Happy Papa Day

We tried asking Nicole to say Happy Father’s Day to my dad this evening and she looked at us like we were batshit crazy. It’s Papa and Grandpa and she has no idea what this whole ‘father’ thing is supposed to be about. It’s kind of funny actually, we actually intended for her to call Chris ‘Daddy.’ Daddy this and Daddy that and where’s Daddy?! There he is! She’s called him Papa since she started to talk, and we wound up just following suite.   Nicole’s little friends often call Chris ‘Papa’ too. It’s kind of cute. I think they think that’s his name. It’s cute too that Nicole’s cousins aren’t ever confused when they’re chatting with her, she says ‘papa’ and they know she means Chris, they say ‘daddy’ and she knows they mean her uncle. When we were pregnant with Nicole, Chris was rooting for a boy. He wasn’t sure he’d even know what to do with a girl, plus he wasn’t supposed to have any so we figured it would just be one so he was hoping for, you know, an heir to the kingdom and all that jazz. Since the moment she smiled a little smile when he was cooing to her in his arms in the hospital that first day – no bunk, it’s on video – he’s been wrapped around her little finger. He’s even rooting for this one to be another little Daddy’s Girl. We celebrated father’s day with the usual sunday pancakes and church, plus some presents. (a cd player for his work truck and two fragrance oil diffusers, laugh if you will, but he likes special touches like scented candles and stuff so I knew he’d like a pretty & natural diffuser for our room) After church we played two rounds of Candyland with Nicole, she caught on very quickly and won both rounds, which left Chris thoroughly disgusted so after the second round he finished her Toopy & Binoo puzzle for her like he had something to prove. He makes me laugh. His pride was restored later in the day, though, when I downloaded a pinball app to my blackberry and got the high score and he turned around and doubled it. It was a super hot day, so Nicole splashed around in the pool while I crocheted in a lounge chair and misted myself regularly from a spritz bottle. Chris works in the heat all week so he hid in the a/c and watched a movie. Then Nic zonked out for a nap, he went to second service, and I baked cinnamon buns to bring to my parents’ for some more father’s day celebration.

I hope everyone had a great father’s day weekend, whether celebrating their husbands or their fathers, stepfathers, fathers in law, fathers of the heart, etc. I also can’t help but think of those fathers who have lost children, or those couples who cannot have children, or those whose fathers have passed away. You’re all in my thoughts and prayers this weekend, I hope our Father in heaven brings you comfort.