Father's Day and our ode to Swine

 While we didn't get to celebrate with either of our Dads in person, we still celebrated in their honor, and of course celebrated Dave! It was interesting to me how, on Mother's Day, I just wanted to get away from being mommy for a day. However, Dave was all about hanging out with the girls- granted still eating lots of lovingly prepared food throughout the day. He did go to a movie in the afternoon, but he also spent a couple hours cleaning the house. What???? Yes, you read correctly...cleaning the house; dusting, sweeping, scrubbing the floor, and even washed all the dishes before bed. Did we have company coming? Nope.

At one point he mentioned that we should celebrate Father's & Mother's Day once a month. He said it was nice to see father's walking around the neighborhood with their kids-- "why do we really only see/appreciate that once a year?" If Dave celebrates Dad's day by chillin' with the kids and cleaning the house, then I am all in for the once a month thing. Now I realize that means spending a few hours myself in the kitchen however, but... I'm sold. Once a month for Dave cleaning the house, me getting some culinary me-time, and then the once a month Mother's Day where I can still escape? Sounds like a plan. But, we both know that will probably not happen, nice thought however:)

So after a trip to the farmer's market while Dave was still sleeping in, our ode to Swine began. We made breakfast that included bloody Marys, bacon (from pigs at a local farm); a feta, tomato, egg scramble (with eggs from chickens at the local farm), star fruit, & strawberries (from a local  farm!). I also scoured the city for an old-fashioned doughnut with no success- shouldn't have been that hard!

Then I started dinner not that long after we finished brunch. I made ribs. I have only done that one other time a couple years ago, so I was a little concerned that I may be cooking those baby backs for 3 hours only to mess them up. They were messy, but they were delicious. Served them with sweet corn and a pea, strawberry, almond salad- yum!

So even though I don't mind cooking and all, it will be nice once L & S are old enough to take on the father's day reigns. They have already become quite the sous chefs, so I give them 2 more years. That way I can focus on my dad again!

What I understand now about my dad, from being a mother myself and a wife to my children's father:

1.  You worry, a lot.
2. It's kinda cool and kinda scary that your kids look up to you... ah the pressure!
3. You want to give your kids the opportunity to do everything, even though we know that's literally impossible
4. You want your kids to like what you like (my dad and I like many of the same things-and growing; ie. sailing, gardening, writing, spending lots of time perusing random things on the Internet, German food, coffee & popcorn to name a few)
5. Sometimes you don't agree with your spouse how how to handle a situation with the little ones
6. As a husband- there are many of those times you have to let the mother of your children win:)
7. It's not easy when your kids seem to run to "mom" all the time.
8. You become a lot more aware of your surroundings and how they might impact your children
9. You make sacrifices
10. It's pretty neat when you see yourself in your kids... assuming they are doing something (cool, super-intelligent, wonderfully creative, etc.)
11. It doesn't always take much to make a parent extremely proud

Happy Father's Day!!