This is a classic look at The Dad Life.  I need to get a print out of the lyrics and frame them.  Great job guys!

My son who is four now (Genuine Toddler), heard me discussing President Obama and asked me:

Him:  Daddy can you call the President?

Me:  Well I suppose you could, but you would probably not reach him on the phone.

Him:  Why?

Me:  Because he is a pretty busy man and has lots of important things to do and has important people to talk to.

Him:  He’s like you huh Daddy?

Me:  Ummm yeah I guess so.

So I suppose I should get on the horn with President Obama and swap important phone messages with him.  He is addicted to his Blackberry I hear.  Now where did I put that number?

I have been cleaning out my master bedroom walk-in closet today, something that really has not been done I think since the day we moved into our house quite some time ago, and I have been packing and boxing and throwing things out.  As I got to the back corner of the closet and began to work my way forward, I began to notice some little things.  Sort of the type of things you would not expect like you would if you had moths or perhaps a mouse problem.

I began to find toys, and especially small Lego’s stashed and stuffed and tuck into shoes, under folded sweaters and even in the pocket of an old suit of mine.  I can only assume that we have a new infestation which included a breeding pair of Lego’s.  This wasn’t the worst part of the discoveries I had made today however. The worst was a piece of food I can only assume was a partially opened package of string cheese that had been hidden and left in haste.  The coup de gras was the diaper I found.  Thank the good Lord the diaper was used but not used for number 2.  It had been crawled out of and left in the corner.  I assuming by the same culprit that had left the now string cheese that could be used as a railroad tie.  The problem is I could not identify the culprit as I had no way of knowing how long it had been there.  In fact, It could have been the four year old’s diaper for all I know instead of Genuine Baby.  It does make me wonder if I have a hobo living inside the closet.  So what types of skeletons do you have in your closet.  Mine I believe had decided to see if they can acquire squatting rights.

[photo courtesy of Stoker Studios]

I have been thinking about my sons quite a bit lately, and how they are growing up so fast. My oldest is now 7 and I can remember when I was a seven year old boy. I loved playing all kinds of sports, or in fact, anything with a ball. I had plenty of friends to play with in our neighborhood and all of us had a certain bond with the idea of playing, baseball, football, basketball and other games that we could play that allowed us to be competitive with each other.

I also look back now and realize that my dad was usually too busy or too tired or many other things that didn’t allow him to do much with me as a son and father did in those early years as it related to sports. Our time would come later in life when we became best friends after I got married and started spending time with him on his turf, going hunting and enjoying the outdoors.

One of the things that I really wanted to make sure and do as a father and promised myself I would accomplish, was to teach my own children and boys about that passion in my life. The love of the game. Not because I want to force them into being athletes, not all enjoy the sports I played like I did. I often quip that I would have never graduated school unless I had not had to be there for practice. I want them to see someone with the passion for something and learn from that no matter what they choose as their own passion.

Now I have an opportunity to make good on that promise to show my boys about my passion for sports. To show them the thrill of victory the agony of defeat and all of those other cliches. I can show them the joy I get and perhaps experience the joy they may also have. I can teach them the little things that made me a top performer and perhaps some of the life lessons that sports taught me. I can still feel the excitement in my blood and veins as the thrill of scoring a touchdown, hitting a home run or winning the game for my team. I feel giddy as a school boy when I think of that time. I can change myself into that boy again and show my boys. The man I have become and the man that shines in me all started as a boy who loved to play the game. Perhaps as a boy again I can teach my boys to be men.

[Photo courtesy of ajagendorf25]

A comment over on my post at The Blogfathers pointed out a new campaign by the Ad Council, and I wanted to help them out and embed the videos. Enjoy!

Priceless!

Get out and be a Daddy.