Today was your birthday and we had a party at the clubhouse in your mama’s condo complex. She organized the event and the theme which was ‘old school.’ It was complete with pin the tail o the donkey, biting donuts off a string with your hands behind your backs, musical chairs, birthday cake, and a pinata. Good times were had by all.
It made me curious what to do with so many presents. I mean, i like playing with them all with you but i think that perhaps 15 presents is a few too many – at least all at once. I’d like to make sure that you appreciate each of them and have some respect for where they come from and that they’re only worth having if you take care of them. I want you to have respect.
Besides the party today, the family (Nonna, Collin, Greg, Jen, Mama, Me, Karen, Gwen, Alex and Carlye) all went out to Ninja for your actual birthday. The food was terrible and the service horrendous, but the ambiance was very cool, complete with secret passageways and inattentive ninjas strapped with katana blades. I think your favorite part of the night was the magician who made about a dozen foam balls appear in your hand.
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Maggie:
You still talk about Maggie every once in a while and ask when we’re going to see her. The other day when you brought it up you remembered doing yoga with her and me in the attic of our place in New Paltz. You also remembered the hammock out back that looked over the stream. It’s neat to me the things you remember. At the end of that conversation when i told you that Maggie was far away and that’s why you don’t get to see her, you concluded that, “she must be very very very far away, even farther than old old grandpa.”
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Your best friends are still Jaden and Ella although i think Thomas is up there too. He hasn’t come over the house yet but i think the two of you are tight in school. Ella has the biggest crush on you but you’ve decided to play hard to get. She’s content however as she’s spoken with God who assured her that the two of you are going to get married. We found out tonight the Julie is 7 weeks pregnant.
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Games:
Nonna and I got you some mythological creatures last time we were in Florida and you play with them all the time. They came with a board game which we played until it broke. So, for your birthday i got you the fantasy creature sister game which has 15 new creatures and a theme like clue only we’re trying to find out where the sailor hid the selkie’s seal skin and which creature is guarding it. We also play Sequence and Connect Four every night for about 40 minutes and of late have added checkers and Memory into the mix. I still kick your little butt at checkers (unless i let you win) but you’ve mastered the strategies of Sequence and near-mastered the strategies for Connect Four.
You have recently developed a real thing for Scooby Doo – much to my dismay.
I try not to let you watch too much tv which has really developed into an urgency to make sure that you’re getting a lot of other activities be they drawing , coloring, puzzles, games, walks outside, or playtime with your friends. You’re 4 classes from your next stripe in Karate although your focus has been a little lacking in class of late.
On the other hand, i like your teacher so much that i started taking classes with him myself. I want to be able to keep up with you as you get older too! I work hard and he told me on the phone recently that i have the soul of a martial artist. Whatever i have, i’m enjoying his classes, the techniques i’m learning and keeping in shape.
You call Emily your funny lady. I think it’s love.
You also love the two dogs at your mom and em’s place: Wendel and Willa. Apparently the three of you play endlessly together.
You still sleep with me most nights. You walk in of your own accord about half of the time and the rest of the time i carry you in before i go to sleep. Once in a while you call for me to come and get you instead of walking in yourself. The other night when you called me in, you told me that you were having an awesome dream about being in a boat with pirates.
Vocabulary
A few months ago i said something was cool. You paused, looked perplexed and then said, “oh, you mean awesome, right?” yes. awesome indeed. About three weeks ago you came home with a new phrase, “sweet dude.” Pretty much everything is now.
