HaPpY & DaDdY...

If you're feeling a twinge of unhappiness right now with life - just know that I am about to puke a rainbow.  You've been warned.  But perhaps my luck will rub off on you - so roll the dice, baby.

Life is generally pretty dang generous with me, but lately... oh lately, my lucky stars have been shining, leprechauns are dancing in my lawn and... well, I could crap and it would be dazzlingly multicolored.  Sorry Mama, for the disgusting analogy, but it seriously fits... Just saying.

Let's begin with this...

Could you die?  This little beauty is the rocking chair of my dreams and I claimed it from DI to the tune of fifteen bucks and painted it the most cheery yellow I could find.  I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love and I don't care who knows it!  I'll be rocking babies until they're thirty thanks to this charming lady and her lovely hue of happiness.  

Moving onward.  Ever heard of Justin Hackworth?  Me too.
www.justinhackworth.com
I have seen his pictures of people like Peter Brienholt and Stephanie Nielson from the NieNie Dialogues and other famously fun folks.  Well... look who he photographed this past week?

(Real Photos To Come Soon)

I would love to tell you that he saw my Mama and Swista and I thoughtfully meandering through a lavender field and was just taken by our girlish charms and our sparkling smiles, but really, we were just lucky enough to be chosen to participate in a charity project he does annually called, 30 Strangers.  He basically shoots (with a camera... his weapon of choice) 30 sets of mothers/daughters whom he has never met and creates a stunning exhibit with the masterpieces. And then he generously delivers keepsake photos to his subjects all to benefit the Crisis Center for Women and Children.  SO. NICE.  We were thrilled to be able to participate.  And yes, I felt a little bit like a model (I think... having never been one)... cool music playing in the studio, stellar lighting, an artistic photographer clad in canvas converse shoes and black rimmed glasses... and my best gals giggling with me.  

See what I mean?  Oh, my happiness meter is about to bust past its recommended RPM levels.

And now, this... Father's Day Weekend.  A day to talk a little (or a lot) about my Baby Daddy, RyGar. I feel like the past three years as we've been living on Infant Isle, I've learned so much about my Ryan that leaves me kind of speechless in a good way.  You know, he can be perceived as rough and nonchalant, but that boy... his Daddy skills kind of say it all.  Let me give you an example.  When Kael was a wee tiny thing and I had to finish several months of work, RyGar took twelve weeks of Paternity leave to stay home with our little man.  I would walk in after a day of work and find them sleeping soundly on the love sack together... both of them breathing long, even breaths and sweating at the heat of two bodies intertwined.  Or I would catch the tail end of a very serious one-sided conversation of RyGar talking to the little Mister explaining the miracle that was him.  It pulled at my heart strings.  

  

Then Dax Man came along and Ryan generously offered to give me a "relief day" once a week for half a day.  I didn't think I could do it, yet at some point I would have to get us groceries.  It was nerve wracking to consider leaving two little babies with someone, even for such a small amount of time, but we found Ashlie, who still comes for half a day once a week, and she later told me, "You know, I have been a nanny for lots of families and never once has a Dad sat down to interview me and basically set expectations like Ryan did."  She continued, "Ryan said the cutest thing to me when we met, he said, 'Aside from Amber, my boys are the most important thing in this world to me so I take this seriously and I know you will too.'" Perhaps I nearly bawled like a baby when I heard that.  Or perhaps I walked around the house the rest of the day smiling deliriously.  Or perhaps I did both.  I'm not telling.

And now, little Ace a Spades is spitting out the only logical first words uttered by each of our little babes in quick succession like a pro, "Daaa Daaa Daaa".  And he grins like he has a silly little secret every single time.  And he does.  He has a bonafide built in number one fan in his DaDa.  He always will.  Not a thing will change that.  And I love that.

Lets be real here... our Ryno doesn't do well with exceptionally dirty diapers, puke, massive clean ups or putting tiny shoes on chubby little feet.  He wears cargo shorts every possible moment and he almost always has hat hair and he NEVER makes the bed or scrubs the toilet.  But he does limit his eye rolling when I spend money on old rocking chairs and yellow spray paint and he laughs when I do the happy dance and he sends me out shopping with the girls and makes me laugh when I'm feeling oh so ornery.  And no one can bring on the giggle fits like Ry in this house with tickle tortures and steamrollers and other mindless shenanigans that I will never be able to duplicate.  That is strictly RyGar material here.

I adore my Baby Daddy.  I love him, I love him, I love him, and I don't care who knows it. :)

There.  

Happiness Meter Busted.  

Happy Father's Day.... Out.