A normal nap for L lasts about 30 minutes. Today, however, she slept for nearly 75. I’m certainly not complaining—there’s nothing on Earth like some unexpected free time. That said, I have to admit: I was at a bit of a loss for what to do with those 45 minutes I didn’t think I’d have.

So I washed the dishes. Then I folded laundry. And I refilled the downstairs diaper wipe dispenser.

When all else failed (including Facebook and Twitter; there’s only so much time you can waste on social networking sites), I sat down to perhaps the most mindless and monotonous task of modern times: rolling coins (in this house, we refuse—I mean REFUSE—to pay the 8 percent surcharge for coin redemption at those CoinStar machines).

Still, even the coin-rolling got old quickly.

It got to the point where I was literally pacing the house in anticipation of L’s awakening. I wanted to go for a walk! I wanted to take her into town! I wanted to chase her around the foyer on my hands and knees. I wanted to play, dammit!

These feelings prove that while some might call my main job these days “child care,” L is engaging in more “daddy care” than she’ll ever comprehend.