I’ve said this numerous times, but it is so special when I can get all of my kids together. My oldest had called and asked if we could go to dinner on Father’s Day. I told him that I would like that and suggested we go somewhere cheap. My thoughts were to go to a place that had one of those indoor playscapes in it for the little ones. That was the plan, anyway.
About an hour and a half before we were supposed to meet, he texted and asked if we could go to Applebee’s instead. I told him we could, but I wasn’t sure how the little ones would behave. I shouldn’t have worried as they did well. They truly love seeing their big brothers. They always seem to rush them for hugs when they see them.
The lighting was not so great for the above picture, but I love that they are all together. Before we left the restaurant, I was able to grab a waitress to take a picture of me with them.
After dinner, we went to Dairy Queen (after seeing how packed the other ice cream place was) and grabbed dessert. It was a very good way to wrap up Father’s Day.
I did have one “sad” moment. Both older boys were like, “Wow, they are getting so big,” and such. All I could think of was how much I wish they’d get together with them more often. I do understand, however, that I cannot force them to do anything.
It’s been raining pretty good the last couple days, so the kids have been cooped up in the house. On Monday, the kids wanted to take a walk, which I loved. I need to get out and walk more, but all too often, they just want to stay home. Our walk, or should I say, MY walk, was me playing “catch up.”
Ella had her evaluation for kindergarten this week. She is way above what is expected. Her reading is at like a 2nd grade level, math is about 1st grade, and there was one more thing that they tested where she is at a 2nd-3rd grade level. They asked if we wanted her placed in 1st grade. We said no, as we feel that kindergarten “interaction” is something that she really needs (the social stuff).
Happy Father’s Day to my “Dad” friends! I hope you are being celebrated today.
Andrew and Ella couldn’t wait for today, so they gave me my gifts yesterday. When they got up today and Sam reminded them that it was Father’s Day, Ella said, “That was yesterday.” Ever since, she has referred to yesterday as “pretend Father’s Day” and today is the “real” one.
I was presented with some books to read:
Ella read one of them to me! That made it even more special. Then, they presented me with a pretty cool Father’s Day Gift Set.
I plan on taking the tumbler to work to keep water in. I have already hung the dish towel in the kitchen and I will wear my “dad” socks to work this week!!
Later today, my son’s and I will be meeting for dinner. I’m excited as I love getting ally kids together.
I have written many times about my dad and his instruction and influence. Along with him, I have had many men who have proven to also be mentors and “father figures” to me. Their wisdom has proven to be invaluable. I pray that I do the same for my children.
In thinking about what to write today, I stumbled on some great quotes about Fathers. Some of these I may have shared in the past, but they are worth repeating.
If you are a Father – you are so important to your children. If you doubt that, read on.
“The power of a dad in a child’s life is unmatched.” —Justin Ricklefs
“Dad: A son’s first hero, a daughter’s first love.” —Unknown
“No music is so pleasant to my ears as that word―father.” —Lydia Maria Child
“A father is someone you look up to no matter how tall you grow.” —Unknown
“Dads are most ordinary men turned by love into heroes, adventurers, storytellers and singers of song.” —Unknown
“A dad is someone who wants to catch you when you fall. Instead he picks you up, brushes you off and lets you try again.” —Unknown
“My father didn’t do anything unusual. He only did what dads are supposed to do—be there.” —Max Lucado
“She did not stand alone, but what stood behind her, the most potent moral force in her life, was the love of her father.” —Harper Lee
“A father is neither an anchor to hold us back, nor a sail to take us there, but a guiding light whose love shows us the way.” —Unknown
“A father is the one friend upon whom we can always rely. In the hour of need, when all else fails, we remember him upon whose knees we sat when children, and who soothed our sorrows; and even though he may be unable to assist us, his mere presence serves to comfort and strengthen us.” —Émile Gaboriau
“When you need real understanding, when you need someone to care, when you need someone to guide you … A father’s always there.” —Thomas J. Langley
“Every son quotes his father, in words and in deeds.” —Terri Guillemets
“A man knows when he is growing old because he begins to look like his father.” —Gabriel Garcia Marquez
“A father is a man who expects his son to be as good a man as he meant to be.” —Frank A. Clark
“By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong.” —Charles Wadworth
