Dear Ryan

I've been meaning to write this for well over a week now.  Everything else I've wanted to write has been on hold for a while because I needed to do this first.  Sometimes, though, it's hard to write to you, and I tend to procrastinate.  It reminds me how much I really miss you and that I can't just call and tell you the things I have wanted to say.

I saw The Dark Knight Rises recently.  It's crazy how things make me think of you when I'm really not expecting to.  Dad and Mom call them "Ryan moments" and that's how I tend to think of them.  I cried when we left the movie theater.  I told Ryan that I was sad about the trilogy being over and thinking about you.  I felt silly crying over Batman, but I wasn't exactly crying over the movie.  I was crying over you.  I remember watching the other Batman movies with you.  The silly, cartoonish versions that came out when I was in high school.  Remember those action figures we bought together?  I still have them:

The kids ask to play with them, but I treasure them too much.  It brings back memories of a time in our life when we started to get along again after so many years of annoying each other.  I enjoy those memories, and I put those action figures in my sewing area.

I pulled out some Star Wars action figures for the kids to play with.  Aric has discovered Star Wars and really enjoys it.  The sad thing is he is only acquainted with Episode I.  We need to introduce him to the real Star Wars.  Did you know Yoda and Woody are mortal enemies?  Yeah, me either.  It's surprising and a bit sad.  Did you also know that Jedi's are more concerned with making sure they have a coat to keep warm?  I guess that's what happens when your little sister plays with you.

Aric randomly gives light saber lessons and history.  It makes me giggle when I hear my 4 year old try to school me on Star Wars.  The other day I made him some light sabers out of pool noodles and duct tape from an idea I saw online.  They seem to be safer than half of the objects he was trying to use as light sabers.  He's pretty proud of them and likes to have light saber duels.  I think I earned Mom of the Year, or at least the day.

I know you would've loved hearing about all of this, and how I get attacked quite often by the little ninja that lives in our house.  You also would've done everything possible to keep encouraging all of this.  The two of you would've had a lot of fun together.

Kiss my babies and keep building those sand castles in the clouds.