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So lässt sich eine hohe Decke mit Rigips abhängen

Dad's Houseblog

Marian

22 May 2013 | 12:20 pm

Wer seine Decke richtig abhängen möchte, kann dies unter Beachtung einiger weniger Regeln selbst durchführen. Bei geschickter Vorgehensweise treten selten Probleme auf und das Ergebnis ist nicht von dem Produkt eines professionelen Handwerkers zu unterscheiden. Schritt 1: Die richtige Planung Zunächst einmal sollte die richtige Unterkonstruktion gefunden werden. Hierzu eignen sich Dachlatten aus dem Baumarkt, diese sind schon zu einem sehr günstigen Preis erhältlich. Den laufenden Meter bekommt man in jedem Baumarkt oder Baustoffhandel für ca. 40 Cent. Damit während des…
Super Heroes

Dad-O-Matic

Doriano "Paisano" Carta

18 May 2013 | 5:56 pm

We dads love the whole concept of being super heroes for our families and being able to swoop in and save the day at a moment’s notice, but we all know that we are more Clark Kent than Superman. Still, we do our best to be strong and protective for the ones we love and hope for the best when they are out there on their own while we are far away at work. The subject of bullying is an important issue here on Dadomatic which is why I’m sharing this wonderful new music video for a song called “Metropolis” by Owl City. It’s a beautiful song and infectious but most of…
The Clouds of Zach Sobiech

DadCentric

Whit

22 May 2013 | 9:08 am

Zach's story will make you cry, and maybe a little better.
With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse

Laid-Off Dad

Doug French

12 May 2013 | 4:59 pm

Today is 5/12/13, so to all those moms out there, happy Pythagoras Day! And I know what you're thinking. It's a shame that a cruel twist of the calendar would cause Mother's Day to be overshadowed by our culture's universal...
The Weeklies #255

Rude Cactus

24 May 2013 | 5:14 am

The Weekly Milestone. My son is officially done with preschool as of today. Next stop kindergarten. The Weekly Half Good News. The Boy Scouts of America decided to allow gay kids into their ranks. Unfortunately the same standard doesn't apply to gay adults. Two steps forward... The Weekly Entirely Good News. No surgery for Beth. Just another month in the boot. The Weekly App for Kids. BrainPop The Weekly App for Adults. Dots The Weekly Read. This week I tackled Tall Weeds after hearing an ad for it on my favorite podcast (The Mike O'Meara Show). It was $2 on Amazon so why not. It's the…

Dad's Houseblog
So lässt sich eine hohe Decke mit Rigips abhängen

Marian

22 May 2013 | 12:20 pm

Wer seine Decke richtig abhängen möchte, kann dies unter Beachtung einiger weniger Regeln selbst durchführen. Bei geschickter Vorgehensweise treten selten Probleme auf und das Ergebnis ist nicht von dem Produkt eines professionelen Handwerkers zu unterscheiden. Schritt 1: Die richtige Planung Zunächst einmal sollte die richtige Unterkonstruktion gefunden werden. Hierzu eignen sich Dachlatten aus dem Baumarkt, diese sind schon zu einem sehr günstigen Preis erhältlich. Den laufenden Meter bekommt man in jedem Baumarkt oder Baustoffhandel für ca. 40 Cent. Damit während des…
So kann man gefahrlos ein Wespennest entfernen

Marian

19 May 2013 | 10:55 pm

Wespen gehören zu den Vespoidea aus der Insektenordnung der Hymenoptera (Hauptflügler). Mit dem Beginn des Sommers schwirren auch die Wespen durch die Luft und sorgen vielerorts für Angst und Aufregung. Für den schlechten Ruf der Wespen sind aber lediglich die deutsche und die gemeine Wespe verantwortlich, da es die einzigen ihrer Art sind, die dem Menschen gegenüber zudringlich werden. Das Gift ist normalerweise ungefährlich, kann aber bei manchen Menschen zu einer allergischen Reaktion führen. Entstehung eines Wespennests Ein großer Teil eines jeden Wespenvolkes verstirbt in der…
Vliestapeten richtig tapezieren – mit dem richtigen Kleber und Geduld kein Problem

Marian

15 May 2013 | 11:49 am

Die Vliestapete bietet hervorragende Möglichkeiten, einen Raum durch hervorheben unterschiedlicher Bereiche zu gestalten. Die Tapeten ermöglichen ein rasches und problemloses Tapezieren, dar die Tapetenrückseite feuchtigkeitsbeständige Vliesfasern aufweist, welche die Tapetenbahn formstabil hält. Bei der Verarbeitung dehnt sie sich durch die Feuchtigkeit des Leims weder aus, noch zieht sie sich zusammen. Das erspart Arbeitszeit dar die Tapeten nicht eingeweicht werden müssen. Beim Tapezieren mit Vliestapete wird im Gegensatz zu anderen Tapeten, die Wand eingekleistert, die Tapete…
Faustformel für den Anhalteweg – so lassen sich Bremsweg und Reaktionsweg berechnen

Marian

5 May 2013 | 6:57 am

Jeder, dessen Führerschein älter als drei oder vier Jahre ist, wird sicherlich nicht mehr darüber nachdenken, wie lange es dauert bis sein Auto steht. Dabei wird dieser Weg häufig unterschätzt. Oft kann man beobachten, wie viel zu wenig Abstand zum Vordermann gelassen wird oder in einem beruhigten Verkehrsbereich zu schnell gefahren wird. Formel für den Bremsweg Der Bremsweg wird so definiert, als dass er lediglich die Strecke ist, die ein PKW benötigt, um zum vollständigen Stillstand zu gelangen, wenn der Fahrer bereits die Bremse betätigt hat, das heißt von Beginn der Bremsung bis…
Küchenschränke ausrichten und aufhängen – mit Wasserwaage und zu Zweit kein Problem

Marian

28 Apr 2013 | 8:34 am

Der Erwerb neuer Möbel ist einfach und unkompliziert. Seit der Erfindung des World Wide Web gestaltet sich eine Anschaffung dekorativer oder praktischer Einrichtungsgegenstände leichter als je zuvor. Nicht nur die umfangreiche Auswahl, an unterschiedlichen Möbeln, Anbietern oder Herstellern ist unübertroffen, auch die schnelle und unkomplizierte Lieferung gestaltet diese Variante zusätzlich attraktiv. Dazu kommt noch, dass man online nicht nur einen Schrank planen kann sondern auch seine komplette Küche am heimischen PC planen und gestalten kann. Soweit so gut allerdings erfolgt danach…

Dad-O-Matic
Super Heroes

Doriano "Paisano" Carta

18 May 2013 | 5:56 pm

We dads love the whole concept of being super heroes for our families and being able to swoop in and save the day at a moment’s notice, but we all know that we are more Clark Kent than Superman. Still, we do our best to be strong and protective for the ones we love and hope for the best when they are out there on their own while we are far away at work. The subject of bullying is an important issue here on Dadomatic which is why I’m sharing this wonderful new music video for a song called “Metropolis” by Owl City. It’s a beautiful song and infectious but most of…
Kissing Butt (Ant Butt, That Is…): Cast of Dads Episode 57

Jeff Sass

11 May 2013 | 7:01 pm

Green Lemon Ant (Photo credit: pietroizzo) The Cast of Dads finally got together again for another gabfest about fatherhood and then some. There is always something for us to talk about, and as usual, we cover a wide (and not necessarily logical) range of topics – in this episode everything from the serious (the Boston Bombings) to the sublime (licking the butts of ants). Beware, we do let loose a few “f bombs” and “s” words, so you may want to listen to this one with the headphones on. Enjoy! You can click here to listen to Cast of Dads Episode 57.
Teaching My Kid To Get A Career

