thank you notes

I've been making my kids write thank you notes before they could write. Yes, I have. I used to have them scribble on a typed out thank you I printed. When they learned to write their names, they signed each card. Now that they are getting older, I have had them fill in the blanks on their gift items. Perhaps this year I will have Moose write out full thank you notes.

Nothing complicated, but just "Grandma, thank you for such-and-such. I am having fun with it. Love, Moose." It doesn't have to be grand to be real. But you also don't know if the kids understand what they are doing; the impact it has (or doesn't) on them.

However, I got a glimpse of the impact it's had on Moose probably a month or two ago. I was reading "A Robertson Family Christmas" by Miss Kay Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame. Moose saw the book and was interested (he loves the show). He handed the book back to me and, with all seriousness, said, "We should write her a thank you note."

Uhhhh....what?

Dear child thought Miss Kay had given me the book herself. I didn't have the heart to correct him, so I told him sure. He got out some paper and a pencil and he wrote:

"Dear Miss Kay,

 Thank you for the book.

Love,

Moose" 

(he signed his real name)

That was it - short and sweet and to the point but it spoke volumes to me. That my son understood someone gave me something and I should thank them. 

Squirt decided he wanted to write a letter, too. I asked who he wanted to write to and he replied, "Uncle Si." So out came another pencil and a piece of paper with this written in cute little 5-year-old handwriting:

"Dear Si,

 I have been playing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Mario Kart Wii. 

Love,

Squirt"

(who also signed his real name)

I tried to help him write the letter and make it more like I would write it but then I realized, I'm not the author of this letter. He can write whatever he wants. And it's so darling.

I added in my own little note to each, saying why my kids were writing them letters. Especially Moose's, I could see Miss Kay reading it and being like "what book?" I didn't know where to send the letters so I searched online. I remember sending letters to Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Tiffany Amber Thiesen as a kid and getting "signed" pictures back. I wasn't sure what to expect for my boys but I wanted to send their letters. 

A few weeks later, we came back from somewhere and got our mail. And there was a hand addressed letter to Squirt from SPFC Silas Robertson (Ret.). How cool is that?! Our whole house was pretty pumped about this kind gesture from this man. 

Of course, Moose was like, "where's mine from Miss Kay?" but we talked about how sometimes you just don't hear back from someone. And that's not saying anything bad toward Miss Kay at all. I understand completely they can't address every letter they receive. 

Anyway, it was just a really special thing for Squirt but for me to see my boys being so kind with their words.

Did you ever write a movie star or singer when you were growing up? Did you get an autograph back?