Letters of Intent

Dear WMECO,

We are on day 6 of no power. I understand you are working hard to get us back up. And I understand that an October snowstorm is not normal in our part of the US. But day 6? And it looks like I have another two days to go without power.

Thank you for working around the clock, but could you please come to my street now?

-no power in Western MA

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Dear Jon,

Thank you for randomly insisting that we buy a generator six years ago. I thought you were a little weird for the request, but we did it. That generator has come in handy over the years. And this week it was a godsend. Thank you for that odd purchase. And I won't question it next time.

-your warm wife

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Mother Nature,

WTF?!?!?!

Honestly, I don't get it. A snowstorm BEFORE Halloween that has left us powerless for 6 days now.

I am worried about winter.

-supremely confused in Western MA

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Letters of Intent

Dear Mother Nature,
Just a reminder that it is technically call right now. I know in the beginning of the month I was complaining about the hot weather. But snow is not called for either right now. The weather we had earlier this week was great, could we see some more of the fall weather?
-a fall lover

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To the parent at my daughter's school,

You know who you are. You were in front of me at drop off earlier this week. I am no expert on trucks, especially pick-up trucks. But I am pretty sure (and by this I mean almost positive) that there are not enough seatbelts for the 6 children that piled out of your car. I was amazed, it was like some kind of clown car. I have three carseats in my car and the kids just barely fit. So I imagine you have no booster seats or carseats in your truck. You do know there are seatbelt laws in our grand state right?

I guess I should be relieved they weren't sitting in the bed of the truck huh? Sorry to judge but I don't get parents who don't think of their child's safety.

-an amazed mom

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Letters of Intent

Dear Mother Nature,
Could you make up your mind on what season we are in? I thought it was fall, and the weather seemed to be cooler so I put away the summer clothes. Then last week we got a hot spell and I was putting together some interesting outfits for the kids to keep them cool enough. I almost dragged out the summer things again. And now it is cool again. Is it going to stay this way? Please let me know.
- a confused girl

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Dear Ben,

I am not trying to wean you from breastfeeding I promise. But I would also prefer not to increase the number of times you nurse a day. Could we possibly find a happy medium of no change for the moment? 3 times a day works for me, 6 times a day does not work for me.

love,

Mommy

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Letters of Intent Friday

Dear self,
It is time to stop whining about your job and do something about it. You don't like your job. The commute stinks and your job descricption has changed a lot over the past three years. That is part of life sometimes. Remember that you HAVE a job so it could be much worse!

Okay, now to deal with the job itself. You have three choices.:

1- quit the job with nothing else lined up (not the best option for MANY reasons obviously, but still an option).

2. keep the job, stop whining and be glad that you only need to work 10 hours a week for 8 months of the year. Try to find something you like about the job each week, just 1 (besides the 8 month aspect).

3. Find a new job, and stop finding fault with every job you do find to apply to.

Okay, now do something!
-needs to stop whining Melinda

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Dear Jon,

I love you. but why on earth did you wait until the school year was underway to try and get your truck fixed? You had 2 1/2 months off this summer. as did I. Madeline wasn't in school and functioning with 1 car would have been VERY easy. Instead you procrastinated (as usual) and waited until the worst time to need my Jeep for a day (leaving me carless and with no way to get our daughter to school). Or for me to get up and drive you to work and then drive to pick you up (45 minute round trip twice a day). I love you, and I know you procrastinate. I have known this for going on 13 years now. I am trying REALLY hard not to get as irritated by it lately. And unless is directly effects me (like this time) I think I am doing a good job, don't you agree?

-your slightly irritated wife

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Letters of Intent

Dear Owen,
I understand you miss Madeline while she is at school. And I know Benzilla likes to knock down pretty much every tower you build and isn't the greatest playmate yet. But I really need you to learn to play by yourself. I am not asking for much, just 15 minutes a day. You already get up with the sun, by 10 am Mommy just needs a break. Can we work on this? Thanks sweetie!
love,
Mommy

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Dear genetics,

Why am I starting to experience things only old people experience. Like my hair, what is going on with it? I am not that old, 31 is not old! I had 5 grays last summer. This summer I can't count them anymore. I wasn't looking to dye my hair, but that is what I will be doing this weekend. I do not accept the gray, prepare for the red! What is next, wrinkles? I am sorry I ever complained about looking too young. I will take that any day over the gray!

