Dear Matteo, 83 Months Old

You lost your first tooth. It’s a good one. Front and center. You transformed from a fully-teethed little kid into a Little Rascal with that new gap in your smile.

This milestone happened while I was out of town, unfortuately. I had a work trip to Denver followed by a detour to San Francisco to get us signed with Italian passports. You gained international benefits from my trip and you’re welcome. Well, actually, I messed up a detail and didn’t get your Mom’s signatures notarized. so I didn’t technically get the job done in San Francisco. We got the right documents in the mail after I got home.

Enough with international documentation and back to this tooth, which was a surprise event. I hadn’t seen you work or wiggle it much in advance. You just popped it out in the middle of the school like it was another normal day. This is in stark contrast to your sister, who moves heaven with emotion about losing them but refuses to yank her very loose teeth.

You scored a few dollars from the tooth fairy for your brave effort, which created a base for a lot more income that came from a neighborhood garage sale that your Mom organized the next weekend.

I am famous for my willingness to throw away anything of value for the sake of tidier spaces, and your Mom is more the kind to keep things until they sell or find a good home. To Mom’s credit we made something like $125 over a couple of days of selling well used toys and clothing. Eliza fared better, but I think you still came out with another $20.

That’s a lot of Pokemon cards, so don’t spend it all at once.

Love, Dad

Dear Eliza, 103 Months Old

It feels like a calm spring in a good way. No major highs or lows. No major weather or mood swings. We’re just cruising along and nearing the end of your school year. This letter won’t be filled with a major insight, more like a day in the life.

Most mornings, you wake up a little later than Matteo and sometimes with Luna at your side. You do a good job getting yourself dressed and brushing your hair. You need Mom’s help with hair styling or a braid but you can put up your own pony tail or just use a hairband. We make you fresh pancakes for breakfast and recently weaned you off Nutella because the ingredients aren’t, what’s the word, healthy. Not like organic maple syrup is that much better. In good weather, you and Matteo jump on your bikes and ride to the bus stop a few blocks away. Mom and I follow behind, walking with your backpacks.

Who knows what you do at school all day, but you seem to have fun. That’s your own world you live in midday. I know that you’re tracking along with your learning and Mom keeps an eye on you when she volunteers with reading groups and helping teachers with folders.

After school, you ride home ahead of us from the bus stop and you’re quick to grab Luna for a cuddle. You and Matteo like to bring Luna outside on her cat leash to share her with your neighborhood friends making their own way home. You usually transition to some indoor activity while Matteo finds a ball to play with outside. We’ve found some good art ideas on Instagram recently and one of them was a big hit. It was a circular pattern of people holding hands. Words clearly can’t do it justice.

On Thursday nights you have a two-hour dance class — a long time — and practice for an upcoming, double-header recital. You’re in your element at dance class and have confidentally memorized your choreography. I’ve asked if you want to practice more at home but you aren’t interested or concerned.

Some nights we watch a family show like a “funny cat video,” “Wipeout,” or “AFV.” Other nights we read a chapter book as a family. Since we reached the scary parts of “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” we’ve been cruising through the more age-appropriate Percy Jackson series.

When it’s time for bed, you pick up your own books and read for at least an hour. Too often by 9:30 or 10 p.m. (too late), we’re reminding you to put the book down and turn out the lights.

I think it’s as worthwhile to document this moment in time because it’s temporary. We’ll transition soon to summer break, the schedule will change, and you’ll grow into some different hobbies and habits. The thing about parenting is enjoying what’s happening in the now, even the routines, because they change as soon as you really appreciate them.

Love,
Dad

Dear Matteo, 82 Months Old

We’ve been having a nice start to spring here and you’ve been wanting to play non-stop in the backyard during these longer days. We’ve been playing a lot of soccer. I taught you how to flick the ball up to start juggling and you’re getting the hang of it. I spent what seemed like hours (but likely just minutes at a time) juggling a soccer ball in the street as a kid, motivated to impress my Dad. Don’t worry about impressing me. I’m just glad you want to play with me after school.

You’ve also wanted to play golf. Before you broke a window, your Mom was smart enough to buy a set of foam golf balls, which I hit more than you do. For some reason you prefer for me to chip the ball for you to catch. I think Mom prefers me golfing too because I make fewer divots. She has been working hard at recovering the lawn so we should our best keeping the grass we have in the ground.

