Night Night

Dear Maddie,

Sometimes you drive me up a wall.  You won't just sit still, you tear up the living room, you won't tell us when you need to potty, and you run screaming through the house while I'm battling a headache.  Then - total redemption via cuteness.

Last night I got home from work and promptly collapsed on the couch, per usual.  You came over and pulled a blanket over me, straightened it out to make sure it totally covered me, and gently (well, not so gently) pushed my head down on the pillow.  You also made me put my phone away.  The whole time you're telling me it is time for "night-night", and then just as I do to you every night at bedtime, you leaned over and gave me a kiss on the cheek.  Not the first time you've done this, but it never gets old.  Of course, if I dare pop my head up or open my eyes, you remind me loudly "No, daddy, go sleep!"  Funny... that rule doesn't always apply to YOU at nap time!

This was your outfit of choice for our walk.  Mama was obviously not home.  

The rest of last night was spent with just me and you, while mama went to a Bible study. We took a walk down the road with you guiding me which way to go.  Then we played golf in the front yard until you got bored with that.  We retired to the backyard where you ran back and forth, fence to fence, with a seemingly endless supply of energy that I wish I could harness and sell to old people (like myself).  I guess your legs got tired, because I was then tasked with running back and forth with you on my shoulders.  I can run a 5K, but running across the backyard 3 times with you on my shoulders about kills me for some reason!  We took a selfie for mom and then went inside to eat a Moon Pie.  Which you ate the whole thing and didn't give me a bite.

When Mama's away, this happens!

For the rest of the night we got you ready for bed, read a bunch of books, and watched Full House for the bazillionth time.  You finally succumbed to bedtime, so we did our usual routine - brush teeth, said prayers, gave kisses, gave "paci-kisses" (which involve giving my a kiss with your paci in mouth, and you find terribly funny), goodnight hug, and then a good tucking in.  I pulled the blanket over you and made sure you were covered good.  Then I leaned over and gave you a kiss and said "night-night."  You were out in no time at all - surprising considering the sugar intake from the Moon Pie.

You'll never remember last night when you're older except for the pictures and this post, but nights like that are the moments I will cherish forever and never will forget.  It is the part of fatherhood that makes all the times you drive me up a wall totally, 100% worth it.

Love, Daddy

Full House

Dear Maddie,

You have a new love in your life.  And that love comes in the form of Danny, Joey, and Uncle Jesse.  Yes, thanks to Nick at Nite you are now obsessed with the classic 90's show Full House.  I grew up watching this show (every Friday night on TGIF with Step by Step, Family Matters, Dinosaurs, and others).  The fact that you now love it warms my heart.  I think that about 30% of your love is because it is on before bed, so you can use it as an excuse to stay up late, but I'll take it!

Now that we've established Full House as a great show, we need to start working on the others - Saved by the Bell, Boy Meets World, Home Improvement, Friends, and Wings.  The last two may be over your head, but you'll appreciate them later!  We're going to raise you right in this house, so no more Disney channel for you, young lady!  If you're going to spend any time with your Uncle Dave and I, you must be able to sufficiently quote Friends with us.

Fun fact: I recorded the finale of this show on a VHS tape because I wasn't at home when it aired.  Ah, life before DVD, DVR, and OnDemand television.  I'll show you this stuff in an antique museum.

Ah, what will television be like when you're older?  Nowadays there is a bunch of recycled junk, idiot reality shows, a million singing competitions, and NCIS may be in its 38th season (Paw Paw's favorite show).  Some of the best shows are on HBO and Showtime, which I am too cheap to buy, so we stick with AMC shows that come with our cable package.  Remind me when you are older to watch The Walking Dead with you... although you may have watched several episodes as an infant when you didn't know what was going on and we didn't want to wait to see what happened.  Sorry about that if you have a subconscious fear of zombies.  Again, I'll pay for your therapy.

I wonder a lot about what the world will be like when you grow up.  It scares me, because as a professional worrier I see all the bad things that can possibly happen and stay up at night worried about international issues that I can't control.  It's what drives me to make a positive impact on the world, so I can leave it a little better for you then it was for me.  BTW - if I am a Congressman when you grow up, I took the "change the world for the better" thing further than I thought.

So, I hope the world gets better, and you have your own Friends and Full House shows to grow up on and quote incessantly as a young adult with your friends.  And I hope you read this one day, otherwise all this work is just a moo point.  It's like a cows opinion.  It just doesn't matter.

(see Friends to get that joke).

Love, Daddy