Father's Day Weekend

 Well, I had a long and good Father's Day weekend last week.

It started Friday when Lamb rushed up to greet me after work to give me her projects she made in day care. She had telegraphed this already during the week, and she pulled out the homemade card and certificate that extolled me for playing the Thomas game with her, baking cookies with her, and giving her hugs. The staff clearly quizzed her for this.

And the project was a little wooden box with a decorated top that included a cut-out of her picture. Plus some snacks to eat. Her eagerness and joy to give them to me made them very special. Lamb got another hug for this display.

On Saturday, Mister and I hit the pool on a hot day and otherwise hung out at home so I could get chores done in preparation for our main event for Father's Day.

On Sunday morning we head out in the morning for the Toledo Zoo to meet a friend of his, his friend's little brother who seems to adore Mister, and their parents. A nice family. Like Ive mentioned before, I still worry Mister will become a tight friend with someone whose parents are jerks, or something. At a young age, it is tough not to have parental interaction when the friends play.

The zoo didn't have their Zoo Snooze that we planned to do again this year, but they did have a brunch for the day and dads get in free on Fathers Day. Mister and I wore our snooze shirts as a protest against the failure to hold the snooze this year.

Construction on the off ramp to I-475 forced me to detour around the south of Toledo, but even being 20 minutes late on my ETA put us in the zoo ahead of our friends.

The boys had an absolute blast and in many ways hardly paid attention to the animals. It was just play time with foul smells for atmosphere. The highlight for the boys was the play structure that we let them play on near the end of the trip.

For me, the highlight was the brunch. Burgers and hot dogs, ice cream, potato salad, pop and ice tea. When it was over, I was in a meat-induced stupor ready to nap by the Naked Moles Rats where we slept on two past Father's Days.

We rolled out just ahead of closing time and a quick trip to the souvenir shop. A quick trip up through a threatening thunderstorm and we made it back to Ann Arbor. We grabbed a pizza for dinner (and saladI'm not ignorant of basic nutrition) and had a short time at home before rolling back to Mister's mom's house late. We had to for Mister to give me his gift. We picked up Lamb on the way and when we got to my Ex's home, I had to feign ignorance while Mister spoke on the phone with his mom about what to do. I had to ignore the cheesecake in the refrigerator that Lamb showed me, too.

So armed with his moms instructions, Mister retrieved my Fathers Day present and card. Lamb signed that one, too. In addition to the cheese cakes, I now have a bottle of sea salt and a salt crusher! What can I say? I actually like the gifts. Mister has moved way beyond the soaps and candles that he chose as a small child. Although I must say, he has nice conservative taste it ties so I was looking forward to that. He also knows my views on mens cosmetics: they are wrong. Men should have soap in white, rectangular, scentless blocks. And shampoo that has no fruit or food product in its name. Of course, toothpaste. Oh, and nail clippers, a comb, and a razor for grooming. Anything beyond that is seriously unneeded. So I know I wont ever get anything even remotely like that. Or even cologne. Its perfume, people. Perfume. Leave that crap to European men.
Anyway, with lots of typical stuff ruled out or given-to-death, apparently, Mister was in a quandary. So when queried about what to get me, Mister said I was low on salt. Which is true, I guess. I even remember mentioning it to him when I refilled a salt shaker recently. And besides, Mister likes salt on his salad topping of oil and lemon juice (hey, this homemade concoction has gotten him to like large green salads! I used to have to force a couple lettuce leaves), so he likes this gift, too. Hes had fun using it. No doubt hell get his future wife stuff from Victorias Secret for her birthday.

Driving home, I at least got in my duties to my own dad. I called him from my car to wish him a happy Fathers Day. Im luck to have such a good dad. (And mom, too!) I even like them. It is fun to hang out with them. And from the perspective of a son, Ive never ever felt the need for therapy to undo parental damage! My flaws are mine alone and I cant blamed my parents for anything. That, to me, is the best thing parents can do for their childrendont pass down whatever problems you have. I was able to be a kid all through childhood with no major worries about life.

So, it was a nice Fathers Day. Mister and Lamb are good kids.

After going to work on Monday, I continued the Father's Day weekend on Tuesday with a day off to take care of Mister and Lamb. Mister stayed with me Monday night and Lamb came over at 7:00 a.m.

It was a nice morning of breakfast, Mister enjoying his video games, Lamb painting with water colors, and a little Sponge Bob and a Wolverine football DVD. We had lunch and a trip to Dairy Queen, a short nap for Lamb that began on the drive home, and then a little time outside to play in the back. She liked her new sandbox that I put together for her.

The only hitch of the day was that Lamb broke the door off my pantry by backing into it hard and repeatedly at the hinge. An accident, but I was annoyed. But I didn't yell, though Lamb started crying out of worry I'd be mad, I think. Stuff happens, people. I don't get mad over spilled milk, crumbled cookies, or even broken doors. Unless stuff like that is deliberate, why get mad? It is just a mess or money. The former can be cleaned or at least replaced. And the latter is just money. As long as spending it doesnt cut into the mortgage payment, I try not to worry about it.

As it turns out, before we went for ice cream I glued the split wood and put heavy objects on it to seal it; and while Lamb napped, I stapled the seam and re-mounted the door. Good as new! I assured Lamb all was well with the door--but don't do that again.

Then in the early evening we grabbed a pizza and headed to their moms house. They played and we eventually got Mister to bed and Lamb settled in to drowse. A couple beers at home to cap off the day and it was back to work with no more celebrations of my dad status to look forward to.

A fun weekend all around filled with a lot of dadness. Life doesn't get better than this.