Dear Matteo, 71 Months Old

Today is career day at school where you dress as the profession you want to do. Eliza dressed up as an artist, which she claims will be her “forever” career. She told me last night that she knows some people change careers, but she doesn’t think that she will ever stop being an artist. I think she’s right.

As for you, you dressed up as a DJ. I’m not sure where you saw this the first time, but sometime recently you saw a DJ scratching records and thought it was the coolest thing that you have ever seen. Since then, we’ve watched some DJing videos on YouTube and you’ve asked to listen to songs with DJ scratches. Because of that, we’ve been listening to a lot of the Beastie Boys, and put “Three MC’s and One DJ” on repeat.

I did not expect one of the great joys of parenting to be listening to the Beastie Boys with you, but I’m not mad about it.

So for this career day, you were wearing a backwards Star Wars hat and some streetwear-looking t-shirt, shorts, and Adidas high tops. It’s a flex. We also drew a DJ controller and cut out circular records to take to school so you could spin in front of your friends.

Little do you know that for your birthday next month, I bought you a kid-friendly DJ set. We’ll see what you can do on the real ones and twos.

This is all fun and games, of course. It’s hard to say how fruitful that will be in terms of a creer, but it could be a great way to have a fun job to get things started and be the center of the party. Drop the beat, son.

Love, Dad

Dear Eliza, 91 Months Old

We returned from a fantastic trip to London, Loire Valley, Paris, and Reykjavik.

I wrote about most of the London trip in Matteo’s letter and should write a bit in your letter about the rest of it.

We were supposed to leave London by train, taking the “Chunnel” under the English Channel into Paris, and then take a train from there to meet Uncle Sergio and Riley in Loire Valley for a few days. Upon deeper inspection I realized that would take too much time and money, so I booked a last minute flight for us to fly into Paris Orly and from there we rented a car to drive the rest of the way. We stopped at a McDonald’s close to our destination, so all was right.

Now, this Loire Valley stretch was unlike I imagined. I knew we’d see French castles and stay in rooms carved into caves. I just didn’t know how majestic the castles would be and how deep those caves were. In addition to the exotic scenery, it was just fun exploring them with Sergio. I hope that you and Matteo travel together as adults, too. Sergio and I made a trip to New Zealand more than a decade ago, and it’s easily a lifetime highlight in large part because we did it together.

We eventually parted ways, Sergio and Riley south toward Marseille, and we back north to Paris. We found ourselves in a recently renovated apartment in the 11th arrondisement (neighborhood) that had so much to do aside from the main attractions. Paris felt like a much larger city that London and I’m glad we spent more time to take it all in. Before we got started with proper city exploring, we surprised you with a trip to Disneyland Paris. We’ve never gone to a theme park or Disney park for that matter, so I figured why not start with one out of the country and where Buzz Lightyear speaks French? That’s my kind of sense of humor. I ponied up for a fast pass so we got to skip lines for all the major attractions. We made a nearly catastrophic mistake going on Hyperspace Mountain early in the day and may have caused some minor trauma, but aside from that we experienced all of the Disney magic. Pirates of the Carribean was your favorite ride, and you rode it twice.

Back to our regular French programming: We went to see the Eiffel Tower a couple of times, ate well at several restaurants and just walked the streets. We pushed ourselvles a little too hard going to the Louvre, but you got to see Venus de Milo and Mona Lisa. Not bad.

We ended our trip in Iceland, which is just so different and exotic that we had to return after your Mom and I visited there 8 years ago. We went from the plane to the Blue Lagoon, which you and Matteo naturally loved because it’s a naturally gigantic hot tub. After that soak, we went to our retro-chic apartment in Reykjavik and prepared for a long day traveling the sights of the Golden Circle. We were pretty much on the lookout for Icelandic horses and stopped at an idyllic hotel, Héraðsskólinn Historic Guesthouse, and then spent a couple of hours at Laugarvatn Fontana for more geothermal hot tubbing. We ended our trip walking the streets of Reykjavik and eating local fare.

None of the above is really as interesting to me as your chronicle of it. We asked you to journal the trip for school, and I’ll provide that verbatim. Paragraph breaks indicate a new page, and I kept your spelling:

I went on my trip.

I got ice cream that looked like a rose.

The next day we went to a mewseam. Thar we also saw a trisarotops.

After that , we went to a stor. We bot a London hat, it is read.

Then we went to a park. Thar is alot of hiden plasos. The disine is pirot ship.

Next it started to rein. we went back to my hotel. we slept good.

We went on a train to a pales. We wocht the changing of the Gards.

We had to walk alot. After that we went on a river croos. We got off. We walked to a pond we saw baby ducs

and we saw swons. I saw a man peting a swon. it was like a zoo!!!

We went to the piret ship park agen. a helacopter laned. it was the King Chales helacoptor!

We went to whold foods. We got stuk in a rain storm.

after the rain storm we went back to are hotell. we went to slep.

