Ah yes — the long-awaited Father’s Day post. First, thanks to everyone who wished me a Happy Father’s Day on Sunday. A belated Happy Father’s Day to all the other parents out there.
I had a wonderful weekend with my girls and my main man, Burger. My dad taught me to celebrate these holidays not by buying things but by doing things together — like the trail run I took him on Sunday morning. That’s what fatherhood feels like, right? This year Clara was old enough to join in more of the weekend activities, which made it even more fun. She was adorable last year too, during my first Father’s Day in the old sunroom (we miss that house!).
We squeezed as many activities as possible into the two days while still fitting in a few house projects. The three of us (sometimes four) went out to breakfast, read lots of books, played outdoors, took walks, made homemade pizzas, and visited the farmer’s market. Clara participated in more this year, which made everything even more rewarding.
My favorite moment of the weekend was breaking in my big Father’s Day gift from Sherry and Clara: a “yogging” stroller (much more fun to say than jogging stroller).
That photo isn’t from the first run — I don’t usually run in a button-down and khakis, or with a tiny-legged chihuahua. We forgot to take a picture after our inaugural three-mile loop around the neighborhood with Clara leading the way, so we grabbed this shot later on a family walk that wrapped up the weekend.
I really love this stroller. Clara loves it too, which makes it even better. We’d been casually scanning Craigslist for a used jogging stroller, but the deals weren’t great. Then I spotted an upgraded model on Diapers.com marked down from $189.99 to $124.99 with free shipping — but it was out of stock.
Sherry suggested I call their customer service number to see if anything could be done. They couldn’t pre-order it, but they did something better: they honored the discounted price on an in-stock colorway I preferred. Instead of paying $189.99 for the upgraded stroller, I got it for $124.99. Thirty-five percent off and free shipping — all by asking. Totally worth the phone call.
We originally set a budget of about $100, so this was a slight splurge, but we’re glad we opted for the upgraded model with a built-in speaker. It sounds a bit high-tech, but playing Clara’s favorite songs during morning runs and evening walks keeps her entertained — along with the classic goldfish-cracker-foraging in cupholders. Jogging strollers can cost $300–$400, so getting a feature-rich version for closer to $125 felt like a smart buy.
Another big milestone happened over the weekend: Clara took her first steps. Completely unassisted — two steps from the sectional to the ottoman. I missed the first one because I was in the kitchen, but when I heard Sherry’s excitement I ran in and Clara gave me a repeat performance. We didn’t have the camera close enough to capture the moment, but it was unforgettable.
Sherry surprised me with another thoughtful gift: a custom 8.5 x 11″ rendering of our first house commissioned from an artist named Jennifer Ahnquist. It’s currently in the mail, but we saw a preview and loved it. The plan is to frame it in white with a big mat for our hallway gallery. Jennifer works in pen and ink and then finishes each piece with Prismacolor marker, and the preview we saw is already charming.
More than the gifts themselves, I appreciated how Father’s Day underscored how lucky I am to have wonderful people in my life: the little lady I get to raise, the woman who made her possible, and the dad who still outpaces me. Now I can always blame a relaxed running pace on my new jogging stroller — or yogging stroller, if you prefer.