Emails From Nathan

We are back from Chicago and it was faaaaabulouuus (Oprah voice) and I will post pictures and tell all about it soon.

But for now, Nathan has given me permission to share some of his emails (!!!) which I have been bursting to do ever since we set him up with his own gmail a few months ago.

It occurred to us when we were touring schools for him for next year that lots (most) (almost all) of those first grade kids have some computer proficiency. And even though typing will probably be outdated by the time he is in high school, we still didn't think it was a bad idea to get him familiar with how a keyboard is layed out, how to click with a mouse (haaaaa speaking of technology on the way out) (kids these days unfailingly try to swipe at screens, y'all know that right?) (he already rejects the regular mouse in favor of the track pad on the chromebook, which is set up to scroll like a phone -- upside down from how a mouse scrolls... if you have never noticed that, you will now), and ANYWAY we decided any practice at spelling and writing and forming words and sentences is a good thing.

So, he emails now. The cutest funniest most awesome emails to ever land in my inbox, if I'm being honest.

He has a set list of pre-approved people in his contact list, so he can type their names and send email to them. His gmail is linked to both mine and Mark's accounts too, so we can keep an eye on things from our phones really easily. And he doesn't know his own password. I am maybe more protective than I need to be, but this is new territory so we are taking it slllooooowly.

Several times a week, during alone time, he tells me he has some emails to send (each one takes a small eternity) and he works on it quietly while I read my feedly and twitter and such. (Oh my quiet hours and internet my precious). He sends random thoughts and random pictures and lots and lots of affection.

He is adorable, is what I'm saying, but since he said I can share some notes, you don't have to take my word for it.

His very first email:

from:		Nathan Goettsch
to:		Grandma
date:		Tue, Apr 9, 2013 at 4:29 PM
subject:		HI

Hi Grandma

I Love yuo. i Can Email THat is my fervrit part. Wial Yuo email me?

Love Nathan

And then he learned that we could attach pictures to what he wanted to email about. That day he won a pencil in Spanish bingo was something else.

from:		Nathan Goettsch
to:		Daddy
date:		Thu, Apr 25, 2013 at 2:48 PM
subject:		Re: hi

Dad I want to SHO you some Thing

I wone a pinsul
in spinsh have a good Day at work
Love Nathan.

from:		Nathan Goettsch
to:		Ashley
date:		Fri, Apr 26, 2013 at 2:07 PM
subject:		Re: Hi, Nathan!

hi Ashley I Love you too. I ate Piza at school for Lunch. I wone a Pensul in spinsh at school Yestuday I want to sho you Some Thing a picsher ov my pensul!

I Love you! i Lik yur shurt! love Nathan.

from:		Nathan Goettsch
to:		Grandpa
date:		Fri, Apr 26, 2013 at 3:12 PM
subject:		Re: Hi Nathan

Grandpa i ate Piza for lunch what did you et for lunch? i Love you i hope you ar Having a Nise Thime!

i wone a pensul in Spinsh! Mommy takd a picshr! 

love Nathan.

It was around that time he started signing emails Love Nathan! with his signature exclamation mark, which... yeah. I don't even think I need to mention how perfect that is.

from:		Nathan Goettsch
to:		Barbara
date:		Sun, May 5, 2013 at 1:00 PM
subject:		Hi

Barbara  I Have a CooL Mc Dolns  Toiy
Barbara Wat  ar you  Doing Today!
Can you come to my tee BoLL Gam some time
Wile you Email me bak?
Love Nathan!

from:		Nathan Goettsch
to:		Mommy
date:		Mon, May 13, 2013 at 1:48 PM
subject:		Love

I Love you so Moch come to the MoLL it has Legos

can dad come to

I love you

love Nathan!

from:		Nathan Goettsch
to:		Mommy
date:		Tue, May 14, 2013 at 1:54 PM
subject:		Love

Mommy sometimie can we go to UncleBrads hose?

sometimie  Love Nathan!

from:		Nathan Goettsch
to:		MrsV
date:		Sun, May 26, 2013 at 10:40 AM
subject:		Re: Hi

MrsV

at shcooL you ar a good teacher i cant belev it is ovr i want sixte thoznde mor days of shcooL!

i Love you

i Lik yur blue shortes they ar my fevrit

Love Nathan!

