10 Things I Learned This Week, Vol 108

Two. Four. Six. Eight. Who do we appreciate? Dads. Dads. Yaaayyyy, Dads!

Lesson #1: Not only does Lenny love his woman (and pizza), shake his grove thang, and readily admit his faults, he’s larger than life. (Just ask Little.)

Lesson #2: Even Pink came up with a gift from the heart this Father’s Day. She spent the day showing her dad what it will be like to have a teenager by yelling, “No! Lenny! Stop!” any time he did something she didn’t approve of.

Lesson #3: Just because you thought hanging signs that rhymed all over your high school campus was a good idea when you were 14, doesn’t mean you should have to plan your 20-year reunion. And you know what? Some lovely friends on Facebook agree! My huge, enormous thanks to the awesome ladies (and a few men) who stepped up to plan the party of the decade(s). In celebration I’m thinking of making stickers that say, “We Don’t Need Sneed!”

Lesson #4: Kids have pretty crazy imaginations. Pink and Little now spend their mornings playing “family”, and — in their make-believe world — it’s virtually silent.

Lesson #5: When our real family plays, there may be a lot of screaming, but there’s also a healthy dose of laughter. So much so that when Little came to Pink’s physical therapy, her therapist said she’d never seen her engage her core so much as when she was entertained by her big brother. (If he doesn’t make it in the major leagues, it’s good to know he has other talents.)

Lesson #6: While I can barely manage to wrap my head around the fact that I’m now the mom of a 2nd grader, I’m kind of excited for Big to be in 5th grade. They didn’t just go with an old-fashioned egg drop at his school. No, a team of fireman were dropping the kids’ creations from the 4-story height of the hook & ladder. I’m pretty sure the moms were as into it as the kids…

Lesson #7: While some kids countdown to vacation, Little’s been counting down to his dental appointment tomorrow. Note to self: Those itty-bitty plastic ninjas he gets twice a year could be good “incentive” at home too.

Lesson #8: You really have to be careful with word choices when talking to kids. When I told Big I thought we should start summer off with a bang, I didn’t mean he should drive his head into a wall by 7am on the first morning of vacation.

Lesson #9: Nothing can stop Little when he’s dribbling a basketball. Not even some bird “dribble” hitting the ball mid-bounce. That was one messy, but impressive play he made yesterday.

Lesson #10: As Big’s teacher wrote on his report card, he’s gained a lot of confidence in his storytelling and writing. Perhaps too much, it seems. He told a crowd of people at a party about the time last year when Pink jumped in the pool to me, but I was too busy talking on my phone to help her, so he had to swim across the pool to save her. I mean, come on. Why would I risk ruining my phone in the pool? It’s just not believable, kid.

Now go, celebrate the dads in your life. Whether they’re right there to make you smile, or smiling down on you from above. You wouldn’t be the same without them. Happy Father’s Day!