My Dads

We will be out of town for Father’s day this year, so I wanted to post this early.

My children are very fortunate to have four father/grandfather figures in their lives and even more blessed that all of these men are genuinely good people and great dads.

Of course there is this guy in our family
Daddy

Eddie is an amazing dad. It takes a special 21-year-old guy to agree to adopt a child out of foster care. When we had an infant in the house Eddie did more late night feedings than I did because he didn’t get to see the kids as much during the day and he also wanted me to be able to get more sleep. He is often seen coming home from a 14-hour work day and going straight outside to jump on the trampoline with his kids. You can read more about what makes him awesome here.

We also have Poppop (my dad)

My dad was an amazing father and now grandfather. He has remarkable patience with children and I have some very heart-warming memories of my childhood, thanks to him. Like the time when I was about 5 and decided that I would surprise him with breakfast in bed…I thought I was being very creative and I mixed all of his favorite foods together in one bowl: Crackin Oat Bran cereal, ketchup, mustard, Old Bay Seafood seasoning, Lipton Iced Tea mix…you get the idea. I was so proud of myself. He ate it and pretended it was good. He also has a old leather recliner that is literally falling apart sitting in his bedroom closet. He refuses to get rid of it because it’s the chair he used to rock me to sleep in as a baby. We all had a great time this year with his birthday present to the kids: a family trip to Disney World!

And we have Gramps (Eddie’s dad)

Gramps has been known to do a mean Cookie Monster impression. He has also been known to drive our moving van for 23 hours straight through the night. He can often be found laying our kitchen floor, installing new windows in our garage, and just a few days ago he didn’t hesitate to drive over and check on my mom because I was freaking out that she wouldn’t answer her phone. (She was fine.) The kids love spending the night with Nana and Gramps because they know Gramps will be wrestling with them on the floor, taking them out on the pier, and just about anything else a preschool-sized heart could desire.

and last but not least, we have Poppop Hank

(My grandfather, who apparently has successfully avoided my camera during every waking moment for the past few years)

Not only can Poppop Hank fall asleep on command, he also has the most hilarious story telling voices ever. I have memories of our 13 hour road trip to Boston, when I was in middle school and my grandparents volunteered to take me along on their trip. He has a knack for finding the absolute best steamed crabs available and will remember the effort you put into cooking him something special for years to come. My mommom on the other side of the family made a green pepper cole slaw that she stopped doing years before I was even born and he still talks about it to this day. He also has been known to climb up on our roof to install an antenna & satellite dish or two.

I feel so blessed that my children and I have all of these father figures in our lives. Eddie and I both have lost grandfathers also. Each of them were equally as amazing in their own ways. I sincerely hope that you and your children have men like this in your lives as well.

What makes your dad/grandfather/husband a great father?