“When you’re young, you think your dad is Superman. Then you grow up, and you realize he’s just a regular guy who wears a cape.” —Dave Attell
“[Fatherhood is] the greatest thing that could ever happen. You can’t explain it until it happens; it’s like telling somebody what water feels like before they’ve ever swam in it.” —Michael Bublé
“My father didn’t tell me how to live. He lived and let me watch him do it.” —Clarence Budington Kelland
“The thrill of being a great father is not seeing your children go on to become successful adults. The thrill of a great father is the journey, experiencing your child’s successes along the pathway to their greatness.” —Reed Markham
“A man’s worth is measured by how he parents his children. What he gives them, what he keeps away from them, the lessons he teaches and the lessons he allows them to learn on their own.” —Lisa Rogers
“Grandpas bring a little wisdom, happiness, warmth and love to every life they touch.” —Unknown
“We never know the love of a parent till we become parents ourselves.” —Henry Ward Beecher
“My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: he believed in me.” —Jim Valvano
“A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.” —Billy Graham
“It is admirable for a man to take his son fishing, but there is a special place in heaven for the father who takes his daughter shopping.” —John Sinor
“Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.” — Anne Geddes
“Becoming a dad is one thing; being a dad is many things.” — Steve Chapman
“The imprint of a father remains forever on the life of the child.” —Roy Lessin
One of the hardest things to do it seems is to get all my kids together. There are a lot of factors involved in this – jobs, appointments, certain people, and schedules in general. However, over the weekend, all of my kids got together with me to celebrate Father’s Day.
We met at one of the local parks and we had pizza. We had planned on eating under the pavilion, but there were people there for a high school graduate’s open house. We found some bleachers by the baseball diamond and had our picnic lunch there.
The youngest kids wanted to hurry up and eat because they wanted to play on the playground. my older boys were filling me in on stuff at work, school, and other things. My younger ones were quite persuasive and got their older brothers to eat a bit faster so they could go and play.
As their father, it gave me the warmest sensation inside to watch them all play together! What a joy to see them all running around and chasing each other. It was hard to tell who was having more fun, the younger kids or the older kids. Andrew chased Dante’ up the stairs to the curly slide and on his way down, Dante’ got stuck!
Different slide, a few minutes later, Dimitri came down and conked his head on the way out.
After a lot of running around, screaming and laughing, they slowed down a bit as Ella and Andrew wanted to swing on the swings. Naturally, they wanted their big brothers to push them.
I found myself trying to take in every moment of this, but also wanted to get some pictures. Their interactions are something that is so special. Ella and Andrew love them so much, I truly wish that my older sons knew just how much.
I have two favorite pictures from the day. The first is because of the sheer delight in Andrew’s face as he chases Dante’ around the playground.
The second is a recreation of our Father’s Day picture from last year, only this time it is on the bleachers.
I’m a lucky man to be called “Dad/Daddy” by these kids. Thank you for a wonderful time together. I love you all!
I found out at 3:40am that Mowgli, the new kitten, has quite a loud “meow!” I tried to go back to sleep, but for some reason, I was not able to. So I put on a pot of coffee and grabbed my book.
Sam got home from work and had the kids meet her out at the car, where she had my gift. They kids got me a #1 Dad shirt and a Super Dad baseball hat.
Ella had asked Sam to make sure I had a cake for Father’s Day. So she picked it up on her way home. When they handed it to her, there was no writing on it. She reminded the clerk that it was supposed to say “Happy Father’s Day” on it. The clerk, who obviously has NEVER written on a cake before, took it back and wrote on it.
Sam saw it, and before she could say anything the clerk said thank you and walked away. Sam took it to the register. The cashier looked at it and asked “Uh, did the bakery write that?!” Sam assured the cashier that they did, to which she said, “…and …. Are you SURE you still want it?!”
“Yes. Yes, I do,” Sam replied.
She must have known it would make my day. I laughed for like 30 minutes. I mean, look at it! Ella or Andrew could have written better! It’s almost like it was a joke – the mixture of upper and lower case letters, “Father” instead of “Father’s,” it is hilarious!! Let me say before moving on that the cake was delicious!
