Father's Day Gifts

Louis must have known today was all about Baba.

He let us sleep past 6 a.m. He ate everything we put in front of him. He took a three-and-a-half-hour nap. He laughed at all of Baba's jokes.

Not that any of that is unusual around here. Louis is a pretty cooperative 2 1/2-year-old. And Baba is rather popular with his son.

He has awesome shoes.

He lets Louis pretend to nap with him on the couch--even if this only lasts about 30 seconds before Louis bounces up to go back to play.

He knows how to make almost anything a toy--meet the napkin tie.

And when Mama mentions that Louis has been asking about snowballs (calling them "ice-balls") whenever we pass a snowball stand, Baba says that's just how he was hoping to celebrate Father's Day, with an icy cold snowball--or maybe an ice cream cone.

When we pulled up at one of our neighborhood stands, Louis cheered and yelled "Ice-ball!"

Picking a flavor was harder than buying a Father's Day gift.

We settled on a 95-cent orange-flavored snowball.

Louis couldn't wait to try it. Finally! An "ice-ball" like the ones he had seen so many other children eating on our drives past snowball stands was in his hands.

The moment of truth had arrived.

Now, if you're waiting for the photo of Louis grinning from ear to ear as orange syrup drips down his chin, you should stop scrolling down.

He liked it about as much as he liked his last antibiotic. Maybe even a little less.

Thank goodness for Baba. He had the sense to order something infinitely better than an orange-flavored ball of ice. His soft-serve ice cream with chocolate jimmies took away the bitter disappointment of the "ice-ball."

Oh, yes. Baba saved the day. And Louis polished off the cone.


And, don't worry. Baba did manage to take a few bites in between his son's. Happy Father's Day, Baba!