#benjamin burns

Dear Gus & Magnus,

This morning when I walked Gus to school, he cut our final few steps short and scurried off before our usual spot. And I think it's because Eller showed up. He recently told me -- through blushing cheeks -- that he thinks Eller is the prettiest girl in his grade.

After dropping Gus off, I met Bryan and Darla to drive to Fayetteville for a shoot, then we packed up and drove to Oklahoma City, where we'll shoot tomorrow. Long day, lots of hours, but it was good to be in the video van with my peeps.

Dad.

Dear Gus & Magnus,

For Jack Bailey's birthday, he wanted to go camping in their RV with his friends. His dad was prepared to take seven of them out there, but some of the other dads decided to join with our tents. It was cold out there, but we all had a great time.

All of the boys went for a walk with flashlights after we had hot cocoa and I decided to flank them. I hid behind a tree and made noises. All the boys panicked except for Gus, who immediately said, "That's my dad." They all ran frantically back to the campfire, so I bolted back too, thinking I could get back to my chair before they noticed I was gone. But Gus knew to look for me. He caught me sprinting down the hill. When I got to the fire, he said, "I caught you red-handed!" I was proud of him, but I tried not to show it.

One of the boys was in tears from fear and telling his dad there was "something out there." I felt bad because had never met him or his dad before, so I confessed that Gus was correct and that I had made the noise. After the boy calmed down and went back into the RV, I apologized to his dad, who said, "No, that's exactly why we're out here. He needs to learn that not everything is going to go as expected. His whole life has basically been scripted." It was all very aligned with the ideology espoused in The Anxious Generation, which I liked.

Last time I camped at Maumelle Park, Mom and I were dating, and we had just bought the tent I slept in.

Dad.

Dear Gus & Magnus,

Soccer game after school/work today. Gus is still getting a foot on the ball, but not aggressive enough to really make an impact, and at one point someone flying a kite in an adjacent field proved too much of a distraction, but he had fun, which makes me and Mom happy. Game ended in a tie 3-3. The boys are referring to themselves as "The Ice Skulls," which I originally interpreted as "The Icicles." Season record: 1-0-1.

Dad.

Schue knocked on the door of the apartment, rechecking the door number to make sure that he was at the right place. Well, so far so good, he thought to himself, reading the message that Ben had sent him earlier. It was a bit sad that his friend was celebrating Thanksgiving alone this year. He would have invited him over, knowing that he really didn't have any family in Lima, but since it was only him and Tink who were at home at the moment and they had promised a sort of brother/sister Thanksgiving, he scrapped out that option. Instead, he offered to bring some food over to him, just so he could celebrate too, even in a small way.