Letters For Lucas

Wonders, Mishaps, Blunders and Joy.. commentary on my life as a mom in the form of letters to my son

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Memories

Posted on December 29, 2011 Written by Tonya

How far back do your memories go? Can you remember being two or three years old? Do you really remember or have you just studied photographs and heard the same stories over and over again?

I often wonder what Lucas will recall when he thinks back on his childhood.

Will he remember…

from time to time that his mom had black nail polish?

that every time a Dave Matthews Band song plays I ask him, “who sings this?” and giggle at his response?

that I’m always a couple minutes early to pick him up from preschool?

that I wear an “angel baby” necklace almost every day and my sister has a matching one?

how the song In My Life makes me cry because it reminds me of my father?

how his dad makes the majority of our meals because I’m a complete oaf in the kitchen?

how I may get so frustrated with him that I want to poke my eyes out with forks but the minute I am away from him I yearned to be near him again?

that in our house objects are not “it” but “he” and “she”?

that I’d be lost without my friends and the ones that have children I hope he grows up to be friends with too?

that his dad wakes up with him every morning so that they can spend a couple of hours together before he has to go to work?

Will he remember the Christmas morning we spent with his cousins, Annabelle and Francesca and the joy he exuded being chased around his aunt and uncle’s house, or…

“playing” the piano?

sitting in our laps to hear the book Purplicious three dozen times?

play dates with new friends with far cooler toys than his?

Visiting Nichole (In These Small Moments) and meeting her children, Katie and Matthew - December 23, 2011

meeting Fireman Steve and sitting in a fire truck?

Fireman Steve, Annabelle, Lucas and Francesca at the Moraga/Orinda Fire Station - December 26, 2011

Whatever Lucas recalls, I pray he remembers feeling special, adored and happy.

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Filed Under: beatles, books, DMB, family, friends, holidays, memories, MSA, photos Tagged With: beatles, books, DMB, family, friends, holidays, memories, MSA, photo

My Sweet Ethan

Posted on December 27, 2011 Written by Tonya

Many of you may not know this, but Natalie (Mommy of a Monster) and I go way back. In a former life, long before either of us had children, let alone a blog, we used to work together at a very hip advertising agency.

I liked Natalie from the moment I met her and it had nothing to do with the fact that she was the human resources manger and we were reviewing my new employee paperwork.

Natalie is “good people”, as they say and we connected on may levels, but most notably through our love of reading. We exchanged books back in the day and have shared must-read titles ever since.

We have long since moved on from the agency and started families and the rest is sort of cyber history. While we may have lost touch over the years, I am proud to call Natalie a friend and confidant and I am overjoyed to have her close out my Letters For You series for the year.

Natalie is a good mom, too and her letter to her eldest son, Ethan is heartbreaking and chocked full of mommy guilt. I know I can relate, can you? 

My Sweet Ethan,

I can’t believe how big you are already. It seems like just yesterday I found out that you were growing in my belly, our tiny miracle that we had been waiting for after so many years of trying to have a baby. You are and always will be my true love and the biggest wish that I ever had granted.

Four years old. Already.

I have a confession to make to you right now, one you won’t be able to understand for many, many years. I feel like I am a bad mom. I feel like I’m neglecting you somehow, not giving you the time and attention you need and deserve. Your sisters are only two years old, and they demand a lot more of my attention throughout the hours of the day. I know I say “not now”, “later”, and “I’m too tired” way more often than I should, and even more often than I’m sure you want to hear.

Sometimes, after your sisters have both spent the last thirty minutes taking turns throwing fits while I’m in the middle of cleaning or cooking dinner, you ask me for something…sometimes it’s something as small as a quick read of your favorite book or for me to turn on your favorite cartoon. And I snap. I snap because I’m tired and at the end of my rope. You don’t understand any of this, and I am working on reminding myself of this and reprimanding myself when I realize that I’ve done it yet again.

