Father Extraordinaire

I haven't completely gotten comfortable with the blog format, going public with my thoughts for all to see.  S. has encouraged me to, but I guess I'm shy.  Today, though, I'll try it in honor of my honey.  Here are all the ways S. is such an excellent father (and husband).

He's silly.  We have a saying in our house, that dads are silly and moms are crazy.  I've found it to be a pretty useful generalization...but S.'s silliness has served us very well.  His discipline methods are much better than mine because they're silly where mine are just angry or impatient.  He puts on his "pigu-kicking foot" whenever the kids are recalcitrant in doing what we ask (pigu is Chinese for bum-bum) and reads them hilarious alternative versions of their favorite bedtime stories.  I've tried to duplicate his technique, but fail utterly to come even close to his silly genius.

He's creative.  I need to be a little better at giving him the time and leeway to pursue more of his ideas, because they're nearly always wonderful.  Hanging on our bedroom wall is a beautiful mirror that he etched for a Valentine's Day years ago.  He hand-stenciled the inscription, cut the design out of contact paper,  applied the etching cream, all by hand and the result is really well-done and very personal.  One of these days I'll stop demanding that he do mundane things like fix toilets and let him make the solar oven he's been dreaming of...

He's observant, without being outspoken -- which makes his opinions very well-thought out and worth seeking.  He has the ability to see different points of view.  He has learned to notice and interpret my needs, sometimes before even I catch them.  In terms of the kids, it makes him an excellent teacher, always fitting the message to the capabilities of each child.  I especially value how observant he is in spiritual matters, a person very receptive to those little feelings that can make such a difference in our lives.

He's a team player.  He's a huge positive influence in our family, setting an example by always being willing to pitch in and work hard, with a smile.  For instance, we still have only one car, which means that we  Do  Everything  Together.  Sometimes our overlapping schedules make for some strain in the transportation department, and he has to put up with a carful of cranky kids going somewhere he wouldn't really have needed (or wanted) to go himself, but he's a great sport.

Last but not least, he's tender.  Not a quality you'll hear much about in the media, but I think this is what bumps S. up from being a good father to being a great one.  He has compassion, a soft heart, and a generous nature.  And yes, as he mentioned in a previous post, he does indeed shed tears easily when he, say, watches An American Tail or reads The Road or anything to do with fatherhood.

Here's to fatherhood and one excellent dad!