A Superhero Father's Day

Oliver, Soren, Kiera and Matteo adore their father. They want to do everything with him - ride bikes, have him read to them, go to the cabin and ride on the boat. Wherever he goes, they want to be able to tag along, even if he's just making a Home Depot run. They know their dad is a bit of a softy and is going to be the one to let them stay up past their bedtime, watch a video, bike to Mojo Monkey to get donuts or allow them to have a "fun bath" where they don't have to wash their hair. In case you haven't heard, Chris is the fun parent. However, I love watching our four with their dad because they're at this incredible age where they look at him as their superhero.  And that is what inspired this Father's Day gift.

It was a risky gift since Chris doesn't like to draw attention to himself and some in my not-so-extended family are not fans of matching outfits. But the kids loved the t-shirts and were so excited about surprising their dad with them.  Unfortunately, their excitement meant that Chris didn't get one of his Father's Day wishes - sleeping in. We tried to make up for that with an "I'm a dad, what's your superpower?" coffee mug and a huge Superman-themed hand-painted card Celina helped the kids make.

The theme of this Father's Day may have been superheros, but it's important for me to acknowledge that being a superhero dad is a tiring job.  Long before the summer sun sets, Chris heads to bed in the hopes of getting enough sleep in preparation for a pre-dawn wake-up call, an early workout at the gym, a long, demanding day at work and then an evening devoted entirely to his kids. As tiring as his schedule is, he's proud to be able to both provide for his family and spend time with us, and we love him and appreciate him so much for this.