On Mother’s Day, my daughter said her first word (or at least what we might sort of count as her first word) – a very clear “da-da” was coming from her sweet little face approximately every five minutes like clockwork. I get it. It’s all about da-da on Mother’s Day. Figures.
So, in addition to my daughter screaming “ma-ma” at the top of her lungs all day on June 17, our Father’s Day weekend will go as follows:
- On Saturday, my husband will get a “treat yo-self day.” I would imagine his day will be booked up with couch sitting, craft beer drinking, and watching movies I have zero interest in watching. But, that’s the point – do your thing! And, really, he deserves it. Fatherhood is no joke. And he did the same for me on Mother’s Day, so returning the favor is just polite. I guess. I still reminisce about my special day.
- On Sunday, my daughter will awake at 5:00 a.m. as per usual, I will get her fed, dressed and rehearse her for her performance of “ma-ma” on repeat. From there, we’ll probably eat or something, see my parents and celebrate together. Nothing super crazy, but we strive to be as low key as possible in every aspect of life, so for us, it works.
I will say I’m a bit nervous about even coming close to making my husband feel as loved and appreciated as he did for me on Mother’s Day. I know it’s not a competition, but if you don’t know me, everything is a competition and I must win.
So, while I stress about what exactly to do for him, get him, or even say to him, here are the reasons (or, more like, job titles he took on when signing up for this da-da thing) why my husband deserves to treat himself :
- School bus driver. He takes his girl to school every morning on his way to work. With a smile. At 6:20 a.m. Why? So I can get myself together for work ASAP without an adorable little face needing attention. He also picks her up in the afternoon 75% of the time, too. Because of that, he knows a lot of the kids’ names at school and sees all the adorable crafts covering the walls and tells me what her teachers said about our daughter that day. I try not to let the jealousy and guilt get to me too much, but I know he loves this special time with her.
- Milk inventory control supervisor. I produce and he “bags and tags” it. I have been breastfeeding since day 1. Pumping has become a huge part of our life and having a partner who is involved in making sure the freezer stash is sufficient AND all pump parts are clean and ready every day is invaluable. But he’s also supportive of transitioning to formula whenever I’m ready. He’s doing this on my terms, and supporting whatever works best for all of us.
- We bought a new house 6 weeks before I gave birth with the smallest yard ever. On purpose. We can barely keep ourselves together, much less keep our grass green and an acceptable length. But, with his battery powered lawn mower, multiple sprinklers, fertilizer, and whatever else, he keeps us looking acceptable enough for our homeowner’s association to not send notices.
- Executive chef. Yeah, I don’t cook. We are big fans of Taco Tuesday and cereal for dinner. But whatever’s on the menu, my husband owns it. That includes grocery shopping, too. He’s on it. We’re not eating gourmet, but we are fed. And when our girl starts eating more real food, we’ll work on more balanced meals. We’re getting there, but only because my husband is in charge.
- Chief Fun Officer. Does this need explanation? My husband is the fun one. The way our daughter looks at him and just smiles is melt-worthy.
How does one celebrate a school bus driving, milk inventory, grounds keeping, chef, who’s always captain of the fun boat? Beats me. But I’ll do my best to come up with something memorable for his first Father’s Day.
More than anything, I know we are lucky. My daughter and I have a presence in our life who goes above and beyond. For us. I’m not sure a gift or anything material can really express our gratitude.
But I’m willing to bet that screams of “ma-ma” will be what he’s hoping for on his day.