Jeff Sass

28 Apr 2013 | 2:01 pm

Those of you with kids in diapers or grade school may want to skip this post (unless you want a peek into the future at one of the many other parenting adventures you can look forward to facing). Those of you with teens and young adults getting ready to enter the workforce and start to earn more than an allowance, please read on… Jobs vs. Career In simple terms, I think of a job as something you do to make money. This is especially true when we are young. Babysitting, dog walking, lawn mowing, packing grocery bags, hawking fast-food, etc., are all “jobs” we do to make money,…
Flashbulbs of Memories

Steve Holt

6 Mar 2013 | 3:31 pm

When I was a kid my parents had one of those instamatic cameras with the square Magicube on top. Remember those? It would give you a flashbulb on each side of the cube and would automatically turn when you wound the film to the next frame. I remember many times watching my father take pictures with it and how incredibly bright it was. Each time I looked at the flashcube when it fired, for a short time afterward my eyes would see a shadow of my father standing there with the camera. I get the same sensation today when I look at the sun on an incredibly bright sunny day. You can close your eyes…
Parenting Is Purpose

Jeff Sass

3 Mar 2013 | 2:24 pm

In my business life I spend a lot of time thinking about and talking with people about purpose. In business, finding and being able to articulate purpose is (or should be) an essential piece of the complicated puzzle that leads to a successful company. We hear a lot about “culture” in business talk, but what actually drives a great culture at great companies is a clear understanding of purpose across all levels of the organization. It is often really hard to pinpoint and express purpose, but it is always worth the effort because nothing can better bring a team together or…

DadCentric
The Clouds of Zach Sobiech

Whit

22 May 2013 | 9:08 am

Zach's story will make you cry, and maybe a little better.
Safe at Home

Kevin (Always Home and Uncool)

21 May 2013 | 9:21 am

A girl tosses out the ceremonial first pitch ands throws ... her arms around her dad who just returned from Afghanistan.
Someone Recreated The Opening Scene Of Casino Royale With Legos Because Sure, Why Not

Jason

17 May 2013 | 6:00 am

Bond. Lego James Bond.
I Am Pooh

Gbarbera

15 May 2013 | 12:19 pm

Tao, as he points out, is about working in harmony with these laws of nature. Sometimes the path from point A to point B is not a straight line. Some people will change everything and everyone but themselves.
The Water Cycle

Jason

13 May 2013 | 6:00 am

Jason goes for a run.

Laid-Off Dad
With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse

Doug French

12 May 2013 | 4:59 pm

Today is 5/12/13, so to all those moms out there, happy Pythagoras Day! And I know what you're thinking. It's a shame that a cruel twist of the calendar would cause Mother's Day to be overshadowed by our culture's universal...
The kindness of strangers

Doug French

26 Apr 2013 | 9:27 am

This week, in spiteful defiance of a winter that outlived its welcome months ago, we held our Cub Scout meeting outdoors at a nearby playground. The boys were learning the very important Life Lessons that: picking up litter is a...
Off the rails

Doug French

17 Apr 2013 | 10:39 am

For a while now, I've been thinking about why I haven't been writing. And a while is about as benign a term as I can conjure, because a while is of such indeterminate length. A while can be half an...

Rude Cactus
The Weeklies #255

24 May 2013 | 5:14 am

The Weekly Milestone. My son is officially done with preschool as of today. Next stop kindergarten. The Weekly Half Good News. The Boy Scouts of America decided to allow gay kids into their ranks. Unfortunately the same standard doesn't apply to gay adults. Two steps forward... The Weekly Entirely Good News. No surgery for Beth. Just another month in the boot. The Weekly App for Kids. BrainPop The Weekly App for Adults. Dots The Weekly Read. This week I tackled Tall Weeds after hearing an ad for it on my favorite podcast (The Mike O'Meara Show). It was $2 on Amazon so why not. It's the…
For Those About To Rock...Look Somewhere Else

23 May 2013 | 5:13 am

I know a thing or two about making poor style choices. Need proof? My yearbook picture - featuring a young, bemulleted Rude Cactus on the cusp of entering the world as an adult - was recently featured on The Chive's list of "Yearbook Photos So Wrong They're Almost Right. I'm so proud. Bet my mom is too. There are others, though, who've made similarly bad choices and many of them have committed their terrible judgement not to yearbook photos but to album covers. Exhibit A: We can all agree that mullets don't belong on album covers any more than they belong in yearbook photos, right? And surely…
Barbershop Alternatives

22 May 2013 | 6:21 am

It's hard being five and every bit of that toughness is showing in Owen these days. He's a wonderful, lovable and kind child but he's also a veteran button pusher. And he's taken great delight in pushing every button we have over the last few weeks. We push back. Yesterday, after taking my wife to have an x-ray (no surgery, yay!) and picking Owen up from school, the three of us went to lunch. We just happened to be next to his barber so we encouraged him to get a much needed trim. He yelled at us and told us that haircuts are stupid. Since we'd only just had the idea and he doesn't have Don…
Got News Feed?

21 May 2013 | 6:14 am

Are you laboring under the illusion that I've stopped posting? Is your newsreader witholding my latest and greatest thoughts? Yeah, that's what I thought. It seems that I've developed a glitch. While I fix it, please point your news readers to www.rudecactus.com/index.rdf and I'm sure the rest will be taken care of by the magic that is modern technology. Thanks bunches.
Wet Balls

20 May 2013 | 6:20 am

It was a big baseball weekend here at Cactus-Fish headquarters. Both kids are in the middle of their respective seasons, both of which have games scheduled for Saturdays. Mia plays machie-pitch, the machine closely resembling some medieval torture device designed to hurl rocks at witches. Luckily, Mia's got a wicked strong swing and an insane arm so she can look after herself. Owen plays t-ball which would be fine if a) Beth wasn't the coach and b) Beth had two fully functional feet. If you're on the East Coast, you're probably thinking "hey, it rained all day Saturday so they couldn't have…

THE FATHER LIFE
I have to run how many miles to burn off this burger?

Ben Murphy

2 May 2013 | 9:21 pm

You may have noticed that more restaurant menus lately include the number of calories next to each item. That’s a good trend, but unless you’ve painstakingly tracked your calories intake and exercise before (and most people haven‘t), than those numbers might not be terribly useful. A group of researchers in Texas recently published a simple, but fascinating study where they took this concept an important step further. They studied how people’s eating habits changed when they were provided with different types of information. They split their subjects into three groups: the first group…
What’s on YOUR Mind?

Bruce Sallan

1 May 2013 | 9:04 pm

Needless to say, my title is a shameless pitch for comments but, of course, I’m going to share what’s on my mind first. You’re welcome to add anything on yours, please. It’s now two weeks since The Boston Explosion aka The Boston Bombings and I think we’re getting over the initial shock. I am still reeling from the details that my son shared about what happened to him that morning, which I’ll share in a moment. I like to vary my columns and every now and then just share random thoughts. Plus we all like lists and after doing 25 such lists for 12Most.com, I’ve gotten into the…
Two Common Questions on Death and Divorce that Need to GO!

