Last night, I received a text message from my wife. She was moments away from boarding a plane that would bring her back to Myrtle Beach. She was concluding a weekend girls’ trip in New York City with her sisters, mom, and niece. The text read, You will be off daddy duty soon.
I replied, writing that I am technically never off daddy duty (nor would I want to be) but that I was excited for my parenting partner to be home. Raising a sweet little girl is just more fun with two.
It was definitely a daddy-daughter weekend at our house over the past few days. It was the longest time she has ever spent with one parent before, making it the longest time I have spent with just my daughter before. Prior to Sloan’s birth, I pledged to Sid that I would be a hands-on dad and this past weekend was another opportunity to make good on that commitment.
My goal going into our three days together was to make it memorable. I did this by conveying to her that it was a special weekend and by relaxing the rules just a bit. Of course this didn’t stop Sloan from asking for mommy frequently, but I think she still appreciated the slight change of pace.
When I picked her up on Friday from daycare, I asked what she wanted for dinner. She responded by exclaiming pepperoni pizza!! We went to Kroger and ordered a custom pizza. During the time that it took the store employees to burn the first pizza and make a new one, Sloan took me on a wild and crazy dash around the grocery store. After our pie was finally ready, we went home and ate. After dinner we played in her playroom and I pushed her around the house on her Minnie Mouse airplane. I surprised her with a couple pieces of her favorite candy (Hershey kisses) and she sat on the couch with me and watched her iPad as I watched adult TV. I then let her fall asleep on our bed while she watched Mickey Mouse.
On Saturday, Sloan was up bright and early. We played in the playroom and out in the front yard. A stroll to our neighborhood park area allowed us to feed the turtles and play on the jungle gym. She exerted large quantities of energy when we visited Windmill Playhouse, an activity she really enjoyed. Sloan went hard for over two hours as she did everything Windmill offered…multiple times. We both went home exhausted! Her night ended on a high note with ice cream.
Sunday started with mass. For the first time in several weeks, she was well-behaved as we celebrated the Ascension. We went to the pool and splashed around. After a nap, the two of us went outside to play on the jungle gym in our backyard and to relax on the hammock. Her friend from next door, Riley, came over to play. I made Sloan pasta for dinner. Before we knew it, the time had arrived for us to pick up Sidney from the airport. After 60+ hours of not seeing mommy, Sloan was in Sid’s arms by 10 p.m. last night.
Dads can get a case of anxiety when they are alone with their little one. I am not immune. However, most of us know that the moments of chaos are outweighed by the moments of laughter and love. Daddy-daughter alone time is also a great way to appreciate moms even more¬– you get an even clearer sense of how much they do! I will cherish the weekend I spent with Sloan, but like I mentioned above, I am glad to have Sid back. Don’t Blink.