In celebration of Father's Day we are showing a little love and appreciation for our #tubbytodddad community and all they do. In the next few weeks we will be featuring some of our fav Tubby Todd Dads on our Day With The Basics Series. We reached out to Stone Crandall, a dad to three, and Director of Digital Experience at Magnolia and asked him to take us through a day in the life with little ones in Waco, TX.
Q: Tell us about Waco! What is it like raising three little ones in the middle of Texas? What is a day in the life?
A: Hey hey. Fist off thanks so much for considering me an MVP Dad ... most days I feel like an Average Kid Wrangler, so I will take the honor. So Waco ... well I was born and raised in Colorado and have spent the last decade of my life in Southern California, so Waco has been quite the change but you know what, change is good, change keeps us sharp. Waco has been a blast. It's hotter and has less ocean than I am used to, but we are really enjoying it. It's super fun being in a town that is undergoing so much great growth.
Raising three little wild ones in Texas is kinda that same as raising kids anywhere I suppose. Most days we are out searching for a some water to jump into, or some fun flat concrete to skateboard or scooter on, although since being in Texas my oldest son and I have taken up fishing at a lake near our house ... still haven't caught anything even though everyone tells me "that lake is stocked" and "honestly anyone could catch a fish there" ... I just tell my son, "the fish must've just eaten a big lunch, we'll get em next time." Fingers crossed.
A day in the life ... well no one day is quite like the other, although we do have a consistent one head injury per day thing going on. The day usually starts with my daughter walking downstairs, pulling a frozen sausage out of the freezer, and microwaving it for a minute. No joke, she used to just shout, "I want sausage!!!" from her crib, so this is a huge improvement for my wife and I. And bonus, who doesn't like waking up to the smell of Applegate Maple Breakfast Sausage prepared by a fiercely independent three year old girl. After we crush a box of sausage, we usually head to the pool , then the popsicle shop (Steel City Pops for the win), then maybe the zoo or museum, play a bit in the backyard while I grill some dinner, then my wife and I pray the kids pass out early so we can catch up with each-other, or mindlessly scroll Instagram. Depends on the day.
Q: Tell us about your three little ones. What makes each of them so unique?
A: Isn'y it crazy how different each of your kids can be!?
Our oldest boy is Knox, who is just about to turn six. He is the best. He is this incredibly compassionate and empathetic kid. He is an observer, sitting back and taking in the whole scene before he inserts himself. When he does decide to jump in, he stays very aware of how everyone is doing around him. We are so thankful for his gentle heart.
Our second is Holland, who is three. She's the best too. She is our wild independent helper. She is almost opposite of Knox, she will jump into any situation at a moments notice without knowing anything about whats going on. She is also usually the one the the aforementioned daily head injury ... but in true Holland fashion, she usually jumps right up shouting "I'm okay!"
Our third is Jude, who is just about to turn two. He is the best also. Jude is our joyful boy. You will not find Jude without a smile. He is also our dancer. No joke, he legitimately has rhythm (which is actually a miracle because I certainly do not, and my wife only does after a few glasses of pinot). Jude can usually be found walking around our house holding our Bose speaker channeling 1990's LL Cool J. One of my favorite things about Jude is that he says "Hi!" to every person and every dog that comes near him. He has this very real joy for each day.
Q. How has fatherhood enriched your life? What is the biggest lesson you have learned?
A: I don't even remember life before I was a dad ... I mean I vaguely remember days when I slept longer, and surfed more but they are a blur. Becoming a dad completely rearranged my life. Things and ideas I once thought were important just aren't anymore. Fatherhood has taught me to soak up and savor all the little things. I think as a parent you start to find joy in little smiles, or giggles, or even tears. I cannot even explain how much my heart explodes in the afternoon when I pull into the driveway after work and I hear the kids yell "Dada's home!" There are just these little things that suddenly are the biggest things, the most gratifying things, the things that make your heart overflow ... a "did you see that" smile after a soccer goal, a tiny hand clenching your finger as you cross a street, a ragamuffin early morning smile, and a heavy sleepy head snuggling into your chest after a long day. These little things now are the things that I want most. And the biggest lesson I have learned is that these little moments are fast and fleeting, if I am not there and present, I will miss them.
Thanks again Tubby Todd crew for the opportunity to chat a bit about dad-hood. Cheers to dad bods, dad jokes, and #dadlife.
Best,
Stone
Thank you Stone! Those little ones are lucky to have you!
PS Check out our other Day With the Basics with Alexis Kaiser and Samantha Broderik.
