Dear Grownups,
It has been quite a while since I last wrote and, although many things have changed like my ability to talk and use the bathroom, much remains as it was when I joined you all in this world in the summer of 2011. My parents are still in charge of me (I guess that’s permanent?) and my sister continues to show me how things work in the world (like purple is the best color for anything always, when you can’t think of something fun to do, put on a costume; and farting is hilarious in all situations).
Love or Strangulation? A typical moment from my life as a little brother
Like others things that remain unchanged, The Project Room continues to be the most boring place on Earth. I tried to call attention to this in my previous letter of 2011, but I must not have been clear enough. The strongest proof I can give of this statement is that, of the many times I have been there, not ONCE have I seen a puppy, a fire engine, or a bowl of macaroni and cheese. Without any of these things on hand, it is beyond me why anyone would go there.
Hang on; my sister wants to write something (can I ever do anything without her interrupting??!!)
HELLO, everybody!
I am five an three quarters and I can tap dance and do ballet and I speak Spanish and Japanese but if you know those languages don’t ask me to speak them because I know a special version that only certain kids know and I can sing all the songs from Annie which was my Halloween costume this year and I like to draw pictures of my teacher and my family and I have lost four teeth so far and my mom once asked me if I was nervous about my first day of kindergarten and I told her, “Mama, I NEVER get nervous.” Bubs can have the letter back now…
…Anyway, my mom and dad both spend an irritating amount of time at home chatting about The Project Room: what it can become, who would be exciting to work with, how incredible all the volunteers are, fun events that have recently happened there, blah blah blah. I seriously think that my mom gets ideas for TPR programs while she is in the bathroom potty training me. (She gets this faraway look in her eyes, and I can tell she would make me take notes if I had those skills.) And, I know she gets ideas when she’s brushing her teeth because she will unexpectedly shout them out to my dad in another room who will shout something back about what he thinks about this new idea. It is a train that travels on circular tracks around our house and I am a hobo riding along in one of the boxcars. Except that I consider myself an excellent dresser, so I do not look anything like your average hobo.
I am eager for the new year begin: I will start preschool, which is very exciting, and I hope to take my soccer career to the next level; perhaps by learning how to play soccer. I also plan to start advocating for games I enjoy participating in so that I’m not always one of the students in my sister’s pretend pre-school (of which she is teacher and principal). I enjoy smiling, running in circles, and talking about myself in third person; I plan to keep up with these activities as well.
Life is good. Life is really good.
Happy Holidays,
Bubs (Oliver) Van Nostrand
December 2013