Especially Today

Dear Mom,

Newt finally learned to ride his two-wheeler this weekend! On the last official day of summer vacation, days before stepping into his first grade classroom, he pulled it off. That’s such classic Newt. Remember how he took his first steps a week before his first birthday? With him it’s all about due time and personal deadlines.

Newt called Dad and Tenzin’s parents at around 9 p.m. to tell them the exciting news. We were at out friends’ condo in Tahoe, and he’d decided that giving it a try when it was pitch dark outside was a good idea. We had a great weekend. The condo was gorgeous — right on the lake and full of little stuff that makes you strangely happy, like a bowl sink made of colored glass in the bathroom that has a light underneath it. The kids ran around like crazies with their friends — they played and fought and stomped around and got sudden-onset amnesia and started playing again. The grown-ups talked (not enough) and drank (not enough). We had a kayaking adventure that felt a lot like the Amazing Race because we were trying to get a screaming 2-year-old back for her nap (I’m fairly certain I won’t be able to move my arms tomorrow). We rode jet skis really slowly with the kids and then watched our friend take Elfie for a ride that convinced her she wants to be Danica Patrick. We went swimming, made a gluten-free ice cream cake, and used an absurd number of band-aids.

So now tomorrow is the first day at our new school. I’ve packed their lunchboxes and all of the other stuff (I think). Everything’s labeled. Incidentally, I’m amazed at how good I am at writing their names with a Sharpie now. I can still remember the first time I wrote Newt’s name on his coat for preschool. First of all, his full name still didn’t seem like his real name (How many times had I actually written or said the entire thing? I mean, I still called him “Boo” most of the time.). And second, what the heck did I know about writing on material with a permanent felt-tip marker? I think I ended up trying it in three different places because I just kept making blobs.

Anyway, I was just getting everything ready to go, and I was thinking of you. Because this is all the stuff that I would’ve told you about, in depth. And, really, there’s no on else who wants to hear about all the little details. I’m still so glad you were here when the kids were babies because there was definitely no one else who wanted to hear about when we started feeding them rice cereal or what was happening in their diapers. But I do miss you so very much, especially today. Because Tenzin may be getting a new job that’s going to be kind of different for us. And Dad is growing a beard. And Elfie is apparently marrying Newt’s friend, who seems to be infatuated with her like Pepe Le Pew is with that black and white cat. So I just need about an hour and a half or so with you on the phone. That would be really good.

And, really, it’s not that things are all that bad or anything. All things considered, we’re doing pretty well. We — I — just miss you. A lot. Especially today.

Love you,
Tammy