Dear Sam,

Just after my last post on you, we had decided that you were doing awesome, and your sessions with Dr. Williams were not needed for now.  We talked to Dr. Williams and he agreed.  He was so proud of you, saying, "We are going to graduate you?.. Awesome!!"  It has been about a month since we have stopped our visits, and you are still going to school really well.  I have not seen any more big bouts of anxiety, which makes me really happy.  I know Dr. Willliams will always have a special place in both of our hearts and he said that he will be there if ever you need to talk to him again.

You are the only child in the family that got a friend birthday party this year and so your Dad drove you and six of your closest friends to Classic Skating one afternoon.  Your Dad came back exhausted, and your head hurt from falling at the rink being that it was your first time, but I think overall you boys had a great time.

Also this last month you had to say goodbye to Mr. Crippen, your school teacher.  He got hired at BYU and was needed right away.  You formed a special bond with him and I know how much you looked up to him in everything.  I was not surprised at your tears when you relayed to me the news, or your sadness.  I am glad they threw a party in his honor just before he left, and gave us another chance to be with him.  School and life has gone on and you have adjusted well to your new teacher, Mrs. Gregson, although it is just not the same.

I have written before about your tender heart, and how kind you are.  You truly do have a big measure of our Savior's influence inside you, because you can't stand to see anybody being left out or being picked on.  I find it funny that although this is true, you are also the usual culprit to pick on your siblings.:)  You are a tease sometimes like your Dad, I guess. 

You have to read so many books off the school reading list and a few weeks ago I found some on your list at the library and brought them home.  I hadn't read any of them before, so I wasn't too surprised when one of them named "Crow Boy" made you sad.  It was a very old book about a Japanese boy that was more or less shunned and looked down upon by his Japanese classmates.  At the end of the story, the kids are sad to learn about his history and finally befriend him.  You were reading the book to me, but I heard you were getting choked up and I had to take over.  I reassured you that he ended up having friends in the end, but when I tucked you in bed just a few minutes later, the tears were falling freely from your eyes and you readily admitted that the story was the reason. 

I love this about you Sam.  This is the third time in the last year that you have cried over a movie or a book around the same storyline.  I am certain that you are kind in school and I know you are to your friends, because I hear you.  I know that you will be an excellent husband and father because of your big heart.  I am so proud to be your mom, and to get big hugs and lots of love notes quite often.  Even though you like to tease your siblings like I have mentioned earlier, you are always very respectful to me and your father, and I honestly do not know what I did to deserve such a great kid.  All I know is that I am grateful.  You help me want to be a better person.  I love you lots.

Love,
Mom

 

Dear Emmi,

Last night as I went in to turn off your lamp for the night, I paused for a moment at your side, taking in your sweet angelic face as you slept.  I thought to myself how beautiful you were (the leftover eye makeup that we hadn't taken off yet didn't hurt), and being your mother, of course I would think that anyway.  But you really looked like a little angel, and I had to force myself not to wake you up and tell you how much I love you, and instead I said another quick prayer of gratitude for you and let you sleep. 

I was so anxious to watch you on stage yesterday at the Miss Payson Pageant, more so than I probably should have been, and my terrible shaky job recording it is proof.  However, I am so grateful you got the opportunity to do so, and that Kate asked you to be her Pageant Pal.  I thought you handled yourself so well and was proud at how beautifully you shone on the stage.  You and Kate were good sports about not winning, but I think you both had a wonderful time in the process.  Who knows, maybe it will not be your last time in a pageant, although I don't know if I am cut out to be a stage mom.

You sure do love to sing, and we frequently hear your brothers asking you to stop when you start belting it out in the car.  Your favorite is Let It Go off of Frozen, but will sing to any song that you hear on the radio.  Consequently, you are doing really well in your musical theatre class and we are excited for that recital here in a few months.

At school you are still getting A's and a few high B's and all your teachers have nothing but good things to say at parent teacher conferences.  I love how you come home from school almost every day telling me that you fell down.  I really don't peg you for a klutz at home, yet you have a new scrape at least once a week from recess.  It must be all the running you do, getting chased by the boys.  I also always hear tales about a particular boy named "Marlan" that likes to tease you.  If someone made you fall it seems to be him.  Honestly, I am thinking that he sees how cute you are.  

Already you are learning multiplication and have beautiful cursive, which is absolutely amazing for a 1st grader.  You are looking forward to your birthday so much, and seem to ask me every day how many days (or weeks) it is until then.  Me and your father have seen a few emotional outbursts that we would expect from a daughter, but really not very many, and let's hope that continues.  

All I know is that I am indeed so grateful for you, for the opportunity I have to have a mother-daughter relationship and to try to raise you to be a good wife and mother some day.  You have a lot of good examples of women on both sides of your family, and I hope that you will try to follow in their footsteps.  

Love,
Mom