Dad Entry #35

Megan’s pink party was super. Sara did a great job putting it together, every detail. Megan is indescribably cute, a little chatterbox in boot-cut jeans and pink shoes. Yeah, I still must try (to describe her). She’s a pretty tall, thin little thing these days, bejeweled with big eyes, long light hair, tiny painted nails, the softest skin. A messy eater though, and still in diapers, but the things she says, blurts out now, her ideas, comments… precious.

She is perfect.

Most of the time.

Megan is starting to use the ‘big potty’. I have mixed feelings about it. A potty-trained Megan is too grown-up! Our baby on the big potty already?!?!

Whenever Megan sees any teams playing baseball or football on TV she says, “Look, Daddy, the Cubs!” I have mixed feelings about that, too. I want the best for Megan. 100 years of futility is not ‘the best’. But Wrigley is the best; and Chicago is the best; and our ‘loveable losers’ are still loveable and fun. They’ve even won their division two years in a row. But nobody disappoints like the Cubs (who've also been swept in the playoffs two years in a row).

Michael is learning to read and spell with enthusiasm. But it’s tough; English is tough. Of course – unlike, say, the Spanish language – letters in English don’t always sound the same; they can be silent or grouped with other letters to produce a totally unique sound. Michael got excited the other day and said, “Daddy, I know how to spell another word! I know how to spell ‘talk’. It’s T-O-C.” I didn’t have the heart to correct him. I chose to emphasize – and not injure – his enthusiasm about spelling, reading, learning. I told him, “You are excited about learning and that’s great, you’re learning so fast! And it’s fun, isn’t it? You’ll be able to read all your Star Wars books before you know it.”

Michael is facing a difficult decision, one he takes very seriously... who he should be for Halloween. He knows it's a tough call for other people too. Yesterday he reminded me, “Daddy, there’s a great Obi-Wan costume if that’s who you decide to be.” Michael maintains interest in many things, although he changes favorites. And, yes, describing them as ‘favorites’ is a bit mild; they are ‘obsessions’. Thomas and trains to Lightning McQueen and cars to instruments to whales to dinosaurs to Pokemon to G.I. Joe to Star Wars. Mix in a few other things like art, swimming, bicycling, some tee-ball, cicadas and an incomprehensible aversion to clothes with buttons… and you have Michael’s resume. At the top – or present occupation – is Star Wars. He’s so imaginative, energetic, bright; it’s hard to rein him in, calm him, once he’s in character as “General Grievous battling Anakin Skywalker in the hangar onboard a giant Imperial Starship.” Even though we’re all about Star Wars right now, I did bribe him to play tee-ball recently. I promised him a Starburst for every ball he hit past me. It took him a while – I’m an experienced fielder with impressive range – but he earned three pieces of candy and was quite proud of himself. Good.