Sophie at 7

Dear Sofa/Sofa Dofa/Sweet Pea,

I can't believe what a difference a year makes. You have grown in so many different ways in this last year (not only in height, meaning you're no longer the smallest of your friends!). Your confidence has really taken off, and even though your teachers and friends report that you're relatively quiet in the classroom, it couldn't be more different when you're at home or hanging out with your friends. You are a regular sassy first grade with a great sense of humor, and you're as likely to try and play a trick on me when I tuck you up at night (the old close your eyes and open your mouth usually ends up with your stinky toes in my face!) as you are to give me a cuddle. 

I think my favorite change in this last year is to see you really become your own person. While you continue to be close to your brother (and long may that continue), you are finding your own interests and opinions on things. For example, for no reason that we can discern, you are completely obsessed with Stitch, to the point where you spent your shovelling money (thank you for saving my back on that walkway!) on a massive Stitch stuffy at Disney earlier this year. You also decided out of nowhere that you wanted a Leeds United soccer kit, and a fish tank of your own for your birthday. This comes from your increased confidence, and I love watching you step out from your brother's shadow more to become your own person. 

I've also loved you making a good group of friends this year. Covid definitely screwed things up in terms of playdates and birthday parties during your kindergarten year, but you've come home talking about a good range of different kids in your class. It was great to see some of them at your birthday party recently, and you were right in the middle of the action for the whole day. However, the one person you really wanted to see there was Martin. Fortunately you and Momma had been to his birthday the week before, and you're going on a play date tomorrow. You write about him most days in our gratitude cards (when we remember to do them) and Momma says that you're a sweet pair of friends. Long may that continue, and I'm excited to see how your friendship skills develop in this upcoming year. 

Speaking of your birthday party, you have a delightful appreciation for the world around you. As I tucked you up that night, you sighed and said that you wished the day could start all over again because it had been the best day ever. Now, this is a good thing for a parent to hear as you always want birthday parties to go right, but it's not the first time you've declared a day to be the best day ever. Most days at Disney fell into that category, but also our recent hike day with ice cream, and a trip to the trampoline park also makes you feel like the world is a pretty great place. We've got some big ticket trips coming up this summer to continue to fill your bucket, but I hope that you continue to find joy and pleasure in the small things as well as the big. 

Your love affair with Nana and Papa continues unabated (you would go and live there given half a chance!) and this was definitely helped with Papa came to coach your softball team. You showed a grit and determination in all your games and practices, probably helped by another best friend in Tessa. The two of you were hilarious to watch, and you came home from each game and practice with stories from the dugout. I wonder if you'll want to play again next year, as I think you've got your heart set on gymnastics in the fall. 

For all your sassy comments and playful nature, you continue to demonstrate your heart of gold. You always make sure that everything is fair (I called you the best girl kid the other day and you automatically added that Jake is the best boy kid) and that you give equal attention to both me and Momma. You still love to play and hang out with your brother, and I love it when you come and find me when I'm doing garden work or chores and offer to help because it's a fun thing to do. With summer vacation finally here, I'm excited to spend much more time with you and watching you continue to grow in all sorts of new and fascinating ways. 

All my love, 
Dadda

Jake at 10

 Dear Jake, 

As much as your mother and I tease you about not wanting you to turn 10, it feels like a natural step for you. You've seemed to grow up in so many ways this year, whilst retaining your innocence (toilet humor is still the funniest thing for you and Sophie!) and ability to be a goofball kid (see how you still find it funny to drop things on my head from the upstairs balcony some times). Both of us work with 10 year olds who are desperate to be teenagers, but you're very happy being 10. We see parts of this growing up as you listen to our conversations and join, asking what we're talking about forming your own opinions, as well as noticing how you take more responsibility in your life. Watching you run through your morning routine, work out how to put your bands on your braces and think critically about how to spend the money that comes into your possession tells me that you're taking those steps towards maturity, and it's delightful as a parent to watch. 

You have a solid group of friends around you, and it was wonderful to host your birthday party at Hilltop Fun Center yesterday so you could disappear and play laser tag and go karting to your heart's content. You have your crew of Jack, Judah, Willy, Brody, Brandon and Michael, and you're a good group of friends to each other. There was a lot of lovely text messages after your party where Jack's mom said that you're exactly the kind of friend that they wished for Jack, and I can see why. You're calm with a wicked goofy streak, respectful but able to tease and torment when you know it's safe to do so (your insistence that you'll cut me out of any lottery tickets wins is now an ongoing family joke!) and responsible with the ability to take sensible risks. You've started doing sleepovers at Michael's house, and you're apparently one of the only kids who managed to stay the night on the first try. I think this is down to your confidence and that not much phases you.

This has been a good year for your self-confidence. I think part of it is that change that all 4th graders seem to go through during the year, and while there's some things I'd change about your schooling (the addiction to homework and spelling, and some of the things your teacher says), I'd overall say that Mrs Garland has been a good influence on you. You've grown in confidence in skiing, easily outstripping us in terms of your skill level. While it was fun to go on green mountain with you and Brandon, I loved the days when you'd disappear with Brandon's friends and a walkie talkie for hours, and I can't wait to get on the mountain again with you. 

You have belief in your own ability in math, and while you can still get frustrated to the point of tears, I see you calming down quicker and more able to move on from them. This skill has definitely been honed by the Nintendo Switch, which was a big gamble on our part. However, our concerns that you'd become a one dimensional kid only able to talk about his video games is unfounded, and actually something really positive has come through. When asked how you'd like to spend your birthday money, you chose an extra controller, soccer leg straps and an Olympics game all with the intention of having everyone play together. You get Sophie involved, and even Mamma will play bowling with us more often that not. The Switch has become a unifying power in your hands, and while there are times that you'll get lost in your games, you've also got a plan of how to allow everyone to enjoy it.

I can't talk about this last year without talking about soccer. I had a lot of fun being your soccer coach in the fall, and we forged a great team with the Tigers. I was even able to teach you about the English fear of penalties (after we watched just about every game at Euro 2020!), and you enjoyed the irony of getting knocked out of a tournament that way. When it came to spring sports sign ups, you chose soccer even though all of your friends play baseball or lacrosse. We go to Rochester to play where you knew no-one, but you're confident enough to make friends easily now. You're also one of the 3 best players on the team, and it's been a really positive experience for you. You are more willing to run with the ball, go past players, get the ball back and shoot on goal, even getting your first goal in a game yesterday (must have been the birthday adrenaline!). I'm not sad to admit that I love that you're falling in love with the beautiful game as it will serve as a permanent connection for us in years to come, both on the field and in the stands. 

As always, I can't wait to see what this year brings. You're currently knee deep in Pokemon cards, Nintendo Switch games and soccer, all of which bring you joy. You've still got that lovely sense of humor, used more often than not to tell puns and to torture me or Momma, and you'll still ask "Dadda can I tell you something" when you're ready to share what excitement has happened. 5th grade brings a new set of challenges, as well as opportunities (the school soccer team and being able to take the bus home by yourself for example) and I can't wait to see how you handle them.

Despite being 10, you're yelling at me from upstairs to come "tuck you in" which means a tickle fight, setting the alarm by whacking your cheeks and booping your nose, and generally wrestling with you until you laugh so hard. It's still one of my favorite parts of the day and long it may in continue.

Love you

Dadda