Jason's 5th Birthday Letter

Dear Jason (favorite nicknames this year: JJ, JB, Jabes, Jabers, Jace, and J-Man)

You hug hard, hug often, and hug many. The pandemic has been hard for you as you often just want to hug those you love. But otherwise you have been happy to be home more often, and play in the puddles when it rains.

You love to play. Your favorite activities are running, making people laugh, wrestling, reading, breaking sticks, throwing things, looking at bugs, spotting airplanes and trains, swimming, and making rocket ships out of Magna-Tiles.

Your ability to speak more clearly has taken off and your teachers have loved you well. We are excited for another year of preschool for you.

You love repetition as you ask to watch the same scene of the underminer from the movie “The Incredibles 2” multiple times a day. When we say not now, you will make an underminer out of a water bottle or other objects within reach, and replay the scene on your own.

I think this past year your mother and I have read the story of David and Goliath about 365 times, both from the Veggie Tales Bible and other versions as well. You just can’t get enough. We pray that your love for action, justice, and a good story will only grow as you learn more about the Bible.

We have been thrilled to have you reconnect with your Mama Maria, and your two half-siblings this year.  We hope those relationships will continue and grow.

Your tender heart is quick to tell us when you think nature or a person is beautiful, and you have grown so much this year that you are doing your best to outrun or at least chase after Sophia with wild abandon when we encounter an open field, especially at the Adams Garden.

We are very grateful you are part of our family, and hope that this next year you continue to learn how much you are loved by many around you and by God your creator.

Love,

Dada

Jason's Fourth Birthday Letter

Dear Jason (nicknames JB, J-bird, J-man, JJ, JB-Jammers)

Your fourth year has been a full one.

Sophia helped welcome you into the CHK pre-school family this year, and you started half day pre-school in the Quincy school. As a result your speech has exploded. We often wondered what your little voice would sound like, and what you were thinking. Well now we have that privilege! You can say almost anything you want, even if occasionally we have to hear it a few times to make sure we understand it properly. You have lots to talk with Sophia about, and you want to make sure your mom and I don’t miss anything, so you point many things out for us to enjoy with you.

You have full enthusiasm for life—running everywhere, making everything a drum, and surprising everyone with a full body hug—all are your normal operating speed.

Your love for trains has fully bloomed this year. Whether it is building a huge train track on the floor or watching the “fast” (what you call the commuter rail) or “slow” (what you call the T) trains pass by our house, stopping on any bridge so you can see them from above, reading a train magazine with Bop-bop or taking out multiple train books from the library-- you want to see and talk about them whenever possible.

You love any time you have with Carolyn Thompson, and after getting a big grin when you first spot her, you run full speed into her arms for a hug. We are so thankful for the many people that love you well, from church, to the Y, to CKH, to your family, and many people in between.

You are quick with a grin, and it warms the hearts of many adults in your life. We often get remarks that you are one of their favorites. This year we started to see more often than not a glint in your eye as you tried to create a funny moment to make people laugh, and frequently cracked yourself up in the process. We look forward to seeing this sense of humor grow.    

You now love to read, and look at picture books. And are by far the best eater in the house- most willing to try new things.

For this coming year we pray for your fullness of life to continue. Kindness toward your classmates, big hugs, and a new rhythm as we have welcomed twins into the home and you find your new normal in our family. You often tell us how much you love the babies, and we are grateful for your welcoming attitude. We pray that you learn more about the unique ways God has created you, and for opportunities for us to join you in celebrating those this coming year.

Love,

Dada

Jason's 3rd Birthday Letter

Dear Jason (nicknames include JB Jammers, JB, J-Man, and JJ),

Your third year has been full of wide mouthed toothy grins, enthusiastic yelling at the top of your lungs, and rain boots no matter the weather.

We were thrilled to legally welcome you into the Archambault clan in March, but your belonging has felt natural from the beginning.

You routinely charm the adults in your life. From the childcare workers at the Y, people at the library, strangers on the street and especially your mother. You love to flash a mischievous grin as you test boundaries, but you put your whole self into a high five for following directions.

People often remark how affectionate you are.  You love to give hugs and kisses while taking loops through the house, or at random intervals while playing.

You don’t want to miss a moment if someone is going out, and always ask to join in the car regardless of the location and want to bring along your beloved guitar. You spend hours each day strumming on the floor of the living room or in your car seat, or in the backyard, or anywhere we will let you bring it along. One of those places this year was family camp in New Hampshire, which led to a memorable moment. You were invited up front by the band leader and welcomed the chance to stand next to him with your little guitar playing along. We pray that your love for music and worship grows in concert.

While your words are still limited, it certainly does not stop you. If you don’t have the word yet, you make up a sign, act out a whole scene or point to a picture in a book until your mother or I can guess what you want to communicate. You are clear and to the point.