The rest of the day was pretty low key. I put Andrew down for his nap and Ella and I sat on the couch and (no surprise) I actually fell asleep as we watched TV.
I woke up startled and a bit freaked out because I was supposed to start dinner. Luckily, I finished up lasagna just in time for Sam to be able to take some to work.
My oldest son, Dante’, called Saturday to tell me he was working on Father’s Day, and wanted to know if we could get together Monday. We planned to meet at a park and have a pizza picnic.
I can’t even begin to tell you how awesome it was to spend time with all four of my kids. It was a joy to see Dante’and Dimitri running with Andrew and Ella! They played tag, went down the slides together and we all got to take a walk together.
Watching them all interact made my heart burst with love. It was like they saw each other all the time. They ran, sang and laughed together and it was the highlight of the weekend.
So many little moments made me smile: My 21 and 16 year old sons going down the slide made me chuckle. (I even went down once!).
Dante’ holding Andrew so that he could slide on the “zip line” thingy.
Ella running up to Dimitri and holding his hand as we walked.
Beaming with pride as I watched all four walking in front of me.
The last time they were all together was at Christmas time. I took advantage of having them together so I could get pictures.
I even bugged a lady to get one of me with all of them.
Knowing we were past nap time, we wrapped up our time together. Ella and Andrew both napped in the car on the way home and I just drove around so they could snooze.
It was a day of wonderful memories. It was also a day that reminded me just how lucky I am to be their dad (A loveable one, according to Ella and Andrew’s card…).
Thank you, Dante’, Dimitri, Ella and Andrew for making your dad feel so special! I love you guys more than you will ever know!!
Well, the kitten woke me up about 3:30 this morning. He’s an early bird apparently. So I decided to take advantage of the kids still sleeping and I made a pot of coffee. I figured I’d read a bit.
I then remembered that today is Father’s Day. So I wanted to take a moment to wish all the dads reading this “Happy Father’s Day! Cheers to you!
I am blessed to still have my dad around. We are closer now than ever. There are a few blogs I have written about him and I will post links here for new readers:
Truth is, I could write a book about my dad (and one day I might!). I can always count on good conversations, memories and laughter when we chat. He sent me something recently that I am debating turning into a blog. He is an amazing father and I’m so lucky he is mine! Happy Father’s Day, Pop!
I also want to say Happy Father’s Day to my Father-in-law, Tony. I can’t begin to tell you how lucky I am that he is in my life. You have seen so many of the projects that I’ve completed here (the nook, grout and tile in the laundry room, building an entire new room for Ella, and countless others). I would have had to hire someone for all of those things without him. He’s another amazing dad.
I became a father 21 years ago. 5 years another son was born. 3 years ago, another blessing came with my first, and only, daughter. Finally, my third and final son arrived 20 months ago. Dante’, Dimitri, Ella and Andrew – four amazing kids – each with distinct and wonderful personalities. What an honor and privilege to be their father!
Parenting is the hardest job you will ever have. Throughout all the difficulties in life, this job is 24/7 and it is the most important! Rereading the following blog brought all of that home for me again:
Dante’ works today, so we’re planning on getting together tomorrow. We’re going to meet at a park and have a pizza picnic. The last time all four of my kids were together was around Christmas. I hope that I am able to get them all to sit still for a picture.
I’m starting to ramble, so I apologize. Even though today is supposed to be all about “me” (as “dad”), I am pausing to remember all of the great men, fathers and father-like figures who played a role in preparing me for that role as “Father.” More importantly, I am thinking about the four special children who officially gave me that role!
Father’s Day began for me on Saturday morning. We celebrated Saturday because Sam had to work on Sunday.
When I returned home from work, my kids were already up and waiting. Sam had texted me that Ella was anxious for me to come home to get my present. Ella was excited because she had seen something in the store and wanted to get it for me weeks ago. Same ordered it online so it would be here for Father’s Day.
Ella and Andrew got to play with markers (which only happens on special occasions) and decorate the gift bag my gifts would be in. She was so happy to hand me the bag.
