5:33 PM Thu, Jun 12, 2008 | Permalink |
As a father of two very noisy, but very loving little girls, I have enjoyed many interesting Father's Days gifts. A lovely, laminated bookmark, complete with a smiling picture of my 7-year-old daughter peeks from the top of the top of a book I still don't have time to read. A tin can, handsomely adorned with Popsicle sticks holds pencils on my desk. A second tin can handsomely adorned with Popsicle sticks was presented to me just last night (this year's model in a regal royal blue). I asked my budding 4-year-old desktop artist if she remembered giving me a pencil holder last year. "Yes!" she enthusiastically nodded. "Well then why did you make me another one?" I inquired. "Don't be silly dad. That's not a pencil holder. It's a beer holder. So your hands don't get cold." To such a declaration, there can only be but one response. My child is brilliant. I'm calling MIT tomorrow. Is there a Mensa organization for pre-schoolers? This kid will be the first astrophysicist to develop a beer delivery system for the Space Shuttle. Which brings me to the point of this blog. While Popsicle stick adorned tin cans are wonderful (not to mention versatile!) there is one gift out there that will make just about any dad a happy pappy this Father's Day weekend.
The Washington Brewers Festival, held this weekend at St. Edward State Park in Kenmore, combines three of my favorite things in life: drinking beer outdoors, spending time with my kids, and drinking beer outdoors. The festival features nearly 200 beers from dozens of breweries from across the Northwest and beyond. Proceeds benefit Washington's 90-plus craft breweries, which are hurting these days due to the skyrocketing costs of hops and barley. But the best part is that you don't have to feel guilty about drinking beer outdoors all day long -- because you can actually bring your kids. (You can bring your wife along, too to get you all home safely.) The festival has a great play area for children, with crafts, a "root beer garden" and those giant, inflatable bouncy things that kids love to jump all over. It has become a family tradition for the Wilkinsons over the past 10 years. And now I'm actually looking forward to next year's tin can/Popsicle stick beer holder! For more information go to www.washingtonbeer.com .
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