Ok let’s get down to what I’m really thankful for. The presence of Super Dad in my life…not only as my beloved hubby and lifemate, but as the SUPER DAD he is. This was one of the things I found so appealing about him before he was my hubby. He was (and still is) an awesome Dad. He was the kind of dad who never missed a school program or parent-teacher conference, the kind who left work early to take the kids to the doctor and who coached the little league and soccer teams. He’s the kind of dad who having had knee surgery the day before still sat for hours in the audience of a long dance recital, video taping the whole affair. He’s the kind of dad who drops everything if any one of the kids calls – and with four of them at vastly different ages and stages – it can be for a variety of things from helping them move into their own apartments to giving driving lessons to making dough ornaments because “Daddy I’m bored and Mom’s too tired…”

Some of my most endearing memories of Super Dad are firmly rooted in his Dadness. Staying up with my sleepless 2 year-old and reading her the same book over and over. Conducting science experiments with LuLu in the kitchen. Assembling Santa gifts until the wee hours. Proudly watching graduations.

I’m especially grateful at his innate ability to sense when I’m about to “lose it” with all of LuLu’s needs. He steps in, providing me a break. We call this “tag teaming” and it is a crucial sanity saver for parenting children with special needs.

I’m so thankful that all of our children have Super Dad in their lives. I think there are thousands of children who are not nearly as fortunate. Their fathers are absent, abusive, disinterested. I can’t fathom how big of a hole that creates in a person’s life, as both Super Dad and I were blessed to have our own Super Dads…and we hope that our grandchildren will have the same – by way of example.

Thanks Super Dad…you really are Mr. Incredible (costume or no costume!)