First, he was Winston.
No, not Churchill, the other guy.
Winston Zeddemore, the fourth Ghostbuster. He squeezed himself into the very short
straps of the Proton Pack and carried around a ghost trap. Reciting, word-for-word, lines from the
movies, they slunk around the house looking for ghosts wherever they may
be. Baby number two happened to be born
on the exact day that Ghostbusters II was released on video. His name was quickly changed from Danny to
Oscar... just not on the birth certificate!
Then, he was Donatello.
No, not Donato di Niccolò di
Betto Bardi the Renaissance Italian sculptor, the other guy. Donatello, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle
who wore the purple mask. It's hard to
do a surfer voice with a thick New York accent, but you do what you can. Bo, katana, and nunchaku in hand the boys of
the house went looking for bad guys in the sewers of New York... except that those
sewers looked very much like a basement in New Jersey!
Finally, he was
Philippine. No, not Philippines the
country, the other one. Prince
Philippine the handsome prince with whom Princess Beronica was in love. Their Fisher-Price castle was the perfect
place for the two lovebirds to live.
Together they rearranged the castle furniture and rode their majestic
horses around the castle grounds which happened to be pink because green rugs
weren't the style back then; it was the 90s after all!
Who is this man of
many names? Only the greatest dad in the
world! He's the one who changed their
diapers from day one, who gave them a bottle in the middle of the night, who
bandaged their boo-boos and wiped their tears.
He's the one who sat at the kitchen table for countless hours of math
homework and who rummaged through the garage for bits and pieces of what would
become a Science Fair project or a diorama.
He's the one who played Candy Land, videogames, baseball, football, Barbies,
hockey, soccer, and Pretty, Pretty Princess.
He's the one who watched the countless movies they wanted to watch and
then introduced them to the movies he loved.
How many kids do you know who can recite lines from Marx
Brother movies? Yeah, I thought so!
Saturday mornings
were about cereal and Looney Tunes when they weren't about 6 a.m. ice hockey
practice, 8 a.m. flag football games, or 9 a.m. dance classes. And every day was about love, compassion,
understanding, supporting, encouraging, leading, teaching, and hugs and kisses
that never ran out.
June is for
celebrating dads. And the kiddos and I
are celebrating the best dad in the world, my hubby, Jose. He is a gift we're not sure we deserve, but
who are we to question God? Thank you
sweetie for being strong and sweet, a rock when we need one and a softie at
heart, and most of all the best hubby and dad in the world. Happy Father's Day!
And Happy Father's
Day to all the awesome dads out there. I
don't think I have to tell you how important it is for you to... stay cool.
Tell us your dad
stories in the comment section below.
Martha
One more
thing... I lost my dad seven months ago
and miss him more than words can ever express.
Before my children were blessed with the best dad in the world, I was
blessed in the same way. Papi, you were
everything to me that Jose is to the kids.
I miss your sweetness, your sense of humor, and our long conversations
about everything and nothing. Thank you
for the sacrifices you made for us and the loving way you taught us right from
wrong. And thank you for patiently waiting
for me to understand your love of the beach.
It only took my 45 years. I have
no one to call me Martita now, but I still hear your voice and it comforts me. My prayer for you this Father's day is that
you may be enveloped in the loving arms of God and surrounded by all the angels
in heaven. I love you to no end.
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