4 Days as a Single Dad
Monday, September 21, 2009 at 12:25PM On Friday the wifey took off to N.C. to be with her cousin who’s on the losing side of a vicious battle with cancer. My heart broke as I watched her walk out the door, knowing that what she was about to experience would be something she’d never forget.
As I slowly turned around, fighting the tears, I was met with two kids standing side-by-side, the son holding a car, the daughter holding her blanket. They gave me a look that clearly said, “all right old man…we can do this one of two ways. The hard way, or the easy way…you chose.”
I chose the easy way and quickly made-up a massive batch of chocolate chip cookies….or what I like to call, a pan of bribery.
Saturday I woke up to my son sitting next to me on the bed, looking at my tattoo on my arm and saying, “I’m gonna tell your mommy you have a tattoo.”
I gave them the run of the place Saturday. And they fucking destroyed it. Paints, stuff animals, clothes, blocks, games, Legos, food, spilled milk, TV, and minor amounts of blood. I had given them a total kid day in the house and they took full advantage.
Sunday I woke up to my son sitting next to me on the bed saying, “Daddy, while I was peeing Jasper’s (our cat) tail went through my pee and now he’s laying on your bed.”
We spent Sunday handing out daddy’s hard earned cash. We saw Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, ate Baja Fresh, and spent a few hours at a park swinging, playing soccer and basketball, climbing, and looking at moms…..uh, I mean playing on the jungle gym. They came home dirty and tired.
The wifey comes back Tuesday night and I’m pretty sure by then I’ll be bound, shoved in a closet, and the house will be set on fire.
I love that my wife can bolt whenever she wants and the kids and I just roll into daddy mode. I love that they get my humor, tackle me when I least expect it, tell me secrets, and wake me up spewing awesomeness from their minds. I love that they love me. And I hate that I can’t look back and remember similar experiences from when I was growing up with my dad.
This morning I dropped my son off at school, walked across the street and dropped my daughter off at her school. As her class started walking down the hall, she jumped out of line, ran up to me, hugged my legs, then threw her face towards the sky, closed her eyes and puckered.
That’s what it’s all about….
Reader Comments (14)
My heart breaks for your family. Cancer is an ass. :(
Your pictures, on the other hand, just made my day!!! Your kids are adorable!!!
Such a great dad and husband!
Awesome! I love that you get it, and I'm truly sad for the dads who don't.
I'm glad that you get it too! My kids' dad doesn't and it breaks my heart for them. Kids deserve two loving parents.
Thanks Nina. Please always, always keep in mind that my kids are available on weekends if you'd like to look at their "adorable" faces for days!!
Lotta - you know the truth...I'm a douchebag who feeds his kids Mountain Dew and candy bars for dinner and makes my wife cut my toenails.
Thanks Kathygee. I was raised by a bastard who clearly didn't get anything....much of my motivation to be a decent dad comes from there.
I'm sorry Shannon. It sounds like they have a kick-ass mom!!!!
I'm in love with you. If things don't work out with you-know-who, hit me up!
My husband had to be single dad this weekend too! I'm sorry about your wife's cousin, it is great that she is willing and able to be there. That has to be very difficult.
I totally get this though. I am so grateful for my husband and how much I trust his ability to take care of the girls all weekend and do it just as well as I do. He's pretty awesome, as are you! I can't imagine spending a weekend alone with my dad when I was little, I might have ended up running away. They wouldn't have known I was gone until mom came home.
You got me blushing Mimi....
Glad you scored a real dude Leslee!!! congrats and hey lady...let's have a beer one day and trad shit-father stories..I know I've got pleeeeenty
My thoughts are with your wife and her family in this trying time. Being on watch by a loved one's bedside as they slowly slip from life is so incredibly hard.
On a lighter note:
You are definitely one cool dad and your kids will always remember that. You may not have had a great role model for a father but you have made up for that lack in your own life by making sure that your kids will not suffer the same lack. I guess that tomorrow is clean-up day, huh?
I spent a couple of months as a single dad to our two-year-old son a couple of years ago when my wife went through an aneurysm surgery and subsequent rehabilitation. I can tell you it was the absolute toughest yet rewarding thing I have ever done. I'm just glad she was able to fully recover and make us a whole family again.
My father-in-law has a saying about kids: "All you gotta do is love 'em...the rest comes easy." Perhaps that's oversimplifying it a little bit, but it really is true. I can tell you have a great love for your kids, as I do for mine. It may not always be easy, but we can get through anything because it's all for them!
thanks Kat!....clean-up day is every day or I'll be caught bringing a rake and trash can in the house...wouldn't that make for a kick-ass blog post?
Mike - chest bump to you my man for making it through your wife's ordeal. funny how little sayings and shit enter your life at the right time...you're father-in-law's quote....it'l be with me forever. Thanks my man.
OK. I just started reading your blog after stalking yours and Page's back-n-forths on fb. Great blog. Amazing post. You really are a stellar dad. I am forwarding this to my hubby as I am about to go away for 4 days. Maybe it will inspire.... and warn! ;) I'll keep reading, thanks for writing. -heather munoz bland
I love a dad who can take the bull by the horns and just ride. Good for you for stepping up to the plate and hitting a damn home run! Your kids are lucky to have an awesomely funny & wickedly cool dad to bug the shit out of. You deserve a nice big pat on the back, mister!
Heather!!! thanks for reading and your kind comments. I'm confident your hubby will knock it out of the park. Enjoy the piece and quiet on your 4 days from home and know that we're all jealous.
Are you Nucking Futs? According to my kids I'm a complete jagoff and deserve to have the shit kicked out of me. Thanks for swinging by and taking a gander at the post....and for the fine comments. Means a lot coming from a kick-ass super mommy...