Hey Dads,

Since moms secretly read these forums, here is your chance to let them know what you want for father's day.

Help moms to help dads.

I'll admit it. iPad.

I know, far too large a present for Father's Day, but I've now decided that I sort of want one, but haven't come up with any rationale for the expense. So I'm now dreaming of getting gifted one.

I'd also like a personal watercraft.

Or maybe a steak.

I want enough paint to paint the outside of my home. That will be my after work and weekend summer activity. It may not sound sexy but if you saw the disgusting puke green color of our trim you will understand.

Of course I want an iPad. Don't think it's in the budget though.

I thought being a dad would make it easier to buy for my dad on father's day. I think it has made it harder.

So I'm still asking: what should I get my Dad for Father's Day?

Okay, one of the reasons I love hanging out here -- I can be perfectly honest because my wife never visits the site. Until SOMEBODY who shall REMAIN NAMELESS forwards a LINK to a discussion SAID PERSON STARTED to my WIFE.

Now I'm hoping that for Father's Day I get to sleep in my own house.

(Also an iPad, a personal watercraft and a steak. A man can dream, even if his wife is looking over his shoulder.)

I think my parents will be up here that weekend, so one wish is blown. But it sure would be nice to get some much needed brewing equipment, believe it or not. There's some stuff that would make the price drop a lot and make it easier for me to plan out my brewing. But enough about that.

Since it's the middle of the World Cup, maybe a chance to spend a whole day watching games. Paraguay, Italy and Brazil all play on the 20th and not against each other. There should be some incredible goals. But a nice meal that I don't have to cook would be appreciated or maybe some help in the garden for once.

I'm still waiting for the two gifts I was promise from our engagement five years ago and our wedding six months later. (A replacement watch and a Utilikilt.) Expecting anything of substance is a daydream on my part. Anything I will get will be from my parents.

We don't celebrate made up holidays like Valentines, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Halloween.

BUT...

I'm open to a steak and some luvin'.

Do I become a father when my baby is born (in 7 months) or am I already one ?

I think I have been preparing to be a Dad a while now. The hair density is not what it used to be, I don't get most of the music that kids listen to these days, I haven't bought a pair a cool shoes in a long time, I'm happy when I'm carded. I have to stretch before I play sports.

I wouldn't mind celebrating Father's Day. Are there any cool gifts involved?

@daddyroger --

you are definitely in the club!

set the precedent now - fathers day is a great time to reflect on your family, fatherhood, and maybe get some me-time, maybe on your new ipad.

I would like something for Man Land. Maybe a dart board or a mini beer fridge. I've always thought my wife secretly reads the forum here. Guess I'll find out now...

Here's where I think you need to use some caution. Particularly regarding beer stuff, but also anything that you'd like to continue receiving gifts in the genre.

In particular, a beer minikeg system is not something I would entrust to just anyone picking out. Most would go out and get the BeerTender, which only works with one, maybe now two, beer brand(s). You have to REALLY like that beer since the seals really only allow the keg to keep pressure for a couple weeks even if the unit works great the first few times. A minikeg i like a 12 pack. If you think you would usually consume 13 or 14 bottles of the beer that can be served in the unit that is most likely to be bought, go for it and make sure they know which one you expect. There are other options, but you still need to make sure you can get the minikegs that fit them. In our area, Bells and some of the general German imports fit the crossover minikegerators, but the ones that fit the Heineken fridges don't work in them.

Now you may think that the tie you could get might only be used for a month int eh next century, so what's the hang up? Well, it's the longer term precedent. If you are bought a high value item that fails it's purpose, you'll never be bought something like it in confidence again. She bought you something and you weren't THAT into it. Or she got the wrong one so her willingness to risk failure again knocks this category out.

What I'd do instead is find a way to get the big/important stuff yourself or ask for the $ to do it yourself first and then make accessories for that the gifts in the future.

If she wants to get you the kegerator, I've got to recommend something like this. You can usually get a variety of keg sizes at microbrewers and party stores. It won't leak gas or beer. The beer will stay fresher longer because it's pushed by regulated CO2. You'd need to put it in a converted fridge or freezer but I plan to do some documentation on how to make that happen soon. The plus sides are that the resale value is pretty high. You're likely to outpace inflation because the demand is outpacing availability. You can mix up soda (another thing I need to document soon) and even milk. (Not documenting that)

But the main point is that you need to make giving gifts to you incredibly easy because the stereotype that men are difficult to shop for is only strengthened by our trend of sending our wives and other women in our lives out to buy things they know nothing about.

