siblings

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Dear Jack: Your Maturing Attitude Towards Your Sister

13 years, 11 months.

Dear Jack,

I am currently feeling equal parts relief and pride as I see the way that you are displaying a maturing attitude and mindset towards your sister.

As Mommy and I were working on the dishes Sunday night, you initiated a game of tossing a bean bag to your sister from across the living room.

This eventually evolved into you turning her into a sandwich, between two beanbags.

It is such a reward for me personally, as I have been working so deliberately in directing you to a perspective that your sister is not your competition in regards to attention nor affection.

Instead, she is actually a means of you making us proud as parents, as we see you give her attention and affection.

Even if if by “attention and affection”, it involves you turning her into a beanbag sandwich.

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: Your Brother Now Tolerates Your Affection?

8 years, 2 months.

Dear Holly,

I took nearly 500 pictures of our family on vacation this past week in Oregon.

Surprisingly, in one of them, I was able to capture a glimpse of your brother tolerating your affection, in the form of you hanging onto his arm.

Though his body language appeared somewhat detached, the fact that he allowed you to cling onto him was basically the equivalent of him actually saying out loud:

“I love you, too.”

I have watched for the past few years how you have officially longed for his approval.

Looks like you’re getting there.

 

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: Summer Camp, Sister Edition

10 years, 8 months.

Dear Jack,

I would say the theme of your summer this year has been “Different Summer Camp Every Week.” Between your week at Coding Camp, your week at Space Camp, our family trip to Georgia, our family trip to North Carolina, our family trip to California, your week of church summer camp in Alabama, in addition to another week in Alabama at Nonna and Papa’s house, you’ve hardly had much time to be bored at our house!

But for the nights you have slept in your own bed, you have insisted that your sister join you for what I call “Sister Summer Camp”, where Mommy and I let the two of you stay up later than normal.

I can tell it helps the two of you have good quality time together. And it’s your choice to have her there with you in your bedroom, as she sleeps on her sleeping bag on the floor next to you, or the bunk bed above you.

Love,

Daddy

 

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Dear Jack: You and Your Sister Secretly Got Each Other Gifts While You Were Apart

10 years, 8 months.

Dear Jack,

Until this past weekend, you hadn’t been in our house for 3 weeks! First, we were in Georgia on vacation, then you spent the next week at Nonna and Papa’s in Alabama, and then last week you were away at CentrKid camp.

When you finally made it back to our house and saw your sister again, you had a special gift prepared for her: A pair of little matching stuffed animals; one for you and one for your sister.

And your sister had saved you some little plastic balloons from her friend’s birthday; that was her surprise gift for you. She even carefully wrapped them up for your to open!

At no point had Mommy and I suggested the two of you get gifts for each other; but to our surprise, you both did!

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: A Day at the Lake, in Our Front Yard

5 years.

Dear Holly,

What happens when Mommy runs out for errand on a Saturday afternoon and I stay home with you and your brother?

I never know… it typically is something random that I wouldn’t necessarily plan for the two of you.

This particular most recent time, it ended up being you wearing a life vest and holding on to a little boogie board, while your brother chased you down with his new water gun.

So basically, it was like a Saturday afternoon at the lake… only the lake happened to be the cul-de-sac connected to our driveway.

 

Love,

Daddy