GoodFatherBlog.com

Hi Panda-bear,

I hope you’ll enjoy this post when you’re older.  I’ll try not to embarrass you with too many pictures of you naked in the bathtub, or stories of your potty training adventures.  That would be mean -  something your mother would trot out when you’re fifteen twenty-five and you have your first date.  I’m not a mean father.  I’m a good father.  All the time.  With a halo and everything.

Choosing your name was easy for your Mom and me.  It was actually first suggested by your older (half) brother, and we loved it the moment we heard it.  Your nickname rhymes with your name, of course, so that’s what we call you.  I’m sure at some point you will put an end to it, like my childhood friend ‘Willie’ who corrected me very firmly when I saw him again, all grown up: ‘Um, it’s Will now.  Just Will.’  I was like, ‘Are you sure it’s not Mr. Smith?’  Some people can be touchy.

Panda tattoo on BW's leg

I can’t believe you are learning how to read at three years old!  We almost peed our pants when you sang the alphabet song all the way through for the first time.  I’m not sure what inspired me to use your foam letters to spell the word ‘OK’ in the bathtub (other than the fact that they are foam letters you can use to spell words), but you can actually recognize and read that word now.  Wow!  I can’t wait until you are reading along with me at bedtime.

Panda's first word.

I love your sense of humor.

I love your musical talent.

I love how friendly and open you are.

I love how you can drive.  I don’t know exactly how your plastic three-wheeler got into the house, but remember riding around the kitchen island?  I’m always amazed that you never, ever hit anything.  Even when you’re riding so fast you’re just a Panda-colored streak of hair and giggles going by.  We’d never let you do it if you ran into the island or the cabinets, we paid waaaaaaayyy too much for the kitchen remodel.  But you don’t.  If there are still cars now when you’re reading this, I’m sure we’re talking about you driving in Germany on the Autobahn, where you can drive as fast as you’re able.  Because you are able.  Even at three years old.

How Pandas get around

I’m so proud of you.  It’s so cool to me that you are a German citizen AND an American citizen.  Even more amazing that you are truly bilingual in a way that I’ll never be.  I hope I’ve applied myself over the years and we can actually converse auf Deutsch now.  If we can’t, I hope you’ll forgive me.  I’m pretty busy, um, blogging about learning to speak German with you.

Panda swingin' in the sunshine

This is my introduction of you, the ‘three-year-old’, but now ‘PB’ in my little cast of characters.  I love being your ‘Papa’. Ich liebe dich.

Dein Papa