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Gorgeous blond hair, pretty light spring dresses in the city and a bikini on the beach at Pawley’s Island. Walking hand in hand at Art and Soul of South End, watching the Olympic kayakers take on the competition channel at the Whitewater Center and taking her out on the boat on Lake Norman. Going to the swim club that’s not too far from our new old house and doing flips with her off the diving board (when Mom’s not watching).
I can’t remember another time when I’ve been able to say this, but this summer will be like no other. And, as you may have guessed, it’s because of a fuzzyheaded 2-year-old baby girl who bears an uncanny resemblance to me (so much so that if I didn’t witness the 9 months of agony her mom went through, I might require a mama DNA test).
Now that Kate is two, the light in her mind is beginning to shine. This summer we’ll find out whether she likes to feel the surge of the ocean when she body-surfs in the Atlantic with her Daddy, or if she prefers to play in the sand while her mama reads a book. I’m personally hoping for the former. I haven’t told her mama this before, but I’m preparing Kate for a life of speed and thrills and I stack the odds in my favor every chance I get. I accomplish this through a personalized “speed enjoyment” training regimen that I’ve developed. Simplicity and repetition are key, so after shopping at the Harris Teeter I put Kate in the partially-filled shopping cart, face her forward, make sure she’s holding on, ask her if she’s holding on, get the nod that everything is good to go, look both ways in the parking lot, and sprint as fast as I can to the car, pushing my laughing baby out in front of me. It’s hard not to laugh when I hear her giggling and see her fine blond hair streaming behind.
I can hear it now, as Kate is accepting the trophy for another Indy or NASCAR win. “I’d like to thank my Daddy for all the things he’s done to prepare me for this day. Thank you, Daddy.”
But for now, I’ll have the best summer ever at the beach and lake and pool, and brush off any questions from my wife about why I go to the grocery store with Kate… for one item at a time.
~Todd Trimakas
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