I need you, my sweet boy. I want you to always love me and feel comforted by me. Yet I’m afraid that I’m pushing you away. I am having a hard time trying to figure out how to give you and your sisters all that you need without losing the person that I am. I don’t want it to be this way. I am really trying to be more patient and to give you more of me. Please know how important you are to me and how much you mean to me. Please know that I am doing the best I can. Please know that being yours and Lila and Mia’s mommy is much harder than I thought it would be. Please know that I want to be a better mom and that I want to be able to give you my all. Please know that I know that I’m not succeeding right now, but that I really am trying.

Please know that I love you with every ounce of my soul.

Someday, you will be a dad and I am sure you will nod your head as you are reading this because you will understand. Until then, I promise you that I will try harder. I love you, E.

Mom

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Filed Under: a mother's guilt, friends, guest post, Letters For You Tagged With: a mother's guilt, friends, guest post, Letters For You, Mommy of a Monster

Dear Santa

Posted on December 22, 2011 Written by Tonya

With only THREE shopping days until Christmas, I sure hope someone sees this in time…

Dear Santa,

I’ve been nice this year (well, I tried) and I’ve come up with a short list of five things I’d really like to find under the tree Saturday morning:

  1. Someone other than me to fill the Q-tip container.
  2. A guaranteed two hour nap from Lucas each and every afternoon, along with no hitting, throwing, splashing, biting or temper tantrum (especially in public or in front of his grandparents). Ever. 
  3. I would also love it if Lucas could find a way not to wait until 30 seconds before we are about to walk out the door to poop. 
  4. A car that never needs gas, a refrigerator that’s always full and an endless supply of paper towels. 
  5. And last but not least, just once I’d like to go on a trip and not have a lotion, face wash or bubble bath leak in my toiletry bag. 

Of course no Christmas wish list would be complete without wishing happiness, love and success to everyone in my life and peace on earth and goodwill toward men. 

Okay, I lied, there are WAY more than five things I’d like this Christmas. Please see above about “trying” and have a little mercy.

Merry Christmas, Santa!

Love,
me

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  • How I Beat The Post-Holiday Blues
  • Bah Humbug
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Filed Under: grandparents, holidays, list, my letters, santa, wish list Tagged With: grandparents, holidays, list, my letters, santa, wish list

A Video, Cookies & Winners

Posted on December 21, 2011 Written by Tonya

I’m sorry I haven’t posted in a few days, but like you I’ve been immersed in holiday goodness: baking, socializing, wrapping and enjoying the sights and sounds of this special time of year.

I’ve fallen so behind on reading my favorite blogs and e-mails, that I may just delete and start fresh January 1. That’s allowed, right?

Lucas and I are about to head to the Bay Area to spend Christmas with my husband’s family, but before we go, I just had to share this.

Lucas’ preschool class performed Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer last week and while he may have froze during the actual program, he knew every word and there has been a lot of practicing at home.

Here he is belting out the favorite holiday classic while enjoying a delicious chocolate chip cookie made by Jackie of With Just a Bit of Magic as part of Katie’s cookie swap.

For all of you that linked up your Santa photos, thank you! There were some darling photos this year.

Thank you also to Natalie (of Mommy of a Monster) for co-hosting this link up with me and to each one of our awesome sponsors!

Via random.org, here are our winners (hopefully you were each notified via Twitter):

Huggerz Kid Koozie
Amy of BabyBaby Lemon

Kimberly of Something Something

$20 Santa.com Gift Card
Jessica of My Time As Mom

$25 Raleigh Cake Pops
Sherri of Old Tweener

$50 Gift Card to One Hope Wine
Jamie of Roubinek Reality

Congratulations, everyone!!

Letters For You posts will resume on Wednesday, December 28.

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a safe holiday.

Related Posts:

  • Santa Photos 2011 Link Up: The Prizes!
  • Santa Photos Link Up
  • She Knows

Filed Under: giveaway, grandparents, holidays, Santa Photos 2011, video, warm fuzzy Tagged With: cookie swap, giveaway, grandparents, holidays, Mommy of a Monster, Santa Photos 2011, video, warm fuzzy

Holiday Blues

Posted on December 14, 2011 Written by Tonya

Do you ever feel melancholy during the holidays?

