OUR LIFE IN 3D

Silly Love Songs

Last night I got a great surprise when I got home from work. Unknown to me it became… Daddy Night!

Let me explain.

When Dylan first went to Kindergarten the Kindergarten teacher used a color chart to monitor and manage student’s behavior. You may have seen this before.

Green was a ‘ready to learn’ color. Purple meant you were the best student you could be. Red meant the teacher and mommy and daddy need to have a talk. And there were some other colors mixed in as well.

Everyone started the day on Green and in order to move up you had to do something that was a big help to others, or be courteous, or well-mannered, or just being an exemplary student. Dylan took great pride in this of course and couldn’t wait to tell us the color she was on when we got home from work.

In First Grade the teacher moved the student behavior rainbow up a notch and gave the student a pom-pom everyday they ended the day on Purple. After a student received 5 such pom-poms the student got a special treat or privilege, like eating lunch with the teacher.

So we have taken this well thought out behavior illustration system home and use it to acknowledge good and bad behavior at home. When a child ends the day on Purple they too get a pom-pom at home and after five can ask for anything they want.

My Dylan ALWAYS asks for a Daddy (Date) Night! Daddy Night is when just Dylan and I go out to a restaurant of her choice and / or something else, like her favorite activity, wrestling Daddy!

So back to last night and as I ‘turned the corner on to the block we live on in my car’ Dylan met me waving frantically at the corner and then ran all the way home, waiting for me to park. She was excited to ask me what tonight was?

Me: Ahhhh, hot dogs outside on the patio?

Dylan: No! It’s Daddy Night! I got on Purple again today! I have five pom-poms!

So after I transitioned from work to home we discussed where to go on her (my) special date? It was either the fast food outfit, Cookout, for their milk shakes or Carrabbas for their Johnny Cole dessert. Well Daddy just happened to have a coupon for Carrabbas so off to Johnny Cole land we went.

On the way there, Paul McCartney’s classic came on the radio, ‘Silly Love Songs’. And listening to it and embracing the special dinner I was going on, I looked in the rearview mirror, into the back seat and said, “Dylan? I love you!” She grinned from ear to ear as many of you have seen by now.

At Carrabbas I opened the door for her. I introduced her as my date to the hostess staff and then explained the situation to our server. I had to explain the reason why my date was all smiles!

My little thoughtful dinner date decided to write me a little note on a napkin then.

And the Daddy Night only got better from there!

It was a Daddy Night, again. She wanted to wrestle when we got back but this ball of energy is getting heavier! So I talked her into a sunset swim instead.

She seemed to be alright with that.

Thanks for picking Daddy Night for your choice of prizes Dylan!

We should fill the world with Silly Daddy Nights!

And what’s wrong with that?

I’d like to know….

Sorry 3D gang… I have spent a lot of time on our oldest daughter lately. She has had an amazing summer for sure!

But our youngest cutie has been having a good summer too!

And she is about ready to start her long-awaited scholastic career (school starts in a few weeks) so brace yourself for an onslaught of Skylar and First Day of School stories! She is well prepared! She reads like a 2^nd grader already. She must have some good genes!

 Have a great weekend everyone! I’ll try to do better next time!