Letters

367 Days Home/20-Months-Old

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 2 Comments

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My little Bo-Bo has been home a year now and I can hardly believe it.  There is so much I want to say about her, but I am so busy that I don’t have the time right now to do it.  I have 5 minutes while my student are on break, but I just wanted to post a few things about Zoë.  She is such a special little gal….

Dear Zoë,

You have a spirit that shines at least as bright as your brother’s–if someone had told me that a year ago I would have laughed at them.  But you are just as special as your brother and the people flock to you as they do to him.  It’s great.  The kids at daycare absolutely love you.  As soon as you enter, all I hear is “Zoë, Zoë, Zoë, Zoë!!!” and you laugh and smile and say “Hi.”  Too flippin’ cute for your own good.

You still follow your brother and mimic everything he does–maybe even more so now that you are getting older and are able to do more of the things that he can.  You try and jump and often propel yourself with such force forward that the opposite happens and you fall backwards.  You laugh uncontrollably and your laugh is so bright, happy, innocent and full of life.  It is infectious, mischievous and brilliant.

Now, there is one thing that I need to talk to you about–this whole taking your diaper off at night and peeing all over your bed has to stop as does sticking your hand into your pants after you have pooped and then wiping your hands on things and crying that you have poop on your hands.  Really–everytime you do this–and it is often (sadly–I promise to pay for therapy later since I have aired your dirty laundry online)I just want to scream at you “Don’t you remember the last time you did this?”  You will make me work as a parent.

There is so much to say–you have blossomed into an amazing little girl–with so much spunk and volume.  I don’t know how all of that life is wrapped up in your itty bitty body.  You make us all laugh and you have learned the art of standing up for yourself with the bigger kids.  You spend a bit of time in “time-out” at daycare because you hit a kid who took something you wanted or wouldn’t share with you. right. now.  But your joy and spirit ensures that everyone loves you regardless.

I look forward to watching you grow and becoming that stubborn little class clown that you will certainly grow into.  You make me laugh and make me want to get up every morning and be the best mom I can be.  You deserve it as you are the most special little girl a mother could as for.

I love you baby–more and more each day,

Mommy

38-and 19-Months Old

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

Dear Noah and Zoë,

I have failed miserably in keeping up with your monthly letters.  I love the idea of doing it and I love having these little memories captured…but I am busy w/school, work, teaching, parenting, exercising, parenting, and wifing.  There just isn’t enough time in the day.  I will try to do a better job, but from now on–I will write one letter.  I know that seems kind of harsh and unfair–but in my own defense your milestone days each month are only 4 days apart and its tough, so you’ll just have to share with each other.  Deal with it and discuss it behind my back later…

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So much has happened and changed and I am amazed at how much you both have grown.  Noah you have done such a great job at getting potty trained.  You still are wearing pull-ups most days to daycare but you never go in them and it’s awesome.  I have to tell you how much I appreciate not having to change your diaper.  You have made a new best friend in your neighbor Dayton.  The two of you have spent the last two weekends playing together all day in both her yard and ours.  You run around naked together–enjoy it while you can as that will have to change someday–and play in the kiddie pools and in the sand box and last weekend the two of you laid naked–bare butts up–in the sun on white towels–I have a picture but won’t post it here–looking so precious and cute.  Your vocabulary just keeps expanding and I am forever pleased and surprised by you ability to use language so very correctly and in ways that are beyond your age. 

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Zoë have also grown and changed so much.  I have a hard time believing you haven’t even been home for a year yet (it’s coming up soon) because I really have a hard time remember what life was like without you.  You fit so seamlessly into our family and with Noah that it just feels as though you have always been part of our lives.  You are developing into a fireball of opinion, wants and needs with all of those things getting confused together.  You are talking and have words for many of the things that you want and if you don’t have a word for it you scream a little until I follow you and you can show me what it is.  You have become fascinated with Yo Gabba Gabba and you carry your little Foofa (so have no idea how to spell that) doll and ask to watch-“gagga gagga.” Its cute and you sit in your little arm chair with your hand down your pants and watch and you then get up and dance.  You make me smile and laugh everyday and for that I am eternally blessed.

