What is the best thing about Daddy?
Cortlan: That Daddy is here.
Everly: Father's Day
If you could give Daddy anything in the world,
what would it be?
Everly: A hug.
Cortlan: A kiss.
What do
you like to do with Daddy?
Cortlan: Go places.
Everly: Go eat.
What is the
funnest thing that you have ever done with Daddy?
Cortlan:
Go bike riding at Graham Park.
Everly: Ride bikes.
What do you think that
Daddy likes to do with you?
Cortlan: Play soccer.
Ev: Ride bikes.
If there is one message you would like me to
type for Daddy, what would it be?
Cortlan: I love Dad!
Ev: A cow one.
How
much do you love Daddy?
Cortlan: For one million days!
Everly: 40 pounds!
Showing posts with label Father's Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Father's Day. Show all posts
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Father's Day
We drove a mile down the road last Wednesday with the kids in the backseat, their bikes in the trunk. Donning thier helmets, they pedaled down the path as John and I tried to keep up with them. The air was warm but crisp; the sky was blue with white fluffy clouds here and there; the sun was shining; and when you looked up you saw the green leaves of mature trees that left dotted shadows on the path.
Everly pedaled as fast as her little legs could circle. Cortlan worked to stay just ahead of her. At one point, we pulled off the side of the path to look at the creek that cut through the woods beside us. We watched and listened to the water, spotted some fish, talked about what they may have been thinking about.
What I was thinking about was how blessed I am to have days like these...perfect summer days like these. Days that I want to forever etch in my memory as full of simple happiness with my family. I was thinking about what a great dad John is and how lucky the kids and I are to have him. It was definitely a Kairos moment.
Today, Father's Day, as the kids sleep peacefully and the sun shines and I sip my coffee in a comforting silence, I think again about lucky we are. I have a husband- my kids have a dad- who is kind-hearted, open-minded, hard-working, and thoughtful. He looks forward to Daddy-Daughter date night. He builds Lego creations on the floor with Cortlan. He lets my kids be who they are. He tries to understand them and thinks about their needs and wants. He helps them grow. He enjoys spending time with them. He gives them so much love. And I hope on this Father's Day he knows how much we love him.
Everly pedaled as fast as her little legs could circle. Cortlan worked to stay just ahead of her. At one point, we pulled off the side of the path to look at the creek that cut through the woods beside us. We watched and listened to the water, spotted some fish, talked about what they may have been thinking about.
What I was thinking about was how blessed I am to have days like these...perfect summer days like these. Days that I want to forever etch in my memory as full of simple happiness with my family. I was thinking about what a great dad John is and how lucky the kids and I are to have him. It was definitely a Kairos moment.
Today, Father's Day, as the kids sleep peacefully and the sun shines and I sip my coffee in a comforting silence, I think again about lucky we are. I have a husband- my kids have a dad- who is kind-hearted, open-minded, hard-working, and thoughtful. He looks forward to Daddy-Daughter date night. He builds Lego creations on the floor with Cortlan. He lets my kids be who they are. He tries to understand them and thinks about their needs and wants. He helps them grow. He enjoys spending time with them. He gives them so much love. And I hope on this Father's Day he knows how much we love him.
Daddy-Daughter Date Night
I painted her nails in the morning, got her in her dress late in the afternoon, brushed her hair, put in a headband, and slipped on her silver sandals. Everly was ready for her Daddy-Daughter Date Night, which she had been looking forward to all day. Chick-fil-a hosts the event and this was the third year that John and Everly had gone. A very well-organized event, they took RSVPs and even had a personalized flower for Everly. According to John, she was quite the slow eater but was a perfect little lady through the whole dinner.
 |
| Everly was so excited about this flower that she had John text me about it before they got home. |
I know that Everly loved her special time with Daddy. On the way home, she said, "I feel like my whole body is full of flowers." What a great feeling. What a great dad.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Happy Father's Day, John!
I kind of suck at getting presents for people. I struggle on every occasion - weddings, birthdays, Christmas - and Father's Day is no exception. I have long found getting my own dad a gift nearly impossible and now the task is doubly difficult as I search for the perfect gift for my husband, as well. I think that my biggest issue is that I never feel that the gift sufficiently matches the sentiment. What can you really get a dad to express how much you appreciate him and love him? A pair of shorts? A foam roller? Replacement blades for the Magic Bullet? Yeah, those things just don't seem to do it justice. And when you have a husband that is so content, who doesn't really want anything, who doesn't want a lot of money spent on him, the task becomes even more challenging. In reality, there isn't a thing that money can buy that would express how I feel this and every Father's Day, how appreciative I am of everything my husband does for his family, how great of a dad I think he is to our children, and how great of a dad mine is to me. So, yeah, I did get John some shorts, a foam roller, and replacement blades for the Magic Bullet, because he kind of needed those things. But hopefully, the little things, the things that money can't buy, that happen today and everyday show him how much he is loved and appreciated always.
