Still Bonding With My Jewel

One of the long-standing fears that I and I'm sure every other parent has when a second child is added to the fold is, how is it going to impact the older sibling? Will they feel like they are still a part of things or will they feel cast aside as the new baby gets all the attention?

One of the things that I am learning is that it isn't necessarily the big things that matter, but the small things that keep the older child feeling connected. Last night, my Jewel and I embarked to attend a soccer practice, but nobody showed up. Nonplussed, I thought we should go back home, but she begged me to stay so that we could at least play on the playground. We hung out there until it got dark, and then I had one of those great "dad" moments...ice cream time!

Needless to say, I did not have to ask her twice if she wanted to go get some Italian Ice, so we set out for the local stand and ordered our favorite flavors, then sat down at the outside tables to enjoy our frozen treats. We traded our flavors, talked about life, and I cracked unfunny jokes that made her laugh all the same. And then she asked me to tell the exact same joke five more times in succession, and she laughed after each and every re-telling anyway.

It was a small moment last night, but a special one. It felt like papa and daughter doing an adventure together without the normal constraints of life. And as I set out this morning to head out to work, she approached me and beckoned that I lean over close to her face. As I did, we playfully bumped foreheads and looked into each others' eyes. She simply said, "Yesterday was a good day."