Bestest night ever!

Last night, I had a part in creating "the bestest night ever!"

Wasn't really the plan, and I wasn't even sure I was capable of such a feat. But I did it and it feels good.

Neomom got a call from a girlfriend here in town in the afternoon. She was invited over for dinner. The girlfriend has a son about Sontoo's age, so he was tagging along.

That left Sonwun and I to fend for ourselves. Cool! Sonwun seemed very, very excited by the idea. His level of enthusiasm actually surprised me.

But I guess I shouldn't be surprised. With Sonwun going to school five days a week, any of my individual, one-on-one time, is spent with Sontoo. He takes it for granted. And I guess I just didn't realize that Sonwun never, ever gets time alone with me. Sontoo is always there.

Gotta say that it's a bit of an ego boost to know just how much he seems to crave alone time with Daddy.

Anyhoo, as soon as Neomom and Sontoo had cleared the driveway, I headed downstairs and grabbed a coke out of the fridge for Sonwun. A rare treat. But this was man time. He could belch with impunity and needed fuel.

And then, after stuffing a piece of toffee in his mouth (too close to supper - HA!) we sat down on the couch and fired up the Wii. MarioKart! Game on! We played, side by side, cheering each other on, to first and second place finishes in a bunch of races. Sometimes he took the win, sometimes me. I actually had a great time. Excited high fives all around with each victory.

He loves to play games with me. And he loves to cook with me, given the chance. But juggling schedules, kids and hot pots is not always an option. Last night, on the other hand . . .

Phase 2 of "the bestest night ever" was the cooking phase. We worked together, Chef and sous chef, to make pizza dough from scratch. And, after scouring the fridge, came up with ingredients for a cheese and pastrami pizza, heavy on the cheese. Sonwun doesn't like too many things cluttering up his pizza.

And finally, we headed downstairs, just the two of us, to eat our pizza in the rec room, drink more coke, burp freely, and watch five or six episodes of Batman, The Brave and the Bold. A perfect end to the bestest night ever.

And that's where Neomom found us when she got home. Curled up on the floor, together, watching Batman rid Gotham City of the Joker.

You know, being the stay-at-home parent, you sometimes take the kids for granted. They are there 24-7. You don't get the excited "MOMMY'S HOME!!" at the end of every working day. You spend the day refereeing squabbles, encouraging the minions to clean up their toys and making sure they finish their vegetables, brush their teeth and get to bed on time.

So it was a gift, to me, to be able to spend one evening alone with Sonwun. To be able to relax the rules and get to know him just a little better. I plan to make Daddy-Sonwun Day a regular thing. And Daddy-Sontoo Day as well.

Well it's 5:30 a.m. and Sonwun has just stumbled out of bed. He smiles at me, still sleepy eyes.

"I had an awesome time with you yesterday," he says.

Worth its weigh in gold.

Have a great Hump Day. Celebrate as you see fit.

Huh?

"Pricks . . . pricks . . . pricks!"

It's 6:30 a.m., it's still dark and it's snowing outside. It's my time, daddy time. It's a time usually reserved for checking emails, facebook, fantasy football and blogging. But, as so often is the case, I am joined by at least one of my early-rising progeny. I count myself lucky if they sleep past 6 a.m.

And, as I sit here, Sonwun is racing for his life in MarioKart. That doesn't disturb me. It's Christmas vacation after all. But his mumbling is beginning to make me nervous.

"Pricks . . . pricks."

I mean, I understand getting a little frustrated with the other racers in the game. I've played, I know it's annoying when you get bumped off a bridge, or someone throws a turtle at you. We've all been there. But maybe his response is a little harsh.

So I glance toward the TV.

Now you have to understand, Sonwun is in Grade 1 and learning to read. And he loves it. Every car trip, to the store or to the library, is a reading adventure. He reads street signs, billboards and the bags the groceries come in. He's good, but he's not yet perfect.

And right now, as he decides which MarioKart mode to race in, he's reading.

He has no trouble with the word "Grand" but the word "Prix" is giving him some trouble. So he repeats it and repeats it, trying to understand.

"Pricks."

Anyhoo, at least I get to start my day with a smile. Have a great hump day. Celebrate as you see fit.

P.S. Not sure why I can't get the size and font I want throughout this blog. Must be a bug in the designers' system. Pricks.