What I've Learned from my husband... and CartoonNetwork...

My Husband Steve and I have been married for almost eight years... we have been parents for almost seven of them... so I am sure it comes at no surprise to hear that our first born was a surprise- a total "What does TWO lines even mean" kind of surprise.. It's not that we were being completely reckless for two grown-ish people who were on the whole "let's have sometime to be married before we start trying" track... but when you are told at 16 you won't ever be able to have kids with out "help" (Thank You PCOS) you kinda don't think to much about avoiding pregnancy... esp. on your honeymoon... esp. on your honeymoon with your Army Private new husband who is about to deploy for the first time... yep.. that situation pretty much leaves you reckless in the Nicholas Sparks novella kinda way... And though 23 wasn't my intended first time mother age and I definitely was not planning to spend my first pregnancy eating Dairy Queen at 2 am with my mother and not my new husband- we both have turned out to be 'Da' Bomb' at parenting. My husband is pretty excellent at being a Dad and to be honest... he is pretty darn good at whatever he puts his mind to and It's pretty annoying. Take the time he decided to pick up running... yes, pick it up... like it was a sock on the floor that needed to be helped to the hamper... This from the man I nagged daily to join me for a run in the early years of our marriage, who calls me up from a school he was attending to tell me he's started running... oh yeah... he's averaging 6 minute miles... and he is planning to run a marathon... WHAT!? The key to Steve is this, if you have a personal goal, there is no half way... there is only doing your absolute best, even if it means you become obsessive in your quest to succeed. He will admit freely to his tendency to let new interests consume him.. to a point, I mean it's not like our children scream "Stranger Danger!" when he comes home from work... Steve is nothing if not an equal opportunity obsessive... "I'm taking the kids to the driving range!!" he has been calling out lately after dinner-- see, balance! Steve's new Mt. Everest is the sport of golf. He stinks at it. Or he did, I guess you say now his game is simply "a little ripe"and he is fully committed to conquering it- as can be witnessed with the hours logged at the driving range and the frequency the TV is tuned into the "Golf Channel"- And I know soon the wicked split his ball does now, zooming dangerously towards parked cars and pedestrians will soon straighten out and fly right, because I know Steve won't give up till it does. Watching a cartoon late last night (one of those our children are not permitted to watch) the hero says,"Suckin' at somethin' is the first step at being kinda good at somethin'." to which Steve replies "That's ME!" with a big smile, referring to his golf game-and I think it's a great life lesson-one mantra I am glad he's here to help teach our kids.....