HOME | DD

Description
If that was not the perfect sight, then I don’t know what could ever have been.  “Give me a little help here, hunny.”  My wife, Christina, was doing her best with Kimberly, our daughter.
“It seems to me like you have a handle on things.”  I could see in Kimmy’s eyes that she would forgive her mother eventually.  I was just trying to get Christy to see that.  Kimmy was upset because she was trying to get her mother’s attention when she was talking to the bride.  Even if it was her sister, a three-year old can’t be expected to understand these, so she ran off to seek that attention.
Three years of parenthood and we still don’t have a clue what we’re doing.  These kids change so fast at such a young age.  I remember when she was just learning how to crawl.
While Christy was apologizing to our daughter, I quickly took a picture.  All of the sudden Kimmy forgot about her quarrel with her mother and started chasing after me.  She really didn’t like getting her picture taken.  I stood up and held the camera above my head, and Kimmy started jumping and trying to grab it.  “Daddy, give me.”  Her face almost had me yielding to her request, but before I gave in, Christy picked her up and we walked inside.
“It’s time to see your aunt and uncle”.  I remember that day in the hospital, the day Kimmy was born.  Neither of us knew what to expect, but the shock of realization had finally hit.  We were now responsible for another life, another person, a human being.  Nothing I ever could have done would have ever prepared me for something like this.  At the time, we were both afraid we were too young.  How could two people take care of a child one year out of college?  We were doing our best though.  Nothing would make us forget the first time we saw her, and how happy we were.
We sat down at one of the tables, and Kimmy ran over to get some snacks off of the buffet table.  Christy half-smiled at me and I smiled back.  I remember the first time I met her.  It felt like love at first sight, but it wasn’t only until I started spending time with her that I realized I was only finding out what love really was.  She closed her eyes, then turned her head and stared off to the side.
I don’t like this.  She only does this when something’s wrong, like when I forgot our anniversary.  With my memory, she should be enthralled that I even remember her birthday.  It’s not like it’s my fault that I can’t retain any dates, numbers or names. What did I do this time?
“What?” I tried to put some apology in my voice.  Her head snapped back and looked at me.  “Is it because I didn’t help you with Kimmy?”  She nodded.  “Christy, look.  I can’t always help you fight your battles with her.  We’re in this together, but she needs her mother, too.  Eventually you’re going to become the bad guy to her.  I know you are more capable than you want to believe.  She loves you, and she knows you love her.  She just needs to be reminded.”
“Alright, I’ll try.”  She got up and walked over in Kimmy’s direction.  Why do people make the simple things so difficult?  No one ever says exactly what’s on their mind and in their heart, they always twist and bend, and hesitate.  She needs to learn how to work things out with our daughter.  If she can’t do it now, it’ll only get worse later, and she has to stop depending on me to make things better all the time.
Christy came back crying.  “She said she hated me.”  She kept her hands over her face.  I got up and walked over, kissing her on the cheek, then walking over towards Kimmy, who was trying to hide behind the buffet table.
Déjà vu.
Only if children had the understanding of their powers that we do.  I know she doesn’t understand how hurtful the word “hate” can be at three years old, but it’s still unacceptable.  I may tear myself into shreds trying, but they will get along before it’s too late and Kimmy starts blaming Christy for everything.
I walked up to her and kneeled down.  “What did you say to her?”  She could sense the sternness in my voice.
“Nothing.”
“Tell me the truth, Kimberly.”  She started crying.  I couldn’t stay angry, so instead I pulled her over and hugged her.  When she stopped crying I let go, and pointed back where I came from.  She looked over and said nothing.  There was no expression on her face.  “Don’t you think you should apologize?”
“No, I hate her.”
It’s up to her to figure out what to do on her own now.  If they don’t work it out themselves for once, then I might have to keep solving their problems until she’s old enough to move out and never look back.
“Well she still loves you anyway.”  I got up and walked back over to my chair.
“Daddy!” She screamed running over towards me.  I turned around and looked just as she grabbed my leg.  Through her muffled sobs I made out, “I’m sorry Daddy.”
“I’m not the one you have to apologize to, hunny.”  She let go of my legs and backed away a couple steps.  Then the look came back in her eye.  The look caught on film earlier.  She glared at Christy, but couldn’t hold it as tears starting dripping down her eyes again.  She ran over and hugged her mother, and her mother hugged her back.  Neither of them said anything to each other for the rest of the night, but I know it’s a step in the right direction.
Problems seem so much easier to solve when they’re distant from you.  When you can look at someone’s problem through a camera lens, it’s simple to put everything into focus.  Parenthood is something that there was no way for me and Christy to prepare for, not even babysitting.  We’re doing our best, but not everyone is cut out to be the world’s greatest parents.  Right now we’re just working on enjoying these days.

