World's Best Dad, Until...

I have a feeling every dad has been through this.

You're the world's greatest dad.  The kid is ecstatic, you're happy, everyone is laughing.  And then, everything falls apart.

I think that's the nature of dads.  It's not always stable.  The highs are always punctuated by the "What the hell were you thinking"s.   At least that's been my case.

Tonight, I was doing well.  I had just fed Kuri and tucked him into bed.  He'd only needed one readjustment of his burp-cloth and he was off to dreamland.  I came out of his room feeling good. Mimi wanted to play.  More accurately, she wanted to swing.

Now, I've done this a hundred times.  I hold Mimi by the hands and the wrists, swing her between my legs, and then up into the air.  Of course, I'd only done this outside or in the family room.  Tonight, Mimi ambushed me in the kitchen.  Already feeling good for getting one kid down so smoothly, I thought, "What the hell, let's give it a go."

First swing, "More Papa!"  Second swing, "More Papa!"  Third swing... oh my god, the kitchen light fixture just shattered.

A bit dazed, I held Mimi in my arms and then set her down where, stupidly, I thought she was out of range of the shattered glass.  I surveyed the damage.  "It could be worse." I thought.  And then it was. To my right I heard a scream of "Bloooooooooood!"  Mimi had cut her foot.  I'd gone from great dad to negligent monster in one swing.  Such is the life of a dad.

Sumie and I cleaned up the mess and Mimi was bandaged up.  I have to say I'm awfully proud of my little girl.  She was a little scared at first, but soon her curiosity got the better of her.  "Why is there blood on the floor?  Why does my foot hurt?  How many band-aids are you going to put on my foot?" I think Mimi's going to make a great doctor someday.  She really was a bit frightened at first, but she was far more interested in what happened and why.

Mimi ended up with 3 band-aids.  She was very excited to have so many at one time.  It was a new record.

As you can see, the initial scare soon switched over to interest and excitement.  Mimi was very good at keeping her foot elevated.  I'm not sure if she really knows what that means yet, but nonetheless, she did a great job!

This evening's wayward adventures followed a packed, but very rewarding weekend.  On Saturday, Mimi and Kuri visited their Great Grandma.  We brought a cake to celebrate, which both Mimi and Great Grandma enjoyed.

As is the case with all grandparents, the grandkids were spoiled.  Kuri enjoyed opening his gifts.

Although here I think he is coveting whatever his big sister was opening.

Back in NYC, we didn't get to see Great Grandma much, but now that we're closer, it's nice to be able to get together.  I think this picture sums up the day well.  Notice that I'm not in it.  There was a picture with me, but unfortunately, both kids were screaming.  Again, the life of a dad is a mixed bag.

On Sunday, Mimi got another dose of gymnastics.  She absolutely loves the foam pit.  Perhaps she has a kinship with the trash compactor monster from Star Wars.  I'll have to ask her next time we watch it.

Sunday afternoon, Sumie headed into the city to meet with friends and took the two kids.  I also ventured into the city for a going away party for a friend of mine.  All told, I think Sumie and I spent two hours together the entire day.  Still, she got some great pics of the kids.  Here's Kuri enjoying a swing in the park.

He's not quite as timid as his big sister was when it comes to swinging.  After all, he is a boy.

Lately, Mimi has been obsessed with the Lego Movie.  I can't really complain, as it's one of the best kids' movies I've seen in ages.  She decided to build her own Lego town, complete with ocean, on her little table in the family room.

Kuri is now quite independent.  He's crawling, cruising, sitting up, and standing on his own. Sometimes he likes  to pretend he's an 80 year old fire fighter from the 1920s.

Mostly, he just likes exploring.  Here he is in the kitchen looking for pots, pans, and tupperware to spread across the kitchen floor.

When Kuri came along (as I'm sure I've said before), I was worried at how Mimi might not get along with him.  Thankfully, I couldn't be more proud of her.  She's a wonderful big sister.   

Now, if only I could be as good of a dad, I'd have everything wrapped up.