She waited for me to reach into the bag and could hardly contain herself. When I pulled out her gift to me, she shrieked with excitement! It was really the perfect gift.
We watch Bluey together all the time. It is probably my favorite cartoon that she watches. Bandit, the dad on the show, is what ALL dad’s should be! He’s awesome. This book is just wonderful. We read it before bed last night. I don’t know who was happier about this book – Ella or me!
Andrew got some help from mommy with his gift. As I have mentioned, I’m an older dad. One of the reasons I started this blog was to write my memories and such so that in the event something happens, the memories are here. Sam took it a step further for Andrews’s gift to me.
I’m not sure who came up with the idea for books like this, but they are great. I had originally gotten one of these for my mom to fill out before she passed. She was just too sick and too tired to ever really do it. I wish she’d been able to do that.
At any rate, there are a lot of thought provoking questions in this book and Sam thought I could take it with me to work and fill it in when I was on breaks and such. I love the idea!
After nap time, the family drove up the road to look for some new pajamas for Ella. She’s starting to not fit in her current ones. We went to the Carter’s store and looked around. She was forever handing Sam and I things for Andrew or herself that she found on a rack somewhere. The funniest thing of the trip was a foreshadowing of Ella in her teen and adult years. She kept asking for shoes and even began to make a pile of ones she wanted!
Just the beginning …..
After our shopping trip we came home and made dinner. I didn’t want Sam to have to take me out anywhere, so we made chicken on the grill. We also made corn on the cob and other sides. It was the perfect way to wrap up the day.
I was out grilling the chicken and I was using a brush to put BBQ sauce on a few of the pieces of chicken.
As I am doing this, Ella is standing there watching me. She see’s me dipping the brush into the BBQ sauce and putting it on the chicken. She then says, “Daddy! You’re painting!” Priceless!
Sam kept telling Ella to say, “Happy Father’s Day” to me and it kept coming out “Happy Mother’s Day” which just made me laugh even more.
On Sunday, or “Father’s Day in real life,” as Bluey might say, we had a wonderful breakfast. I made everyone eggs, sausage, and fruit. Ella stated that it was “Deeee-lish-ous!”
We called my dad to wish him Happy Father’s Day. My oldest son called me to wish me the same. Sadly, I never heard from my second oldest son. That’s a whole blog in itself and I will spare you those details for now.
After Andrew’s nap, I decided to take the kids to the Barnes and Noble. I wasn’t sure that there was anything I wanted for myself, but I though we could pick up some new books for them.
While we were walking Ella and I were just talking. Andrew was in the stroller and Ella was walking next to me. I don’t remember what we were saying, but a woman stopped me and said that she wished she had videoed the exchange we were having. She said she was very impressed with how we were interacting. She reminded me of a teacher or something. Ella then said hello, grabbed a puzzle with dogs on the box and showed the lady.
The lady, without skipping a beat, got down on the ground and they counted dogs together, asked about the colors of the dogs, and talked about what “doggies say.” It was so cool to see. She thanked Ella for showing her and Ella put the puzzle back. The lady was so impressed with how polite Ella was. Proud parent moment.
After we got home, we had lunch. Sam took Andrew into our room when it was his nap time. Sam suggested that since one of the local ice cream places had free cones for dads on Father’s day, we should go. We wound up going somewhere a bit closer, but it still worked out because dads got a free scoop of ice cream there, too!
Ice cream is not exactly on Weight Watchers, but I had some anyway and ate carefully the rest of the day. Ella asked for “white ice cream with sprinkles” and that is what she got!
Dad may or may not have had to help her on occasion because it was melting faster than she could eat it!
She talked to everyone who came to the ice cream place! She recommended getting banana ice cream to many, even though she was eating vanilla. She was a real hoot. The owner came out and asked how her ice cream was and she said it was the “best ice cream ever!”
After the ice cream, dad decided to walk the neighborhood. Sunday, she didn’t want to ride in the stroller. So we walked together. The workout was a bit less intense than I had hoped.
About half way through the walk she tripped and skinned her knee pretty bad. So I wound up picking her up and finishing the walk with her on my shoulders. That brought the heart rate up a bit and I probably burned off about half of the ice cream calories!
