Homeschooling dads

I have been thinking about this thing we do, my family... this homeschooling. I am going to make some generalizations, I know this isn't true for all situations, but it has been my experience over the last decade of homeschooling. Moms tend to do most of the "getting the kids together", the reason vary, sometimes it is that they have a more traditional set up where dad works full time and mom is home with the kidlets all day, or maybe mom and dad work opposite shifts or that the day that stuff happens just happens to be the day mom is not working outside the home. It doesn't really matter, I don't feel it is a negative on dads or on families in general, it just is what it is.
Now that that is out of the way, I want to get what I really wanted to talk about... every once in awhile there is a dad who does go to the park days, field trips, and parties. Sometimes those dads will sit off by themselves sort of away from the mom circles, they might read a book or follow their kids around, but there are some, some who are just down right amazing. They might play "manly" games with the kids like capture the flag, or toss a football to a group of kids (boys and girls), tie a rope up in a tree, or chase the kids around, but they also sit with the moms and tell stories, talk to the kids, hold the babies, listen to children go on and on about minecraft or a story they are writing or whatever. I love that some of the groups we have been in have had these dads in them.
Our first homeschool dad was a guy in Tucson, his name was Tom and my kids loved him. He hung with the moms, and talked to the kids. Once he even gave Sagan a pocket knife (earlier then I was willing to let him carry it around) and Sagan has that knife to this day and still thinks about this man. In the group we are in right now, we have another couple dads who are just super involved and I just love it. I love that my children have these other men in their lives who listen to them, are caring, and friendly. I love that these guys hold the babies and listen to the kids and chase them around and that my children know that men can be trusted and are kind and loving, that their circle of people who look after them includes some wonderful men as well as a boat load of great women and amazing children.
Sometimes I feel that men get the "shaft" so to speak. There is this underlying assumption that men can not be trusted around children, that any man who wants to hold a baby, or be around kids has some messed up ulterior motives. We some how trust all women, but all men... well hmmmm. Something must be up with them if they like kids, something bad. My kids (most of whom are boys) get to see how it is to be a dad from other men, not just their own daddy. They get to see that men can be loving and gentle and that you can care for children and be a man, and be good at it.
SO thank you to all you homeschooling dads who venture out into the world and go to the playdates, and the parties and play with the kids and listen to the mamas. Your presents is so needed and so much appreciated.