A Day of Hands...

Father's day is a day of "hands" for me.

My father died in June of 2007, about a week and a half after father's day. I LOVED Daddy! He had a wonderful   sense of humor and was the most intelligent man I have ever met. His ability to learn to do whatever he set his mind to figuring out, was the most amazing thing about him. Present him with a problem, a task, a concept or any challenge and he would "chew-on-it" until he was able to successfully calculate, complete, build, engineer or produce a solution. Honestly, I do not remember a single time he was stumped. Now, to be honest, I have to also admit that he was human. He could be very short-tempered and he did not suffer fools well. But for me, he was the perfect father.

So, on the one hand, father's day is a painful reminder of what I lost that day in June, six years ago.

On the other hand, there is father's day with Haime. Haime is not the biological father to my sons, however, for the past 20+ years, he has been so much more than a step-father to them. He has offered support, opinions, pride, and direction to them. He has truly impacted the men they have grown to become. He has loved them as his own and never misses an opportunity to brag about how proud of them he is. So, on that hand, father's day is an opportunity to express my gratitude to Haime for being the "father" that he didn't have to be to my sons, just because he married me.

Then, on another hand, there is father's day with Chipper. Chip became a father about three and a half years ago. He is more patient with his son than I would have imagined he would be, based on his teenage-self that I raised. Chipper takes his father role very seriously

and is just as likely to spend hours reading stories or playing Lego's or redesigning train tracks or doing puzzles as he is to do anything else in his spare time. Again, to be honest, Mallory is a big reason that Chip is such a good dad. They are truly partners in their marriage and most importantly, in their parenting. It is such a treat for me to watch Chipper as he faces the daily challenges of parenthood. (Mostly it's fun being the personification for the saying: Children are spoiled because no one spanks Nana!).

You see, father's day is a mixed bag for me. My life is so much richer because of the influence these three fathers continue to have on my life. Eventually, if Boo decides to become a father, or if I am still  around (God willing) when/if my grandson does, I'm sure there will be more hands to consider on this special day.

Happy father's day guys! I love you all.

TTFN, 

Lois

Padre Island!

Haime and I enjoy spending at least one long weekend, each year, at the beach with Chipper, Mallory, Carter, Reece and Chelsea. For the past few years, we have stayed in Port Aransas, TX and have found ourselves there on the first weekend after mother's day. When there, we like to stay in a condo on the channel that provides guests with access to a private fishing pier and fish cleaning facilities. Haime likes to fish...by that, I mean he spends nearly every waking hour fishing. The rest of us swim, visit the art show which coincides with our visit every year, shop, paint etc. The only thing Haime joins us for is one meal per day. The others also enjoy fishing, just not to the extreme level that Haime does. As for me, I confine my fishing to the seafood department at the local grocery or to the menu at one of our favorite restaurants.

This year's beach trip was a bit different. First, we had to schedule it on a different weekend...Memorial Day weekend, to be exact. Secondly, we stayed on Padre Island rather than Port Aransas (Mustang Island), and thirdly, we stayed FREE OF CHARGE at Chelsea's grandmother's place...Thanks Diane.

The condo had a pool, which we all enjoyed, and it was located on a canal; but, the guys agreed that the fishing just wasn't the same. We did spend more time on the beach this trip than on others in recent memory.

OK, this is another one of those times when the reality of a situation just hits you in the face. We were there on Memorial Day weekend. Yes, it is generally considered the "unofficial, official first day of summer." With that said (typed), we all knew that the beaches were probably going to be crazy crowded...what we didn't realize was that at some places, cars were parked 4-5 deep. HOLY CRAP!!! I know, for some of you, actually parking on the beach is a foreign concept. But, in Texas, along most state beaches, it is legal to park on the beach, as long as you buy a beach parking permit. There are a few, small sections of beach that are designated "free parking" and, of course, that's where the crazy-crowded places were.  

We drove further down the beach and were very happy with the places we found that were much less crowded. Carter LOVES the whole beach experience. He is not bothered by sand getting in his swim trunks, nor the taste of salt water, nor the seaweed that washed up. He is also getting more confident and daring with each passing day. I believe that a lot of his confidence comes from the fact that he is constantly surrounded by loving, caring, supportive parents and extended family. He knows, with every fiber of his being, that he is as protected from dangers and peril as he can possibly be. (Wouldn't this be a perfect world if all children had that?--yes, I know, I digress...). I also like the ocean, (I don't like sand in my swimsuit, though) and I can't wait until Carter is a little bit older and I can teach him to body surf or to at least ride the waves in...(actual surfing is just not something we do in Texas...although, a wet suit might help fight some of the effects of gravity-something to consider).

Anyway, our time at the beach came to an end WAY too soon. Tonight, Haime and I had dinner with Carter, Mallory and Chipper and we all agreed that we should consider more frequent beach trips. Actually, Mallory and I agree that Haime and I should just buy a house down there so we could go as often as we like. Haime and I have discussed this idea for years, then, just when we start getting serious about finding the right place, Haime changes his mind. He says he just can't leave his golfing buddies...WHATEVER!

TTFN

Lois