It makes your heart bigger

Posted on Tue 01/04/11 in Fatherhood

Redundantly said, it’s been a while since my last post. It’s not that I’m busier than other guys, it’s just very constant. I’m fine with it. Today I rolled out of bed at 3:30am, started working on a few computers, did some year-end accounting, and I made it to the office before 5am. This routine usually starts about an hour later, so despite today’s premature start, it wasn’t that much an anomaly. I trade in my mornings so I can be home early to be with my family. In the morning, nobody misses me (unless I don’t make coffee) because nobody is awake (except for McKenzie half-sleep walking out to greet me at 4am) — I kissed her and told her to keep moving, as I guided her toward mommy’s bed. All this, so I can be home by 4:30p, which is a pleasure not afforded by many Dads.

So, what’s new? TGND!!!!!! Thank God for No Diapers! McKenzie has been potty trained for a few months now. It’s fantastic. Sure, she pees the bed, the floor, or the car on occasion, but it’s pretty rare at this point. The freedom is AWESOME! I have observed different responses to TGND between the genders, and not just in my household. For men, TGND is liberating… no more changing diapers in front of your friends or having to carry a diaper bag to the park. For women, it means that it’s time to have another baby.

For the past few months, I’ve been taking Ethan with me when I play basketball on Sunday mornings. Sometimes the other guys bring their kids, so he’ll play with them. Otherwise, he plays his Nintendo DS, with his action figures, challenges the guys sitting out to Connect 4 or Memory, and eats. Lately, he’s been learning to work the scoreboard. I love that he comes with me and becoming a gym-rat, and Beth gets to spend some quality time with McKenzie. I asked Ethan the other day if he liked coming with me to basketball. He said, “yes.” I told him that I really his company, to which he responded, “I know why… because it makes your heart bigger when I am with you.” Needless to say, I was touched.

My bringing Ethan to basketball with me has coincided with his improvement on the soccer field (though probably just a coincidence). If you recall last year’s soccer article, I had to practically bribe Ethan to stay on the field. This year is different. He is aggressive, more skilled, and most importantly, loves playing. In Boys Under 5 (BU5) play, there are no goalies and they all still pretty much flock to the ball. Ethan, however, has learned to take angles on defense and protect the goal. This is NOT common. It brings him great joy to take goals away from his classmates and friends playing on the other teams.

It’s just a matter of time before McKenzie gets onto the field, too. She’s tall and agile, capable of climbing just about anything. As one friend put it, McKenzie is “how not to be safe on the playground.” As rugged as she can be, she can also be a princess. She is always hugging, holding my hand or making a sweet face. Just about everything she says is cute, even when she’s repeating her brother.

Last month, I let Ethan watch A Christmas Story, and I told him that there was a part in the movie when the little boy gets soap in his mouth for saying a bad word.

After he watched the movie, he came into the bedroom where Beth, McKenzie and I were, and he declared that he knew what the little boy said to get the soap. I said, “Fudge, right?”
But, Ethan knew better, and he corrected me, “No, F—k.” Beth and I looked at each other, as McKenzie started walking around, in a very E.T. like manner, saying, “F—k, F—k, F—k.” It was fantastically wrong.

Beth recently started working at a bank. One day when she was getting ready, McKenzie asked her if she was going to work. Beth told her she was after she dropped her [McKenzie] and Ethan off at school. McKenzie then whined, “Ma’ma. I don’t want you to go work at the piggy bank today!”

Countless other manipulation attempts (some successes) and little funnies continue to fill our days with humor and humility.