The Procrasta-helper

Dear Isaac,

You've been really big on "timing" words recently.  Words like "soon", "almost", "first", and "later".  Tonight I noticed that the liquid motrin had leaked into the medicine bag.  You came running in and said, "I take care of it, Mommy.  Soon."

Whenever I'm looking for something you tell me, "Find it later, Mommy."

Just wanted to thank you in advance for helping me later.

Love,

Mommy

I Don't Like It

Dear Isaac,

You finally seem to be feeling a bit better today.  No more fever, but your cough lingers on and you are getting really fed up with us making you use the nebulizer every four hours and take all of your medicines.  I can't say I blame you.  Every time I put the prednisone in the syringe to give it to you, its gross smell sends me straight back to my childhood and to memories of having to take it myself.  I remember being 4 or 5 and Grandma trying to get me to take it by mixing it in a cup of soda, thinking I would be excited to have the soda so I wouldn't mind the medicine.  It just made the medicine taste bad.

An unfortunate side effect of your illness is that you have no desire to eat anything.  Besides a few string cheeses and a bit of fruit here and there, you haven't wanted to eat at all for days.  Thanksgiving is not a good holiday for losing your appetite.  I made you a plate of all the things I cooked today - turkey, stuffed mushrooms, green beans, mashed potatoes, stuffing and poached pears - and you took one look at it and said, "I don't like it."  You ended up eating a 1/3 of a poached pear and a few bites of cookie for dinner.  Had you been feeling better, you would have gobbled up the rest of the meal.

I'm sorry you're sick, but am so thankful that we were still able to have a good day together.  Hopefully you'll be feeling well enough to go to Lancaster in the morning.  If not, don't worry, there are lots of leftovers for you to reject with "I don't like its".

Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,

Mommy

1st Thanksgiving

Dear Eleanor,

Today was your first Thanksgiving. You didn't get to really experience a genuine Field/Bassani holiday since we were stuck in NYC because Isaac was sick.  We had a low-key day here at home and just hung out together.  Even though you cried through dinner, and just now finally went to bed at 11:19PM, it was a great day.  I'm so lucky to get to spend everyday with you. 

Thanks for being you.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,

Mommy

Inventory

Dear Isaac,

You have been really sick.  You couldn't go to school all week and are taking lots of medicines to make you better.  You don't want to eat and I've had a hard time getting you to drink.  We're even staying home for Thanksgiving. 

I was really happy this afternoon when you finally asked for something.  You told me you wanted a juice box.  I felt bad that I had to tell you we didn't have any, especially since you finally were willing to drink something.  You, however, apparently know where everything in the house is, and walked over to the refrigerator, opened it up, and opened the butter compartment and said, "Ta da."  There were 5 juice boxes in there.  I had no idea.  Guess I know who to ask the next time I can't find something!

Feel better soon.

Love,

Mommy

Inside/Outside

Dear Isaac,

We've been working on the concept of inside and outside voices recently.  Anyone who knows me knows that it is ridiculous that I would try to teach you this concept, as I am a very loud talker.  The key to this concept for you, is that screaming can only happen outside.  Being the clever little boy you are, when I asked you where you should use that loud voice this morning, you replied, "I scream at the window.  It's outside."

Touche.

Love,

Mommy

Money for the Poor?

Dear Isaac,

While standing in line to buy your milk "juice box" at Panera this evening, you noticed the box to give donations to help people who don't have enough food.  You said, "Look, money, Mommy.  What's that?"  I explained to you that it was for people who don't have money.  Your reply, "I no money, Mommy.  Need money.  Give me (that) money."  I tried to explain that just because you had no money in your hand, that didn't mean you don't have any money.  You still would have preferred to reach in and grab some cold hard cash, but decided milk in a box was a good substitute.

Love,

Mommy

PS - Can't wait until you see your first Salvation Army bell-ringer of the season.

Wake up!

Dear Isaac,

Thanks for trying to help me wake up this afternoon by yelling, "Go away tired!" and pretending to throw it like Ben's dad does with boo-boos.  It worked almost as well as caffeine.