What follows is an interview with my kids on Father's Day (in hindsight, I should have interviewed both kids independently, as Everly's answers may have been slightly influenced by her brother's):
What is the best thing about Daddy?
Cortlan: Because he's nice sometimes and he gives Everly time outs sometimes. That's nice about him. And he gives me a kiss before bed.
Everly: He gets me touble (trouble).
If you could give Daddy anything in the world, what would it be?
Cortlan: Astronaut clothes. Or tools. He really likes tools.
Everly: A special fok (fork).
What do you like to do with Daddy?
Cortlan: Play games and do puzzles.
Everly: Play puzzles and toys.
What is the funnest thing that you have ever done with Daddy?
Cortlan: When it was the last day of vacation and we got to drive at night and didn't go to sleep.
Everly: Play on pillows.
What do you think that Daddy likes to do with you?
Cortlan: Play games and puzzles.
Ev: Play
If there is one message you would like me to type for Daddy, what would it be?
Cortlan: Happy birthday even though its not his birthday.
Ev: Pesent (present).
How much do you love Daddy?
Cortlan: SO MUCH!
Everly: TOO MUCH!
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, JOHN!! WE LOVE YOU!!!
And PS: Because we were on the computer together, Cortlan really wanted to type something. He had me spell, and he typed. Here is what he wrote: sasha mr. giraffe alexa
What follows is an interview with my kids on Father's Day (in hindsight, I should have interviewed both kids independently, as Everly's answers may have been slightly influenced by her brother's):
What is the best thing about Daddy?
Cortlan: Because he's nice sometimes and he gives Everly time outs sometimes. That's nice about him. And he gives me a kiss before bed.
Everly: He gets me touble (trouble).
If you could give Daddy anything in the world, what would it be?
Cortlan: Astronaut clothes. Or tools. He really likes tools.
Everly: A special fok (fork).
What do you like to do with Daddy?
Cortlan: Play games and do puzzles.
Everly: Play puzzles and toys.
What is the funnest thing that you have ever done with Daddy?
Cortlan: When it was the last day of vacation and we got to drive at night and didn't go to sleep.
Everly: Play on pillows.
What do you think that Daddy likes to do with you?
Cortlan: Play games and puzzles.
Ev: Play
If there is one message you would like me to type for Daddy, what would it be?
Cortlan: Happy birthday even though its not his birthday.
Ev: Pesent (present).
How much do you love Daddy?
Cortlan: SO MUCH!
Everly: TOO MUCH!
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, JOHN!! WE LOVE YOU!!!
And PS: Because we were on the computer together, Cortlan really wanted to type something. He had me spell, and he typed. Here is what he wrote: sasha mr. giraffe alexa
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Father's Day
I stood on the deck with my coffee a few minutes ago and admired the sunshine pouring through the trees in perfect little rays on a perfectly beautiful Sunday morning. Father's Day.
What John wanted this Father's Day: A shovel. And to ride his motorcycle. He's getting both. And he deserves much, much more.
As he left before the kids woke, I asked where he would be going, just so I would know. From the sounds of it, we will see him a few hours from now. He has said to me that riding the motorcycle is therapeutic, and I get what he's saying. And we all need something like that. And he deserves to be able to ride through the sunshine and crisp air on this Father's Day, for as long as he wants to.
The saying has been printed on millions of Father's Day cards: Anyone can be a father; it takes a special man to be a Dad. I am blessed with a husband and a father who are both tremendous dads.
Maybe it is because the spectrum of acceptable abilities and expectations in the dad kingdom is far wider than that in the mom kingdom (think: not once changing a diaper, and I actually know a dad of two children who has never done so, versus volunteering to stay home with a sick nine-month-old and changing the three-year-old's puked on sheets in the middle of the night, for example), but dads have unique qualities about them. And the relationships with them are something special, in a not-necessarily-better, but definitely-different-than-mom kind of way.
I love my memories with my dad. I remember, as a young girl, decorating his head with many different barrettes and ponytails as he sat very still. I remember riding on the back of his motorcycle. I remember taking rides in the wagon behind the tractor and him going sideways on the steep hill so the wagon would tip and we kids would roll down the hill laughing. I remember playing football in the yard, and washing cars, and helping remodel the bathroom (and taking video a la "This Old House"). I remember being on his shoulders playing chicken in the pool. I remember him getting up at 3:30 for work, coming home for dinner, making "his calls," playing with us, and him "resting his eyes" while we all hung out in the living room. I remember him resting my back, which I now do to my children, and like it did to me, the soft back and forth grazing of the fingertips on their back puts them in a trance. I remember my dad not-so-discretely changing the channel on the radio station when a condom commercial came on. I remember the feeling of knowing my dad was proud of me. I remember that my dad didn't look up as he walked me down the aisle, and that dancing our dance at my wedding was even more emotional. I remember my dad coming to visit me at the hospital when Cortlan was born.
