Guest Blog: Good Dad? Bad Dad? by Sweetie

To be a good dad or a bad dad.  A fun dad or a responible dad.  Old dad, young dad... These sorts of questions have been floating around in my brain a lot. 

 

Late last night Sport causally mentioned it was the fourth grade program tomorrow.  Just during school, no evening program this year.   That’s the first we had heard.. no notes, no months of memorizing, nothing... ok, he has been practicing his recorder, but he's been doing that since before Christmas. I think he actually likes it.

 

Problem is I needed to go to work.. my 5-day weekend via vacation days had been cut short by an issue at work  I was planning on going in... Provider dad or supportive dad?? I went to the program. By the number of people there, I'm guessing we weren't the only ones who almost or maybe didn’t get the word. The program was nice, recorders and Utah history just like seven or so we have been to with the older kids.

 

After that we marveled at spring in Utah.  Ducks and snow.. who knew?

 

Drove Curly to preschool.  Right through the snow on the front grass because he thinks my little old girly SUV is a Jeep and can go anywhere. And off to work. Was almost there when my boss called me on my cell with another problem. Did anyone know I was supposed to be on vacation and I’m not supposed to work Fridays??   

 

Some time around noon, all the teenage girls headed out of town for a dance competition in St. George. It would only be Sport, Scout, Curly and Baby Doll and my wife and me all evening.  A little family with four children. And that’s when it hit me...I should pretend to be young dad! 

 

I came home early, got the treadmill thing over with (man that made be feel old), played with kids bouncing super balls while my wife went to the gym and then we did something we haven’t done in years. We took the kids to Pizza Planet! OK, it's really called Party Planet, but they have pizza, an arcade, go-carts, mini golf and mini bowling.  

 

It's been years since we went to a place like that, and even longer since we did it without a teenager to help.  What were we thinking??  I had to chase kids, no teenagers to handle the potty runs, nobody to even refill my Coke but me. 

 

I’m too old for this young dad stuff.  But it sure was fun!