I want the iPhone 4G. It has video calling that lets you chat with someone. You can see your baby from anywhere!! It has front and back facing camera !! Really cool. Imagine saying hi to your wife and baby anytime.

I know I said a can of paint earlier but I am going to add to that. I would like a subscription to www.OrangeBloods.com. With all the craziness surrounding NCAA conference realignment and the dead days of summer approaching I need my football fix. Unfortunately the newspapers of the world do a poor job of keeping up with the sports world.

Found myself writing way too much in the Expectant Fathers' Day thread and cut it to move it here...

I've come to the conclusion that I'll never get a Father's Day gift from anyone other than my parents. My wife has turned June into "Debt Consolidation Month". For three years straight, in June we've rolled debt from credit cards and cars and whatever else she feels threatened by, into low interest notes to make room in the budget. Always right before Father's Day. I finally see what's happening. Since we got married, she's been gift-shy. I can get her large presents, and it's usually demanded for her birthday in April, our anniversary two weeks later, and Mothers Day a week later. Even on our Honeymoon 4 years ago, she began freaking out about money as soon as I had gifted her and she had yet to get me "an equivalent gift". Then, I got IOUs. Now I don't even get a card.

The IOU list begins with a watch. My Citizen EcoDrive (bought in 1997) band broke about 3.5 years ago. She was going to buy me a new one for our honeymoon. I've been without a watch ever since. I don't carry a cell, so this is an actual functional problem. Then it was a Utilikilt for my birthday that year. I've had an IOU for that about as long as I have for the watch. Those are from when we had money in excess.

So I have very low expectations for tomorrow. The commercials on Sprout are really starting to get on my nerves. I won't get a card except from my parents and it will have money that will be required to be used for daily, family stuff. All I'm expecting is an apology. Maybe two.

Scored some shorts and swim trunks, some grill tools and a Starbucks card. All good stuff, but the big win was picking the oldest 2 up from summer camp! Great to have Bubba and Ri-ri back. They obviously had a ball. I hope to post something soon on all that.

I had to work the night before but I was off by 11am. My 7 1/2 month old son My wife gave me a coupon book for various household task that will defiantly be redeemed. I could use a week off from mowing the yard and there's no way we are watching So You Think You Can Dance this week! Then I got a gift card to go buy something for Man Land. I'm thinking dart board. She also framed one of my favorite pictures that we've had taken so far. (It's my profile pic) For dinner we went to Old Chicago and I had a couple great beers. Not too bad of a day.

So I got the best father's day present ever: the little guy took his first steps! It was pretty amazing, and later in the day, while were at RIBFEST (not too shabby either) we even got a video of him walking.

Cheers
CanaDad.

I got paint.

Got a napping couch. Awesome.

Google made their logo out of ties that day. I was bored and unimpressed by it. Such lack of vision for the new fatherhood. Lose the tie.

Every dad should be treated like a king on Father's Day, so on Sunday I received a Crown. Ok, actually it was crown moulding, and I didn't so much receive it as I did install it. But the family room looks great and it was nice touch to help finish off the room.

Last Friday some amazing St. Louis Cardinals tickets fell in my lap so Saturday night I went to the game with my dad, my wife, and her dad. It was a fun night and a good way for us to treat our dads and say thanks for all their help. 14 rows off third base wasn't too bad either.

got a champagne bucket filed with chocolate chip cookies, black salty licorice (very dutch called drop) and Italian espresso coffee.

I got the iPhone4 for me and my wife. Its pretty cool. Its a nice upgrade from my 3G. Facetime(Video Calling) is pretty cool. I can imagine using this to see my expectant wife or my new born when I'm not at home.

I got to spend the day with the kids.
The wife worked.

We went to Costco, visited Mom at work and looked at the fish at PetSmart.
Home for naps (them) and I made dinner.

The gift money I got from my folks will probably go towards an AHA membership.