Thirteen Thursday: Papa Is The Best

Today is the day we offer up 13 things about ourselves in order to get to know one another a just a little bit better. Krisco emcees this show so check in and let her know you played. In honor of a belated Father's Day I wanted to share 13 things I think are great about Papa.

1) He's so easy going. Yes, sometimes that translates to loosey-goosey, but for the most part his even keel compliments me very well.

2) He takes the boys walking in the rain. This is NOT something I would do since I worry about them keeping clean and warm - I'm a mom, it's in the job description. Papa will take them out and let them get wet and muddy and they LOVE it.

3) He makes breakfast every day. It's easy stuff during the week, but on Saturday he gets up and prepares a morning feast to rival Emeril.

4) He is willing to not only to wrangle his own kids, but others as well. Most of my mommy friends at one time or another have had the benefit of Papa keeping an eye on the kiddos while we got to talk. There is something about Papa that kids feel comfortable about him. I guess it's because he's 1 of 7 kids and the second to the oldest so he's had plenty of practice. It also has a great deal to do with he is a kid at heart.

5) He hates to order at Starbucks. One of the ways I get to tell him I love him with out actually saying it is to bring him a fluffy SB drink. He loves, loves, LOVES the drinks there, but is intimidated by the ordering process (tall, venti, with, frap, double, chai, blah, blah). It can be overwhelming if you don't do it often enough so I love to bring him a grande, cafe vanilla frappachino, with whip and caramel drizzle. ;)

6) He drops the boys off at school so I don't have to leave the house in the morning. Last year is was just The Professor, but this fall it will be both boys. I will have the house deliciously to myself after 7:15 a.m.

7) He kills bugs for me.

8) He fixes my sandwich just the way I like it. Mustard on meat, mayo on cheese. It took a long time to get this process down and he's a champ at it!

9) He *encourages* me to go on Mom's Night Out. Notice I say encourage and not tolerate. I know a lot of moms that get toe shuffling and hemming and hawing when they want to go out. With Papa he says every time, "have fun, we'll be fine." There is nothing better for a mommy than to have that kind of peace when leaving her young.

10) He's a great provider. Oh, we don't live in the lap of luxury and we've had our fair share of rice and beans weeks, but we've always had a what we need and then some. Whatever needed to be done, he did it to make sure we were taken care of, including working two jobs while he was helping me get through school.

11) He tells me what a great job I'm doing at home. I have this complex that we spend hundreds of dollars a month to pay for the tens of thousands of school loans for our education and I'm not using mine to fetch a paycheck right now. He tells me I'm doing the most important job ever and he doesn't have to worry that if something happens to him I can take care of the boys. Morbid, but sweet.

12) I like that he can talk to people he doesn't know. If he goes to an event with me or if we're at a new place I don't have to make sure he's okay. He'll find someone to talk to and connect with. He will also talk to my friends and make them *his* friends.

13) Papa laughs and encourages my crafting hobbies. We turned the guest room in to My Space and he has helped me make it my home office. I don't have to share with the boys...ewww...and it can be as girly as I want it to be. I have Hello Kitty trinkets, bright colors on the walls and Lifetime on the TV. He thinks that's great!

All rightee. That's it for another week. You should play. It's a great insight into your own mind and heart and, heck, it's free. ;)

-e