Dear Callum,

As we close out the month of August, I’m trying to prepare myself to send you to school in a little over a week. For the last two-plus years, you’ve been doing school online. It started out being due to COVID concerns, and we had planned to send you back after you were vaccinated. That would have meant switching mid-year, and you were having such a good experience with your online teacher that we decided to keep you in the online class until your first grade year was done. Now, second grade is looming, and you’ll be heading to the neighborhood elementary school. You’ve been there before–plenty of times you went along to your brothers’ events, and you attended preschool in that building for most of the year when you were four. But it’s been a while, and it will be interesting to see how you adjust to a traditional classroom situation. Both the second grade teachers at your school are well-experienced, so I’m confident that you’ll be in good hands. Still, it’s hard to let go after I’ve spent so much time with you over the last couple of years. I’ve really enjoyed watching you learn and grow, and I thank you for the privilege of being along for the ride.

I had a conversation with a doctor friend recently, and she recommended that we get you and Tobin the booster that’s currently available to your age group. We keep hearing rumors about a new vaccine that targets the omicron variant, which is what’s currently dominant, but we have very few specifics. We don’t know exactly when it will be available; President Biden is pushing for a September release, but last I heard, Pfizer and Moderna weren’t certain they could meet that deadline. Even if it is released then, we don’t know for sure whether kids in your age group will be eligible or if you’ll have to wait. For that reason, we went ahead with the existing vaccine. It doesn’t do a lot to prevent symptomatic COVID, but it will give you some extra protection against severe disease. A life without stuffy noses is an unrealistic hope, so we’re using the tools we have while trying to keep a reasonable balance of caution and life experiences.

A major development in our household entertainment situation was the acquisition of an Oculus Quest II virtual reality system. You and your siblings had been wanting that for a long time, and you had enough of your own money saved to buy one. Your dad took a lot of convincing—apparently a lot of people buy them, enjoy them for a short time, and then lose interest in them. You kids and your dad have been reading a book together about financial literacy, and the three kids used the facts you learned from that book to create a persuasive presentation. Your dad was very impressed, and in the end you prevailed. Best of all, you found a good deal on a gently used one, so it wasn’t even as big a monetary hit as you’d planned.

I’d been in favor of you guys getting one for a long time, mostly because I really wanted to do the Ocean Rift underwater experience. It’s extremely cool, and I think we’ve used it every day since you’ve gotten it. That may go down once school starts and you don’t have as many flexible hours in your day, but it’s been a fun way to spend some spare time as summer winds down. The other day I was virtually swimming with manatees, and a baby manatee came and swam with me. A bit later, your dad asked, “Where’s Callum?” I replied, “I don’t know. Upstairs I guess.” Your dad thought you were downstairs with me because apparently I talk to baby manatees the same way I talk to you. They, like you, are very cute.

I don’t know if it’s because you’re the youngest or because of how you’ve been with me more due to online school the last couple of years, but it seems like you’ve had an extra long little-boyhood. I’m sure we’ll be in for a big transition soon, as you gather independence and try out new big-kid skills. I admit I’ve been relishing your sweetness, because a kid’s interest in cuddling and complimenting his mother naturally fades as he matures. I don’t know how much longer I’ll have of that with you, so I will squeeze it up as long as I can. I’m beginning to see signs of transition already. You still like me to stay in your room with you until you fall asleep, but you don’t need it. Last month when you had the COVID false alarm, we all slept in separate rooms, and I was trying to minimize my time in close physical proximity to you. That was when you rose to the occasion and fell asleep without me, and now it’s about fifty-fifty as to whether I sleep in your bed long enough for you to also fall asleep.  A lot of it has to do with how early you got up that morning.

You were very excited to attend a reading for my book earlier this month. While you understood the basic concept of the book publication, I think it became real to you when you saw me read, saw people in the audience, and watched me sign people’s copies. When we got home, you really wanted me to sign a copy for you. You aren’t old enough to read the book yet, but you’ve read the inscription quite a few times. It makes me happy to know that you’re proud of me. Reading has always been a special thing for us to do together—we’ve been through so many Magic Tree House books I’m always surprised when the library has any left we haven’t read. While you can read on your own very well, you still enjoy listening to me read to you. I will be interested to see if you get hooked on any other authors or series this year. Last year you got really into the Mercy Watson series by Kate DiCamillo. Those were lots of fun, but we got through them quickly. She has written many more books, so maybe we can find some others to intrigue you. Or maybe your second grade teacher will have some great suggestions that will send you in a whole new direction.

Your current favorites: playing Beat Saber on the Oculus, granola bars, lemonade with a splash of Kool-Aid, frozen pizza, steak, Minecraft, and The Magic Tree House books. Your face is always messy. You love adventures downtown and playing with other kids, including but not limited to your siblings. I know you’re ready for a big adventure.

It’s going to be quite a year for you, Callum. You’re smart, kind, and excited, and I hope it’s a wonderful one.

Love,

Mommy