For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for March 15, 2021

I feel like John’s having a Peter Cetera song right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdtnRUpX8a0

I’m reminded of this very wistful, nostalgic Kodak commercial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBWVWjdNWC0

You can never hang on as long as you want to.

There is nothing so sentimental and heart-warming as when a father views his baby’s first steps and it causes him to think fondly of the wonderful time in the future when that girl is going to be grown up and leaving him alone.

That’s why people love babies – they are so huggable and they hug back.

That’s the thing about children. You do things (like walking and dressing) on a daily basis without even thinking about it. For children, these experiences are new and fresh. Learning these skills gives you, the parent or caretaker, an appreciation for them and perhaps the difficulty in acquiring the skills.

If you’re smart, John, you’ll not mention this to Elly; she’d be heartbroken that April took her first step without her Mum…

Live each day at a time. Don’t worry about tomorrow for tomorrow never comes. (Now where did I hear that quote before? Guess I am heading for google search after this.)

My daughter is 20 and is in her junior year in college, where’d the time go??? But she still texts me that she loves me, so blessed!

:)

She may not be letting go of your wallet for a very long time, John.

And they let go so much sooner than we want them too.

People need to trust you enough to walk to you and you need to trust them enough to let them walk away from you. Trust is hard. Walking is easy.

Monty Stratton on Saturday’s TCM movie: THE STRATTON STORY:

Wife: “Oh look, Monty, he’s really starting to walk. Isn’t that wonderful?”

“Stratton: “What’s so wonderful about it? He’s got two legs, hasn’t he.”

SPOILERS!!

True in most cases, time does move. In my case now time, my daughter/man go garage sales they inform us lot of adult kids move back home and cannot make it and still working.

6 YO boy wants only daddy when he is sick. When he is tired he will tell me he is sleepy and ready for a nap and wants me to come sit down with him. We will then nap together. Bed time is our time together as well. Mommy comes up to bed after we are all tucked in.

My daughter took her first steps on her first birthday. Of course she’d been crawling like Speed Racer before that, but on this day she was crawling across the kitchen floor and found a folded bag. Fortunately I was watching while this happened, because I got to see her stop, pick up the bag, look at where she’d been headed, and come to the realization that in order to carry the bag with her she would have to walk. So she did, with nary a stumble.

Our oldest just turned 40, but she’s still Daddy’s girl…

My oldest will turn 18 this year. I definitely am feeling this strip.

Don’t blink, John!

I just figured out why we haven’t seen April for a while. She’s been out looking for her other sock!

Monday I tied blue ribbons in her hair

And sent her off to school.

Tuesday I packed her teddy bear

And sent her off to camp.

Friday I drove her to college

With her silver flute.

Saturday I helped her move

Into an apartment with her fiance’.

Will all the neighbors on 86th street

Please make sure she makes it to work?

She’ll be the one with the silver flute

And the teddy bear

And the blue ribbons in her hair.

Elly’s definitions:

Baby: Elly’s perspective on Michael, Elizabeth and April no matter how old they get.

Eritrea: A place where kids would be happy to eat whatever Elly cooks.

Forget it: Expression Elly will use if Elizabeth ever comes home with a man from the US.

God forbid!: Expression Elly will use if Elizabeth ever comes home with a man from the US military.

Grown-up: An ambiguous term that applies when the Patterson kids needs to take on more responsibilities…but not when they want more priviledges.

Noise: Any piece of music composed after 1969.

Respect: What Elly unfailingly gave her parents when she was a kid, as all parents got it in those days by right of being the Greatest Generation.

Sixteen: The number of miles John had to walk to school.

She has quiet a number of years before she let’s you go. Till then, have the best days of your parenthood.

Now the fun REALLY begins!

Reminds me of this Paul Simon’s song “Father and Daughter”:https://youtu.be/COQPSoRFdwg

I was never really a “Daddy’s Girl” as he wasn’t a real demonstrative man. But I did love him. And I miss him every day.

Monty Stratton Story on TCM 3 days ago

Wife: “Oh, look Monty. He’s really starting to walk. Isn’t that wonderful?”

Monty: "Monty: “What’s so wonderful about it? He’s got two legs, hasn’t he?

It’s a good thing that babies are so short and wear diapers. They don’t have very far to fall and when they land on their bums it’s a padded landing!

Shortly after walking in to Dad’s loving arms, she makes a poopy and is swiftly handed over to Mommy.

In just a few years, April won’t be letting go of your wallet or your car keys!