The "Dad Always Made Things Fun" Story

It was an ordinary day. Christmas as a matter of fact. Year 2000. I had just received one of the best gifts ever for Christmas. My daughter Brynn gave me a small memory booklet that she had made for me. The book was made from hand-made paper with deckled edges. You

may not know what that means, but it was special to me. I had taught her how to make hand-made paper years ago and the rough edges that result from the hand mold and deckle are called deckled edges. Books about 6" x 9" and had different colored pieces of paper. On the front are small starfish and sea shells hot glued to it as well as a decorated star proclaiming "Fond Childhood Memories." I'm sitting here right now with tears in my eyes as I type this. I look at it often. I have used the booklet for many of my stories on this blog. Yes, it's one of the best gifts I ever received!! Funny what some things mean to us, isn't it? Inside, on the first page is a pix of my youngest, Derek, known to us as Dirk, marching behind me as I play a toy drum around the coffee table. Says "Dad teaching Derek to march to the beat of his own drum. Then one of me holding Brynn and showing her how to swim in the wading pool. Another page has me helping my youngest Tad with his bikes and a toy lamb. Then there is a pix of me showing Brynn how to dive and her following me into the water. Her caption says ... "Is this right, Dad?" The photos are all slightly faded Kodacolor prints from back in the 70s. Then comes the pix of our youngest again on waterskiis with me in the rowboat captioned "Faster Dad." What memories! Next follows the one of Dirk with my shop coat on, helping me paint shutters. Titled, "Dad taught us how to be handy at an early age." And .... Brynn is not afraid to tackle just about anything at her house today. Dad teaching Brynn his keen sense of fashion follows with two photos in rabbit hats. Bay memories follow with me laying on a towel next to a caption saying, Dad sunbathing in the shade. Also from the bay is "Dad taught us how to bait a hook and catch a fish." Funny how that's exactly what Brynn did with my two grand daughters a few weeks ago when her family traveled to the bay for a vacation. "And then Dad chopped off the Raccoon's Tail," picture follows which shows me reading to Derek and Brynn. And .... I actually did that with a raccoon that was road kill so she could have a raccoon's tail on her bike. A pale yellow and a purple page follow with team and individual photos from baseball and softball and the caption "Coach Woops." You just have to read that blog story if you haven't already! Then one of the kids favorite sayings about me, "Dad reading the paper with his eyes closed." Then the Larryisms start with Hey, bolting the tree to the floor, running over the curb, too many people in the kitchen, and the Duponts are having steak for supper. Then a page with three snapshots of me labeled "Dad makes EVERYTHING fun!!! The final page has a photo of "Buddy" my wife's Chihuahua dog when we were married, saying "Yo Quiero Larry Woods." Still to this day have no idea what that means! I hope someone has the love and incentive to make my dear daughter a booklet of her own maybe 20 years from now. She will cherish it as much as I cherish mine. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - Pixs from the top are: My favorite gift, drumming to Derek's own drum, the diving lesson, teaching the tools of the trade, the fashion lesson, having fun!