thirteen ways Mr. Kenobi is an amazing dad

It's been a while since I wrote about my best friend, my love, and my partner in this life's adventure, Mr. Kenobi. He truly is amazing. Yeah, not in that lalalala yada yada way that some women mush about their husbands. Better. Prince Charming, watch out. :)

This Sunday will mark the third year I've celebrated Mr. Kenobi as a father. It is a special holiday, and I hope the boys & I can truly give him the honor and love he deserves. To celebrate this week's Thursday Thirteen, I'm giving you a little glimpse into moments of Mr. Kenobi as "Daddy." If you don't like sappy, sentimental love notes, you might want to just scoot along. However, I hope you'll stick around to help me celebrate this man and father.

1. Bed Time. This time of day is Daddy's domain in our house, and has been pretty much since each boy was finished nursing, and maybe even earlier. I confess - I love leaving the baby monitor on while he goes through the bedtime routine with the boys, hearing him read stories, "taco tuck" each boy into his blankets, tell them he loves them, pray with and for them, sing sweet hymns and songs as they fall asleep. If one or both is struggling to fall asleep, it is Mr. Kenobi who goes back & forth to the room, reminding them to stay quiet or settle back into covers. I know this time is a gift & welcome break for me, but it is also a gift to the boys to have some exclusive Daddy time in their last moments of the day.

2. Zeppoli Day. The last Saturday of the month is Zeppoli Day at our local Italian cafe. I'm not a huge fan of donuts, but I do enjoy these little melt-in-your-mouth Italian treats. Even more, I enjoy the way Mr. Kenobi builds excitement with the boys for our family walk and treats.

3. Lattes. If he ever wants to change careers and leave the demanding and exciting world of geotechnical engineering, he'd make an amazing barista. Or is it baristo? Whatever. He makes a fantastic latte for me, and "fuzzy milks" for the boys. What a perfect treat to start a weekend morning.

4. Quiet Mornings. I'm a sleep-in type of girl, but Mr. Kenobi works hard, and early. The boys tend to sleep in, too, as long as the house is pretty quiet. I love that he is so careful to let us all sleep, and if a sleepy boy gets out of bed too early, he'll bring him into our bed for a little extra sleep.

5. Family Bed. I wrote about it here, just to recognize the dilemma of sleep. Mr. Kenobi was the first champion of family sleep in our house, and it was a sweet way to spend those baby years of up/down/up/down nights with each boy. And, in case you're wondering... yes, they both happily sleep in their own bed, in their own room.

6. Adventures. Mr. Kenobi is an outdoors sort of guy, but I'd probably be happy to stay in most of the time. Fortunately, he gets us all out on adventures by encouraging family walks, bike rides, hikes, and play.

7. Wrestling. With the boys, of course! I think there must be something about dads & sons that just requires wrestling.

8. Sports. We're starting to enter that season (probably a long one) where the boys like playing sports. Even though Mr. Kenobi was/is a very good, highly competitive athlete, I appreciate his attitude toward sports with his boys. It's fun to see him feeding tennis balls to little Obi-1's racquet, or pitching baseballs in the front yard, all the while teaching without demanding their performance. If this laid-back attitude continues, it will be fun to see what our boys enjoy doing, and great to know their father supports them in their interests.

9. It's a partnership. I'm so blessed to be home with my children. I believe this, really, even on those days that prompt me to think about updating my resume! :) Fortunately, I don't have to give up the "partnership" in parenting that we had once dreamed about. Mr. Kenobi is teaching his boys what it looks like to be a man of balance, amidst many responsibilities.

10. He dates their Mama. I might not have known how critically important it is to keep dating my children's father, if he didn't make it such a priority. He arranges Grandma's time here, confirming with her every week. He often thinks up where we'll go. He compliments me & showers me with attention. He tells his employees, "no phone calls after 4:30," so he can be sure to leave the office in time to go on our dates. I'm a lucky girl, and our boys are lucky to see that their parents still want to date each other.

11. He leads them in worship. Last week, I looked over to see Mr. Kenobi prompting each line of the worship songs to Obi-1, in the pew beside me. It was pure joy to see my child invited, and able, to be part of our community. Just as a worship leader prompts the congregation to lift our voices together, he's leading our children to know Who and why we worship.

12. He shaves. The boys and I aren't fans of kissing scratchy faces. Mr. Kenobi likes the look & lower-maintenance of a beard, but he shaves for us. Awwww, how sweet!

13. Husband-coached childbirth. Suffice it to say, our boys wouldn't have been born the way they were, nor would I have entered these first years motherhood with any confidence at all, if not for the support of Mr. Kenobi. Many times since that first moment of labor, I've felt like I could not cope with the pain, confusion, fear, or frustration of a situation. He has gently helped me through it each time, and often I'm amazed at how much I rely on him for support. I couldn't do this alone, and I wouldn't want to. I never doubt that our boys are better off because of his beliefs, his commitment, and his willingness to pull more than his share when needed.