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Pa ge 2 2 T hu rs da y, Ju ne 1 8, 2 01 5 - T he IF P - H al to n H ill s - w w w .th ei fp .c a wn • Garden • Nursery • Gifts • Firewood Mulch • Soil • Gravel • Sand www.RedsGardenCentre.com 2771 Hwy 25, Acton · 519-853-2480 2 Km South of Acton Lawn 12 ...making room for beautiful summer stock Spring Cleaning Sale Priced to move! • GREAT PRODUCTS • HUGE SELECTION • AMAZING PRICES in-stock merchandise only; sale ends Monday June 29, 2015 Perennials evergreens 30%oFFBUy 2GET 1free annuals COMMENT Hands-on dads make good allies We're lucky to be raising children in a time when fathers are more hands-on than ever. Not only have men altered the face of father- hood by coming home to change diapers after a long day at work, some of them are even opting to work from home or be stay-at-home dads. I think we've reached a point now where this new norm is so expected, we don't always take the time to appreciate what these dads are doing. But when you're in the thick of endless diaper changes and late-night feedings or hurried dinners and drives to soccer practice, it's easy to trade in grati- tude for grumpiness and terse conversations. I know I'm definitely guilty of this, so I'd like to take a moment now to say thank you to my hus- band-- the father of our two wonderful children-- for all the little things that truly add up to be the big things in this life. Thank you for being a father who isn't afraid to give plenty of affection. Our children know without question that daddy loves them. Thank you for keeping me company on the couch in the wee hours of the morning when our daughter was a colicky newborn who would only sleep on my chest. You could've easily said you'd rather be upstairs sleeping, but you didn't. Thank you for being silly with the kids. They ab- solutely adore you for this. Thank you for being patient when the kids pile onto your lap, shoulders, etc. every time you sit down. I'm sure you would love some personal space, but you don't complain because you know they love being close to you. Thank you for indulging in tea parties, nail pol- ish and "chick flicks" for our daughter. Thank you for showing our son that men can be soft and strong at the same time. Thank you for being strong when I couldn't be. You were really thrown into fatherhood head first after our son arrived via a difficult emergency C- section, leaving me bedridden. You did all of the diaper changes, tiny laundry and bottle sterilizing. You rocked him in your arms to console him when I couldn't stand. You even bore the brunt of caring for me, lifting me out of bed and trying to keep a smile on my face as I struggled through a whirl- wind of emotions. Your strength through those hazy early weeks was remarkable. Thank you for being my ally in the crazy, amaz- ing, challenging, wonderful journey called parent- hood. And happy Father's Day. By Melanie Hennessey mel_hennessey@hotmail.com The View From Here