Dear Mom happy birthday,

Dear Mom happy birthday,

So, much is going on these days I hardly ever get a chance to tell you about it. Claire started school last week. She was looking forward to it all summer. On June 5^th when she turned five she started asking when she started kindergarten. It was very difficult to explain to her that it was not till Summer was over. It had to be the longest Summer of her life, every day she would ask, “Is the Summer over yet?” This morning on her 6^th day of school she asked, “Do I have to go?” I smiled and reminded her it was show and tell day and she had to show everyone her yellow fingernail polish.

Oh, they are going over colors this week and next, so every day is a different color. To celebrate this we are accessorizing our outfits. Each afternoon we are taking off the old fingernail polish and putting on the new color for the next day. Wednesday is yellow, hence the yellow fingernail polish. It took me a week to find 9 different colors of fingernail polish, you would think someone would have thought of this. Finding 9 different colors of ribbons and barrettes were easier but still took several places to get the right shades.

Remember how you used to always try to get me to help you weed the garden. Well Claire loves to. In fact it is usually her encouraging words that keep it weeded. We will walk the dog and she will say, “Daddy, we should weed the garden, … PLEASE!!!” And so the flowers stay relatively well weeded. I keep thinking that if I keep this up she will have a nice flower garden when she grows up, I imagine you were thinking the same thing at one time.

She is growing up so fast and there is so much I wish you were here for. Every night we read a book and sing three songs. It always ends with: night night, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite, see you in the morning, I love you, sweet dreams. Sound familiar? It is funny how there are some things you never forget.

There are so many moments like this that are replaying my childhood. I wish you were here to talk about it. I try to find others to explain it to, but you know, they weren’t there.

Every morning when I drop her off at school I walk with her a little less of the distance to her class. Today I stopped in the middle of the hall just where I started to see her classroom door. She has been noticing me stopping and now glances over her shoulder a lot, so after 8 steps or so she stopped. Looked at me, looked at the door, looked at me, looked at the door, then ran back to me with her arms wide. I was on a knee by the time she hit me. She gave me a big hug and a kiss and said “I love you Daddy.” Then turned and skipped off to her class. My heart just melted as she went in the door.

Since you left, I light a candle for you every year on your birthday. I will try not to wait so long before I write next time.

Love Mike