Letter to My Sons: Loving Summer Time

Boys,

I hope one day you look back on your memories of swimming in the backyard and remember your mother and your brother's laughter, the feel of the sun warming your back, and the lazy feel of an endless day with no where to go. I hope your memories are filled with popping bubbles with squirt guns, running in and out to swim, eating snacks, and getting some video game time. I also hope you remember the after swimming snuggles when you're all wrapped up in a towel, and Mommy comforting you when you've just had too much fun. And if you don't remember the specifics of exploring your world, the feel of sand caked between your chubby fingers, and the games we played, I hope at least the feeling of having had a care free childhood sticks with you and that those memories are tinged with sunshine and warmth. I love you boys.

Love,

Your Mama

 

 

Letters to my sons: Adventurous, confident Landon!

Landon Robert Moring. Oh Landon. I was not prepared for you. I thought your brother had prepared me for what parenting a busy little boy was like. Then you came along and blew my notions of "busy" out of the water. You are self-sufficient, a quiet observer and a quick learner. You are scary. Even when I think I am not underestimating you and that I'm hovering too much, you still manage to sneak some new surprise under my radar.

You are are many things. Adventurous, fearless, Happy, joyful, confident, studious and a quick study. Timid and cautious are not one of them!

Letters to my sons: Crazy Beautiful

My boys,

It's been a while since I last wrote you a letter. Life seems to move so fast these days between the two of you and I know that in time it will only appear to go faster. Regardless of whether or not we even make it out of the house our days are filled with so much activity, noise, cleaning, chaos, and laughter.

Monkey's jumping on the bed

You two have become so close. I can't even begin to imagine a world with one of you without the other. Landon, you are 1 going on age 4. You don't seem to realize that you are littler than your big brother and strive to do everything that he does. Ethan, you adore Landon, watch out for him, and love playing with him or at least near him and even ask me to let him come play in your big boy room.

Whether it's playing restaurant together, doing art on the easel or playdoh together, y'all are a team these days. Ethan, you love to push Landon on his riding toy throughout the house and Landon, you love to reciprocate as well. We saw you successfully pushing Ethan around on his big wheel! It was a funny sight. Y'all crack each-other up with your made up games. Y'all love to play tug of war with our living room throw blanket (as a game, not a sharing issue) and both of you initiate rough play with each other. Landon, you don't seem to realize that you are still such a little guy! I'm forever having to intervene before someone gets hurt and I have a feeling that is going to just get harder as time goes on and you both get bigger.





Not all your games are so sweet however, but thankfully no one has gotten hurt (yet). Ethan, hopefully you will remember this, but the other day you broke a window because you were playing rough with your brother who was on the other side of the window. He was banging on the window to get your attention and you yelled "Watch out!" and threw a stick at the window. Oh boy, does this make me nervous for the future! It reminds me a little too much of stories that I have heard from your daddy and granddaddy.

We may have our chaotic moments (and I know they are just beginning!) but seeing the two of you and the special relationship that y'all are forming is a crazy kind of beautiful and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Love,

Your Mama.

Letters to my sons: Trick or Treat!

Ethan,

You love Halloween so much. It really is your favorite holiday even over Christmas. I just want to soak up these memories and the purity of your excitement and bottle it up to save forever. This was a fun Halloween. You are at an age where you can talk and discuss like a little kid but young enough that the experience is fresh and new. One of the things I never want to forget is the way your little hand felt in mine as we walked along the sidewalk filled with trick or treaters and you happily chatted away about trick or treating and how you were so excited to get "too much candy" and how you LOVED "too much candy!" I also want to remember the excitement shining in your eyes and the way the headlights from passing cars would illuminate your profile and your candy bucket for a second, showing a candy shadow inside that kept growing and growing with every house.



You wanted to stop at each house and have a long drawn out conversation with each person about Halloween, their decorations, more about Halloween, and then you finished each conversation with "Thank you!" or a big enthusiastic "HAPPY HALLOWEEN!" You held up the line at each house but I could tell that the adults just loved it. I even heard one say "THIS is what I love about Halloween!" as she laughed.



At one house they had bushes covered in "spider web" and you got very imaginative. You peered into the bushes and announced in a very loud whisper that "something was in there". It was in a happy spooky imaginative voice and you were loving it. It was hard to get you away from the bush to catch up with the others.



I completely planned for you and your brother's costumes to match in color and theme but it was a total accident that Gabi's costume matched with y'all too! Even down to the yellow on Landon's dragon costume! Since you and Gabi were the ones walking up to each door together most people saw you as "Snow White and Prince Charming" instead of the knight and dragon but you didn't seem to care!





Y'all confidently walked up to each house together. A lot of the time y'all ran. We had to remind y'all a few times not to trick or treat at the same house twice. A few times you stumbled and spilled your candy. Your immediate concern was for your spilt candy not your hurt knees. You and Gabi both walked around throwing your arms up in the air yelling "I LOVE HALLOWEEN!"

Landon,

You are still too young to get the whole "fuss" of Halloween but you enjoyed looking around and taking it all in. You were completely unfazed by your costume and even though we were up well past your bedtime you never fussed. You enjoyed "driving" your push car and when we stopped at each house you would bend down and play with the way the grass felt through your fingers. I couldn't have asked for better behavior from you. I know Halloween was a lot to take in but I'm confident that next year you'll be more excited about it. I look forward to seeing the experience through your eyes!

Letter to my Boys: "My favorite kid to play with is Landy"

My boys,

You two are such a mess. One minute friends, another minute y'all can't coexist. Sometimes Landon isn't even allowed to look at Ethan without Ethan squealing. Other times he's not allowed to touch anything in his room. Other times, I have to intervene because Ethan won't stop hugging Landon and trying to teach him to walk. And Landon, you already like to tease your brother and do things just to make him squeal. Also y'all already try to wrestle and play rough with each other. Ethan, I was happily surprised when one day you told me that your favorite kid to play with was "Landy". I didn't expect you to say that but it warms my heart to know that you enjoy each other. 

 

What an exhausting, beautiful, wonderful mess you two are!

Letters To My Sons: Playing Dress-Up

Boys, you have been so sweet together lately. You still fight over toys and want what the other brother has but you've also been interacting together and you like to be near each other when you play. Landon, you usually go along with whatever game Ethan wants though when you don't Ethan gets pretty upset that you won't play with him. You are a pretty good sport though! Lately that has even included playing dress-up.

 

Ethan you miss Landon when he's napping and keep asking if its time for him to wake up yet. Landon you give Ethan the biggest grins when he runs into your room to sing you the Good Morning song. In fact, your biggest and best grins are almost always for your brother!

I know that we are in for our fair share of sibling squabbles as y'all continue to grow but I'm so thankful that you boys have each other. I can't imagine one of you without the other!