Letters

Here's another late letter, although this one's not as bad as the last. I'm catching up. It has been scary to me to miss your letter dates. I worry that I'll slack off too much and end up quitting. This has been such a good thing for me right now, as well as for you in the future.

We've been having a pretty good time lately checking out the world outside the house. And just like the last letter I wrote, we're not quite out of Winter's grasp yet. It snowed yesterday, and is supposed to snow and rain today and tomorrow. But it should be sunny soon, and warmer weather is on the way. It has been nice to be able to go outside and enjoy our new yard. We filled up the sandbox a little while ago, and that has been your favorite place to go lately. Our sandbox is not very big, and because it's new we still have to reinforce the rules about keeping the sand in the box, but you love it. Just the other day you were digging in the sand with your hand, pretending you were a backhoe. You told me all about it, how you scoop the sand like this, then you move it over here, and dump it out like this. "That's how the tractors dig a hole, Daddy!" Sometimes I can convince you to come out in the yard and kick a ball around with me, or bat at my wonky pitches. I love that we have a yard for you to play in.

Recently we brought home a book from the library that had on one page some kids flying "rubber-band planes" in a park. You immediately declared that you needed a rubber-band plane. We had no idea where to get one, so the thought got shelved for a while. Then when we were at a store that had a Cub Scout section, we found them. I told you I had a surprise for you, and of course your first guess was candy. When I pulled out the plane, still wrapped up and not assembled, you had a very puzzled look on your face. I told you it was a rubber-band plane, and I'm not sure you believed me. It took a little while to sink in, but then you couldn't wait to get home to fly it. It went pretty well, and you like watching it fly around the yard. I think it's awesome that we found one for you. Now if we can just keep it off Grandma Joan's roof...

I'm looking forward to going swimming more, with the better weather. I think we're going tomorrow. I love taking you down the big water slide and hearing your hilarious belly laugh every time we go around the corners fast. You do the same thing when I give you piggy-back rides around the house. Your laugh is adorable.

A few days ago we took a walking trip at Grandma Joan's suggestion and we went up the street to see where the storm drain water comes from. When we walk around the block there's a storm drain that almost always has water running through it, and Grandma Joan thought it would be fun to go see the gully it comes from. There is a gully above us a little to the south, and the water it collects runs through an open stream in a neighbor's backyard before going under the sidewalk, down the storm drain and disappearing. We never made it past the neighbor's house, because you were so thrilled with the stream. We kept trying to drop little things that float into the stream so we could watch them go under the sidewalk and pop out the other side. We never quite made it work, but you were totally thrilled with it. The neighbor also has a playground in the back yard, so you had fun going down the slide too.

At another time in the past few weeks, we went downtown to see the Church's art competition entries in the Conference Center. Your Mama and I liked that a lot, but you and Sophie were not as entertained. So we took a walk over to Trax and rode the train to the Intermodal Center, which is where Trax connects with FrontRunner and Amtrak and Greyhound. That was kind of a fun trip, and you got to ride the train and see a couple FrontRunner trains as well. I had a fear of public transportation when I was growing up, just because I didn't understand the maps and schedules associated with the buses. I love public transportation now, and I hope you learn to love it much earlier than I did.

When we're not out running around and exploring things, you love to read books at home. To me, that's a great way to continue exploring your world, learning about things you may not be able to do or places you may not get a chance to go. The challenge for me lately is that it's hard to make the time to read you all the books you want to read. And it's not very fun to read you the same books over and over like you want. You're pretty good about picking different books, but you still want to read a lot of books, which is more than we have time for. But I do like to read books to you. I love that you get all snuggly when we read together, and I really do love that you want to read books so much. I think once you figure out how to read on your own, you'll disappear into a book and we won't hear from you for long stretches of time. I can't wait to walk down the hall someday and find you reading to yourself in your room.

I love you, Jonah. I'm working hard to create experiences where you will feel loved, and feel the Spirit. I know that your Mama and I will need to deliberately create that kind of environment for you as often as we can, to help you find an anchor in all the trials and difficulties you will face growing up. We're learning how to be good parents, at the same time we want you to learn how to be a responsible, independent person. Remember that we love you with all our hearts.

Mama took you to speech therapy this week for evaluation. They told us you are totally normal, and don't qualify for speech therapy. We could have told you that ourselves. You still only say "uh-oh" and "meow", but you sign lots of things and have all the other normal developmental progress for your age. I think I got you to say "Mama" a couple times yesterday, but I'm not sure you know what you're doing yet. I'm impatient to hear your voice, speaking English. I would love for you and Jonah to be able to talk to each other. On one hand, it will add so much to how you play together, and on the other hand it will take your fighting to a different level too. That will be interesting to watch.

We had a Moon family gathering at our house this past Sunday, and I noticed that I see the grandkids differently when they're at my house instead of Grandma and Grandpa Moon's house. At my parents' house there is so much chaos that I can't really pay attention to the kids the same way I do when they're running around MY home. They all seemed more grown up than I remember, and especially you. And that hasn't faded after the rest of your cousins went home. While they were at our house, you followed Jonah and Ezra around and generally joined in the playing, which you are now big enough to want to do. You want to walk down stairs instead of turning around and crawling down them, which scares us quite a bit. And you want to sit up to the table on the bench instead of sit in your booster seat. While we're on the topic of new things you do, you also walk up and down the hills in the back yard, mostly without falling down. I think that's a great demonstration of balance and walking skills. You're fast becoming one of the kids, instead of my baby girl. I think that's awesome, but at the same time I have a wistful feeling about passing stages that we won't get to see again in you.

You've been wearing your new Easter dress the past two Sundays. It is so darn cute on you. I watch you in that dress and realize how much I was affected by growing up in a family of virtually all boys. I wouldn't have the slightest clue how to make you look girly and cute. Your Mama does a very good job. And you're just cute anyway, so it's not hard. The other thing I think about when I see you in cute girly clothes is that I have a lot of learning to do as you grow up. People always say a parent has to handle girls so much differently than boys, and I know I'll be learning as I go. I've been learning a lot about treating your mother well lately, and I hope that will also help me treat you well.

We went out to see Grandma and Grandpa Moon last week, so Mama could borrow their serger for making cloth diapers. We were there a long time, and soon you really needed a nap. You've never slept well in places other than home, so I was worried it would cut our day short. So when I took you downstairs to try a nap, I did something that I found worked for you in a situation a few months ago. You had woken up during the night and would freak out every time I put you back in your crib. I fed you, gave you a drink, sang to you, and did all kinds of things, but still every time I put you down you started crying again. So, on a whim, the last time I put you down I laid down on your floor next to your crib and stuck my arm through the railing to rub your back. I guess you were ok with being in your crib if I wasn't walking out of the room. So I lay there for a while, and pretty soon you fell asleep. That's what I did at Grandma Moon's. You were very worried when I put you in their portable playpen, but when I laid down on the floor next to you, you were ok with that. And you were so tired, poor girl, you were asleep in less than five minutes. I'm so glad I learned that trick, and I'm doubly glad you feel comforted by your Daddy's presence enough to fall asleep.

I love you, little girl. I can't wait to hear your voice saying, "Daddy!" I love playing with you, tickling you, running around the house with you, and going for walks with you.

Love,

Daddy