“Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.” --Guillaume Apollinaire

Sunday, June 17, 2012

My Better Half

 Today I am happy that my boys have an amazing daddy to help them grow up into wonderful men.

Hi there! Long time, no see...uh, hear? read?  Well, whatever, it has been over a year since I have posted on this blog. I am sure there are many people who greatly appreciate a break from me spouting off, but that is a topic for another day.  Today, on Father's Day, I want to celebrate one amazing daddy.

A long time ago, I was dating this guy.  He was a pretty amazing boyfriend!  He encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and try new things.  He was a hard worker with big dreams, and he urged me to follow my own dreams as well.  He was laid back and could go with the flow.  We had a great time together. In dating terms, this guy was like Superman!  But before long, I found his Kryptonite.  This guy was terrified of kids.  The smaller they were, the more they scared him.  I love babies and kids.  Hmmm....could this be a deal breaker for us?

Fast forward a few years.  I am now married to this guy, and even though there were some ups and downs, we were enjoying being a couple.  We took fun vacations, went to concerts, and enjoyed dinners out and late nights with friends.  Imagine my surprise when one day, out of the blue, he said , "Hey, do you think we should have a baby?" I was excited, but admittedly a little concerned about how he would deal with an infant.

Seven years and two little dudes later, I have to tell you that this guy has turned into Superdad! Those who know me well might say that I can be slightly neurotic, perhaps even a little anal-retentive, in terms of parenting.  Okay, I'll admit that even perfect strangers are probably quickly able to see this quality in me, so I am especially grateful that my boys have a daddy who balances out my craziness.  Where I am careful, he is fun.  When I am worried, he has perspective.  When I get uptight, he finds the humor in the situation.  When I get frustrated, he is patient.  While I make sure they have fruits of veggies with every meal, he makes sure they have some treats. He reads to his kids, watches Nascar, Monster Jam, and Cupcake Wars, and he whips up a mean grilled cheese. He makes time for Little League practices and games, classroom parties, and just plain fun. When I leave for a week to chaperone a school trip, he doesn't even blink...and the house looks better than it did when I left and many of the honey-do jobs are finished.  He models for them how to be good dads and husbands, and for that, I am more grateful than I can ever say.

Happy Father's Day, babe!  I love you.