Saturday, May 17, 2008

A Very Public Love Letter





My mother called this morning to tell me that the news paper was having a contest for Phoenix's Sexist Father. As soon as I got over the fact that my mom finds her son-in-law to be sexy (mother, you cougar!) I asked how the contest was graded. Was it an essay submitted by the wife? Was it decided by Sexy Father's good family deeds? My mom seemed to think it was judged by a photo published online. Whatever father is deemed "sexiest" in their photo by online votes, wins the contest.

Scot is adorable. I think he's beautiful. He had me at the square jaw. I love the fact that he's 5'7. He looks good in his jeans, and he has nice hands. But I'm not sure all that translates in an online photo. It seems to me that firefighters and muscle men always win these types of contests. Can't you see it - a hunky bare chested guy in his rubber pants, suspenders and bucket hat holding a naked newborn in the crook of his arm. The last fire Scot fought was in our toaster oven. Never mind if these beau hunks are good dads or not; these pictures are only tasty viewing morsels for internet-surfing , overworked mamas.

But let me tell you what a Sexy Father my husband is. When Maggie was 10 months old, she got very sick and was hospitalized. As the ER nurses held her down to get an IV line into her skull, I fled the room to compose myself. Scot held Maggie as she screamed and dry heaved, and told her "It's okay. Daddy's here." When Nora was an infant with colic, he took her every other night so that I could rest. Nowadays, with a full-time job and night school, Scot sleeps with Nora when she is sick. He explains that he would rather be tired than deal with me tired. I know this is true, but I also know that he loves spending any kind of time with our kids; good or bad. Every month Scot deposits money into Maggie and Nora's college accounts, and he takes them for hair cuts. He comes home from work every day, and "attacks" them with kisses. Scot constantly tells his daughters that they are "smart and nice" because he knows beauty is fleeting, and that no one's self esteem should be wrapped up in their appearance. My girls are Daddy's Girls, and I couldn't be more proud.

Last night, Scot slept with Nora so that I could get a good night's sleep. Today, Scot went on the computer for a covert mission to buy me Coldplay tickets. I ruined the surprise by being a busy body and hunting him down in the office. I was so excited that he was willing to "suffer for my art" (I know he's not really a fan). At lunchtime, Scot asked me if I wanted to go out to eat because he didn't want me to work so hard. An hour ago, Scot sat with Nora so that I could sit down and write this. These are just a few examples of the kind of husband Scot is. While being good to his wife isn't directly indicative of what kind of father Scot is, it's laying important groundwork for our daughters. It's teaching Maggie and Nora what a good man is, and that they shouldn't accept anything less in a husband for themselves. Because you don't just get a husband when you marry. You also get your children's father.

My husband is sexy as hell. He's on fire because he's good to me, and he's good to our children. Sure, he has muscles. The one between his ears is huge and I marvel at it's ability to store and memorize a life's worth of facts and love. He's a tall drink of "parental patience". And as evidenced by the accompanying photos, he doesn't take himself too seriously. I hope the newspaper does a house call to validate the Sexiest Phoenix Father winner. While I appreciate a shot of a good looking man, it takes more than a picture to be a Sexy Daddy.

1 comment:

Jennifer said...

Okay, you seriously just had me in tears. I officially adore Scot! It's so important for your daughters to have a good relationship with their father because that will impact them in every relationship they have with men when they get older. I would totally give him my vote!