Monday

Dream Daddy

it is said that all little girls want to marry their daddy and little boys want to marry their mommy. I don't know that this is really true, but i certainly have seen it in action with some friends and family. I asked Chad the other day if he felt like he married his mother, he had the typical guy response of, "No! That's creepy." As a girl with a couple of daddies (and like most girls with a couple of daddies i also have a few extra father-figures and related daddy issues) i had to dig deep to commit to marriage to a man that was nothing like any of them.

Somebody must have done something right, though, because even though I love both my dads, my Grandfather and my Uncle Paul I have to claim with confidence that my husband is the best father I know. Maybe i have to say this because saying anything else would admit failure on my part, but I don't think so. Chad is universally lauded as a great father by his friends, even my family, even my mother who doesn't think anyone is good enough for Olivia.

So, I know my anniversary post was not the sappy love fest it should be to celebrate eight years of marriage, but all of my blog readers are going to have to endure a gaggy post about the love i have for the father of my child.

Chad's secret to being a great father is very simple, he loves his daughter and genuinely wants to spend time with her. Nothing is ever too important, no day is to busy to take a call from her. Some days the call is all the time they get together, and that makes him sad. This is the magical trick I guess, actually liking your kid. Yes, he inadvertantly taught her the f-word, how to head-butt another person and how to spit water out of her mouth like a fountain (all over her mother), but when she cuddled up in bed with him yesterday morning and told him that she loved him the look on his face is what made me realize that if i have done anything right by my child in this world i chose a great father for her.

I love you Chad, I am proud of you and I try hard every day to be as good of a parent as you are. I hope that Olivia tells everyone someday that she wants to marry a man (or woman) just like her daddy.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just think if there was another little Gendreau that he could look at and love...

Sorry I couldn't resist!

Sean said...

I'm working on it. First I got to find a girl that wants to breed with me, then there is that whole 9 month thing. But I'm working on it...within a few years my brother will have another little G to look at and love - mine.

Lynn said...

Okay, Liz - you totally just made me cry. I have to say that it just makes me happy to know that there are people out there who are just WONDERFUL parents (and I mean both of you). It kind of gives me renewed faith in the world. I had a pretty fantastic relationship with my Dad, so I can appreciate how lucky Olivia is to have Chad in her life. That said, I LOVE seeing all of the pictures of Olivia and how absolutely happy, smart and curious she is about the world. Clearly you BOTH are doing MANY things right.