Monday, March 31, 2008

Fundamentals

It was one of the best moments of fatherhood so far (and there have been many).

Let me set the stage for you:

I had just settled down with some pretzels and a Flat Tire to see if North Carolina would beat Louisville to keep what's left of my final four intact. After a few minutes of play, our 5-year-old daughter ambled in and climbed up on my lap.

And... ACTION:
"Is K-State playing?"

"No. Sadly the Wildcats won't be playing anymore games this year."

"So who's playing?"

"This is the North Carolina Tarheels verses Louisville."

"Which ones are the good guys."

"Well, there aren't really any good guys left since K-State isn't playing. But I'm hoping North Carolina wins this game."

"Which team is North Carolina?"

"The guys with white shirts are North Carolina. The guys with red shirts are Louisville."

"Which one is winning?"

"Well, North Carolina has 10 points and Louisville has 9 points. So North Carolina is winning by 1 point."

"One point!?"

"Yup. Oooh. There was a foul."

"What is a foul?"

"That's when you break the rules by playing too rough. See, now that guy get to try a free shot and if he makes it he gets another free shot... Now North Carolina is ahead by THREE points."
This is followed by about a minute of quiet as we watch the Tarheels stretch their lead to 14-9.

Then I get this gem of a question:


"Dad, why are those guys brown."

"What are you talking about?" I say.

"Those guys, some of them are brown. You know, like on their skin."

"Oh. Well, they just have a different color of skin. That's all. Like your friend Noah and his little sister."

"Oh. But why is it brown?"

"Well it's just a different color. You know how you have blond hair and I have brown hair? It's like that."

"Oh. Yeah... Daddy?"

"What is it kiddo."

"Can I watch a cartoon?"
End scene.

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6 comments:

  1. when they grow up they don't even feign interest and go straight to the last sentence. enjoy while it lasts

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  2. You should be rooting for your fellow Kansans

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  3. I am so proud of you right now I could shed a tear!

    All joking aside, great job being a daddy.

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  4. Bingo. Let us hope that innocence remains. Well done on the parenting.

    Cheers.

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  5. Yeah, Elle is obsessed with skin color lately. she got back from Mexico with a couple freckles and thought she was going to turn brown like her cousins. She asked if her hair was going to get curly, too.

    Love it.

    She also got mad at her dad for cheering on KU - he's supposed to be for the Jay Cocks.

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