Father

F is for friend, because he's always there when you need him. My dad always has been. Maybe because we have a similar personality, a laid-back attitude or a similar love of writing, but my dad and I just "get" each other. It brings such joy to see my boys with their best buddy...daddy!

A is for awesome. Dads are just the best. The cat's pajamas. As far as Jack & Sam are concerned Josh is #1; he's their best buddy.

T is for teacher, because there is no one's instruction that means quite as much as a father's. I'm grateful for the guidance and direction my dad has always provided. Dad probably remembers he's the one who taught me to ride my bike, but he's also where I learned how to keep your chin up and trust God when life deals you a bad hand.

H is for happiness, because fathers bring so much to those around them. It's often exhausting to care for two small children daily, but their faces aren't the only ones that light up when daddy gets home. His arrival signifies that I've survived another day, and now it's time for the real fun to begin. I can still remember the smell of my own father's shoulder as I greeted him with hugs. He was (and still is) a newspaper man, and the smell of the ink and presses often permeated his sweaters and coats. When did I grow too old for that sweet greeting? Here's hoping my boys will give their dad the same exciting greeting for many, many years to come.

E is for excellent. Along the same lines of awesome, dads are just incredible. They draw pictures and jokes on your sack lunches. Drawings that gain such acclaim that your classmates gather at the lunch table eager to see what your dad drew today. They sacrifice space and cool points sporting a carseat in the backseat of their truck because riding with daddy is always cooler.

R is for respect, because our fathers deserve so much of ours. Not just because of how much he gives to our family, but because Josh is our guardian and protector. What a huge responsibility. I respect him so much for the role he plays in spiritually guiding our family.

Hope the special dads in my life know how much they are appreciated today and every day!

the little things...

Sam is quickly creeping up on the five month mark. I would say in Jack's first five months of life, I probably caught him & Josh cuddled up napping/watching tv no fewer than two dozen times (and at least half of those I ran to get the camera).

These days Josh's time at home is typically monopolized by big brother and leaves little opportunity for baby siestas on daddy's chest. Josh's afternoon off is on Tuesdays, and he often uses it to catch some zzzzz to make up for the all-nighter he pulls in the ER on Mondays. Well, since Monday was our anniversary, he took the night off...smart guy, huh? So, he wasn't sleepy on Tuesday afternoon...but when Jack took his nap as usual it looks like Sam found the best spot in the house...cuddling with daddy!

For Anyone Else

Would he accept grimy handprints, goldfish crumbs and snot on his nice white golf shirt for anyone else?

Would he gladly surrender his last bite of M&M Blizzard for anyone else?

Thanks for being such a great dad! Big thanks for taking such great care of me yesterday evening and making sure that (despite the fact mom wasn't eating) no one went hungry. Would he do all this for anyone else?

Of course...he would! Just look at me!

A Plain Old Great Day

Well, Sunday started off far from "great," but it sure finished strong. Josh was showering, Sam was fed and I was pretty much completely dressed and ready for church (things were great and on schedule for me to arrive early to teach a preschool Sunday School class this week), when I went upstairs to get Jack up and dressed. I was greeted with a bit of a mess. Seems our big guy had a bit of an upset stomach during the night.

Of course, my mind immediately recalled a crying spell heard over the monitor sometime around 3:30 that I pretty much ignored thinking he'd go back to sleep...which he did. Now, I felt like a complete failure for having ignored my sweet son's pleas for help. My poor child had called for me and eventually gave up. I had disappointed him. Thankfully my husband reassured me that I had not in fact scarred our son for life and that I was a fantastic mommy. He also volunteered to stay home with the boys.

So, I drove off to church still feeling the heavy burden of mommy guilt. But, as four-year-olds arrived one after another, I was met with smiling faces and eager hearts. I sat in on the beginning of the service to watch the graduate recognition and the sweet slideshow that preceded. I cried for the second time that morning. After a dash to Ingles for Gatorade, I arrived home to find three happy boys. Jack had even had a bit to eat with no incident.

I fixed a quick lunch and then everyone took a nap. Mine was interrupted by a hungry three-month-old, but I quickly got him satisfied and back to dream land. Naps are so much more satisfying when the whole house is indulging! Jack awoke still feeling good. So after a bath, we headed to church for his end-of-the-year preschool celebration and program. As you can see his part was very minor, but fun nonetheless.


What better way to celebrate the end of the year than a trip to McDonald's, right? We finished our night out with a stop at the park. I have the incredible opportunity to spend many days with Jack and Sam at the park, usually with good friends alongside us. It is a rare opportunity to get to enjoy the park with daddy too. Jack took advantage by taking his first ever pass on the monkey bars...and it wasn't his last.

VeggieTales

Last Monday, we started our own veggie tales with Jack trying out his first bites of squash. It was pretty much an instant hit. He's a big fan of food, but if you know us I guess that's no surprise. This weekend, we added sweet potatoes and of course his love for those was just as intense. Josh and I have been very pleased at what a good eater our little one is, and for the most part not too messy. Some days he manages to get it in his hair, but mostly he keeps it pretty clean. I'm also learning quickly that these foods stain on almost everything!

Jack also enjoyed a mid-week visit from his Grandma this week. My mom had the opportunity to take some time off of work and guess where she decided to spend her day off? At our house! Grandma Jan was kind enough to sit with Jack for a bit while I went and had my hair trimmed and picked up a few groceries. It was great having her here. We also got to have lunch with Josh.

Jack and I spend a lot of time together during the day, so it's no surprise that I'm not quite as entertaining as his dad. I have accepted the fact that he's the "fun one," and I'm the "food one!" I won't complain though...I do enjoy capturing the many laughs, smiles and other expressions Jack displays during "daddy time."

How we spend our days...

Jack and I are enjoying getting out and enjoying this beautiful weather. Sometimes, it's a walk around our neighborhood and other times it is a stroll with friends at the park. When we are out running errands, we enjoy stopping by and seeing Josh on his lunch break. Often times I'll pack a lunch for us to eat. It's always a treat for both Josh and Jack to see each other in the middle of the day. Since Josh can't always make it home for lunch, it's a great way to spend time together. Here they are hanging out during a recent lunch break.

Wednesday was my first MOPS Steering Team meeting. MOPS stands for Mothers of Preschoolers. Preschoolers means birth to kindergarten. It meets on Fridays during the school year at our church. The mom who served as Publicity team leader is stepping down as she welcomes another baby in the fall. So, I agreed to take over the Publicity functions of the group. I'm really looking forward to getting more involved. It is an incredibly fun group and our coordinator works really hard to make it a meaningful ministry!

On Friday, Jack had some friends over to play! Micah and Noah came over to play while their mommy, Tori, went to the doctor. They are so well behaved and play so well together. Jack was pretty content to watch them play. He enjoyed watching all the activity. Micah was very sweet to Jack. Micah and Noah live just a few miles away and go to our church. Tori and I sit at the same table at MOPS.