Dear Lincoln and Carver,

It has been too long.  I really should write more. A lot has happened since I last wrote.

Carver, your transition to preschool was so smooth. You cried for about a week, but now you are the star of your class, despite your age. The teachers (sensei) are all amazed by how advanced you seem for your age. For mothers day, you were able to draw a photo of me with eyes, ears, mouth and nose… and hair! The teacher is also amazed by how you are able to concentrate and listen despite all the distractions around you. They are surprised by how quickly you learn and that we don’t speak Japanese at home (you seem to have a perfect accent. You and Lincoln.).

You had a big milestone yesterday. You went all day without a diaper, even during nap time. I know this is only a one off thing, but I’m just so happy that you’re finally agreeing to wear underwear. The other day, you asked me to purchase Captain America clothes. I’ll purchase some Captain America underwear for you.

Lincoln, you’re almost four!  Time goes by so fast! And you are growing so fast! I was reading some past posts and it talks about your “big emotions.” Yes, you do have big emotions. You’re simply a lover, not a fighter. I witnessed you getting hit on the head by a kid at school. I started to go in to protect you, but then I got hit on the head! What I noticed afterwards, despite the kid trying to hit you, instead of hitting back, you just blocked him. You are bigger than him, taller than him… but you played defense by not hitting just blocking him. I love you for that.  Carver mentioned in the car that the kid always hits you. I asked why, and just as a matter of fact, you said, “because he doesn’t like me.” I was debating whether or not I should talk to the teacher about this, but I decided not to. In life, you’re going to have to figure out your own battles.  I can’t fight your battles. Plus, you didn’t ask for my help.

Great development happened last night! Daddy forgot to put a diaper on you last night. And guess what? You were completely dry! We were all so happy. And you were also very happy. You knew what a great accomplishment that was! AND… can I just say, I am in awe of your brain and how I can see you learning.  The way you learn and are figuring things out is amazing to watch.  This morning, before going to school, you created a little slide with a dinosaur book and had your toy dinosaurs slide down. After some tests, I assume, you asked me to come over and watch. You said, “look mom, gravity.”  I mentioned something about friction, and your eyes lit up. You wanted to try different types of dinosaurs. Heavy ones, stuffed ones, hard ones, and sticky ones… to check the speed, and if they would slide down. I love that. I love your curiosity and your beautiful mind.  Next, we are going to work on reading and writing your name.  I hope this is not too difficult. You also like to just sit and do workbooks. You also love to swim (not well, but you’re getting there). You’re not a big fan of competitive sports. I think it’s because you’re a lover, not a fighter.

When we told people that the two of you go to a full immersion Japanese language school, we got a lot of “Whys.”  Daddy and I don’t speak a lick of Japanese. My easy response to them is that it was the closest school to our house, which is true. But honestly, it was kind of an experiment. We had a lot of reasons. One of them was because it was the closest school to our house. Another one was we wanted you to learn a third language and we figured your brains are like sponges and you would pick it up quicker. However, one of the main reasons is that we wanted to challenge the two of you. Not to be too comfortable in your surroundings. Learn at a young age to socialize and survive in an unfamiliar environment. Although both of you are behind in your English skills, I am confident that you will pick it up really easily.

I love you both so much.

Love, Mom