Every Friday we have what we call “Daddy Day” in our house. It’s the one day of the week, that their mother is off to work; and the one day of the week that Daddy is home all alone with the kids. We fill it with trips to the library, wrestling matches, episodes of SpongeBob Squarepants, and PB&J sandwhiches. The summer months are particularly fun, because I have all three kids the entire time. During the school year, it’s just my daughter and I; which is its own brand of awesomeness!
I’ve been a parent going on 8 years, and one of the most tragic things I’ve experienced is the speed with which the world now moves. With kids, life becomes a blur that you cannot help slow down. That’s just the way it is, and I’ve learned to stop and just take in what I have now. I’ve been quite proud of myself for taking time to just watch my kids jump on a trampoline, or listen to them slowly read through story books out loud, or laugh with them while playing Mario Cart on the Wii. It’s not a natural thing to just enjoy the ordinary days, it takes a deliberate move to put yourself in a frame of mind to work at remembering. We tend to build our memories around the “big events,” but it’s the ordinary days that hold the most power. It’s the ordinary days that I cherish so much.
Last week I saw this video over at www.strategicdads.com and it resonated with me in so many ways. Yes, it really is over 7 minutes long, and it is written from a Mother’s perspective…but it’s worth the time.
