Day 590 - In Conclusion...

In conclusion...

Those simple words portray a sense of finality to anything that both precedes and follows them. Odds are that anyone who has ever written a report has used those words on at least one occasion to signal the ending of said report. Of course, "In conclusion" isn't just used in reports. I, for one, liked to use it to wrap up any kind of oral report I was ever asked to give. 

Yes, it's cliché.

Yes, everyone uses it.

Yes, there's probably better ways to put a bow on things.

Do I care? No, I do not.

With that, let's hop to the conclusion.

Day 590. 

That number seems absolutely massive and overpowering as I look at it. If one was to add it all together, it'd make less than two years. However, when one takes the counting style (questionable though it may be) of #DaddyWrite into account, it comes out to somewhere around two and a half years. 

Isn't that insane to think about? It's been two years since I took a chance and decided to exit the work force in order to stay at home with Ellie full time. At the time, I was worried that I'd be making a huge mistake that I would come to regret. Today, that couldn't be further from the truth. 

It's been one of my favorite times of my life watching my daughter grow into the wonderful little girl she has become. While it's true that she can be a handful and that she absolutely drives me nuts at times, I wouldn't change anything that has happened. 

I realize this post makes it sound like I'm going back to work or something but that's not accurate. Instead, I feel it's important to document just how I'm feeling on what could be the final day of it being just Ellie and I. Yes, there's no Chewy yet but with his due date being Sunday, there is a strong possibility that today was the grand finale for our little Dynamic Duo, leaving us with nothing to show for it other than a mundane trip to Target.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not upset for Chewy's upcoming birth. Instead, I'm just waxing poetic about what has been and what is to come. Like many other people, I really don't enjoy big changes. The unknown of what lies ahead is always frightening. Also, knowing that the special relationship I've built with my daughter will definitely change moving forward is both a sobering and exciting proposition.

I should probably explain myself. It's sobering because it's been just the two of us for so long and that will no longer be the case. The days of us easily being able to take off on an adventure whenever we want is probably over. There will definitely be more planning to all that we do. 

For Ellie, the presence of little Chewy will mean that my attention will be divided from this time forward. I'm sorry to have to write these words but I've definitely taken the time I have with Ellie for granted. It's like I just woke up today to discover she's only five months away from turning three years old. It's absolutely nuts. What's next? Preschool. Kindergarten. Elementary school. Middle school. High school. Then she's out the door and off to college.

There is an excitement factor to all of this though. You see, as my daughter grows and develops, our relationship deepens and gets more and more fun. It's already gone from one where I essentially talk to myself all day long to one where she and I converse back and forth. We can actually discuss her likes and dislike which is really cool. Also, rather than me planning everything we do, Ellie has the ability to voice her own thoughts and desires.

As she continues to grow, change, and develop, I actually look forward to some of the changes in our relationship. I see the deep relationships that some of the spiritual mentors in my life have with their daughters and I cannot wait to share those experiences with Ellie.

I know having a son is going to be really fun. However, I don't want to lose sight of just how special Ellie is, has been, and will continue to be to me. The great thing is that if she ever doubts that to be the case, there's 270-something blog posts to this point showing how much I care for and adore her. #DaddyWrite

Day 587 - Let's Learn Literacy

It has been said that a big part of learning is through repetition. I can attest that there is reality in that statement. When I played tennis in high school, it wasn't just an in-season thing. I would drill all year long, taking lessons, and hitting ball after ball. That being said, I never did learn to serve like Rafael Nadal. I didn't even learn to serve like Serena!

I was however able to bounce a ball just as well as Serena did here.

 Ellie is currently in the midst of learning the same lesson. Just like me in tennis, she's discovering that learning anything takes time and repetition. It just so happens that whereas I was learning a physical lesson, Ellie is learning a mental lesson. What is Ellie's mental lesson you may ask? Easy, she's trying so hard to teach herself to read.

Now, I realize that statement sounds super ludicrous. For one, she's only two years old. Although I don't really know when it's realistic for a kid to begin reading on their own. That hasn't stopped Ellie from trying though. 

Over the past few months, Ellie will occasionally start to "read" to herself. I have to use the quotation marks because it's obvious that her "reading" is more like memorization. Although it's still impressive, it doesn't quite count as reading. It's not entirely a bad thing though as it seems to be helping her with her newfound interest in letter recognition. And yes, I can say with absolute certainty that Ellie is very interested in letter recognition.

When one types in 'A B C' and Ken Jeong is the first thing to come up, it's a rule that one must use it.

