Letters to My Children

I am participating in my second blog circle  this year, and again I am doing this with a group of fabulous women from the Clickin Moms Forum; this one is entitled Letters to My Children, and yep, as you’ve guessed I am writing a letter to one of my kids each month, accompanied by pictures of course.  Normally when I do things with my kids, it’s in order of birth, from oldest to youngest; recently my youngest informed me,”that’s not fair” because he’s always last. So, just for him I’m switching things up, and starting with my middle child

Dearest Ryan,

It is the dead of winter, but no one would know it if they asked you what you did today.  You would have to respond by saying that you played basketball, rode your scooter (and your skateboard and your rollerblades; )  a mere 32 degrees cannot stop you from doing what you love.  And anyone who knows you, would know that you have to be doing something at ALL times.  You have to be active.  So our basement has turned into your basketball court (only because  you’ve been yelled at too many times for playing in the living room).  The basement also serves as your skatepark, where you basically use anything you own with wheels.  So when it’s warm enough (because only in Chicago can you call 32 degrees warm enough), we’ll head outside and let you do what it is that you love.

Anything physical comes so unbelievably easy to you, the first time you put on your rollerblades, you just took off, as if you had been skating for years.  It’s really amazing, but you’re like that with everything you try… It’s funny, because when you were small, we knew it even then. I remember watching you throw a baseball at about two, and I immediately knew that you’d be good at baseball. And it turns out that all of the sports you play, you just seem to excel at them…. soccer, basketball, baseball…. you play your heart out each and every game.  I’m half-tempted to sign you up for water polo to see how you could do (kidding… sort of).  And it’s not just that you are good at playing, but you love it, after a game, you are on cloud nine, re-telling all the highlights, and you always have the biggest smile on your face.  You enjoy every single second of it, and that is what I love the most.  It’s not that you are good at these things, that makes me happy, but these are the things that bring you joy…. and that is my hope for your childhood, that one day, when you look back you’ll remember how happy you were.

As the first little boy that stole my heart, I couldn’t be prouder of you.

I love you to the moon and back Ryan Matthew. xoxo

Love,

Mommy

…and now please follow the circle over to my talented friend, Kristen Ryan