One of the key themes of the conference was the notion of “having it all” and whether this was achievable. This forced me to take a step back and appreciate all that my family gives me.
Take tonight for example, I got my first “da da” from Ernie. I am assuming that these are his first words. I refuse to believe that “ma ma” was heard by Wife A whilst I was at the conference. That sounds too much like ga ga to be counted officially.
I was so excited finally after repeating dad dad dad dad about 5000 times success. Hang on da da sounds more like a ga ga than Ma Ma (this sounds more like Dr Seuss than a Tacklenappy post).
Did I imagine it, no not at all. He looked at me with a big toothy grin, I picked him up gave him a hug, asked for kiss and got a big open mouthed slobber on my check. Priceless. I then asked him to balance a ball on his nose whilst clapping his hands together, I still have to work on this one.
Then there is Kid X. When I arrived home from the conference I got a massive hug that lasted for about 10 minutes. Kid X kept yelling “I love you daddy so much” over and over, I wish I could hold onto these moments. Priceless. I gave her the Rams Sheep money box and remained king for the next 15 minutes before she ran off to terrorise the dog and have a tantrum.
I have tried to step up the parenting too, jumping at the chance to look after the two of them on Saturday night. I needed to do real stay at home daddying. My previous 2 x 5 hour sessions have not counted, but Saturday night certainly did. I passed the test. I had the two little ones in bed by 7.10pm and they each woke up only once over the next 8 or so hours. There were 43 tantrums during that 24 hours and over 756 questions starting in ”why”.
Fark this is annoying, I found myself doing something I thought I would never do - answering my kids with “because I said so” or even worse, late on Saturday afternoon with “I don’t fucking know” to which I promptly corrected myself “fucked if I know”. Alright before you leave in a huff I didn’t actually swear, well not out loud, I was thinking it, boy was I thinking it. I did however break a crayon by throwing it on the ground when I was making a paper road and Ernie and Kid X kept stuffing it up and ripping it. Who’s the toddler?
Sunday morning I smashed it (no not another crayon). I am officially a Superdad, I managed to clean, get everyone dressed, make breakfast (not take -aways) and play snap 45 times all before Wife A came walking in the door. I imagined how Tom Selleck’s character must have felt in 3 Men And A Baby and thought you know what I have it all or did he feel that way when he played Magnum P.I. , look that doesn’t matter you know what I am trying to say.
P.S.
Oh what did I get out of the conference well I did bring back lots of pens, lots of fucking pens. I swear there were TipTop pens all through the house including on the bench before I unpacked. Spooky huh. BEEEEENNNNNNTO
P.P.S. It was so great to be invited to attend by Brenda and Melissa at Digital Parents, you guys rock and to all my new blogger buddies I love ewes all (except , illiterate infant, Fast Lane Dad and Reservoir Dad who I really love in a purely platonic way).
