You’ve come up with your own celebratory dance when you’re happy. It’s hard to describe in words, but it looks something like holding something in front of you, gently tapping it with alternating hands, and then transitioning into a little tail-feather shake. The moves are basically hip-hop, and you’re definitely aura-farming when you break them out.
All of that happy dancing points to you being a consistently joyful kid these days. You’re eager to tell us stories about your day, ask questions, or share factoids about the sports teams you’ve been researching. You’ve also stepped up to be the lead chef in the kitchen for morning pancakes.
You’ve taken a big leap in your reading, too. Like your teacher said, it’s all about finding the right books to motivate you — and thankfully the I Survived series captured your imagination. We’ve read about Mt. St. Helens erupting and a shark attack survival story. The books aren’t too scary, but they’re suspenseful, and I love how you never want to stop after just one chapter. Now that you and Eliza are both bookworms, our nighttime routine is easier because you’re willing — instead of forced — to head to your rooms at night.
I feel like this letter is all about big moves toward maturity, and I have one more example: swim lessons. You and Eliza are excellent swimmers, and we thought you’d both enjoy more pool time during the winter and some formal instruction to become even stronger swimmers. Eliza ultimately refused, but you leaned in and have been genuinely excited about the lessons. As with other sports, you make sure you have all the right gear — in this case, jammer shorts, high-end goggles, and a swim cap. The cap pulls on your mullet, but you wince through the pain of getting it on and off. You also impressively swim a ton of laps using different strokes in just 45 minutes! You have a natural butterfly motion, and you’re speedy at freestyle. It’s fun to see you excel in another sport.
We’ve got Christmas ahead, so keep up the good attitude and dance moves. The elves are watching.
Love,
Dad