Dear Gus & Magnus,

Usually when we eat dinner with the Grummers, we let you kids play for a while, then we put Martin and Magnus to bed and let the big kids put on pajamas and watch a movie while the parents hang out, but tonight we decided to let the little kids join in on the movie. Magnus was STOKED. Gus talked everyone into watching Aristocats, which is a favorite in our house right now. Rhett lost interest quickly, though, and spent the rest of the movie trying to convince everyone to abandon it.

We didn't go home until nearly 11pm and he (predictably) threw a fit when I pulled him from the bed because he was so tired. All in all, a good time, though. I can't believe how big the littles are getting.

Dad.

Little Rock, Arkansas. 3.22.2024 - 8.52pm.

Dear Gus & Magnus,

Front-yard afternoon playdate with the Grummers today. The back of the truck is still a popular place to be.

Dad.

Little Rock, Arkansas. 3.19.2024 - 5.42pm.

Dear Gus & Magnus,

Mom worked today and we spent lots of time in the backyard this afternoon. Magnus helped me mow, and you two played with the leaf blower. Then Lane and Rhett came over because Jacob & Cory are hosting a coworker party at their house tonight. In the photo, y'all are taking turns walking barefoot across the acupuncture mat. We also built Nugget forts and launched projectiles at each other.

We put Mags to bed, then let the big kids watch a movie in our bed. We had to go up multiple times to tell them to stop wrestling and be quiet, which is expected, and it was a good sleepover.

Dad.

Little Rock, Arkansas. 3.16.2024 - 5.37pm.

Dear Gus & Magnus,

The Grummers joined us for dinner on the back porch tonight -- Mom made ravioli. It was good to catch up with them and enjoy the great weather before the mosquitos show up.

Dad.

Little Rock, Arkansas. 3.14.2024 - 6.14pm.

Dear Gus & Magnus,

I put on a mask and walked over to pick Gus and Rhett & Lane up from school today. While the boys waited for Lane, they did their best to inconspicuously take all the slack in the cabled barrier so that no one else would be able to move it along the fence. I don't think their efforts inconvenienced anyone. Gus played at their house when we got there. I sent Mary (the nanny) a message to make sure it was okay and she said, "Gus is always welcome when I'm here! He plays great with all the kids." Which is also what all of his teachers have always said about him: "He plays great with everyone." That makes me happy. I always took a lot of pride in being able move fluidly from one group of people to the next. And now that's kind of how I make a living.

Mom and I still feel like crap.

Dad.

Little Rock, Arkansas. 2.26.2024 - 2.56pm.

Dear Gus & Magnus,

Eli bit Magnus on the back today at daycare and drew blood, but Magnus claims it was Micah. It's a battlefield up there.

Rhett came over to play this afternoon and he stayed for taco night, which has become a weekly staple. Mom and I have been soft taco people for as long as we can remember, but when Uncle Chris made hard tacos on our family retreat and you two were all over it...we became a hard taco family.

Dad.

Little Rock, Arkansas. 9.25.2023 - 6.36pm.

Dear Gus & Magnus,

Magnus is still sick and was sleeping on Mom, so I came home from working at the coffee shop to walk the big kids home from school. On the way, the three of them argued about what it took to win "the race" -- being the first one or the last one. Lane got mad and finally ran away from the boys. I tried to explain to anyone who would listen that nobody won if the rules of the race changed in the middle of the race to accommodate any certain person involved in the race...but no one though I knew what I was talking about.

Yiayia and Nene (and Nene's friend Rick) came down to watch Gus in his holiday program at PHE, then we had tacos. Magnus didn't sleep again, so Mom and I divided up the night like we did when he was a baby. I laid beside his crib and comforted him until 1.30am, then gave him some medicine and dropped him off with Mom in our bed. The lack of sleep is starting to get to us. Poor Gus, while he's the only one actually getting sleep, he's having to deal with three cranky personalities right now.

Dad.

Little Rock, Arkansas. 12.12.2023 - 3.01pm.

Dear Gus & Magnus,

Cory won four coaches row tickets to a Trojan game at a recent silent auction, so Jacob and I took Rhett and Gus to the Arkansas State game. We legitimately sat so close that at one point I had to retrieve Gus's popcorn kernel from the playing floor. I'm not sure the kids enjoyed it as much as the dads, but I liked being down close to the bench to hear what the players and coaches were talking about. The concessions were a fiasco, though, so we went to Big Orange after the game for burgers. A solid dads' night.

Also, it's worth noting that Magnus got his flu shot today and Mom said he didn't even wince.

Dad.

Little Rock, Arkansas. 12.1.2023 - 7.29pm.

Dear Gus & Magnus,

I came home from work to find a decent Ridgeway crew hanging out in our front yard, which is always fun to come home to. Bikes, balls, Beyblades. We're so close to fall and I can't wait.

Dad.

Little Rock, Arkansas. 9.13.2023 - 5.25pm.

