April 29, 2011

Dearest E.,

Have you ever worried yourself sick over something silly? Well I have succeed in doing that over my commencement tomorrow. I don't even know why. It isn't like UVU isn't going to let me graduate. I have had my diploma for months and I have official transcripts that show I finished last August. No, I am actually terrified for the poor announcer that has to pronounce my name. (And that I will step on my gown and fall flat on my face going across the stage.) 

I am pretty sure that even if they do butcher my name tomorrow my family and friends supporting me will still know who I am. And I've had so many teachers trip over it during my years of schooling, what is one more time? Well for me it means walking across the stage and feeling cheated because I wasn't properly announced. Because my name is Kira not Kyra, Kara, KEY-ra, or any other variation and I love it.

That reminds me of a funny story, I actually just learned last spring. For the first two years your Dad and I were married he was not 100% sure on how to pronounce my name, so he called me, "Baby." When we first met he heard me rant about someone mispronouncing my name and after that he was afraid of saying it wrong. Last spring I asked him why he stopped calling me pet names and he chuckled and said, "because I figured out how to say your given name." Maybe I am to hard on people for silly mistakes.

We decided the boys won't be attending the ceremony so we want to document for all of you. Hopefully tomorrow I can get some good photos at graduation. While I have the camera out, tomorrow in the daylight I will also take a picture of Burrito's plant for you.  He is so excited to show it to everyone, we may just have to included updates as it grows.  I guess I should explain why he is excited.

Burrito is in Head Start this year. He is on a scholarship and has an all day classroom. They do a lot more activities then the 2 hour classrooms. At the end of March they were learning about Spring and plants. So for a project they made a planter out of a small plastic cup. They only had grass seed to plant so to make it more fun they drew faces on the cups so the grass would become "hair." Last week was Spring Break and they didn't want the plants to die while they were gone for a week so they sent them home. Burrito was super excited to put his plant on the front porch. On Easter Sunday I reminded him he needed to water his plant. He dutifully filled a cup with some water and opened the door to water it. With the door still open I heard:

Burrito: "Mom, Mom! You need to come see. COME SEE!"

Me: "Come see what?"

Burrito: "My plant. My plant grew a flower!"

Me: "Your plant grew a flower?"

Burrito: "Yeah it grew a flower."

Me: "How did your plant grow a flower?"

Burrito: "It was a..."

(Pause for dramatic effect.)

Burrito: "EASTER MIRACLE!"

Me: "Easter is full of miracles, let's see your flower."

Yes, he really did pause to build the suspense. I think he may be an actor someday. I went outside to look at his planter and sure enough, pushing up from the grass is what appears to be a tulip. On Wednesday he finally went back to school and I asked his teacher if they had snuck a flower bulb into the cups to surprise the kids.  Nope, they only planted grass.  

When I was reading this letter to Dad he told me I needed to add that he said miracle at the top of his lungs.  In fact I am pretty sure our entire apartment complex heard him.  Burrito has what we jokingly call, a microphone embedded in his throat.  Try as he might he can't contain the volume of his voice and he talks really loud, especially when he is excited.  In church they have been talking a lot about Our Savior and his sacrifice and the miracle of Easter (not to be confused with zombies as Taco says).  For all of us Burrito's Easter miracle was a reminder of this special day. I hope you had a wonderful Easter, E. Alas I better get to bed or I will be sleep-walking tomorrow.  

With Love,