Ah yes — the long-awaited Father’s Day post. First, thank you to everyone who wished me a Happy Father’s Day on Sunday. A belated happy Father’s Day to all my fellow dads out there.
I had a wonderful weekend with my girls and my main man Burger. My father taught me to celebrate these occasions by doing things together instead of focusing on gifts, and that approach guided our weekend. Fatherhood is all about shared experiences, right? This year Clara was old enough to take part in many of our activities, which made the weekend even more special. Last year’s first Father’s Day was great too, but having her more engaged this time around was a treat.
We packed as much as we could into the two-day span while working around a few home projects. The three of us (sometimes four) enjoyed breakfast outings, read plenty of books, played outside, took several walks, made homemade pizzas, and visited the farmer’s market. It felt like a perfect mix of relaxed family time and small adventures.
One highlight of the weekend was christening the big gift from Sherry and Clara: a yogging stroller (much more fun to say than jogging stroller). We took it out for an inaugural three-mile run around the neighborhood on Saturday morning, and it performed beautifully. The photo we grabbed later doesn’t even show me in running gear because we only remembered to take a picture after a family walk on Sunday night that wrapped up the weekend.
I love the stroller, and Clara seems to enjoy it too, which is the real icing on the Father’s Day cake. Finding a great price on it made the gift even sweeter. Sherry and I had been casually watching Craigslist for a used yogging stroller, but the deals weren’t compelling. Then I noticed a slightly upgraded model on a retailer site marked down by $65 with free shipping, but it was listed as out of stock. With no guarantee the deal would return, I assumed it was gone.
Sherry suggested calling the company’s customer service number just to ask about pre-orders or price holds. They didn’t allow pre-orders, but they did something better: they honored the discounted price for a different in-stock color variant that I actually preferred. Instead of paying full price, I got the stroller for the marked-down rate and free shipping — a 35% savings just for making a quick call. It was absolutely worth the effort.
The stroller slightly exceeded the original $100 budget Sherry and I had set, but we’re happy we splurged on the upgraded model. It includes a built-in speaker, which might sound like a small luxury, but playing Clara’s favorite songs during morning runs and evening walks keeps her happily entertained. She’s a little music fan, and the cupholder treasure hunts for goldfish crackers help too. Considering many jogging strollers now cost several hundred dollars, paying closer to a hundred felt like a smart compromise.
Another major moment from Father’s Day: Clara took her first completely unassisted steps. Two steps, in fact, moving from our sectional to an ottoman. It was an incredible moment. I missed the first one because I was in the kitchen, but when I came in she repeated it for us and we all celebrated. We didn’t have a camera in hand for the first attempt, but the memory of her wobbling forward and smiling at us was priceless.
Sherry also surprised me with a thoughtful keepsake: a custom 8.5 x 11-inch rendering of our first house, commissioned from a talented artist. The original art is on its way in the mail, and we’ve seen a preview that we both love. The plan is to frame it in a white frame with a wide mat and add it to our hallway gallery. The artist used pen and ink and Prisma marker to create a warm, hand-rendered portrait of a place full of memories, which makes the gift feel especially sentimental.
As meaningful as these presents were, what I appreciated most about Father’s Day was the reminder of how lucky I am to have the people around me: the little girl I get to play father to, the woman who made her possible, and my dad, who still runs faster than me. I’ll happily use the new stroller as an excuse for a more relaxed pace on my runs — the best part is that it promises more time spent together, and that’s what matters most.