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A Tribute: To the Daddy of My Boys

To My Partner in Crime on this great adventure of parenting,

This is the hardest blog I have ever written. It is my fourth time to write it. I started at the beginning of April, but have never been satisfied that it captured the full essence of what I wanted to say. It never gave you the justice you deserved. It still doesn’t.

But on this fourth and final attempt, I wanted to address it to you- personally. You are my confidant. My best friend. My partner in crime. My soul mate.

I love you for so many reasons and I hope our boys catch much of your heart, wit, and temperament.

Sometimes you read me that little book “I like you” by Sandol Stoddard Warburg. It is our little thing. And you know how we often quote it in passing. It always makes me feel special. So in return, in the same style as Warburg writes, I would like to tell you why “I like you as my kids Daddy”.

I like you because I do
I like you as my kids Daddy because you are a good Dad
And I know why

I like you because when I freaked out that I was pregnant with twins,
You freaked out too
Then when I thought it was funny we had so many kids
You laughed too

I like you because you like a clean house
I like one too
And when we clean house
Our kids do too

But sometimes when our kids play they create a huge mess
And I think that is ok
And you do too
Like that time when we made chocolate oatmeal cookies
There was sugar and oatmeal everywhere
Or
That time Jack played Rescue Bots in the sugar bowl
You felt proud that he was creative
and I was proud too

I like you because you feel things like me
Like when I was scared that our babies couldn’t hear,
you were scared too

You didn’t hide your emotions and get mad or scream
Instead you found a quiet place to hold me
You gave us time to process what we had heard
You decided we would be advocates for our babies
I did too.

If I want to buy the kids new clothes
You say ok and we shop together
You like to pick out clothes
and a new toy too

I like that you want to have fun just like me
If I want to take the kids on vacation
You do too

You immediately start planning
How big and how fun
You make it happen

Like that time on Friday at 2:30 pm we needed to get out of town
You booked a home in Corpus by 3:00pm
I packed
Then you drove

Or that time you booked a ranch in Belton
A home in Houston
The Great Wolf Lodge in Dallas
You like to be present and have a good time
You turn your phone off and I turn off mine

I like to do home improvements and you do too
You always involve the boys
Like all those times you have those boys moving mulch or hammering nails
Or how our 3-year-old has his own tool box with “real tools”

I like that you cuddle, wrestle and read
I like that you spend time bathing, feeding and caring

I could write these stanzas for pages because that is how much I like you and that is how much
you do
But nobody would read it
Well nobody but you

Of all these things, I see you do
I like one thing the most
I like how you listen and how much you care

Like when they are screaming and can’t find their words
You just bend down and make eye contact and listen
You let them go on and on and on and on

I know how much they like this and that they think you are great
I know all of this because you made me feel this way too
You see, I have a front row seat

I like you as the Daddy of our Boys and I know why

Happy Father’s Day