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June 16, 2008
First Father's Day
I awoke this morning to a gentle, if insistent, taping on my back. I turned to see my young daughter, earnestly wishing to give me my Father's Day present.
In spite of the early hour, I rose to the occasion and opened the package, feeling more like a dad than ever before.
I was pleased and overwhelmed with the gift--an illustrated elephant made from Alden's inverted hand print and a few added pen marks by Robbi.
Here's a close-up.
I can't imagine a more wonderful way to wake up.
The rest of the day was just as nice as the beginning. Our friends Cathy and Neil are visiting. They are expecting a baby of their own in October, and have come to town to examine ours and to pick up a few pointers.
We decided to take a walk in the nature preserve near Kennedyville this afternoon.
Neil spent a few minutes going over the rules with Alden in the parking lot before we set out on the walk, drawing particular attention to Clause F, which prohibits the "making of public nuisance."
Alden was fundamentally opposed to Clause F, and let us know right away that she had no intention of following it.
The day was sunny and clear as we walked through cornfields.
When we got to the beach where the Sassafrass meets the Chesapeake, I took Alden out for a Father's Day swim, hoping it would go better than her introduction to the ocean at Dewey Beach last weekend.
The water was warm and, to my surprise, she was perfectly content.
It was an awfully nice way to spend one's first Father's Day afternoon.
Back on dry land, Alden made it clear that she is a beach girl in the making. She "laid out" baby style.
While Robbi played paparazzi.
On days like today, there is nothing as blue as the sky.
And nothing as green as the corn.
I was not the only one to receive a present today. Back home, Alden opened a gift from Cathy and Neil.
Curious about the contents, she took a closer look and decided that the only thing more fun than looking in the bag was getting into the bag.
Eventually she found the gift, a book her dad enjoyed quite a bit way back in the day.
Let's have another look at that elephant, instantly among the most important things I own in this world.
May it be but the first of many collaborations between my girls.
Posted by bogenamp at June 16, 2008 12:46 AM