When I volunteered at Franny’s school this week, I read the book The Little Engine That Could to a small group of them.  One of the things we talked about was to think of a time when they needed help and nobody would help them, for whatever reason.  One of the little boys said he felt that way a lot (his emphasis) when he wanted to play with his dad, but his dad just wanted to watch television.  It made me feel bad, but it also made me feel so fortunate that his example is never an issue in our house.  Later the same day, Franny was totally excited that she got another catalog in the mail.  Rick was working from home, and he was able adjust his schedule so he could spend the sunny afternoon with the kids.  He spent a lot of time looking at that catalog with Franny—not just feigning interest, but really listening and interacting with her and sharing her enthusiasm.  It was a special moment, and again I was reminded to how blessed we are that Rick is the kind of dad that always puts the kids first and takes the time to be involved not just in the big stuff, but all the little, everyday stuff that really makes up their life.  I feel very fortunate, indeed.