Cinderella Dad

Daphne and I thoroughly enjoyed the movie Cinderella Man. A Ron Howard movie staring Russell Crowe playing James J. Braddock, the boxing legend of the 1930s. In a nutshell, it is a movie about Braddock overcoming the odds in the Great Depression and fought in the ring against various opponents. The last being one notoriously known for killing people in the ring. As history would have it, Braddock won the World Heavyweight Title.

Flash forward to reality.

Parenting I'm coming to terms with, is sort of like a boxing tournament. You feel each other out, check your opponents move, see how his left hook comes immediately after a right block. You get the sense how your opponent behaves and chart your winning strategy. And then once in a while, your opponent springs a surprise move and you get knocked out on the floor. You climb up and start all over again.

Maegan and I have just been in a boxing match. Yes, me and my daughter in the ring. The match typically starts after 11pm when she's suppose to be sleeping but mostly not. A match where I try to coax her to sleep and she bullies me into bring her to her mum.

You can hear the stadium announcer yell "In the blue corner, weighing 180 pounds, Mr "Can be bullied" Dad!" And I raise my hands to a rousing round of clap. Singular. Just a clap. "And his opponent, weighing only 8 pounds, yes ladies and gentlemen, 8 pounds, Ms "I love my Daddy but I'll still bully him" Maegan Tan!" And the stadium erupts.

And so the bell rings and round one.

Maegan cries and wails in an incredibly loud decibel level in her room while her dad, that's me, lays in his bed. He refuses to move. "She needs to learn to sleep" he told himself and covered his blanket and close his eyes. Maegan moves deftly and keeps silent for a moment. Dad thinks he's winning.... She cries yet again. Louder at every interval.

Dad stays in bed. Refusing to give in but the wails from his opponent comes clear and sharp through the baby monitor that fills his whole room. Oh wait.. somethings happening.. I hear ruffles in the bed. What do we have here, Dad is putting on his glasses and leaving the room. Oh what a match..."RING!" And there goes the bell. Round 1 Maegan.

Dad cannnot believe he is giving in so soon but he argues to himself that his baby needs assurance that his parents will always be there for her. He enters her room and "Ring!" Round 2.

Maegan keeps crying as Dad picks her up. Her big and round eyes are wide open staring at her dad and she continues her cry. She changes tag. She pause for a moment. She observes the facial expression of her dad. Wondering if he will bring her to the sacred place called breast. She looks but no movement. She advances and cries again. This time much louder. Dad can't hold on much longer she thinks to herself and she kept on going. Dad seems to stand strong. He cuddles her. He sings to her. He almost sang "You'll never walk alone" but decided otherwise. He is standing strong.

Maegan cannot believe it's happening and she keeps crying. Waking half of Shrewsbury Road residents up while she forces her dad into a corner but he stands firm! Dad smiles at her and sat down and let her cry. What a move! "Ring!" Round 2, Dad.

We've got a great match going here. Who's going to win this championship tonight? It's approaching 11.30pm and we've started Round 3. Maegan decides to rest for a while. Dad is pacing holding her in his arms. He thinks he's winning. He's picturing the podium finish when he's able to place her back into the cot. He walks towards her room and without him noticing, Maegan let's out a huge.. I mean huge cry. The audience sense a turn in the tide.

She punches and kicks, turns her head left and right. She's giving all she's got in this round. She's determined to win this match. Dad does everything he knows.. He pat her, cuddled her, changed positions, everything in the book he threw at her but to no avail. Maegan just keeps crying.

Oh wait...there's a hush in the audience, Dad's making a move. What will he do? He carries her and opens the door, oh ladies and gentlemen, are we seeing this happening.. Dad has just throw in the towel and brought Maegan into the sacred place. "Ring!" Round 3 and World Lightestweight Title, Maegan Tan.

So here I am, blogging away while she's happily at her mother's breast feeding. I've lost this time. When she's done, I'll whisk her back to her winning podium and me, back to my bed.

The time now, 1220am. No pumpkin chariots, no glass shoes. Just a Cinderella Dad wondering when Match 2 will begin.