Daddy Cool

Or at least he will be. Someday. I have to say Mr. T is amazing with kids. He has such a large family that there have always been toddlers and newborns somewhere in the vicinity. I remember watching in amazement as this (then 20 something) man deftly picked up his 3 week-old cousin and held him happily - something I know I would have been nervous to do back then. I remember looking on in awe as the children clung to him, waiting to be swung around, climbing on him and shouting 'again, again!' And his face, totally consumed in the moment, a picture of complete joy.

It was one of the things that made me fall in love with him. One of the things that made me realize I was going to marry this man. And that one day.... well, that day hasn't happened as quickly as we'd hoped.

Here's some eye candy ladies. (Yeah fellow IFers, I mean the man not the baby!) It's funny but my husband and this man have nearly the exact same body type ;)

Part of my attraction to a man who is family-centered and loves being around kids is because of my own father. My father is one of those great dads. (I'm very lucky I know.) A man who delights in making children happy, who loves playing the fool. If he took us swimming he wouldn't be sitting at the side of the pool reading a newspaper. Not at all. He would be in the water with us causing mayhem, throwing us around or perhaps playing a game of 'what's the time Mr. Shark'. If he had a day off he wouldn't spend the time watching TV or having a lie-in, he would play hide-and-seek with us, take us on a walk or on a special outing. I have this picture of my dad which just sums him up completely. It was taken at my sister's birthday, he stands surrounded by 7 year old girls with huge smiles, and wearing different items of clothing from our dressing-up box and a blue punk wig on his head. You see he was always happy to play the fool.

Just from instinct I know Mr. T will be the same. And I feel so happy that our someday children will have those same joyful and wonderful experiences I did. So part of my aching for a child is also because I ache on behalf of Mr. T. I know what a cool Daddy he will be. And I so desperately want him to have the chance to be the fun, crazy, loving, firm but fair Dad I know he will be. 

Sending love and respect to all the cool Daddies out there, including those who are yet to have the opportunity to be the great Dads we know they will be. God knows we need more of them.