Week 30: A tattooed, motorcycle drivin’ bad boy who plays with Barbies

Sometimes I wonder what kind of parent I will actually be. I have all these grand hopes of being a totally selfless and completely awesome mom. But when the stresses of life are kicking me down, will I still be the parent who plays in the sandbox with my kids? What will be the memories from childhood that my little one will remember as an adult? 

One of my favorite childhood memories is, oddly enough, bath time. When I was really young it was acceptable to take a bath with my big brother, Eric. I always wanted to play with him so bath time was a treat. As we got a little older, co-ed bathtime was no longer appropriate. He transitioned into “big boy showers” and I was left behind to sit in a giant tub all by myself. I remember I would cry and throw a tiny tantrum when my parents would announce it was bath time. My dad has always been a good problem solver so he told me if I went and picked out my favorite stuffed animals he would put on a puppet show for me. Bath time had once again become a fun, cherished activity for me.

That wasn’t the only time my dad came to the rescue. When I would sit at the window and cry because my mom had left to go grocery shopping, my dad would suggest that we turn some music on and I could dance in the living room. We have the most home video footage of me jumping up and down in the living room “dancing” to the Pointer Sisters.

Out of both my parents, my dad was the one who had always wanted to be a dad. As I’ve stated in a previous post, (Week 25: I Once Hijacked Someone's Body) my mom had some reservations about motherhood but my dad was ready for all the puppet shows and dance parties from the beginning. They both turned out to be phenomenal, loving parents. But even my mom will tell you, my dad was the one who wanted to play make-believe, build forts, and decorate cookies with us when we were little.

When my dad spent quality time with my brother he got to do a lot of things that were probably a lot closer to his comfort zone. They would play basketball in the backyard with nerf balls and an old laundry basket as the hoop. They built ramps for Hot Wheels and had “running races” where my dad would time how fast Eric could sprint around the house. With his girly daughter who refused to leave the house unless she was wearing tights and a skirt, I’m sure he had to stretch himself a little. My favorite toy for a season of my four-year old life was a set of Barbie fashion cards. Each card had a year and an iconic outfit from that year. I was obsessed with them. I took them everywhere I went and thought I was pretty clever for inventing games to play with them.

The sweetest memory I have of my dad and me is sitting with him at the kitchen table playing my Barbie fashion card game. The game consisted of taking turns picking up a card and then explaining what your favorite thing was about the outfit. Pretty clever game for a four-year old right? Those of you who know my dad know that the only reason he ever gets new clothes is when my mom tells him it’s time to update his wardrobe. He has a tattoo on his forearm of a dagger going into his skin and was the only one in his high school who drove to school on a motorcycle. This is a guy who seriously doesn’t care at all about anything that has to do with girly fashion trends. And here he was, after a long day at work, sitting at the table with his little girl talking about how his favorite part of Barbie’s outfit was her bright purple shoes. I pray I can be that kind of parent. If we have a little girl who loves fashion like her momma, playing Barbie fashion cards won’t be much of a stretch. If we have a boy who wants to build Hot Wheel ramps in the living room, I’ll try to be just like my dad and pretend to be a Hot Wheels pro just so I can spend quality time with my little boy.  

Because of my dad I have cherished memories of bath time puppet shows, dance parties, and Barbie fashion games. That is what inspires me to be that kind of parent for my little one.

On a more current note, this week baby has hijacked my bladder and my ability to sleep comfortably. I knew this day was inevitable! I think God designed pregnancy this way on purpose so that when the baby comes we are already accustomed to waking up every few hours! 

Do you have any sweet memories of your parents playing with you when you were little? 

Blessings,

Shantastic