-not ready to get old yet

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Letters of Intent

Dear Time,

Could you slow down? I mean, really, time is going by way to fast for my comfort. My youngest baby is almost 15 months and my oldest is almost ready for kindergarten. I try to whole "stop and smell the roses" but still time goes by too fast.

-a mama who just wants to slow down!

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Dear Jon,

When we got married I never imagined the journey we would be taking together would be like this. I don't know exactly what I imagined, but if i had written it down it would not have included the twists and turns life has taken. but there is no one I would rather take this journey with than you! Thank you for being patient with me.

love,

a grateful wife

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Dear Doctor,

I love to say this: I told you so. There is nothing wrong with my baby. His weight gain slowed down but he is fine. And now, after a $20 copay and a weight check you agree with me. I just wish we could have done this without the cost of $20. There is no money tree in my backyard.

-an impatient patient

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Letters of Intent

It's been awhile since I have written one of these letters. They are pretty cathartic and I am in need of it this week.

Dear My City,

Why must you insist on full day kindergarten? I would be plenty happy with a simple morning of school for Madeline. However you give me no option in that. Everyone blames the fact that I am not ready to let her go. But I know better, I know that half day kindergarten is much more appropriate for five year old children. If I am so wrong why did I just read an article about the increased number of parents holding their kids out of school until they are 6 and starting kindergarten then? Don't think it didn't cross my mind to do the same!

-a sad mother

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Dear Ben-

I am SO happy you are walking! Now, if you could learn a few words it would make communication much easier. I know you are only 14 months, but a few words is all I am asking.

love,

Momma

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Dear buyers of houses,

Please buy my house. Please? It has been on the market for almost 60 days. It is a really good house, it is just the fact that the school system stinks. I REALLY want to buy the new house we fell in love with. So buy my house. Pretty please?

-an impatient seller

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Letters of Intent

We survived a tornado this week. It passed about a mile from my house. I live in Massachusetts and we don't have tornadoes. The damage is awful. So my letters of intent are a little different than usual this week.

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Dear WMECO,
Thank you for bringing in trucks and workers from out of state. Thank you for working around the clock to restore power. Because of your hard work I had power back less than 48 hours after the storm.
- a grateful customer

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Thank you to everyone who has been working in this city to repair the damage done. Thank you for cutting apart trees and dragging them out of the road. Thank you for being on the radio and letting us know what is happening. Thank you for coming in to aide those who have lost their homes.

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Dear Jon,

Thank you for insisting we buy that generator 7 years ago. I figured you were being a little overcautious at the time. And although it has come in handy over the years for short power outages, it was a godsend this past week. It kept me sane, since I could listen to the radio, and it kept our food cold so we didn't lose our groceries.

I will try not to roll my eyes at your "random" purchases again.

-Melinda

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Letters of Intent

Dear drivers,
Turn signals were invented for a reason. Please use them. I am not a mind reader and brake lights do not equal turning.
-an aggravated driver

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Dear mother nature,

Thank you for the beautiful weather. Last week there was tons of rain but you came through with the beautiful sun this week. Thank you!

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Dear Owen and Madeline,

I am glad that you like to play in the backyard. And I am sorry that you do not like bugs. You will soon realize that playing outside= dealing with bugs. And if you don't like them in the house I suggest you work on closing the backdoor more often. I am not a fan of bugs in the house either!

love,

mama

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Letters of Intent

Dear Chicago,

Did you serioulsy make a rule in one of your schools that parents are NOT allowed to send lunches in with their kids? They can only bring lunches if they have allergies? That is the STUPIDEST thing I have ever heard. I am very glad that I live nowhere near your city.

-An irritated parent

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Dear Springfield,

Do not get ANY ideas from Chicago. I will not pay for my child to eat your food everyday because you think it is healthier than what I send. I send healthy, balanced meals and will continue to do so. Plus I cannot afford the $30 a week it will cost to feed all three kids when they are in school. That is 1/3 of my weekly grocery budget for three meals a day for five people.

-a worried parent

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Letters of Intent

Dear Middle School Parents,

Please use your blinker. I know many cars stop on the road to drop off their children. But not every car does. And it is very hard to tell from your bumper whether you have a middle school child in the car. I am trying to drive past you to get my daughter to preschool. If you use your blinker I know I can go around you and not sit here behind you while you drop your child off. And also, please pull ALL the way over to the side. That way those of us not stopping can go around you.

-another parent

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Dear Mother Nature,

Thank you for finally brining spring to us. That snow on April Fools day was not a very funny trick. But this 50 and 60 degree weather and sun shining is something I can get used to. My kids love to play outside (and leave mudpies for our neighboring groundhog). And my bank account also thanks you since my electric bill goes very low at this time of year.

