When our oldest was five and just learning to write, he went through a stage where he would communicate through notes, as if to say, “Check this out: I can write.” For instance, if he wanted a glass of milk, he would painstakingly scribble out his order on whatever he found laying around and hand it to you.

One night at bedtime, we found a note stuck to the kitchen counter with a couple of small bullseye stickers (the note was actually written on the back of a sheet of these stickers). While my wife and I were distracted by his three younger siblings during the normal bedtime routine (bathing, pajama-ing, toothbrushing, yelling, threatening), Nolan had scampered off, rummaged through our catch-all drawer, and hurriedly jotted down this request:

 “DEAR MOM AND DAD. REED SNORES SO I WOULD LIKE TO SLEEP WITH YOU. LOVE NOLAN”

We weren’t sure whether the heart skewered by an arrow was meant to be a symbol of endearment or a threatening sign of what may happen if his demands weren’t met. Nolan and his younger brother Reed share a room, and as is most often the case, there can be contentious moments with roommates. My wife and I had a good laugh and headed to bed.

Interestingly, though, I came out the next morning and found this note on the counter:

It’s important for families to communicate.