My Boys and Me

So I have two boys, they are amazing, both of 'em. One of them, the boy, his name is Cooper, he is just over a year and a half old, his hobbies include tackling our dog Parker, playing in boxes, and saying, "No Thank You." He runs, he talks, he cries, he even gives knuckle bumps on command, he is one of my greatest accomplishments in life.

My other boy is Micah, he will be 2 months old next week. His hobbies include vomiting, pooping, and especially crying. He is exhausting, he doesn't sleep super well, he needs to be held during every waking moment, and he hates the heat, which is really bad for my energy bill and as a resident of Central California. He is one of my greatest accomplishments in life.

Right now, these two boys take a lot of time and energy, they don't know the joys of sleeping in yet, they like cheese and milk at all hours of the day and night, they clap when everyone else is excited and cry when others get sad. They light up when Handy Manny comes on or smirk when their cheeks get tickled. They at times are hard to deal with emotionally and physically and sometimes I want to just sit in the corner and weep but because I have an integral part to play in their developing into men, I need to be the father that I hope they become.

I am reading a book right now called Fathered by God by John Eldredge, the same guy who wrote Wild at Heart. (He's like a sweet hybrid of Bear Grills and John Piper rolled into a spicy breakfast burrito that would be too much for even a young Chuck Norris to handle.) In Eldredge's book he is writing of the necessity of a father and the ginormous roll they play in the lives of daughters, and more specific to this book, sons. In the book it says this:

The safety that a father's strength provides allows a boy to be a boy, creates a universe for a boy's heart to become fully alive... When a boy has this confidence, this security and safety created by masculine strength over him, the whole world opens before him. He is able to live as a boy, and explorer, an adventurer. (Eldredge p. 42-43)

I hope to provide that strength and security in the lives of my boys, so they can build forts and climb trees, when I can teach them to shoot guns and hoops, how to throw a ball and catch a bride as great as their mom. Do I love throwing Coop onto the couch and tickling him until he wets his pants and says, "Daddy!" of course I do, I love holding Micah and letting him spew all over me because at least he won't get an upset stomach that way.

Boys are awesome but a huge responsibility, I am in charge of teaching my sons to be men of integrity and leaders of their households, and it starts with me handing Cooper the football just so I can tackle him and rocking Micah 'til his cries become snores, it starts with me providing the security that every boy needs to fully be a boy and develop into a man.