Have you ever wondered how (or why) those around you are so merry and bright?

I do and periodically it makes me want to push cheerful types right into oncoming traffic.

I think it’s pretty common to get the blues this time of the year, or at least I hope so. Well, maybe not the pushing part.

There’s a lot of pressure that comes with the holiday season: over commercialization that begins the day after Halloween, finding the perfect gifts, figuring out to pay for them, taking the perfect photo for your family holiday card, getting them in the mail, decorating your home top to bottom, creating (or maintaining) all those warm and wonderful traditions, etc., etc., etc.

The holidays also mark the end of the year and maybe you haven’t accomplished all that you had hoped to and that’s a tough realization.

This time of the year is meant to be spent with your loved ones, but perhaps you live miles apart and can’t be together or they are no longer with us and the memory of them is easier to conjure.

Maybe there are other reasons that are contributing to your sadness; financial hardship, family feuds, frustrations at work, no job to speak of, it’s too cold, or no special “someone” in your life.

My losses and heartaches are no different than yours, but during this time of the year when To Do lists are long and patience is short, they are a little too close to the surface.

I know that this overwhelming feeling will soon pass and nothing will be sweeter than turning the page on the calendar to a fresh new year full of possibilities. 

In the meantime, I am trying not to overindulge or run myself ragged, doing my best to keep up with my exercise routine and taking on each task one at a time. Trust me, I am NOT always this productive.

Whatever your woes, try to find something this holiday season to make you smile and press on. It’ll be over soon and you don’t want to miss it!

Would this help?

Do you experience holiday blues? How do you manage your stress level? 

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  • Loving & Loathing The Holidays
  • How I Beat The Post-Holiday Blues
  • How To Be Present

Filed Under: confession, depression, holidays, photos, question, weather Tagged With: confession, depression, holidays, photos, question, weather

To My Mother-In-Law

Posted on December 13, 2011 Written by Tonya

Jessica of Four Plus an Angel is one of my favorite bloggers.

Her loss is as deep and wide as her strength is fierce and admirable and her words never fail to take my breath away.

I am so honored to have Jessica here today sharing a letter to her mother-in-law.

To my mother-in-law,

I wonder how common it is for women to feel the tug to write to their mother-in-law as I do. Our relationship is certainly not average and, although there are many things I wish were different between us, there are no limits to what I want to thank you for.

Your son rarely talks about his childhood. I never push but once in a while find memories to paint my own picture of the mom you were. Our similarities begin with steamy mugs of tea and getting lost in books and I wish I knew where they end.

As much as I live my life through the written word, I find myself at a loss in trying to explain my gratitude to you. I remember the first memory my husband shared of you, reaching for your wig after a fall, not wanting your children to see you in such a state.

Seeing your son in my sons allows me a glimpse of the childhood you watched unfold and I wonder if there is a time you knew. If there was a day you looked at your son and knew you would never see him graduate or you lifted your daughter and knew you would not choose her next Christmas dress. I wonder how you lived with such pain and yet left your son with only visions of your strength.

In so many ways I feel I know you, although we have never met. The respect for women you instilled in your son, the familiar red hair that streaks through my daughter’s curls and the amazing pieces of your nurturing my husband delivers carefully to our own children.

Navigating the intricacies of motherhood, I am in awe of the legacy you left behind. That the path you started for your son led him to me and to fatherhood and to unending patience and overflowing love. That the love you were able to pour into a fraction of your children’s lives has carried them to the point they are today.

I can only imagine the mother you must have been and the grandmother you are to my daughter, as she sits contently in arms that were empty for far too long.

Sending you so much love,

Your daughter-in-law

My favorite picture of my mother-in-law, visiting Santa at age 4.

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Filed Under: grandparents, guest post, Letters For You, loss, santa Tagged With: Four Plus an Angel, grandparents, guest post, Letters For You, loss, santa

My Day In Numbers

Posted on December 12, 2011 Written by Tonya

12 days until Christmas and like you, my holiday ‘To Do’ list is out of control!

