smooshspace

I always keep you close to me.  Even when I’m away.

I always keep you close

Hello my darling.

In the last week or so it seems that you have made a fundamental change in your exploration of our world.

For the longest time you have  been meticulously cataloging the tangible objects you have come in contact with.

“What’s that?”
“A chair.”
“What’s that?”
“Snow!”

You now seem to have a good grasp on the fundamental elements that make up your usual stomping grounds so the question of the days most recent and those to come is “Why?”

I’ve been very excited about this phase of your development since well before you existed.  In fact, well before your mother and I even met.  I have always wanted to answer the million inquiries that help shape a child’s understanding and view of the world.

I look forward to seeing your quest for knowledge grow more complex, and I promise that as you dig deeper with your questions I will do my best to answer every subsequent level of  “Why?”

A conversation from yesterday at dinner.

Me: “It’s time to get cleaned up and get ready for bed!”
You: “Why?”
Me: “Because dinner time is over, and now it’s bed time.”
You: “Why?”
Me: “Because bed time comes after dinner time and it starting to get late so that means it bed time.”
You: “Why?”
Me: “Because time is generally perceived to flow in a linear progression with later events like bed time following the earlier events such as dinner.”
You: “Oh.”
Me: “Are you ready for bed?”
You: “Yes!”

Glad we got that sorted out. 

I do hope you never stop asking why.  Feel free to challenge me; if I don’t know the answer we will go find it together.  If we have to perform an experiment to find the answer, I’ll be your willing lab assistant.  If we just plain can’t figure it out, well, there’s always a million more questions to consider while we let the stumper ferment in our minds.  Feel free to call me when you figure it out, any time of the day.

It’s been a while since I wrote my dear…

I just wanted to say that I had a great time with you this past weekend.  Your mom was sick and in bed so it was just you and I for the most part…

The weather was unseasonably warm at about 27C on Saturday and we did the following:

• You slept in a bit late which is always appreciated
• After your bottle we listened to music, danced and built towers out of your big blocks.  Actually I built towers, and you knocked them over and laughed…ya jerk   (And I can call you that because by the time you are reading this you are old enough to know that in this case, it’s meant in jest)
• We went to your swimming classes…you seem to enjoy the water, and your favourite game was motor boat… You even liked the part where you get dunked.
• We sat on the sidewalk and drew with your sidewalk chalk.
• We ran up and down the hill in the back yard and picked flowers.
• We sat on the sidewalk and ate a Popsicle together while I drew you pictures of cats and doggies…
• You watched a couple episodes of  “Super Why” while I rested on the couch, because you’re so full of energy and I am old and can’t keep up
• We went for a walk, but quickly retreated due to the oncoming storm front!
• We watched the storm from the kitchen and then the front porch, you loved every minute of it!  And this makes me very happy, because I love storms too!

It was a very good day…

Sunday, a bit cooler and wet so we stayed inside, mommy was still sick so it was us again for much of the day…

• We made googley eye glasses for you out of construction paper and tape and a pair of sun glasses, you were quite impressed…as were mommy and me…
• I made you a paper crown and you pretty much tore it apart with your teeth, but at least you had fun.
• We made more towers out of your blocks, and again you knocked them down…
• We jumped on the bed for a long time…and you hid under a pile of pillows…
• We watched our neighbour raking leaves….
• We danced…you are such a good dancer.
• You put make-up on your eyes and mouth like mom does, except you used markers…It was pretty awesome…

This may not seem all that exciting now, but I just wanted to say that I had a lot of fun with you this weekend…

I love being your dad…you make every single day better…

It’s been a long week for your dear old dad my dear.

My dad (Papa) is recovering from surgery. He’s doing well, but it’s always hard to see someone you love in pain. While you may go on with your life almost normally, it’s a feeling that’s always there in the back of your mind, weighing you down slightly.

I’d say that I hope you never have to deal with watching a loved one endure pain, but that would be unrealistic. It’s one of those inevitabilities of life and the world.

With something like that in your mind you may find that the small irritants in your life may seem larger. Much larger. A spilt coffee may make you want to yell at a kitten and go back to bed. A stubbed toe may make you want to kick the wall even harder to teach it a lesson. A commercial for hemorrhoid cream may bring you to the brink of tears with it’s lamenting song…

All rather irrational responses to everyday situations, yet at the time they seem to make so much sense.

But if I may offer some advice… Indulge the irrationalities up to a point. They do offer a vent to release a bit of built up pressure but don’t let them take over. Recognize them for what they are and reign them in. Take that energy and find a more productive way to deal with it. Bake dad some cookies for instance. You will be happier in the end, and you may stop what can often be a downward spiral into anger that is hard to stop once it’s in full swing.

If you try to suppress your emotions, it will only work for a while, and you will explode later. If you let them run wild, you will feel out of control, and likely feel worse because being out of control is rarely a good feeling. Instead, try to guide them and use them to your advantage where possible. Pour them into art or or something else that you love.

It took me a long time to learn what I mentioned above and I hope you do too. Ideally before you are a teenager, because man…that shit scares me.