Father's Day Weekend - 2026

It was a busy, but very fulfilling Father’s Day weekend. We actually started our celebrations a little early because I had Friday off for Juneteenth. It ended up being one of those weekdays where Madeline still had daycare, but I had the day off. That meant I could catch up on a bunch of things around the house and run through my to-do list without also chasing a toddler around, which is a very productive day at home.

By the afternoon I had finished the things I needed to get done and decided I would pick Madeline up after her nap. Of course, I made the mistake of telling her that I was going to pick her up. Every time I tell her I am coming after nap, she apparently decides it is the perfect day for an unusually long nap. Typically she naps for around 90 minutes at daycare, but today she slept for well over two hours. I don't get it two of her longest ever naps at Daycare were both on days I was going to pick her up and take her to the aquarium. I was excited to go get her, and she was busy getting the most out of her nap.

Alison was also having a slower day at work, so she came with me to pick up Madeline. It was a fun little bonus to all be together earlier than normal on a Friday afternoon. We decided to go to the aquarium, which is always a hit with Mads. We had fun seeing the sharks, watching the penguins, and of course spending plenty of time at the indoor playground. At this point, she knows what she likes, she knows where she wants to go, and she is happy to lead the way.

After the aquarium, we headed to Slackwater Pizza to celebrate Alison’s recent promotion. Alison works so hard, and I was really glad we could take a minute to celebrate her.

On Saturday we had tickets to the Bees game. Earlier in the day we kept things low key. We ran a few errands, hung out at home, and Blake and Debbie came by to visit for a bit. It was a simple Saturday at home. Then we ate a quick dinner and walked over to the game.

It ended up being a fabulous game. That night they were celebrating Christmas in June, which is always a fun and slightly ridiculous theme for a baseball game. They gave away Bees Santa hats, which we missed out on, but my grandparents gave us their hats. Mads was thrilled. She wore her hat on and off throughout the game and looked very cute in it.

Early in the game they announced that Santa Claus was hanging out at Bumble’s house. Mads said she wanted to go see him, so we walked over. She was very excited in theory. In practice, she took one look at Santa and Mrs. Claus and was a hard no. They were the sweetest people. They even tried coming out onto the porch to see if they could get a picture with Madeline standing in front of them instead of right next to them. But she held onto Alison for dear life. There was no convincing her. I guess we will try again in six months when Santa is a little more seasonally appropriate.

Since Santa was a bust, we got in line and rode the safety train instead. That is always a hit with Madeline, and she was thrilled to ride with my grandma Sue and Alison. The safety train has become one of those ballpark traditions for her. She loves it every single time, and I love watching her get excited about the same things over and over again.

Madeline was also thrilled because Bumble and a few of his friends were walking around the park. She had plenty of opportunities to meet Bumble, Jensen, and Honey. This baby does love a good mascot. She was carrying around her Daisy stuffy and showed it to Jensen, and later she showed her Honey stuffy to Honey. They were both so cute about it and acted genuinely interested in the things Mads was showing them. I know that is part of the job, but they are so great with her. They make her feel seen, and she absolutely loves them all.

When we got back to our seats we stopped by the popcorn stand, and I got Madeline a container of popcorn. This turned into one of my favorite parts of the night. She was sharing her popcorn with my grandpa, and he had brought her a little bag of M&Ms and other treats. She would give him some popcorn, and then he would drop a little treat into her popcorn container for her to dig out. She loved this trade. It was very cute watching the two of them have their own little game.

I love how much she loves spending time with my grandparents at the games. It is one of the things that has made this Bees season feel so special. It is not just that we are going to baseball games. It is that Madeline is building her own relationships and her own memories with my grandparents in this setting that we all love. She knows them. She looks for them. She shares snacks with them. She plays games with them. And I know she is still little, but I hope she will have some memories of them when she gets older.

At one point in the game Madeline decided to take off running. Apparently she feels comfortable enough at the stadium now that she does not feel the need to stay very close. I was watching and took off after her, but once I caught up I decided to just follow her for a while because I was curious to see where she would go. She made it most of the way around the stadium. Partway through, she looked back and saw that I was following her. After that she kept sneaking little glances behind her to make sure I was still there.

On our walkabout we passed the bullpens and there was a pitcher warming up. Madeline was immediately drawn to the sound of the ball hitting the mitt. She stopped and posted up to watch them throw. She was fascinated. I loved that she noticed it. There is something so satisfying about that sound at a baseball game, and apparently it caught her attention too. She just stood there watching, taking it all in.

Later in the game Alison got her turn following Madeline while she wandered the stadium. They found a Christmas tree that Madeline enjoyed playing with, and Alison bought her a Jensen stuffy. So now she has all of Bumble’s friends, except Swiggy. We are apparently building a full Bees mascot collection, one game at a time.