Love,

Mommy

You Are My Sunshine

Dear Isaac,

I haven't written to you in a few days.  I don't know where the days go, we're always so busy.  You've done some really cute things recently, though, like:

*Putting your finger to your lips to let me know that I'm being too loud during naptime.

*Telling me that you cannot help Emily, the babysitter, take care of Eleanor because Emily is helping you (by peeling clementines).

*Wondering what's going to happen to Eleanor if we are keeping each from getting lost by holding hands when we walk down the street, but she is not holding anyone's hand.

*Articulately telling me what you are doing, and then offering to "Show you, Mommy" even though I understood you perfectly.

*Telling me "You the best, Mommy!" everyday.

*Learning your last name and announcing "I Isaac Dennis" to anyone who will listen.

*Announcing, "It's 4 o'clock!" every time you look at a watch or clock.

*Introducing yourself as "Isaac William Dennis" and your sister as "Eleanor William Dennis".

*Being totally readjusted to going to school and happily walking in each day and saying goodbye with no tears.

Thanks for being such a little burst of sunshine everyday.

Love,

Mommy

PS - It wouldn't bother me to add, sleeping in until 7 o'clock everyday, if you wanted to start that too.

Night Owl

Dear Eleanor,

Must be nice to get to sleep in until at least 8 o'clock every morning.  I wouldn't know.  Isaac likes to wake up at 5.  I probably wouldn't mind so much if you would go to bed before 11PM.  I know that smiling is really fun, and that you stay up so late because you can't stop practicing your smile, but I assure you, everyone's smile would be bigger, and we could all smile at the same hour, if you would go to bed before 9.

Love,

Mommy

The Five Second Rule

Dear Isaac,

You know that I don't really worry too much about germs.  We try to keep our house relatively clean and we wash our hands often, but besides that, I'm no germ-o-phobe.  I don't even really mind the five-second rule in our house.  The five-second rule is not good for 8 hours, however.  Please refrain from eating the chocolate chip from a granola bar you enjoyed at 10AM at 6PM.  I know you're not great at math yet, and that in your world the clock always says four o'clock, but 8 hours doesn't fall within the five-seconds allotted for eating things off the floor.

Love,

Mommy

PS - Daddy asked me to point out to you that I didn't stop you from eating said chocolate chip, so maybe I'm not good at time either.

Mini-GPS

Dear Isaac,

You truly have an uncanny sense of direction.  Today, Daddy and I told you we were going to go somewhere.  You kept asking, "Where? Where? Where?", but we told you it was a surprise and that we would tell you when we got there.  You guessed we might be going to Grandma's house, but that wasn't today's surprise.  You surprised both me and Daddy when we started driving in the direction of our destination and you said, "Go to the zoo! A look animals!"  You were right!  Despite the fact that we had only ever been to the zoo once, you recognized that we could get there the way we were going, and figured out our surprise!   Guess we'll have to blindfold you next time...

Love,

Mommy

You Can't Pick Your Friend's Nose

Dear Isaac,

Have you ever heard the saying, "You can pick your friends, you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose?"  The same thing kind of goes for licking.  Just because Eleanor has found her hands and loves to lick them, it doesn't mean she would love for you to lick her.  Let's keep our tongues to ourselves, okay?

Love,

Mommy

The Name Game

Dear Eleanor,

I have loved the name Eleanor for as long as I can remember.  People often ask if I named you after Eleanor Roosevelt, since I am a history teacher.  They ask Daddy if your brother was named after Isaac Newton since he teaches Physics.  Neither of you were named after these historical figures. 

Yesterday I took you to my school to visit with some of my students and other teachers.  A student I don't know, but recognized me, came up and oohed and aahed over you and of course, asked what your name was.  When I told her, Eleanor, she said, "I LOVE that name.  It's SO unique.  How did you come up with it?"  I couldn't think of a clever response about how my father's name was Norman and my favorite animal was an elephant on the spot, so I just told her it's a real name.  She seemed surprised.  I think she's in 11th grade, I wonder if she'll be surprised in the spring when she gets to the 20th century in history class and learns about Eleanor Roosevelt?

