Have any Father's Day Ideas for Me?

[Handbag Lady]

My parents are divorced, and they divorced when I was in my late 20's. Every Father's Day since, my sister and I have taken my dad to the movies and then lunch.

Sometimes we shake it up and do lunch and then the movies.

My sister and I want to do something ELSE this year. My dad says, "Ah, let's just do lunch and movies because it is fast and easy." That didn't settle well with us. We don't want fast and easy, like it is a task to be done. It is the ONE day a year we get to spend time with Dad without any extras (although see below, we do invite his wife).

Here are the parameters:

We'd rather not go to his house, because his current wife will feel the hostess and WILL wait on us and we hate that. Plus, she's not really a part of our threesome even though we've invited her countless times over the years. We don't want to be a burden on her and frankly, we're giving her the day off, and that's how SHE sees it! (Yes, we still do invite her every year.)

We can't go to my sister's house as she has three cats that I love but I am highly allergic to and I can be in her house tops an hour before I get red and puffy and sniffly and sneezy.

They don't want to drive to my house (an hour away from Dad and Sister) for a BBQ, plus we have a small dining area that is cramped. But we do have a really, really large living room and an awesome new TV. I've offered and Dad says, "We might as well go to the movies near my house."

We CAN do Disneyland, Universal, or Knott's. Disneyland is by far the most economical as three family members work for Disney.



What else can three grown-ups do?

 

[minkydog]

Well, it sound to me like dear ol' Dad has already told you what he wants--go out to eat and see a movie. Maybe that's what he really really wants. I don't know how old your father is. Do ya think he's just kinda crotchety? Is there a big game on that he wants to sit in his recliner and watch? Perhaps you could get with the new wife ahead of time and plan something there at his house, since that seems to be the place he prefers.

I dunno about Disneyland. I mean, *I* would love it and *you* would love it, but is that really Dad's thing? My father and step-father would rather commit hari-kari with a blunt number 2 pencil than go to a theme park.

 

[DSNY4ever]

My Dad likes museums, BBQ, fishing, hiking...any of those give you ideas? Maybe you could bring BBQ stuff to a local park/state park/recreation area and bring some board games and make an afternoon of it?

But if I lived close enough to Disneyland I'd be all over that! Or maybe do a special meal at the parks, Steakhouse 55 or something would be a nice surprise. Or do a tour maybe, my Dad would like that.

 

[luvmy3]

Tickets to a local sporting event?
18 holes or a day at the driving range?
18 mini golf holes ?
A new TV and a bunch of DVDs?

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

I asked for a family day, to include a family movie. It is up to them to fugure out the details. Do what your dad wants, not what you want.

 

[Handbag Lady]

My dad isn't crochety, he's only 20 years older than me!

He doesn't want us to fuss, but we don't find fussing. That's the center of the whole problem. He just says he wants the movies and lunch because we've done that for years, I don't think that really what he wants to do.

I am going to call him tonight and grill him a bit. Maybe he'll want to see an Imax movie, maybe he'll be up for Disneyland.

My dad gets stuck in a rut and will literally do the same thing 100 times without even thinking something else might be fun to do...once we convince him, he'll do it, and then THAT will become the new stuck-in-a-rut thing. It's been a rewarding challenge. The last time we went to Disneyland as a family, he was so unsure of it (thinking it was a hassle for us) and he had a great time. He doesn't mind going now.

My sister is also not being the most helpful. She's a single parent and says that she has some say it what we do as she's a "DAD" too. Yeah, try to argue with that.

I can't win. I guess I wish I just had XXX to do instead so that it is something he likes, yet something different.

Maybe we can go bowling? We haven't done that in ages! Or a museum. Great idea!

Any Nascar people out there? Dad loves that stuff. Is there a race?

I love all of the ideas and I thank you.