And then the emails got longer. And sweeter. And less shy about asking for replies. Ha.

from:		Nathan Goettsch
to:		Ashley
date:		Mon, May 27, 2013 at 3:20 PM
subject:		HI

Ashley i wen to the Pul and swimde i sapraed Anneliese and it was vare fun.

i am aL dun with shcooL we did not hav shcooL today i cant bleve it is ovr!

Wote ar you doing today at yur hose

i Hope you ar having a vare Nise timie!

Will you Email GMail me a picshur agN Sometimie?

i Love you!

so much

Love Nathan!

from:		Nathan Goettsch
to:		MrDavid
date:		Wed, Jun 5, 2013 at 2:05 PM
subject:		shos

Mr. David i want to sho you something it is a Picshur ov my shos

they ar vare cool do you Lik them? Will you bring som shos jus Lik min?

Some time my mom can git me a sangk olf shurt Lik yurs.

Wote ar you doing today? Will you Email me a picshur of wote you ar doing? i Hope you ar having a Nise Day!

Love Nathan!

from:		Nathan Goettsch
to:		AnotherNathan
date:		Thu, Jun 20, 2013 at 8:58 PM
subject:		Hi!!

Another Nathan will you send me a Email? Will you send me a picsher of war you aer?

it is the monten it is calde monchret.

Today i warde a purpul caler shert and DrZ warde one to! but he has the white butNs i Have the purpul butNs.

aer you Having fun war you aer? i Hope you aer having a vare Nise Thime.

will you Email me i rillee want you to

Bcos i rillee Love you! so much!

win you come hom i have a ise crem book mark we can go together to eat it! kupon.

i Love you! do good Sleping.

wer making a Love cak! do you memerbre that song! i singd it!

Love Nathan!

from:		Nathan Goettsch
to:		Marmie
date:		Fri, Apr 26, 2013 at 3:13 PM
subject:		HI

Marmie wial you Email me bak? i have Email now. i Hope you ar having a Nise Thime love Nathan!

And then he got it into his head that he should email about random factoids he gleans:

from:  Nathan Goettsch   to:  AnotherNathan  date:  Wed, Jun 26, 2013 at 4:21 PM subject:  fish!! samN

Another Nathan

did you no that samN can swim up a watre fall!!

aer you having a Nise day

I Hope it is fun at church

Love Nathan!

And little goodnight emails when Daddy is on night shift are so crazy sweet.

from:		Nathan Goettsch
to:		Daddy
date:		Sat, Jun 29, 2013 at 3:54 PM
subject:		hi

Daddy  have  a nics  nitie

we will  have a nics  nitie to

Love Nathan!

If you want a pen pal like Nathan, let me know and I will send you his email address. The subject line will probably be hi. And he will want to know what shirt you're wearing. Maybe shoes too. And will potentially request that you send him a picture of what you're doing. Be ready.

Church Doodles by Nathan

Usually Nathan sits with Mark in the congregation during worship on Sundays. But (since he is now too old for the nursery rooms) on weekends when Mark is working, he comes and sits with me in the choir (!)... it made me super nervous at first but has now become a (usually) sweet and easy church pattern for us. He stays pretty quiet, he can watch from behind the organ console, which he loves, and he stands up and holds my hand when we sing our anthem.

And he doodles.

They have worship kits at our church for kids, with books and a bulletin and some markers and stickers and pipe cleaners and a small stuffed toy and coloring pages. But all Nathan has eyes for is the clipboard with blank paper and a few markers.

So that he can draw Mark masterpieces like this T-Rex singing from a hymnal. Because what, that doesn't happen at your church?

(Not a hymnal, he corrected me. Just a regular blue book. Which is oddly like the hymnal-of-his-own he requested for the first time in this same service. Including music notes. Hmmm.)

Oh and he also doodled something for Another Nathan which included the word Allalyoua so if we can all just spell it that way from now on, that'd be great kthx.