Day Off

To my son Tommy,

Taking the day off from work today. After working 88+ hours this week, I need to disconnect. During this long work week I learned that software roll outs suck eggs and I have some amazing coworkers who will work long hours with me to help me and our company right.

Anyway, I slept in to 5:40 today, which is about two hours of sleeping in for me compared to the last three weeks. I tried to sleep till later, but my body has adapted to the early hours now. Anyways I decided to do some chores.

As I was straightening the basement, I came upon this little school project pictured above. It says, "If I were a scarecrow, I would guard some money and guard the crops." Evidently my bank needs more scarecrows to protect money! I would say my wallet needs a pocket scarecrow, but I think I have more crops than money in my wallet. I like the crow the best.

Sincerely with love from dad,

Leo

Never On A School Day

To my son Tommy,

Here is a bit of learned parenting advice that was hard earned by your father.  Never, ever, under any circumstance, start decorating your Christmas tree on a school night.  Bed times will come while decorating remains to be done and tears will flow.  As far as mistakes tonight, it actually ranks above the mistake of hooking up the tree to a voice controlled caroling system that blinks the tree lights with whatever song it plays.  The last half hour of decorating was actually spent yelling at the little mouse figure that controls this tech, "Hello Mr. Christmas" and hoping it would recognize your song choice.  

On another note, as far as mistakes for the evening, someone else screwed up more than me in my humble opinion. My choice for tree decorating start ranks far less than the T.V. executive brain trust at NBC that chose to put the three hour live production of "Sound of Music" starting at 8 pm on a school night.  Every parent was faced with the dilemma of being responsible and putting their kid to bed at a decent hour or letting him stay up to 11 pm to share a childhood memory from yore and make a brand new memory for the family.  Well, I guess you will get to see it in re-runs.  I bet you there will be a good amount of kids dragging tomorrow.  There is no right answer that fits for all children.  Of course, since they are singing songs out of order (I don't remember Mother Superior singing "Favorite Things"), and judging from the acting so far (your mother says it is good that it is mostly about the music) it is probably best that you don't associate one of our childhood favorites with our cursing and disbelief and disgusted looks.

Sincerely with love from your dad,

Leo

Morning Schedule

To my son Tommy,

Lately, before school, we have taken to watching the Disney Jr.  We watch Octonauts as we snuggle in the morning.  Then there is a short called Bunny Town which signals time to make breakfast.  You eat (followed by a Flintstone vitamin) during the first half of Henry Hugglemonster, which has two stories during the half hour show, while daddy jumps in the shower.  We get you dressed during the second part of the Hugglemonster and we make sure you got your lunch and book bag and folder.  During ChooChoo Soul we do a silly dance and dance ourselves in for a good teeth brushing and any hair adjustments.  Chuggington comes on next and we use the first half of that show as a buffer if we are running late in any areas.  Often you are set and ready to go and Daddy is scrambling to get everything.  Out the door we go around 7:45 to get you off to school.

I am not too thrilled that the boob tube has become our scheduler of choice, but it is what it is.  This is not something new to your generation.  I put this in these letters to you for posterity because I often struggle putting names to my childhood shows that I watched as a young one.  I too watched cartoons and shows (of course for my generation) like clockwork and often knew what day of the week it was by what shows I watched.  Glimpses of these shows from my youth often come careening through my mind and then confound me for hours on end.  I mix up shows and put characters from Captain Chesapeake with Captain Kangaroo which just confuses my mind more.  When I finally get it all straightened out, I then am free to lament the lost innocence of the simpler days of my youth.

Sincerely with love from your dad,
Leo

Couple Quick Observations

To my son Tommy,

Thursdays are my usual day to make sure you get to school.  This morning yielded some memorable moments and quips that I thought I'd share for posterity.

When your Mickey Mouse Clubhouse alarm went off and I came dancing in your room to get you for some cuddle time, you said, "You're too happy and it's too early"

When we made sure you had your lunch box in your backpack and opened it to check to see what you had to eat for lunch, you said, "Hey I don't see any cheetos.  That's not right.  Can you make sure there are some cheetos in there?"

When I told you to jump on up into the backseat of the truck so I could get you in your car seat, you said, "No daddy, it is a truck seat."

When I pulled up into St Agnes parking lot and was waiting our turn to get up to the old school where traditionally the younger kids are let out, you asked, "Can I get out here and walk over to my school just like the big kids do?"

You are growing up so fast.  I let you out and you shouldered your backpack and started walking.  Your teacher was walking across the lot too, so she motioned you over and you joined her for your big boy stroll.  But I still inched up the line watching out of my truck window till you got close to your building, just like I will the next time and the time after that.  You may be growing up fast but you are still my baby boy.

Sincerely with love from your dad,
Leo