Bruce Sallan

25 Apr 2013 | 8:59 pm

When I was young, my mother would often take offense when someone would ask her, upon seeing me with my mom, “is he your only one?” She was always polite but given that she’d lost two other children, it was one of those questions that hurt, though the person asking had no idea. Simple questions about death, divorce, and our family make-up may seem innocent, but are they really? There are two other sayings and/or questions – on death and divorce – that, depending on the situation belong on the trash-heap! 1. How old was the person when he or she died? 2. Well, at…
A TV Your Child Can Enjoy

The Editors of The Father Life

25 Apr 2013 | 8:46 pm

Today’s media landscape it monstrous, literally there are terrifying programs that are just not appropriate for children. Luckily, there are more ways than ever before to keep your children safe from questionable material. Get the control that is required to maintain the standards you desire. Now it is possible to manage the programming that is shown on your home televisions without worrying about the types of content your kids are watching alone or with friends in their room. If in the house you are in charge of monitoring the children’s media diet, read on because this article…
Practice What Your Preach

Ben Murphy

18 Apr 2013 | 9:07 pm

One of the most important jobs we have as parents is to push our kids and help them begin to see just how much they‘re capable of. Sometimes, our children aren‘t always aware of how great they can be without a little encouragement. There’s not a whole lot more rewarding as a parent than helping your child unlock that “Aha!“ spark of self-confidence where they begin to fully realize that they can and should dream and pursue big, audacious goals – and that they‘re capable of them. Nowadays, kids really do seem to be bombarded by parents telling them, “You can do it!” Or,…

MetroDad
Microphone Check, One, Two…

MetroDad

17 May 2013 | 12:10 pm

Anyone still out there? Apparently, it’s been SEVEN months since I’ve last written here. I wish my prolonged sabbatical could be explained by an ambitious whirlwind of hedonistic activity. Then I could apologize profusely for my absence by giving you amusing little synopses of my daily and exciting life. The fact is that the past seven months have been relatively busy, both in good and bad ways. I’m at a bit of a loss on how best to explain it all, so instead I’ll resort to the wise words of the immortal amphibian philosopher, Kermit the Frog: “Man, time’s really fun when you’re…
CHAOS THEORY: October 2012

MetroDad

2 Oct 2012 | 5:46 pm

It's a dark and rainy night in NYC. The Girlfriend is in Europe for work. And after a long weekend of solo parenting three young girls, I just want to lie down on the couch, crack open a bottle of wine, and watch some seriously bad television. Before I get drunk and turn on the Mets game (the very definition of bad television,) I thought I'd share some quick thoughts with all of you. SPEAKING OF WINE... Before the summer ended, the Girlfriend and I took all the girls on a fantastic two-week vacation to visit her parents in Ireland. In a way, it’s a shame I don’t live in…
Dear Andy

MetroDad

11 Sep 2012 | 6:33 am

Dear Andy, Eleven years. Eleven long years since we last spoke the night before that fateful morning. Eleven years since your life was tragically cut short. Eleven years of a life without you. Somehow, it feels even longer. This morning, the anniversary of your death feels strangely unlike those of the past. Why is that? Does time really heal all wounds? Can it truly alleviate the pain that reason cannot? Is my memory really losing hold of all those cherished details that are so significantly and transcendentally important? Could I possibly be failing to remember everything about a person who…
Little Women

MetroDad

25 Jul 2012 | 7:33 pm

DO THE MATH The Girlfriend is a woman. The Girlfriend has two daughters. I have one daughter. Do you know what that means? It means that I am constantly surrounded by females. When I discuss this with my guy friends, they all shake their heads and ask what it's like living with four females. (1) Do you know how long it takes three little girls to get ready in the morning? On average, they each need to brush their hair about 2,304 times before they even think about brushing their teeth. If I need to take a shower in the morning, I set my alarm to beat the morning rush. If the shower takes…
Portrait of the Writer as a Young Girl

MetroDad

25 Apr 2012 | 6:13 pm

When I was a young child, I’d often fantasize that my parents were not really Asian immigrants who busted their asses to provide an idyllic upbringing for me and my younger brother. Instead, I had visions that I was simply a misplaced member of an obscure royal family and that, at any moment, my real family would find me and I would rightfully assume my title as the Crown Prince of Cashmeria. I never mentioned this to the couple who considered themselves “my real parents” because I didn’t want to hurt their feelings. However, my mother must have innately picked up on it because from a…

Child's Play x3 - A dad and his twins...+1
One more way that I’ve become my mother

Childsplayx2, Copyright (c) 2005-12

18 May 2013 | 8:44 am

As a child, I used to sit outside of my mother’s closed bathroom door as she did whatever bathroomly stuff that mothers did and read to her from my latest issue of Sports Illustrated. I’d recite stats from the previous night’s baseball game and tell her about the latest musician that I liked. And I thought my mother was interested in all that I had to tell her. But now, decades later, as my son sits on the couch shouting to me things like, “Daddy! This girl in Minecraft has her own cat!” or “Daddy, listen to this Demi Lovato song!” that I have come to…
Third Time’s a Charm

Childsplayx2, Copyright (c) 2005-12

25 Apr 2013 | 2:58 pm

Girly, You are 22 months old and I want you to know that in spite of all that has happened in my life during that time, I thank God that you are here to bless my life. In the past several months, you have transformed from a baby to a full-fledged toddler. You are communicating at an amazing rate and while your diction leaves a little to be desired, I have learned to speak fluent Girly – which makes hanging out with you a lot of fun. One thing that I have come to love about you is your sense of humor. You know how to ham it up with a silly face and laugh at whatever the world has…
It’s a man’s world but don’t just live in it

Childsplayx2, Copyright (c) 2005-12

6 Apr 2013 | 2:47 pm

To my girls… Someday, you won’t be little girls with ribbons in your hair and stains from Crayola markers adorning your hands. Someday, you will be all grown up and finding your place in this big, yet small, world. This is what I hope for you… Despite much change, it’s still a man’s world when it comes to getting ahead in life. They shape how much you get paid, what you should wear and how you should look. Don’t buy into that. The most successful women aren’t the ones who accept the status quo – they are the ones that look the patriarchy in the…
You shine too bright to be in the shadows

Childsplayx2, Copyright (c) 2005-12

14 Mar 2013 | 10:18 pm

Swee’Pea, We had your parent-teacher conference yesterday. In it, your teacher told us of your fantastic reading skills (4th grade level) and your burgeoning math skills and how well you are doing in your classes. She showed us your reading scores and your math scores and we went over areas that we could help you (apparently you’re only just average when it comes to interpreting graphs and charts). It was great to hear how well you are doing. And as I asked how you were in class, the teacher said, “She’s quiet. Not that it’s a bad thing! She’s just quiet.
Smart is as Smart does

Childsplayx2, Copyright (c) 2005-12

13 Mar 2013 | 10:34 pm

Monkey, We met with your teacher today. I have come to enjoy these conferences as it allows me to bask in the glory of TheMonk. We’ve been doing this for three years now and every conference comes down to this… You are an incredibly smart little boy. As your teachers go over test scores and writing samples and we see perfect score after almost-perfect score, it is nice to hear that you are doing so well. It’s a testament to your hard work and your mother’s attention during homework and your natural curiosity that has propelled you to such heights. You are a very good…

DIYFather.com
First-aid kits for babies: What should you include?

diyfathe

22 May 2013 | 9:42 pm

Guest post by Bobby Dewhurst If you’re expecting the pitter-patter of tiny feet or simply want to improve the health and safety of your family home, a fully stocked first aid kit could be just what you need. The right supplies will help you administer urgent care, so what should you buy to protect your little ones? A thermometer New babies are not very good at regulating their body temperature. That’s why it’s essential to have a thermometer lying around. It will help you check the warmth of their sleeping environment and will ensure they’re not running a fever. If they are, you can…
Homecoming dads supercut

diyfathe

21 May 2013 | 11:48 pm

If you’re having a sh*t day and need some inspiration to spend time with your kids or family … watch this. Even if you’re having a great day watch it anyway especially if you’ve never seen it! By DIYFather.com The post Homecoming dads supercut appeared first on DIYFather.com.
Treat your business like a second child

diyfathe

20 May 2013 | 11:25 pm

Some great thoughts and a fantastic analogy between how we parents our kids and running our businesses from Gary Vaynerchuk! -DIYFather.com The post Treat your business like a second child appeared first on DIYFather.com.
Show Affection and Appreciation

community

19 May 2013 | 8:04 pm

One of the greatest thing you can do for your kids is to make them feel loved and appreciated. Here’s a list of ideas (adapted with kind permission from Mark at allprodad.com) Unconditional love Your son’s room is a complete mess. Your daughter just got her 3rd speeding ticket and she is still 16. One brought home a poor grade in science. One snuck out of the house and didn’t get home until 2 am. Safe to say, all these things are going to make for interesting parenting. Through it all, never let your child feel as if your love for them has limits. These are the moments you let it…
21 practical alternatives to smacking

community

14 May 2013 | 7:41 am

We’ve all been there – our offspring has managed to drive us up the wall. Amazingly this can happen at all ages … and we just feel like lashing out and giving them a good old smack, right? It’s a natural reaction but it’s not that great for our children – there is endless research on the negative effects (short term / long term) of using physical force to discipline children. So what else can you do instead? Here’s a list of alternatives to smacking – just handy to know there ARE alternatives and we don’t have to use the same method of…

DadLabs Blog
Teen Boys and NHL Watch Party, What Could Go Wrong?

