Dad Luca Day

Cousin Finn had a birthday party slash sleep over last Saturday night. When we got the invitation, Elijah knelt down in supplication to the Minecraft Gods. “Please don’t let Luca go please don’t let Luca go please don’t let Luca go,” he prayed.

My brother reluctantly told me that Luca wasn’t invited to the sleep over part of the party because he worried the addition of a five year old to the already bursting crop of screaming nerds would cause him to get into his car and never return.

I attempted to head off Luca’s disappointment at the pass.

“Well that’s ok because Luca and I are going to have the greatest Dad Luca day in the history of the world. We’re going to go to whatever restaurant Luca wants. Anywhere. And then we’re going to watch whatever movie Luca wants. And stay up so late we’re going to throw up. It’s up to Luca. Whatever you want to do.”

“Can we play Xbox the whole night?”

I put my hands on Luca’s shoulders. “Well, see, here’s the thing. You can play Xbox anytime. This is your chance to do something really special with me. Like, we can go to the movies together way past your bedtime. Or go to a really fancy restaurant. Something goofy.”

“But I want to play Xbox. The whole night.”

I punted on the decision until after the party. It was the perfect ten year old soiree. There was pizza and flag football and one nerd who refused to take off his rollerblades and one cute neighbor girl who was still a couple years away from never talking to those boys again.

Luca had an absolute blast. He ran and screamed and generally annoyed the bigger kids. Eli kept subtly suggesting we leave by saying things like, “Isn’t it time for you to go?”

I finally got the hint and said, “Okay Luca! Decision time. What do you want to do tonight? The world is our oyster. Name it!”

45 minutes later I was asleep on our couch while Luca played Xbox.

The next morning, we did go out to a nice Dad Luca breakfast and spent a couple hours playing at the YMCA. But the Xbox was still piping hot when we left.