Dear William (59 months)

Dear William,

Today you are 59 months old!

This month has been an absolute whirlwind.

We started it out by getting our picture in the newspaper for biking to a movie about bikes.

 You’re famous!

Shortly thereafter, we took a trip to Leadville, where Daddy ran a trail marathon.  You hung in there, really tough, and I want to tell you how much I appreciate that.  It was a hard day.  We had to get up very early, and then you had to stay calm while mommy drove around and tried to find a place to park at one of the aid stations.  The only place we could find was far away, so we had to walk up a mountain (at something like 11,000 feet elevation) and wait in the cold, thin, sunny air until Daddy got there.

You got really tired.  We ended up having to make several trips up and down the mountain to go back to the car for stuff I thought Daddy might need (although it turned out he didn’t need any of it).

Daddy did really well in his marathon.  The next day was Father’s Day, and Daddy wanted to spend it by driving 8 hours in the mountains.  I got carsick after the first 4.5, but you were good the whole time.  You played in the snow, in June, near the Continental Divide.  You were thrilled.

You also started swim lessons during your 59th month.  These were a resounding success.  If you recall, we tried this a year ago when we lived in St. Louis, and much of the time you refused to even get into the pool.  But here, you loved it.  You were so adorable about it too.  Every morning you would get up and ask me if it was a swim day, and I would say, “Yes,” and you would jump for joy and say, “Yay!!"

During the past 4 weeks, you have completed 2 swim sessions at EPIC: Preschool 1 and Preschool 2.  You got report cards for each.

 

When you weren’t in swim class, you spent some time in your own backyard pool.

And in your swimsuit, running through the sprinkler.

You still enjoy a good costume.

 Thank goodness I hung onto your Wonder Woman costume, because one day you asked to wear it while eating a PBJ for lunch.

 It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Ninja Superman.

Sometimes you like to wear a costume even while cheering for your mother as she runs her 13th marathon.

You got to play at a playground in Estes Park while you waited for me to get to the finish line.

And you had a good time hanging out with Daddy.

When you weren’t busy watching Mama and Daddy run races, you did some track workouts yourself, at the middle school near our house.

Both on foot, aaaaand on bike.

 

Sometimes you played indoors, too.

 “I don’t want to go to kindergarden. I’m afraid I won’t have as much Lego play-time.”

For 4th of July, we rode our bikes to Old Town for the parade.

 

We rode to City Park in the evening and watched the Fireworks.  All of us were so happy.  I think it was the first time you’ve ever been to fireworks.  When you were littler, it was just too hard to try to fight traffic and take you some mosquito-ridden place so late at night.  But now that we’re in Fort Collins, everything’s easy.  We pulled our bikes onto the lawn about 20 minutes before the show began, spread out our blanket on the grass, and lay down to look at the stars.  Once the fireworks started, you were so excited.  Your face lit up brighter than the sky.  I couldn’t even really watch the fireworks, because I kept watching you.  As much as you enjoyed it, though, you fell asleep right before the grand finale.  You poor, tired, dear.  Oh well, there’s always next year!

We finished out the month with yet another trip, where we visited my dissertation advisor at his cabin in the mountains.  (Remember him? He held you when you were a baby).  We all hiked together.  When you got tired (it was at 9000 ft), Daddy put you on his shoulders.  It was a beautiful day.

Will, if you ask me, I’d have to say that 4, almost 5, is the very best age.  It is the best of all possible worlds.  You are in some ways fiercely independent, but you also are still so sweet and innocent and need your mama so much.  You are the most generous, kind, patient, loving, and brave little person who ever walked this earth.  You will stop what you are doing and run over to me and say, “Mama, I’m going to keep you,” or “Mama, I love you forever and ever.”  

You have the most amazing imagination.  I hope you always hang onto that.  Just the other day, you were telling me that when you grow up, you would like to have a girlfriend who is your same size.  She will have black hair and her name will be Estie.  All of us will live together in our same house.  I will make you lunch, and then you and Estie will clean up the kitchen.  I would like that, William.  I would like that very much.

Love always, 

Mama

 

Today would have been your great grandpa George’s 100th birthday.