The second was that I concluded my first week of summer vacay with Sailee. We are having so much fun together, not doing anything in particular. We joined a local kiddie gym in our area called Great Play, and we had great fun at our first visit. I am particularly interested in Sailee having these experiences because I can already tell she is a little shy when it comes to playing with other kids. It didn’t help that on our first visit, a tiny bully girl pretended to share play blocks with her and when Sailee reached out to accept the gesture, miss bully snatched it away from Sailee and whacked her across the head with it. Sailee did not flinch or cry. But she was shocked at this kind of unpredictable behavior and buried her face in my chest while the bully’s grandma explained to me that her granddaughter is a bit aggressive. Ummmm, ya think? I think it’s important for my tiny to have these experiences though, because that’s life. There are just going to be some friends that are a little less nice and a little less consistent with their behavior. And we have to learn to deal with it. Other than that it was just a fantastic week with a lot of playing, a little shopping, and a lot of naps for both mommy and Sailee.
The third was that we celebrated Father’s Day ultra low key with Sailee’s first trip to the pool! We had fun introducing Sailee to swimming, and while she was nervous at first, she got over it pretty quickly and enjoyed a lazy afternoon in the sun, floating and splashing. It helped that we were the only ones at the pool. As she gets older, we will do father’s day for real, with all the great homemade popsicle stick picture frames her daddy and granddads can stand. Until then, we prefer to celebrate these hallmark holidays by appreciating the time we have together and thinking on the people we love that make our lives complete. Sailee is a lucky girl to have such amazing men in her life. Neil, my dad (Papa) and Neil’s dad (Ajoba) are all examples of patience, love, tolerance, humility, and character for her. They are each unique in their own ways and in the way that they love her and interact with her. We are so lucky to have our own dads so close that they get to be a big part of Sailee’s life. It is such a pleasure for us to see our dads become granddads, teach her, love her, and spoil their baby girl the way all grandpas should be able to do. As Sailee grows, I know she will be so appreciative of these relationships and they will surely shape the little girl she turns into.
I cannot say enough about how natural of a dad Neil has been
since the first day. Each day, his strength amazes me. He works longer than me,
sleeps less than me, and still finds the energy to seize every moment he has
with his family. I have never once seen him cranky. Well, there might have been
that ooooooone time, probably during law school when he had jumped one too many
hoops...But each day, when I am at the end of my rope, he picks up the frayed
end and gets me through. He is not easily frazzled. He is calm and happy and
his presence always puts people at ease. He is not quick-tempered, nor quick to
judge, and when he is insistent, he is usually right. Neil is never demanding,
always willing, and perpetually smiling. He works hard and plays hard, and
Sailee awaits each evening with cheerful anticipation of his arrival, for the
moment that he will walk through the door and whisk her away to an evening of
giggles and tickles and games and surprises. Neil is joyful and, as a dad, his Iove
is abundant. I love watching his relationship with Sailee grow and so appreciate
the father that he is.
Happy Father’s Day!
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