Dad PROJECTS: Episode 1

Since I was 8 or 9, I've often thought about what I'd do when I had kids to show them that I cared about them, that I supported their interests, and that I could be relied upon without question. One of the aspects of fatherhood that I've most anticipated is the PROJECT -- that random Saturday morning when I announce that I'm embarking for the hardware store only to return and work all day on something that I'm trying to keep secret (but not really).  The one we'll all be able to enjoy with the hope that when they're older, the kids will want to help and learn what it feels like to build stuff.

I've always kind of known what the first project would be, and now that I've got a dad-beard, I figured it was time to make it happen.  This past week, I built Moss a sandbox.

Aforementioned dad beard

The sandbox my dad built us on Birnham Lane is one of my earliest memories.  I definitely enjoyed the Fisher Price sandbox we had on Heathrow (the lid had canals for boats that you could fill with the hose), but the square with the splintery corner triangle seats and their daddy long legs has always stuck with me.

We have a bunch of cats in the neighborhood, not to mention the mutts, so an open box wasn't an option.  I did a search for sandbox plans and found a photo of nice design with a clever built-in cover that folds out to child size benches.  It looked doable, so I drew up some plans, went to Home Depot, rented a truck, dumped all the materials at the house, and took the truck back, triumphant in the knowledge that this would be the first and last trip for this project.  I was super-planner dad and had considered all contingencies, eliminated all doubts, and explored all options.  (/sarcasm)

David arrived for a three day visit about the time I got everything home.  He spent the entire day (and most of the next) alternating between visiting with Calla and Moss in the house and slapping on SPF 60 to brave the burning California sun and watch me cut and stain boards.  Calla did not step foot outside the house this entire weekend because it was 95 degrees, so there is no photographic documentation of the building process.  She regrets nothing.

By midday Sunday, it was clear that my time estimates were a little off and I'd already had to go back to Home Depot for a second pass.  There would be several more trips over the next few days.  It took most of the rest of the week to get everything else finalized, and I probably put a lot more effort into it than I should have, but now that it's together, Moss has been playing in it everyday.

and possibly also eating some blackberries from the bush

Must.

Bury.

Foot.

Which is fine, since he almost simultaneously figured out how to tell us he wants to take a bath, using adorable baby sign.  (Check back next week for a video catalog of all of his adorable signs).

Because I'm at work, I of course miss a lot of his day to day.  Calla keeps me filled in when they do fun stuff, and it's been really special seeing photos of him really, truly enjoying something that I put a lot of effort into just for him.  

It's easy to get caught up in everything that's happening these days, which makes it hard to savor how well things have been going.  On top of making me feel like I've always thought a dad should feel, this kind of thing has been really grounding -- maybe even therapeutic.  I think I've needed an excuse to look for creative outlets for a while, and the immediacy of parenting has provided a fairly compelling motivation.