Happy Father's Day

This Father's Day I was privileged to experience at least ten of the first phases of fatherhood.

The night before, Andrea and I were up late cleaning a couple of flats of strawberries for the freezer and for jam so my Father's Day started with a kiss. Which, ironically, is the way all fatherhood starts.

A few hours later I was rocking a fussy baby, bleary eyed, trying to convince little Paxton that it really would be easier to just fall back to sleep. He finally settled down, curled up with his blanket and sucking on his pacifier.

I called up my dad to wish him a happy Father's Day. Most things I know about being a daddy I learned from him. Phase three of my ten is understanding that he knew more than I gave him credit for. (I learned that shortly after kid 1 appeared)

Some things you just have to learn yourself. Like changing diapers. Which I did next.

Phase five, which doesn't necessarily happen in this order but almost always happens, found me herding my little crew through breakfast ("Let's eat, we'll be late!"), into clothes ("Hurry up, it's time to go!"), and out the door ("WE'RE LATE, MOVE!") for meeting.

Phase six is realizing that in order to get the circus in the back of the car to settle down and "For the hundredth time, please stop pestering your little brother!!", you have to say it a lot more than a hundred times.

We had lunch at one of my favorite restaurants and since the boys don't eat that much I ordered a full rack of ribs to share between the three of us. They ate half the rack and most of my beans.

I enjoyed laying on the couch and doing nothing more than wrestling with Paxton. He spit up on me.

Kenrick and I went outside and played catch with his ball and mitt. He's getting good enough to actually be able to sustain a back-and-forth. Anthony came out to play too. His mitt doesn't seem connected to his hand.

I gave Paxton a hug good night (stay asleep you little turkey!) and read Kenrick and Anthony a story before tucking them in.

So, basically from Go to seven years old, I had it all. A wonderful Father's Day.