One year

Good evening mathbaby,

You had a great birthday party. It was like an extended binge on sugar that eventually overwhelmed you.

You had a monster Jello-cake. They pour Jello over the un-frosted cake and it soaks into the bread. It changes the consistency, flavor, and sugar content. Then it gets frosted.

You had a party and your cousins, friends, and also mathmom and mathdad were there.

You got presents and everything. It was fun.

Your mathdad has noticed that you are profoundly stubborn. If someone wants to help or teach you - you resist like a teenager. This has me scared, so I am trying to find ways to earn legitimacy, and a right to share the excellent things with you.

I shared with you honey from the honeycomb. It is very sweet, totally healthy, a great way to combat local alergies, and also not allow until (note that this happened at your birthday party) not for children until they are 1 year or older.

You have had an interesting year. Its 100% of your life so far, and you have seen and done things that you didn't have the capacity to imagine just one year ago.

You started signing at 6 weeks. The only thing you could control was your tongue. This is you asking for your binkie. Aren't you just adorable??

For all your stubborn, you are a very well behaved and communicative little girl. I think that you learned early that you could get your needs met if you communicate. Maybe your mathdad had a part in that.

You love nature-walks with your mathmom. She likes the lakes and wildlife sanctuaries in the area and so do you. You love the birds. I hope that we have a budding ornithologist or aerospace engineer in you. Oh baby, be something great for daddy! Be amazing. It is easy for daddy to look in the mirror and not be able to change what he sees, and be disappointed with it. Make the choices so that when you look in the mirror, you see something great.

Good news, at least so far. Your daddy got a job up in Oregon. He makes just as much as he did at his old job, and that is good. He spends the workweek about 1222 miles away (according to Google maps walking directions). I miss your mommy and you terribly when I'm gone. Here is hoping that this job (a temp) works out for the longer term so I can keep you in a home, even if its one in the pacific northwest. They have good strawberries there - you would like them.

I have a week to show myself excellent. Next week is a big week for me - if I do great then its really good, if not - then not.

I like the line from Starship Troopers, "everybody fights, nobody quits". In our family everyone works. Mommy takes care of home and you, daddy works to pay the bills, and take care of mommy. Your job is to do well in school, and become a healthy and contributing member of society, and a successful person. Yeah that phrase has cultural baggage in it, but its also got some good paradigms for running a healthy home in a time of adversity.

Its evening right now. I just had dinner and my day is just about out of gas. I love you cute. You are a nice little light in my life and world. You and your mommy make the world a whole lot of a nicer place. You may not know it - so I have to say it just in case you don't. I love you kiddo. I'm glad that you are around.