On this day, 12 years ago, I married my high school sweetheart, the love of my life, my soulmate.

We were just two goofy young kids, in love, ready to start our lives together. We stood on the doorstep of adulthood together.

Ours is a traditional girl meets boy, girl falls in love with boy, boy eventually falls in love with girl and boy and girl live happily ever after, love story. A story I’m proud and happy and grateful to be apart of every single day.

19 years ago I met a boy.  He was cute and smart and sweet and I knew from the moment I met him that we were destined to be more than friends.  But, for quite sometime, I loved that boy from afar hoping he would one day return my affections, but too shy and embarrassed to do anything about it. Over the next couple of years we got to know each other a little better through our mutual friends.  We were part of the same group of friends and found ourselves hanging out more and more.  Then one day I discovered that the boy I had adored from afar for so long now felt the same for me.  We started dating and the rest, is as they say, history.

Over four years after that fateful day me and that boy found ourselves standing together at the alter, exchanging vows and rings.  12 years later we are still very much in love.  That boy that I met all those years ago in the hallway at school is now my husband, the father of my child, the man I am spending my forever with.  That younger more naive me was right, she and that boy were destined to be more, much more.

Happy Anniversary, Babe! Here’s to many, many more wonderful years together.

Maya is at the age where she just wants to be part of the action and help out all the time.  It doesn’t really matter what we are doing, putting groceries away, cleaning the bathroom, watering the garden, or painting, she wants to help.  Sometimes it’s easy to appease her and let her help out, other times it is quite a challenge finding a small task she can do.  It is usually easier for her to help me out when I’m doing my chores, but it isn’t always as easy for Lorne to find a way for her to help him with his bigger, Mr. Fix-it tasks.  Giving her a cloth to use to help clean the bathroom is a lot easier (and safer) than giving her a screwdriver to help hang a new light fixture

She delights in those times when Lorne is tackling a project that she can help with.  Just before we moved out of our condo he was doing a few Mr. Fix-it jobs around the condo to get it ready for the new owners.  One day after work he was painting the door frame of the back door.  Immediately, upon seeing that Daddy was doing some work and clearly needed help, Maya offered up her assistance.  Lorne gave her a paint brush and let her have at it.  She did a pretty good job helping him paint the door frame.  And boy was she proud of herself for being such a good daddy‘s little helper.

Excuse the no shirt but children and non-washable paint do not make a great match

I wanted to take a moment today to wish all the wonderful fathers out there a very Happy Father’s Day.  I hope you have a wonderful day hanging out with your families.  Remember how important you are each and every day and how loved you are by your children.

Happy Father’s Day!!

Between juggling your job, raising a family, tackling household responsibilities and finding a few minutes for yourself at the end of the day your marriage can sometimes become a little neglected and as a result your spouse is probably feeling a little neglected too.  It happens to all of us.  Suddenly you wake up one morning and realize it has been weeks since you sat down and really spent time with your spouse.  It is easy to let time get away from you if you don’t consciously decide to make your marriage a priority.

So, what can you do to make your marriage a priority?  Are there things you can do even when you feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day already?  Sure there are things you can do.  If you set your mind to making your marriage an important part of each day you will find the time.

Here are a few suggestions;

• Set time aside each day to chat with your spouse.  Talk about your day, troubles you’ve encountered, great things that happened, the kids, your job, everything.  After the kids go to bed is a great time for this chat (a little mini date!)

• Remember to say “I Love You” on a regular basis and show it with affectionate hugs and kisses as you pass each other throughout your day.  Your spouse knows it but it is always nice to hear.

• Don’t assume your marriage can function on autopilot just because it was great before the kids came along.  Every marriage takes an investment of time and energy.

• Make “date nights” a priority.  It doesn’t mean you have to go out on an elaborate date, or even leave the house for that matter.  Just set some time aside to do something you both enjoy, watch a movie, play a game, go out to eat, etc.  This might be a weekly or a monthly thing, whatever works well for you.

• Look for ways to show your spouse you love them with “the little things”.  Be it a note in their lunch, a quick email part way through the day, picking up something they love for dinner.

The key to making your marriage a priority is to consciously make the decision to pay more attention to your spouse and put in the investment necessary for your marriage to thrive.

What do you and your spouse do to make your marriage an important part of your everyday life?  How has having a family affected your marriage?

Happy Father’s Day to all you wonderful dads out there.  I hope you get to spend a wonderful day with your family.  On a personal note I want to wish my husband a very happy 1st Father’s Day!

Tomorrow is the big day, time to celebrate all the dads out there.  Dads can be hard people to buy gifts for.  Often the "toys" that dad really wants are way to expense!  If you need some help finding a special gift for your special dad (that doesn't cost an arm and a leg) here are a few suggestions:

• A tree to plant with the kids.  Dad and the kids can plant the tree together, take care of it and watch it grow.  Years from now he can look at that tree and remember a very special Father's Day.
• Tools.  Dad's love tools.  Think of some handy work your dad really loves to do and buy a tool that will make the next project a little easier.
• A hammock to put up in the backyard.  What dad doesn't love to relax in the backyard while the kids run around having fun!
• Blow up pictures of all the kids and frame them in a nice frame for dad's office.  You can even have each kid write a special message next to their photo.
• A family trip to the park for a nice picnic, some games, and relaxing as a family.

