First day of Diva Camp

Dear Charlie Bear,

Welcome  to your first day of Diva Camp.  For Christmas, Daddy surprised Mommy with a trip to Iceland over spring break.  Mommy was so surprised and cried happy tears because she has always wanted to visit Iceland.  So they are leaving from Baltimore, Maryland tonight to fly to Iceland.  They will be there for 5 days and you and your brothers are staying with Diva and Poppa while they are gone.  Mommy and Daddy are excited but also a little sad to be leaving their boys.  You made sure to give them plenty of hugs to keep them filled up over the next 5 days.

Diva found a Captain America play suit (complete with muscles ) for you and you have been wearing it all day long.  You also have been enjoying doing puzzles like the USA one in front of you.  You are very good with puzzles and you especially like ones with cars or super heroes.

Besides puzzles, you have built with Legos, painted a rainbow for my friend in the nursing home (Miss Donna), typed stories on Poppa's typewriter (in Icelandic or a strange tongues) and had me read them to you.

You boys totally loved Poppa's  old Royal typewriter (it is 73 years old) and you had the best time typing on it and making up silly stories.  Poppa was so glad you liked using his typewriter.  He smiled all day long.

After Henry's nap, we went to visit my friend Miss Donna at the nursing home.  You gave her a box of colored pencils for drawing and coloring.  Oscar gave her an adult coloring book and Henry gave her Almond Joy candy bars.  Each of you were very kind and sweet to her and I was so proud of my sweet boys.  We also visited the grocery store to get some special treats for my good boys....you picked gummy worms!

Guess who was really tired at bedtime?  It wasn't you....it was your tired some what grumpy  Poppa Bear!

We didn't get to go to the park today because of the cold and the rain.  Sleep well....we have a big day planned for tomorrow.

At bedtime we discovered that Mommy packed your candy cane shirt but Henry's candy cane pants.  Henry wanted to wear the pants and you wanted to wear the shirt.  Henry wouldn't take off the pants and insisted he wanted your shirt.  You really didn't want to let him wear it till I promised you that if you did let your brother wear your shirt tonight ....tomorrow would be your special day because you helped out your Diva and I would owe you a big favor.  You did let Henry wear your shirt....so I guess we will have to wait till tomorrow to see what your special day will be like.  

We love you Charlie Bear.  Thank you for your kindness today to my sweet friend and to your brothers.  I love you to the moon and back again...and pray for you every single day.

Your Diva

Watch out Uncle Andy

 I love this picture of little Charlie with two of his favorite people Uncle Andy and soon-to-be Auntie Rachel.  Andy and Rachel were two of the first people at the hospital to greet baby Charlie 18 months ago.  I think Charlie fell head over heels for her back then.  You know Rachel loves him, as Lil Charlie gives open mouth kisses!  The countdown continues till November in Texas when it becomes official but it's already been settled in our hearts she is already Auntie Rachel.

Just So You Know

Tiny Diamonds

Dearest Charlie Bear,

This week is spring break for Mommy and Oz and so you and your brothers got to do some fun exploring trips with the family.

I love this picture of the geode that your daddy cut open to expose all the beautiful crystals inside.  You called them tiny diamonds and decided that you were a really rich boy.

Well, my love, you are so right.  You are rich in having been born to a family that loves you so very much and want to do fun things for you and your brothers.  You have a Mommy and Daddy that are rich in imagination and generous with their time and attention.  You are rich in cuddles, hugs, tickles, love and don't forget donuts!

You add laughter, sparkles and fun to Diva's life.  I pray that you will always be able to find hidden beauty in nature and always know that you are loved more than you will ever know.

Your Diva 

My little Mud Magnet

Dear Charlie Bear....

Your dad posted this on Facebook yesterday.  I had to laugh because I know very few little boys who aren't attracted to playing in the mud.

It certainly is fun, squishy, and not something you get to do every day.  I bet you had a great time building, making roads, and digging in the mud.  I'm glad you let Henry play too.

I wish I had been there to watch you build, splash and get dirty up to your
elbows.  I had to laugh at the shirt you are wearing Charlie...It says, "I play Dirty".

