Dear Arianna, January 11, 2013

Dear Arianna,
    Finally, Friday!  I was mistaken last night.  I thought that you were still awake when I heard the noise upstairs last night, but it was Ian and Turlough.  Mommy hadn't put them in the office and you had both fallen asleep on the bed.  I came up and was sad to see you asleep, but when I come home so late from school, that is to be expected.  It was a wonderful night though, because it was the first time since Mommy had her radiation treatment that she was able to sleep in the bed with us.  We both woke up rested and not grumpy, so I have to imagine that Mommy makes a nice human security blanket, even if she won't let us watch Mythbusters on the TV before bed like I did when it was you and me alone in the bed.
    I had to work late tonight, which isn't my favorite thing to do, but as your Daddy, I have to make sure to work hard to provide for you and Mommy.  Before I got home, It looks like you had Mommy using Turlough like a parrot!

 

 

      Mommy brought in dinner from Famous Dave's tonight.  She has brisket and ribs, while you and I had chicken.  It was my first big meal since I started cutting back on my calories, and boy did I feel it.  It has made me super-sleepy, but I didn't want to go to bed before writing my letter to you.  You being a little nuclear powered dynamo were not made sleepy by your big meal.  Instead, you decided to act like Turlough.  He likes to chase his comically long tail in circles. Since you have no tail, you decided to chase your ever growing hair.

    Personally, I love the glowing eyes of Turlough in these pictures.  He has the look of "please don't land on me" on his face.  After so much spinning (and spinning so fast that if you weren't making yourself dizzy, you were making Mommy and Daddy dizzy watching you), you were bound to crash.

 

    I think we are going to have to wash those socks after so much running!  All I can say is that I wish I had your level of energy.  After we ate dinner, and before your spinning, I did make ice cream cones for you and Mommy.  You had vanilla on a cake cone, while Mommy had butter pecan on a waffle cone.  I was so stuffed, that I just had a cup of decaf Earl Grey tea for my dessert.

    Now, believe it or not, you are still full of energy write now and are drawing huge circles on a piece of paper, making "something".  That's all you'll tell me as I ask you.  You did tell me that the first one is for Mommy, and then you'll make one for me.  Well, I'll have to hold you in suspense for tomorrow's letter to see what the end result of your creativity is.  As for now, all I hear is you telling one of your quiet stories that you tell when drawing, and that there are butterfly wings involved.  Whatever it is, I am sure it will be beautiful.
    Well, it is time for Daddy to get some rest and have energy for the weekend.  I am hoping the rain clears up for the weekend.  I go back on-call for next weekend and I want to make sure we can go out and about together this weekend.

Love,
Daddy