Mother-Son Evening Out

Dear Vinny,

This evening Daddy was taking a watercolor course so you and I had an evening out on the town together.

We started by going to the "Pizza House" (as you call our local pizza buffet restaurant) for dinner, and they gave you a balloon. We saw an older woman there whom we recognized, sitting alone. I invited her to sit with us, and she did. I asked her about her past, and she told me she had a masters degree in mathematics, and that she'd worked as a programmer on my workplace's first supercomputer. I thought this was just about the coolest thing ever, and I asked her quite a few additional questions about her computing experience, and then told her a little about what things are like now.

After dinner, we went to play on the playground, but we didn't stay long because the sun was setting. We came home and it was soon time for bed. I tucked you in just before Daddy came home.

Love,
Mama

Bedtime Routine

Dear Vinny,

I put you to bed just about every night (the exceptions being when I'm on travel or so exhausted that I crash early). We have a bedtime routine, in which we brush teeth, pee-pee in the potty, put on a diaper and a sleeper for the night, and then go in your room, read three books of your choosing while sitting in the rocking chair together, and then sing two songs of your choosing while you're lying in bed with the lights out, before I finally kiss you goodnight and leave.

For some reason, you feel obligated to tell Daddy that you brushed your teeth, so there's always that interlude in the routine where you shout to Daddy about brushing your teeth.

Sometimes, we read the same book three times. You go through phases of liking some books above the others, but some of your favorites include Goodnight Moon, On the Day You Were Born, Ten Minutes to Bedtime, and The Little Engine that Could. We get books every month courtesy of Granny, and also one book a month from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. The Little Engine that Could was the first book we got from that program.

I used to sing you actual songs, but nowadays you request songs about various topics, such as sirens, the letter X, and Grandma Marvis. So unless I know a song that has that word in it (which is highly unlikely, since I know very few songs), I just make something up.

Finally, I give you a kiss and leave the room. Lately, we've started doing a funny little ritual where upon leaving, when I get to the foot of your bed, near the door, you say, "Another kiss!" and I go back and give you another kiss. It is the funniest thing ever, at least in the mind of a two-and-a-half-year-old.

You fall asleep pretty well, provided that I go downstairs immediately after putting you to bed, and wait for about an hour. Otherwise, you know I'm still there and I hear shouts of "Hey, Mama!"

Love,
Mama

Another Sad Occurrence

Dear Vinny,

Sadly, your other great-grandma, great-Grandma Laura, has also passed away.  She was over 100 years old!  It's nice that she was able to live such a long life, but I am sad to see her go.  She was the grandparent I felt the closest to when I was growing up, especially as a teenager.  I hope that your relationships with your four grandparents are similarly close and rewarding.

Love,

Mama

Change over Time

Dear Vinny,

I was gone most of last week, and in that time you have grown tremendously.  You're bigger physically, but more striking is the way that your speaking ability has expanded.  Your sentences are more complete, and you're using articles.  This is something new in your development.  I never cease to be amazed by the big changes that take place over the short times that I am away!

Love,

Mama