Dear Spotty Chop you are 51 months old today

Spots I would like to take a little time out of my regularly scheduled letter to reiterate how frelling much your Nannie and Papa love you. (Gramie and Grumpa love you too, but they are a subject for another day.)

Did you know that Papa leaves work as early and often as he can so he can come home to play with you?

The secretaries know that on Tuesday when my dad has an offsite meeting it’s with you? They will not schedule anything that day so he can play with you.

You sit on his back while he crawls around the house.

There is a story you like called “Pete’s Pizza. Papa lays you on the couch “rolls the dough” (you), “kneads the dough” (you), adds “oil” (water), sauce (uses a toilet paper tube), salt, pepper, onion (pieces of paper), pepperoni (checkers). Then he picks you up, puts you in the oven (lays you on a chair), shuts the door (puts a blanket over you), takes you out and cuts you up (tickles you).

He takes you on dump runs where you can explore.

He brings you to the dry cleaning store to pick up his shirts where Mr. Popodoplopoulous gives you lolly pops and lets you push the button to make the clothes go around.

He brings you to the wine store to pick up wine for Nannie, you go hunting for animals (on the wine labels) the check out girls give you lolly pops.

He takes you to the park across the street

He chases you around the yard and has races with you.

He lets you get as wet as you want and splash in as many puddles as there are.

You lay on his chest when you watch TV and movies.

He will play cars for hours with you.


Nannie on the other hand reads to you for hours at a time (yes Papa reads to you as well). She once had to turn on the TV because she had read to you for 3 hours straight.

Nannie taught you how to use a cash register. How to price food, make change. She makes learning a game. You soak it all in.

Nannie will say to you “if only I had the number 47”. You will run to the refrigerator and bring it back to her.

You love to do your “school books” with her. Any type of workbook, letters or numbers.

She gives you tubbies, and makes a huge deal out of how much I love to smell your hair when you are clean.

You love to help her walk, you move her cane forward. You have no idea how difficult you make it for her to walk, but you are so happy that you can help she keeps her mouth shut.

She is teaching you the map of the United States. You love the competitions she sets up. You love to win.

Nannie plays games with you and challenges your mind to grow.

Nannie used to make fun of grandparents that talked about their grandkids, she can’t shut up about you.

Manners are big with Nannie. You now remind all of us to use a napkin.

Nannie always has a cupcake for you. They always have a ring, or toy on top of it. You have a “collection box” at their house so you can store them. You love showing me your latest.

Nannie and you play on the computer all the time. You find games and make stories. Last week while Nannie was making you lunch you were able to navigate to PBS.org and you created some stories all by yourself. You were so proud to show her and tell her you were the author of the month.

She calls me up constantly to tell me something you said or did. You make she and Papa laugh more than anything ever has.

You think that Tuesday is the best day of the week because you get to go to Nannie and Papa’s.

They actually look forward to sleepovers with you because they get you for extra time.

There is so much more they do with you. I wish I could take pictures of it all to keep so you can look at it when you get older. This will have to do for now.

Love ya kiddo!!!