08 Dec December 8, 1944

Letter
from: A. Shonkwiler
to: Pvt George W. Shonkwiler
Dec. 8, 1944
11:50 P.M.

Pre-script
I’m enclosing $5:00, hope you get it. I forgot to put it in the other night.
Sorry.

My darling,

This will be short as I have some clothes to press and shoes to clean for
Ronnie.  You see he and I are going to "Tootie" Tosti’s birthday party today at
2:30.  That means I have to hustle, as I’ll have to leave at 1:30, and we also
must have lunch before we go.  I bought a pair of lamb’s wool bedroom slippers
for her, shaped like bunnies, and [had] a funny head, face and ears in the
front of the toe.  They’re beige and brown.

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They’re size 11, and I hope not too small.  Ronnie wears 7 1/2 now, so they’re
2 inches too long on him.  Can’t remember whether Tootie is 4 or 5 today, but
I’m pretty sure it’s 5.

I didn’t write last night, I’m trying to make up for it this morning.

Ronnie of course is all excited about the party, and can’t wait to get there.

Edith called yesterday and invited me to an American home show in some lady’s
home, but I refused, as I wouldn’t want Ronnie to miss

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a party for anything.  I know how much parties meant to me when [I was] a
little tot.

I didn’t receive any letters from you yesterday, but guess the 3 the day before
will have to do for a while.  I meant to thank you for the nice birthday letter,
and it was much nicer than a card could have been.  Of course it came ten days
early, as my birthday is Dec. 16th, but that is because that letter really got
here in a hurry.  It took only 9 days, and

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that is wonderful service.  A lot better than your anniversary card which I sent
Aug. 1st, and you didn’t get it until Oct. 18th.  I gave it 4 weeks to get
there, but it just my bad luck that it had to take eleven weeks.  Oh well,  I’m
glad you got it anyway.   Better late than never - they say.

Ronnie asked me again today when Daddy’s coming home to play with his trains.
He went for Fuzzy in a big way, too, and at night saying his prayers

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he included Uncle Forrest, and said, God bless Uncle Forrest, too, because I
like him!  Wasn’t that cute.

I took Ronnie up on the Avenue with me yesterday and I have [had] an awful time
getting him away from toy counters.  I bought a dump truck for one of his
Christmas presents, as it seemed to fascinate him.  I may buy him a small wagon
filled with blocks, too, and then of course he has a couple of things upstairs

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that he hasn’t used.  His cameo blocks, we bought at Fields, and that big
pounding set, Gladys gave him.  These things and the things he’ll get from
other people will take care of his Christmas, I’m sure.  I haven’t bought a

tree, yet, but will soon, although tree light bulbs are impossible to find this
year, even in the loop.

I asked Ronnie if he wanted a dump truck for Christmas from Santa

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after we got home from the Avenue.  He said, "I’ll play with this truck now.
(meaning his old one, which is minus all four wheels now) and then Santa Claus
can give me another one for Christmas with wheels on it, okay, Mommie?" That’s
pretty clever, don’t you think?  Of course one of the first things he does is
take the wheels off his trains, trucks etc. and can’t seem to replace them
again.

The space between the rug and the small carpet in

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the living room is his train track, and also the road for his cars and trucks.
He also puts up pieces of paper (folded in the center) for tunnels to put his
trains thru.  One day his "tunnels" kept falling down and he called me for help
and was crying.  As soon as I made it stand up, he said, "Thank you," and
started to laugh again.

This morning Ronnie got a card from his Daddy with 3 boys and a dog on it.
He’s been carrying it around ever since.  In fact at present it’s part

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of his train.

Well, honey, it’s now 12:30, so I must really get going.

Bye, Darling, and again hope you’ll have a pretty nice Christmas, even if you
can’t be here.  At least I hope you’ll have enough to eat.

I also hope and pray for your safety every minute of the day.

All our Love, always,
Mommie and Ronnie

P.S.
Had windshield wiper repaired at Packard cost $4.49.