-Me

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Letter of Intent

Dear city where I dwell,

Are you really telling me that there is a law that says if my child is 5 she cannot attend preK, but must attend kindergarten, at least in the public schools? And that if I choose to go around you and use a private preK, when I try to enter her in your kindergarten you will enter her in 1st grade solely because she is 6? Does that really make sense? I am telling you, as her mom, that she is not ready for five day full day kindergarten. Her preK teacher agrees with me. Her father agrees with me. However you, who do not know my child at all, are saying based on a law she must start first grade at 6. Unless she has serious developmental delays (and even then it is difficult to get a waiver apparently) . My child does not have serious developmental delays, nor is her birthday near the cut-off. But as we all know, no two children are alike. She is young and we believe she will benefit from another year of preK, not two years of kindergarten as you suggested as a possibility. Your not very brilliant solution, to enter her in kindergarten and possibly have her repeat is not acceptable to me as her mom. I don't believe in setting my child up for failure and when three adults who know her well feel that she needs another year I will not let you tell me no solely based on same inane law

I have two options to go around you- private school until second grade or homeschool until second grade- if we decide to hold her out a year. But I will not send her to school next year just because the law says that at five she must start kindergarten, not attend another year of preK. I do not believe I am the only mother who has dealt with this.

-a VERY aggravated and irritated mother

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Letters of Intent

Dear Jon,

Your mom is driving me nuts. If you would only return her calls then you could deal with all the schedule changes. But you won't and you don't so I am complaining to you. She is a very wonderful and loving woman but if she calls me and changes the plans for this weekend one more time I may scream.

love,

your wife

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Dear Springfield,

It is nice to know that you have so much surplus that you overpaid our teachers by $1.4 million in the last 6 months. And apparently it wasn't all that much since our payroll department didn't catch it, a teacher did when she noticed her check was a little more than she thougth it was. I don't blame the teachers for not catching it, they recieved a raise (and probably didn't know the exact amount), they often get paid for working extras (after and before school hours as well as subbing during their prep times) so their paychecks change from week to week.

But how did you not notice an extra $1.4 million was payed out? Seriously? And now the teachers need to pay it back, I cannot wait to see what genius plan you come up with. All I can say is I am glad that Jon is not working for you this year becuase I would cry if you started decreasing his paycheck!

- a disgruntled taxpayer

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Dear lovely city-

Why do we have to have full day kindergarten? Why can't you offer half day for those of us who want it? I know there are lots of working parents who can use the full day (it lessens transitions) but I want my child home more. I have read some studies and honestly I don't see the benefits. And it doesn't help that I have had several parents tell me that my child will be exhausted for the first couple of months of school. Really? Is it necessary to exhaust a 5 year old for several months so she learns to read a few months earlier? Will it make that much of a difference in the long run? I don't think it will.

- a disgruntled parent

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Letters of Intent

Dear Jon,
Thank you for trying so hard to make my birthday special. Having a leaking ceiling and a crashed up truck definitely put a damper on the day. But you did so much to try and make it better. Thank you for making dinner and then going out to get my favorite kind of ice cream sundae and even singing to me! It made my day much better.
love,
Melinda

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Dear neighbor,
Have you noticed the snow? Have you noticed that our street is almost one way? Maybe this should help you to realize that parking in the street when you have an empty driveway is not your best idea. Just sayin'!
-annoyed neighbor

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Dear Mother Nature,

Thank you for the reprieve. I love snow but it was nice to have one week where we did not add another 3 feet onto the snow we already have.

-Melinda

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Letters of Intent

Dear Mother Nature-
Remember last year when I asked where all the snow was? I get it now, you were saving it all for this winter. I love snow, but three feet in my front yard is getting to be a bit much. It swallowed our camera at some point after the first storm. I had hope that some snow might melt and it would reappear, but from the looks of the additional foot of snow since then it will be a LONG time before I see the camera, if ever.
Madeline doesn't mind missing school but she might mind when she is sitll going at the end of June. I am also wondering if Jon will work a full week again before the end of winter.
Although I would rather this snow than the below zero temperature we had for a few days. -11 when I woke up and 4 degrees at 10 am is REALLY cold.
So I get it, it is winter. It is cold in winter. It snows in winter. Thank mother nature, you made your point. There is no confusion on the season this year.
-snowbound in MA

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Dear perfect strangers-

Please stop looking at me with sympathy. Don't pity me. Yes I have three small children. This is not a bad thing. This is not something to feel sorry for me about.

