Happy Birthday to My Dad February 10th

Once in a while, when we were young, we would have a "Movie Night" on Friday nights. We would go to the Wild West Video store on Blue Lakes Blvd. and rent a VCR with lots of movies. We would spend the weekend watching and rewatching movies. We would all sleep downstairs in our sleeping bags and stay up late watching movies. Then Saturday mornings would come and we would wake up early to watch cartoons. While we were watching, we would hear dad come in the door with the sound of crinkling paper bags. We would jump up from the floor and run upstairs, because we knew exactly what "that" noise was coming from. White bags with a great big yellow "M" on them. McDonald's pancake breakfast. Sometimes it would even be egg mcmuffins. Boy, what a real treat!

This morning Kipp and I went to McDonalds in San Francisco and ate a Pancake Breakfast together. It was great fun. On the glass of orange juice I read the words, "Making a better world, one kid at a time." I liked that because I thought of all the times Dad would take us to McDonalds or bring it home for us to eat. I definately don't think it was the food making the world better, but I know it was dad making a better world with each of us kids. We enjoyed our breakfast in a scary part of the neighborhood and it reminded of us of our family trip to Washington, DC. When we went in to a McDonalds and as we were about to order, Dad said, "We are the only white people in this place and we need to get out of here!" I remember Kipp and I thinking that Dad was so racist! Now that I am a parent, I can see that he was only looking to protect his family, he is not racist. It always makes a good story and brings a laugh.

Tonight, after returning home to New Mexico, Matt and I took our kids to McDonald's for dinner. We let them "get whatever they wanted" like Dad would always say. They each ate a Happy Meal and were so excited to get a prize. We sang Happy Birthday to Papa Bob on the way home.

It was fun spending the day thinking of dad and his life. I hope that I don't have to eat at McDonald's very often...Dad has given me a lifetime's worth, but it was fun to go there just special for him.

Love ya Dad and Happy Birthday!