Thursday, June 27, 2002

Dear Kelly,

I hope you are reading this on Friday (which is tomorrow, but for you it is today.) If this is Friday, then it is a GREAT day because we will be coming to pick you up! Are you ready to come home? Remember that we have a white van now, so don’t look for a gray van.

Do not worry about anything changing while you were gone. I mostly just went to work, and we did not change anything. Sometimes kids get nervous that things will be different when they come home. Do you remember me telling you the story about when I came home from Notre Dame for Christmas Vacation, and they had changed dogs but did not tell me? That’s when Gramalie and Grandad got Sheba instead of Sam. They were both Bull Mastifs (big dogs) so I did not realize they had switched.

Sheba did not know who I was, and she just barked and barked at me and was very mad because she thought I was a stranger. I could not figure it out, so I tried to get closer to her and pet her. (Although I thought I was trying to pet ‘him’ — Sam.) She just got madder and barked louder.

Then I heard everyone in my family laughing from inside the house and your Aunt Carol said, ‘That’s not Sam, that’s a different dog!’

I jumped out of the fenced back yard and slammed shut the gate as fast as I could. I was mad, because what if Sheba had tried to attack me? (It turns out Sheba was a whimp just like Charlie.)

Well, we have not switched dogs without telling you, since I do not think that would be funny. Nor have we switched anything else.

We did paint the bricks on the house. They are

sort of a medium to dark green. So you now will

live in a green house. (See photo.)

Can’t wait to see you! Hope you are still having

lots of fun!

Love,

Dad

P.S.

Just kidding about the green house. We really painted it pink.

P.S.S.

Kidding about the pink house, too!

Tuesday, June 25, 2002

Dear Kelly,

It seems like you have been gone a really long time, and I miss you. I feel like you have gone away to college.

I have included a picture of me and Mom just in case you are starting to forget what we look like. I shaved my beard, though, as you may well remember.

The dogs did not sleep in your bed last night, in case you are wondering about that.

I only get two kisses at night now. One from Mom and one from Nicole. No kisses and hugs from you or Mary Claire. Isn’t that sad? I guess I could let Charlie and Ginger lick my face, but that would be a poor substitute.

It rained for a little while today while I was at work. I was hoping that it was not raining on you while you were out hiking or in a canoe or something. I do know know if you brought a rain coat or a water proof hat.

Are you checking for ticks? The best way is to lightly scratch all over your scalp, kind of like when you shampoo your hair. If you feel a bump, tell somebody in charge, and they will get the tick off of your head. Grandaddy removed a tick from my head when I was a little boy. He wanted to use a hot cigar to burn the tick off, but Gramalie said that would be dangerous. So she made him use a hot needle, instead. I had to sit very still, and it did not hurt at all.

I hope you are having a lot of fun at camp. Do you think when you are older (16 or 17) you would want to be a camp counselor? Would that be a fun job? Do you think you could help a little girl get a tick off of her? If so, you might be a good camp counselor.

Have a great day!

Love,

Dad

Monday, June 24, 2002

Dear Kelly,

I miss you and the dogs miss you. Mom decided to let Ginger sleep in the house and not leashed to our bed. I told mom that I thought the dogs would just both sleep downstairs. I was wrong. When I got up to go to work in the morning, look what I found!

I think this was all Ginger’s idea and not Charlie’s, because Charlie never got on furniture until now. I think Charlie decided to get on the top bunk because she can climb stairs, jump in the jeep, and is generally more atheletic than Ginger.

What do you think?

The good news (in case you are worried) is that Ginger did not chew up anything in your bed.

I guess the dogs really do miss you.

I am going to sleep in the lower bunk tonight, just to make sure the dogs don’t sneak back into your and Mary Claire’s bed.

However, I do want to see how Charlie climbs ladders, so I may lie real still and watch that, and then tell her to come back down and not get on beds ever again.

I hope you are having fun at camp. Please do not adopt any stray dogs that you meet at camp. Or cats, either.

Love,

Dad