Over the past few weeks, Ellie has become very interested in watching me write on her Magna-Doodle. Specifically, she's become very interested in watching me write out names. Her name, my name, Mommy's name, Papa's name, Grandma's name. She even wants me to write out her baby brother's name. However, she doesn't just want first names; she actually wants first, middle, and last.

Once the names are written out, she will then go through the name, letter by letter, wanting me to spell the names aloud. After I do that, she will then go through and point to the letters that she knows while being certain to say the sound along with them. I realize this seems like a relatively isolated incident. However, I can guarantee that is not the case. 

During Ellie's naps as of late, I've been doing a lot of reading. For one it's a lot more fun than sitting around on my phone or watching Netflix. For another, it's letting me work towards completing the library's Winter Reading Challenge and therefore being entered into a drawing for an all-expenses paid vacation. Anyway, when Ellie came downstairs after her nap, that's what she found me doing. Since I was almost done with my chapter, I asked her to wait just a moment and then she would have my full attention.

While she patiently waiting for me to complete my reading, she decided to kill time by hopping up on my lap. There she became intrigued by the Mizzou t-shirt I was wearing. Here's where it got really surprising for me. Totally unprompted, she began to rattle off the letters on the t-shirt. M - 1 - Z - Z - O -U. And yes, she did say the number 1, not an I.

Note the 1 and/or I.

For the record, I do realize that Mizzou is NOT spelled with the number 1. No one will ever make that mistake. However, the university's official font does somewhat resemble the number 1 so I'm willing to cut her a break there. I'm also willing to ignore the fact that she didn't recognize the Nike logo.

Honestly, I couldn't be more proud of Ellie. I was utterly shocked and completely impressed that she managed to identify the letters on my shirt with that amount of ease. It really makes me excited to see what she identifies next. It also makes me realize that the day is coming when the things I write will no longer be safe from tiny, prying eyes. Scary, scary. #DaddyWrite

Day 582 - Ellie Versus the Dentist

I always feel like winters are difficult when it comes to finding new moments to chronicle in Ellie's life. After all, there's only so many ways a person can write (or read) a post dealing with Ellie playing inside with her toys or going to Chick-Fil-A or helping do laundry. That being said, there are those occasional times when an idea for a blog post falls right into my lap or in this instance, right into my gaping mouth.

By the way, if that last comment is confusing, it's ok. That's just my playful way of stating that today marked Ellie's first trip to the dentist.

Bethany and I are lucky enough (depending on how you look at it) to have great dental insurance that entitles us to receive free teeth cleanings and check-ups once every six months. Between that and the fact that our dentist and hygienists are awesome, it really helps to turn something that many people hate into a positive experience. In fact, the only real downside is the awkwardness of trying to talk or carry on a conversation while someone has their hands shoved in your mouth.

Through the course of those awkward conversations, my hygienist has learned all about Ellie and as a result, strongly encouraged me to bring her along to an appointment. While I put off doing so for a while, today marked the big day as, at long last, Ellie was finally able to go to the dentist.

One thing about taking a toddler to a dentist appointment is that it requires a bit more planning than normal. First of all, I needed to allot extra travel time so I could make sure Ellie had time for a bathroom break when we arrived. Second of all, it was also necessary for me to pack a bag of books and toys to ensure Ellie stayed entertained and that she also abstained from getting into trouble.

Lest I neglect to mention it, there was one other reason for us to arrive early for our appointment: the fish tank. This isn't just any fish tank though. It's actually built into and takes up about half of the length of a wall. Simply put, think of the fish tank from the dentist office in 'Finding Nemo' and you have a pretty solid understanding of what this tank is like. 

As soon as I opened the door to the office and Ellie saw the tank, she took off running to it. Once there, she hopped up onto a chair and pressed her little face to the glass, all while watching the tropical fish swim about. Before Ellie knew it, the time had come to leave the fish behind and head to the chair for my cleaning. 

One thing that is great about my dentist is that they really do take care of parents who have to bring their kids along. As I sat in the big purple chair having my teeth cleaned, Ellie sat in a tiny blue folding chair beside me with Daniel Tiger playing on the TV. Another nice thing is that my hygienist basically did a running commentary for Ellie as she cleaned my teeth. The dentist also counted each and every one of my teeth for Ellie as well (28 if you're wondering).

Finally, I was all done and ready to leave. However, Ellie wasn't quite ready to go. She looked at the hygienist and said with total seriousness, "What about my appointment?". Obviously, that statement elicited laughter from both myself and the hygienist. Luckily for Ellie though, the hygienist decided to humor her by giving her a ride in the big chair.