Dear Gus & Magnus,

The Grummers were at our house when I got home from work today. You guys wanted to play in the backyard, so I sat on the porch and watched you while Mom and Jacob and Martin stayed inside. Gus and Rhett had fun throwing the ball with Suki, which I appreciated -- Rhett used to be terrified of her. Lane and Magnus played in the castle, but then Lane locked Magnus out and she refused to let him in after I asked her to. Finally I told her she was going to have to get out of the castle if she couldn't share. When she still refused, I told her to come out of the castle and she screamed "I HATE THIS DAY!" and "I DIDN'T WANT TO COME TO THE CHOATES' ANYWAY!" and stomped inside.

Later, Mom said, "So, Lane came in and slammed the door and when Jacob asked her what was up, she said, 'Guy said he hated me.' What happened out there?"

I have my fingers crossed that your friends don't grow up thinking I'm an asshole in the way I thought some of my friends' parents were assholes.

Dad.

Little Rock, Arkansas. 9.1.2023 - 6.06pm.

Dear Gus & Magnus,

Rhett and Isaac were at our house when I got home today. Magnus wants to get into everything they're doing, which annoys them, but he honestly does a pretty good job of holding his own and not being bullied by their physical size. The real problem lies in him not understanding the rules of whatever game they have made up. At someone point in the next few years a soccer ball is going to break something in our house, but in the meantime, Mom and I are doing our best to enforce the "ball stays on the ground" rule.

Dad.

Little Rock, Arkansas. 11.13.2023 - 5.35pm

Dear Gus & Magnus,

Mom worked today, so Gus came with us to soccer. Magnus has shown some improvement on kicking the ball, but he has a hard time focusing. Gus helped me wrangle him. Afterward, we went with a crew to Shipley's on Cantrell and basically took over the place. Then we went to the Children's Library so Gus could get the Zoey & Sassafras book he wanted. Cory and the big Grummer kids were there as well, so we played for a while on the playground. Then Gus's friend Evelyn showed up. Gus has told me that lots of kids have crushes on each other at school and Evelyn has a crush on Isaac. While they were playing chase at the library, I heard Evelyn say to Gus, "I'm going to pretend you're Isaac... Come here, my love!" She chased Gus and he ran from her. I laughed.

After Magnus's nap we crushed cans and played in the backyard. Rhett came over and joined us. I baked cod for dinner. It was a good day.

Dad.

Little Rock, Arkansas. 10.7.2023 - 10.59am.

Dear Gus & Magnus,

I left early this morning to catch a flight to Denver, where I'll meet with our water team over the next couple of days to discuss the Garver brand in Colorado and get some footage/photos of our team there. Meanwhile back at the ranch, this photo showed up on our Ridgeway Drive text thread. I'm so thankful you two get to grow up on the same section of the street as lots of other kids with parents we like. I can't wait to see what the recreation of this picture looks like in 15 years.

Dad.

Little Rock, Arkansas. 2.28.2023 - 5.57pm.

Dear Gus & Magnus,

After breakfast, we packed up and swept out our bunkhouse, then helped where we could to clean up the common areas. After doing what we could, we loaded up and drove home.

Magnus's took a nap, then we went to Yiayia's house to get Suki and have dinner. I don't know if it's from sleeping back to back nights on a weak mattress or lifting Magnus up over and over to put the ball in the basketball goal, but my back is killing me.

Dad.

Royal, Arkansas. 9.24.2023 - 9.06am.

Dear Gus & Magnus,

As soon as I got back from Northwest Arkansas this afternoon, we loaded up and went to Camp Clearfork on the invitation of the Grummers. Cory's dad and his friend have been bringing their families (and friends) to this place I'd never heard of for 31 years. The Cerratos also came this year. The group rented out the whole place and hired someone to handle all the meals -- this year it was the guy from Afrobites, which is a place I've been meaning to visit ever since I sampled it at Taste of Little Rock.

I think there were something like two dozen of us, all bunking in cabins and hanging out. We stayed up way past bedtime so you two could play Beyblades and trade Pokémon cards while the grown-ups played catchphrase. The best part of this place is that there's no cell reception. It was nice to hang out with so many grownups and not one of them had his nose in a phone.

Dad.

Royal, Arkansas. 9.22.2023 - 8.30pm.

Dear Gus & Magnus,

Gus started Jurassic Camp today at the Museum of Discovery, which is right beside my office, so he rode to/from work with me. We both liked the novelty of it. He hung out in my office at the beginning/end of the day. Caroline is a counselor at the camp as well.

Rhett came over before dinner to trade Pokémon cards. Magnus has an infatuation with Rhett. He's always hugging him and trying to get his attention. He stood at the baby gate tonight saying, "Rhett! Rhett! Rhett! Hi, Rhett!"

Magnus also helped me mow the yard tonight. I let him push for a minute thinking he would be satisfied quickly and move on, but he pushed about half the yard, which is as much as I would let him.

Dad.

Little Rock, Arkansas. 6.19.2023 - 5.46pm.