Experiencing the Trials and Tribulations of being a Single Father One Day at a Time
In the wake of the girls’ mother leaving, the last thing I wanted to have was a birthday party with friends. It just ended up being the girls and I. We picked out a cake together, I bought them presents, and we just spent the evening together. Two years later, my birthday routine has become something of a tradition, one born out of a sadder time in our lives, but one that means a lot to all three of us.
It is that time of year again to receive candy from others… no, not Halloween… not Easter… we do seem to have a lot of these… it is Valentine’s Day! Which comes with the annual card exchange at Elaina and Gabriella’s schools. Elaina had to make a box at home to receive all her cards, and while none of us are particularly amazing at arts & crafts, we managed to get our projects completed on time and in style.
As the cats continue to make themselves more comfortable around us and in their home, it was only a matter of time until we needed to give them a bath. And, based on the stories of my previous cats, the girls have been waiting for this moment from Day One.
I have never been a big New Year’s Eve person, as drinking and dancing are not particularly my idea of a good time. But magic, miniature golfing, and waterparks… yes, please. Coming off a great Christmas with the grandparents, the girls and I headed up to Scottsdale to spend our New Year’s holiday at Great Wolf Lodge.
It took a long time, but I finally got around to our Christmas post. You have seen us put the ornaments on the tree, play in the snow, and take part in numerous holiday activities, but the short lead-up to Christmas Day deserves its own post. Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Calkins Family Christmas!
Prior to the winter break, Elaina’s class had a “gingerbread” house decorating activity, of which parents were invited. While Elaina begged me to go, it was all in vain; as I have stated before, I would not have missed it for the world.
Note: If you have not noticed, I am playing a little bit of catch-up on my writing. The girls are visiting their mother and great-grandmother over the holiday weekend, so it might finally give me a chance to get to some of the bigger events, such as their soccer season, Christmas, New Year’s.
After Elaina returned to Colonel Johnston Elementary School after the winter break, the fundraisers started back up again. And considering that these events are directly helping Elaina’s teacher purchase items for her classroom and that it was at the girls’ favorite pizza parlor, you know that we were going to be there.
Last week, Elaina received a flyer in her take-home folder about a project. To celebrate the 100th day of school, the students were to create a t-shirt using the number 100 and wear it to school on Tuesday. While I am not necessarily the best at DIY projects, after a visit to Pinterest and then Hobby Lobby, Elaina (and Gabby!) and I were ready to get to work.
My Mom only wanted one thing for Christmas, and that was for it to snow in Southern Arizona. It happened for a few days last year, but it did not seem like it was going to happen over the holidays this time. She must have been on the “Nice” list this year, as she got her wish right before they headed back home.
Any single parent is bound to tell you that it is difficult to fit in time for yourself or something other than child-related activities. I assure you that I am no different. When you get the chance though, I highly recommend taking it, as you do not know when you are going to get an opportunity again. With my parents in town for the holidays, I definitely made good use of a few hours away from cleaning and making meals that will only be half eaten.
Adventures in Single Dadding 