I struggled through today. It wasn’t a horrible day by any standard, just a day full of small stumbling blocks. A seemingly never ending task list. A lingering sadness from recently losing my precious little dog, Buddy.

We’ve all had those days. I just wanted to get finished with the day, shed the work clothes, and get into something comfortable.

I’m not ashamed to tell you I have a closet full of clothes. I’m not a fashionista by any means- I guess I just hold onto things until they are well past their expiration date. Way in the back of the closet, I swear there is a pair of boots from my college years (does leather really ever go out of style)? I have sweatshirts and yoga pants piled on the top shelf like I work out on a regular basis (yeah, right). Hiding at the bottom of that pile of faded cotton and stretched-out lycra. I found the comfort I was looking for today.

It’s just an old aqua fleece jacket. These days, I guess the color is closer to ice blue than aqua, since I usually throw it in the washer with the towels. The zipper is hard to pull and the elbows are covered in little pills. The pockets are full of either dryer lint or kleenex, depending on how long it has been since wash day. You can’t call it my most flattering color, but it goes really well with black yoga pants or faded jeans. And pulling on that jacket gives me a sense of comfort that is hard to explain.

Me and that jacket – we’ve gone places. But I don’t pack it in my suitcase that often. In fact, it never goes on my business trips. Maybe that is why it feels special to put it on – it has that “vacation vibe” to it. Got anything in your wardrobe that does that for you?

Yep, I have photos to back that vibe up. There’s me, (in aqua and no makeup) on top of a volcano in Hawaii. Lounging on a deck chair during a cruise. Waiting on a puddle jumper at Belize City Airport to whisk us off to Ambergris Caye. It also makes an appearance in most of my Facebook pics of family weekends or holiday sleepovers. My favorite is the one of me, my sister and our mom in the kitchen one Christmas, gathered round a dish of brussel sprouts. If we snapped a few selfies on the couch watching football on Sunday afternoon, chances are my back is covered in fuzzy, faded fleece. I even have one of me and my little Buddy, huddled together during a recent thunderstorm. He took the selfie with his paw, while trying to climb in my lap.

I’ve considered putting that jacket in the Goodwill pile, but something tells me we have a few good years left together. I want to go on more trips. I hope to do more family holiday sleepovers. And I plan to have many more lazy weekends where a soft little jacket is the required dress code. I look forward to those comfortable times.

What gives you comfort? I know one little girl who likes to take comfort from a snuggie bear. 

Some of us are lucky enough to remember a strong connection with our Daddy. Being lifted up in his arms to reach the top of the Christmas tree. Sitting on his shoulders to see above the crowd. Handing him a broken toy and getting it back within a few minutes, fixed and as good as new.

But when it comes to emotional connections, Dads sometimes get overlooked. Maybe we want to think of them as the strong, silent types. Maybe we think they aren’t as attached to that sweet bundle of joy since they didn’t have to carry them around for nine months. But I’ve seen some Dads tear up when it comes time to wave bye-bye. I’ve seen Dads pull out a smartphone full of baby pics just to get a “fix” during the day. I’ve even heard an occasional “is his poopie still runny today?” whispered furtively from the back of a cab. Dads care about the little things, too.

I know a bunch of Dads who look tough on the outside, but inside, they are just old softies (remember that term)? They miss their babies, just like Mom. They miss their babies when they go to school. They miss their babies when they go to college. And Daddies still miss their babies when they are grown and have kids of their own. Dads will always be Daddies, even if they also have the title of Granddad, Papa, Poppy, GeePa, Pappy, or, in one unfortunate case I know, Peacock.

Happy Fathers Day to the Daddies of the world. I love my Daddy!
@tpennington123
@tykesterapp
www.tykester.com

The Real Story of Tykester. Why we did it.

It seems like it has only been a few months since the Tykester team came together and decided to make an app to help Moms get through their busy day. Sounded like a simple plan – make a communication tool that gives you the basic info. We thought that Moms (and Dads) wanted to know the quick and easy facts. Sleep. Eat. Diaper changes. When you think about it, those items make up a child’s day, right? Well, we were partially right. 
But we found out that there was more to the story.

When you pick up your baby from daycare, how do you know what happened that day? 
Do you read between the lines of a day sheet? Yes, you can tell by a small checkmark that your child ate lunch and took a nap. Maybe there is activity noted (maybe not). Did that day sheet make you feel a part of your child’s day? Did you know before you got to the daycare that evening that you might be picking up a sleepy or hungry child?

That is where Tykester comes in and fills the information gap. Yep, you wanted the basics. 
It is important to know that your baby slept two hours. And ate a snack.

But there is more to the story, isn’t there? Tykester also lets you see it happen in real time. It’s 3:35pm and your precious bundle just ate a cupcake. She also ate half a jar of that organic applesauce you brought from home, which is a really good thing because it means she won’t be hungry until dinner at 6:30pm. And she ate it with the blue bunny spoon that she loves so much. You don’t have to wonder what happened before you picked her up. You now know all of this because Tykester gave you the details, and your daycare provider even shared the photo that explains why there is now pink frosting on her shoe. 
Moms notice things like that.

It’s the real story. And now it is a reality. www.tykester.com

For Derick, Darrin, Loren, Allie, Madi, Ben and babies everywhere that have Moms who love them more than they know.
And for Anna, Mary, Bee, Megan, Mini and Nancy who provided the love and insight on how deep the connection is between mother and child.
For Chuck, Bobby, Larry, Phil, Mo, John and all the Daddies out there who miss their babies (human, canine, feline or otherwise) when they aren't with them, no matter how old, independent or furry their babies may be.