Well, it appears that my efforts actually achieved something!!!!
Here is what I managed to learn.....
When I got up Saturday morning, I put DH's note with the tickets and gift card on the coffee maker and was just about ready to leave for the day. I was super excited for what I did manage to accomplish without ruining the surprise, but I could not wait any longer. I accidentally "spilled the beans" that there was a surprise waiting to be seen, waiting for DH when I went to tell him I was leaving for work. HEY! It was a major accomplishment on my part that I did not tell him about these plans I made for them when I got everything together days ago, so there! Growth on my part!
Well, the excitement I thought was going to happen over this little planned adventure did not arrive when DH went to look at the packet I left for him. His first comment was how doing something like this was ruining his plans to cleaning up leaves for the day. Really????? Cleaning up leaves on a windy way was taking a more important role than spending quality time with his daughter?????
I was not pleased, to say the least, when I heard his reluctance to going anywhere other than the yard that surrounds our home. I put my anger aside and stated the importance of this little trip. With fingers crossed and hope in my heart, I urged DH to at least try and left for work.
All throughout the day at my job, I was thinking about the distinct possibility that DH could easily disappoint DD yet again. You see, she already knew my plans and was excited to take this little adventure. If she had her heart broken..... well, I do not know what I would do, but I assure you all.... it would be something and probably something not very nice. With renewed hope and belief that DH would not let DD down, I made it through my day at the salon.
Tired and sore from a day that had me bouncing from one end of the salon to the other, I made it home to make dinner. Dishes from the previous night not washed were still sitting in the sink, but I did not get upset. I needed to know if DH did what I asked him to do. Then......
DD comes up to me and in an excited way starts to share with me all the fun she had with her father. Heck, she could not wait for dinner to be done and on the table to start talking about their day and what fun it was. That plan of sharing our day over dinner apparently was not soon enough for my darling daughter. She needed to share her feelings right away! I was relieved, to say the least, that my plans worked without any problems. In fact, I learned that DH put his most charming foot forward and that made me smile. They even took the time to walk the mall, talk and just look at stuff together. They even talked over lunch and talked the whole way home. I was thrilled! Then, of course, I did feel a little bad for DH at first. He had a hangover to deal with, but not so guilty that he had to listen to his teenage daughter talk his ear off. Paybacks are fair game in my book. I warned him that being a parent will take patience. Heck, I told him that being a parent is more than just financial backing. It takes spending time awake, alert, and ready for just about anything.
After the roar of excitement was finally dying down, I even heard something that I rarely ever hear from DH.... An honest sign of appreciation with a "Thanks" attached. Really?? A thanks for planning something fun for their day?? A mention that they even managed to have some fun in the process? Heck, even the "words of wisdom" that he passed on to our daughter over the hype of a smart phone. Who knew he had it in him to say that a smart phone is not all that smart. It is really about the person who uses the phone that makes it smart and regardless of what her friends taunt her about with not owning a smart phone... she has the smartest phone around. Definitely a tug of the heart springs, if you ask me.....
With the success of this little adventure, I finally now see the potential of a great father/daughter relationship. In fact, these tow are getting along a lot better over this past week and I look forward to more growth for the both of them. I just have to keep reinforcing everything and maybe I can rest at night knowing that they finally get it..... Family is important.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!!!
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