Description
If that was not the perfect sight, then I don’t know what could ever have been.  “Give me a little help here, hunny.”  My wife, Christina, was doing her best with Kimberly, our daughter.
“It seems to me like you have a handle on things.”  I could see in Kimmy’s eyes that she would forgive her mother eventually.  I was just trying to get Christy to see that.  Kimmy was upset because she was trying to get her mother’s attention when she was talking to the bride.  Even if it was her sister, a three-year old can’t be expected to understand these, so she ran off to seek that attention.
Three years of parenthood and we still don’t have a clue what we’re doing.  These kids change so fast at such a young age.  I remember when she was just learning how to crawl.
While Christy was apologizing to our daughter, I quickly took a picture.  All of the sudden Kimmy forgot about her quarrel with her mother and started chasing after me.  She really didn’t like getting her picture taken.  I stood up and held the camera above my head, and Kimmy started jumping and trying to grab it.  “Daddy, give me.”  Her face almost had me yielding to her request, but before I gave in, Christy picked her up and we walked inside.
“It’s time to see your aunt and uncle”.  I remember that day in the hospital, the day Kimmy was born.  Neither of us knew what to expect, but the shock of realization had finally hit.  We were now responsible for another life, another person, a human being.  Nothing I ever could have done would have ever prepared me for something like this.  At the time, we were both afraid we were too young.  How could two people take care of a child one year out of college?  We were doing our best though.  Nothing would make us forget the first time we saw her, and how happy we were.
We sat down at one of the tables, and Kimmy ran over to get some snacks off of the buffet table.  Christy half-smiled at me and I smiled back.  I remember the first time I met her.  It felt like love at first sight, but it wasn’t only until I started spending time with her that I realized I was only finding out what love really was.  She closed her eyes, then turned her head and stared off to the side.
I don’t like this.  She only does this when something’s wrong, like when I forgot our anniversary.  With my memory, she should be enthralled that I even remember her birthday.  It’s not like it’s my fault that I can’t retain any dates, numbers or names. What did I do this time?
“What?” I tried to put some apology in my voice.  Her head snapped back and looked at me.  “Is it because I didn’t help you with Kimmy?”  She nodded.  “Christy, look.  I can’t always help you fight your battles with her.  We’re in this together, but she needs her mother, too.  Eventually you’re going to become the bad guy to her.  I know you are more capable than you want to believe.  She loves you, and she knows you love her.  She just needs to be reminded.”
“Alright, I’ll try.”  She got up and walked over in Kimmy’s direction.  Why do people make the simple things so difficult?  No one ever says exactly what’s on their mind and in their heart, they always twist and bend, and hesitate.  She needs to learn how to work things out with our daughter.  If she can’t do it now, it’ll only get worse later, and she has to stop depending on me to make things better all the time.
Christy came back crying.  “She said she hated me.”  She kept her hands over her face.  I got up and walked over, kissing her on the cheek, then walking over towards Kimmy, who was trying to hide behind the buffet table.
Déjà vu.
Only if children had the understanding of their powers that we do.  I know she doesn’t understand how hurtful the word “hate” can be at three years old, but it’s still unacceptable.  I may tear myself into shreds trying, but they will get along before it’s too late and Kimmy starts blaming Christy for everything.
I walked up to her and kneeled down.  “What did you say to her?”  She could sense the sternness in my voice.
“Nothing.”
“Tell me the truth, Kimberly.”  She started crying.  I couldn’t stay angry, so instead I pulled her over and hugged her.  When she stopped crying I let go, and pointed back where I came from.  She looked over and said nothing.  There was no expression on her face.  “Don’t you think you should apologize?”
“No, I hate her.”
It’s up to her to figure out what to do on her own now.  If they don’t work it out themselves for once, then I might have to keep solving their problems until she’s old enough to move out and never look back.
“Well she still loves you anyway.”  I got up and walked back over to my chair.
“Daddy!” She screamed running over towards me.  I turned around and looked just as she grabbed my leg.  Through her muffled sobs I made out, “I’m sorry Daddy.”
“I’m not the one you have to apologize to, hunny.”  She let go of my legs and backed away a couple steps.  Then the look came back in her eye.  The look caught on film earlier.  She glared at Christy, but couldn’t hold it as tears starting dripping down her eyes again.  She ran over and hugged her mother, and her mother hugged her back.  Neither of them said anything to each other for the rest of the night, but I know it’s a step in the right direction.
Problems seem so much easier to solve when they’re distant from you.  When you can look at someone’s problem through a camera lens, it’s simple to put everything into focus.  Parenthood is something that there was no way for me and Christy to prepare for, not even babysitting.  We’re doing our best, but not everyone is cut out to be the world’s greatest parents.  Right now we’re just working on enjoying these days.