First.. I wanna honor this guy.
The Hubs.... the Hubs is great... the Hubs gave me three beautiful chidren... He gets up in the night with them when they are newborns and babys... (we had a system with all three kids when they were babies: I would nurse them in the night and then he would burp them when I was done nursing. It worked out great. ).. He STILL gets up with them at night, whether it's teething, or nightmares, or tummy aches... he will go and comfort them. He doesn't mind when the kids crawl into bed with us. He does his fair share of diaper changes and he puts them to bed every other night (we take turns.. we're all about "fairness" in this family.. ;-).
He's an amazing father. I know this because the kids adore him.. I see the way they flock to him... the way they prefer him over me 90% of the time (the girls anyway... they are 100% daddies girls.. but I don't mind). I see it in the way he reads to them.. holds them and hugs them... the way he does the girls hair... the way he taught Cohen how to fish.... how he cooks for the kids, and me... how he supports our family.... how he went back to school, full time, while working full time, to get his BS *and* his MBA in less than 4 years. He's amazing...
He puts up with me and my craziness.... he puts up with the kids.. even when they are at their wildest. He wants nothing but the best for them, and he's willing to do anything to make sure that they have the best advantages in life.
He's the perfect Dad for us. And.. we love him.
I also need to talk about my own Dad. I mean... it *is* Fathers Day after all.. and what kind of daughter would I be if I didn't pay respect to the man who put up with *ME* for 19 years. ;)
My Dad is amazing. I am just like him.. in personality and looks. We have the same hair, the same eyes...
My Dad "raised" me from the time I was 18 months old, until my sister was born when I was 3.5. My mom was/is a graphic designer and she worked for an ad agency in Detroit. She had 18 month maternity leave (much better than the crummy 6 weeks they give women noadays....) anyway.. when I was 18 moths old she went back to work, and since my Dad's only job at the time was playing in a band at night and on the weekends (something he still does to this day.. though he has a real "grown up" job now too, and only plays a couple weekends outta the month)... he took care of me during the day. As young as I was I still recall those days. We would go on bike rides... he'd ride his Schwin and I would sit in the little baby seat behind him. We would go into town.. ride around the lake, by the dam. It was fun.
Years later.. when my sister and I were older, our Dad started a tradition of taking us to eat every Sat morning to this great little restaurant in downtown. We loved it. I think it about it everytime I drive by that place, whenever I am home. Though it has changed hands a few times since then... I still remember going there with him.... :)
Our Dad is a gifted musician. He plays the guitar in his band that he is in with his two best friends, my god father, Unce Steve and "Uncle" Ronnie. They have known my sister and I since we were born... they are great fathers too. But back to my dad....he pays trumpet, trombone, piano, banjo, and this thing that looks like a hybrid between a piano and a guitar.. he will kill me if he ever discvoers I can't recall the name. We had one in our basement growing up... my sister and I used to play it all the time...
He wanted us to be musical too. And even though my sister and I both tried our hand at it, she the piano and myself the flute, neither of us ever stuck with it. Much to my fathers dismay. He did however make sure that we knew music. REAL music. Not the "crap they play nowadays" as he would say. But the classics: The Beatles... the Beach Boys, Buddy Holly, etc.... We loved them.. still do.
My Dad also taught me how to drive. My mom was terrified to take me driving so my Dad did it. We would go drving all around town, and on the back roads and everywhere. He would sleep sometimes... and sometimes we'd talk. I was just happy he'd take me. When you are 15 and only have your learners permit... a willing parent is like a gold mine!!
As my sister and I got older my Dad tried to do things with us that he could. Like... he would go tanning. Yes.. i said tanning. Now... before you judge, laugh or are rendered speechless.. let me explain something... if you know my Dad this does not in anyway strike you as odd, I'm sure. However... if you've never had the pleasure of meeting my Dad, well.. then I'm sure you are confused. You see... my Dad is a little caught up in apperances. Which is not a bad thing. In his job (he's a rep for a paper company) you need to look good so that you can impress people. You need to look good... be confident... So... in order to "keep up his good looking-ness" my dad would go to the tanning salon wih me and my sister. My mom hated it. LOL She wanted to get us to AVOID tanning... you know, skin cancer and all that... But when she confronted my Dad about it... about how he should be setting an example on proper skin care and NOT go tanning.... he said....
