I will probably break this post up into a few so it isn't soooooooo long!
1. Love her mom. Treat her mother with respect, honor, and a big heaping spoonful of public displays of affection. When she grows up, the odds are good she’ll fall in love with and marry someone who treats her much like you treated her mother. Good or bad, that’s just the way it is. I’d prefer good. ---------I'd say A+ on rule #1 since Ben is pretty much a clone of my dad in soooo many ways.
2. Always be there. Quality time doesn’t happen without quantity time. Hang out together for no other reason than just to be in each other’s presence. Be genuinely interested in the things that interest her. She needs her dad to be involved in her life at every stage. Don’t just sit idly by while she add years to her… add life to her years.-----------odd that this is what actually gave me comfort in those early days. I know without a doubt my dad was always there. Whether it was a school play, a track meet, chaperoning a school field trip, driving carpool, helping with homework, cooking dinner, prom, my wedding day, the delivery room (not during actual birth!), he was there. Big stuff, small stuff, didn't matter. So in those early days of missing him, I would rationalize to myself (often, and often while driving in the car I have no idea why) that most people can't say that. Most people can't say my dad was there for everything. Not a thing I could think of that he missed.
3. Save the day. She’ll grow up looking for a hero. It might as well be you. She’ll need you to come through for her over and over again throughout her life. Rise to the occasion. Red cape and blue tights optional.--------I'd say he did pretty good here too. He'd have chased down anyone for me. And he did too. During prom picture taking a car drive too close to us kids on the road getting into a limo. He chased them down screaming and yelling about safety and children.
4. Savor every moment you have together. Today she’s crawling around the house in diapers, tomorrow you’re handing her the keys to the car, and before you know it, you’re walking her down the aisle. Some day soon, hanging out with her old man won’t be the bees knees anymore. Life happens pretty fast. You better cherish it while you can.----------I don't really think he ever took life for granted. He was always behind the camera capturing the moments to savor in the future. It's how he earned the name Opa. He was always lolly gagging behind snapping memories.
5. Pray for her. Regularly. Passionately. Continually.------not real sure about this one although in pretty sure he probably said "please god don't let her marry this one" once, "please god don't let her live with a boyfriend....ever", and "please god let her marry someone Jewish". I guess I answered his prayers :)
6. Buy her a glove and teach her to throw a baseball. Make her proud to throw like a girl… a girl with a wicked slider.-----my dad wasn't much of an athlete himself but he always told me that I threw like a girl. He told Alexis that a few times as well. But he just couldn't quite do anything about it!
7. She will fight with her mother. Choose sides wisely.-------love this one. He wisely always chose my mother. She was always right, right?
8. Go ahead. Buy her those pearls.-------when I was on homecoming court and my dad was my escort (one of my most favorite memories) he gave me a gold and sapphire Ring on the way in the car. I loved it and felt so special.
9. Of course you look silly playing peek-a-boo. You should play anyway.----------one thing he never cared about was what other people thought. Which was downright embarrassing at times. But hilarious in retrospect. He would do the krone decker walk anywhere anytime.
10. Enjoy the wonder of bath time.------I actually can't remember who did our bath time as kids. I'll have to ask my mom!
11. There will come a day when she asks for a puppy. Don’t over think it. At least one time in her life, just say, “Yes.”-------after our first dog died my dad said no more dogs. Then a neighbor found a dog who had been hit by a car. We wanted her. My dad did not. We cried. He said yes. After he spent thousands of dollars because she had back surgery and leukemia and she died, I was a senior in high school. We still wanted a new dog. He said no. Our friends brought over a black lab puppy because one of them was allergic. He said yes. And that dog became his life! He bought a red truck so the dog would look good riding with him!
12. It’s never too early to start teaching her about money. She will still probably suck you dry as a teenager… and on her wedding day.-------I feel like I earned the value of hard work and working for your money from my dad. I got a job at 16 so I could buy things I wanted and my parents always bought me things I needed. And of course some things I wanted too! I remember him taking me to the bank to open my first bank account and showing me how to use the ATM. I know on our wedding day there were some expenditures that he thought were unnecessary. Like chair covers. But he paid for it for me.
13. Make pancakes in the shape of her age for breakfast on her birthday. In a pinch, donuts with pink sprinkles and a candle will suffice.-------it may or may not have been our birthdays but he always made pancakes in the shape of the letters of our name. And Mickey mouse!
14. Buy her a pair of Chucks as soon as she starts walking. She won’t always want to wear matching shoes with her old man.------can't say he did that!
15. Dance with her. Start when she’s a little girl or even when she’s a baby. Don’t wait ‘til her wedding day.--------I have fond memories of my dad putting my feet on his and walking and dancing around. My dad was always up for a party and was always on the dance floor. And dancing with him on my wedding day to "Unforgettable" was a perfect choice of songs.
I guess I will stop at #15 for now. Check back soon for more rules!!!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
No comments:
Post a Comment