When Sam left for work, it was just me and the kids. We were playing on the “nugget” and having a blast. Andrew was climbing up like nobody’s business. Once he was on the top, he would start to walk off it. Most of the time, I was there to catch him. There were a couple times where he’d do this little stuntman fall. He is fearless!
Thank you to my wife and my kids for making the weekend such a special one for me!
At midnight tonight, we’ll start a brand new year – 2022. Some have compared a new year to a book. The book with 365 blank pages – one for each day – and said that the book is ours to write. There is truth to that.
As I looked back over my “book” entitled “2021,” I see that (despite the pandemic and all the crap that came with it) I really did have a good year. Bear with me, he’s the recap:
January
January started with some snow. It actually looks like we should be getting snow again this week. Ella absolutely loved being outside in the snow. It was fun to watch her try to figure out just what all the white stuff was. Today, when she sees it, she get’s excited and yells, “Snow! Snow!”
In mid-January, we scratched our heads and wondered just how Ella was 11 months old! I mean, it seemed like she was just born!
The pressure was on as we closed in on her first birthday. With Covid, we weren’t quite sure if we’d even be able to have a party for her.
February
As we got closer to Ella’s birthday, Sam was just not feeling right. 3 days before Ella’s birthday, we found out that baby #2 was on the way!
This took us both completely by surprise! There was great excitement all over again. The hardest part was keeping it a secret…
Ella’s first birthday was a fun and busy day. We ditched the pink blocks and marked the birthday with a HUGE number “1” balloon. This was followed by a trip to the Sea Life Aquarium, the Build a Bear place, and cake at Nana’s house.
We were glad to be able to get some professional “1st Birthday” pictures, too!
March
In March we got our first look at the baby we now know as Andrew/AJ and announced Ella’s promotion to big sister.
Ella also got her first haircut
March also consisted of many walks around the neighborhood and stops at the park.
April
Big brother, Dante’ turned 19 this month! Before that, Easter fell on my mom’s birthday. We got Ella all dressed up in her Easter dress, stopped at the cemetery to visit grandma on her birthday and then went to Nana’s for an Easter Egg hunt!
Ella is so very blessed to have wonderful people in her life. Aunt Margaret is one of them! (She will kill me for posting this picture, but I just love this!!) She and cousin Marissa came to visit and the highlight was watching them read books together.
We also found out the baby’s gender, but that wouldn’t be revealed until May.
May
Birthday’s have never really bothered me, mostly because I opt for the Jack Benny attitude and say that I am stuck at 39. However, in reality I turned 51. 30 was big. 40 was tough. 50 a bit hard to swallow. Over 50? Well…..I examine my own mortality every day.
The month started warm enough that Ella got to spend lots of time in her sandbox and pool.
We revealed that Ella was having a baby brother and got another look at him on an ultrasound.
Ella and I worked on a special project for Sam for Mother’s Day and we got to visit the Detroit Zoo.
May also brought Ella her first taste of corn on the cob!
June
My second oldest boy celebrated his 14th birthday in June. We got to spend Father’s Day together by visiting Crossroads Village. They had a Classic Car Show there and we walked the village and rode the train. It was such a great day with my kids!
It was SO hot that day!!! By the end of it all, Ella was physically exhausted. June was a hot month and we did get to get out and enjoy walks in the park and a day at the splash pad.
July
By July, Sam was 5 months pregnant and was so sick. The pregnancy was a rough one on her. The heat didn’t help things. Despite that, the middle of summer was packed full of amazing things and our family had loads of fun.
We celebrated America’s Birthday, Ella had her first visit to the public library and bowled for the first time, and we all visited the Saginaw Children’s Zoo.
August
As Summer drew to a close, we continued to squeeze as much into it as we could. I got to spend a perfect day doing a daddy daughter picnic, my name was finally on the board at the Corner Cone for a free ice cream, Ella spent lots of time drawing with crayons, and our stress levels were through the roof as we took Ella in for her ear tube surgery. We also got another peak at AJ and had a visit from my brother.
