There is a first for everything

My kids are addicted to electronics. More specifically, my daughter loves our iPad. She can spend all day focused on her fashion game playing dress-up with her online avatars.

She's quiet. There are no quarrels with her brother and quiet time on a Saturday afternoon is joy. Yet when the time comes to put down the e-device, a monster emerges.

We call it a zombie attack. Her eyes are popped out like a bug on heroine. He face is tired. Her attitude toward everything is apathetic. Then she starts whining and crying. Anything we do at this point is pure evil in her eyes. We don't like zombies.

Last Saturday, when she zombied us, we declared a dry day Sunday. No electronics, including TV for the entire day. Any moment on e-devices had to be met with an equal moment outside.

My daughter doesn't like going outside. No, she hates the outdoors. Even in the summer, with the pool and the trampoline and the beach, she prefers to stay indoors.

Sunday morning started with begging and pleading for a quick e-fix. Upon refusal, I was again cast as the villain of my children's story.

When Mama woke up, I had my Tonto. Together we could thwart the children's e-attacks.

Magic emerged from the potential zombie e-cloud. The kids played together. They made a mess at the kitchen table but they were using their creativity cutting out paper and drawing.

My daughter asked me if I had ever had my nails done. To her dismay, my fingers were once painted, but my toes were still virgin territory. She asked if we could play Daddy Spa. She wanted to paint my toenails. My only request was to have a racing stripe down the middle of each nail.

She spent the next 14 minutes delicately beautifying my nails with silver racing stripes. She went as far to include a clear coat so the paint wouldn't easily come off.

Last night she asked me if I took off the nail polish. When I informed her I had not, she seemed to quietly smile as if to say, "Daddy is weird, but I love him for it".

Hope she doesn't ask me if I ever wore make up and dressed up like a girl. I'll have to tell her I did it twice.