Daddy's Fish BowlA Clear View Of A Father's Family Experiences

Disclaimer: This post was suppose to be all about summer activities, but then a memory struck me and the entire post shifted.  Sorry, read on and you’ll see it was a good shift.

Summer is nearly half way over and I’m left wondering where the time went.  It seriously doesn’t seem like the middle of July is here already.  But then I look back and realize that the reason summer is passing me by is because of all these gosh darn activities that we’ve been involved with for the kids.  This year, some dummy (me) was looking through the activity catalog and make the bright decision to sign them up for everything. When I say everything, I really mean just about EVERYTHING. We had basketball, T-ball, swimming, karate, soccer, gymnastics, art, and music classes.  It’s been a lot of fun and the kids really enjoy being involved in so many different things, but secretly, I must say that I’m happy we’ve reached the midway point and it’s almost over.

I have to say that so far, T-ball has been my favorite activity of the bunch.  There’s just something about watching a bunch of 2 year olds attempt to play the sport of mini-baseball.  It’s honestly hilarious, and I’d recommend it as therapy to anyone having bad day.  At this age, I think the parents are the ones who get the most out of an activity like this.  The kids just enjoy the freedom of running around, they could care less about throwing a ball or running the bases, all they really want to do is RUN.  Tre never did fully grasp the concept of tagging a person out, but by the end of the “season” he did eventually master running the bases by himself and for that he gets two thumbs up!

Oh man, that statement has just caused me to go on a total tangent.  Sorry if you’re really into the activities stuff right now, but we’re switching gears for a moment.  Did you know that people don’t instinctively know how to give a thumbs up? ME EITHER! Not until Tre’s T-ball class, at the end of class everyone huddled up and was suppose to put their thumbs in to do a celebratory cheer.  Well low & behold, the toddlers were all baffled.  Some of them were sticking their index finger in the pile, others just putting entire fists in there.  One thing was for sure, there was an excessive absence of tiny thumbs present for our cheer.  After witnessing this travesty, I was utterly appalled, how could I have missed this? My son, my flesh and blood was currently incapable of giving a thumbs up. How could this be; if he can’t give a thumbs up, he most certainly can’t pull of the much more complicated “wink and a gun”, and if he can’t do that, how in the world will he be able to impress hot chics?  This was a truly shocking and upsetting moment, but after I regained consciousness and realized that all was not loss, that there was still time to save him; I got to work and prepared for a long and grueling training session to whip my boy into shape (queue up Rocky Theme Music).

I had a long road ahead of me, after hours and hours of extensive research, I discovered that separating the thumb from the other four fingers and using it independently wasn’t a natural instinct, but indeed something that could be taught.  Ah ha, the glimmer of hope that I needed, let the training begin!  We performed hours upon hours (okay, minutes upon minutes) of hardcore thumb pumping drills.  I’d do quick thumbs up, slow thumbs up, even two thumbs up, but his thumbs were never at that oh so desirable 90 degree angle.  Ready to throw in the towel, head hanging low, I took one last look at my boy and saw a montage of how pitiful his life was going to be, now that he had failed thumbs up boot camp.  Just then, as if to say, “Don’t you give up on me yet Dad” his little pint sized hand slowly started to rise! Higher, and higher it went, all the while, his thumb emerging from his little fist until finally it happened, a full 90 degree thumbs up!

Ha Ha, take that! We had done it, together, we had achieved greatness and I couldn’t wait until the next class to show off Tre’s talents.  During that class, I wasn’t focused at all, totally missing ground balls, striking out at bat, but none of that mattered, because at the end of class, we would be shining, we would show those 2 year olds the best thumbs up in the world.  Then it happened, class was finally over, it was time to huddle up and grab the glory.  Coach instructed everyone to put their thumbs in for a cheer and dammit, wouldn’t you know almost every darn kid there had a thumb poking out. Then I look at Tre and he’s standing there index finger stretched as far as can be, still with the look of greatness on his face that we had prepared for.  All I could do was laugh, and hold my head high as I died a small death on the inside due to my foolishness.  He tried and whether it’s sports, or thumbs up, that’s all that matters and I’ll always be proud of him.

Oh yeah, by the way, the title was reflected at my stupidity. In case you missed that.