"I have girls... I can't go throw a baseball around with them.. so I go tanning with them."
:) I was touched. :) My Dad is one of a kind. He was/is also very popular with my friends. They all loved him. I wasn't sure why... I mean, when you are 12-17 years old you generally think your parents are idiots and don't know anything, while you on the other hand know EVERYTHING. ;-) So, seeing that I was in the "I-know-everything" camp... I was always baffled as to why my friends (boys and girls alike) were so smitten with my Dad. It wasn't until I was older... and during several fleeting moments of my adolesence, that I was privy to the fact that my Dad was in fact... pretty awesome.
He always wanted the best for my sister and I. He wanted us to do our best in everything. He wasn't one to hand out compliments willy-nilly either. Compliments from my Dad were earned... the hard way. I can actually probably count on one hand that amount of times my Dad has told me he was/is proud of me. Not that it's a bad thing. Actually... I think it's great. Because as I look back on those times I *know* I did my very best... and that I truly earned the "I'm proud of you." One of the most recent ones came right right out of the blue. I was talking with my Dad on day on the phone, and he was asking me how my photography business was going. I told him great... and he said.."I saw your website. I'm really proud of you. You are very good."
**sniff sniff**
My Dad is also a wonderful grandpa. My kids call him Grandpa Rockstar. Cohen made it up when we stayed with my parents for a few months several years back, and he would see my Dad leave on Fri and Sat nights to go play in his band. Cohen asked him one night..."Are you going to be a rockstar tonight?" My Dad kinda laughed and said.."I guess so.. kinda." And from that moment on Cohen and all the grandkids since have called him Grandpa Rockstar.
He's concerned with how Ricky and I raise them. He always asks if I read to them, which I do, and if I make sure they are brushing their teeth, which they are, and if I sit with them at night until they fall asleep like he used to do for me when I was little, yes... I do. ;-) It's pretty cool watching him with my kids.... as I look back on all the things he did with me when I was their age, that he now does with them. I really love it.
But I think the most AMAZING thing my Dad did for me when I was growing up was to *not* ship me off to a convent or boarding school or someplace of the like. I was a tough kid to raise for sure. I'm independant and stubborn and strong willed. And my Dad and I are like 2 peas in a pod. When I was a younger... the things I said to him sometimes... it's a wonder I'm still standing. He put up with a lot from me... a lot!! And the fact that he still loves me and put up with me all those years... well... it speaks volumes about who he is.
A great Dad. :)
I also need to say a little something about my father-in-law... of whom sadly I don't have a photo of.. (hmm.. not sure why....) anyway... My father-in-law is probably the most patient man I have ever met. He is also one of the most giving people I have ever known. If someone needs a car.. he finds on for them.. gives it to them.. for free. If someone needs a place to live... he firgures something out for them... finds them a place. He will stop and help standed motorists on the side of the road... he will move friends and family across the state or even across the country. And he loves it! he loves to drive all over the country. I'm pretty sure he's been to every state in the Union... even Alaska and Hawaii.
He's a wonderful grandpa. As I type this he has taken Cohen and his cousin Jake for a sleep over at their house for the THIRD night in a row. And I'm sure he'll take them again tomorrow. He would do anything for anyone and he supports his kids in all they do, even when they make bad choices. He still loves them and treats them the same as the others.
Yes... I'm pretty lucky to have such great "Fathers" in my life. I hope that one day Cohen will be as great a father as his Dad and grandfathers. I hope the girls marry men like their Dad and grandfathers. They are all great men, and great examples of what makes a wonderful Dad.
HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!!
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