I am a day by day dad, like there is any other kind. We adopted my son over a year ago and already he’s such a part of me I can’t imagine my life any other way. I am a real “hands on” dad, none of that selling it out and pushing it off onto mom. That means, I have smelled every smell, and come in contact with every icky sticky eeewy gooey pooey nasty substance that can come out of something that has a pulse. It means every day I am down on the floor at some point playing, being the chasee or the chaser, I’ve pretended to be about every animal there is since and including the cretaceous period. It means I have been walked on, drooled on, and had my manhood assaulted on more occasions than I can count (note to self look into getting a cup and not the sippy kind) and had my lips, ears, eyelids and more pulled and contorted until I wished I was a potato head because then things would just pop out, back in again without any measure pain all the while laughing like its nothing just to impress the little guy. I am here to discover and share my musings with anyone who’s interested , or has been there, or is looking at being there and wants a glimpse of what is to come. I make up every day as I go and each day is an experiment in Daddy-101 but I learn something new everyday and I don’t think a day hasn’t gone by that I’ve laughed at least once. I will proudly stand on top of this pile of text you see and proclaim my discoveries and share my feeling about it all as that’s the kind of dad I want to be. Never mind the aloof or disconnected fathers out there! Everyone who knows one raise your hands, I’d raise mine but let’s not go down that road. Don’t be afraid to get mushy, tell your little monkey you love him or her a million times a day, and don’t worry they won’t get tired of hearing it. Just maybe, you’ll be amazed at what bonding truly means. So there it is I will get down of my soap box for the moment.

Back to the little guy…

He’s coming up on his big birthday number two. Cue the dramatic music of something looming while dark clouds form overhead and lightning flashes . I keep thinking of this terrible twos everyone speaks of and I fear my cute little pal turning into some toned down version of chucky or the kid from home alone and I flinch. I really don’t know what to think but I hope to come through the other side with all of us being smarter and feeling an obnoxious sense of confidence and invulnerability that if I can do that I can do anything. I know I will get on a rant here and there and just remember I really don’t think I am the best dad out there , just more like the member of an elite league of super dads. No I’m kidding but what I seem to do naturally others tell me that other dads are way more hands off and don’t clap and sing at cirlcle time or whatever the way I do. I’m just having fun and sharing in discovery with him. I am sure these guys love their kids but don’t know how or are afraid to breakdown some walls. They need to make a point to really connect with their kids, listen to what they’re saying, really try to understand what they’re thinking, and not make things about themselves or their own ego.

Now your thinking… wow speaking of ego! No, I just want to share my thoughts along with what I’ve heard from so called experts and share what I learn while having a few laughs about it all.

At the end of the day if someone’s learned something, shared something, laughed or cried then maybe we’ve collectively shared in making our lives a little better and funnier. What more can we ask for?

Thanks for your time

DaybyDayDad