Most people know that I am a drummer. When I first saw the Beatles' movie, Help, I was totally hooked. I wanted to be just like Ringo, a complete goofball who hit things with purpose. I think we’ll all agree I achieved these goals.

As a father, I’ve wondered if and when the boys would start showing an interest in music. What instruments would they play? What songs would fill their iPod or whatever goofy technological advancements we’re living with when they come of age? Will they have their own garage bands? Will they drive me as crazy as I drove my parents? Who knows. But I do know that they started taking an interest in music almost right away.

To this day if the boys are in the living room playing and a theme song comes on TV they will both stop what they are doing and watch the screen. As soon as the song is over they return to what they were doing beforehand as if it had never happened. I started to experiment with this to see how far it would go. I came across a song in one of the mountain biking videos I enjoy watching, and it has a children’s choir singing these words in the chorus:

We’re gonna have a good day
And all my homies gonna ride today
And all these mommies look fly today
And all I want to do is get by today
We’re gonna have a good day.

I officially claimed it as our theme song, the three of us. Any time the boys and I were going to have an adventure, it was going to be set to this tune. We play it over and over again, usually while they’re in their high chairs eating breakfast and getting ready for the day. For my part when the song comes on I would start dancing and waving my arms in the air.

Then a few months ago I notice that any time I played the song the boys would both throw their hands in the air much the same way I did when I was dancing for them. Julian would even start clapping along. They had been watching me, and now they were copying me. This was at the exact same time the most awesome thing I had ever seen and the most terrifying. What else are they watching? What else are they noticing? What else will they start copying?

Truthfully, having a pair of copycats in the house has made me a better person. Not perfect by any stretch, as I’m sure there are still so many activities I’d rather they not copy from me. But I want to show my kids what it’s like to pray, and I feel like I can do that starting now. I want to show them what it means to be a good husband, and I feel like I can do that starting now. I want to show them how we take care of the planet, and I feel like I can do that starting now. They’re watching, and I want to make sure something good is on.

So we’ll keep singing goofy songs. We’ll clap and dance. And hopefully, we’ll keep walking in the way of Christ together, because if I want them to imitate anything, I’d love for them to get a glimpse of His goodness through me.