I watch as John makes memories with my children and I think about how special dads are, and how lucky that my kids are to have John as a dad. I watch as Cortlan "helps" him assemble a shelf. I beam as Everly and he head out for a father-daughter dinner, even if it is only to Chick-fil-a. I love that he works so hard, and changes diapers, and helps give baths, and vacuums, and doesn't need me to write down instructions when I leave for a girls' night or head to aerobics, and so much more. And I love that he loves spending time with his kids.
There is no doubt that dads are special. I know that this day isn't the easiest for John, as his dad passed away in 2001. But I know that he has many fond memories of his dad, too, like the one he was telling me yesterday of his dad pedaling like crazy as he tried, and succeeded, to start an old moped in John's youth.
This morning, John came into the kitchen and turned on the lights over the breakfast bar. The switch was met with the distinct pop of one of the three bulbs burning out. After a silent pause, John said, "You know what my mom would say." The thought registered. After John's dad had passed away, him mom had many instances of weird things happening with the lights in her house, and the presence of his dad in those moments was palpable to her. We had not personally experienced it before,and it may just be coincidence, but I said to John, "Maybe there is something to it." He said, "Yeah. Maybe."
And then, "Thanks, Dad. Happy Father's Day."
Happy Father's Day.
Thanks, Dads.
What John wanted this Father's Day: A shovel. And to ride his motorcycle. He's getting both. And he deserves much, much more.
As he left before the kids woke, I asked where he would be going, just so I would know. From the sounds of it, we will see him a few hours from now. He has said to me that riding the motorcycle is therapeutic, and I get what he's saying. And we all need something like that. And he deserves to be able to ride through the sunshine and crisp air on this Father's Day, for as long as he wants to.
The saying has been printed on millions of Father's Day cards: Anyone can be a father; it takes a special man to be a Dad. I am blessed with a husband and a father who are both tremendous dads.
Maybe it is because the spectrum of acceptable abilities and expectations in the dad kingdom is far wider than that in the mom kingdom (think: not once changing a diaper, and I actually know a dad of two children who has never done so, versus volunteering to stay home with a sick nine-month-old and changing the three-year-old's puked on sheets in the middle of the night, for example), but dads have unique qualities about them. And the relationships with them are something special, in a not-necessarily-better, but definitely-different-than-mom kind of way.
I love my memories with my dad. I remember, as a young girl, decorating his head with many different barrettes and ponytails as he sat very still. I remember riding on the back of his motorcycle. I remember taking rides in the wagon behind the tractor and him going sideways on the steep hill so the wagon would tip and we kids would roll down the hill laughing. I remember playing football in the yard, and washing cars, and helping remodel the bathroom (and taking video a la "This Old House"). I remember being on his shoulders playing chicken in the pool. I remember him getting up at 3:30 for work, coming home for dinner, making "his calls," playing with us, and him "resting his eyes" while we all hung out in the living room. I remember him resting my back, which I now do to my children, and like it did to me, the soft back and forth grazing of the fingertips on their back puts them in a trance. I remember my dad not-so-discretely changing the channel on the radio station when a condom commercial came on. I remember the feeling of knowing my dad was proud of me. I remember that my dad didn't look up as he walked me down the aisle, and that dancing our dance at my wedding was even more emotional. I remember my dad coming to visit me at the hospital when Cortlan was born.
I watch as John makes memories with my children and I think about how special dads are, and how lucky that my kids are to have John as a dad. I watch as Cortlan "helps" him assemble a shelf. I beam as Everly and he head out for a father-daughter dinner, even if it is only to Chick-fil-a. I love that he works so hard, and changes diapers, and helps give baths, and vacuums, and doesn't need me to write down instructions when I leave for a girls' night or head to aerobics, and so much more. And I love that he loves spending time with his kids.
There is no doubt that dads are special. I know that this day isn't the easiest for John, as his dad passed away in 2001. But I know that he has many fond memories of his dad, too, like the one he was telling me yesterday of his dad pedaling like crazy as he tried, and succeeded, to start an old moped in John's youth.
This morning, John came into the kitchen and turned on the lights over the breakfast bar. The switch was met with the distinct pop of one of the three bulbs burning out. After a silent pause, John said, "You know what my mom would say." The thought registered. After John's dad had passed away, him mom had many instances of weird things happening with the lights in her house, and the presence of his dad in those moments was palpable to her. We had not personally experienced it before,and it may just be coincidence, but I said to John, "Maybe there is something to it." He said, "Yeah. Maybe."
And then, "Thanks, Dad. Happy Father's Day."
Happy Father's Day.
Thanks, Dads.
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