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Friday, August 7, 2009 Dear Koen, Yes, Dad is late with your letter, once again. He has good excuses, I promise. I hope you don’t mind, but we are going to change things a bit and Mom is going to take a crack at this letter-writing thing once in a while. Time continues to pass us by at breakneck speed. In fact today, you turn 3 AND-A-HALF. My mind reels at the very thought! But, you have never been one to stay within your “appropriate” age category so I should just get over it. Or, as one of your playgroup girlfriends said recently, “Suck it up, Guin!” Yes, three is such an interesting number. In fact, your friends aren’t the only ones with interesting words and phrases jumping out of their mouths. You have been caught on several occasions creating your own vernacular. Here are just a few: Let’s get this party started! Notice a repeating trend here? Almost everything is written with exclamation! This is a perfect summary of YOU! Your world is one on-going exclamation! Three years old has really shown your Mom and Dad what life is like living with a tiny person with a blossoming independence doing everything BIG and with EXCLAMATION! Even when you sleep your little body is in constant movement and the dialog never stops. From Mom and Dad’s bedroom I can hear you in your bed twisting, turning and knocking into the wall while laughing, crying and arguing in your sleep.
The spring and summer months from May through July have been all about travel. On Mother’s day weekend you were able to experience camping for the first time. We chose Bodega Dunes for our maiden voyage in the camping world as a family and we were able to meet up with four other friends with children. You learned all about tents, eating and peeing outdoors, making smores, building fires and not bathing for many, many days. What an exhausting and exciting adventure for all of us and I cannot wait to continue this tradition through the years.
We closed out May with a trip to the Maker Faire in San Mateo. This would be our last family outing for a couple months. You were not so much interested in the crafts aspect of the fair, but as the budding scientist you told us you are going to be when you grow up, the science & technology sections had you giddy.
June began with dance fever, and the fever is still going strong to this day. Not the cheesy 80’s TV show kind (which was your Mom’s fave, by the way), but your very own brew. Your love of dance is evident since before you could walk. Maybe it’s from all the dancing Mom and Dad did to try and get you to sleep? Whatever it is, the love has increased. Of course, you have your own word for dance time – Dance Party. So, let’s get this party started! (Now you understand the quote above, better). Somewhere, somehow during this dance obsession you got it into your head that your orange plaid dress shirt is THE shirt to wear when dancing. So, now you have the outfit and then there’s the music selection. Not the quiet, graceful rhythms of Kindermusik or Meet the Wiggles (thank, God), or any other age appropriate (there’s that phrase again) genre. Your taste for music is eclectic beginning with a continued affinity for jazz and reggae, but to dance… For Dance you require the teen trash pop to really get you groovin’. In fact, thanks to Mom I have created a teen pop monster. Thinking I was helping I spent a ghastly amount of iTunes credits loading an iPod shuffle with music I thought you would love. Where else to find a plethora of teen pop, but from the child star factory called, Disney. And, that’s where I made a wrong turn. I downloaded Mitchel Musso’s “Hey” for your listening enjoyment and that song has been on repeat ever since. I guess you can call it your anthem for three and a half. Now for the finishing touch, your dance moves. How to explain? They are all your own and they are indescribably lovely. What comes to mind is part of a well-known quote: “…dance like no ones watching”, that is as close as I can get to describe the way you groove. And of course, I have to leave visuals below.
In June, you and I took a trip down to SoCal to hang out with Great Grandpa Solem, while Great Grandma took her first plane ride back to her home state Minnesota. This was going to be the first week in several that we would spend without Dad around. What was remarkable about this trip is you discovered that you don’t have to sleep in a car if you don’t want to. In fact, NO ONE who rode with you was allowed to sleep. More than 6 hours later, sans nap, you were talking, singing and moving as much as possible to stay awake and were quite successful I might add. Being that the usual group of people were missing from SoCal for the first few days of our visit it was really nice to see you and Great Pa (as you like to call him) interacted more than you ever have since you were born. One afternoon I was making lunch and you were sitting next to Great Pa in the kitchen and I turned around to see Great Pa feeding you chicken from a can. The funny thing is I think you were so happy to have his undivided attention that you ate something you would NEVER have eaten and have not touched since. After leaving our “Downey home” (again, a phrase you created) we were home less than a week before leaving for Montana. This time a 1000 mile journey – one way. The trip to Montana brought about so many new changes for you, and your Mom too! We both had trouble vacationing without Dad, but luckily we were vacationing with lots of people to help keep you distracted. This time in Yellowstone marked the beginning of your increased awareness of your surroundings. You and I became wilderness explorers, looking for tracks and scat. You became fascinated with our daily walks to the river to throw rocks. We watched the bison fight right through your playground. You played “teenager” with your friend Nick when his parents joined our vacation. This game involved you making up ages older than you both were and anytime I tried to correct a behavior you would tell me, “Don’t worry about it, mom, I’m a teenager. It’s okay.” But, I think if I were to ask you the highlight from that trip you would say one word, “Brandon”. Brandon was one of the eleven people accompanying us this year. He has been a long time friend of your Uncle Joe’s, but you took advantage of any of his spare time and he thankfully bonded with your style of energy. If you were to ask me my most memorable part of the trip it would have to be your new streak of independence. During my attempts to pick you up or cuddle you I was quickly corrected in fear someone might see you. Or if I tried to be your dance partner during your nightly “dance parties” you quickly corrected me and told me, “No mom. We can dance together at home. I don’t want anyone to see me. I want to dance with Brandon.” My heart sank, and my ego was a bit bruised, although it was nice to see you find your own way and give me a little break now and then!
Once we made our way home from all the traveling we have been able to explore new things closer to home. You and I finally made it to Discovery Kingdom, and at the perfect time. This is the year you are just tall enough to go on some of the kid rides without an adult. You should have seen your face light up when you could ride without Mom! Another favorite spot we have been visiting is ArtBeast Studio. This place is a dream for your mother, maybe more than you, but it couldn’t have come at a better time. When you heard they offered dance classes you were ready. This place has been perfect for us. You get to pretend play you are in a band on stage and fighting dragons in a castle on one floor, create what your heart desires in the art room on the second floor, and dance, dance, dance on the third floor. There you were in all your glory, dance shirt and all, participating in a dance class. I had to hold back the tears, because in your three and a half years you have never once willingly participated in ANY organized group activity.
May, June and July have been all about you, Lil’ Man, exerting your independence. Testing the waters between right and wrong a little further, learning the art of crying at will, and trying to see how far you could push it. But, that is not all. Your little personality has certainly started to blossom and show the world that you will not live as a wallflower. No, that is not what you are made of. Life excites you, gives you constant inspiration for your creativity and many opportunities to explore and grow as an individual. This is what we, your Mom and Dad, live for Koen. You express the wonder and joy that gives our life meaning and I can’t wait to see where you lead us next.
Love, |
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