October 30, 2009

Reasons To Smile #2: Costumes

Driving home from work with my family in tow, I pulled up to a stoplight. With Halloween weekend coming up, I decided to use this brief moment to quiz my 2-year-old.

"Hey Ella?"

"What Daddy?" she said from the back seat.

"What is your sister Anna going to be for Halloween?"

"A beautiful butterfly!" she yelled.

"That's right. What are you going to be?"

"Cinderella!"

I turned back to face the red light, waiting for it to change. In the process, I shot my wife the I-Can't-Believe-How-Smart-Our-Daughter-Is look. It's a look I shoot her all-too-often.

A moment or two passed, then Ella's soft voice resurfaced with a very concerned tone.

"Daddy?"

"Yes dear?"

"What are you going to be for Halloween?"

This was a great question. I hadn't thought about it and, quite frankly, wasn't planning on dressing up. In truth, Halloween is really about the kids so it didn't matter to me whether I dressed up or not. But if she wanted me to, maybe I would.

"I don't know, Ella. What do you want me to be?"

She thought about it for a second. Then a giant smile overtook her face.

"A big Cinderella."

(Luckily for me, I don't think they make glass slippers in my size.)

"Reasons To Smile" is a series of shorts from The Life of Dad and will be updated periodically in-between usual posts to (hopefully) brighten your day.

October 14, 2009

Reasons To Smile #1: Undershirts

Because of the cold, we made Ella (my 2-year-old) wear an undershirt this morning. She fought me at first, but eventually she got excited to wear it because I was also wearing one. She noticed that our undershirts were different and asked, "Where are my sleeves Daddy?" I said, "Your shirt doesn't have sleeves, it has Spaghetti Straps." To which she replied, "I like my Spaghetti Straps."

Later we dropped off the girls at our sitter's house. We were inside taking off their coats when Ella tells Kathi (her sitter), "Look, I'm wearing an undershirt," and she proceeds to pull up her top shirt. Then I ask her, "Does your undershirt have sleeves?"

Ella says, "No ... it has meatballs."

(I am still laughing about this.)

"Reasons To Smile" is a new series of shorts from The Life of Dad and will be updated periodically in-between usual posts to (hopefully) brighten your day.