I love the" after" picture of my three guys with dirty hands and looks of satisfaction.  I know you are wanting the warmer weather to come so you can play outside more.

Thanks for giving me laughter today.  I hope you always enjoy jumping in mud puddles and getting dirty up to your eyebrows.

Know you give us much joy in watching you play.

Your Diva

Now don't you grow till I get back!

"Now don't you grow till I get back",  is something I always tell you.  I tell you that because I don't want to miss out on a single minute of your life.  I also tell you that because you give me the sweetest grin and say, "But Diva, I can't help it, I growed in my sleep."

You are going through a growth spurt right now.  You are getting taller, stronger, smarter, and sweeter.  While I was taking care of you and Henry while Miss Maddie was sick you came down stairs one morning and announced " Diva I'm going to treat you like a princess today."  The best part of that statement was that you did treat me like a princess all day long.  You helped me make my "green juice" and did everything I asked you all day with a smile.  You sang me some songs Miss Maddie taught you and we worked puzzles, read books, colored pictures and watched "The Hive" .  You shared toys with Henry and played nicely with the Moby and Max .


You are the child of my heart and it is hard for me to get angry with you even when you act like a toad.  You look up with those big brown eyes and sweet smile and make me laugh. I love to hear you pray and sing Jesus loves me in German.

Know that Poppa and Diva love you so very much and pray for you every single day.

XOXO     Your Diva

Your Roller Skating Diva

Dearest Charlie Bear,

How is my favorite 4 year old today?  I was just thinking about you and how active you are.  I thought you might want to know a little bit more about Diva when she was a little girl.

  I remember your first roller skates made out of plastic and clamped over your shoes.  Your skates would only go forward and you could walk on them without them going very fast. My first skates were made from metal and the wheels had ball bearing in them to make them go faster. I fell a lot and remember tying a pillow to my bottom to cushion the falls.

When I was 8 years old one of my favorite past times was roller skating.  The picture above are the street skates I used, complete with a skate key to tighten up the clamps on my shoes.  The skate key was very important or else the skate fell off every time you picked up your foot.  I lost many skate keys growing up and had to get my dad to use a pair of pliers to adjust the clamps so I could skate.

Not only were the skates heavy and awkward but I learned to skate on the sidewalks outside our home in Abilene, Texas.  Our side walks were cracked and if you had any speed at all and hit the rough and uneven pavement a fall was the predictable outcome.  I don't remember how many times I fell but I usually had bruises, skinned knees and elbows and lots of colorful  bandaids to show for my skating adventures. ( Remember this was long before knee and elbow pads and helmets.  So if occasionally Diva acts goofy its probably from a childhood skating accident.)  Occasionally my parents would take pity on my injuries and take us skating at the local roller rink.

Ah.....the roller skating rink with a cement, even round floor with lots of room to skate and shoe skates that they rented out.  Back in my day it was 8 year old heaven.  For my 8th birthday my parents rented out the roller rink and had my birthday party there.  I was the most popular girl in school for that brief week.  I was able to invite all my classmates, Sunday School class friends, Brownie troop, neighbors and friends. What could be better than shoe skates, birthday cake,  presents , music to skate by  as well as skating games and couples skates.  I skated with Jerry Cleveland my third grade crush....he had braces, bright red hair cut in a crew cut, thick glasses and was the smartest boy in my class.  (Yes, Charlie Bear....your Diva was attracted to Nerds even back in the day.  Jerry was a math whiz and did my math home work for me. (But don't tell great grandmother--she just thought I got really smart in math in that year!) 

   I broke my arm roller skating.  It was the first of three broken wrists that I experienced in the first , second and third grade.  My cousins used to say that "I was slippery" , I think they meant that I was breakable.  It was my left wrist.  I was going too fast down an incline and couldn't stop myself from hitting a parked car.  I used my left hand to try and stop myself but it bent  backward and I heard it snap.  I wore a cast on it for 6 weeks.

I don't skate anymore because I am breakable now but I will always be there to watch you skate, play sports, run, do puzzles and sing songs with you.  I will be your cheerleader and your official huger.   I'm wondering what your favorite things will be when you turn 8 years old.


.

Your Roller Derby Skating Queen......Diva