Dear Tobin,

Has a wigglier, more energetic, more exciting little boy than you ever lived?  Maybe, but you’re certainly the most outrageous person in our household.  As your dad has noted, while the rest of us are winding down, feeling quiet and cuddly and reading bedtime stories, you’re doing headstands and climbing the walls like a little curly-headed Spider-man.

There’s just something in your nature that makes you run when other people walk, dance when other people stand still, and jump up and down when other people collapse onto the couch.  Sometimes the rest of us just put our hands in our heads and boggle at your energy.  You don’t even drink any caffeinated beverages (except the occasional sneaky airplane Coke).

One complicating issue is that you’ve missed so much school lately.  It isn’t your fault—this winter has been just awful, with blizzard after Polar Vortex after ice storm.  It seems like every week you have at least one late start or full cancellation.   Looking ahead to this school week, it seems like maybe you could have five whole days of school.  I sure hope so.  As much as I love having you guys at home, it’s a lot of work to keep you doing things that enrich rather than rot your brains.  You’ve become a bit of a YouTube addict, which isn’t bad in and of itself, but it’s hard as a parent to know exactly what you’re watching and the quality of the content.  I prefer that you stick to Odd Squad, which you do enjoy, but you really want a YouTube fix.  I’m concerned about the materialism some of the channels you like seem to promote.  You’ve gotten into talking about expensive items, how you want a Tesla and a Lamborghini and an iPhone.  Obviously those aren’t equally unrealistic, but in any case, I don’t want you spending your leisure time watching glorified commercials for things you don’t need.

Photo by Gary Clarke

You’re still doing well in taekwondo, and you’re also in the middle of basketball season right now.  I’ve gone to a couple of your games, and your dad is an assistant coach.  You’re not the flashiest player—there are bigger and more skilled kids on your team—but you do a good job passing, supporting your teammates, and (of course) hustling.

We haven’t gotten you signed up for any summer camps yet, but we need to do that.  It will be good to support some of your interests that are more academic or nature-based.  Last year you went to two classes that were about exploring nearby parks and streams and learning camping skills, and you enjoyed those a lot.  Your dad keeps talking about making a trip to Minnesota to go camping with Uncle Joe.  We don’t have any major travel plans in place for the summer, so maybe this will be the year it finally happens.  I myself do not enjoy sleeping outdoors, but I bet I can find a bed somewhere and maybe get in on some s’mores along the way.

Your parent/teacher conferences are coming up next week, and I’m looking forward to hearing about how things are going.  It’s been such a weird semester, I’m sure the teachers are feeling frazzled and frustrated.  I hope you’re learning three or four things.  Your reading skills are continuing to progress well.  Recently, your dad has been reading the Gregor the Overlander series to you and Miles at bedtime, and you were not patient enough to wait for evening to find out what happened.  Even though it’s a book intended for readers closer to Miles’s age, you read ahead and seemed to have no problem handling it.  You guys have finished the Gregor series now, so I need to help you get hooked on another series.  Around your age, Miles got into The Magic Treehouse, so maybe we could get you reading some of the ones we have on the shelves.

Your current favorites:  the trampoline park, pepperoni pizza, bottle flipping, curling up in the guest room, doing headstands, helping with household tasks (sometimes out of altruism and sometimes because you hope to get paid), and generally being a cheerful, silly guy.

You are exhausting and hilarious and resilient.  You test our patience and make us laugh every single day. You are noisy and quick with a smile and a joke.  You’re lots of fun, and I love that you always find a few minutes to snuggle with me on the couch before school in the morning.

Have a good month, my little weirdy.  I love you.

Love,

Mommy