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& Chattahoochee Chronicle
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Daddy Duty is written by Richard Harris, publisher of The Tri-County Journal & Chattahoochee Chronicle.
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A Relaxing Drive Around the Yard
While this is seen as a boon for the business world, it's also very important to new parents, because when you have a baby the world seems to grow exponentially with every baby related item you purchase to make traveling "easier".
Before becoming a daddy, when I wanted to go somewhere I grabbed my keys, my wallet – possibly a book, notepad or tennis racket – and I was out the door in four, five minutes, tops.
Now, when I get ready to go on a trip I feel like Christopher Columbus loading up the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria, or the head of NASA doing a pre-flight check for the first flight to Mars.
Let's see: milk - check; bottle - check; bottle warmer - check; diapers - check; wipes - check; burp cloth - check; pacifier - check; toys - check; extra baby clothes - check; bib - check; pack-n-play - check; stroller - check.
"Daddy to Mama – pre-flight check is complete. We have a go for ignition."
Good, we're late already.
"10, 9, 8 ..."
Wait! Where's the baby?
"I thought you had him."
No, I thought you had him. You were loading the car. Oh my goodness, where is he?
"I don't know. The last time I saw him he was in the stroller."
Well, where's the stroller now?
"I put it in the trunk."
Oh my God, he's not in the trunk is he?
Just for the record, I have never put my son in the trunk, but you get the point. Going somewhere – even if it's only a short drive – becomes a whole new ball game when you have a baby. It's no longer simply a trip, it's a mission that takes only slightly less planning and equipment than invading Iraq. (Note to President Bush: I know these high gas prices are getting under your skin, so if you decide to move against OPEC I strongly suggest finding a general with an infant to coordinate the operation.)
However, as nerve wracking as it can be to prepare for a trip with an infant, the actual drive can be quite soothing, because there's something about the hum of an engine that knocks babies out cold. Our boy can be crying like crazy before a trip, but he's usually fast asleep before we get out of the driveway.
This presents a catch-22. Taking a drive is a wonderful way to relax, but preparing for the trip (and the half hour I spend unloading the car afterwards) leaves me just as frazzled as before. So, in the spirit of American ingenuity, my wife suggested a compromise. Babies don't need an actual destination for a drive to be relaxing ... making lap after lap around the yard works as good as driving to the west coast.
So, if you drive by my house at night and see headlights bouncing erratically through the pines, please don't call the police. It's not some pesky teenager with a grudge cutting donuts in my lawn. It's me and my little boy spending some quality (translation - quiet) time together.
The world may be getting smaller, but right now I think I'll skip any long trips and just cruise the yard. At least that way I won't have to pack up half the house ... it will still be in the rear view mirror.
