Father's Day

This Sunday is Father's Day. So how will you celebrate?

As I am lucky enough to have a father and father-in-law who are still living as well as having a husband who is a father (and yes, I mean to my children. If there are any other children of his out there you may soon notice a drastic change in the tone of this blog.), we will be celebrating a multi-faceted Fathers' Day.

For my father-in-law, I have purchased a "funny" card. I leave the choice of gift up to my husband. Since Woody's folks (Mimi and Poppy) are leaving for a cruise, we won't be seeing them this weekend.

For my dad, I have also purchased a "funny" card. I plan to go out tomorrow and pick up his gift. And how do I show my love for my dad? With a Mr. Coffee Iced Tea maker of course! Sure he has one already. And even though it is several years old and missing one small, unnecessary piece, it works fine. But sadly, this is what it seems I've come to: buying replacement items for gifts. My folks are lucky enough to be able to buy the things they really need and most of the things they really want. Anything he wants that he can't buy would definitely be beyond my reach. So since the old man likes his tea, a tea maker it is.

And Woody? He will be the lucky recipient of a Flip Video digital camcorder. Is this because he's such a great dad and husband? Perhaps. But it's mostly because I think it's really cool. I know that Woody will like it, but that I will use it more. But since I will be using it to capture moments that he is missing due to his crazy work schedule (which I swear is meant to punish those with young families), it still seemed appropriate. And in case you were wondering, yes, I also bought him a "funny" card. This one was approved by Miss B however. Woody will be off on Saturday instead of Sunday, so we will celebrate with him tomorrow.

Since I am lucky enough to live near my folks (Granny and Papaw, as they are known to my girls), we will spend Father's Day with my father and his grill. My dad is a steak and potatoes kind of guy. Okay, he's actually a steak and cheesy-potatoes kind of guy, but you get the idea. He loves steak on the grill whenever the weather is agreeable, so I foresee a steak dinner on Sunday.

My dad and I didn't always get along when I was a kid, but we are close now. I'm lucky to have parents who are people I'd like even if I weren't related to them. And the girls love them too. Sister Goldenhair, in particular, adores her Papaw. She can't quite say "Granny" yet, but she can say "Papaw" with an ease and devotion that is sweet to behold. He teases her and tickles her, and she shrieks with laughter every time. Sometimes I'll even hear her call for him from her crib as she first awakens. I'm so glad that both girls get to spend a lot of time with their grandparents. Mine always lived at least two states away, so I only saw them a few times a year. My girls usually see both sets of grandparents at least once a week.

So is a tea maker a good gift for a great dad? When every meal at home was accompanied by a pitcher of iced tea, and your dad's favorite white cup is stained beige from always holding tea, and the only accepted family shorthand is the rattle of ice in an empty glass as a call for refills of sweet tea, I think it'll do nicely.