Dear Daddy

Hey Daddy!

It's me, Austin.. you know, your little man.. your buddy, your schman..

Yesterday was Father's Day and I just wanted to tell you how awesome you are! And since Mommy is the writer in the family, I thought I'd have her help me....

From Day 1 I knew I liked you. You held me, laid me on your warm fuzzy chest, and kissed my fingers all the time. I could tell how much you loved me and I loved you back.. I mean, I only pooped on you once.. if that's not true love, I don't know what is!

You are my favorite Dad, because you always have time for me! I know you are busy with work and coaching and baseball (Mommy told me all about how much you love baseball! I will too, don't worry!) but no matter what, you come home and play with me, feed me, and tickle me! Remember that one time I was really little and I visited you at work for lunch? That was so fun, Dad!

We always have fun together Dad, no matter what!

You helped me get strong by showing me how to do sit-ups...

You encouraged me and told me I could do it when I started to crawl.. those were crazy days Daddy.. I wanted to move SO BAD but just had to wait for my muscles to catch up! No matter how many times I tried and failed you lifted me up and kept telling me to try my best! I wanted to make you proud Dad!

Finally I was strong and wanted to walk! And guess what, Dad? You held my hands and helped me take my first steps! You were strong and patient and it wasn't long before I was running!

As strong as you are Dad... you are kinda a softie too. You kiss me all the time (your beard tickles!) and always tell me you love me. Thanks for showing me that men are supposed to be strong but affectionate too, and that they should be kind and loving to women. You always treat Mommy so nice and kiss her and tell her she's pretty. I will do the same when I'm a man too Daddy!

I love how you run around with me all the time Daddy... I can play all day long with you! And no one makes me laugh like you do! :-) But sometimes we have to slow down.. and cuddling with you is one of my favorite things. 

I know its hard sometimes, because I can be difficult... but thanks for teaching me about life Dad.. about what is right, and what is wrong.. how to behave and how to be polite. No matter if we have a bad night together, you can always make me feel better and get me to smile again! 

Mommy tells me I am a lucky boy to have you by my side Daddy! And I think she is right! The world is big and I can't wait to get out in it! I want to make you proud to say "that's my son." I promise I will try and do the right thing, and stay out of the dog's food and not throw too many tantrums. Just be patient with me, because I'm still little. I know you have my back though, Daddy. And that is the bestest thing ever.

I should have told you all these things last year on Father's Day but I was still a baby. Now I'm a big boy and wanted you to know how awesome you are!!

Daddy, you are my best friend.

Love you so big!!

-Austin

Mr. Popular

Let me just make this disclaimer… any personality trait of Austin I’m going to write about came from his Father. Not his “was an awkward too skinny and dorky and ridiculously silly teenager” mother.

Ok then.

I think Austin is the most popular kid in his class.

I first starting thinking this back when he was in the infant room… he was about 8 months old. I’d go and visit him every day at lunch and he was way into pulling himself up and cruising at that point, so I’d sit and watch him pull up on a crib, cruise to another crib, crawl to the chair, pull up… etc.

Everywhere he went.. 2 or 3 other kids followed. If Austin was alone in whatever he was doing, he wouldn’t be for long. The other kids would crawl over to him and start doing what he was doing and following him around the room.

I went home and told Neal that day that I think we had a little Mr. Popular on our hands..

The other babies seemed like they “flocked” toward Austin and were drawn to him, whatever he was doing. His teachers even confirmed that with stories of how other babies copied him, or followed him, or liked to be around him.

Now that he is in the Wobbler room, Mr. Popular still seems to reign.

One day I came to pick Austin up and he had on 1 sock and 1 shoe (on the same foot). His teacher said he had spent most of the day like that, and as soon as he took off the 1 sock and shoe, a few of the other kids noticed and did the same thing.

Then there is the little girl who cries every day when Austin leaves.

Don’t worry kiddos… Mr. Too Cool for School will be back tomorrow…

Oh, and there was the kid that got up off his mat during nap time, crawled over to Austin’s mat, and wanted to sleep by him.

Where did this Mr. Popular come from???

Oh, yes.

His father.

His social butterfly- has-2,487-friends-and-everyone-just-adores-him father.

I mean, I guess I can’t blame all those kids… check out his school portrait. Any kid who has the Olan Mills-style head tilt down that good, deserves to be too cool for school. J

Adventures at Grandma's

I love going down to my parent's house.

Austin gets spoiled, I get some "me" time to sit quietly and read while my Mom entertains Austin, and we both just have fun..

Thank God for my Mom. Seriously.

Here are some fun moments from our trip last weekend!

**not pictured: the epic puke Austin had in the cart at Wal-Mart. I know, Wal-Mart makes me want to puke too... totally my fault... the good ol' finger-sweep-to-get-a-tag-out-of-the-kids-mouth resulted in me hitting his gag reflex... so I had that one coming.**

There was reading with Grandma's glasses

Playing 1-2-3 JUMP!!! with the Grandma's at lunch

Cruising the neighborhood

Getting strawberries at the farm and feeding the donkey

Playing in the sprinkler

Sliding naked. Naturally

Monday Musings

-Ugh. Monday. Ugh. That’s all I can say. The last two weeks I’ve had 4-day work weeks and now I’m back to a full week. I am not capable of this kind of commitment. Can I please be excused?

-Perhaps I didn’t put enough blueberries in my smoothie this morning because I can’t taste them at all. Other than combining with the spinach to turn my drink a weird swamp color, they are non-existent. Lame

-We are BBQ-ing tonight and Neal’s lovely little sis is coming over… I think I need to make Sangria. Hmmm… yes.. yes… I think this is a need that must be met.. Pinterest to the rescue!

-I spent the afternoon with Austin yesterday coloring. Or more like, I colored (is it weird I still LOVE coloring? I find it relaxing.. anyways..) and he just wanted to take the crayons out of the box, put them in his mouth, then put them back in the box. Only 1 crayon lost its head to the Crayon Eating Monster, thankfully. The whole afternoon was full of “do you see Mommy eating the crayons? No. Crayons are for paper only. Paper. Stop. Austin, don’t put the crayon in your mouth.” Overall we had a blast though!

-I think Neal’s Dad (Poppa) has a new BFF. We went to the zoo with Neal’s parents on Saturday and little man had so much fun playing with his Poppa! Too cute.

-our office smells like a bathroom. For reals. Groooossssssss…. Our bathroom is pretty far away from my desk, I mean.. how does that even happen? Actually, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.

-This is what I came home to on Friday night. Neal had a baseball camp so he left a little note for me. Awe.. ain’t he cute?? Love me some Neal.. J