Just a Dad

My kids, like all kids, love to talk about what they're going to "be when they grow up".  Babysitter and Disneyland ticket-taker have been among my favorites.  Last week while I was driving with my kids, my four-year-old boy was debating, yet again, which career path he should take.  All of a sudden he stopped and said, "actually, I just want to be a dad when I grow up."  

I questioned, "Oh really?  Do you want to have a job where you go to work?"

He replied, "Nope.  Just a dad."

I smiled, thought to myself that he was cute and that was the end of it.

Fast forward a couple days to when I was telling my husband about this.  I told him that our son had decided he was going to be "just a dad" and how I thought it was cute and then I laughed a little as I casually said something like, "he'll probably need to come up with something else before he actually is a dad." My hubby's response surprised me - in a good way.  

He said, "Why?  I'm 'just a dad'.  Everything else I do is to support that role."  

One of the bajillion reasons I love him.  It's true.  He is so concerned with making sure he spends enough time with our kids - enough time being a dad.  

Being a dad is hard work.  Any yoo-hoo out there can be a Father - but being a Dad is different.  You know what I mean?  Fathers give chromosomes, Dad's give EVERYTHING!  Dad's juggle a million responsibilities.  (At least the one who lives here at our house does.)  But it's the little things that mean the most to the little mouths they feed. Yay for Father's Day.  And yay for all the amazing dads out there!

Here's what I'm doing for my man this year... I found this cute poem (and can't for the life of me find an author so sorry to whoever isn't getting credit) that talks about wearing "Daddy's Shoes". 

I love to wear my daddy's shoes though my feet are small

When they are in my daddy's shoes, I feel 10 feet tall

Someday I'll grow to fill them, I only hope to be

As fine a man and great a dad, as my daddy is to me.

So cute, right?  Then you put it with a picture of your kid(s) in their dad's shoes!  My one little "ish" though is that I have a daughter and don't really want her growing up to be a "fine man" or "great dad".  So, I took the first couple lines and then wrote a different ending.  This is the one I'm going to use:

I love to wear my daddy’s shoes, and though my feet are small,

When they’re in my daddy’s shoes, I feel 10 feet tall.

I think my dad is Superman.  He’s handsome, brave and strong.

He’s kind and smart and patient when he shows me right from wrong.

So if I grow to fill these shoes, I'll be very glad,
For there's no way that I'd rather be, than exactly like my dad!

And the picture hasn't been taken yet but my amazing photographer friend is going to take it and I know it'll be worth posting because she's AMAZEBALLS!!  (That's her word. Anyone who uses the word "amazeballs" regularly is most definitely worthy of being described as such!)