Daddy Clay

24 May 2013 | 11:02 am

“How many can I have?” G asked. When throwing a successful party for teenaged boys, it’s important to be able to answer this question with, “As many as you want.” That’s tip one. Imagine what you’d need to feed grownups, double it. G walked away carrying a mountain of cheeseburger, smiling. It was a small party, only six of us in attendance — me, my teen boy, and four of his best buds. The honoree was one of his closest friends, Z, who had announced he would not be returning to their school in the fall. He was off to boarding school in the northeast to pursue his passion.
Mike Adamick Wannabe: Dad’s 4M Hovercraft Kit Review

Daddy Clay

23 May 2013 | 12:19 pm

Having teens makes you lazy. On the weekends, you don’t have to play with your teens. You don’t have to come up with activities, plan playdates, do crafts, engage in tickle fights. Although it’s fun to suggest that and watch them go pale. You have to drive them places. Hang out sometimes. Help them with homework when asked. The other stuff, not so much. Problem is, not all my kids are teens. I am sometimes reminded that I have a third child, a nine-year-old, and while he has the contact cool of a kid with teen sibs, he’s still a third grader and plenty interested in dad activities.
Lab Test: Quixx Headlight Restorer

Daddy Clay

16 May 2013 | 1:07 pm

Some things just work as advertised. One of those things is the Quixx Repair System Headlight Restorer. Let’s start with this: I’m a minivan guy. Not only that, I’m an old minivan guy. Wait. What I mean to say is that I’m a guy with an old minivan. Okay, I’m old, too. But the point here is that I have always loved and appreciated minivans — the practicality of a vehicle that’s low to the ground with sliding doors. To this day, I fail to see how a slightly more boxy vehicle riding slightly higher off the ground makes me slightly more of a man. So, a real man is one that falls…
IronMan 3 Comes to My House!

concretin_nik

15 May 2013 | 10:00 am

I still haven’t seen the movie, but I know I’m gonna dig it. Because Robert Downey, Jr. IS Tony Stark. Perfectly cast. And the idea of Iron Man? It’s just fantastic. Bruce Wayne money coupled with engineering genius, wrapped in “full tilt diva.” So, when asked if I wanted to review some new Iron Man 3 toys from Hasbro, do you really think I hesitated, even for a second? I did not. For TheBoy’s sake, of course. First up, the iconic mask. The ARC FX Mission Mask is made for kids, but it fits my skull perfectly. (Of course I checked. As if you wouldn’t.)…

Playground Dad
[VIDEO] Convos With My 2-Year-Old

Mike Johnson

24 May 2013 | 9:21 am

Our youngest is two and we’re going through the terrible two’s in a huge way right now. Therefore we found this video particularly funny. With over 1M YouTube views already, we apparently weren’t the only ones. Happy Friday. (h/t Huff Post)
SHHHH!!! You’ve Got A Secret

Wendi Williams

23 May 2013 | 10:11 am

The chances of miscarriages in the first twelve weeks of pregnancy are significantly higher than the remainder of your pregnancy. This is why most doctors advise their patients not to tell people of their pregnancies until after the first trimester. This is much harder than it sounds. You can ask any of my friends, I have a predictable pattern of behavior. First thing I do in most gatherings is to grab a drink, more often than not a cold beer. It’s just so good when it hits your lips. In addition, I am/was a smoker. To be clear, I do not smoke when I am pregnant (I don’t…
Teaching Our Children to be Joyfully Mediocre

breyeschow

22 May 2013 | 7:18 pm

I love playing guitar. But truth be told, I am not very good. Sure, I can rock out on “Shine Jesus Shine,” “One Tin Soldier” or “Brown Eyed Girl” like no one’s business, but I am pretty sure that I have reached my peak. I am fine knowing that I my 12 chords and I could lead a campfire sing-along, but I am fully aware that my window to be good enough to be “in the band” closed a long time ago. And really, it’s okay. I’ll be fine. In fact, I love being able to just be mediocre. In some ways, it’s kind of sad that I have to…
5 Insights on Marketing to Dads

Ashley

20 May 2013 | 3:42 pm

Momcentric marketing is out there. It’s aggressive, it’s effective and it is in abundance. Marketing to moms targets the do-it-all type who rarely has time for herself and will do anything for her kids. Then, there’s marketing to Dads. Dad marketing highlights their inadequacies and mocks their missteps. The hapless, confused father is the go-to character in product marketing. He serves crackers for dinner, cannot change a diaper and tries, pathetically, to cover up these lacking skills prior to mom’s arrival home. Companies continuously make these mistakes when marketing to…
Cancer

@merson

17 May 2013 | 10:48 pm

Cancer Sucks! This is a well-known fact. Especially when it affects you personally as I have recently found out. My wife and I recently found out that our 15 month old daughter has a rare type of cancer in her eye called Retinoblastoma. The last month and a half has been a whirlwind between doctor’s appointments, missed work, heartache etc…, but I wanted to share my experience because I know someone else needs to hear it as much as I needed to express it. My wife was taking our daughter to the eye doctor as a precaution because our son has a lazy eye caused by severe near sightedness.

Little m Long a
It’s 95% Mental…

Ed

20 May 2013 | 5:58 pm

The other half is physical. Yogi Bear said that. Wait, Berra. The ball player, not the cartoon. Anyway, he was talking about baseball – not running – but I think it applies. Things I realized in no particular order on this morning’s run: (And I’m using the term run very loosely.) 5 weeks is [...]
So He’s Not Completely Aloof After All

Ed

14 Apr 2013 | 10:16 am

Every once in a while, from the least likely of the bunch…. We stopped for dinner last night in your typical, dive B-dubs. Don’t judge! I’ve a fickle dining ensemble and this is one of the few places where they’ll at least eat. It had been a long day and the last thing I wanted or needed [...]
There’s No 3 In It!

Ed

10 Apr 2013 | 8:24 am

Zane bounced into the school office with confidence, a smile on his face. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me standing there, red-faced and winded. Immediately he asked, “What’s wrong?” And taking a step backward added, “What did I do?” “This is your future, son. Get used to it,” I thought to [...]
My Pictures of the Super Moon Super Sucked So We Ate S’mores Instead

Ed

6 May 2012 | 11:15 am

share. peace.
Go Ahead…

Ed

28 Mar 2012 | 7:25 am

My right eye has been twitching for the last three days. Like an itchy trigger finger only I don’t have a gun and the eye thing is a bit more creepy. Maybe its’ some sort of deficiency. I ate a banana but it didn’t stop. Understand it’s out of my control should we happen to [...]

