A Great Day to be a Dad

My great day started yesterday night. Working late at the office, a good hour from home, my wife called to say that she was going to start bathing our children and put them to bed.  Would I like to talk to them?

"Daddy!  Hey daddy!  I am watching cowtoons!"  (Cowtoons is 2-year old speak for "cartoons.")

"Hey sport, how are you?"

"Hey daddy!  You at your clien off-ith!  You come home!" 'Clien off-ith' translates to "Client Office", which he has associated with the big, pretty glass building far away from home.  This is opposed to the dinky, 1-room steam bath that serves my personal consulting business.  The exclamation marks at the end of each phrase only serves to reflect the excited state my son, Carson, is in at the moment.  His voice becomes muffled, "Your turn!"  I am sure that means he is giving the phone to my wife, and he does.  My wife's voice is a little muffled as well, "you want to talk to Daddy?" 

Silence on the phone, save for heavy breathing.  That means my 1-year old daughter now has the receiver.  She doesn't talk, but she has a firm grasp on many consonants ending with vowels, such as "ga", "da", "ta", "fa".  She has said "uh-oh" when things drop, and "yay!" while clapping, but no recognition of objects or people so far.

"Hey, baby girl.  I love you.  You be good for m..."

"Daddy!"

My heart nearly lept out of my chest.    That was the first time that she associated a word with something, and I am so proud to be that something.  I could almost see the smile on her face, the 2-toothed cutest grin.

My great Daddy Day doesn't stop there.

My son, Carson, loves the television.  He particularly likes the kid's shows that ask questions and pause for a response.  As usual, around noon, he is watching television while my wife is preparing lunches.  She overhears him talking to the television.

"Today's lesson is about friends.  Do you have a best friend?"

"Yeth," my son replies.

"Who is it?" the character on the show ponders.

"My Daddy."