuring a sketch of my face; with my name in Thai below.

And the socks were the ones with my face on them; a gift from Aunt Dana and Uncle Andrew from a few Christmases ago.

Needless to say, you were definitely wacky enough for Wacky Wednesday!

Love,

Daddy

 

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Dear Jack: Your Pop-Up Ice Cream Store

10 years, 5 months.

Dear Jack,

Over the weekend, you spent hours carefully crafting the box from one of your sister’s 5th birthday presents into what started out as a race car (I think?), but eventually evolved into an ice cream store for your sister and cousins to buy treats from.

Conveniently, your sister already had plenty of plastic ice cream toys for you to give out when customers walked up to your ice cream store; which, now that I think of it, seemed more like an ice cream truck.

You even installed a pulley system, allowed you to place the ice cream in an after hours drop box… that’s assuming the ice cream didn’t melt by then!

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: Silly Saturday Morning Dress Up

10 years, 2 months.

Dear Jack,

Last Saturday morning while Mommy and I were getting the house cleaned, you helped us out by taking care of your sister.

I gave zero thought to whatever was keeping the two of you entertained upstairs. I was just glad you were able to entertain yourselves and have fun; as kids should on a Saturday morning.

Once the cleaning was complete, you and your sister ceremonially made your way down the stairs for the big reveal.

You were both dressed up as some strange mix of superheroes and warriors; weapons included.

That’s a Saturday morning well spent!

Love,

Daddy