May 2011

Dear girls,

May has come and gone, and now we slide into another summer, full of vacations and birthdays.

Rachel, in a few days, you will finish up preschool for good. You're going to be an honest-to-goodness big kid, going to school. Not that you haven't been going to school for the past 2 years, but now it starts getting to be a big deal. There will be tests, and measurements of your success. Of course, your mother and I aren't really all the worried about how well you'll do in school. Like I've been saying for months now, you're already reading and writing way above your age level, and I'm more worried about you being bored rather than worrying about you trying to keep up.

Another thing you'll be finished with in a few days is soccer. We decided not to put you in a league this summer, just to give you (and us) a bit of a rest. We weren't as happy with your team and coaches this go-around, but we certainly have seen a lot of improvement in your play since last summer. We'll take another look at soccer in the fall, or maybe give you some other choices of things to try out.

Emily, you're getting to be such a ham. One of the things I've noticed about you this past month is your awareness of cameras. I've been able to get great candids of you for almost two years now, but now you've started posing. And what a pose. You'll tilt your head up, bare as many teeth as you can manage, and say "sheeeez" through your clenched teeth. It cracks me up every time. And then there are the times you don't want to be bothered by the paparazzi, and you'll turn your head or run away, yelling "NO!" at me.

Your speech is getting better every day. Most of the time now you'll tell us what you want. We may have to listen to you 3-4 times to put together what it is that you're telling us, but we usually get it, and you've stopped getting so frustrated with us when we don't understand the first time you tell us. Oh, don't get me wrong, you still have quite an attitude sometimes, but you're getting more patient with us as we try to understand you. And when it's something you can't quite explain, or you just want us to come with you to do something, you'll wave your hand at us and say "Mon, mon" (as in "come on").

Rachel, your birthday party is coming up this weekend, and I can tell you're still trying to figure out why it is that we don't have your party on the same day as your birthday. You keep telling everyone, "My party is on Sunday, but I won't really be 5 yet." We've invited a lot of your friends, and we're having it exactly where you asked: Pump It Up.

Emily, I am really impressed at how much you're growing up. Like I said last month, you have an independent streak that's going to kill us, but I think it will serve you well in the future. You and I got to spend a morning together this past week, and it was really fun to spend time with you without your sister around. You are quite a different kid when you're not having to share toys, and share my attention. I don't remember that you've ever helped wash a car...maybe you helped with your mom's at some point, but as soon as I got out the bucket to wash my car, you went and found all of the rags, threw them in the bucket and started washing, despite my protests. You did a great job, too! You're one smart cookie, and you love playing in the water. I can't wait to take you swimming this summer.

We're really excited to take both of you to New York this summer to meet your new cousin, and to see the sights in NYC. I'm also looking forward to spending my time off with you. Any time we get to spend time playing together is time I that cherish and love. I love watching the two of you grow up, and I love watching you learn.

Your mother and I love you both more than you will ever know.

Love
Daddy.

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