I Got Your Back

Dear Connor,

Over the past few months, you and your sister have been fighting a lot more. It's usually over toys--Lila has something you want, or you have something she wants or you're not playing with something but you don't want her to play with that something, either (seriously, what's that last one about?). You have hit her a couple of times, she has bit you more than a couple of times (yeesh, does your sister like to bite you!) and I get exasperated and sound like such a mom when I yell, "Play nice!"

I can only imagine the epic arguments you'll have as you both get older but I hope that you'll always have each other's backs when it matters. Like today at the playground. A boy who was just a little older than Lila left his toy squirt gun on the ground and when Lila saw it and started to reach for it, he yelled at her. She was so surprised at being yelled at that she burst into tears. When you saw what happened, you ran right over to the boy and screamed in his face, "You can't do that to my sister!" Way to go, big brother!

Love,

Mom

Graduation Day

Dear Connor,

Congratulations on graduating from nursery school today!

Love,
Mom

Avoiding the Issue

Dear Connor,

After school today, I asked you if you had been a good boy in school. You replied, "Let's not talk about that right now."

I'm guessing the answer is no.

Love,
Mom

Birthday Message

Dear Connor,

Your good friend Hailey is having a birthday party tomorrow so we got a birthday card for her today. I asked you what you wanted me to write on the card and this is the message you dictated to me: 

"Dear Hailey, happy birthday! I love you. I hug you. I'm doing my learning kit now. I went to the Bahamas. Happy birthday! That's two happy birthdays. That's all I want to say."

Love it!

In other news, you read several words on your own today! We were working on an activity in the aforementioned learning kit (it has books, worksheets and other things that are meant to get you ready for kindergarten). I pointed to the words dog, frog, cat and pig and you were able to read all of them by yourself without any help from me! I am so proud of you! 

Love,

Mom

Public Urination

Dear Connor,

Oh, what to do when we're out, you have to pee and there isn't an available bathroom nearby? On those occasions, I have taken you down a quiet street and made you pee behind a tree while hoping that no one walks by. I don't encourage peeing on the street but if you really have to go, what else are we going to do? I do, though, have to teach you that if you're going to urinate in public, you *cannot* do it in the middle of a bustling commercial sidewalk in front of lots of stores while dozens of people walk by--which is exactly what you did this afternoon.

It was a warm, sunny summer day and tons of people were out. We had just left the playground and were walking down a busy street when you suddenly had to pee. And before I could stop you, you pulled down your shorts, whipped out your penis and peed next to a tree directly in front of the Rite Aid while crowds of shoppers passed by, no doubt while judging me for having such a crude son. So embarrassed! :-P

Love,
Mom

Preschool Interview

Dear Connor,

You will be starting preschool this fall and you had your first official preschool interview this morning at a school near our house. Daddy and I were a little nervous because you've always been so active and hyper and we weren't sure how you'd behave when meeting the school principal. Would you sit still? Answer her questions? Show her how lucky the school would be to have you? Happily, the answer to all of those is yes!

You impressed Daddy and me by sitting quietly in the chair while the principal told us about the school, answering her politely when she asked you about the things you like to do and being the very nice, sweet boy that you are. Near the end of the interview, though, after the principal had offered you a spot (you actually got the last available one!) and was showing us the preschool classrooms, you did start to get a little restless and began running around in circles in the hallway, so Daddy and I quickly thanked the principal for her time, told her we are so excited for you to start in September and got you out of there before she could change her mind about you, haha!

Love,
Mom