September
Fall! My favorite season of all. I was glad to be able to get together with Margaret, Walt and my buddy Chris at Margaret’s house. Since she’s already mad at the one picture I posted, I’ll just share the one she told me I could share. Hopefully, that makes things a little better….
We always love going to get pumpkins and decorating the front of the house for fall. Ella seemed to like it, too.
Ella and I also got to take one last trip to the Saginaw Zoo before it closed for the season. It was a great day for us, and Sam actually got to relax a bit.
October
We had been told more than once that there was a possibility that the baby would come before his due date. He held out almost until the date! Just two days before he was born, Ella and I got to go outside and enjoy the fall colors.
On October 11th, AJ entered the world. I watched in awe as my son was born and all the pride of being a daddy again filled my soul. We weren’t sure how Ella would handle it, but she welcomed him with open arms.
They still did not have a photographer at the hospital, so we went to JC Penney to have some newborn pictures taken. AJ looks spiffy in his outfit!
While this wasn’t Ella’s first Halloween, it was the first real Trick or Treating adventure for her. She was happy that big brother was there to walk with her. AJ was obviously way too young to attempt to go out this year.
November
Fall walks are among my favorites. I love looking at the colors. Ella and I took many fall walks and there were many instances where she’d just play in a pile of leaves! AJ kept us all busy and so it was just Ella and I making the trip to Bronner’s to get his ornament for the Christmas tree. We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving at home and got the house ready for Christmas.
December
The final month of the year brought many happy memories. Professional Christmas pictures, my annual reading of Dickens, AJ turned 2 months old, a visit from Papa and Grandma, Christmas Eve with my boys, Holiday lights at Crossroads, our first Christmas as a family of four, and the anticipation of a brand new year.
Blog highlights included my entries to the 2021 Song Draft, salutes to Soupy Sales, my grandpa, and Ernie Harwell, a guest blog from my pal Max, silly blogs about hats and Bernie Sanders’ mittens, fishing memories, my favorite Twilight Zone episodes, and a blog about an amazing cartoon Dog Dad.
There were many sad moments in 2021. I lost classmates and friends to cancer, heart disease, and of course, Covid. If the past two years have taught me anything, it is that life is precious and another day is not promised. You never know when it will be the “last picture,” the “last phone call,” or the “last visit.” It takes me make to that quote that my band director wrote on the grease board my senior year. I have quoted it many times. “Live every day as if it were your last. Someday, you’ll be right.”
Life is too short. Live. Laugh. Love.
As we welcome 2022, I pray that it is a good year for all of us. May we find it full of happiness and good health. May God bless you and yours in the upcoming year.
Get ready. The Book of 2022 awaits. Grab your pen and turn to page (January) 1.
As Father’s Day approached this year, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. My oldest son works so much, and when he isn’t working, he’s usually hanging out with his friends. My youngest son hasn’t been here in a couple months, and when I have gone to pick him up, I end up coming home without him. So, if I am being 100% honest, I wasn’t sure if I’d see them this weekend (despite the fact that it was Father’s Day).
So last week, my oldest called and said he wanted to get together. I suggested we go to breakfast or that I could make breakfast for them. He liked the idea and called me again on Saturday. There was a classic car show at one of the county parks, and he suggested we go there. I loved the idea.
So Sunday morning, I ran up to the store to grab some bacon and sausage. By 9:30, when they arrived, I had the meat all fried up, toast in the toaster, and eggs ready to go. We sat and enjoyed breakfast together and we were on the road by 10:30. I had packed the stroller in the car the night before, so all I needed to worry about was packing a diaper bag.
It was a lot hotter than I thought it was going to be Sunday, but we stayed in the shade as much as we could. We walked around and got to see some amazing cars. There was a 1902 Oldsmobile that was taking people for rides throughout the park. One of the funniest things was when my son asked me about this big rubber bulb on one of the cars. He had no idea that it was the horn!
He laughed when I told him! Then we started to notice them on all the older cars. We saw Ford Model A’s, Ford Model T’s, some classic old Buicks and so much more. My oldest loves old cars and it was amazing to hear him spout off the year, make and model as we approached them. There were also a variety of old police cars, army jeeps, and some really unique vehicles there.
