As you may have noticed, Tree Hut's been doing a lot of preparation for Father's Day. We've spent countless hours watch-crafting, packaging, answering customer's questions, printing shipping labels, the list goes on... That's when we realized that while we LOVE celebrating Father's Day, none of us are actually fathers.
Except our newest team member and Director of Photography, Isa Jaymes! We never would've guessed Isa had a son (because he looks so young for his age!) if he hadn't mentioned it. Now that one of our team members is a Dad, this special day feels a lot more personal for us... kinda like Tree Hut is celebrating its first Father's Day!
We asked Isa to tell us more about his adorable son and his plans for Father's Day:
What was life like when your son, Clark, was first born?
Life was suddenly incredibly challenging, and yet so simple. Nothing can ever prepare you for being a dad. The sleepless nights, the crying, the endless responsibility, and the overwhelming love you can feel at the same time. I wanted to do so much to make him happy (especially when he was screaming like a banshee at 3am) but all he needed sometimes was to eat, sleep or poop.
What's your favorite memory with your son?
My favorite memories with my son are always our conversations. Whether we're discussing "what's cool" like Pokemon or Minecraft, or the daunting explanations of why people develop cancer -- those conversations are invaluable to me because a child's perspective is so pure and a father's explanation will possibly affect them the rest of their life. Nothing is more important to me than those moments. That's really the most valuable thing a parent can give.
What's your favorite hobby to do with your son?
Clark wants to play for the SF Giants when he is older, so I like playing baseball with him, even though he probably knows way more than I do. Every few weeks, my son and I will also go to a trading card store and buy Pokemon cards. That's something I wish I got to do as a child, so it's fun to be able to do that for him. He's very proud of his card collection.
What type of Dad do you think you are?
Clark once told me I'm the "rich, cool dad" because we bought 3 video games for the Xbox. It was pretty funny. I really just hope he thinks of me as the "good dad."
What's your Father's Day plans for this year?
This year his mom is taking him to Tahoe for Father's Day, so I told him we're going to celebrate this weekend (June 11 and 12) instead. He's been talking about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles non-stop, so I think I'm going to surprise him and take him to see the new movie. Oh, and we're gonna have pizza for dinner of course.
What do you think your son will give you for Father's Day?
I always ask for drawings because it's always fun to see what you get, but sometimes he gets me other things. Clark has this hilarious habit (I hope he never reads this) where his mom will take him to a store like Target or TJ Maxx to get me a gift. He will pick out the most random holiday knick-knack. I have a collection going on my wall. So far I have a snowflake, one piece of candy corn, a wood box that has a #1 DAD quote, and more. My girlfriend and I always laugh a bit when we're hanging it up, but I love the random heartfelt trinkets.
One time he got me a wooden pelican meant for a garden, so I put it on the front step of my condo and named him Fred. Every time my son and I walked by, we would mime tipping our hats and greet him with a "Mornin' Fred." Clark cracked up as soon as we got in the door, every time. Unfortunately, Fred tipped over one day and his head came clean off his shoulders. So the next time my son came over, we had to discuss why "Fred flew away." That was tough, but we'd like to believe he's in a better place now.
What advice would you give other young dads out there?
Luckily, young dads have it easy. Most of us know how to play video games or can throw a ball. Just remember to listen to your kids and help them with the big stuff. Enjoy the time you spend together, and all that cheesy advice!
What advice would you give your son when he's your age?
When he's my age, I hope he's giving me advice!
Are you excited to be working at Tree Hut during the Father's Day season?
Work has been crazy busy during the Father's Day Season. I love being the Director of Photography for Treehut, so that just means more photoshoots and more fun!
Isn't Clark the sweetest?
For more Tree Hut fun, read our interview with Cha Cha, the tripod Yorkie, or our About Us page. While you're at it, feel free to follow us on Instagram @treehutco for style and engraving inspiration and like our page on facebook. :)
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Love it! Cool dad!