January 5th, 2005
Letter to my Daughters
Every month this lady dooce writes a letter to her daughter Leta. Each month I read it and think, “what a great idea!” but I never actually take the time to do it. Well, seeing how this is the first month of a new year I figure there is no better time than the present to start.
Since this is the first time I’ve done this, and Shannon is our first child, I will begin with her. Shannon, you are 3 years and 8 months old! Wow. I hadn’t realized you were that close to four until I wrote it down. Some days I feel like you are already 10 you do so many things that amaze and suprise me. Today, your mom and I enrolled you for your second year of preschool and Enslow Park. You seem to really enjoy your time there and the teachers speak very highly of you. Mrs. Smith, your elder teacher, seemed to genuinely miss you while she was gone on vacation. And even though your my daughter and I am biased, I’m not suprised.
You are exceptionally social and you seem to get along with everyone. As soon as you entered class today your friend Carsyn ran over and gave you a hug. I guess Mrs. Smith wasn’t the only one who missed you. We only enrolled you for a three day preschool; M,W,F – in large part because your babysitter Miss Patty doesn’t want to give up her thursday trips to the library with you. It’s generally pretty amazing to see the effect you have on everyone. In that way more than any other you remind me of your mom.
You also started dance classes again last night. Even though you never seem to listen to the teacher and you constantly seem to be doing your own dance you always seem to know the required dance when you need to. You have a bunch of friends in dance class – but I don’t know any of their names. Miss Melissa, your teacher, really seems to enjoy teaching you all – though I imagine at times your wandering and total disregard for what is actually being taught must drive her crazy. In that way you remind me of myself as a kid.
Last month was your fourth Christmas and as always you rolled in the loot. It was also your second Christmas as a big sister so you had double gift opening duty since Emily still doesn’t get the whole tearing open the presents thing. I’m sure, with your help, she will learn soon enough considering how much else you already teach her. Your affection for Emily is really cool to see – though your touch could be more gentle at times your intent always is. So far I can’t tell who likes who more – you her or she you. I love watching you run through the house while she chases behind in a rapid, but too slow, crawl. I think you two should become great friends as you both grow up.
Emily, you are an amazing 13 months old. I don’t normally like to measure age in months once you start having a years worth but you just don’t look like your a year old – your too small, except for your big head. Your skin is such a cool olive complexion – so different than Shannon’s and my paleness. Seeing you stand and crawl around I marvel at the fact that you are so healthy. Your first two teeth have been in place for a while now and your upper gums keep hinting at more to come. You didn’t get to have as much fun at Christmas as your sister – and you clearly hate sleeping in a strange bed. In fact, your sleep pattern seems very much like mine; go to sleep, wake up a bunch, toss and turn, go back to sleep – repeat. Hopefully you will grow out of that.
You seem completely opposed to the idea of walking by yourself – or even standing unaided. I guess crawling is sufficient for your needs – though truth be told you seem to prefer being carried around most of all. This has been a tough winter for you as you have been sick many times – including right now. Luckily, it doesn’t spoil your generally pleasant demeanor. In the past couple months, even though you have been sick, you have even begun to smile more and more.
It is always a pleasure to come home to see you and Shannon and I can never stop marveling at how different you are from one another. Currently, you seem like a deep thinker – you rarely make much noise but you look right through people in what appears to be a contemplative pose. Shannon, on the other hand, loves to talk, much like your mom and I, and I believe we have met our match in her. Shannon is also like me in her selective eating habits. She doesn’t like her food to touch/mix and will pretty much tell you right away if she doesn’t like something. You, on the other hand, eat everything we put in front of you Emily. I have never seen such a voracious, and varied, appetite. I’m not sure I have seen you refuse a single type of food yet. Because of your open mindedness to food you are also a constrast in build compared to your sister. At the same age Shannon was thin – seeming almost lanky already. You, however, are more stout. Both of you appear as healthy as can be but your physical differences are incredibly stark – and very, very cool.
Last week, while we were in Cleveland, a huge tsunami hit southern Asia killing over 150,000 people. The Cleveland Plains Dealer featured a cover photo of a grief-stricken man holding his dead son in his hands. It was reported that he kept wailing, in mantra-like fashion, “My king, my prince, you were my strength!!” in memory of his son. I can’t even begin to imagine the pain a loss like that brings. However, thanks to the two of you I do know the true joy that having my own two “princesses” my own “queens” for you are indeed my strength and the core of my happiness. I love you.
Dad