Today was a very productive day….

I addressed, stamped and mailed 100 holiday cards,

visited 6 stores, including Starbucks for a much needed extra dose of liquid energy,

baked 7 dozen cookies (sugar, chocolate chip oatmeal and peanut butter) with the help of a pint-sized sous chef,

Photobucket

did 5 loads of laundry (sadly, underwear still needs to be washed  even though it’s the holiday season),

managed to find an hour to walk 4 miles,

listened to 3 hours of Christmas music,

savored 2 glasses of well-deserved wine,

gave 1 time out,

and ate countless cookies.

Turns out the problem with baking seven dozen cookies is that Lucas had two and was over it. I’m still eating them!

Good thing I am giving the rest away as gifts.

Photobucket

I hope your holiday prep is going well and that the sous chef in your life makes you smile as much as mine. 

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Filed Under: cooking, gifts, holidays, photos, warm fuzzy Tagged With: cooking, gifts, holidays, photos, warm fuzzy

Santa Photos 2011 Link Up: The Prizes!

Posted on December 8, 2011 Written by Tonya

Have you linked up to our Santa Photos 2011 yet? No? Well, you should!

Natalie of Mommy of a Monster and I are hosting and we’re giving away prizes too. Lots of prizes…

I’m not really in the giveaway game, so I relied on Natalie and her awesome connections to secure these great gifts:

Huggerz by Kidzies
Your kids will love these koozies for their sippy cups and water bottles! You will love that you can identify which sippy cup belongs to who simply by looking at their Huggerz. Natalie’s children LOVE theirs, and if you want to know more about them, she did a review over at SmartMomPicks.com.

Kidzies was nice enough to offer us three! You can choose from a wide variety of Huggerz and your children will think it’s so cool to have one on their cups!

Follow Kidzies on Twitter and Kidzies on Facebook…and right now, if you go to the Kidzies Web site and buy five Huggerz you can get one FREE through December 31, 2011! What a great gift idea for all the children on your list.

Santa.com
A $20 gift card to Santa.com? Yes please! Spend it however you’d like by going to Santa.com and selecting any retailer(s) where you want to use your Santa.com Gift Card dollars!

Gift Cards can be used at multiple retailers, can be redeemed for cash or donated to charity! Plus, a portion of Santa.com Gift Card sales goes to their non-profit partner, World of Children. Help Santa make the world a better place by doing good and giving well.

But that’s not all you can do at Santa.com… your children can create wish lists and receive a personalized letter from Santa, and more!

Follow Santa on Facebook and follow Santa.com on Twitter to see what Santa’s up to throughout the holiday season.

Raleigh Cake Pops
Cake pops are all the rage right now because they are so freaking delicious! How does a $25 gift code to Raleigh Cake Pops sound?!

Raleigh Cake Pops offers custom cake pops, cake pop gift sets, and gourmet gift pops. They are kind enough to let us give away $25 to their site and you can pick the product you want (excluding tax and shipping).

Follow Raleigh Cake Pops on Facebook and Raleigh Cake Pops on Twitter, too!

ONEHOPE Wine
Our grand prize give away is a $50 gift card to ONEHOPE wine! Not only does ONEHOPE offer a great selection of wines, they also believe in giving back and have made it part of who they are. If you aren’t familiar with ONEHOPE, head over to Have Wine, Will Drink for an overview of their mission and to find out why we love them so much.

We are also a huge fans of Hope at Home, ONEHOPE’s private wine tasting program that allows individuals the opportunity to fundraise and spread awareness for a cause of their choice.

Their blog is full of fun recipes, tips, and crafts dedicated to what we all love: wine. And while you’re there, check out Hope at Home’s Give the Gift of Hope This Holiday.

The gift package includes 12 gift bags and tags and one case of wine. You can either pick one varietal or select your own mixed case. Shipping is included, as well. The price of the package is $240…that’s 12 gifts for $20 a gift! You also get to give a charity of your choice 10% of the purchase price. It’s a win/win for everybody!

