Tough decisions and fun at the beach

Yesterday morning Andrea and I had to make a decision that was not popular with our kids. The nature of the decision isn’t important here but the difficulty with which it was made is, I think. As we thought through this decision, we could have made our kids (and others) instantly happy by saying yes, but there was a life lesson involved and because of that we had to say no. I want my kids to love me, but more than being a popular dad I want Tori, Jakeb and Anna to grow up and live life well.

I am proud of how both Tori and Jakeb reacted. Anna did not react because the situation really didn’t involve her. As I watch my kids grow sometimes I worry, but ultimately in situations like yesterday I watch them react in mature ways and I know that they will be okay.

After lunch Jakeb and I went to the beach and rode body boards for a couple of hours. We had a great time. I forgot how much I enjoy the salt water, and sunshine. And to top it off, I was experiencing it all with my son. We rode waves and played hard. Even though we put on spf 30 sunscreen we both have the hue of Bob the tomato. Two hours in the sun yesterday provided for a painful experience today. It’s all good …