In the midel of the nigh Matteo had a bad dream. he wock up cring and conit find his eye mass and

toy hors. In the moning Matteo felt like he was gouing to throw up. He sed it over and over agen.

finaly, in the moning, we went on a train to the areport. we went to a tiny shop. we bot a stuffy. It as a yooHoo Bush baby. I named mine

Diana red Matteo named his jim, jong, jude. mine has a little scirt and a little hat.

Matteo’s has a blew shirt and blew pants. It also has a little top hat!

after that, we slept for a while befor we got on the arplane. After the nap we got on the arplan.

We were on the arplan for about 3 howrs. wen we got off we went on a train.

We got off of the train. We got a rentl car. We drov to a cave. We went inside. We slept thar. We stad for 2 nights.

The next day, we went to a swiming inside the cave! my dad wasint siport to get his har wet, but I got his har socing wet!

The next day, we went to paris. We un pact. In the moning we went to the mewsom It was a motern art mewsam.

at lunch, we got hart shap pizza. It had peso and mosrrela.

the next moning my parons spiusd me weth going to Disnyland paros. My Dad cept the Tices for 2 monts!

we went on star wors, busliter, pirots of the carabean. I sow capten jack sparo hideing in a barl.

on the last day we sew the mona lisa at the Louvre. after that we went to the park and sow the Ifle towr and threw

paper arplans. after that thar was a light show, the Ifle towr lit up!

the next day we went en 2 arplans on the same day!

we lened in Icaland. We went to are apartment. The next day we went to a gisr. It expoled 2 times in a roow!

Wen we wort back to owr rentl car it was frising cold. wen we drov back we sow Icelandic horses.

we went to the Blue Lagoon it was achly blue! the Blue Lagood was bigr than 2 artendals!

the next day we went to foatana Hot springs. it was like a hot tubs! the next day we left and aet

clam chowder we went to slep the next moning I had choclit it was a fun trip!

That account, my dear, is worth it all.

Love, Dad

Dear Matteo, 70 Months Old

We’re back in international travel mode. As the timing works out, I’ll cover the first leg of the trip in this letter and pick up with the rest of the trip in Eliza’s.

Before we left, I should mention that we tried out Scott’s new eFoil at Bella Bella beach. Incredible! I was able to stand and ride it my first session out, and you got to body surf it. Those things are legit and on my short list for unnecessary summer purchases.

Back to this trip. We left a few days ago for London via Reykjavik. We left on a Sunday afternoon, which was awesome because we could take our time over the weekend packing and re-packing to make sure we didn’t miss anything. Of course, I forgot my electric razor. Compared to what could have been left behind, I’ll take it. Your Mom and I were bullish on traveling light, and we got everything into backpacks for each of us and one rolling duffel. Mom and I got new Cotopaxi travel backpacks, and they are worth the hype. The organization compartments are helpful and they carried a 20-lb load well.

On the 7-hour Icelandair flight over to Reykjavik, you two settled quickly into screen time on your Kindle Fire devices. I watched the third season of Succession, and I’m sure that Mom was watching Good Girls. After about four hours, Eliza went to sleep. Just like at home, you fought sleep for the first hour and eventually gave in. I carried you off the plane at Reykjavik to our connection. We didn’t have a long layover and jumped on a flight to Gatwick airport. You two were on the Kindles while Mom and I slept open-jawed.

We landed in London, the first time for all of us except your Mom who made the trip once for a job interview with the Church of England in Norwich. That’s a whole different story. I have to say that it’s comforting landing overseas where everyone’s speaking English. I wasn’t nervous for this trip but am not conditioned like I was for foreign travel before the pandemic. It’s a little easier getting around some place new when you can talk and read without depending on a translation app. We made our way by the Tube to our Airbnb in Kensington Park. After struggling a few minutes with the key lockbox we made it upstairs to our second-floor flat with luggage and sanity intact.

We fought jetlag by hitting the streets after unpacking by walking to a neighborhood Greek restaurant for dinner and then playing at Diana Memorial Playground. By “playing” I mean that you chased pigeons for hours. You also tried to go after some swans near a pond, but we got you out of there before you got in real trouble. Swans fight back. There’s something about chasing small animals — bunnies, birds, squirrels — that you really dig. We later got some flower-designed gelato cones, made a quick stop at Whole Foods (so exotic) for groceries, and finally called it a night.

The next day, yesterday, we went big. We jumped back into the Tube toward Camden Town and spent time at the market there, which was bohemian and grungy. We loved it. We walked around the shops and famed umbrella-ceiling alley. We saw the Amy Winehouse statue and ate street food in a domed outdoor table across from Village (as he proudly introduced himself, Village Idiot), an 89-year-old from Isle of Wight. We capped the outing with more gelato and caught the Tube south toward London Bridge. We jumped out south of the Thames and went to Borough Market, much fancier than its northern cousin and clearly the spot for Instagrammable food. After being tempted by a tub of paella, I went for the cod and chips. Yum. From there, we went to the Natural History Museum. That one was high on my list and informed our stay in Kensington Park because I knew you, young man, would be most excited by the dinosaur exhibit. It didn’t fail, especially the animatronic T-Rex. After exploring that world, we went to an Indian restaurant, Dishoom, for dinner. That didn’t fail either. You fell asleep on the booth, and I carried you back (barely) to our flat for the night.

