Summer is Here!

Hi Sidra,

First let me tell you about our Father's Day. You and mom had gone shopping to get me something for Father's Day and after you were asking me some questions and telling me some things. You asked me if I liked beer. I wasn't sure how to answer that because at the moment I wasn't sure what motivated you to ask me that. So I gave an answer that I thought it was ok. I didn't want to say I LOVED beer and that it was a big part of my life. Then you went on to ask me about chocolate and I said I did love chocolate. As the conversation went on I realized what was going on and that my answers were probably good for you since you and mom had got me something chocolate. You may have considered beer but rejected that and settled on the chocolate. The chocolate was cute. It was a chocolate robot with a few 'lego' pieces that were candy also. They were actually colored chocolate. At least, they were sweet and the texture of chocolate but they didn't really taste much like chocolate.
The other part was about the card you got me. It was one of those cards that plays audio when you open it. You aren't very good at keeping a secret. But this time you didn't actually tell me everything ahead of time. I was able to surmise that you had got me a card that played music and that the song was 'Born to be Wild.' We actually sang it together several times before father's day arrived. I think I even googled it to make sure I was getting the lyrics right. On the morning of father's day I went out for a good long bike ride and planned to come in and sing my best version right away before you could hand me the card. That's more or less what happened. It turns out the card plays only the title phrase of the lyric so our version was much better by then anyway.
You've had some dance classes this month. The video shows a lot of the things that you did in the class. You are pretty good when you're paying attention. You were very excited each time about wearing your tutu and your dance shoes to class.
You also had swimming lessons the last two weeks. On your first day you were the only one in your class and it was in the shallow pool. You did everything the instructor asked you to. Afterwards, I asked her if you'd be better off in the big pool and she said yes. Well, the skills they are teaching in the big pool are right for you but you had a mental block about the deeper pool. There isn't anywhere in that pool that you can stand up and you had to hang on the side the whole time. The depth broke your confidence in your swimming ability. So you ended up freezing and asking to get out before class ended and asking earlier and earlier each day. So we wound up having you go back to the shallow pool for the last day. It was much better but you still got cold.
In the meantime you were swimming like a fish in the hot pool at Kahneetah and in our backyard pool which is ice cold. You can see that in the videos. Yes, you swam UNDER your mom and your sister in the Kahneetah pool.
You just had a visit from your east coast uncles last week. They were here for Noah's Quest. Ben is in one of the pictures, and David took two of the pictures.
You have been much more interested in and assertive about what you wear these days. You really like to wear dresses. You've been saying that you are pretty when you wear a dress. We tell you that it's not what you wear but what's inside you that makes you pretty or not. You've repeated that a few times but it will take a while to sink in. You got a new dress recently that is red, white and blue. You are going to wear it tomorrow(but not for the first time) for the 4th of July. Your sister got one, too.
Since I've been home more recently this next trait has faded slightly but you still do it. You will give a pretty good report about what's been going on while I've been gone as soon as I come in.
Even if it is not in your favor. Of course it takes some decoding because you speak it in the vernacular of a three and a half year old but most of the important points are there. For instance, you might say that you are not wearing a dress tomorrow because of some transgression or report on some other news. One morning I came in from my bike ride and you announced that you were ready for me to make the waffles I'd promised.
That's all for now. I'm sure there will be some more news soon. The Bike Derby is next week....

Love,
Aba