Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Nate's Monthly Newsletter, Four Years One Month

Dear Nate,

I'm here, I promise. I'm sorry I've missed so many newsletters but I'm trying to get back into the swing of things.

So, you're four! You're quite pleased about it, but doing a lot of thinking already about when you're five (and Jack will be three and Leo will be six and Sophia will be seven). You love to play with numbers that way; you're always announcing that there are two boys and two girls in the room (if Deborah is over), or that all three people are wearing flip-flops, or that three people got one thing for dinner and only one person got something different. You remind me of your Grandpa and your cousin Simon with your aptitude. We work on addition when we're driving (if you have two apples and you get one more, how many do you have? I encourage you to use your fingers to help with the concept - I may come to regret that "teaching tool.")



It also gives a glimpse into how incredibly observant (and sweet) you are. I picked you up at school a few days ago and you immediately exclaimed "I like your new necklace!" You don't miss a thing.

You are constantly surprised when I know something you've done (or not done, in the case of washing your hands after you use the bathroom). When I talk to you about it, you're constantly asking me "How do you know that?!" I just tell you how smart I am, and how Mommies know everything.

As an aside, we've taken to telling each other stories at night instead of reading books. The one I tell is always a variation on "Nate was doing something and then he jumped up and he FLEW! and here's all the stuff he saw and did."



So last week I amazed you by knowing what you did at school (there was a note from your teachers about what you did at school that day) and you were, as always, incredulous that I knew about it. This time I explained it with a longer story: the day Nate was born, I became a Mommy and the hospital gave me the big Mommy book that all Mommies have. It tells the Mommies everything about everything, so they can always know all the answers and be able to help their kids.

So this morning we were talking on the way to school and you asked me a question about something inane (superheroes or some other such incredibly boring nonsense). I tried to thoughtfully tell you that I just didn't know the answer to whatever it was, and heard you ask me "What about your book?" My what? You clarified: "Remember your everything book?"

Seriously, how did you remember that? It took me a good 10 seconds for me to just figure out what you were talking about! You have a seriously amazing memory.



Nate, this parenthood thing is tough. I've really worked on how we get along, and learned so much from your Daddy about making you laugh when you get pouty. But it's still so frustrating when we have a really great day, and then right at the end I get snappy or you throw a tantrum or something else that puts a little blight on the day.

But tonight I lay in bed with you and told you stories, and rubbed your back, and kissed you too many times. I hope you remember those things more than the little slips and blips in our days. I promise to do my best to do the same.

Love you like crazy, Natey.
Mama

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