Love,

Mommy

Wash Wash

Dear Isaac,

You have loved the idea of doing laundry for a long time.  You point out the washers and dryers every time we are in the basement of our building.  You identify every laundromat we pass on foot, the bus or in the car despite never having stepped foot in one.  You look forward to laundry day with the same anticipation most kids save for birthday parties and other celebrations.  You pretend to do laundry, improvising your lego tubs for a washer and dryer.  You proudly tell everyone in the laundry room, "I help Mommy laundry!"  I hope you still have this love of laundry in 8 years when it will be acceptable to ask you to do it.  I certainly didn't (and still don't!) share your excitement; I learned to do wash the day before I went to college...

Love,

Mommy

Long Way Home

Dear Eleanor,

We had a great day at great-grandma's house, didn't we?  Sorry about the 2 hour and 15 minute ride home.  Rain and accidents do not make for a good travel combination. I'm guessing you didn't like it, considering you screamed a good part of the way home.  Good thing we had your brother, Captain Obvious, with us.  I would have had no idea that "Eleanor's a BABY!" if he hadn't told me.  

Love,

Mommy

The Key Man

Dear Isaac,

Everyday when Daddy gets home from work, you like to play with his keys.  They're pretty awesome, what with the purple lanyard and all.   Today, you were pretending to talk to Daddy on the phone.  When you hung up, you let me know that Daddy was at work.  I asked you what he does at work and you replied matter-of-factly, "Daddy uses keys."  I knew teaching was an under-appreciated art, but that's a pretty low blow.  Daddy uses keys AND makes copies. 

Love,

Mommy

Commuter Tutor

Dear Isaac,

As a true New Yorker, you always like to get wherever you're going as quickly as possible.  When a very crowded bus came this morning, we did not board because I didn't want you and Eleanor to get smushed.  We had waited for a few minutes for the next bus when you said, "Idea, Mommy!  Let's go A train!"  You know the NYC transit grid so well that you're offering alternate routes?  It was a great idea, off we went to the train, got to school quickly, and you were so excited to be on the train that you didn't utter a single "I don't wanna school!" the entire ride.

Can you also tell me how to get to Sesame Street?

Love,

Mommy

A Distractive Influence

Dear Eleanor,

I'm writing to talk to you about your inability to stop smiling.  You smile so much that you can't eat.  Every time you start to eat, you look up at me and start smiling so widely that you stop eating.  I hope you never stop smiling.  You have the best smile.

Love,

Mommy

Number One

Dear Isaac,

I don't know where you learned to say, "You're the best!" but it makes my day every time I hear it.  It's only  7:20AM and so far you have told me, "You're the best, Mommy!" and "Super Mommy".  I'd say our day is off to a great start.

Love,

Mommy

Sharing is Caring

Dear Isaac,

It was very generous for you to offer to share your M&Ms with me today.  Or rather, the smell of your M&Ms.  I probably would have rather eaten them. 

Love,

Mommy

Gourmand

Dear Isaac,

You've always been a good eater.  I am so proud that you aren't a typical toddler in your food preferences.  You have a broad palate and will try most things.  Today on the bus, however, you requested totally typical toddler foods.  You let me know, "I wanna eat pizza" and when I said we didn't have any pizza you replied, "OK.  I wanna eat mac 'n cheese."  I explained that you just had mac 'n cheese over the weekend so we wouldn't be having it again tonight.  Then the bus passed Papa John's and you exclaimed, "Mommy!  Get pizza there!"  (The horror of a New Yorker requesting Papa John's pizza surely would take an entire post of it's own.)  You accepted that 1.  We were on the bus and 2. I didn't have any money as acceptable reasons we couldn't get pizza.  I figured I better offer you something equally delectable so you would be excited for dinner, so I asked, "Hey, Isaac - Do you want to eat broccoli for dinner?"  The answer?  A resounding, "Yes!"

I guess my good eater didn't go too far after all.

Love,

Mommy