This was my honest to goodness first full week on paternity leave.

This week was my first full week alone during the days, going to all my activities with Lois for the week. It was a very full week and by last night (Friday) we were both tired. Weekly Lois and I have activities 4 days a week.

Mondays we have Making Music Meaningful, a fun class that's gentle and soft.

On Tuesdays we go to a library drop in group in Barhaven, we have been lucky enough to have our friend Erin and her son James join us.

Wednesday is usually our free day to run errands or just relax but this week Lois and I attended the Christmas luncheon of the "Lois Club". It's an international club for women named Lois (big thanks to Aunt Laila for bringing it to Lois's attention). We met with the club at the Macies on Carling at 11:30am, we finally left to come home at 2pm. Those Lois's sure can lunch. :) Our Lois was of course the youngest in attendance and the most senior member was Lois who was 94 I believe. The closest Lois in age to our Lois we in her mid-sixties. The majority of the Lois's were great-grandmothers. We had a lot of fun and we started a connection for little Lois that I hope will continue till she is the senior most member. :)

Thursday's we have swimming at that Sportsplex. I would have to say Lois's least favorite activity at the moment but she is warming up to it.

We round out the week on Friday with Monkey Rock Music. As you can probably guess by the name its a very lively class with lots of active music and fun times. Lois is a little shy at this class but she is opening up.

Being a parent of two children though the activities don't end on Friday. Today, Saturday, Oscar had swimming at the Kanata Wave pool. Unfortunately the class was cut short when another swimmer puked in the pool and everyone had to get out. We then went grocery shopping to round out the morning. Lauren and Lois stayed at home during this adventure.

Tomorrow is Sunday and Oscar has gymnastics at Starr Gymnastics. He just loves it there.

I must add an observation that I have found from one paternity leave to another. So far during this leave other parents, 99.9 percent of the time mothers, are more open and accepting when I first walk in and I am the only Dad in the room. Last time I was like a unicorn, a mythical beast that they had heard of but never seen with their own eyes. Don't get me wrong I still get the sidelong looks and the questions sometimes, if they are brave enough to approach, but mostly so far this time I feel more accepted in the groups.

Score one for the Dads.

On a side note - 99.9 percent of parenting books I have read that have sections for Dads are complete pandering garbage that still have their heads jammed firmly in the 1950s.

"If you can learn have to use the washing machine and help you wife as she will be tired from a long day of caring for the children."

Really really? Come on.

Still on a learning curve.

Robin

Today is the day

Today is the day I cast off my 9-5 work day until July of 2015 and I start on Tuesday as my little daughter Lois's daily caregiver. This is the second time I have done this, having done this for Oscar, I am really looking forward to this new adventure. Lois is becoming quite the character in her own right at 9 months old. She is such a sweet little girl and her big brother Oscar loves her very much and is always so happy to make her laugh and smile. I am not as scared as I was this time in 2011 when I went off to take care of Oscar but  am still worried that I will get it right.

Goodbye office and hello care-giving.

Just love it...

That random moment that your toddler comes running up out of the blue gives you a hug and a kiss says "I love you Daddy" and goes back to playing. Heart fills with joy.

It's a sad time of year

11 years ago on this day I got a phone call at work in Edmonton, it was my oldest brother Tom, "Robin you need come home, Dad is in the hospital and its not good." So started a chain of events over the next four days that saw my father, the man I grew up loving and learning from pass away quietly in the ICU at the General Hospital surrounded by his family after having choked on his lunch and never regaining consciousness. Like I said its been 11 years and I know he is watching over us and over my kids and I talked to them about him all the time. Below is the letter I wrote to him last year on the tenth anniversary of his death.

Dear Dad,

Its 10 years since you left us so suddenly you are always on my mind. Since I became a father I often think back to the life lessons I learned from you and hope that I can teach Oscar those same skills as well as you did.

I think back to that Thursday in 2003 when I got the phone call at my office, from Tom of all people. I knew something was wrong when I answered the phone and it was him, he would never call me. The terror that ran threw me at that moment made me almost sick right on the spot. I remembering going to my boss’s office and telling her I had to leave as I had to get to Ottawa.  The next few hours were a blur of booking a flight, packing and waiting for morning to come.

I can still clearly remember the movie on the plan on the way back to Ottawa was Bruce Almighty. The irony isn’t lost on me.  The rest of the time is a blur. I can remember holding your hand at your bedside and feeling the warmth in your hand and willing you to wake up, knowing it was not going to happen.

There is so much that in the past ten years that you have missed and we have missed having you here for. I know I missed having you at mine and Laurens wedding, I know you were there in spirit but it would have been much better to have you there in person.

The big one event though for me is that you missed becoming a grandfather again. I know you would love Oscar. He is so fun and playful and full of spirit and every time he does something new and I tell mom about it, I wish that she was telling you as well. I hope that you are watching down over him and keeping him safe. Also we are expecting a second child in January and I know you are looking down on them and keeping them safe until they are born.

I love you and I miss you Dad.

Love Always,

Robin

xo

Outsmarted by a 3 3/4 year old

So on Saturday night Oscar was kicking up a fuss and not listening at the dinner table, so I said to him "Oscar if you don't behave I will have to take your pets away." He say there thinking for a moment and then said to me "You can't do that, they aren't real." Which is completely true, he has about half a dozen imaginary pets and he had quickly worked out the fact that I could in no way take them away. He won that one.

Time is ticking down....

Just shy of two months until I go on paternity leave for the final time. I am looking forward to the time I will get to spend with Lois. I cherish the time I spent on leave with Oscar as it help our bond grow as father and son. My kids make me so incredibly happy, when my little girl, who is seven and a half months old now, smiles at me my heart just sings as I know that smile is just for me. When my little man leans in and gives me a hug or a kiss and tells me he loves me out of the blue, I realize how lucky I am. My wife is so incredible and does such an amazing job as well. I love all three of them so much, they are my world.

Oscarisms....

That's what we call statements that come out of Oscar that are insightful, heart warming, funny and truly, uniquely Oscar. One of my favorites is below on a photo of him that I had taken.