Grif

I'm sure this may sound strange to some and to others it doesn't, but I kind of feel that Dylan was put on this earth for Dana to learn from and Grif is here for me to learn from. Not that I don't love Dylan because I love him so much, but I think there's a slightly different connection that I have with Griffin. It's also possible that it's late, I had a beer so I'm babbling a bit. I don't think it's unusual for parents to have a favorite child. I know our love is supposed to be equal and unconditional but it sometimes isn't. The thing about Grif is that we often have a lot of fun together. I did with Dylan too but now it's different. I suppose that I have grown a lot as a man/father and that could be why I feel this way now. Today, Dylan was playing with one of his friends who is a little bit older. Usually they include Griffin but today was not one of those days. Dylan is at that age (nearing 13) where he doesn't want his kid brother around (nor his Dad either) and I can respect that. So Grif and I went swimming (the water is cooling down to about 77 degrees) for a while. I have been teaching him to swim and today he did the length of the pool, 24 feet, doing the doggie paddle. He's taken off over the past two weeks with his swimming. He went from being afraid of the pool to being an otter. After an hour of swimming we went to the Castle, a place for mini golf. They have other things there but we like the golf. After a round of that, we went to the snack bar, then off to get some pizza. We hit the supermarket next then headed home. It was getting late and it has been raining but he asked if we could go swimming, the Magic Words for me. I said sure, let's go. So I lit all tiki torches and off we went. Dylan and Tyler didn't want anything to do with it. Grif doesn't bat an eye, he approaches the pool deck and off he goes. I of course, have to just follow him in. I can see him swimming with me near the end of September in 62 degree water. I just feel we have this bond. Of course, there was one point when I was watching Runaway Jury that he's begging me to make him a roasted marshmallow on our electric stovetop. I kept trying to divert his attention to one of the other fine snacks like Fruit by the Foot or Oreos. Bascially, something that didn't require me to get up off my lazy butt in the middle of a movie to make something that I never really tried myself doing on an electirc stove. As it turned out, I caved in and made him the best looking golden brown toasted marshmallow that there ever was in the entire world. He hugged and kissed me and told me this was the best day he's ever had and how he loves me so much and how I'm the best Dad in the whole wide world. He always tells Dana he loves her infinity, but tonight he said he loves me infinity too.
Boy, can that kid work me or what... :-)