Happy Fathers Day, Part Three

And finally, the most wordy installment from our oldest. Honestly, it hardly counts as a drawing except for the guy getting hit on the head by a coconut, but I can't use the firs two without using this one, either.

Here's what he writes:

Dad,

I have been thinking that I should write this letter. Just so I can say thanks. Thank you for a warm house, a nice warm fireplace, two vehicles, a good personality, a good sense of humor, and a handful of loving care for our family. And do you want to know something else? We love you!

Truly yours, Liam

PS: Happy Fathers Day


PPS Read this or else you should be hit in the head with a coconut.

Here's his inspiration, by the way:

Happy Fathers Day, Part Two

Here are Father's Day greetings from my daughter. She writes

Dear Brian (they all go through phases where they have to use your name, not the honorific)

Happy Father's Day! I love you and you are my favorite dad I ever had. You show me what is right. It is hard at first it is hard. I'm okay. Love, Alexia.

PS: I love you very much. A lot.

I just wish I knew why she was a cross-eyed princess in the drawing . . .

Happy Fathers Day, Part One

First here a literal interpretation of "Dad on the Site bus" from my youngest son. Yes, indeed, I am on the bus. I'm just glad I don't really have to ride to work that way. That would make for a verylong, cold and windy commute three hours a day, especially in winter.

Fall and Winter

Here's what she says about Fall:

Fall is a time for crops to ripen and the harvest to begin. The leaves turn fall colors. Squirrels begin to scurry back and forth, their cheeks stuffed with nuts.

Now every time I see a scurrying squirrel, I'm going to ask "Is it Fall yet, Mister Squirrel?"

Then there's Winter:

Of this, my most hated of all seasons, she says:

Winter days are snowy and blowy. They are short and cold. Nights are long in winter. Kids love to play in the snow.

Fact, fact, fact, and fact. Can't dispute that.

Spring, Summer, Anthropomorphism

Of Spring, Lexie writes this:

The warmth of spring starts life over again for many things. Trees and flowers start to bed and many different kinds of animals are born. Animals come out of their homes from their long winter rest.

And indeed we do get to see all sorts of animals, or at least all sorts of signs of animals, being born. We collect the little blue robins' eggs that tumble out of nests after the birds have hatched, and marvel that something could be born out of an egg so tiny. And there are folks in town who have sheep who have kids every year, along with the chickens, though they don't have sheep mixing with chickens, because that would be weird. Anyway. On to summer:

Summer, for Lexie, is still all about growing things:

In the hot summer most plants and animals continue to grow. Trees and flowers are in full bloom. Summer is a time of fun, activity, and growing.

And of course in her cotton-wooly world, bears do plant and tend to flowers. We are not anti-anthropomorphists in our house; both parents are too steeped in the likes of Tolkien, Potter, Adams, O'Brien, Lewis and others not to be. We will assign human attributes to animals and do so with impunity until our imaginations are pried from our cold, dead fingers.

The Four Seasons

Yeah, you'd better buckle in for this one. Here's an example of school art coming right at you, and it's going to take three posts in which to do it.

I love the details. I love that summer features a giraffe, and that winter features a lonely coccoon hanging on the tree. And I love the description our daughter offered of the seasons:

She writes:

My favorite season is all of them. Because they have houses, trees, dogs, cats, hamsters and all kinds of stuff. I really like summer spring fall and winter. I am still alive you are still alive. Every thing is alive. Seasons are fun for all of us too.

Hamsters? Hamsters. OK, kid. Whatever you say. And I'm glad that we're all alive, but why are we channeling Han Solo here?

We're fine, they're fine. We're all fine. How are you?

Variation on A Theme

We've already seen an example of camper art from our youngest, but I've learned that if a theme is repeated, it's gosh-awful important to the kid. This one is obviously excited about the camping possibilities this summer, given we've now got two vehicles with which we can tow the camper. We're going to the Fathers and Sons outing this weekend, but I'm not sure I want to take the camper, mostly for space considerations at the campground but also because I don't want every other kid in the universe in and out of the camper. So we'll probably tent it, and I think I can convince the boys that tents are fun.