My Dad's 52nd Birthday

Today is my dad’s 52^nd birthday, or as he likes to say his 30^th (again).  He is such an amazing person and I love him more than anything, but he is the most difficult person to shop for. My dad is the kind of person that if he sees something he likes, he buys it right then and there. He isn’t one to tell you something he would like for his birthday. Heck! He doesn’t even like acknowledging his birthday at all. About a month ago, I began thinking about things to get him. He already has enough tools and plenty of shirts. He doesn’t wear ties and hockey season hasn’t started yet. So instead of wasting money on useless items, I came up with a few things that I could do that he would like.

1) A Little Note

Since it’s just another Friday to him, he got up for work with a little surprise. Before I went to sleep last night I wrote a cute little note to him. I taped it on the mirror in his bathroom, where he gets ready in the morning, so I can be sure that he sees it. It was just a short and sweet note with no more than, “Good Morning, Daddy! Don’t work too hard on your birthday! I love you so much! Love, Katie.” Just a little gesture that put a smile on his face.

2) Wash The Truck

My dad is a police officer, so he usually has his police car or motorcycle, leaving his truck to sit in the driveway collecting dust, dirt, and leaves all over. So while he was at work today, I washed his car. Not just a normal hose down with a little soap here and there, but an extreme cleaning. I scrubbed the outside of the car to get every little piece of dirt off. I didn’t stop until every last speck was gone. The exterior was the easy part though. The interior of the car was a challenge. The windows had finger prints, dust covered the dashboard, and the floor mats were filthy. Nevertheless, once I was finished with it, the whole truck shined. I don’t think it has ever been this clean since the day he drove it off the lot seven years ago. Extreme cleaning his car was something that he has always been meaning to do, but somehow it always gets put off. I can see why. It definitely wasn’t a quick task.

3) A Scrapbook Page

Something that I know my dad cherishes is pictures and something I really enjoy doing is scrapbooking. A year or so ago, I started a scrapbook for him. It started off with just a blank scrapbook and one scrapbook page. Each occasion that typically requires a gift, he got another scrapbook page to add to his growing scrapbook. This year I took one of our most memorable moments from our trip to Germany a couple weeks ago. He hasn’t received it yet, but I know for a fact he’s going to love it.

My dad isn’t a very materialistic guy. I know it sounds cliché, but for him, it truly is the thought that counts. Little things like these make him happier than any fancy pen, tie, or any other useless shenanigans that people typically get their dads for his birthday.  

Happy Birthday, Dad!