The ideas really are endless.  The best gift for any occasion, including Father's Day, is something that really captures the recipient.  Think of something your dad loves and pick a gift that has something to do with that love.  Most importantly make your dad feel loved and special.

It seems that most parenting and pregnancy websites are geared more towards mom.  Dad can sometimes get a little left out.  Becoming a new parent is a fun, exciting, and scary time for both mom and dad.  Having a little understanding about what to expect, how to handle certain situations, and what your role is can make the transition to fatherhood a little easier.  

I found a few websites that are dedicated to dads.  So now you'll have a place all your own to go to for information.  Soon you'll be an expert and your wife will think you have been reading her pregnancy and parenting books!!

• Dads Adventure
• Dadz
• Mr. Dad
• National Fatherhood Initiative
• Fathers Network (for dads of kids with special needs)
• Fathers Forum

Being an involved and active parent is the best gift you can give your child.  Learning the basics from a father's perspective can be challenging when most of the books and websites out there are geared towards mom, but now you know where to go for information just for dads.  It is nice to see that there are so many helpful websites out there for dad.  

I came across this article on the Baby Center website the other day.  The article discusses how your outlook on life, your perspective on yourself and the world, and many other things will change when your baby arrives.  There are 30 things listed, 15 from the author/mom and 15 from baby center readers/moms.  It is amazing to think about all the wonderful ways your life will change when your baby arrives.

Here are a few of the things that the author noted will change when you little one finally arrives.

• You will finally stop to smell the roses because your baby is now safe in your arms.
• Where you once believed you were fearless you will quickly discover that you are afraid.
• The sacrifices you thought you made to have a baby no longer seem like sacrifices.
• You respect your body.
• You find a new respect and love for your parents.
• You find that your baby’s pain feels much worse than your own.
• You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.
• You lose touch with the people in your life that you should have banished years ago.
• Your heart breaks much more easily.
• You think of someone else almost every second of the day.
• Every day is a surprise.
• Bodily functions are no longer repulsive.
• You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.
• You become a morning person.
• Your love becomes limitless.

What things did you notice changing in your outlook and perspective when your baby arrived?  Was it what you expected or much more (or less) than you expected?

Happy Father's Day to all the dads and dads-to-be out there.  This is another one of those special days, which, like Mother's Day, gives kids a chance to show their appreciation to a very important person in their life.  Dad's will be waking up tomorrow morning to handmade cards, new ties, new golf equipment, maybe even breakfast in bed (or at least a family trip to the local Denny's or IHOP).  Kids will do what they can to show you how much they appreciate you and say thanks for all the great things you do for them all year long.   

I remember when I was little spending the week leading up to Father's Day working hard making a Father's Day card shaped like a neck tie.  It is funny that neck ties and father's day seem to always go hand in hand.  I mean how many dads are really the neck tie wearing kind, I wouldn't think it is a majority that's for sure.  I wonder if kids still make cards shaped like neck ties for Father's Day?

Again, Happy Father's Day.  Enjoy it while it lasts, a regular Monday morning is right around the corner.

I figured I would stick with the dad theme this week since Father’s Day is just around the corner.

I subscribe to Fit Pregnancy magazine, and this month’s issue had a great little story about the types of fathers-to-be labor nurses encounter in the delivery room.   The article is a description of 8 types of dads the labor nurses most commonly encounter, 4 of which they love and 4 of which they can live without.

Here is a description of one of the dads they love and one they don’t.  If you have a chance to pick up a copy of the June/July 2007 issue of the magazine be sure to read the other descriptions, they are hilarious.

Bite-the-Bullet Bob: this dad they love.  He can’t stand his wife’s pain or the sight of blood, but he’s determined to be there for her, even if he barfs or faints.  His willingness to take it for the team is endearing.  He avoids watching the delivery from ground zero, won’t cut the cord and winces until the goo is gone, but he’s right there.  Even if he can’t stay conscious when the needles come out, he has the good sense to have lined up ancillary support: her sister, mother or a doula.

Couch Potato Carl: this dad they could live without.  He sleeps, watches TV and crams the room with high school buddies.  His best friend, Party Dad, “celebrates” way too early, and his cousin, Smoker Dad, disappears frequently for “fresh-air”.  He’s oblivious to mom’s needs and won’t forfeit the couch to anyone who’s actually providing labor support.  If he glances up from his Game Boy, we’re shocked.  Why is he there?  To fulfill the minimum requirements of fatherhood and brag that he was in the delivery room.

Other dads the nurses loved were Doula Dad and Doughnut Dad (he brings treats).  Others dads they didn’t like so much were Dictator Dad, Pedantic Pete and Father Nature.  New American Dad made honorable mention for the support they show even coming from countries where it is still unusual for dad to even consider being in the delivery room.

So what kind of dad were you in the delivery room?  If you haven’t done it yet, what kind of dad do you think you’ll be?