There was a car that my son had seen at a car show a couple years ago and he got all excited. “Dad! That’s an upside down van … and it drives like that!” It was actually cool to look at, but even cooler to see driving around!
I wish I had gotten a picture of the inside of that!
It’s always cool to see cars done up to look like famous cars. The General Lee wasn’t there, but Ella got to meet Herbie the Love Bug!
There’s a paddle boat (The Genesee Belle) that usually runs during the summer. It is not running this year yet, because it has to undergo a bunch of inspections. The gal inside the boat told us that because of Covid, and the boat not running, it needed some extra looking over. We were, however, able to go up on the boat and look over the lake.
It was almost noon when we stopped by the boat, and I could see that despite drinking lots of water, Ella was starting to get hot. We had already bought tickets to ride the train at noon, so we decided that we’d do the train ride and head back home. The steam engine wasn’t running this weekend, so a diesel engine pulled all the passengers.
The train cars are all about 100 years old. They have all been refurbished and are quite comfortable. They all have the old wooden framed windows that can occasionally fall down for no reason. We had hoped to ride in an open air car, but they were all full by the time we got to the train. We sat in the car with the windows open.
The train goes about 10 miles an hour and the cars kinda rock back and forth. Since we were close to Ella’s nap time, it was no surprise that she fell asleep on me during the ride. Not even the loud whistle of the train woke her up. It is always fun to hear the engineer tell stories of the train while you are riding. The railroad got it’s name (Huckleberry Railroad) because the story goes that the people riding the train could jump off one of the front cars, pick some huckleberries to snack on, and still be able to jump back on one of the end cars of the train.
When we got back to the depot, we stopped for a few more photo opportunities and left to grab lunch and head home.
When we got back home, Ella was still tired and went down for a nap. I spent some time talking to my sons about the classes my oldest is going to take in college and the golf lessons that my youngest is taking. It was nice to have some quality time and conversation with them. Ella woke up just before the boys had to head to dinner with their mom. Sam woke up for work before they left and made sure that I got pictures of me and the boys and me and all of the kids.
When Sam left for work, it was just me and Ella. We may have over did it a bit as she was running a little fever. So I snuggled up with her on the couch and we watched cartoons together. Before putting her to bed, I grabbed the new book that I got from her for Father’s Day and read it to her…
I absolutely love this book. So simple, yet so meaningful. “My dad love me!” Yes, sweetheart. He does. Very much!
The last book I read to her is another favorite.
I feel like I have been reading her this book forever! It never gets old. As a matter of fact, it means more every time I read it. This is such a short story, but it expresses the love of a parent for their child so perfectly. Here is the entire book without pictures:
I’m sure my sons would think I’m nuts if I read this to them today! I mean they are both cool teenagers now, right?! But this book really sums up how I feel about all of my children, the three who are here and the one that is one the way!
What a truly amazing Father’s Day. I thank God for blessing me with these wonderful children and I pray every day that I can be the Dad that they need me to be. I love them all “as big as the world!”
As Father’s Day approaches, I think about my two sons (now 19 and almost 14), and my daughter (1) and son on the way. I realize just how fast time flies…
I have no idea who did this cartoon, but it moved me to tears ….
This is my first blog since May 18th. I guess this is the longest I have gone between blogs and many have sent private messages wondering if I am doing okay. My good buddy, Max, sent an email asking about me and it took me a while to write him back. Knowing I work in the medical field, and knowing how often I blog, he feared the worst. Needless to say, he was relieved to hear back from me. I figured if folks were worried if I was still around, I’d take some time to write.
It is not that I haven’t had stuff to write about, because I certainly have. I guess I was just having a hard time motivating myself to do so. It has been a very emotional month. So where do I even begin?
When I last wrote, I had just celebrated my 50th birthday. It seems that every time I hit a mile stone birthday, something happens to remind me I am getting older. This birthday, I found myself trying to read and really having difficulty seeing the words. I had Lasik surgery done years ago and I have had no real issues with my vision. I was told that the only thing that they couldn’t correct was if I needed reading glasses. I need to make an appointment to have my eyes checked, but until then, I am reading with these ridiculous readers on!