HowToBeADad.com
5 Crazy Rumors about New Netflix Features

charlie

24 May 2013 | 2:25 am

For the past week, I have been at Netflix headquarters and got to hear lots of insider information that Netflix doesn’t want me talking about I will reveal to you very soon. It’s pretty exciting stuff. In those meetings, I had the chance to speak with several executives there including the company’s CEO, Reed Hastings. As soon as he left, I got to the bottom of all the rumors surrounding Netflix and their upcoming announcements. 1. Flix for Fones™ Are you still using a pager, fax machine or rotary phone? Then, it’s a safe bet someone is reading this to you because…
Quadruplets Think Dad is Funny

charlie

23 May 2013 | 3:45 am

This video is just one of those things that is destined to roam the Internet landscape for some time. Much like Andy’s platonic sextape titled, “I really like hugging.” These babies are hilarious. So, here’s your pick-me-up for the day! First question, where the hell did they get that table? I’d like to think that it’s a custom job. I mean, I’ve never seen something like that at Babies R’ Us. Second question, what kind of casino is this? Third question, QUADRUPLETS?! Carry on, Internet. Carry on. Follow us on Facebook. We try to keep it…
Gas Rant

Andy

22 May 2013 | 3:30 am

This is actually a thing for me. I’ve had nightmares. I am not joking. If my wife even mentions the word “gas” my hand will break the sound barrier being held up in a quivering halt gesture, whereupon I will inform her that she is not allowed to continue speaking unless the conversation is about burp or fart gas, but not gas gas! Never gasoline or its “prices.” And by prices I of course mean AAAAUUURHHGHGHH!!! Hey! You can just squeegee that look off your face right now, okay!!! Unless you’re gritting your teeth along with me, in which case you can set the…
My Wife Just Said… #110

charlie

21 May 2013 | 3:59 am

“You know you’re a mom when you find food in the creases of your skin.” -Avara Previous “My Wife Just Said…” Follow us on Facebook. It’s the best way to stay connected to us.
Studying Monsterology is Terrifyingly Rad

charlie

20 May 2013 | 4:03 am

Someone once said, “Learning to do everything is both impossible and highly suggested.” Oh, wait. That was me. Never mind. But in the interest of trying new things and doing the impossible, I went to Pixar in advance of the release of “Monsters University” on June 21st. Charged with learning about the animation process behind the film, I knew I was a square peg going into a talented round hole. That sounded way dirtier than I meant it. We started early one morning and shotgunned through five classes: ENGLISH 101: How to Tell a Great Story Learning about the story…

Cabbage Dan
Messing around in a canoe

Dan

16 May 2013 | 12:40 pm

On Sunday my eldest daughter and I took advantage of a very kind offer from Go Canoeing and went down to the fantastic Salford Watersports centre for an introduction to Canoeing. I’m actually going to spend a day canoeing as part of this year’s big walk down the Wye Valley (wherever that is – Dave’s organising it this year), so the event couldn’t have been timed better. A canoe, as you are no doubt aware, is open and you use a single bladed paddle (as opposed to a kayak where your legs tend to be enclosed (although not always) and you use a double bladed paddle.
The Obsession Continues

Dan

31 Mar 2013 | 4:47 am

My board gaming obsession is still very much in full flow. Over the last month or so I have spent a ridiculous amount of cash buying some fantastic games and my collection has blossomed from one dusty copy of Robo Rally to this vision of magnificent beauty: Pretty tame compared to many people’s collections, but I’m pleased with it. You can follow the evolution of my collection on my account on Boardgamegeek.com should you wish (there is a social network for absolutely everything these days). The majority of the money I have spent on my games has come from a couple of particularly…
My Thoughts on the Demise of Google Reader

Dan

14 Mar 2013 | 2:16 am

As you may have heard by now Google is retiring Google Reader on July 1st of this year. To us in the blogging world this is pretty significant stuff. I’d estimate a good 80% of my readers use Google Reader to keep up with this site. Of course that 80% actually equates to only 4 people, but the point still stands. Google say they are retiring the service because of declining usage. While I strongly suspect their decision is based on more sinister reasons than this (“hey, if we close Google Reader down maybe all the users will somehow magically migrate to Google+. Somehow. For some…
Mess

Dan

12 Mar 2013 | 4:22 am

One glance at my house would tell you we are not minimalists. I’m not sure any family with children can be. I personally think there is nothing more tragic than those sterile white houses you see in magazines. You know the kind – all sharp edges and blank walls. Often these photos have one lonely wooden toy artfully placed on the floor, which to me holds almost the same poignancy as the ragged doll sticking out of the rubble in a photojournalism from war torn countries. An emblem of a lost childhood – but in a battle for aesthetics rather than territory. Saying that however,…
Thank you Mr Watterson

Dan

10 Mar 2013 | 1:41 pm

When I was little i never really saw the point of reading until someone gave me a joke book and a copy of the Beano. This evening I’ve left Evan in bed giggling uproariously to himself as he slowly spells out the words in my Calvin and Hobbes compendium. I can think of no finer springboard.

Cynical Dad
Lie Ins: How To Ensure You Get One Every So Often

21 May 2013 | 6:12 am

This is a guest post submitted on behalf of Sainsbury’s. If you’re struggling to get...
25

13 May 2013 | 6:50 am

I am one month away from the 25th anniversary of my high school graduation. How in the hell did I...
Fiat Celebrates Fathers With "The Fatherhood (Fiat 500L 12" Remix)"

13 Mar 2013 | 6:38 pm

Remember a few months ago when Fiat released that funny music video featuring an emotionally and...
And So It Begins...

20 Feb 2013 | 12:24 pm

My daughter’s 5th grade class went for a tour of the local middle school today. While she spoke of...
REVIEW: Yo Gabba Gabba! LIVE!: Get the Sillies Out!

17 Feb 2013 | 7:41 pm

In case the title didn’t give it away, can you guess how I spent my weekend? I went and saw...

Poop and Boogies
Rainbow Connection

WILLIAM

9 May 2013 | 5:06 am

This picture taken in August 2008. Lauren was pregnant with Jackson, Wyatt was just a toddler, Max was waist high. This picture was taken June 2011. Jackson a toddler, Wyatt waist high, Maxfield getting big. This picture was taken last night. No toddlers. Everyone taller than waist high. My pot of gold is getting bigger. Life is good.
Last Day of 8

WILLIAM

28 Feb 2013 | 12:54 pm

Today is the last day Maxfield will be an 8 year old boy. He is moving forward, not a little boy anymore and not yet a tween or teenager. He is hitting that age where he is old enough to know better but still young enough to get away with it or to just not care. This day also marks the anniversary of when my life changed forever. Prior to February 29th 2004 I was not a father. I never understood or experienced fear, frustration, anxiety, anger, helplessness or sadness like I do since that day. It overwhelms me. But also prior to that day I also never experienced the joy,…
Autograph

WILLIAM

10 Jan 2013 | 9:51 am

One Saturday morning I needed to pick up some beer, some fire logs and some snack type items for a fire pit gathering we were having. Where I live the best place to go to get these items is Wegmans. The best way to describe a Wegmans (if you are not familiar with Wegmans) is that it is a Super Super Market. Wegmans is like a Super Hero of Super Markets, like the leader of the Justice League of Super Markets. The Liquor Control Board of the State of PA restricts the sale of alcohol to only certain types of stores. Wegmans is the only grocery type of store in our area…
Merry Christmas

WILLIAM

21 Dec 2012 | 6:12 am

Click the Year for the Previous Christmas Cards 2009, 2010 and 2011
Addiction Figures

WILLIAM

26 Nov 2012 | 10:45 am

Up until the Christmas of 1978 I played with the normal toys an 8 year old boy would at that time. I played with Matchbox cars, sticks, rocks, cap guns and I had the standard GI Joe and Action Man dolls. But that Christmas morning of 1978 opening a Star Wars Luke Skywalker 3 1/4 inch four points of articulation with the a telescoping light saber was an event that, although I did not know it at the time, was going to change my life. Action Figures as we know them today is largely due to the success of the Star Wars movie and Kenners' license to manufacture the toys. Between 1978 and…

Parenting Message Boards - Parenting.com Community
Need some advice about teenage son

Sash

24 May 2013 | 12:57 am

My son is 16 and recently I found his sister's panties in his pockets when I did laundry. I told him that i had found the panties in his pocket and asked casually whether he had found his sister's panties with his clothes and had put it in his pocket to return and had forgotten abt it. He immediately got defensive and said he had no idea how it got there and got offended that I had suspected him of doing something wrong. I assured that I was just asking and left it at that. I called up my ex hubby, his father, and told him at the issue and he blew up at me saying that I shouldn't have asked…
Is the Dead Sea safe?

richelleastrid

23 May 2013 | 5:24 am

We will be travelling to Jordan in a couple weeks; I will be 21 weeks at this time. We are planning a day at the Dead Sea and I am so excited to "float", however I am starting to wonder if it is safe for pregnant women to go in? The internet is no help either in finding this answer. Does anyone have any experience with this or know of the safety of it? Thanks!
HELP 9yo poor attitude

Annmit

22 May 2013 | 7:17 am

I am a single mother. Just before Labor Day last year, I started the adoption process for a 9 year old boy and his 10 year old sister from the foster care system. The adoption was finalized in March. My son does not understand why this happened to him. He has told me from day one that his mother did nothing wrong and that it was basically this huge conspiracy against his entire family. In the beginning, he would call me a f***ing b***h and the school has said that he's a bully. Now, he will just say that I'm an F-B, he will use the letters, not words. I don't scold him because this is a huge…
dating a single mother...

