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.

Happy Father's Day and Forever Traditions

This was the best Father's Day ever for Oliver and Soren.  That's because Chris told them he wanted to buy new Legos and build something with them.  Oliver tried to tell Chris what he wanted him to buy, only to have Chris remind Oliver that they're Dad's Legos.  Oliver gets to pick what Legos he wants any other time of year, but for Father's Day, Dad got to choose. In the end, there were two happy little boys and a gets-to-be-a-kid-again dad building Legos together.

With the finished product

Father's Day afternoon was devoted to extended family and golf.  The Cheslas have traditionally honored the fathers of the family with a game of golf and a post-game barbecue at Chris' grandparent's.  That tradition has been in transition the last couple of years with the declining health of Chris' grandfather and then his death two years ago.  The locations of the golf game and barbecue have changed from year to year in recent years, yet the family has managed to pull together the planning each year.  Because really, the important part is that even if no one has swung a club since the Father's Day game the year before, the family still gets out there.  And no matter how hot it is or if it rains or if the old guys beat the kids or vice versa, they have fun.  On the car ride home, with his four tired kids up way past their bedtime, and skin still hot from the sun and partially-dehydrated, Chris reminisced on the day and wished for his family to continue the golf tradition forever. 

Spending Father's Day with my husband is a reminder of what a family man he is. Whether it's an activity as simple as building Legos with his kids or putting himself far outside his comfort zone by going to China and bringing home his two other children, he is the best father a mother could ask for and that's one of the many reasons I love him.  He's an incredible role model to his children of what a father should be.