parenting

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Dear Jack: These are the Days of Halo Action Figures and Beyblades

8 years, 8 months.

Dear Jack,

These letters I write to you often serve as a bookmark to show you whatever you were into at that point in your life.

Therefore, I can positively tell you that these days, it’s Halo action figures and Beyblades that you’re into.

I have a rule that when you come home each day, you need to immediately find something to eat and find an activity to keep you occupied.

Here lately, you have spent much of your “during dinner prep” time has been carefully organizing your Halo action figures and ranking your Beyblades.

It seems like work to me. But to an 8 year-old boy, that translates as fun!

Love,

Daddy

Leave a comment Posted on fatherhood, Nostalgia, parenting, Storytelling, Uncategorized

Dear Holly: You Got to See Toy Story 4- Your 1st Movie in a Theater

3 years, 2 months.

Dear Holly,

I couldn’t have planned it this way, but your brother was your exact age, to the month, when he got to go see his first movie at a theater.

For him, it was The Lego Movie.

For you, it was Toy Story 4.

You had been telling Mommy and me, “I like Woody… I like that other guy too- what’s his name?”

The first Toy Story movie came out in November 1995; when I was in 9th grade.

Now, more than 23 years later, you were able to see the final Toy Story movie (…or is it?) as your first movie in a theater.

I am so proud of you. You had so much fun.

It was sweet because you chose to spend the first half of the movie in my lap, and the second half in Mommy’s.

And here I was thinking I was just going to put sitting on the end of the row in my own little world.

I am so glad we took you to see Toy Story 4 in the theater!

Love,

Daddy

 

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Dear Jack: Keeping Your Sister from Talking During Toy Story 4

8 years, 7 months.

Dear Jack,

I have been taking you to see movies since you were the exact same age as your sister is now:

3 years, 2 months.

I admit, that is quite the major coincidence, actually!

The first movie you saw was The Lego Movie back in 2014.

This past Sunday was a big deal for our family, as it marked the first time all 4 of us went to see a movie together.

More specifically, it was your sister’s first time to ever see a movie in a theater.

You made sure during the days leading up to seeing Toy Story 4 as a family:

“Holly, in the movie theater, you can’t talk… okay?”

She definitely listed to you.

In fact, she was so quiet during the movie, she didn’t even laugh along with the rest of the audience every time something funny happened!

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: You Get to Be the Boy in the Back Seat of a Jeep with the Top Off

8 years, 7 months.

Dear Jack,

Every father wants his son to be able to have an amazing, adventurous childhood that he will be able to think back on with gratitude.

I am aware that I am helping to create your childhood; for better or worse.

Undeniably, since we got the Jeep Wrangler about a month and a half ago, it has been obvious you have been having a good time in it.

Yes, it’s true that the Jeep is a toy for me. But it’s a toy that I can to share with you.

You get to be the boy in the back seat of a Jeep with the top off.

I’m pretty sure that leads to a childhood you will appreciate now while you’re still a kid, and for the rest of your life as an adult.

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: These are the Years I Can’t Take a Normal Photo of You

8 years, 7 months.

Dear Jack,

I’m learning just to go ahead and take the silliest photos of you these days, because that’s about I can get. You don’t want to go through the hassle of smiling for pictures, but you will make a goofy face and pose in some ridiculous way.

So I’m just going with it.

I realize that these hilarious photos are the truest concept of your personality: When you already having fun, you don’t want to stop to be serious.

You just want to keep having fun.

I can work with that… assuming every once in a while I can get a real smile!

Love,

Daddy