Dude92

21 May 2013 | 5:05 pm

We aren't together yet but we're both showing interest. We're both young but I've taken a great interest in her and her child is cute as can be. The father is not in the picture, and I'm also going to be an uncle soon. I just need general tips. I know the basics of how too entertain and please a child, but I'm no expert. I really like this woman, and I really like her son. Even if we're just friends the Kidd deserves a good guy in his life no matter what. child is 2 by the way, and we're respectively 21. Please don't judge based on age I'm quite mature when the time calls for it. Sorry if…
3 year old behaviour

urghargh

20 May 2013 | 4:48 pm

I am at a total loss of how to deal with my three year old boy right now :( His morning normally starts by waking up at 6am and proceeding to gather food from the pantry and fridge he then switches on the tv and eats everything in front of him (this can be anything from half a bag of apples to cheese in the fridge). His 5yr old sister wakes up and he starts hitting and biting her when she asks him to put the food back. After this has settled down he will eat breakfast with his sister, play with his food and paint with the milk from the cereal bowl, when it is taken away from him after he has…

Rice Daddies
Help the Alphabet Rockers Fund Their TV Pilot!

Chris Fan

22 May 2013 | 10:37 am

My friends Stefanie Liang and Kaitlin McGaw, along with their collaborator Tommy Shepherd, have been entertaining and educating crowds of children for the past several years as the Alphabet Rockers -- and are now trying to make the jump to TV! They've been writing and performing positive, educational hip-hop songs for live audiences around the country, and amassing fans of all ages along the
For Janet Liang and for all our children, be one of #170in7

daddy in a strange land

17 Sep 2012 | 4:20 pm

Janet Liang, a vibrant 25 year old UCLA graduate and a leukemia patient who spent years championing leukemia awareness and Asian American bone marrow registration, passed away last week. In Janet’s memory, this site is partnering with a network of other prominent Asian American sites to host 170 in 7: A Bone Marrow Cyberdrive in Memory of Janet Liang. Twelve years ago this month, years
Jackie Chan in the Eagle Dad's Shadow

Vincent Young

29 Jul 2012 | 5:00 am

When I think of Jackie Chan, I usually think of a Kung Fu fighting Harold Lloyd. Jackie's the bumbler, the well-intentioned but clumsy "nice guy" who's just happened to save the day. Off the screen (from the interviews I've seen and read and the out take footage at the end of his movies), Jackie seems to be just as nice and well-intentioned as the characters he's played. Up until
Vincent Chin, Danny Chen, and Coping with Betrayal

Vincent Young

1 Jul 2012 | 6:21 am

Originally Posted at http://cranialgunk.com/blog/2012/06/30/vincent-and-danny-and-coping-with-betrayal/ Last weekend marked the 30th Anniversary of the murder of Vincent Chin. The week that lead up to it was filled with posts from across the blogosphere about Vincent and the legacy of how little Judge Kaufman valued the life of a Chinese American versus the lives of the
Disney takes a corporate stand for kids' health

bigWOWO

27 Jun 2012 | 9:53 am

(Originally posted with changes at bigWOWO.) Continuing the food discussion, I was so happy to see this: Disney to Restrict Junk-Food Ads. The article begins: The Walt Disney Company, in an effort to address concerns about entertainment’s role in childhood obesity, plans to announce on Tuesday that all products advertised on its child-focused television channels, radio stations and Web

brucesallan.com
Social Media Social Good: Social Media Mistakes

Bruce Sallan

24 May 2013 | 9:47 am

#DadChat recently discussed the mistakes we all make in Social Media with expert John Paul Aguiar. Using the transcript as a guide, I wanted to share the best tips and advice we learned from this topic at #DadChat. Firstly, some overall impressions I took away from the discussion. Social Media is dangerous, to a degree, for all of us. The ability to hit “Send” can be done in a fit of creativity OR a fit or anger. The latter will usually come back to haunt us. The ability to reach out via a tweet requires little forethought and, again, can be harmful if we are reacting in the moment.
Kid Slang! Scandals Rock Washington

Bruce Sallan

23 May 2013 | 10:40 am

Thursday, May 23, 2013 Featured guests: Cherylyn Harley LeBon - Co-Chairman of the Project 21 National Advisory Board Pastor Drew Sams for “Spiritual Talk.” Dr. Jennifer Weberman (The Parenting Playground) for “Therapy Talk.” Very special guest, Debra L. Usher – Bruce’s wife! Today’s radio show is inspired by this week’s “A Dad’s Point-of-View” column, Generation Gap: Kids as a Second Language. But, we may also touch on the goings-on in D.C. How can we not? Click on the link to stream online: Part 1- Introduction and Opening…
The Empty-Nest Road Trip Blues B-Vlog – Chapter 8

Bruce Sallan

22 May 2013 | 10:18 am

Continuing to read from The Empty-Nest Road Trip Blues, we move on to Chapter 8 – Day 8 – and our visits to Niagara Falls and Cooperstown, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame. How about skipping that $5 Starbucks latte and splurging $2.99 (for the Kindle on Amazon) or $2.79 for the PDF of my new e-book? Enjoy my own informercial for it! This e-book is really a virtual journey. It’s filled with 100 photos, 7 original videos, and links to many of the stops on the trip. Click on the book cover image below to find your purchase options:
#PetRap begins Sunday with a Photo Contest

Bruce Sallan

21 May 2013 | 7:58 am

If you’re a pet-lover, like me, you’re slightly kooky, passionate, and loving. It goes with the territory. #PetRap begins this Sunday, May 26, 2013 at noon -1:00 p.m. PT/3:00 – 4:00 p.m. ET, with a favorite pet photo contest. Just for the fun of it. Bring your fav photo and we’ll have two winners. The prize for the winners is PDF copies of my two books, but the big WIN is the bragging rights. I am promising to create a community of pet lovers that will get together on lazy Sundays to have fun together. This is NOT going to be an activist community. NOTE: I just…
Mistakes in Social Media at #DadChat

Bruce Sallan

20 May 2013 | 6:31 am

Who hasn’t made a mistake with Social Media? And, whose kid hasn’t hit send a bit too quickly or posted a photo they later regret? This Thursday, May 23 from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. PT/9:00 – 10:00 p.m. ET, we’re going to chat about these sort of common mistakes we all make and perhaps focus a bit on guiding our kids to at least pause before hitting that dangerous SEND button! We are fortunate to have Social Media whiz John Paul Aguiar as this week’s co-host. Retweet if you wish: Fun, #Community at #DadChat when we look at the mistakes we all make in #SocialMedia…

The Busy Dad Blog
Equations

BusyDad

12 May 2013 | 5:48 pm

I've been telling people "wow, I haven't blogged in a month!" for three months now. How quickly time flies between posts that you don't write. And this is one of them. I have no idea how to write it, but it's one of those posts I can't let myself skip. Not because I feel a pressing need to share it, but because the equation of my life won't make sense without it. And I'm a very linear person. So bear with me while I solve for X. When I started this blog, Fury was 5. He turned 11 last month! I love reading his birthday posts and I always look forward to writing them. There's so much I…
Choose Their Own Adventure

