Tag and Pack Brinton Adventures: Best 2 Years of My Life

Dooz, you are turning two years old tomorrow and I just can't sleep until I tell you how getting to know you (while continuing to enjoy Tag) has been the best two years of my life.

I'm 47 now. Older than a typical LDS Dad. In fact, two of my best friends from high school are already grandparents, as is my own wife! The downside to this is how tired I am all the time, unless I sneak into my casita and fall asleep on the couch, leaving Joann to fend for herself.

But the upsides to being your father at 47 are so grand, I scarcely know where to begin. Working from home while you and Tag have been born has been the greatest blessing I could ever imagine. Just today, for example, I was in the Casita trying to drum up some new business and got interrupted by Ironman (Tag), two Batmans, and just the Dooz smiling and wanting to watch Mickey Mouse and the Giant for the 100th time. These interruptions are at times frustrating when I'm on the phone with a client, but most of the time are so special, that I find myself getting upset at myself when I get upset at the interruptions. Please keep visiting me, son. Really, this is all I really need in my life.

You and Tag visiting my office

Important business meeting

Play tennis, Dad!

Of course it would be nice to have nicer things, but at my age, enjoying you at your age is more important to me... Having time to play with you and laugh at literally your every move. A few of my favorite things you do right now are:

1) Argue. At least once per day I try and create a situation where I say to you that I can, and you respond, "NO! You Dan't!" The way you furrow your brow and say, "You Dan't" is so classic that I laugh just thinking about it.

2) You run to the front door and tell me to, "Say it, Daddy!" -- and I say, "Blue 42 .... Seeeeet .... HUT!" -- While I say it, you get down in a 4-point stance (kind of) and on HUT you run as fast as you can to the couch, slamming into it to stop and laugh, return and repeat until I stop. I should count how many times you would do this before stopping. Currently, you always outlast me.

3) Every day the last while you want to "Hit Dennis" -- which means you grab the mini tennis racquet given to you by your friend Rory Wright and you have me toss balls to you and you try and hit them.

4) As bedtime nears, I often find you hugging my leg and giving me 'loves', just being near me. I love this.

5) You always want to watch videos and look at pictures on my iPhone. The same ones over and over again. Your favorite is watching yourself knock on our door and say "Trick-or-treat" in the dress rehearsal for the big night. You and Tag were Dracula and this video is so classic. I pray I will save it so you can watch it later in life.

6) You and Tag love to watch cartoons. Your favorites are Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Vintage Bugs Bunny, and Iron Giant. You especially like the Tweety Bird ones. Whenever we watch you either cuddle up to me and put my arm around you, or you sit right on my stomach. Joann must think I'm nuts watching all these again and again, but I'm just savoring your little body close to mine.

Spreading out

7) Everything Tag does, you copy him in your own way. Tag notices this. Sometimes he does things he knows you can't do, to assert his dominance, but mostly (for now) he is a good big brother and helps you and wants you to participate. You are just getting big enough for Tag to play with you more and I see some good times for you two ahead. I also see many fights and I have to work on my patience, given that I'm mostly motivated by quiet (another downside to being single all those years and being older now)...

8) You are learning more words every day and the way you communicate is so funny. You can't say your S's, so Superman to you is "Pooperman" and Spiderman is "Piderman". Whenever Grandma comes to visit, she's amazed at how I understand what you say, but that's because I love your language so much I want to learn it!

9) You seem tough for your age. You get over falls quickly and want to get right back in the action. I wonder if this will make you more like your Uncle Nate, who loved football more than me.

10) You love to kick balls at me, swing golf clubs, hit baseballs, throw balls, etc. You are all boy and I visualize the great athlete you will be. Like Tag, you seem to have a natural athletic ability, and because those are the things Tag likes to do, you copy him and want to be like him.

Visiting my office, trying to get me to play "basketball hoop"

Swinging high on Matt Coombs' tire swing in Carmel, CA

11) You love to put on a football helmet and run at me and tackle me. It's so fun right now because you are still so small that you can't hurt me going full speed. You aren't as much interested in pillow fights as Tag was but you do like to hide under the blanket with me while Tag tries to find us.

12) Today, for the first time, you hugged my leg while I was eating dinner and said, "I love you Daddy." I about started to cry as I love you so much back.

13) The lucky people who know you always say, "Dang, that kid is cute." -- Joann and I say daily how we wish we could freeze you right now. I hope you get to experience a child of your own someday. If so, remember that 18 months to 2 1/2 is as good as it gets. You are right in the middle of prime time and I'll be damned if making a buck is going to get in the way of really soaking you in over the next 6 months!

Ready for Church

Chillin'

Happy Dooz

Clint Doozwood

After pooping his pants in nursery at church, this was all that was left of his outfit.

14) I like how if we are playing and I fake cry, you stop what you are doing and say, "Don't cwy!" Then you give me a hug. You have a tenderness about you that is really cool.

15) You have a GREAT laugh and you do it often. You are a very happy child. I have some great videos of you laughing that I will treasure.

16) You love to have me or Joann read stories to you at night. If we weren't overdosed on iPads, TV and iPhones, you'd probably like that even more.

17) Your first Halloween experience just two weeks ago was so fun for me to watch. Grandma Brinton also followed you around as you walked from house to house at your own pace, enjoying all the sights and sounds. Oh how I wish you could watch yourself years from now at how cute and funny you were. Given that I'm a Halloween nut, it was like sweet nectar to be with you and Tag on All Hallow's Eve.

Brintons, undead

Cemetery Home.

Out walking with Dooz on Halloween.

Packula

One of several trips to the Halloween store. Pack scares Tag.

I could go on and on. I have a new appreciation for how God the Father loves me, knows me, and wants to help me now that I am a father to you and Tag. My soul is enlarged and fed each day by just knowing you. I can't understand why I am blessed to have such a special son during this time of my life. Oh, how I wish Grandpa could have known you better and visa versa. He would have been addicted to you just like I am.

Happy Birthday, little Dooz.

Here's a few more of my favorite photos over the last year...