I "kissed" the sign boy......

He was and is very cute...I could not help myself with that simple public display of affection. His lips were cool and soft as they embraced my own, quick and simple the action, yet spoke volumes to my heart. I kissed the sign boy, the one with the youthful smile, strong legs and arms. The one my daughter calls daddy. We watched our little Margo swim her first race for the day, and well I could not help myself, as I looked up into his blue eyes and kissed him.

Dad's Day as my daughter calls it, came quickly with her jumping into bed and making her first request of many of this one man, she knows and calls Daddy. "Do you want to watch cartoons, or draw on the computer, or help Word Girl with the Energy Monster?" "It's Dad's day, daddy, and that's what you get to do on dad's day!" she chimed. "I thought it was Father's day", came his quick response. "Oh no, it is Dad's day and this is what you do on Dad's day", was her last reply, with a laugh and a giggle. The sign boy relented, and off they went to watch cartoons together. I could no longer sleep because I heard all of their giggle and laughter, both in equal portions between them.

I went downstairs, and prepared the meal, pancakes with a fresh fruit salad. Within about 20 minutes both companions appeared, hungry and ready to eat. I just needed a little more help with the fruit salad and all would be well. My man, her daddy, jumped in and completed cutting the fruit by my side. Once done, both were whisked to their seats as I cooked the pancakes on the very hot griddle. Breakfast served, all are content with the maple syrup and the day begins again.

In many ways, I think of my husband as the dad's dad. Why you ask? Because he plays with his daughter every day. Every evening I hear them laugh as he puts her to bed. She gets nuggies and tickles and hugs and kisses from her dad every day. Last night she declared "I love you 1 million, trillion zillion to infinity, daddy". (That is almost as much as she loves Lilly, her best friend.) A parent cannot ask for more than that type of recognition. He also looks for opportunities to say, "Margo, I was really proud of you when you swam your butterfly race..." or did something else. He is specific with his compliments to his daughter...and she loves it. He is learning to be firm when needed; it is hard to not always let your daughter be first, especially when she climbs up her ladder to bed to mope after getting out of the car last. But he did not cave on that instance...and that brings value to others in the eyes of our daughter. He is learning to sit with her when she cries, or place his hand on the bumped toe and ask God to make it feel better, like he did last night before bed. He realizes his fathering or should I say daddying techniques are different from those he was raised to experience. And as a Father, he and I really do work at being on the same page regarding requests, boundaries and all kinds of things one goes through when raising a 5 year old.

Her daddy is my "sign boy", the one I kissed and still find handsome and alluring. The one my heart looks towards for comfort and fun. The one I watch laughing with our daughter. Thank you honey for being her daddy and my guy!