Day 1,570 - Ethan's "White Whale"

Confession time.

I've never actually read the book, Moby Dick.

Yes, I realize that it's only one of the most famous novels of all time. However, I've never actually taken the time to read it. I did write a seven-page research paper about the book during my senior year of high school though. Between watching the movie and skimming some essays about the deeper meaning of the book, I was able to score a solid A.

Now, despite not reading the book, I can tell you that one of the most important parts of the story is Captain Ahab's obsessive quest for the "White Whale". He would not be denied even to the point of death.

Now, I believe that we are all Ahab at one time or another and find ourselves obsessively desiring a "White Whale" of our very own. For Ethan, his "White Whale" quest finally reached its long-awaited conclusion today courtesy of his favorite big sister.

Ethan's really a fairly content child. It's not common for him to ask for things when we go to the store. Normally, a quick glance at the toy aisle and he's content. However, there is one particular toy that he's been asking to own for well over a year: a deluxe "Paw Patrol: the Movie" Chase police car with an accompanying motorcycle. Almost every time we go to Walmart or Target, Ethan has to longingly lay eyes on that bright blue car, dreaming of the day when he might be able to call it his very own.

Ellie, for her part, has paid attention to her brother's longing eyes and has desired to do something about it. Much like Ethan, Ellie does not wont for anything. Money and things really have no value to her. Instead, she loves personal time and words of affirmation; that's the path to her heart. Oh, and food. She really loves food.

Anyway, a couple of months ago, Ellie came to Bethany and I and asked if she could use her own money to buy Ethan the Chase car. Bethany, to her credit, tried to talk her out of it to no avail. Then, we reached a compromise that Ellie could do so if she really wanted. However, she had to have a good reason to give Ethan a gift. The two of them put their heads together and decided that it would be a perfect gift to bestow upon Ethan when the time came to start school. Therefore, we started watching the price online this summer and helped Ellie pull the trigger when the car finally went on sale for $15. Since then, it's been safely tucked away under our bed waiting for the appropriate time to gift it to Ethan.

Ellie, for her part, can't keep a secret. As such, she told Ethan that he was going to get a present on August 17th. Why the 17th? Well, it's Back to School night and it would give him several days to enjoy playing with it before school officially begins. Since Ellie spilled the beans, Ethan has been checking the calendar regularly, counting down the days until today.

This morning, bright and early, the time had finally come. As soon as breakfast ended, Ethan found himself sitting in the living room floor with a giant bag in front of him, waiting for permission to open it up. Finally, he opened it up to find his "White Whale" that he had literally waiting months for. He was so excited that he jumped up to his feet and began racing laps around the living room. Finally, he was reminded that Ellie had given it to him and he wrapped her in a huge hug before continuing on in his excitement.

While I certainly loved seeing Ethan get his "White Whale", my favorite thing was seeing the pure joy on Ellie's face as she gazed at her brother. She really has the sweetest, most giving soul and was clearly overjoyed to see Ethan so happy. It's times like these that make me believe that maybe we really are doing something right with the way we're raising these two kids.

After all, I can't fake parenting like I could reading Moby Dick. I actually have to put in the work especially if I want to get an A.

#DaddyWrite