#135 - Life in the Fast Lane with a Toddler
Hello everyone. Kat's away hobnobbing with industry leaders, so it's Dada's turn to hold down the fort. This week: a freshly-squeezed-juice obsession that spiraled into a Facebook Marketplace quest, a work P1 with a toddler yelling 'Dada, cookies!' in the background, and what it means to be Alyce's teacher.
Life in the Fast Lane with a Toddler
Hello everyone,
This week has been an absolute adventure! With Kat away on a great opportunity, hobnobbing with industry leaders and flying all across Canada, it was Dada's turn to hold down the homefront. I’ve written before about the routine I've developed when Kat's away, and I'm happy to say it's going well. Alyce and I have our morning wake-up routine, which includes walking the dogs, preparing and eating breakfast, and a dance party to get ready for the day. This week, we added a new, delicious step to our routine: freshly squeezed juice.
** The Great Juice Adventure
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The backstory is a bit of a saga. I was on Instagram and saw a hilarious skit by a guy named Jason the Stallion. He had a manual juicer that looked amazing. I’ve owned electric juicers before, but cleaning them has always been an absolute nightmare—making the juice not worth the squeeze. This one was different, but after looking it up, I saw the price tag: $500. Way too much!
So, I did what I always do and checked Facebook Marketplace, but no luck. I decided to order a cheaper manual juicer from Amazon to see if the concept would work for us. Before it arrived, Alyce and I went to the store and bought oranges, apples, and a pineapple in preparation for our "juice event."
When the juicer arrived, we went straight to work. I showed Alyce how the juice came from the orange, and she looked a bit perplexed but I think she understood what was happening. I squeezed some orange juice and took a sip. I almost threw my glasses across the room—it was that good. I’ve had "freshly squeezed" juice before, but I’ve never seen it this fresh. When I gave Alyce a sip, her eyes lit up and she said, "Juice, juice!" She was completely in love with the taste.
That’s when the juice dilemma started. The cheap Amazon juicer was really hard to use, and my ADHD brain became fixated on finding the perfect one. One night while chatting with Kat, I decided to hunt for the original juicer again. I checked Amazon and eBay, but the prices were ridiculous. Then I checked Facebook Marketplace one last time. Scrolling through, I saw the exact juicer I wanted for a crazy low price! I contacted the seller, who didn't seem to know what they had. The only problem was they lived in another city, the same one my best friend lives in.
My friend and I have a mutual agreement for Facebook Marketplace purchases, and he came through for me. I sent the seller his address, and a few hours later, he called me to say the seller was at his house. I had him check to make sure the juicer was in the box and new. It was! I e-transferred the money to the seller and secured the juicer of my dreams.
Now, I have a new problem. You see, my friend also likes juice, and he told me, "I'm gonna try this thing out. I'll let you know if it’s any good." I have a feeling I’m going to have to find another one of these juicers for him for Christmas.
**
Fighting Fires with a Toddler
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While some people might think my job is all glitz and glamour, it's often about fighting fires. Enter my first P1 with Alyce. As I was ending my day, I got a call about an issue in Germany. My former boss is now the leader for that market, so I had to jump on the call to ensure things were moving toward restoration. The team had already been working on the issue for seven hours, so I quickly got the right folks on the call, including our vendors and their leaders, to give the issue the highest visibility.
These types of situations are normally stressful, but I can focus. However, my daughter, like most toddlers, craves a certain amount of attention. Now that she’s no longer a baby, she sees through every distraction. Picture this: I'm on a call with VPs and directors, and my daughter is in the background saying, “Dada, cookies!” It was a long call, but we took it in stride. Alyce saw when Daddy needed to focus, and we worked together to get things done. It was a valuable lesson for me, a reminder that life has a way of figuring itself out.
**
Life's Little Adventures
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Other than the P1, this week has been a great experience. I once again appreciate Mama so much, but I also appreciate that Dads are pretty cool. The role I’m taking on is one of teaching. I want to show her all the crazy cool stuff in my head, from my dance moves to the games we play like "pick up or clean up" for free dopamine. I even had a crazy thought this week that Alyce is one of the coolest toys I've ever had—the only one that talks back and has its own personality!
Every day is an adventure. I’m discovering a new word and observing all the things she tries to do. She’s learning at a rapid pace, and I'm seeing the way she's bonding with the dogs. She genuinely cares about them. I've even noticed her dropping cookies for them to eat when she thinks I’m not looking.
This has been an adventure in patience, understanding, priority, love, and even discipline. We’re working on her learning to go to bed on her own. I've been using a technique similar to how I trained the dogs with their separation anxiety, leaving the room for a few minutes and coming back to let her know I’m still there. She just needs the assurance that Dad is just outside.
These are all the things I've learned this week. Hope you enjoyed this edition!
Dada out!