Dear Callum,

You are a curious little guy.  We were just out for a walk, and we traveled a total of about six city blocks, and it took us forty-five minutes because you needed to stop and examine every plant, stick, and feather you saw.  You found a big feather, and you flapped it around for a long time, assuring me frequently that if you just had another one, you might really be able to fly.  I’ll have to read you the book Leonardo and the Flying Boy when we get home, which is all about Leonardo da Vinci’s attempts at building a wing apparatus suitable for human use.

We are recovering now from the effects of a serious storm called a derecho that ravaged Iowa last week.  Because we didn’t have air conditioning for several days, the upstairs bedroom where you and your brothers sleep was truly unusable.  We spread out over various beds and futons on the main floor, which wasn’t perfect but was better.  You slept with me in the bed where your dad and I usually sleep.  One night I got all excited because I thought I heard the air conditioning power on, but it turned out it was you snoring.  You are a very athletic sleeper, and I got more than one kick to the kidneys, but overall it wasn’t so bad.  You were happy to be with me, since you’re still a very Mom-loving kid.  I got to dust off my old co-sleeping skills from when you were smaller.  My best trick is the pillow shield.

Skitter has trapped six raccoons to date since we arrived here, and he caught a few more prior to our arrival.  You always want to see them and name them.  His electric fence was damaged in the storm, so we were extra pleased to see a  specimen in the trap yesterday morning.  You and your brothers named the most recent one Nacho Libre, because he was chubby and athletic like the titular character in a movie we watched the other night.

We’ve been enjoying as much time outside as we can, which is all the sweeter now that we can go back into the air-conditioned house when we get too hot or the mosquitoes get too bitey.  We’ve taken lots of walks to the park and around the neighborhood.  I know you wish we could do our usual fun things like trips to the arcade and the swimming pool, but you’ve done a good job keeping your spirits up.  It helps that you’re equally happy playing with your brothers and spending time by yourself.  I think that will serve you well in online kindergarten, when you’ll have to do a mix of interacting with others and working on your own.  It will be good to get back to our house, which can hopefully happen before school starts, because we’ll be able to set up learning stations for you and your brothers and apply some structure to your life.  Right now your only standing appointment is afternoon treat time.

You alternate between serious and silly.  Your vocabulary is large and funny.  You often use words I wouldn’t expect a five-year-old to use, not because they’re particularly unusual, but just because they make you sound like an old man (or, as a friend commented, like a member of the Bloomsbury Group).  “It appears that the Switch needs to be charged,” you might say, or “Thank you, good sir” after I rinse your hair in the bathtub.

You are currently sporting two Band-Aids on your leg for a minor injury that didn’t even bleed.  You really enjoy abundant sympathy.  You requested one hundred kisses on your palm after a mild wipe-out on your bike this morning, and this time I had the good sense to stop after ten.  The last time you asked for one hundred kisses, I really did it, and after I was done, you asked for a thousand.  There’s not enough lip balm at the Ecolips factory for that

Your current favorites:  ice cream treats on the back patio, pepperoni pizza, Skitter’s smoked meats, zooming around on your Strider bike, the Legend of Zelda on the Switch, cuddling, and reading the same Berenstain Bears stories at bedtime every night.  You’ve also been into the Scaredy Squirrel series, which I personally prefer.

You remind me of your brothers in some ways, but in other ways, you’re like no one but yourself.  Despite the tough circumstances, I’ve really enjoyed having extra time with you over the longest summer ever.  I look forward to watching you continue to learn and grow as we chug ahead.

Love,

Mommy