Father's Day

On this Father's Day, I wanted to post a little bit about Josh. I am so grateful for such an amazing husband and father. He is the cutest daddy ever... not that I'm biased at all. Here are just a few highlights of things I love about Josh being a father.

* He has more patience than pretty much anyone I know. It shines through when he takes care of Chloee and disciplines her, all the while I'm in the corner pulling my hair out!

*He LOVES to watch her chew. Josh can't stand to see or hear anyone chew, especially if their mouth is open while doing so. For some reason he finds it really cute when she does it.

*I love his "Chloee voice". Only a few people have been fortunate enough to hear it. For those of you who have, you know what I'm talking about. That cute little girl voice he does is adorable.

*He is always so proud of her. Every time she learns something new, you can see the gleam in his eye. He always gives great praise to her when she has done something right.

*He is not afraid to get down and act silly with her. He doesn't mind carrying a pink diaper bag around and hauling 15 different babies all over the place. He will play dolls with her and paints her finger and toenails. He loves to read to her and makes up his own version of the stories, those are her favorites and mine as well, they are so funny to listen to!

*Only daddy can make the worst of "ouchies" better. I have tried but she just wants daddy's kisses. Mine, evidently have been overused and have been weakened by such.

*The 2 of them have "most" wars at night when she is going to bed. Josh stays outside her door and she says, "I love you the most, daddy". He then retorts, "No, I love you the most". Once again from inside her door, "No, no, I LOVE YOU THE MOST." As she screams it at the top of her lungs. This goes on at least 5 or 6 times and she ALWAYS has to have the last and needless to say, the most powerful "MOST". It is very cute to listen to.

*He loves spending time with her and taking her to the store, stroller rides, he pushes her in the swing, will read the same book 20 times, LOVES to scare her and chase her around the house. I can't imagine being married to a person that thinks of their children as a burden to their lives and that don't want to spend any time with them. I'm glad that Josh has a playful relationship with her, kids need to know that there is more to their dad than someone that makes them work 24-7 and never shows any affection. I couldn't have done better in both the husband and father department.

Here's a little poem I found that reminded me of Josh and Chloee.

What Is A Dad?

A dad is someone who
wants to catch you before you fall
but instead picks you up,
brushes you off,
and lets you try again.

A dad is someone who
wants to keep you from making mistakes
but instead lets you find your own way,
even though his heart breaks in silence
when you get hurt.

A dad is someone who
holds you when you cry,
scolds you when you break the rules,
shines with pride when you succeed,
and has faith in you even when you fail...

~By Susan Ceylise.~

I also wanted to put a little something in this Father's Day post to my dad. I love you dad, more than you will ever know. I love that you aren't afraid to show your emotions. That is something I have always admired about you. I love that it's okay for you to cry in front of your children and you aren't ashamed of it. I love that you don't feel like you always have to act like this big, tough guy who never cries and that crying is unacceptable. I know Josh LOVES that about you too! You have such a fun and lovable personality and anyone that comes in contact with you immediately knows that. Thanks for calling me on Friday night after I saw you, the things you said to me on the phone brought tears to my eyes and that meant the world to me! I love you SO much and as I said before, I'm amazed that you can still love me after living with me as a teenager and all of the hurtful things I said. Lucky for me, your memory is selective and I'm grateful you have NOT selected those years to remember. Thanks for everything you have done and continue to do for my family. All 3 of us love you to pieces. Chloee told me today, "Awan tickle bampa." LOVE YOU DAD!