Mads loves the seventh inning stretch, and my grandpa was in one of the best spirits I have seen him in for a while. She was fascinated as we all stood up and belted out “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” including my grandpa, who usually is not quite as into it. There was my grandpa, singing at the ballpark, while my daughter watched all of us with wide eyes. That is a pretty good Father’s Day weekend moment.

We also ended up getting a lot of treats at the game. Some group was there and they had these tickets with $15 loaded on them. As one woman was leaving, she asked if we wanted their tickets with the unused funds. We said sure, and I used one to get some ice cream to share with Mads. Before we knew it, a few more groups stopped by and offered us their tickets too. So my grandparents got some ice cream, and Alison and I got churros. It was fun and super random. I have no idea why we became the designated family for unused concession money, but we were happy to accept the assignment.

The game itself was also very fun. It was tied going into the bottom of the eighth, and I was really hoping we would not have extra innings because I did not think Madeline was going to make it much longer. Fortunately, the Bees scored three runs in the eighth. At that point they just needed three outs, and it felt like we were in great shape.

But it was not to be.

The Bees closer was terrible. He kept walking batters and giving up contact. He was one strike away from getting out of it twice, but he could not finish the job. The Rainiers scored three runs in the top of the ninth to tie it up. At that point I was getting very nervous that we were going to end up with extra innings after all.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Bees made a quick out, and it looked like they were about to make a second out when an errant throw pulled the pitcher off first base, allowing the runner to reach. He promptly stole second and then advanced to third on a deep fly ball. Then the catcher hit a little dribbler into no man’s land between the pitcher and third baseman. It was not exactly a majestic walk-off hit, but it did the job. The runner scored, and the Bees won 8-7.

It was the saddest little walk-off you have ever seen, but we did not care. Pandemonium broke loose. It was so fun.

Mads did not fully appreciate the drama. The ninth inning had dragged on so long that she finally gave up and fell asleep in Alison’s arms right before the walk-off happened. After the game I changed her into her jammies and my grandparents left. She woke up enough that we decided to stay for the Christmas-themed drone show, which ended up being very fun. We were tempted to stay for kids run the bases, but Madeline was too sleepy, so we walked home.

It was such a fun game and a fabulous way to celebrate an early Father’s Day with my grandpa. I know it was not technically Father’s Day yet, but spending the night at the ballpark with him felt like a pretty perfect way to mark the weekend.

On Sunday morning we all slept in a little bit after our late night. Once we were up, Alison and Mads had a gift for me. It was a Kiwibit bird feeder, one of those bird feeders with a camera attached. Alison knows I have had my eye on one for a while, and I was thrilled. I am very excited to watch birds visit our yard with Mads. It feels like the kind of thing she will love, and the kind of random dad hobby I am ready to embrace.

To celebrate Father’s Day, we walked over to Lake Break, a newer restaurant in Daybreak over by Harmons on the shores of Daybreak Lake. They have brunch, and Blake and Debbie met us there. It was fabulous. The food was excellent, it was reasonably priced, and the vibe was cool. They were also so great with Madeline. They gave her a couple little rubber ducks to keep her occupied, which was a very smart move. We would absolutely eat there again.

It was really nice spending the morning with Blake and Debbie and sharing a Father’s Day meal together. One of the things I appreciate about living where we do is that we can have these kinds of special outings so close to home. We walked to brunch, ate good food by the lake, spent time with family, and Madeline was happy. That is a pretty strong Sunday morning.

After brunch we walked home. On the way we passed a park, and Madeline wanted to swing, so we stopped and hung out there for a bit. She is in a phase where she can spot a playground from any distance and immediately needs to investigate. It was not part of the plan, but it was a nice little addition to the morning.

Then we came home and Madeline went down for a nap while Alison and I watched the Yankees lose, unfortunately. They have been very good this year, so I cannot complain too much, but it still would have been nice to get a Father’s Day win.

After Madeline woke up, we ran to the store to get some supplies to install the bird feeder in the yard, and then we spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out at home. It was very chill and very nice. We did not do anything huge, but that felt right. After a busy Friday and Saturday, a slower Sunday afternoon was exactly what we needed.

It was a great Father’s Day. I am so grateful Mads made me a dad. It is my favorite thing to be.

This weekend felt like a pretty accurate picture of what fatherhood is for me right now. It is chasing Madeline around a baseball stadium just far enough behind that she feels independent, but close enough that she knows I am there. It is sharing popcorn and treats with Grandpa. It is watching her light up when she sees Bumble or hears a baseball hit a catcher’s mitt. It is pushing her on a swing after brunch because she spotted a park and could not resist. It is getting excited about a bird feeder because I can already picture us seeing a "yellow blackbird" together.

There were a lot of sweet moments packed into the weekend. They were little pieces of our life right now. And that is what made it feel so meaningful. I love being Madeline’s dad. I love getting to see the world through her eyes. I love watching her build relationships with the people we love. And I love that Father’s Day gave me a reason to pause for a minute and feel grateful for all of it.