A Daddy's Love

While I have a lot of posts to catch up on, some dating as far back as May, I thought this one deserved to be shared first because it demonstrates the lengths (i.e., potential embarrassment) a Dad is willing to go to for his children.

My mom came up last week to watch the boys while I worked on a freelance project.  One afternoon she and Ryan decided to design adventure activities for Mom and Dad to do.  Since Ryan was learning about the five senses in preschool and had just learned about taste, they decided to create a taste test for me.  There's nothing like being blindfolded while a giggling 4-year-old shoves unidentified food in your mouth!  It's amazing I wasn't ill after sampling pickles, Goldfish, chewy chocolate chip cookies, and a Sour Green Apple Warhead that was probably left over from last Halloween!  But my experiment paled in comparison to the one they came up with for Mike...

They planned an outdoor super hero scavenger hunt complete with a map and rhyming clues.  Mike waited patiently while they set everything up in the front yard.  As he was walking outside to begin the scavenger hunt, Ryan stopped him and said, "Dad, where's your Batman mask?"  Now we all know Mike does not like a lot of attention being called to him.  And, I should add that this was all taking place just before dinnertime as many people in our neighborhood were arriving home from work.  But, he didn't flinch; he didn't hesitate; he returned to the house and emerged a few minutes later as The Caped Crusader.  To add insult to injury, Mike had to fly around the front yard using his imaginary cape, hang like a bat, and pretend to drive the Batmobile.  (My mom insists that the costume was not party of the original plan!)

Although I laughed so hard I cried, and was secretly relieved that it was him and not me, it was endearing to see him so willing to endure public humiliation just to put a smile on Ryan's face.  The photos below prove that Ryan and Gavin have the best Daddy in the world! 

Mike prepares for his Bat Mission.

He creeps stealthily as he keeps a watchful eye for criminals.

Batman flies after an escaping crook.

After capturing the bad guy, Batman returns to the Batcave to rest (i.e., hang upside down like a bat).

The adventure concludes when Batman follows the final clue to discover his reward - a pack of gummies!

Batman poses with his sidekicks once the hunt is over.

The next generation Dark Knight in training!