Oh and yes they were planned (not that it matters or is any of your business) and yes we can afford them. Yes I know what birth control is thank you very much.

Yes my life is busy but busy is good. Sometimes three kids under 5 is stressful. But so is one kid under 5. It is just different kinds of stress. I like to spend my day with them, I do like a night out once in awhile but I do not feel the need to get away from my kids. So don't ask me how I do it all the time. I love what I do!

I don't mind emapthy and understanding. And it is okay to smile and offer me a hand. A hand is much appreciated when my kids outnumber the hands I have. I can do it alone, but help is always nice. Feel free to smile at my kids and be amused if you want (but kindly hide your amusement if I am looking a little frazzled). I know we can be amusing. But please keep your sympathy and do NOT feel sorry for me. I am very blessed.

-a busy happy mom of three

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Letter of Intent

Dear Mother Nature,

Thanks for the snow. All two feet of it. Lots of snow means Jon had two days off!

I appreciate you not knocking out our power. Having heat made the snowstorm much more enjoyable.

-a girl who loves winter

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Dear Dad,

Thanks for plowing the driveway. We (and by that I mean Jon) would have spent hours out their shoveling if you hadn't come. And we woulnd't have the six foot tall snowpile that provided hours and hours of fun for Jon. And the kids had fun in it as well!

love,

your favorite (only) daughter

**********

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Letters of Intent

Dear Ben,

Please sleep through the night. Or at least for more than 5 hours. Please. Please?

love,

your VERY tired Mama

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Dear Madeline,

How am I already registering you for kindergarten? I look and Ben and can remember you so clearly at that age. Now you are almost five and going to kindergarten next year. I will miss you when you are gone five days a week! I know it is a good amount of time away (thank goodness!) but going to registration last night makes it so much more real.

love,

Mama

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Dear Jon,

I hope you enjoy your weekend with the boys. You do deserve time off but with three kids it is very hard one me when you go.

You are doing overtime on the household duties when you come back while I recover from my weekend in munchkin land, I mean the fabulous weekend where I had the kids all to myself.

love,

your VERY tired wife.

**********

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Letters of Intent

Dear Madeline's Music Teacher,
You are a brave soul with so much patience! The Christmas concert was beautiful last night. We did not stay for the entire thing because I do not have as much patience as is necessary to listen to over 200 kids under the age of 12 sing Christmas music for more than 1 hour. But the preschool class was adorable in the beginning. Thank you for your time, patience, and skills to work with these children!
-a greatful parent




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Dear preschool teacher,
I know my daughter. And I know while there are times she won't do certain things, it isn't becuase she can't. She is just stubborn. Between her father and I there was no way she would not be stubborn. But when you write me notes, please use the word wouldn't instead of couldn't. By telling my my daughter couldn't write circles and lines (when she has MANY times in the past) I begin to wonder if you know my daughter. I know there is a very good chance she wouldn't write them when asked because she didn't want to, and maybe she said she couldn't. But you have seen her papers over the past few months and you should know what she can and cannot do.
Maybe it was just a poor choice of words and I am being over-analytic about it, but in the future could you choose your words more carefully? Thank you!
-a concerned parent



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Dear Owen,
You did a GREAT job behaving at the mall yesterday! I was able to get my shopping done without spending time chasing you all over the place. I am so proud of you!
love,
Mama



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Letters of Intent

Dear Police Officer,
I understand it is your job to make sure that people are not driving too fast in the road. But standing partway in the road with your radar gun to catch those speeders does not seem the safest way to go about it. Just sayin.......

-a safe driver who had to slow down and change lanes to aviod hitting you


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Dear Owen,
Again I need to ask you to sleep. And please, if you do not sleep do NOT climb the furniture in the room. We are working to tether everything to the walls but even when we do you could still fall off the changing table or dresser or bookshelf and that is not fun.
love,
worried Mama


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Dear Mother Nature,
Thank you for the awesome weather. 50 degrees in November is awesome!!!!
-Melinda



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Letters of Intent

Dear Owen,
Please take a nap. Please. You need a nap. So take a nap. We are all much happier when you sleep.
Love,
Mama


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Dear people walking down the street at night,
Please carry a flashlight or wear light clothes. Or even better, please use the sidewalk that is there for you.
-Melinda

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Dear Kind Police Officer,
Thank you for only giving me a warning! I'll slow down, I promise.
-Melinda



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