The End of an Era
This holiday weekend is the end of an era in our household. Monday July 4th will be the last scheduled Maddie and daddy day. Ever since Maddie was 8 weeks old, Maddie and I spent every other weekend together while Nicole worked. This left only 4 days a month that we could spend as a family.
I’m so proud to announce that Nicole received a promotion at work. She’ll be in a supervisor role on the rehab floor that she currently works. This position will allow her to work a typical Monday through Friday schedule. Not only does Nicole excel at taking care of a special needs child at home, she excels at work as well. I couldn’t be more proud of her.
This new schedule will allow us to spend every weekend together as a family. However, I am a little sad that Maddie and I won’t get that one on one time together. I truly feel like the Maddie and daddy weekends allowed us to bond on a deeper level.
I always had to laugh when I would take Maddie out during these weekends. One of the things I loved to do was to take Maddie for a walk along Lake Michigan. There’s a great path that’s exactly a mile long by Pierre Marquette Beach. It took us through a wooded area, and it came out and around a boardwalk. This path allowed us to see amazing views of Lake Michigan for over a half mile. However, the looks and comments I would get while walking Maddie were always pretty funny to me.
“Oh I guess it’s dad’s day to watch the baby.” This was said to me on multiple occasions. I always got sideways looks as well. It seemed as though some people were surprised that a father would take a child on his own for a walk. Now not everyone was like this, however there was a large segment of people that seemed thoroughly surprised that a father was out alone with his child.
As Maddie and I spent more and more time together, I tried to make each day a little different for her. We would spend time playing on the floor, going for walks, and dancing around the house. One of my favorite things that we did together was make a little music video. I’m not sure Maddie knew what was going on, but I found it pretty funny. It’s those memories that I will always cherish from our time together.
As much as I’ll miss Maddie and daddy day, I’m so proud of Nicole. Having every weekend off together will be a game changer for our family. Like I said earlier, Nicole and I typically get 4 days off together a month. These 4 days are usually spent traveling across state to see family, or spending countless hours catching up on household chores. Now we’ll be able to enjoy our time together as a family.
-Written by Adam Birchmeier
