With this weekend housing Father’s Day, I wanted to write a little something for the sweet father of my sweet children, to share just a few reasons why he really does deserve a day to celebrate him. Now I try to give B mad props whenever I can because he’s pretty much the best thing ever, but this summer, as we wait/prepare for No.4, I’m especially grateful to have him as my parenting partner (and home in the summer).

Here’s why:

1) The guy can play. He is so, so good about getting outside or down on the floor or running through the house just playing, playing, playing with the children. Bless his heart for being a big kid and a (mostly, far more so than me most days) patient, good sport, especially when all three are clamoring to play something different or are climbing all over him. I always appreciate B’s energy when he gets home from school and plays with the kids, but now more than ever, I’m thankful it is him and not me doing all that. Bambino No.4 and I just aren’t too keen on the idea of running, wrestling, and being out with the bugs right now, you know?

2) He doesn’t mind being the favorite. Huh?! Why would anyone mind being the favorite? Trust me, if you knew everything that is requested of the favorite parent in our household these days, you’d probably be exhausted and a wee bit annoyed. Ben’s definitely tired (more on that in a minute), but for the most part he calmly and cooly handles the 100s of requests for “Daddy!!!” that we hear daily.

[Honestly, the Daddy Preference has gotten so high that I’ve had to check my mama/preggers hormones a lot lately so as to keep from being offended by how little my children want me around/to do for them. When I’m tired or achy or whatnot, not such a big deal; leave me on the couch with my book and I’ll be just fine, thanks. But when they won’t even let me put on/take off shoes, get them out of their seat after a meal, or wipe their little bums in the bathroom/on the changing table, much less read them a book or get a quick snuggle, it all starts to feel a wee bit ridiculous. Note: don’t totally mind not being on bum duty, but have started to feel a bit useless and lazy with my lack of helping. Except when I do try to step in, I am met with red faces, big tears, and hands in my face as they holler NO! and then I’m not only insulted but irritated, so what is the point? *le sigh*]

3) He is the King of Bedtime. Somehow, as if by magic, when Linky was still a baby, Ben started doing bedtime duty and has continued to do so ever since. It’s not easy and I don’t know how he does it (no, really. I can hardly wrap my brain around how he manages this solo every night and on the rare nights when he is gone and I have to do bedtime? It’s/I’m a hot.dang.mess.). The hubbub of the summer has caught up with him a bit though, and the other night I got home from yoga to find him just coming downstairs because he’d accidentally fallen asleep on the Bigs’ bedroom floor.

I’m sure the kids and I could come up with many more points for this list, but for now we’ll wrap it up with a big, old, “HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!” to the favorite player and kid-put-er-to-bed-er we know! May you get a good nap (not on the floor) this Sunday!