Another fun, interesting week of being a father. The joy and hilarity never cease in this home.

Matt came in a few weeks ago and asked if he could go to the homecoming dance on October 1. A girl from his science class had asked him. Come to find out, I had his date’s sister in class at Kettering Middle School and she was such a joy! Matt’s only dilemma was that this would be his weekend to have the baby simulator (computerized doll) from his health class. I asked him how he proposed handling it and he asked if he could hire Jose for the evening and I agreed. When Jose returned from shooting basketball, I prepped him and suggested he play a different strategy with Matt’s request. Jose pulled off one of the best acting jobs for a 7th grader, telling his brother that he did not play with dolls and how humiliated he would be to have people see his older brother with a doll. Finally, Matt mentioned he would pay him and Jose pounced on that with a $10 per hour fee! Matt went ashen until I stepped in to tell Jose to fess up.

Friday afternoon, my friend, Steve (a United Brethren minister) and I went to lunch at First Watch and walked through Lincoln Park. We arrived home in time to see Matt with my new weekend granddaughter. She came with several changes of clothing, as well as a fully equipped diaper bag. At one point my stomach sank as I saw Matthew holding the baby… there was a flash of the inevitable. The Salchak family and Sue Branson joined us for a taco feast after all their lessons, Matt remained an attentive father, and Jose went to spend the night with Patrick, our neighbor boy – and Jose’s first over nighter with friends.

Last night, my darling rubber granddaughter woke me up six or seven times through the night – she has a healthy set of lungs and must know how to raise her uvula correctly to project just a piercing, yet throaty wail. I had taken my DVDs (Harry Truman, Eleanor Roosevelt, Eva Peron) into the living room so I could watch them in between cat naps. Of course, baby was a great alarm – waking me up to finish watching my documentaries.

Today was peculiar – Jose was with Patrick’s family until 3:00pm, and Matt was busy prepping for his first date and playing daddy. Matt has been away more with his new job and the dynamics in the home have drastically changed – Jose is lonely, and there is something missing. I think I may be feeling a twinge of the empty nest that is sure to come. I have been searching for one or two more sons, and I think I will need them. Jose has expressed several times that he does not like Matt having a job as he misses him.

I have been on two power walks today and feel refreshed. Matt has taken Jose through a comical crash course on baby. I sat here in my study laughing so hard at Jose’s comments – as only Jose could express them! While Matt was in the shower, Jose had his first taste of parenting his rubber niece. He talks to it just like it is a real baby – and of course, it has me in stitches. Just as I was stepping into the shower, I heard Matt say to Jose, “I don’t see how single parents do it!”

My mother was a single mother for years, as was my sister who has pretty much raised two sons on her own. I never gave life as a single parent a second thought. People often marvel at how I handle it, but it is really easy. Of course, having two great sons makes it so much easier, but at the same time, parenting is nothing more than attitude, organization and a heavy dose of creativity.

Well… it is now time to dress, and get ready for the festivities to begin. My friend Steve is bringing over his digital camera to take photos of Matthew. We will take Matt to his date’s house where they will enjoy a spaghetti dinner with her older sister (my former student) and her date. Steve, Jose and I are going to dinner and then to play putt-putt golf (with baby).

Steve arrived at 7:30pm after setting up risers at his church for their big pumpkin sale. We got ready to leave and Jose had this startled, “deer in the headlights” look — “I have to take the baby with us to dinner?” So, Steve and I went to China Cottage, ending the dinner conversation with a lengthy, informative and terribly interesting discussion on angels, and the Brethren’s interpretation of various items of doctrine. We returned back to the Haasienda and Jose was watching television and holding his rubber niece. He indicated that she had cried most of the time. We walked over to the high school to peek in on the dance – hoping to catch a glimpse of Matt on his first date. There were so many students that it was impossible to see anything. After running into some parents and students we took off for a strole in Lincoln Park where we held a lengthy discussion on Lincoln’s relgious training and his presidency.

We arrived home at 11:30pm and Jose was so proud of himself. He realized that if he set the baby on the sofa and propped pillows around her it sensed being held and stopped crying. At 11:45pm I was at my desk and he came in to say “good night.” Staying up until 3:00am at Patrick’s, packing in a full day of play and then babysitting had taken its toll on his physical endurance and even a little on his sunny disposition – which seldom abandons him. As he laid his head on my shoulder, his loud rubber niece began sqwalling. With a sigh, he walked in to the living room, grabbed a pillow and propped a bottle in her mouth! Matt walked in and saw the baby propped up and nearly died laughing.

Matt’s date went well. He had a great time at dinner with her family and then at the dance. He indicated that freshmen girls prefer to spend more time with their friends, leaving the dates to talk to one another. However, he had a great time.

Both boys, in their merry mood, forgot to say goodnight and give me my goodnight hug. I almost went upstairs to retrieve them, but decided to let it go… it won’t be long until my evenings will be what they once were before I became a father.