My (daughter's) fossil collection (or: another great reason to have a child)

I came to fatherhood fairly late compared to many. Let's just say, well into my adult life. Not because of planning, and not really because of not planning. Life just happened that way.

Having kids later in life certainly has its downsides - like:

• Not having the same high levels of energy of younger parents; and
• Only being able to have one child for various reasons (guys, beware - the ticking clock really is a thing for women)

But it also has huge upsides:

• I am a much more together person than I was in my young adulthood; and
• Finances are less of an issue (established careers etc) then they probably are for many younger families

But some benefits of kids are the same no matter what stage in life you have them. For example, I get to have a fossil collection. Sure, I have to share it with my daughter 'cause, you know, technically it's hers. But whatevs. I get to have a fossil collection!

So, here is a picture of one of my favourite fossils in the collection, a trilobite (we have 7 trilobites at the moment). This one was procured by Santa from the Smithsonian museum after we saw it in the museum shop (we went back the next day and it had already been sold - thankfully, we found out on Christmas day, to Santa.. or more likely one of his elves I guess).

I find trilobites to be amazing. Here's some truly funky trilobite facts:

• The first Trilobite records - fossils - can be dated to about 521 million years ago (521,000,000 years ago!!!) and disappeared in a mass extinction event about 252 million years ago. So this critter is at least 252 million years old (252,000,000 years old! OMGods!). How cool is that?
• Trilobites are amongst the first critters we know about to develop eyes - and defensive spikes.

This trilobite lived in a world amazingly different from our own. The seas swarmed with weird monsters most of which we'll never know anything about. The land would have only seen the first plants plants evolve 50 million years after the first trilobites appeared (!).

I really love my fossil collection - they really do my head in.

But you know what? It's having a daughter that has been the best thing I've done in my life.

Photos by @drwom