Your mommy is doing some drawing of characters I wrote about in my story, The Cottage Garden Book Burrow.  Everyday she brings more versions.  Everyday you show them to me.  You seem so proud of her. I love this for you two.  She is working. Working to interpret these characters.  Thinking, engaged, trying and re-working and coming back for more.  It’s all good.  It’s possible that this is the glue we need between us.

Hey, buddy.  Today your teachers told me that you were hit by another child at school.  After they spoke about the incident with both of you the teacher asked Is there anything you’d like from Nathan before we go back to play?  Yes, you said, I want him to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to me.  And he did.

On the way to school we saw a Heron hunting in John’s pasture.  How come that’s not a turkey, you asked.  Because it’s a heron, I answered.  It has a pointy beak, you noticed.  How come its standing there like that?  I answered, The heron flew down from the tall trees to hunt for gophers and moles.  It pokes its beak down the hole and catches one. It likes to eat gopher meat? you asked.  I don’t eat gopher meat. I don’t have a beak. We drove for a while.  Grandma, I’m a heron.  But I eat plants.  Because I have lips, I can’t eat gopher meat. I just eat food. I have really big wings and run and fly.

You do.  I thought.

Your daddy will have surgery on Friday.  His hernia is about to rupture and has to be repaired.  You told me he has a boo boo tummy.  He will still have a boo boo for a few weeks. And while I am working in Sacramento Grammie will take you to school and pick you up.  She will pick up Daddy from the hospital, too.  Friday is your last day before a month vacation. Daddy will need rest.  He’ll have to be careful for a while.  You can help keep Ellie busy so she doesn’t climb on him. We’ll both keep her busy.  I’ll help.

Okay, buddy.  I’m going back to work.  See you on Saturday. Tell daddy to remember the vasectomy, tell him.  Twinkle Twinkle, flap flap  love gma