I'm Just A Little Kid Dad

Lawton is my first born child. He came into the world in Westminster, CA. on September 28th, 30 years after my birth. Of course everyone believes they have the most beautiful baby in the world and I was no exception. I named him after my grandfather, Lawton Christ. Changing the middle name to Christopher.

Very proud father I was. I really believe a person really doesn't know the feeling of love until having a child blossoms the emotion.

I had such a great time watching him eat ribs on his first birthday. He chewed on them for over an hour until the barbecue sause was from forehead to belly button having to have one in each hand.. .

I have a daughter too. Heather was born 14 months later. A son and a daughter. I could not have been happier.

Being so close together they were best friends, most times. Happy babies.

I became a single dad when Lawton was 3, Heather just about 2.

Heather was born in November and every so many years her birthday falls on Thanksgiving. In school she had to write a peace on how to make Thanksgiving dinner. 2nd grade if I remember right. He wrote "you take the turkey, stuff it with spaghetti and cook it for 1/2 hour." i saved that piece untill the paper gave out.

Spaghetti was her favorite.

Both of them picked up speech quickly. I talked, sang, and enjoyed books with them constantly. They could talk plan as day at 3 and 4 years old.

I recall a teacher telling me she could tell if a child was loved. Telling me that in elementary school she encountered children who had never been to the supper market. I found this hard to believe?

Hearing them speak from an other room you would think you were hearing a couple teenagers talking.

Lawton was doing something, can't quite remember, and I yelled at him. Then I felt bad and was apologetic to him saying sometimes I forget you just a little kid. Well that was a mistake. All I heard form that pint on was "but dad, I'm just a little kid." Took years for him to forget about that.

Once I grounded them from ketchup. Oh boy, you could hear the wailing and gnashing of teeth for miles. I only in-forced it for a couple days. Making fish sticks and french fries on purpose without ketchup was unbearable for me too.

At the end of 8th grade Lawton was asked to take college classes at a local college. He had taken the SAT test and scored 1050. At the time 700 was the average score for a high school senior. He didn't think it was cool to be a smart kid and wouldn't go. I should have forced him.

Watching those two grow was the best time of my life. I sure do miss them being small.