To Dad, Love Addie

Dear Addie,

This week we celebrated Dad’s 50th birthday, the second of four milestone birthdays in our family this year! Crazy how that all worked out…18, 50, 21, and 16. I’m the odd man out, so I’ve decided to redo 30 (yes, I loved 30!) because it only seems appropriate… but I digress.

With each birthday, I take great pleasure in watching the gifts being given. They’re always so thoughtful, and personal and somehow they either bring us to tears or leave us absolutely cackling with laughter and this year did not disappoint.

While on a recent shopping trip to Target, big sister Clara and I were casually discussing what she got Dad for his birthday. As we rolled past the summer beach and pool supplies (important context 😉), we leaned over and asked, “Addie, what do you want to get Dad for his birthday?!” You replied, “Birthday, yeah,” and then, without missing a beat, started pointing at the child-sized kickboards. Giggling a bit, we asked if that’s what you wanted to get Dad, and you confidently answered, “Dad, yeah!” Recognizing it to be a somewhat questionable gift and potentially just something perhaps you fancied — but hey, who were we to judge? — we went with it.

Clara held up four different characters: Spider-Man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Minnie Mouse, and Paw Patrol. You grabbed every single one… then very politely put Minnie back. Clearly it was a big birthday so it warranted 3 kick boards in your opinion, not quite big enough for 4, but 3 seemed to feel good.

Insert Clara and I flashing abnormally large smiles in Target picturing dads excitement of your gift and how proud he’d be to know you picked it out all by yourself!

Addie, in yet another example of your age of independence, you picked out not one, not two, but THREE cartoon-inspired kickboards for Daddy’s 50th birthday, because I mean is there really a better gift to celebrate half a century?!

Lots of love and lots of giggles.

Great Job Ad.

Love,

Mom