- Calling home while I was on a business trip and hearing my sweet kids' voices telling me they loved me. When I talk to Melanie on the phone now, I still picture her as a 4 year old with a Dorothy Hamill hair-do. Jeff was such a talker when he was younger...now he is more of a thinker.
- Having both kids run up and hug my legs when I would come home from work or a business trip.
- How they each said, "Dada" for the first time...Melanie's was more of a, "dadjy"
- Remembering how they would pronounce words when they were learning to talk. Jeff would walk up to us when he was barely two, holding his arms up and say, "Holdyou?" Meaning he wanted us to pick him up. Melanie at three would wrinkle her nose and say, "I smell somfing."
- I loved playing in the pool with them. They are both great swimmers now, but when they were learning, it was such great fun. I still crack a smile when I think about Jeff diving through the blow up ring and getting it stuck on his neck. Melanie wearing her goggles everywhere (still does!) and diving down in the deep end to catch a frog for me.
- Teaching Jeff how to ride a bike, then drive a car, and then how to invest his money.
- Making home made spaghetti sauce with Melanie in our kitchen and teaching her how to make her favorite beet salad.
- Baptizing Jeff in the Pacific Ocean at Playa Vista.
- Watching Melanie and her grandpa eating weird foods together in China. They bonded over sashimi and duck tongues.
- Driving across the country with Jeff as we went to take him to school in Ohio. Just him and me.
- Being in the theater when we discovered Melanie needed glasses at 5 years old. She watched the movie with my oversized glasses on, which was hilarious to see.
- Quietly sneaking to Jeff's room to secretly watch him play with "Patchy-Pie" and his Beanie Babies...he made the cutest voices for his animals.
- Melanie playing Godzilla through Jeff's building blocks which he neatly stacked.
- Her fuzz head days when she wouldn't sit still to eat, so we fed her like a bird...we put food on the window sill and when she went by, she would take a little bit and then continue on with whatever she was doing.
- Jeff's face when he discovered that he really liked ice cream.
- Melanie asking me to take her to try grasshoppers at the local Mexican restaurant.
- The joy they both had when they received acceptance letters to the schools of their choice.
- Making our favorite meals for special occasions, and cooking for all their friends when they came over unexpectedly.
- All those band concerts, parades, soccer games, swim meets, football games, and recitals. I love watching my kids perform.
- I loved the sense of accomplishment they each felt when they presented their savings accounts to me; showing me they met the goal we set before leaving for college. Their faces were beaming with pride at their accomplishment.
- I remember each of their births in detail. I will never forget the doctors telling me that they each were healthy.
- I remember the day Lori and I made a decision to keep Melanie when the doctors thought she would be a special needs baby at birth. We thought we would be the best parents for a special needs kid. Her birth was a very special day because she was perfect.
- Watching my kids sleep. It is so peaceful and comforting to see them sleep no matter what age they are.
- I loved when they would visit me in the office...I could show them off to my co-workers.
- I love their smell when I would hold them and they fell asleep.
- I like how brave they are. They don't cry or complain much when it comes to pain. They are tough.
There are so many great memories, big and small that make me so proud to be a father. I hope my dad has the same kind of memories that I have of my kids. I'm sure he does...he always jokes about them, so I know he has a list, too.
I love being a father, but I love being "Dad" more. "Father" is my job description, but "Dad" is how my kids see me. So Happy Father's Day to me!
Chow!
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