The ‘Big 1st’ Fathers Day

Seriously, you really don’t feel like a Father until other people start acknowledging it and address you as “Dad”, like all day yesterday. It really did make me feel like I should pull out a pipe, give it a puff, while choking up a tie -- or something like that.

My day turned out to be really good. My two ladies passed on the Dockers and gave me a gift I really wanted (a game for the new Nintendo DS lite I bought last week…yeah, I know, how old am I?) And then we all made a lunchtime visit to The Grove out here in L.A. I got to eat at one of my favorite places call The Gumbo Pot down at the Farmer’s Market section – Man, I just love Creole cooking ever since my first trip to New Orleans over 8 years ago and this is the best place for it out here. The food was so spicy that I looked like an emotional father while feeding cornbread to my daughter. Some older woman stopped by and said “First time dad, huh?” At least I didn’t look as emotional as “My Two Dads” who sat nearby taking pictures of each other feeding their 3 month old.
While meandering around, we stopped at that new American Girl Place. They had something going on called “Date with Dad”, which I thought was a pretty good idea to possibly do in a few years. Problem is, you might need one of their $175 dolls. And maybe the doll needs her $400 carriage to meet you there or just a trip to the doll salon to get a $20 hairstyle. That place made Barbie look like Britney’s best friend at the trailer park.

After the adventure, later in the day, I was with the mini in our hallway with her shadow in front of her as she walked. She kept stopping and pointing to it, and then tried to grab it off the ground a few times. I laughed and then tried to grab at it too, but she just broke out laughing, which was quickly interrupted by a loud "toot" and then her “poopie” face followed. While changing her diaper I just thought to myself “My 1st Father’s Day; I’ll remember this for the rest of my life”.