she grows

Ruby,

Mom took you for your 12 mo checkup today. You took two poke-pokes in each thigh as well as a blood draw from the right forearm and held up well. You're officially 30 inches tall and 22 pounds, both around the 75th %ile.

Love,
Dad

Hellion

Dinner faces

Happy siblings sharing a moment and offering a peek into dinner time and how to wear your food.

Tire swing

Dylan,
You were patient as Dad figured out the logistics of hanging an old tire from the avocado tree, helpful when it came time to get working, and thrilled with the results.

I love you little girl

Ruby,

I told you tonight during your bedtime routine that I love you. The sound of the words "I love you, Little Girl" had a quality of rareness that made me realize I haven't actually said it out loud to you often enough.

"I love you Ruby"
"I love you Ruby"
"I love you Ruby"

I said, as if making up for lost audibles. And for posterity I write it to you here: I love you, my beautiful, wondrous, ambitious, uncompromising little girl.

I have no idea how to raise you, but I have a sense you will be sure to let me know.


Dad

Teacher feedback

Dylan,

You've started attending Math Club after school one day a week. The facilitator sent this feedback to Mom this week:


"Good Morning Gxxxxx Family,
Yesterday we continued to work on multiplication. During the first half, the boys and I used the connecting cubes to help us with 'groups of' (ex. 8 groups of 2). After a few problems, we went to the whiteboard to work on equations (ex. 5x9). I had the boys draw out objects to help them solve for the answer. After break, we worked on figuring out the problem and answer (ex. I drew six rows of five lollipops; the problem is 6x5=30). Homework for next week is written on the inside of the front cover.
Dylan is such a joy to work with. He brings fun and laughter to the group. They other boys are more serious while Dylan tries to bring out the fun in them. He works hard and never gives up. Dylan is comfortable with multiplication. He takes his time and uses whatever he needs to solve the problem (counting, drawing, and using his fingers). Dylan is a big part of this group!
Janet"


I was noticing the other day that you've started memorizing various single-digit multiplication problems (like 4 times 5) and you seem to be having no trouble doing the work in the math book designed for the second semester of 1st grade.

I hope you continue to enjoy learning.


Dad

Zapatos

Ruby,

You have a deep-seated fascination with shoes.

From the time you first started crawling and would take any opportunity to assault footwear within your sphere of ambulation you have displayed an unusually over-developed affinity for shoes.

Now that you have shoes of your own (and having just started walking this week) you not only want to take them out of their boxes, taste, and play with them you very much want to put them on and wear them around. Yesterday you sat on my lap and I offered you a shoe to play with as a distraction. Instead of taking what I had practically shoved into your lap you raised a dainty foot, toe extended so I could put it on for you. Fitting, I suppose for the daughter of a couple who met in a shoe store.

Dad

Stepping stones

Ruby,you took your first genuine steps today. You've been threatening for months now, free standing like a pro, making it very clear what side of the family you get your balance skills from. Then suddenly this evening as I placed you in a free stand position a few feet from where Dad had just entered the house after a long day of grape-picking you decided to become bipedal. As I turned around to clean the floor under your highchair you apparently took a few steps, squatted down as if to return to hands and knees, then thought better of it, and returned to stand to take a few more steps.
You proceeded to demonstrate your new found skill periodically throughout the evening, unsure of what the big cheers were all about each time you did so, but joining in on the smiling and clapping just the same.
Your signing, language and motor skills are exploding all at once...very cool!

Love,
Mom

Precious Stones

Dylan,

When you asked me for permission to use a hammer to break apart some landscaping rocks to expose their precious innards and sell them to people I tried to throw a little cold water on your earnings expectations.

When you borrowed a hammer and eye protection then disappeared into the driveway I was just glad to have you occupied.

When I agreed to let you sell your wares in front of the house I didn't imagine you'd even engage anyone with a proposition, much less close any business.

When you asked me how to spell "piece" I didn't even consider the bigger picture.

And then I went to call you in for dinner. I saw you across the street having just finished a cash transaction with a rare (and very pleased) pedestrian. I saw you had a five dollar bill in your hand and couldn't believe it. As you explained how you had gone door to door with your box of rocks and slick sales pitch you pulled out another thirteen(!) dollars from your pocket. You explained that we could give this money to a company. The kind that helps bring food to countries that are too hot and dry to grow their own so those people won't die.

I was very impressed with your success, and hearing that you'd sold people on the charity fund-raising line helped make at least some sense of the $10 bill you were holding as well.

You were so pleased you kept singing "this is the best day of my life", experimenting with different tunes.

Now we will research some charities and send someone the $18 you raised.

You are creative, fearless, and unstoppable. My challenge is to keep you safe in the meantime.

Dad

Math

10+12=22 8+8=16 I Am very very good at math! Are you? 5+5=10 1000+1000=2000 wow that's awesome.Ruby is MY baby sister she is 10 months old!