Seeking enlightenment
Dear Swee’Pea and TheMonk,
One of the things that most surprises me about being your father is how much I have learned from you both. As your father I thought it was my responsibility to teach you but, rather, you have often taught me about life. You have reminded me of the special magic that is created when sharing something with someone you love. You have reminded me that power of laughter and the wonder that exists at the eye level of a toddler. You have reminded me how discovering new things is still a wonder – even when you’re old and jaded like me. Yes, you have taught me so much.
But I gotta tell you. For all that you have taught me, my little ones, you absolutely suck at “hide and seek.”
Tonight we played our first all out “hide and seek” game and while I don’t like to brag, I kicked your little toddler butts. And while you may have taught me so much in the last few years, your old man proved tonight that he can still teach you a thing or two.
Like when you ask me to count and then stand by giggling? Hello?! I can totally hear you!
Or when you go hide and scream to each other where you think you should hide? I can STILL hear you!
Hiding under the covers is a great idea and I totally give you credit for that, but for it to work you have to lie still. Flopping around like a fish out of water is kind of a giveaway.
Oh, and just because you can’t see me? Doesn’t mean that I can’t see you. Hiding your head under the pillows with your little booty poking out, waving back and forth as you squirm in anticipation, is not going to cut it. I may be dumb but I’m not blind.
And finally, when you run through the house screaming, “DADDY! WHERE ARE YOU?!!!” because you can’t find me hiding behind the shower curtain in your bathroom, don’t expect me to just shout out, “Here I am!” No, you found out the hard way that I will scare the bejeebus out of you when you least expect it. It’s for your own good, really.
So, you might teach me a thing or two about life but every now and then I get to teach you a thing or two as well.
You learned tonight that if you want to beat Daddy at a game of hide and seek, you better bring your “A” game.
Just call me The Bus Driver. Because I took you to school.
Love,
Daddy.
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I’m too big for hide and seek. There is no decent hiding spot in my house that I can squeeze into.
Comment by Dan — September 30, 2008 @ 12:57 am
I can totally relate! Our 3-year old likes to yell “I’m in here!!!!” from her hiding spot. She also hides in the same spot on all her turns. I enjoy how bad she is at hide & seek because she totally kills me at Memory.
Comment by cynthia — September 30, 2008 @ 8:10 am
I don’t get invited to play hide-and-seek. I need to be easily visible to the kids or else the world ends. Auntie gets to play hide-and-seek with them.
Comment by Deanna — September 30, 2008 @ 8:47 am
I love it. Hide and scare is a favorite around here, too.
Comment by Ed (zoesdad) — September 30, 2008 @ 9:29 am
I L-O-V-E playing hide and seek with the kids. It’s so much fun. Our six year old is getting good with hiding though!
Comment by Stephanie — September 30, 2008 @ 12:47 pm
It’s funny when they’re too young to realize the optimal strategy.
Take a more basic game: Chase. They understand that they should chase you, but they’re too little to figure out that running away is a better strategy than falling down laughing when you chase them.
And when they fall down laughing, they’re too little to know that they should protect their ribs from ticklish poking.
Comment by DustyShelf — October 1, 2008 @ 1:47 pm
Rock, paper, scissors? I OWN these kids!
Comment by Anissa@Hope4Peyton — October 1, 2008 @ 9:23 pm
I know I am usually all “But I want my little girl to stay little forever” but that sounds a lot more fun so I’m ready for her to grow now…Thank You
Comment by Loving Danger — October 2, 2008 @ 8:02 am
Let the games begin!
Comment by Grandmother — October 3, 2008 @ 9:30 am
I know I’ve told you this before…but I love reading your blog. With everything else going on around the world, it is so good for the soul to know someone who not only loves his kids, but enjoys them too. Someday, they are going to love having all these memories recorded for them. =)
Comment by debra — October 4, 2008 @ 12:41 pm
My daughter is 4 and a half, adn after her bath she wants to go to our bedroom to put on her PJ’s. But she always wants to be covered so that she could pretend that she is not there. She says that Peter Pan came for her and they are flying to Never Land. And she tells me to look for her and to get mommy to also look for her. So there she is, laughing under the covers, squirming around because she thinks we can’t find her. I call my wife into the bedroom and say that Tati, our daughter, is missing. We start calling her name and we hear her laughing so we call out her name some more. then we say that she must be gone so we should call the little girl that lives down the street and tell that since Tati is gone, we will buy her new toys, a new bicycle and take her to Disney. Then Tati pulls the covers off, screams that she is here and laughs like there is no tomorrow. I love that game!! I love to hear her laugh……
Comment by Adolfo — October 8, 2008 @ 8:56 pm