the one about being a father

Being a father is easy. Any fool could do it. But being a good father.... that's a completely different kettle of fish! I recently read a really nice quote on fatherhood, and it went something like this: A father is his sons first hero, and his daughters first love. In my case, he was also the first man to break my heart... But moving on...
I don't subscribe to the view that we learn our parenting skills from our parents. In fact, this very misconception is what kept me from having a baby much earlier. I now know that the kind of parent you are, is most often the sort of parent you always wanted. Well this holds good for me anyway. And its enough for me. I also know there is no formula for parenting. The rules change with the circumstances, and are different for each child.
My husband is a great father. The kind of man I'm really happy to have as a father for my son. He plays with Adam even when he's tired. He bathes him, feeds him and makes up bedtime stories for him. He takes him to the park, and frets over him when he's ill. And best of all, he does these things because they make him happy! I have never loved him more than as I do when I watch him with my son...
This is what I thought about as I made this layout to celebrate the bond between my two great loves...

the one with the song

"I hear babies cry,
I watch them grow,
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know,
And I think to myself...
What a wonderful world!"
                            -Louis Armstrong


This song is by far my favorite. It has never failed to lift my spirits if  I'm ever feeling low, and just hearing the opening bars brings a goofy smile to my face.
Mr. Armstrong has made me view my little son with a certain amount of healthy respect. Everyday I watch him, I see him learn something new... Right from the moment I pushed him out of my body... How to breathe, how to suckle, how to see, how to recognize... And then later, how to walk, talk, eat.... Still later, how to run, pitch your voice to sing, co-ordinate arms and legs to throw a ball, hold a pencil to write... It'll never end my son. It's truly a wonderful world... So much to see and discover and enjoy!

I made this layout for a MME challenge. In the picture, Adam is discovering the pleasures of Peekaboo! We'd spend happy hours together hiding behind curtains, him shouting "Where's Adam? Here I am!!"

    
Thanks for looking! Have a wonderful day!

the one about the monsoon

So the Monsoon is here... The glory days of the Mango are past, taking with it the unbearable heat, the loss of appetite, and the need to bathe three times a day! The heavens have opened, refreshing the baking asphalt, washing the dust off the trees, and veiling the scorching sun so the world is bathed in a gentle light.  Now there's a new host of things to take care of. Where are the umbrellas? Is the leak from last year back? I need rain friendly shoes. Adam needs a raincoat. My appetite's back. Have to make time to workout.
But apart from all these little molehills, there are the mountains to consider... This is seriously good weather to curl up with a good book. Even better to snuggle up to a warm someone... Best of all, there's playing in the rain with a happy two-year-old! He smears himself with wet mud, hunts slippery earthworms and gathers fallen flowers with the infectious enthusiasm only little boys are capable of. My small son brings me so much joy... All I can do is revel in it, and thank God for it.... and have a hot bath ready for him...