We had a jam-packed Father’s Day at The Connolly Ranch. We started the day at the Gardens, came home to let Matt watch multiple sporting events and have a couple of beers, and followed it up with a feast of gorgonzola & red wine burgers, baked beans, maple-smoked bacon, and tater tots. Matt and I toasted to having produced two of the world’s best kids with chocolate-dipped shortbread cookies and continued the “dad theme” when Matt had to deal with Liam waking up at 9:45 wailing for water. Fatherhood is no joke and I’m so glad my children have such a wonderful dad! Here are some pictures of the day.
We started the morning by giving Matt his “Man Apron” so he can start working to achieve his goal of Connolly Family Grillmaster. I couldn’t resist getting matching kid versions. Here they are showing off their stuff.
L.O.V.E.
This is where we started losing them…
“Oh, Paige! Was that you?”
“Whatchoo talkin’ ’bout, Liam?”
Aaaaannnnd, we’re back:
Soon after we arrived at the Gardens…
Paige break:
First attempt at a Father’s Day picture:
Liam is SO cooperative these days…
He also REALLY likes to stay very still:
This is like a rare bird sighting…
This is the most honest face he could muster in the moment:
I think that this accurately portrays the situation:
Second attempt at a Father’s Day picture:
And that is where we gave up and let Liam run around like the wild animal he has become…
Then we switched it up and took the opportunity to take a few shots of me and Paige:
Pollination in action:
Liam checks it out:
Copping a (brief) squat:
One:
Two:
Three:
Four:
Checking out the venus flytraps:
Paige break:
We tried to wear Liam out by getting him to run around the frog pond. He made it about a quarter of the way around before losing interest and turning around. Hey? We tried.
For the first time we heard the bullfrogs do their thing:
Water-catching lilypad:
Sunflowers make me happy.
Liam has been mesmerized by this fountain for years:
I had completely forgotten about the fountain in the children’s garden (I have no idea how) but Liam’s memory was refreshed almost instantaneously. We stripped him down to his shorts and here were the results:
This might be my favorite shot from the fountain:
Paige looked jealous of Liam’s good time so we stripped her down to give her a turn. She wasn’t so sure of the cold water at first…
She warmed up (literally and figuratively) after a while:
Liam felt that Paige wasn’t nearly wet enough, so he shared a little water with her:
Paige is a little jealous of Liam’s water-fueled dance party…
Photobomb:
Ahhhhhh.
Time-out. (While this was going on, Liam was whining/wailing and two men walked by and asked him if he was okay. Matt went over to let them know that he was in time-out and their reply was: “we guessed that, he said that he ‘wasn’t being nice.'”)
Sleepy baby:
Heading home:
Back at home, Liam donned his apron once more:
Laptop time:
“Hooray for Father’s Day!”
“We love you, Dad!”
“Clap (or bury your face in Daddy’s arm) if you love Father’s Day!”
What a wonderful day for a wonderful Daddy!