Last night, just before we went to bed, it started to snow. Big ol' snowflakes. Snowflakes the size of your head. So outside we went, with no preparation for the weather, no twenty minutes of finding boots, collecting mittens, or arguing over hats and hoods, we just went out in the clothes we were wearing, and caught those big-as-our-new-house snowflakes on our tongues. Forever, it seemed, we were out there. Spinning, leaping, shouting, and laughing. Most of all laughing.
I don't spend a lot of my time on this blog describing the good aspects of having kids, and mostly that's because I don't spend a lot of time actually experiencing any of the good aspects of having kids, but sometimes, only sometimes, when it's well-past dark outside, and your fingers are cold, and your hair is wet, and you can't see the snowflakes until they are right there on top of you, and nobody is asking for anything, and everybody is living with all their attention focused right in that moment, waiting for the next snowflake and laughing to wake the dead, in those moments this fathering thing doesn't seem that bad after all.
From one SAHD to another. . .
Rock and roll, big guy. Rock and roll. . .
Posted by: DerekB | January 18, 2008 at 02:58 PM
Beautiful.
Posted by: Michelle | January 18, 2008 at 03:51 PM
I had one of those moments this afternoon as I put the Little Man down for his nap. He ate well and then curled up against my chest all quiet and peaceful the way he used to do when he was made of newborn-jelly and just rested. Quietly. Not squirming. Not fussing. And quiet.
I melted a little bit, then, in my resolve to resent my "job" as a SAHM.
Posted by: Kelly | January 18, 2008 at 04:12 PM
It's not often we see a nine line sentence, especially one about the "good aspects of having kids". Wish I could have seen all those little tongues stuck out in the air.
Posted by: The Gmama | January 18, 2008 at 05:09 PM
And THAT'S why LookyDaddy rocks the casbah.
Posted by: BookMamma | January 18, 2008 at 06:28 PM
well said.
Posted by: | January 18, 2008 at 09:04 PM
This post makes me feel like I just took a breath.
Maybe that only makes sense to me : )
Posted by: Victoria | January 18, 2008 at 11:17 PM
Awwwww...Lookydaddy does have a heart. :)
Posted by: Amber | January 19, 2008 at 09:32 AM
Beautifully expressed. It's wonderful when your children can just enjoy their childhood, without the extra drama.
Wonderful for parents too! :)
Jillian
Posted by: Jillian | January 19, 2008 at 11:21 AM
Amen, brother. Glad to hear you got a chance to enjoy the little ones for a few minutes.
Posted by: 3-Martini Jennifer | January 19, 2008 at 08:55 PM
What a wonderful moment...thanks for sharing the experience!
Posted by: Mauigirl52 | January 21, 2008 at 01:28 AM
Thanks The Dad, for goosebumps and watery eyes. You helped bring back special moments w/my now 21 year old.
Posted by: keribea | January 21, 2008 at 09:26 AM
So glad you had those perfect moments, it makes the other not so perfect moments bearable.
Posted by: Angela | January 21, 2008 at 09:56 AM
thought #1: hooray!
thought #2: so now, if people type "the good aspects of having kids" into Google, they'll get your site???
Posted by: lizk | January 21, 2008 at 01:17 PM
Way to go...make the pregnant lady tear up. Sniff. Like that was hard. Everything tears me up.
Posted by: Jolene | January 21, 2008 at 01:58 PM
Awwww.
Wasn't that great?!! I hope there was hot chocolate after.
Posted by: Catizhere | January 21, 2008 at 03:05 PM
Thank you, I need to remember to look for those moments too.
Kel
Posted by: Kelly | January 21, 2008 at 04:36 PM
Thanks for the smile. What a great post!
Posted by: Sweet Mary Sunshine | January 21, 2008 at 05:07 PM
Awww, The Dad.
I'm glad it doesn't suck all the time.
I have a two year old boy and this gives me hope. That one day, it might not suck for a minute. =)
Posted by: Kat | January 22, 2008 at 12:48 AM
The snow always seems to do that to us, too. I may fight and cajole and threaten my oldest, but the second we go out in the snow, it's like all of that has been washed away for a while, and we're happy and playing...and the good feeling extends back indoors for at least 10 minutes. ;)
Posted by: Colleen | January 22, 2008 at 11:17 AM
"Big ol'..." nice to see you still have a little Texan left in ya.
Posted by: Anita | January 22, 2008 at 12:57 PM