Please follow ONEHOPE wine on Facebook and ONEHOPE Wine on Twitter, and also Hope at Home on Twitter.

We only have 11 entries so far and lots of prizes, so your chances of winning are really good!

Creative Kristi Designs

Click here to enter your link and be sure to visit others.

We’re picking random winners, so it doesn’t matter how “good” or “bad” your pictures are. Grab the button (the code is on my sidebar) and link up a post of you, your kids, or your pet on the big guy’s lap.

We can’t wait to see your pictures!

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Filed Under: gifts, giveaway, holidays, santa, Santa Photos 2011 Tagged With: gifts, giveaway, holidays, Mommy of a Monster, santa, Santa Photos 2011

She Knows

Posted on December 8, 2011 Written by Tonya

Bound, determined and ready to deck the halls for the holidays this year, I dug out our Christmas decorations just after Thanksgiving; two enormous plastic containers buried under a box of clothes Lucas has outgrown, two boxes of books and a duffel bag full of tools.

It has been four years since we’ve decorated our home for the holidays. You can read why here (!).

As I carefully unwrapped each ornament, it was like seeing long lost friends for the first time in far too long. My mind flooded back to the time and place I had been given or purchased the ornament and my heart smiled; a small wooden Pinocchio from our trip to Florence, several miniature Eiffel Towers, a porcelain rocking horse and my alma mater mascot.

I laid all the decorations out on the guest bed and put a stack of flattened tissue paper back inside one of the containers. In doing so, I found a plastic bag containing a beautiful holiday table cloth my mother had given me. I pulled the table cloth out of the bag, shook in out and in the folds discovered something that had been missing for almost 10 years: a stocking handmade by my grandmother when I was six months old. 

I swore my mom had it packed away with her holiday treasures and she was adamant I had it in mine.

All this time, she was right.

I wanted so badly to pick up the phone in that moment and call her and tell her I had found it. 

My mother died four years ago so that’s a phone call I’ll never be able to make. Somehow though, I think she knows. She has always known. 

We put up our tree last weekend and hung the stocking from the fireplace mantle with care.

This post was written for Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop Prompt 1.) Have you decorated your Christmas tree? Share a favorite Christmas ornament.

Creative Kristi Designs

Natalie (Mommy of a Monster) and I want to see your children’s photos with Santa , so link up to our Santa Photos 2011. There are some awesome prizes to win!

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Filed Under: grandparents, holidays, KRA, loss, mama kat's writer's workshop, memories, Santa Photos 2011 Tagged With: grandparents, holidays, KRA, loss, mama kat's writer's workshop, memories, Santa Photos 2011

In An Instant

Posted on December 7, 2011 Written by Tonya

This post was written for Write on Edge’s writing meme, RemembeRED. This week’s prompt: Take the next ten minutes to write about the first single memory that the word CRASH calls up.

Before you read it you should know that I misread the instructions. I thought it was an exercise in flash fiction, not flash memoir. This is FICTION! 

Metal on metal. Loud and angry, it sounds like a lion roaring.

She reached for her head. Her eyeglasses were gone and as she looked down at her hand and it was wet. She ran her fingers over her palm and wondered if it was blood.

Blinding lights filled the car and a siren wailed in the distance.

She could figure out what her son was doing in the front seat when his car seat was positioned directly behind her. His gaze was empty and his body  contorted.

The road was slick and visibility was difficult. She knew better. She should have never gone out in this weather. She should have left her two-year-old safe and warm at home with his grandmother.

Through her haze and swelling head she suddenly remembered, she missed the corner.

The windshield wipers moved back and forth deliberately pushing water away.

She had made the biggest mistake of her life that night; in her haste to grab an umbrella, she forgot to buckle in her sweet baby boy.

Everything she knew changed in a single instant, but the memory of it will last forever.

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Filed Under: car seat, cars, death, fiction, remembeRED Tagged With: car seat, cars, fiction, remembeRED

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