BusyDad

27 Feb 2013 | 8:31 am

Back in August, I set my wok aflame in celebration of an amazing campaign that raised $200,000 for Shot at Life. One thing I dread doing (aside from growing my eyebrows back) is explaining what Shot at Life does. Mostly because no description does it justice. Shot at Life delivers life-saving vaccines to children in 3rd world countries. See? Doesn't sound all that exciting. Fortunately, cavemen invented storytelling. And thanks to this ancient art, Shot at Life has given my previous description, well, life. Throughout the past 28 days, bloggers have been telling the tale of this organization…
Minecraft Dynasty

BusyDad

10 Feb 2013 | 10:16 pm

Some dads look upon their kid and see a budding athlete; some a rising scholar; others a blossoming thespian. I see a future honoree of the Inc5000. It started with surplus fruit. A few months later, the spark of entrepreneurship manifested itself as Starburst bracelets at his school's open marketplace event. Last week it was open marketplace time again, and Fury went straight for the elementary school jugular: Minecraft. In case you didn't click on the link I conveniently left you in the last sentence, the open marketplace is an event at Fury's school where they let kids sell anything…
Carhartt: the most badass thing to ever meet needle and thread

BusyDad

22 Jan 2013 | 2:23 pm

I’m not a clothes guy. Given the choice, I would buy everything from the Army Navy Store. Actually, that’s what I did until the need to procreate forced me to consider otherwise. But really, rip-stop pants with ample pockets and black ribbed sweaters with reinforced elbows are classic, versatile and mission-ready. So what if most of my missions end with “save as…” rather than necklaces made of enemy ears. Let’s just say I’m not on the pitch list for many clothing brands. And let’s just say when they do send me stuff, I sit on it for years. Yes,…
The subtle art of manipul-- nuturing

BusyDad

15 Jan 2013 | 6:15 am

Fury and Lessi have never had a problem sleeping on their own. There's nothing that contributes to one's sanity more than knowing that at a set time each night, you can heave a sigh of relief and wash dishes, pay bills, wash the dog, or stare at a wall uninterrupted. It's the parental equivalent of a rest between sets. As they tell you in parenting books, or as you figure it out on your own because duh, a set routine makes all the difference in the world. When I put Lessi to bed, I read her a story, then I place her baby on one side of her, her blue teddy bear on the other, and then I wrap…

Fatherhood Channel
Yes, You Can Help Prevent Suicide

Seth Eisenberg

17 May 2013 | 8:43 am

Columnist Armstrong Williams struggles with the suicide of a close friend and how to help prevent suicide. That has a lot to do with learning to listen, rather than giving advice, when someone you care about is feeling sad, scared, angry, or hopeless.
Ending homelessness for Veterans is not just about housing – healthy, stable relationships matter too

Seth Eisenberg

12 Apr 2013 | 7:53 am

Ending homeless for America's veterans is not just about stable, affordable housing. Evidence-based skills training for creating and sustaining healthy, lasting relationships with family members, neighbors and co-workers is also vital to their long-term success.
Five Freedoms Helping Veterans Overcome Reintegration Challenges at Home and Work

Fatherhood Channel

10 Apr 2013 | 5:49 am

An innovative initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is helping Veterans overcome challenges reintegrating into their homes, communities and civilian jobs.
American Income Life Executives Help Homeless Veterans Get Fresh Start During Miami Visit

Fatherhood Channel

7 Mar 2013 | 5:02 am

During a company retreat in Miami, American Income Life executives and their spouses help formerly homeless South Florida Veterans get a fresh start.
Studies Offer Insights into Value, Principles of Evidence-Based Relationship Skills Training

Seth Eisenberg

20 Jan 2013 | 3:04 pm

Virginia Satir, known as the "Mother of Family Therapy," and Dr. Marty Sullivan, a pioneer of Duke University's Integrative Medicine program, were among the earliest innovators in their fields to integrate relationship skills training into modern approaches to promoting health and wellness. Findings from a five-year federally funded study provide significant evidence validating the models they embraced.

Daddy Types
Convos With My 2 Year Old

greg

24 May 2013 | 8:23 am

Here is the debut of Matthew Clarke's short series, "Convos With My 2 Year Old." Clarke plays himself. The part of Coco The 2YO is played by a scruffy dude. [YouTube via gawker and tastefullyoffensive]
OG Vinyl: 1971 Ford LTD Country Squire

greg

24 May 2013 | 7:27 am

Keeping with the luscious woodgrain theme here on Daddy Types, check out this total stunner of a station wagon, a 1971 Ford LTD Country Squire with a mere 60,000 miles. It's being sold by GR Auto Gallery in Grand Rapids, and it was advertised on Hemmings, where it was the Find of the Day, thereby prompting dozens of middle-aged men to start reminiscing about the Golden Age of Station Wagons. Anyway, with two sidefacing rear benches instead of one single rear-facing seat, Ford claimed this wagon could seat 10 with all the ease, comfort, and state-of-the-1971-art safety (steel, plus lap belt).
Gnarly Vintage Burl Kids Chair

greg

23 May 2013 | 7:54 pm

For all you Napa redwood cabin-in-the-forest dwellers who already have wacked out kid chairs carved from a single piece of walnut burl, my apologies, feel free to skip this post. For the rest of you, HOLY SMOKES WHAT IS THIS THING??! This kid's chair is not signed or marked, but Rago auctioneers are attributing it to JB Blunk, the master ceramicist and woodworker who had a thing in the 60's for neo-primitive burl. [Check out The Planet, the 2-ton sculpture/bench/plaything Blunk carved from a single, massive redwood burl in 1969, which is installed at the Oakland Museum of California. Crazy…
From The Woodshop: Two Sweet, Custom High Chairs

greg

23 May 2013 | 7:17 pm

You might see one custom high chair from a master woodworker come up at auction, but you hardly ever see two. Rago Arts has these two rather amazing pieces in their upcoming 20th century design sale next month. First things first, this early (c. 1958) walnut high chair from Arthur Espenet Carpenter [above] is a straightup mid-century modernist classic, ready to pull up next to some sleek, teak Danish dining set. The $5-7,000 estimate reflects a lot of Espenet's brand premium, and very little reality. Because, let's be serious, it's a high chair. But who knows, maybe the market's there.
Car Seat In Porsche: There Is No Substitute

greg

23 May 2013 | 6:23 am

This dad's story of racing his Porsche 911 proves there is no substitute...for love:When the first two-syllable word he spoke was "Por-sha," I wasn't surprised. He plays with miniature GT3s and Turbos now, steers them around tracks of his own imagination on the tile floor. I took him to a PCA club race and he cheered for a purple 911SC that finished in last place, trailing blue smoke. I still don't understand why a seller would extract a promise from the buyer not to race it in the first place, though. Anyone? Bueller? Jack Baruth thanks a man for his Porsche 911 [roadandtrack via dt hero dt]

Daddy Forever Dad Blog
Movie Review: Epic – a small tale about good vs evil #epic

Daddy Forever

24 May 2013 | 12:05 pm

I saw a screening of Epic with two of my kids last weekend. They loved it and I’m sure other children will like this movie too. I think most parents will enjoy this animated film as well. It’s predictable, but entertaining. Epic is a story about the battle between good (Leaf Men) and evil (Boggans). But in this storyline, the main characters are little people and creatures of the forest. The movie is based on a children’s book, The Leaf Men by William Joyce. Epic (Twentieth Century Fox) opens in theaters today (May 24th). Continue reading for the full review. Read more:…
Movie Review: Fast and Furious 6 – racing to number 7

