Daddy Saturday

That’s what Boy Genius said today was whenever Bryan asked who wanted to go with him to return something to Best Buy this evening. “I do…’cause it’s a ‘daddy Saturday,'” he said with a grin. You see, this morning Bryan decided to take him for some father-son “quality” time. (We’ve been talking about how we want to start making a conscious effort to spend more one-on-one time with the kids.)

So, anyway, today Daddy and Boy Genius had a “boys’ day out,” while The Girl, Wonder Boy and I hung out at home. First, they went to Sports Clips for haircuts. Usually Daddy just cuts his hair at home, but this was a treat so…Boy Genius got the MVP treatment! Steam towel, massage, shampoo and cut. Daddy said when the stylist began massaging his scalp, guttural moans began seeping, almost uncontrollably, from his little lips! Hate I missed that — too funny!

After their spa treatment, oops, they’re boys so I guess I should say “after chewing the fat at the barber shop,” they went to Pinnacle Mountain. “Climbin’ a mountain” is a favorite topic of conversation for Boy Genius, though he’s never done it — until today, that is. They climbed and climbed, with Boy Genius keeping track of how far up they were going, like whether they had passed marker 7 and what would be next. The wind was crisp and cold and only got crisper and colder as they climbed. Apparently, Boy Genius, who had left home in only a windbreaker (it’s a constant struggle to get him to wear a jacket of any type, much less a heavy coat), was internally fighting with himself over whether his fingers were too cold to go any further. So, they pressed on. Daddy said that once they’d reached marker 9, Boy Genius said pitifully, “I want my mommy,” but nevertheless refused to turn around. Upon reaching the top, the excitement of “climbin’ a mountain” must have temporarily overshadowed the threat of hypothermia, because he proclaimed himself “king of the world” there atop Pinnacle Mountain. Of course the thrill wore off a bit by the time they returned to ground level, where he declared he was “never climbin’ another mountain…in January” and had to call me to request that hot chocolate be ready for him when he got home. I would have made it for him too, but Daddy decided they needed to go for lunch together too.
By the time they finally got back home, his cold fingers had warmed and he’d forgotten all about the hot chocolate request, instead he seemed keen on watching Animal Planet (because it’s all about “aminals”) and excitedly telling about how the video game at lunch was a “rip-off” (actually pronounced “wip-off”).
So, perhaps he thought a quick return to Best Buy would culminate in wrestling a dragon or at least another hot towel, but whatever was churning in that head of his, he sure wasn’t letting Daddy out the door without him!