Father of the Cat Lady (s)

I know I’m a day late for a Fathers Day posting but hoping you’ll cut me some slack as I did spend it with my Daddy!

Fathers Day breakfast in bed many moons ago (quite certain Mom did all the work and I carried the tray in a posed for the photo!)

My sister and I were fortunate enough to spend the weekend with our parents for Father’s Days. I still can’t believe it’s been a year since we took him to the brand new Citi Field for a Mets game, he’s always loved the underdog!  This year was a bit more “casual”  as my sister and I didn’t do the best job of planning ahead, but maybe this post will make up for it!

Looking through old family albums this weekend I thought it would be neat to post a few photos of Dad with his girls, and recount some of our fondest Daddy-Daughter memories. Hopefully I don’t embarrass him because despite having a daughter with a blog, he and my Mom are private people.

Daddy and his girls - well, not including Mommy!

My sister and I began reminiscing on our drive back into the city from my parent’s house and here are just a few of the things that came to mind…

Selecting and cutting down the Christmas treewas a daddy-led event, as was pumpkin picking and carving (Mom sustained us with cookies, hot cocoa or toasted pumpkin seeds).

Maybe it’s because he didn’t grow up celebrating Halloween or maybe he’s just a kid at heart (aren’t most guys?!) but it’s one of his favorite holidays. Trick-or-Treating was his duty and got into the spirit by dressing up in some get-up or another (I cannot in fairness call them costumes).

Love how my sis is on her tippy toes so she can reach the table (check out the wallpaper)

He always surprised/surprises us by the creative re-purposing of an old wig, an article of clothing or once an art project (a papier-mache mouse head complete with pipe cleaner whiskers).  Hiding out in the bushes scaring the kids that approached the house was his favorite thing to do. I probably shouldn’t use the past-tense.

Daddy was the one who taught us to ride bikes. I vaguely remember careening down a steep hill when he let go of me while I was giving my training wheels a spin (not sure if on purpose or by mistake). Guess he caught up with me seeing I don’t recall a traumatic collision.

My sister says she was tricked. Dad reassured her he wouldn’t let go of the banana seat. He did (okay, maybe he did let go of me after all!). She recounts the exhilaration of peddling faster and faster the wind blowing through her hair.  Until she turned around and saw dad standing watching her from what felt likes miles away. At which point she promptly fell off the bike.

Ozzie? Is that you? I'm Carrie in case you can't tell.

I used to ride on the back of Dad’s bike as he peddled up the hill to St. Olaf where he taught, the wire rack doubling as seat, my feet in the baskets on either side of the back wheel. Together we navigated student-packed halls, ate at the cafeteria (I got to order whatever I wanted!) and visited the bookstore.

The walls of his small windowless office were stacked with books from floor to ceiling. I was fascinated by all the blue books and office supplies, not to mention the typewriter.  A rectangular Lucite sign with white letters announcing “Thank You for Not Smoking” sat on his desk though I distinctly recall the smell of pipe tobacco in the air.

Snowman building was another Dad activity. Coal eyes, not sure what the mouth is made of...that was likely Dad's real pipe!

These are but a few of the wonderful ways our Dad has colored and enriched our lives. He is a loving and generous as a Father, and a romantic when it comes to our Mom (but that’s another story – no wonder we can’t find husbands!).

Our Dad moved to this country with his new bride to go to grad school (I was born while they were in student housing!) and succeeded in creating a life for himself and his family (even though that wasn’t the original plan – more on that later!). This speaks volumes about him as a man. A man who wanted to do things on his own, without being indebted to anyone. A man with integrity. A generous man. A man who has done everything to put his family first.

WE LOVE YOU DADDY!
Your girls