I think I can be a dad

This past Thursday Christine headed off to Texas to visit her mom who is doing pretty bad with cancer, tumors, and energy. Initially Christine was going to travel with Isa but being 11 weeks pregnant, Isa, air flights, and taking care of her mom was a recipe for exhaustion. So, I being the father of the year, brought my "A" game. We actually did pretty good. I took the kids to swimming lessons, to my gym, out to dinner, cooked food kids liked, watched Amazing Race shows, was a teacher for home school, changed enough diapers and loved being a dad. Times like these when one of the parents is gone is never a choice but I do cherish the slow down and focus on the kids. It was fun and even Isa was happy with me as a full time parent.

About 2 of the 3 nights Christine was gone Craig and Joe came over for steaks, chicken, junk food, guac and chips. The weather was nice enough that we sat outside on my patio for hours talking, laughing and complaining about things that don't go our way. One night a small little visitor crawled up the wall behind Craig. We have seen possums in our backyard and we suspect they eat our cool limes from our lime tree. We have also suspected they live in a small hole near our patio. Well the baby possum climbing our vines confirmed it. Not sure how I feel about having a possum as an unofficial guest at our house. I think this possum felt threatened and left us a smelly gift on our front door step 2 days later (no picture of that.)

On Sunday we were at our gym and Benjamin comes running into the weight room to say that his tooth was falling out because he had bumped it. I rejoiced with him and told him that was natural part of becoming a man. He was losing his first tooth. It was a pretty big drama the first day as everything he chewed caused pain. Tues afternoon, he comes running to Christine and I and is smiling with joy, holding his tooth and explaining he it just fell out and that he almost swallowed it. We made sure he got prepared to put it under his pillow for the tooth fairy. Here in Mexico they have the tooth rat come by and take it and replace it with money. But since we are experiencing too many rat like looking creatures we stuck with the tooth fairy version. That night he told Christine he didn't believe in the tooth fairy and Santa Claus. Oh well, there goes my fun. I still went into his room about 11pm and replaced his tooth with about 25 pesos.

It us super fun seeing them grow and enjoy life. Isa now screams "HI" to me when I walk in the door. She can do no wrong. Her expressions, learning about life and new words is so fun. The boys are great swimmers (2 lessons a week) and are learning the game of tennis. This week they learned serves. A week ago our gym hosted a tennis tournament and on the first day there was a kids clinic. Benjamin won wrist bands and a hat. Then, much to his fathers delight, Jonathan brought home the bacon. He won a $70 Nokia cell phone. Very cool. He already made a deal to sell it to our ministry for $25. Just like his dad.


Categories: Family, MexicoCity