father's day recap

Much like the fever Z-Dub woke up with, the desert air outside was excruciatingly hot. The kind of hot that keeps a family indoors for much of the day. Luckily we all slept in as most of the morning passed us by. The previous night was a late one, as we took advantage of the mild night air that replaced the blistering Saturday sun and ventured outdoors. We went for a walk, swam in the pool and were neighborly.

Father's Day was for playing the important role of a father. It was about caring for a sick and cranky child and entertaining him until the sun loosened it's relentless grip on our day. Despite the misery of a stuffy nose, malaise and occasional mood swing, with the help of miracle medicines, Z-Dub managed to crack a few smiles. He danced and sang to the songs of his Backyardigans iPodesque music player, played with his miniature African safari and ocean animals and read books.

Later, a quick trip to the grocery store allowed him to skip up and down the aisles while driving his miniature school bus across the boxes neatly lined up across the shelves. They weren't so neatly lined up after he passed through.

Driving home we saw a young teen sleeping in the hot sun on an old dirty mattress next to a trash bin behind a 7-Eleven convenience store. At first we thought he might be dead, but then he shifted his position, trying to conceal himself from the sun's rays in a tiny bit of shade covering a corner of the mattress. HotMomma and I wondered who he was, why he was there, where was his father, his mother? It was a truly sad sight to see. We debated calling somebody, but who do we call?

Seeing a child in such a deplorable situation created serious dialogue for the ride home. We vowed to never allow that to happen to Z-Dub and any of our future children. Raising a child can be tough, but we should never let it come to that.

After we arrived home, HotMomma continued to work hard too to make Father's Day a great one. Chicken Parmigiana for dinner was certainly a treat, as was a pass on having to do dishes, although I did help.

After a lot excitement crammed into a short day coupled with his body trying to fight off whatever new illness he contracted, Z-Dub falling into a deep sleep on my lap was a perfect cap to the day. As was the sudden realization that next year I get to do this with two kids.