Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager both have many “on-air” duties on “Today,” but when the cameras aren’t rolling, both are very real moms, who deal with “mom stuff” in all the hands-on ways that every mom does. The two ladies agreed that probably all dads dreamed of Father's Day with just a short stretch of hours for watching golf’s first back-to-back defender of the U.S. Open or one of the exciting World Cup matches without any interruptions. The morning hosts had their own stories of Father's Day, one sweet and poignant, and the other more pungent.
They also shared sweet tributes from a few stars and co-workers that spoke to what being a dad is all about.
Wrong potty places
Hoda Kotb couldn't help but tease her temporary host, filling in for Kathie Lee Gifford while she’s shooting her movie in Scotland, for being messy with her morning oatmeal in Kathie Lee’s dressing room. Confessing to her food faux pas, Jenna Bush freely confessed to being a messy eater, and even worried about roaches trying to follow her trail of oatmeal. Hoda promised that the area would be left sanitary.
The food discussion led to some sharing about Jenna’s three-year-old, Poppy, who is putting mom through some challenges with toilet learning, a.k.a. potty training.
“Don’t judge,” pleaded mom Jenna as she explained her daughter disappearing during the family's restaurant lunch to go behind a curtain for the “private time” that any mom who's been there knows about. There's sometimes a disconnect between being able to take off a diaper and tell mommy it’s not needed and getting to the proper place to “do one’s business.” Jenna recalled how easy this stage was for Poppy’s older sister, Mila (Margaret Laura), but every child is different, and learning comes at its own pace.
This phase will pass, and this weekend's memory will just be a funny Father's Day story a year from now.
In honor of fathers and mothers
Another thing that Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager have in common with most mothers across the nation is the empathy and wrenching sadness for children and families being separated across the border, and feeling the tears of children who are not permitted to be held or comforted by workers.
Both Jenna and her mom, former First Lady Laura Bush, taught children much like those in the headlines, creating environments that fostered learning and loving environments. Jenna Bush and her sister Barbara saw their mom’s op-ed piece calling for compassion in this humanitarian crisis before it was published in the Washington Post. She reiterated that when her mother takes a stand, it means something, and added that she was “proud” that her mother called the situation “cruel and immoral,” with a genuine heart for children.
For her part, Hoda had the winner for the heart-tugging moment of the morning, showing precious daughter, Haley Joy, delighting in some finger nibbles from daddy, Joel Schiffman.
The “Today” anchor has celebrated every moment with her daughter since the miracle of her adoption last year. She has her own story of a full diaper on a full airline flight. Relating the incident, she exclaimed that her “worst day with Haley was exponentially better” than her best day before her.
The hosts shared happy Father's Day sentiments from Justin Timberlake, cradling son, Silas, and Will and Jada Pinkett Smith with their brood overseas. The most moving homage came from Jennifer Garner to her ex-husband, Ben Affleck. Not being in the same home clearly has not diminished Garner's admiration of his devotion to parenting.
On both the messy and the marvelous days, these moments are still ones to cherish.