As things go in first grade, you’ve been telling me when you’ve heard “bad words,” which range from “hell” to really bad four letter words. Earlier today when we were golfing you asked me what the word is when you remove “g” and “r” from “grass.” Obviously your spelling is improving with your casual vocabulary.

The worst word you really say is “boring.” When you are mad, angry, or disappointed, you say, “That’s boring” or “You’re boring” like it’s your personal f-bomb. It’s really effective, to your credit. Like with any communications, it’s not so much about the diction but the delivery. When you say “boring” things are the worst, rock-bottom for you. Which is to say that you’re usually hungry and whatever was boring becomes interesting or even awesome after a snack.

Thankfully, we stray from anything boring during our playtime in the backyard after school, and I’m smart enough to know that dinner is always just around the corner in case things take a turn.

Love,
Dad

Dear Eliza 102 Months Old

I am writing from you in Palm Desert during our last trip staying at Gigi’s condo.

We are here for spring break, and we’re in a line of family staying here the last month before a new owner takes over. I have been coming here for something like 25 years now, and it’s bittersweet to know this is the last time we get to stay where Gramps and Grams lived. I was emotional on the drive from the airport and walking into the quiet, picture-less condo one last time without hearing Gram’s welcoming voice and conversation.

That said, your Mom and I motivated to come back to this community in Palm Desert to continue the tradition. Although we couldn’t afford to buy the condo we can afford to come back for a monthly rental and it’d be nice to think of extending spring break to two weeks and maybe inviting Aunt Nina and family or other friends to use a condo for a week to help split the bill. I know that your Mom can use the desert sun once a year. She sparkles with a tan.

We mixed things up this trip and visited Indian Canyon outside of Palm Springs. What a treat. The hike along a stream was lush with trees and lizard zigzaging the trail. We saw a big horn sheep atop a valley peak and a rattlesnake slowly making its way under an uncut palm tree. You were whiny on a lot of the hike because you were so hot and found a better attitude once we went off trail to climb some boulders to follow the waterline. There’s something about climbing that takes your mind off the discomfort of everything else.

We’re about halfway through this trip and I’m hoping we all get to enjoy some more fun and quiet time. You deserve some R&R after a lot of time in second grade. We’ll continue to balance play time in the pool with screen time and sightseeing to mix it up. I’m thankful for the warm sun, sweet grapefruit off of Gram’s backyard tree and a lot of family time on this last trip to the family condo.

Love,
Dad

Dear Matteo, 81 Months Old

More money, more problems.

Your Mom and I established an allowance-for-chores system that lasted a few short weeks before the allowance payments turned a la carte. As I believe I wrote in another letter, your respective colors showed: Eliza is the allowance saver, and you are the instant spender.

Your income streams recently diversified. The Easter Bunny who showed up at Popa’s house loaded up eggs with coins and dollars. Popa also took you and Eliza to Wal-Mart for your first Coinstar experience, dumping an oatmeal barrel of mostly pennies into the machine. You were delighted to see the tally add up, and you two split $28 after fees.

That money must have been burning a hole in your pocket because you went on an instant spending spree, starting right away buying some Pokemon cards before we left Indiana.

You also asked Mom to purchase you a safe (not a piggy bank) that hit our budget and spared yours somehow. We counted out the money down to the many pennies and wound up with $29 deposited from Easter and the Coinstar spree.

You explained as we counted, “If a bad guy comes into our house, he won’t be able to steal my money in this safe.”

You were excited to have your own secret code and talked out loud about the different 4-digit combinations you could use. Broadcasting your safe code isn’t the best way to keep it shut and away from the bad guys.

Soon you “bought” a Beyblades set that we had in the garage for future birthday gifting. I thought you were over those toys, but you were too tempted by the unopened box in plain sight. The next day, we went to Metro Retro in Tacoma to buy a special Pokémon card and a pack that ended up having a couple valuable cards in it. Later, you tried to persuade Mom into buying another Pokémon set online, but I reminded her you hadn’t paid up for the last purchase. You reacted “strongly” (threw a tantrum) to the news that you were out of money – and we weren’t taking on debt for you.

It will take you some time to get $29 back in that safe. Maybe you’ll sell some Pokemon cards to expedite the time. Or maybe you’ll buy another Pokemon pack after you get the next $5 in hand. I’ll help keep you on track to make the wiser choice.

Love,
Dad