Today is my birthday which is always good for reflecting.  Once I reached a certain time in my life I decided my goal in life was to be the greatest dad ever above all else, I just want to be a father Kade is proud to have and to make decisions based around that.  Always make life for Kade better than what I had.  I didn't have a bad childhood, but I believe that is what everybody strives for.  Great thought.  Problem is that I really don't know what I'm doing.  I realize this fact daily as I try to figure out situations like how Kade can clean his room on his own and on two different occasions poop the tub with a huge smile on his face. 

This birthday i spent most of my time fixing a leak on our house.  Started with great plan, followed by many things out of my control, to where I'm at now, a leak in the roof.  A smaller leak thanks to Mr. Fix It, but still a leak.  As i watched the rain come down again and again this birthday weekend and worried about the leak and possible future issues and all that crap. I  had my reflection and a beautiful moment of happiness.  I'm losing a battle with the leak, but I'm in an amazing part of my life.  Amazing family, house, and job that allows me to enjoy it. This will hopefully, eventually be a past battle.  Just like with the roof I will just have to be a dad in the same way.  Start with a great plan, deal with many things that are out of my control, and continue on my greatest dad ever path.  I know there will be more moments in life much like while I was fixing the leak.  When the pain of my toe after slipping on the sweat that was dripping off my face in the million degree attic and stubbing my toe on a board causing me to raise up into a cactus like bed of nails that is my entire attic and feeling as many of them as possible in my back.  But I have Kade.  I have a beautiful wife and a basset hound named Boogie.  Thank you to all my family and everybody for the birthday love.  It means a lot to a kid dad that respects family above all.

Juice and Toddlers and Fits OH MY!!!

Rachael: So a couple of days or so ago, Jim, Kade and I pulled up at the gas station to get gas (perfect thing to get at a gas station huh?) Anyhow, while Jim was pumping gas, he asked if I could go inside and get him a drink. Sure, why not my dear. So as I grab my wallet and get out of the car, Kade starts yelling, "mommy, drink. mommy, drink." while he is drinking a water. So of course I tell him that I will get him a drink, even though I don't plan on it simply because he is drinking water and I don't think that he will remember when I come back. BIG MISTAKE!! As soon as I get back in the car, Kade immediately hands me his water bottle and our conversation goes as follows:
Kade: "Mommy, my drink. Mommy my drink."
Me: As I'm handing him back his water bottle "here is your drink honey"
Kade: handing the drink back at me while shaking his head "NO mommy, Drink"
Me: handing him back the water bottle "Kade, this is your drink"
Kade: throwing the water bottle back at me and now screaming crying. " NO, MOMMY DRINK"
Me: "Don't throw the water bottle at me or anyone. Don't throw things period. The water was your drink."
Kade: "WWWWWWAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH DDDDRRRRRIIIIINNNNNNNKKKKKK"
Jim: shaking his head at me like I had done something wrong. (really jerk? Just kidding. He likes to joke like its all my fault but in reality we are on the same team and he backs me up.)

So the screaming and crying doesn't stop the whole way home nor does it stop when we get home. As soon as I put the bag down with Jim's drinks and candy, Kade runs to the bag still yelling "DDRRIINNKK." I mean really? Had I thought he would remember that I told him I would get him a drink, I would have gotten him the dang drink instead of listening to this. So, what do we do now? We try to get creative. The kid loves milk so Jim pours him a glass of milk in a big boy cup and says "here you go, here is your drink. Milk."
Kade: "Noooooo." shoves the milk making a mess and points to the bag "DDRRIINNKK."
Jim: "Kade, DO NOT shove your drink. THIS was your drink. Do you want to go to time out?"
Kade: starts rolling around on the floor and all hell breaks loose!!! Rolls his way to me and starts hitting me. Like really hitting me!! "WWWAAAAAHHHHHH"
Jim: grabs Kade and puts him in time out while Kade is kicking and screaming and crying the whole way.

So long story short, Jim gets him calmed down, Kade comes over and gives me a kiss and a hug and tells me he is sorry and we end up having a great night.

Fast forward a day, Jim and I are on our way to go get Kade from daycare and we have to stop at Walgreens to get a few things before picking him up. The first place I go is to the drinks and find a lovely juice bottle with sponge bob on the top and I'm like, "hell yeah! This kid is getting his Drink." I grab the drink and whatever else we had to get and after I pay, I start strutting my stuff to the car where Jim is looking at me like I'm the biggest idiot (I get the look everyday so it's not really abnormal). Then he is like, "Oh Lord, what did you find?" I pull out the drink and I start doing a happy dance!! I told him that Kade made me feel really guilty yesterday because I promised him a drink and never got him one, so I got him one now!! Then he tells me the usual, "that boy owns you!" yeah whatever! Let me just tell you how happy that boy was when he got his drink in the car once we got him!! It was honestly the cutest thing to see his face light up.

The next day when we went to go get him I made Jim go to Walgreens and I get Kade 2 more. Again, in the car when he gets in, his face lights up. Now Jim is not happy because on a normal week he goes to get Kade alone (I am just on vacation this week) and now Kade will be expecting a juice as soon as he gets in the car (don't worry I have one for him today too when we go get him). Good thing it's him and not me!

Lesson learned: When you promise a 2-year old a drink, Get him a dang drink because he will remember!!!

InTrOdUcInG...

                                            RACHAEL GANNON- THE ROOKIE MOM
                                                 AND RULER OF THE HOUSEHOLD

                                      
                                    JIM GANNON- THE KID WHO TRIES TO BE A DAD
                                                                      "MR. MOM"

                                            BOOGIE VON GANNON- LAZY HOUND

                                         KADE GANNON- 2 YEAR OLD WILD MAN