a.very nice home

august 28, 2006

little 'a' had quite the surprise tonight when i picked her up today. guess what little 'a'? daddy bought you a house! the reaction was pure delight at the fact i bought her something coupled with confusion and curiousity...

a: you bought a house daddy?
d: yes little 'a'... for you.
a: can i see it daddy?
d: hell ya little 'a', can i get a "rock on"
a: rock on daddy!
a: mommy can't come too can she daddy?
d: (under my breath) no effing way little 'a', no effing way

so we're there, the real estate people are there, the owers are there... it's a picture perfect moment. the pens come out, the paers are inked... ta da! it's a done deal. everyone is happy and my mortgage guy (who is now on the phone) is lickin' his chops.

ok, now, how do i tell the ex without her unloading on me for getting on with my life (as sad as it is)? a phone call... no effing way! email... naw, too impersonal. a singing telegram... fugeddaboudit, she has no sense of humour. ok... an email it is then.

the message was delivered politely and was as sensitive as possible. i left absolutely zero room for her to manoever between the lines and dig out some cruel, hidden yet fully intended meaning... wrong! a miserable voice over the phone crackled a spiteful and resouding "won't that be nice for you". oh, i forgot to mention that it was very sarcastic too.

all in all, it was not as bad as i had imagined. she was obviously still her same angry, axe-grinding, 'what about me?' self yet was intent on being cooperative. hmmmmm... the 'ex'? cooperative?

now i'm worried, now i can't sleep... oh the agony!!

a.very brave kid

thursday, august 10, 2006

usually on a thursday little 'a' and i are up, making pancakes and then off to daycare so daddy can go to wok and be a good little bread winner. this thursday was an exception... "daddy, you can swim and play with me all day today?"... great idea little 'a' - done! a few phone calls later and the day was pretty much squared away work-wise. enter superdad (self praise is ok, i think).

as i mentioned in another posting,(say everything), the clan was gathered at the family cottage for the past two weeks which meant plenty of noisy soundbites flying around, each one louder than the last. breakfast was a frenzy of little people demanding nourishment and anxiously scarfing it down in record time. you see, breakfast was interfering with play... the beach is calling!

the whole morning was play. sandcastles, running through the shallows, boat rides, sand fights (ok, not always happy play), and my favourite... sprints up to the main house to go potty which never have a happy ending (pardon the pun). moving into the afternoon, the older cousins decided to put on life jackets and jump off the end of the big dock... all the way to the end... into the deep!!

i watched little 'a' as she admired the bravery the older girls displayed as they merrily, yet fearlessly, leapt to what seemed to her, a terrifying uncertainty. to her surprise, with each splash, they would reappear from beneath the bubbling surface laughing and giggling. in for a closer look she went.

after checking it all out she must have decided there really was nothing to it. she turned back and called to me; "daddy, ummmmm.... will you come and let me jump too"? to which i resounded with a hearty hell ya! i'm all in for a new adventure with you little 'a'.

so i waded out to the scary, scary depths known as 'all the way to the end' and told her to go for it. she was no stranger to jumping off the dock but not in these uncharted waters. this was an anxious moment for the both of us.

after many words of encouragement alot of 1... 2... 3... go's, little 'a' took her leap of faith with a successful splashdown; half in the water and half on daddy. mission accomplished houston. as fun as that was, it got kind of tiring after the 20th time but what will never tire me is seeing in her, a sense of accomplishment which stayed with her for the rest of the afternoon...

at least until it was snacktime. well done little 'a'.

top that evil kenevil!

a.very happy b'day

sunday, august 6, 2006...

"what's that daddy"!? she asked loudly and excitedly, as i made my way downstairs with two armfuls of boxes and bags covered in "my little pony" and "dora the explorer" wrapping paper. "it's a surprise", i coyly reply.

she has already halted her current acivity and all focus shifted towards the mysteriously wrapped boxes. she already knows it's her birthday today and she asks; "is that for me? ... can i see them"? i can feel her anticipation and the look on her face is priceless. "yes, of course little 'a'. these are yours... want to open them now or wait"? i was soooo toying with her... afterall, as any adult will agree, it's half the fun.

within seconds her little hands had managed to rip and shred the 10 minute-old wrappings from each item, her face forming a perfect response to each discovery. the sheer excitement and joy she displayed as well as the humility and appreciation with which she accepted these gifts made me want to rush out and buy more.

what a little lady she is. i love my little gal... you rock little 'a'.

love,

daddy m.
xo

a.very sad goodbye

thursday july 13, 2006

see you soon daddy!...

and then the door closes slowly, reluctantly behind me. bags packed and stowed in the car for my latest journey... off to india.

as the car barely inched forward, i looked to the front door of the house. i could see her little image through the glass. although distorted, i could tell she was definitely waving and blowing kisses. one hand pressed against the full length window of the french doors; as if she was trying to push the only thing keeping her from running after me to the side.

i think to myself; "14 days! this will be tough. she will be fine". for all you parents out there you know that this time away equates to missing out on...

- goodnight stories, hugs and kisses and 'i love you's
- 'good morning daddy's, "i want panckakes"
- many car rides to daycare for drop off and pick up (pick up is the best)
- roughly 10 junky but priceless pieces of daycare art
- dinners explaining why ketchup is red and milk is white
- breakfasts and deep discussion on crazy hair and shaving daddy's face
- beach time and swimming and bike rides
- so much more. the list is endless!!

i reconcile myself and all the guilt, worry, uncertainty that is pressing me to go back for one last hug and kiss.

"see you soon!" i cry, as i blow one last kiss from my driver's seat before we are out of view from each other, honking the horn as if that will amuse her enough to get over my departure.

i call the house 15 minutes later from a safe distance. she's already suckered the grandparents into a boat ride to town for an ice cream cone.

that's my little gal! good job avery! yep, she'll be fine.

a.very cute baby

wednesday, august 6, 2003...

it's a girl!!!

i couldn't take my eyes off of her. why so silent? why all the poking, prodding? can i hold her already??!! phew, a cry! WHOA, she is LOUD! cleaned up, wrapped, adorable... "a very" cute baby.

what shall we call her??

'a very', i reply.