Speaking of birthdays, I feel bad because two very important ones came and went since I last blogged and they certainly both deserved a full blog. My wife celebrated at the beginning of the month and my youngest son officially became a teenager just a few days ago. Birthdays in quarantine suck. I didn’t get to really do anything for either of them! It will be a week or two before I see my son, so I am planning on doing something for him when he is back here with me.
I got Amazon gift cards from my mother and father-in-law, and from my dad. I decided I’d get some vinyl to play. One for laughs and one for music.
You can’t go wrong with Frank Sinatra. They remixed his Nice and Easy album and I picked that up.
Next, I found an album I had years ago that is loaded with laughs from the great Soupy Sales.
Graduation on the Internet
My oldest son graduated this year. You may have seen something about his school, as it made national news. They rented the Drive-in theater in town and showed all of the commencement speeches, staff speeches, and called out every graduate’s name (while showing their pictures) on the three big screens. Sadly, only one car per student was allowed, so Sam and I watched the live stream from home. It was certainly not the way I thought I would see my son graduate.
I emailed the principal and voiced how disappointed I was that only one car was allowed per student. Certainly there were more divorced parents than just me! I had hoped that he would return my email, but that didn’t happen. So, I cheered and cried when they read his name from my living room. He wore his cap and gown to the ceremony, but I haven’t gotten any pictures of him in them. I am hoping that he will come by with them so I can at least get one.
Back to Work
I returned to work two weeks ago. I really wasn’t sure I was ready to return, but the doc thought I’d be okay. The lab where I work is open, but only a few of the staff is back there. The rest are still working in a labor pool at jobs that they are assigned to. When I returned to work, that was where I went. The only bad thing is, the labor pool is going away and that means I will have to take a temporary lay off.
The thing that scares me is wondering if they will ever call me back. I know of many people in radio who were told they were being laid off temporarily, only to have the companies eliminate those positions and terminate them. This is happening all over as many companies are doing whatever is necessary to keep their business alive. In the weekly trade magazine that comes our for just country radio stations, there is almost three pages of people LOOKING for jobs, while there is just a half page of stations looking to hire people.
Father’s Day
Father’s Day I was up early to meet my sons for breakfast. It was the first time we’d eaten in a restaurant since things opened back up. It was nice to see both of them together. Lately, I have only been seeing Dimitri, as Dante’ is now working and usually hanging with his friends. We had a nice breakfast and I enjoyed my time with them.
When I came home, Sam had Ella all dressed for Father’s Day.
I received my Father’s Day/Birthday gift from Sam between my birthday and Father’s Day. She ordered me something that was made special for me. She had hoped it would be here by my birthday, but it took a few weeks to make. I was floored by this when it arrived. It was a book –
She got to design how I looked, and how Ella looked. She said it was hard because her hair was still looking red some days and blonde on others. There were various stories to put in the book. She had Ella point and those were the ones that ended up in the book. She asked me to read it and I could barely make it through. It made me so emotional. It was the perfect gift and I will treasure it forever!!
My Baby Girl
The one thing that has been a plus though all of this is the time that I have gotten to spend with Ella. She brings me so much happiness. On nice days, we always try to take a walk around the neighborhood. She loves it! We look at the squirrels, listen to the birds, say hello to neighbors, and just enjoy the nice weather.
We like to play with her toys on the floor, she likes to bounce in her jumpy seat, we nap together, and occasionally, we’ll watch Bubble Guppies together (she likes the music on that show).
Sometimes, I will put on my Dean Martin or Frank Sinatra albums and we’ll sway and dance in the living room. Having this precious time with her has been a blessing. With the layoff, I will have more time with her and that will be the positive in a negative situation.
Classes
My DVD’s arrived for my Bible classes. I am currently re-watching the first year (the stuff that I had already done) and will continue with the new classes when I am finished. Just revisiting these classes has been very beneficial for me. I am glad that I decided to return.
I certainly feel like my spiritual life is moving in the right direction. I have a lot of peace right now, despite the uncertainty that lies ahead. I have faith that no matter what is ahead of me …. Every thing will be okay.
With that being said, I guess that brings you up to date. I hope to not be so long between blogs. Thanks for reading!
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 