daddy daughter dance with abby

Here is a link to the 20110205 Daddy Daughter Dance photo album.
Here is a link to a video of Abby talking about where we are going.
Abby and I went to the Daddy Daughter Dance at Providence Comunity Church in Lenexa on Saturday February 5, 2011. We had Abby's hair fixed down at my Mom and Dad's house. It was curled. It looked very nice. Abby was dressed very elegantly in a flower dress with a little white shawl. Abby and I got some pre party pictures and then headed to Chris Keup's house to car pool out to Lenexa together. Chris actually invited us to the event. He and his daughter, Ava looked great together.
We arrived at 6pm (perfect timing). Outside the main entrance there was a line of candles on each side and a young boy opened the door for us. We were greeted and escorted to the check in room. We got signed up for pictures, checked in, had our coats valet checked and then hung around until we were up to get our picture with Snow White. Abby had a flower pinned on her dress. Abby was a little nervous about Snow White. I think she was generally nervous about the new surroundings, all the people, the decorations, and the pomp. We got our picture with Snow White and then went to the main dance/eat area. And apparently we unknowingly stole some reserved seats. If your out there and you happen to read this, we really are sorry...we did not know they were reserved.
There were light hors d' oeuvres. Young boys (8-12ish) were very attendant waiters. I never had my glass of lemonade less than 1/3 full all night before one would take it for a refill. They did an excellent job. We had some snacks and then they brought out the main dinner. It was buffet style loaded with salad, chick-fil-a, and jack stack barbecue. It was very good. Abby really liked the sausage and had quite a bit of it. I had a very generous second helping of meat. Sliced beef is one of my favorite foods. The attendant boys cleared our plates and then asked the girls if they wanted vanilla or chocolate cupcakes. Abby got vanilla. The attendants brought the dads huge pieces of chocolate cake and ice cream which I split with Abby. I don't even like dessert that much so was happy Abby helped me eat it.
Dance time started around 7:15. Abby was very energetic and we danced hard. She wanted to jump up and down and do the slide though. The slide through is a move where she holds both of my hands and slides between my legs. At the last minute she lets go with one of her hands and I reach around back between my legs and grab her hand, while she lets go with her other hand. I continue the pull and she slides through my legs and stands up with a twirl, completing the slide though. We did that move many times. We also did the swing move "cradle to flip" which Abby's mom and I particularly like (kind of our signature move which we performed on our wedding night). We just had a great time dancing together...until about 7:50-8.
Abby just stopped dancing and said, "I'm done, lets go home." Miriam, Luke, Abby, and I had been sledding (with the lyford family) for 2 hours earlier in the afternoon. Abby walked up big hills many times and expended a bunch of energy. Combined with the dancing, her energy level at 8pm dropped to 0 pretty instantaneously. So, for the next 35 minutes, we got to have some great daddy daughter cuddle time.
Yep, right there in that big dance room with all those people, Abby was content to just sit on my lap, head on my chest and suck her thumb. I don't know how much longer I will get these opportunities, so I was in no rush to go. On the way home, Abby did not waste much time falling asleep. This night was very special for me. I hope we created a memory she will be able to cherish. I hope we created a tradition, at least one daddy daughter dance annually. I hope when she is 18, and prepping for her prom...that sometime during that busy year she still wants to cut some rug up at a dance with her daddy at a daddy daughter dance. I hope I have the strength to be her daddy, to guide and teach her in the ways of the Lord, and the strength to let her go.

2011-02-05 daddy daughter dance

Titty Van

Tonight, Miriam and I were cleaning the kitchen after dinner and Abby was rotating the chair with Lukie boy in it singing, "Titty Van, Titty Van" over and over again. Miriam and I were a little perplexed at her choice of words. Miriam asked what that meant.
Abby replied, "Go Luke, Go!"
So apparently "titty van" equals "go luke, go" ... I don't even know how to finish this post ... bye!

Abby helping daddy dump some rocks

Abby hard at work

Miriam took Luke to a mommy-baby brunch at our church while Abby and I:
played dress up? NO
went to the mall to go shopping? NO
got her nails done? NO
played house? well kinda sorta, except this house had real work to be done so we did it.
She is so stinkin' cute! Click the picture above to see all the photos.

Abby questioning my manhood

Due to potential objectionable content, parental discretion should be used before reading this post aloud to children.

This evening Miriam, Luke, Abby and I were downstairs relaxing. Miriam was putting together an extremely difficult 1,000 piece puzzle. Lukey boy (who I now affectionately call Ruke, it is important to say it with hint of a dog bark) was chilling out playing with his robotic monkey (a monkey which scared Abby to tears when she was 6 months and still bothers her to this day). Abby was performing her repertoire of acrobatics on, around, and under her slide. I was relaxing by organizing ... so I am kind of anal and slightly goofy ... big deal.

At one point in her acrobatics, Abby said, "Daddy, watch this!!" She wanted me to see her going down the slide backwards. Of course, I have already seen her do this 100 times but 101 isn't going to hurt anything. After completing her death-defying feat, Abby looked at me and asked, "Daddy, can you do it?" Now, on occasion, I do slide for her enjoyment (sliding is fun ... just not on a 4 feet high slide ... although I have found some ways to make it interesting). However, this time I was on a roll organizing place mats, napkins, and table cloths (which Miriam loves and I keep trying to get rid of) so I said, "No thanks Abby."

Abby challengingly replied, "Do you have a penis daddy? cause I do." Now I don't think she meant it this way (a 2 and 1/2 year old can't taunt like this can she?) but it sure sounded like she was accusing me of being scared to go down the slide backwards. Miriam and I couldn't help but bust out laughing. I mean seriously, guys get in fights over this sort of taunt. Many men (myself included), have done some pretty stupid stuff because someone said, "I bet you don't have the ????? to do that!" For the record, I did not teach her this. Aunt Kak can be thanked for the advanced anatomy which Kak taught Abby at the age of 23 months.

How can a guy back down from that challenge (I am getting better at saying no to such challenges) but I couldn't back down this time. I summoned my courage, climbed (stepped) up on the slide, and slid down backwards. I guess I do have one after all ... I just wish my 2 and 1/2 year old didn't think she had one too.