 

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The two of you together are a force to be reckoned with.  Zoë does everything you do Noah and it is so cute–sometimes a little dangerous but cute and you love the attention she pays to you and you, Zoë, love the attention that Noah gives you.  You hold each others hands when you walk, you hug each other frequently and hit each other less.  The bond you are forming is so special, I hope you can forge it strong and continue to build it forever. 

Love you,

Mommy

 

 

16-and 17-months-old

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 3 Comments

Dear Zoë,

Just let me say sorry that I missed last months letter to you.  You are a trooper and a good sport.  I am sure someday I will have to pay your therapy bill because you were the second child and you will feel shafted in some ways.  I can’t blame you.  I am the oldest child in my family and I know there are things that I got that my brothers didn’t but you have your brother to love you and look out for you and when he isn’t busy playing Kung-Fu Panda with you he’s a pretty good big brother. 

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These past two months have been pretty awesome.  You are screaming less and that is a good thing, but you are still at the stage that Noah’s emotions are your own and that makes for a bit more work for you mom.  If Noah is upset then you are upset.  If Noah needs to be held, you need to be held, etc.  This is more problematic lately as we have taken away Noah’s binky and we are attempting to de-spoil him.  We won’t have that problem with you–you aren’t nearly as spoiled as Noah and I won’t make that mistake twice. 

Now, don’t take this the wrong way Zoë, but you are a trouble maker and I mean that in the most loving way possible.  One of the funniest things you do is to take something, that someone else needs/wants and then you slowly back up as they ask for it back.  You shake your head no, turn and run as fast as you can laughing the entire time.  It is hilarious.  Then when they–and by they I mostly mean me–catch you; you again laugh like mad.  While it can be frustrating it is more cute than anything. 

You have taken to questioning me on your body parts.  You point to various things–eyes, ears, nose, tongue, head, etc., and wait for me to correctly name the part before you move on.  If I give you the wrong answer you shake your head and point to the same place again.  I find this hilarious because often when I ask you to point to a body part you get it wrong–or maybe you just aren’t trying.  See what I mean, troublemaker. 

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You have this fetish about your hands and smelling them.  Every time you touch something new (see pic above) you have to smell your hands and you like them to smell good and you don’t think goat smells good.  We have a bottle of rose water in our bedroom and you are obsessed with having that put on your hands.   I must but it on your hands 8 times a day and after each application you put both hands up to your nose and take a big smell and then smile.  I think you must get this from  your father he too is a bit of a hand smeller.  Um…

You are fearless–well I thought you were until we went to Orlando and Mickey and Minnie attempted to touch you.  While you liked them from afar and in one way couldn’t wait to see them you didn’t want to get close.  It is nice to know you have a little fear in you as that is not really apparent in our everyday life where you don’t hesitate to climb on something or attempt to do exactly what your older brother is doing. 

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Zoë you continue to grow and change and your personality is really beginning to blossom.  Raising you is going to keep me on my feet and I am going to love every minute of it.  Your laugh is infectious and your smile is both sweet and mischievous.  You stand up for yourself and have stopped letting Noah push you around–you now push back.  Keep it up baby girl. 

Love you,

Mommy

36-Months-Old

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 2 Comments

Dear Noah,

On Tuesday, your turned 36-months-old.  I cannot believe you are three.  Time has gone so fast.  I remember so vividly meeting you for the first time.  When you were so small and sick.  We were so worried that you would not recover.  But you did and I believe it was finally meeting your mommy and daddy that pushed you to make such a speedy recovery.  You’ve barely been sick a day since–we won’t count the plane ride from Orlando when you puked all over me. 

