Feral & Wild: Dad’s Circus

Wake up in the morning, hear a crash downstairs,

Thought it was a thunderstorm, but my kids are everywhere.

Hudson’s building forts with couch cushions and tape,

Tucker’s got a superhero cape and won’t escape.

Hallie’s doing cartwheels through the living room,

Kara’s got a science project that might just cause a boom.

The dog is running circles, trying not to get caught,

And somehow someone’s eating snacks they definitely never bought.

They’re feral, they’re wild, they’re completely out of hand,

Like a tiny traveling circus that has taken over land.

They’re climbing, they’re jumping, they’re doing things I fear,

But I wouldn’t trade my crazy crew for anybody here.

Hudson says, “Dad, watch this!”

That’s a sentence full of dread,

Because the last time that happened,

He landed in a laundry bed.

Tucker’s eating dinner

Like he’s racing for a prize,

I think the food skips chewing

And just teleports inside.

Hallie’s got a million words

She needs to say today,

She starts a story after breakfast

And it’s still going underway.

Kara’s got big princess dreams

But don’t be fooled one bit,

She’s sweet as pie for ten seconds,

Then she’s wrestling with the kids.

They’re feral, they’re wild, they’re faster than the wind,

If chaos earned a trophy, they’d be guaranteed to win.

They’re laughing, they’re yelling, they’re running every gear,

And somehow they still fill our home with happiness all year.

The grocery trip’s an adventure,

Like herding caffeinated squirrels,

One is hanging off the cart,

One is spinning like a whirl.

I once cleaned the whole house up,

Everything looked neat and nice,

The kids walked through for thirty seconds…

Now it needs cleaned twice.

The neighbors see us coming

And they quietly lock the gate,

Not because they’re scared of us,

Just because they’ll be up late.

Bedtime is a battle,

A legendary quest,

“I need water!”

“I need a hug!”

“I forgot I need a vest!”

“I heard a noise!”

“My sock feels weird!”

“My blanket isn’t right!”

Three hundred reasons not to sleep

Every single night.

They’re feral, they’re wild, they’re wonderfully insane,

Like four tiny tornadoes dancing in the rain.

They drive us absolutely crazy, that’s completely true,

But the best thing in this whole wide world

Is being dad to you.

So here’s to Hudson, Hallie,

Kara and Tucker too,

The loudest little troublemakers

That anybody knew.

You fill our days with laughter,

You keep us on our toes,

And somehow make our hearts grow bigger

Every day you grow.