Never Ceases to Amaze

I have a friend (Hi Alice!) who just can't stop gushing about how amazing her son Eli is (please don't stop). He's learning new words and new tricks and performing death defying acts of cuteness on a daily basis. I remember Wrig when she was that little, and I remember how shocked I was to discover that my genes managed, in part, to produce a miniature genius.

Now, if you are a regular reader of this irregular blog, you might be under the impression that I'm a good dad. And, when edited for the blogosphere, I can make fatherhood look pretty effortless. But there are times, perhaps times when the blog is feeling neglected, that fatherhood is actually quite a bit of work. There are times when I am living with a plain old kid, and not a miniature genius at all.

This blog entry is not about one of those times.

This blog entry is about how even the totally ordinary things kids do are simply amazing. My child is by no means a Master Builder of legos, but I can't help but smile when I come home to a lego flying house. My child is by no means the next Picasso - by which I mean her drawings look a lot like Picasso's - but how can you look at a picture of a three-headed lion with a crab-servant on its tail eating a shark and not beam with pride? My child is by no means an extrovert, but she can now go ice skating and a) not give herself a concussion, contusion, or fracture of any variety and b) make two new friends in less than an hour. My child is by no means an athlete, but did I mention she can ice skate?

There was a time when Wrigley couldn't even walk. A time when her only word was dog. A time when every new quirk was an utter joy and surprise. And now, as then, she never ceases to amaze me.