HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDIO!

Oh yes: today is the day Daddio was born, 43 short years ago! As the story goes, he was overdue so his dad had to put his mom on the back of the motorcycle and bump along the road to coax baby Jack out. Needless to say, it worked and Jack C. loves motorcycles and responds rather favorably to adrenaline.

Daddio has been gone alot in April, May and June, and when he's not gone often he's working 7 days per week. We all miss him, let me tell you! Jack just got home yesterday (at 4 AM) from his last trip. He had taken athletes Aris (javelin) and Sharon (high jump) to USAs. The nice folks of the Assosciated Press and Trackshark took these snapshots earlier this month.

This past Monday was my 8th day without Vanessa's father around. It showed. Nessers had a day of feeling particularly grumpy and moany and I pretty much had to jostle her all day long. That made me grumpy and moany, and I began to feel very down and was certain I was the worst mama on the planet. I couldn't get Thing One done around the house, I couldn't console my baby at all, and I couldn't take care of myself. It was a bad scene. Luckily, I got a chance to catch up with Maribeth, who assured me it was all normal, we had a good laugh, and I got through the day without having call 911 for a bathroom break or even a pizza.

Tuesday morning I got up and there was Jack, asleep in bed, and the mere sight of him back home was inspiration and motivation all in one. I sprang out of bed, flew through the morning chores with a smile on my face, whipped the house back into shape, and greeted him with a fresh cup of coffee when he got up. He's like magic.

So we are all very happy he came into the world, and today is the day I thank his mother, Granny Ernestine, for "going on to Number 7." And today and every day I let Vanessa know she is one lucky chica to have Jack for her Dad.

Today we are having a low key celebration. He slept in, I made him breakfast, and he held his best girl, Nannerkins, before work. Today he's meeting Sharon for a work out to help her prepare for the Pan Am Games. He brought his high jump shoes to challenge her to a jump-off. At one time Jack could jump 7' 3" and Sharon - who is currently ranked #2 in the nation - has jumped as high as 6' 4", but she's 22 and Jack is, well, nearly twice her age today. You go, Daddy!