fatherhood

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Dear Jack: A Buddy Who Looks Up to You

14 years, 10 months.

Dear Jack,

After last week’s 3rd Saturday Cruise-In was cancelled at the last minute due to rain, you and your sister both still wanted to get out and do something. We had already planned to see our family friends, the McDaniels, there.

Mommy suggested Cracker Barrel instead, so that’s where we all ended up.

Just like a few weeks ago when we had them over at our house for dinner, their young son Walter buddied up to you.

After we ordered our food, you entertained him by playing him at that peg game they always have there on the table. And after dinner, he apparently taught you how to play checkers?

Your composure around him is so laughably nonchalant, yet still I can tell he thinks you’re really cool to hang out with.

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: Why There is a Roller Skate on Your New Hat

9 years, 3 months.

Dear Holly,

I’m sure I’ve pointed this out before, but I’m officially the person in our family who says “no”. It’s written into my DNA and therefore my role as the patriarch of our family.

Not only do I say “no” to questions like, “Can we get a pet dog?” and “Can we get a pool?”, but I also am the person who initiates what time we will go to an event and what time we will leave.

I’m the gatekeeper and the timekeeper. As I like to think, I keep things fun by creating and promoting the boundaries.

Accordingly, I make sure that you and your brother get to bed on time, and more importantly, get to sleep on time, each night.

It is of course your instinct to delay the bedtime process every single night: “I need a hair tie first… I need some water first… I need some lotion first… I need my stuffed animal first…”

I learned to proactively say, “Okay, Holly… it’s time to go take your shower. Before you do, I need you to go get your hair tie, your water, your lotion, your stuffed animal… your roller skates!”

Part of our nightly routine is for you to respond to my silly joke, “Daddy, I don’t need roller skates to go to bed!”

So when it came time for you to create your trucker hat this past weekend at the “hat bar” at Mommy’s work party, in addition to the shell I suggested to represent our last name, you obviously also chose to include a roller skate patch!

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: Your First Week Away at Summer Camp

9 years, 2 months.

Dear Holly,

Last week as you left for your first time away to summer camp, I was so sad to see you go… and I was so sad all week while you were gone.

But… you didn’t seem sad at all! And that definitely makes me happy.

I am so proud of you for showing confidence and displaying your natural need for independence.

Granted, it helped that your cousin Darla was there with you the whole time and that Aunt Dana was there as a chaperone.

And it helped me on my end that Aunt Dana was able to send me pictures of you each day so I could see how much fun you were having, in real time.

You have now been away at summer camp for the first time!

Love,

Daddy

 

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Dear Jack: Reciprocating Your Sister’s Need for Affection

14 years, 9 months.

Dear Jack,

I feel like one of the themes of this summer is that you continue to reciprocate your sister’s efforts in wanting to be buddies.

What I am seeing is that now, instead of you seeing her as some sort of competition as your only sibling, you have begun to see her as an equal member of our family.

I see the way that the two of you now mutually choose to hang out around each other, like when we were at Lowe’s this past weekend.

Or when as a family, we were watching TV in the living room this week and I noticed that you both were sort of cuddled up together on the bean bag.

I love this!

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: Ramen for Lunch During the Summer

9 years, 2 months.

Dear Holly,

During these couple of summer months, it’s never a mystery what you are having for lunch each day. While I rarely ever take a full lunch hour for myself as I work from home, I do stop long enough to prepare your daily ramen noodles on the stove top.

Once I place your bowl of hot Ramen noodles on the counter of our breakfast nook, it is tradition that I pour a cup of milk for you to drink. Next, you fill up a cup of ice and use some tongs to place the ice cubes one by one in the ramen, until it is cool enough for you to eat without burning your mouth.

You then are able to enjoy your ramen lunch while watching SpongeBob on your phone. I love that you have your little lunch tradition everyday.

 

Love,

Daddy