This being my 100th post (and my birthday) I figured I’d do something poignant and sum up my life as a father with this conversation had over dinner last night:
“Devin, why do you have that toy at the table? Stop waving it around and put it down. I want you to eat your dinner, and I don’t want to get hit with a train track,” my wife said to our little monster. Devin looked at his mother, his face serious, his brow furrowed.
“Don’t you ever talk to me like that again,” he replied in deep whisper.
It was so unexpected and so over the top that we had to turn our faces away from him, and each other, so that we could stifle the laughter building in our chests. It’s the laughter that keeps you from crying. After we thought we had composed ourselves, my wife looked at me with a straight, stone face and began talking:
“Are we being Punk’d? Is this a joke that Devin has been in on for the last year? Where are the cameras? Would someone please jump out with cameras! For god’s sake!”
Needless to say the scene deteriorated into guffaws and eventually smoothed out into giggles, then somber gravity.
By now everyone that reads me regularly knows that my son is a challenge, and that I write to keep from losing my mind. I try to find the humor in situations that otherwise would not be funny because thats the only way to avoid sinking into the abyss, never to smile again. It’s therapy for the weary mind of a father on the brink.
“Daddy blogging” thus far, though I’m not a purist, has been an experience. No one read my first post, now I get about 300 unique visitors a day and that number is still going up. My blogger buddy Tom was my third comment, and lucky for me has rocked with me ever since (the first and second comments don’t matter much because I haven’t heard from them again).
Since I’ve started doing this I’ve been called a racist and a friend, an idot and a genius, a strong father and a punk. I take it all with a boulder of salt. People have had fault with me calling myself African American Dad, prefering that I go with Black Dad. All I can say to that is 10 months ago when you typed either term into Google you got porn. Now you get my crap (I’m not sure if that’s an advancement – people really like porn).
Thanks for reading and laughing with me for the last 100 posts. Hopefully we can laugh together for 100 more. Special shout-out to the dedicated dads in my blogroll and to Malecare Inc. PEACE!
Congrats on Number 100! Keep up the good work… this is one of my favorite blogs and it just happens to be the first one listed on my Blogroll! From one black father to another, you have been an inspiration and Devin has been a hoot! *smile*
One father to another, I think you’re doing a great job keeping perspective, and finding the humor in it all. I love your Devin stories. He sounds like a kid I’d love to meet and send back home.
Congrats on 100!
I love your candid posts and the way you are open and honest about the challenges of raising an young African American boy.
Keep up the great posts!
As a mother of a 3 almost 4 year old daughter..reading your post makes me feel better and more confident about my trials and tribulations with my daughter. She and Devine seem to be woven out of the same cloth…albiet one female and one male. Thanks to your posts and pod messages I’ve curbed my spanking habits and have been able to see that I’m not the only one with these struggles! Thank you so much for taking the time out of your hectic schedule…and I know its hectic because mine is…to write your thoughts and feeling!
Congrats, indeed.
*raises glass of Arctic Green Apple Kool-Aid*
just this morning, as my boy sang out from the bathroom, “da-ad, i just peed on everything!”, i thought of your blog and told myself that you would look on the bright side of even this :} your blog is still my favorite dad-zine!
Congrats and Happy Belated Bday. Dig your blog. It’s great to get a peek at the black daddy perspective!
Congrats on 100! I passed 100 a short time ago too, but didn’t feel like I should make a big deal out of it because it took me about a year and a half to get there.
Happy belated birthday too.
Glad you didn’t let the fact that no one read the first post keep you from continuing to write. I’m glad I got connected to your blog. It’s inspiring to see that no matter how challenging the task, you love being a father. And happy belated birthday to you…now you know it’s kids and NOT old age that brings on the gray hairs and wrinkles.
Sorry to be so late but happy belated birthday and happy 100th post! I still strongly believe Devin has most certainly been here before- and you and your wife obviously did something to completely and deeply offend him at that time. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it 😀
re: ““Don’t you ever talk to me like that again,†he replied in deep whisper.”
I forgot to comment on how funny that line was – as well as your reactions to it.
Right on my brother.. yeah, I know it’s late but hope you had a great Bday!
Happy birthday and congratulations!! I admire AAD and your candidness. And I just adore Devin. Keep up the amazing work as the great parenting, blogging brother you are. 🙂
Congrats on your 100th post and keep up the good work! You’ll always have critics no matter what you do.
Kids are stressful, but they can also be a lot of fun. It’s good to see an African-American dad be so involved as you are. The sacrifices you and your wife make will be worth it as he gets older.