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Hey Dad,

I'm writing to you from sunny Florida. We've camped at Ft. Wilderness, been to Disney World, eaten at the Rain Forest Café, and swam up a storm. And Ike (our 5-year-old) swallowed a stainless steel marble (I have the steel marble now—cool!).

The thing about vacation is that it would be a lot easier if you went alone. Don't get me wrong; we've had a great time as a family … but vacations also bring out the worst in dads.

I was reminded about the universality of this truth as I sat in Pecos Bill's Restaurant waiting for Debbie to return with a tray full of expensive, fast food. As I waited, I observed people.

I was struck by how all the parents around me were barking at their children for a variety of reasons. I'd like to piously say that I was not among them, but I think I had three of my children crying at the time. Way to go, "Familyman."

Fortunately, children are resilient, and they bounced back quickly after I apologized … but a couple of hours later … grumpy dad was back. Why are we dads like that? We pray, we try, but still, we seem to botch it more than we succeed.

If you're like me, sometimes you feel like you're not the dad your kids' deserve or the man your wife needs.

Well, let me set the record straight. You are EXACTLY what your wife and children need. God knew that when he made you their father and husband. The truth is, good dads aren't perfect. They blow it and do things they hate doing … but good dads never throw in the towel. They apologize a lot and keep at it.

It looks like we're headed to the beach today. Man, it's going to be fun. We'll gather shells, dig in the sand, and run down the beach. That said, I'm almost positive that things will get a little ugly at some point too. I mean, you can't mix sun, sand, six kids, and an RV and expect anything less.

But we're going anyway.

So get in there, Dad. Keep at it. Apologize if you need to (and you probably do), get back on the horse, and never take the easy route.

You 'da Dad! [Todd]

©Copyright Todd Wilson, 2004. Used by permission.

A Familyman Commercial

I want to offer you one of the greatest fathering tools known to modern man … the 2005 You 'Da Dad Daily Calendar. It's 365 days of fathering quotes, tips for dads, top 10's, cartoons, and other cool dad stuff.

The purpose of it is to give you a daily reminder that what you do as a dad and husband is the most important thing you do. It will remind you to tell your children you love them, do small acts of service for your wife, and others things you'd like to do if someone would just remind you. And scattered throughout the pages are "instant notes." You'll be given space to write a short note, instructions on what to write about, and then you give it to the people you love the most. That's a three-pointer!

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