Those are the highlights with so many details in between that I’ll leave to photos, memories, or lost to the sea of travel. We’re having a great time, and I am high on gratitude to be able to travel like this again with you. Being able to experience and share this big wide world with you is what it’s all about.

Love, Dad

Dear Eliza, 90 Months Old

Ninety months for you, 480 months for me. That’s right. Your old man finally turned 40.

I enjoyed holding my 30s over your Mom the last 2.5 years of first-digit difference, but I am finally, inevitably joining her on the fourth floor. I can remember when my parents turned 40, and I was about 18 years old then. That just goes to show the difference between having kids younger and later in life and what you get to observe.

I admit this has not been a milestone that I’ve looked forward to. There’s just something about being classified as “over-the-hill” that doesn’t align with my perpetually youthful outlook and self image. Forty-somethings jog and run marathons (like Uncle Scott). They complain about aches and inexplicable pains (like your Mom). They lose their hair and hearing (like me.)

Of course, this birthday like any other is a celebration of living and growing. I chose that we celebrate in Whistler for a family-and-friends ski trip.

The skiing was fantastic. We put you and Matteo in an all-day “Whistler Kids” lesson so Mom and I could run all over the mountain and ski some bigger areas. We had an incredible powder run on Blackcomb Glacier, accidentally skied a chute, and otherwise had a great day. I think that was the best I’ve ever seen your Mom ski. She looked great, too, of course. When we picked you up at the base, you were 30 minutes late due to some gondola delays and totally wiped from the long day. Everything worked as planned.

The next day, we skied as a family through a lot of clouds and low visibility in the morning. We ate a late breakfast at the Crystal Hut (aka Waffle Hut) and ended up skiing well into the afternoon. We took a dip in the Chaffee’s hotel pool that overlooked the base area, ate dinner with the group, and planned for a final ski day before heading home.

That final ski day, a bluebird, sunny day, never happened. You and Matteo both caught the stomach bug. I spent the night catching puke in a kitchen pot and garbage can as you took turns and occassionally sychronized getting sick. Mom took the morning shift. You had it worse than Matteo and got sick 12-14 times. That was tough to watch. We got a late check-out to delay the car ride home, and you got sick one more time on the twisty Sea-to-Sky Highway.

We also had a delay at the border because your truthful Mom offered to the border agent that we brought a couple satsuma oranges across the border and back. Transporting citrus is a no-no, so we “got secondary” for an additional security check.

We got back home in one piece, just a couple days before my actual birthday. We were in the clear for my real birthday, or so we thought. I got sick that night. I wasn’t looking forward to turning 40, and certainly not with that kind of start to the decade.

Eh. I’m just starting at the bottom and it’s all up from here.

Love,
Dad

Dear Matteo, 69 Months Old

Here we are, in Fort Wayne again for Easter.

It’s been well over a year since we visited, and Easter seems to be the sweet spot with weather and Spring Break at school. We tried to make a trip earlier in the year, but the winter weather wasn’t cooperating.

It’d been a little too long since our last visit, and your young mind didn’t remember the house. Of course, you can get comfortable quickly and aren’t intimidated by seeing Grammie with her oxygen nose tubes that help her since one of her cancerous lungs failed.

I’m amazed and shouldn’t be surprised by how you and Eliza can quickly entertain yourselves in a new environment. Eliza found an old doll in a wicker box that she named Lisa and has drug around with her everywhere. Your Mom bought you a football that we’ve spent hours throwing and kicking. It all goes to show that you don’t need much in life to have fun. Perhaps the less you have, the more imaginative you are for the better.

Once again, we had an Easter egg hunt, and the Easter Bunny was flush with cash this year. You and Eliza each found eggs totally $44. I have no idea why you hit that unround number. The ATMs must be different out here.

Your Mom is also having a good time and started with a bang. At the car rental facility, she coyly suggested we upgrade from a small SUV to a more fancy Lincoln Navigator and negotiated a remarkable discount for us with the willing Enterprise employee. We are riding in style this trip! Otherwise, she’s helping organize and disgard around the house, as she usually does. On our rides around the city, she points out houses where her friends grew up, and many of their parents haven’t moved.

Ty, Amber, Abby, and Mason visited over the weekend. You got your share of time playing football and soccer with Mason and Abby, who ran you ragged. Or maybe vice-versa. Your Popa Roger sat on the porch most of the day to take it all in — the rare occassion that the extended family is together. That doesn’t happen so often, neither good or bad. The reality is that distance and life stage keeps us apart, and that will continue as your cousins mature into independent adults. What matters is that we enjoy the time when we have it.

Your Mom and Uncle Ty also prove that you can stay close even when the visits are infrequent. That is one of the most important and underappreciated qualities to build. Fortunately, you can see how that’s done first-hand here in Indiana.

Love, Dad