Father's Day

 Father's Day has come and gone, one week ago today, but don't think for a second that we let it go by without loving up on our rock. Steve had to work on Father's Day (again! yes I keep track!) so we celebrated Saturday instead. Wugs and I got up early and made Papa breakfast in bed with all his favorites, except for the homemade Bloody Mary which had to wait because silly me forgot to buy vodka (oops! he got it midmorning.) Last year Mila could barely say Happy Papa's Day Papa!; remember? And now here she was, singing For He's a Jolly Good Feeeeeelllloooooow as we carried in the breakfast tray. 

It's hard to put into words how thankful I am to have someone like Steve to navigate this whole parenting gig with. He's my everything, balances all my faults out and when the going gets tough reminds me not to turn on him. He's got my back, he's got all our backs, and we feel his love every day. It's warm there, in his sunshine. And he's ours.

A few more things about my baby daddy:

• He shoos me out of the house so I can go for a run, because he knows how good it makes me feel about myself afterwards
• On his days off he'll usually scoop up the girls and let me sleep in. And coffees made by Steve always taste better than mine.
• He feels very very strongly about being The One to teach our daughters how to ride a bike. It's that important to him. 
• Him and Dani have such a strong, no-words-necessary-the-gaze-says-it-all kind of bond that sometimes I feel like I'm intruding by being there. 
• He pays attention to what's captivating Mila at the moment (right now it happens to be diggers and other construction trucks, earlier today she was incessantly asking me to show her a picture of a front-loader) and will find ways to expand on it--buying her books, showing her youtube videos, seeing it in person. He doesn't just steer her in the direction of things he's interested in. He looks at what motivates her.

• He'll create elaborate battle scenes with Wugs' miniature animals after cleaning up the bath toys. They usually involve a monkey on an elephant's back, or some elaborate African safari crocodile-lion-cape buffalo versus cheetah-elephant-rhino showdown. Kid at heart.
• When I asked him if he'd be nervous to talk to the girls about their periods and other puberty-related things when they get older, he simply said, "Why would I be nervous?" --I think that's awesome. 

 p.s. So last year I made this little video for Steve on Father's Day. This year I went with a low-tech, unplanned version but I quite like it just the same. I sent it to Steve at work last Sunday to let him know we were missing him, and because as I filmed I knew this was pure gold. It's Mila at her finest: understated and eloquent. A song written and performed for her one and only Papa.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you He Took a Poop Last Night.

And don't mind my Khloe Kardashian voice even though she's my definite favorite of the K's.

We love you, Pook. Thanks for tirelessly being ours.