Happy Father's Day

I love the song
Watching You by Rodney Atkins and it is especially accurate for this Father's Day. My Hot Rod reminds me so much of the song that it isn't even funny. He wants to be so much like his dad. This one chorus really makes me smile: He said, I’ve been watching you, dad ain’t that cool? I’m your buckaroo; I want to be like you. And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are. We like fixin’ things and holding moma’s hand. Yeah, we’re just alike, hey, ain’t we dad? I want to do everything you do; so I’ve been watching you. Hot Rod began smacking me on the butt like he saw his dad do. We had to put a stop to that! But, I love these moments of sweetness of his part. Army of Dad is big and tough and mean, at times, but he is so tender. He yells loudly on the soccer fields, but the moms on the team told me that they know he is a "big ol' teddy bear on the inside" and they're right. Just don't tell anyone I told you.

Then, there are our own dads. My dad is something incredible. He grew up a very hard life and worked hard. He instilled a work ethic in me and taught me that girls can do anything a boy can do (except pee standing up, but that is another issue) and I remember him tucking me into bed every night and telling me that I could grow up to be the first female president if I wanted to. I credit him with much of my success in life.

I am blessed to have a wonderful husband in my life and I'm sure this his father played some role in the man he is today and for that I thank him.

And, I can't forget Pickle's dad, Uzz. Despite our divorce, he has remained one of my best friends and he is very instrumental in his son's life. I know he would walk on hot coals for his son and that love for him means the world to me. Pickle is lucky to have two dads who love him very much. Army of Dad gave up many Satudays of fishing and hunting to coach Pickle's soccer team for years. He went to basketball games, pre-kindergarten parties and all the stuff in between. He has been to ARD meetings at school to help serve as an advocate for his stepson. He has been there for this boy and supported him emotionally and financially. He makes the tough decisions for me sometimes when I don't want to be hard on him, but AoD knows that Pickle needs the firmness. He has been the father that he didn't have to be and I hope as he grows older that he recognizes the love and devotion his step-father has for him and it helps him be a better man and ultimately a better father when he has children.

I am blessed to have many wonderful men in my life to whom I wish a Happy Father's Day.