As the chair reclined backwards, Ellie (who had watched my entire checkup) opened her mouth wide and sat waiting for her teeth to be cleaned. When the hygienist saw that, she just laughed and grabbed a fresh pair of rubber gloves. She then proceeded to give Ellie's teeth a quick look, checking to see that everything felt firm and healthy. Once that was done, it was sticker time for Ellie. Specifically a smiling star and a big toothbrush in case you're wondering.

With that, Ellie and I put on our coats and headed out of the dentist office. I'm wondering if Ellie's excitement for this little adventure is going to propel her down a path towards the dental sciences. Or you know, at least encourage her to practice good oral hygiene. I think we'd all consider that a win. #DaddyWrite                                                                                                                         

Day 577 - Red & Gold and Ellie Too

Have you ever wondered what exactly happens when a person gets lazy and forsakes blogging for a week plus? In short, they have a lot of untold stories that "need" to be told. However, for the interest of time, I should probably whittle said stories down to a more manageable number. Say one for today? 

If you live in Kansas City, or the Midwest, then you probably realize there was a big event that occurred over the weekend that got a lot of folks excited. For the record, I'm not referring to the Turbulent Twenties exhibit at the Johnson County Museum, although it probably got someone, somewhere excited. Instead, I'm referring to the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the AFC Championship game for the very first time. Even though that game ended in a manner I refuse to discuss any further here, there's nothing saying I can't talk about the events of the week leading up to the game.

Proof that I saw the sad thing happen in person...

The day of every game this season (and several seasons prior), we've had a tradition of hanging a Chiefs flag in our front window on every game day. Over that time, it's been really fun to watch how Ellie's reaction to the flag has changed. At first it was just a mere curiosity to her. Now, it's not uncommon for her to request to hang the flag on a Sunday morning before we even mention the Chiefs. In case you're wondering, I think she associates the event with getting ready for church.

Even though hanging the flag is a big deal to Ellie, the games themselves have not been as Ellie would largely ignore the television in favor of entertaining herself with toys or books. At least that was the case until last weekend as the Chiefs played the Indianapolis Colts in an AFC Divisional match-up. On that day, Ellie totally went against her past behavior and instead settled in on the couch between Bethany and I to watch the game. 

Not only did she watch the game but she became an active participant in the game. Any time the good guys would make a big play, Ellie would jump off the couch and parade around in front of the TV, screaming "Yay, Chiefs! Go Chiefs!" while clapping along enthusiastically. Believe it or not, she carried on like that for almost the entire game. The only thing that stopped Ellie from being able to do so was our insistence on putting her to bed at her normal bedtime. On a positive note, she did get to keep watching the game via the iPad while taking a bath.

After the Chiefs closed out a victory over the Colts, it didn't take long for people to start thinking about how to attend the AFC Championship game. Lucky for me, I got the opportunity to do so for free by volunteering as a ticket scanner for about three hours on game day. Of course, with taking our current weather into account, it was very important for me to dress warmly. Therefore, last Thursday, Ellie and I took the opportunity to head to Target so that I could find some thermal underwear. 

Once I finally found my prize, we took the opportunity to wander around the store just as anyone would at Target. Before long, we wandered across the Chiefs fan section of the store with Ellie being certain to point out all of the Chiefs apparel she was seeing. 

At this point, I remembered there was something lacking from Ellie's wardrobe keeping her from being the biggest Chiefs fan she could be. That's right; Ellie needed her very own Chiefs shirt.

With that, I began to peruse the racks in an attempt to find anything that would fit Ellie. Unfortunately for her, the only things that came close were a couple of 4T shirts. For the record, Ellie is normally a 2T, maybe a 3T on certain days. 

However, the more I thought about it, the more perfect it was. With the season rapidly dwindling, it didn't make sense to buy Ellie a shirt that would only fit her for the rest of the season. Instead, it made sense to buy her a shirt that she could wear for all of the next season too.

I knew Ellie was excited for her new purchase. However, I didn't realize just how excited she was. Need proof? Look no further than Ellie happily pulling her new shirt out of the bad and putting it over her head as soon as we got home. I didn't even have time to get the tags off!

There is one bad thing about this whole story though. I find myself wondering if Ellie's new shirt is cursed as the first time she wore it during a game coincided with the Chiefs suffering a heartbreaking loss. Unfortunately I won't be able to test this theory until next season. Don't worry though, I'll make sure we test it in a preseason game instead of one that counts. #DaddyWrite