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Your vocabulary has continued to explode–in part thanks needs to be paid to Pinky Dinky Doo.  You now talk about things being unusual, about being flabbergasted and frustrated.  You collaborate with me when we make breakfast.  While I like to take some of the credit for your articulation and verbosity–I can’t take it all.  I do owe some of the credit to Dora, The Backyardigans, and Pinky.  Sorry Max and Ruby no thanks to you with Max’s one word conversation ability.  Nick–not all kids speak in only one word. 

You’ve hit a new developmental phase.  You cry when I leave the house (not all the time–but more often than not)–whether you’re at home with your dad or we are at the gym.  Thankfully you don’t cry at school and that’s nice. 

You are still fascinated with Cars and Kung-Fu Panda which reminds me that I need to look into Karate classes for you.  You act out the movies with the characters and it’s pretty cute.  You also much to your straight uncles chagrin love the Care Bears.  You have the action figures–you picked those out at your birthday party with all the tickets your uncle won for you.  He insisted that you get something cool and you insisted that Care Bears were cool.  I had to laugh.  Already standing up for yourself and what you like.  That will do well for you as you grow old. 

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We mailed in your school acceptance letter with the deposit.  I am excited and happy but also have four words for you before you can start school–Must. Be. Completely.  Potty-trained.  You are fighting it–part of it is you just have so much going on.  I have bitten the bullet and put you in big boy underwear at home–I have to clean up some pee but you are getting to understand the whole potty thing.  Because in a diaper you don’t really get why you need to use the potty.

There is so much more I could say, but I don’t want to go on and on.  You are an amazing little boy (even though nearly 50% of people who meet you think you are a girl).  Your smile lights up the room and your laugh and spirit influences others in ways I am surprised by.  I am so proud to be your mother and so very lucky to know you. 

Love you,

Mommy

35-Months-Old

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 4 Comments

Noah, Noah, Noah,

What to say about you this month.  You are almost three and I can’t believe it.  You have grown so much and are becoming such an amazing a little man.  You aren’t potty trained yet–but you are coming along–kinda.  You’ll get it baby if it kills me, you’ll get it–thank goodness for hardwood.

You continue to amaze me with your language.  Your new world this month that flabbergasts me is technique.  You ask me about my “technique” all the time and “what your technique” and “tell me what technique mean again.”  It’s so cute.  I laugh often.

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You are loving school more and more but also beginning to understand that you have some independence.  You are starting to comprehend that you don’t necessarily have to do everything you are asked/told to do.  Your teachers have had to threaten you with “time-out” at school.  They haven’t had to use it, but they have held it over your head.  But you love school and you like to see your friends.  You talk about “big-boy” school as a couple of  your friends from Mom’s Day Out have matriculated to “big-boy” school and you want to know when it’s your turn.  Don’t worry little man, your turn is coming–but you need to be potty trained first…hint, hint.

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It is getting harder to write these letters some months, because I am just so busy with school and work and raising you.  It’s tough and I feel bad that during the day, I don’t give you all the attention you want/deserve.  I hope you will forgive me someday.  I am pretty sure that you will because I am pretty sure all you will remember from this time is all the cool toy Cars you have and how your sister likes to steal them from  you while you are playing with them.

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You still come down into our bed almost every night between the hours of 2am and 4am.  Your dad now sleeps on the outside of the bed and you bug him to help you up into bed.  It’s sweet.  Your father use to hate it when you would come down, but now in the middle of the night or early in the morning he notices you aren’t there and he’s a little sad.  You daddy loves you so much.  It is great for me to see the two of you together.  If you turn out like him, you are doing well.  He’s a great guy.  I think both of you are amazing.

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You still light up every room you walk into and you make friends every where we go.  We went to the zoo one day this past month when it was warm and you made friend with a boy about 5 and you looked at me and said “We walk with them.  I like him.  He’s my buddy.”  It was so cute.  So you all chased each other around and played.  I love watching you and I love how you are not afraid to put yourself out there.  I hope that continues because, sadly in the world we live in there will be people who won’t want  your friendship.  I of course think those people are crazy.

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I count my blessings everyday that I get to be your mother.  It’s an amazing honor and priviledge.  I love you baby.

Mommy