Dear 30-year-old Marcail (or however old it is that you’ll be when you want to hear me fuss about all the adorable things you did as a child),

I keep telling myself that I’m going to remember the adorable things you do now, forever.  They’re so cute, how could I not?!  But then I realize that there’s already so many tiny details I’ve forgotten in the day-to-day hustle of life that I had better start writing them down!  So here are just a few of my favorite things that you do…

1. When you want something you say, “Holdee?!”
2. You call both of my parents “Bumpa” and assume any time the phone rings it’s your grandma calling to talk to you.
3. You’ve recently started trying to say, “I love you” in sign language.  But so far you just look like a rather stern traffic cop saying, “Luvoo”.
4. You try to boss the dog around, pointing and saying, “Sit!” or “Low” (which is Marcail-speak for, “Lay Down”).
5. You are more likely to give noggin than an actual kiss (though you call it, “nonny”).
6. Whenever you pass a mirror you say, “Pretty.”
7. The Sesame Street video with will.i.am in it is your absolute favorite but you’ll only dance along when you think we’re not watching you.
8. When reading books to you with animals in them I always tell you what the animal says.  Since I didn’t know what a penguin sounds like I would just say, “Oh so cute” or something like that so now you think penguins say, “cute cute”.
9. I think it’s hilarious that you are so obsessed with Elmo (whom you insist on calling Elbo) because your dad absolutely can’t stand him.
10. You picked up on my Dutch Bros. obsession pretty quickly so now you call most things I drink, “coffee.”

w/love,
– Crystal (aka your mom)