His Real Name Is Henry Winkler. Mine?

Last night at our local Perkins where we had dinner after Jeffrey's Cub Scout pack met at Splashdown and swam for two hours, I asked Sarah and Jeffrey how they were enjoying their food (a far cry from McDonald's where our son originally wanted to go, and it cost about the same as kids eat free there Tuesday and Saturday nights) and I got thumbs up from them. I asked them if they learned that from the Fonz in Happy Days and they had no idea who I was referring to!

Martha said to Jeffrey who was sitting next to her – we were in a booth – today's title sentence before I could cut in with what I was going to, that the character's real name was Arthur Fonzerelli, and he asked back in all seriousness, “Mine?” We all laughed because it was so deadpan coming from our son! (Incidentally, Henry Winkler IS the actor's real name, born Halloween Eve 1945 and with an acting – or at least a public – career as long as my life!)

At dinner, I was especially touched – and stuffed, neither Martha nor I could finish the Tremendous Twelve breakfast-for-dinner meals that we had, so it's lunch for me today! – that when Jeffrey asked for our waitress Amber, Martha commented that she remembered (and heard) that Papaw – what we call my dad Robert because her dad (who's also named) Robert is “Grandpa” – would do that too. Yes, my dad was especially outspoken; I doubt anyone who's met him has forgotten him!

Last night and this morning I got presented excellent artwork from our kids. I had my written journal open as the kids came down this morning – and Jeffrey didn't have to come further than our living room couch for he went to use the bathroom and did not want to walk back to his room in the dark! – and they asked could they write something on those blank pages. Sure; I want to remember the times when they are young because it's gonna fly by!

And I like them a lot; Jeffrey wrote “you ar the DaDDy in The world” and inserted “best” with an arrow between the and DaDDy, while Sarah on the opposite page wrote “Dad is the best DaD in the wrld” with lines of x's and o's beneath them. And this was a vast improvement for me over yesterday morning, for sometimes it feels the kids are indifferent to me. I know for their sake (as well as Martha's) and for mine I can do a lot better than I have been.

David