Your interests have remained consistent this year, with trains being a favorite. Almost anything has become a train for you including a drinking straw, pool noodle, pencil, small box, and pieces of food. We love to see your creativity as you play.

A newer interest of late has been bugs. You will stop in the middle of the sidewalk, get down as low as you can, and watch intently for as long as we will let you. You are fully immersed in the bug's world for a few minutes.

This upcoming year is a big one as you start preschool, we are praying for a love of learning to grow at Campus Kinder Haus as you join Sophia there, and you continue to show kindness to others as you join the Bear class.

We are optimistic because you love your older sister, and our newest foster addition little A. You delight in helping them out, even if your hugs can look more like wrestling some days. Sophia's birthday prayer for you was, "Dear God, Thank that Jason's birthday is so good. Thank you that everything is gooder than it was supposed to be. Amen." We are grateful for the many ways you enrich our lives.

Love,

Dada

J's Second Birthday Letter

Dear J-Man, (nicknames include Jbird, JB and little man),

Your second year on Earth has once again been full of smiles. You have figured out that cameras and cell phones are used to take pictures and you often flash a goofy grin when someone wants to take your picture. Of course, you want to see it right after as well. You love to scroll through pictures on anyone’s cell phones that will let you, and like to pretend to make phone calls by holding the phone up to your ear.

While your words are still somewhat limited (Mama, Dada, and hot), you can clearly communicate with sign language, pointing, mock siren noises, and lots of umms, grunts and loud screams. We love how expressive you are becoming in every day interactions.

You love babies and often walk around the house looking for people to give hugs and kisses to in a rotating and repeating manner.

You want to interact with kids of all ages, even if that often comes in the form of too hard hugs, pinching of cheeks and bonks on the head these days. You run most places, and often have a matchbox car in your hand.

Your love for things that move is deep. Trains top the list, with buses, trucks, planes, and motorcycles as favorites as well. You love to point out planes in the sky and run straight to the front door to see passing trains.

You like to alert others around you that there is a train or plane by patting their arm and pointing, and often pat the ground next to you when you want someone to join you sitting down to watch what interests you, or join you in playing. I hope this desire to invite others into your world remains as you grow older. I feel grateful every time you have extended the invitation to me.

These days spray bottles, grabbing anything on the kitchen counter, buckles, and books about trucks fill your days. Carolyn Thompson remains a favorite at church and you hang out with her on Thursdays.

We pray that as spoken language comes, your caring nature translates into your words.

We thank God for the blessing of last year, and look forward to more to celebrate next year.

Love,

Dada

J's First Birthday

Dear J-Man, (nicknames from this year include Baby-J, Jace, JJ, JC)

Two words can best describe your time in our family so far- pure joy! You are one of the most content, smiley, and kind little babies. You smile morning, noon and night. You love to give hugs and just be near us. Multiple people in your life refer to you as pure sugar, and describe your smile as devastating.

If I am being completely honest, I was slightly nervous about welcoming a new family member that might struggle to adjust to a new home, cry too much, not eat well, or struggle to learn how to sleep. Well you have blown those concerns out of the water and been a champion eater and sleeper. You light up when Sophia walks into a room and love to play with her whenever she slows down enough to come within your reach.

One of my all-time favorite memories will be the first time I walked into the living room to see you sitting next to Sophia with her arm around your waist while she “read” you a book out loud. Often you are so quiet and content, but that is changing these days as you enjoy “singing” at the top of your lungs in outbursts that sound like a growl or parrot squawk, and are starting to babble. I can’t wait to have you start to talk more so we can hear your little voice and all that you have to say to us. Without a doubt I will be starting a list of funny conversation topics between you and Sophia for a future letter.

These days you are crawling all over the house, and are so proud of pulling yourself up on the couch or holding our hands to stand. You love to clap, turn the pages of books, knock down blocks, play catch by rolling a ball, or push a truck around the living room floor.

Carolyn Thompson is a favorite friend of yours as she takes care of you once a week and spends hours watching cars from the porch, playing with the front door handle, pushing around your favorite toys, or feeding you second or third breakfast, or your fourth snack of the day.

Before you joined us we prayed hard for you. We prayed that we would know how to best take care of you. I hope that how often you giggle heartily when kissed or tickled is one small indication of how loved and happy you feel in Chateau Archambault.

Just now we are starting to see your personality emerge. You are flexible and along for the ride, excited about people, curious about how toys work and all the sounds around you. You take your time to figure something out and make a plan before attempting it. You love when the trains go by our house when we are outside eating dinner, and make an enormous mess while eating us out of house and home.

We thank God for the blessing of last year, and look forward to more to celebrate next year.

Love,

Dad