Daddy Forever

24 May 2013 | 12:01 am

My oldest son and I saw an early screening of Fast and Furious 6 last week. We loved it! There is a lot action, mayhem, and car chases. The movie is entertaining and there is excellent chemistry between the main characters. The sixth installment of the Fast and Furious franchise stars Dwayne Johnson, Vin Diesel, and Paul Walker. Fast and Furious 6 (Universal Pictures) opens in theaters today (May 24th). Continue reading for the full review. Read more: Movie Review: Fast and Furious 6 – racing to number 7 Find a Job : : Free Magazines : : Embedded Star : : EDA Geek : : EDA Blog : : FPGA…
New Movies for the Weekend of May 24, 2013 – Epic, Fast and Furious, The Hangover

Daddy Forever

23 May 2013 | 5:48 am

New movies this Memorial weekend include Fast and Furious 6, Epic, The Hangover 3, Before Midnight, A Green Story, and We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks. Looks like it’s going to be a battle between Fast and Furious, Epic, and Hangover for the top spot this weekend. I’ve already seen Epic and Fast and Furious. They are both excellent. Read on for a summary of the new movie releases for this weekend. Read more: New Movies for the Weekend of May 24, 2013 – Epic, Fast and Furious, The Hangover Find a Job : : Free Magazines : : Embedded Star : : EDA Geek : : EDA Blog : :…
Review: Umberto Beverly Hills Regular Hairspray and Blow Dry Lotion

Daddy Forever

22 May 2013 | 12:04 pm

Umberto sent my wife a couple of hair products to review on my dad blog. She tried out their Beverly Hills Regular Hairspray and Blow Dry Lotion. I don’t really use hair products, but my wife does. She really knows her stuff. To be honest, I don’t know the difference between a good hairspray and a bad one. It’s a good thing my wife is reviewing the hair products instead of me. Read more: Review: Umberto Beverly Hills Regular Hairspray and Blow Dry Lotion Find a Job : : Free Magazines : : Embedded Star : : EDA Geek : : EDA Blog : : FPGA Blog : : iZachy© 2013 Online Destiny…
Review and Giveaway: Waterpik RainFall+ Showerhead – win a Home Depot gift card

Daddy Forever

22 May 2013 | 12:01 am

Did you know May is Home Improvement Month? Neither did I. Luckily, Waterpik knows it’s Home Improvement Month. That’s why they sent me their awesome RainFall+ showerhead to review and a gift basket to give away on my dad blog. The prize pack consists of a RainFall+ showerhead, $25 Home Depot card, and a set of candles. The company also sent me a home improvement video from home expert Cassandra Lavalle, founder of Coco+Kelley. Read more: Review and Giveaway: Waterpik RainFall+ Showerhead – win a Home Depot gift card Find a Job : : Free Magazines : : Embedded Star : : EDA…

The Man Page
Don’t Blow Your Marriage Guys

Sparkplugging Team

24 May 2013 | 5:11 am

We spotted this post on 16 Ways I Blew My Marriage today and had to share it with all of you here on The Man Page: This is a must read for married men and those who hope to get (and stay) married one day. Thanks for the bare naked sharing dude.
Young Men: How To Disappoint Your Parents

Sparkplugging Team

18 May 2013 | 7:01 pm

Yep, that will do it
The Slow Mo Guys VS The Giant Six Foot Water Ballon

Sparkplugging Team

13 Apr 2013 | 2:33 pm

Admit to me right now… you want to do this.
The Legacy of One Young Man Remains Strong This Father’s Day

Sparkplugging Team

15 Jun 2009 | 8:40 pm

Within 24 hours, the Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation Can Give a Family Hope and Relief This Father’s Day Father’s Day takes a moment out of the year and our increasingly hectic lives to recognize all the special Dads and father figures who have provided us with love, guidance, and support, both spiritually and by supplying our basic needs. Single fathers, especially, face unique challenges, but when the unimaginable happens, the diagnosis of a child with a terminal illness, new pressures arise: mounting bills, demands at work, and the probability that one cannot remain at…
Hi, and I’m a PC

Nick Bostic

2 Jun 2009 | 7:26 am

My name is Nick Bostic, I’m one of the Sparkplugging interns and I’m a PC. The fact that I’m a PC has been further solidified lately and is part of the reason you haven’t seen me here yet. Apple has been killing my PC. Let me back up a moment… I grew up on PC’s. I assembled my first Intel 8086-based computer when I was five and that was before it was normal for a five year old to even be on a computer, let alone building one. I was a beta tester for Windows 95. I helped my dad in his consulting business switching out advertising agencies from…

A Suitable Wardrobe
The Start Of Summer

Will

24 May 2013 | 8:12 am

Summer formally begins June 21 but this weekend is Memorial Day in the United States, and that is the social start of the season. Meaning, from a clothing perspective, linen trousers, straw hats and spectator shoes come into their own. The advent of summer also means slip-on shoes with suits, light gray worn without guilt instead of charcoal and, leave us not forget, lighter colored socks.
Ticket Pockets

Will

23 May 2013 | 7:01 am

I do not know why what seemed like every ready to wear suit in the UK had a ticket pocket, usually slanted, a few years ago but to my understanding we owe that small extra on the right side of the jacket to the railroads. Before the automobile, travel by rail was several times faster than carriage or horseback and was accordingly used by anyone headed to the country or back to London. Some tailor's customer added a pocket meant to hold the tickets for those journeys and a new style was born. Travelers to and from the country of course were wearing tweed in those days, changing to more formal…
Make The World More Interesting

Will

22 May 2013 | 8:27 am

The term dandy may have derived from the Scottish jack-a-dandy, referring to a man dressed up for his annual village fair. Whatever the source, it entered the English language early in the 19th century and has remained with us ever since. The dandy is simply a clothes conscious man. His dress may or may not stand out on the street - while the dandies in the illustration are flamboyant, Brummell was the most conservatiely dresed man of his time - but he takes great care with it. He may be gangstah or Duke, but the dandy is aware of clothing, his own and the people around him, to a greater…
He Is Crispy

Will

21 May 2013 | 8:48 am

Nearly a hundred readers chose to metaphorically chastise Réginald-Jérôme de Mans for his choice of book review material last week (as Editor of this publication I could not help but notice that a number of the respondents suggested that he be required to limit the length of his posts but none of them could be declared winners as we do not have enough socks for all of them). From the remaining entries we chose six well-deserved winners to receive the accessories kindly supplied by Cordings of Picadilly. Their suggestions were: -He should be compelled to monogram his cat. -He should be…
Stripes And Checks

Will

20 May 2013 | 7:00 am

When is it OK to combine stripes and checks? One time is when the check is your suit and the stripes are your socks. Provided, as always, that the patterns have different scales. For example, Edward Green brogues worn in the country with an old glen check suit and Cotton Dress Hose With a Subtly Contrasting Vertical Rib.

Nordquist Blog
Top 100 Songs of the ‘90s

Brett Nordquist

19 May 2013 | 5:09 pm

I watched the last two hours of this VH1 program which I’d seen portions of before today, but had never caught the top 20 songs they cover in the last hour. Although it’s hard to take a list like this seriously which includes Britney Spears in the top 10, the tunes bring back a lot of memories, especially the four years I was in college at the University of Utah. I still collected CDs and traded them with friends who turned me on to new music. One afternoon after after finishing up a final in a marketing course, a friend gave me a CD from a band I’d never heard of, but he told me to…
Since Moving to Utah

Brett Nordquist

18 May 2013 | 11:26 pm

A few things that have been on my mind the past month since moving from Washington to Utah. One of the best side benefits of moving is not being able to bring everything that’s accumulated in your home over the years. Sure, I’ve had to replace a few items, but starting with a clean slate is good for the mind. I wasn’t looking forward to the 20+ hour drive in the moving van, but being able to spend those hours with two of my sons was fantastic. We stopped along the way to look at rivers and bridges, and take in a few sunsets setting over this gorgeous country of ours. Travel tip: don’t…
Minecraft Alphabet Chart

Brett Nordquist

17 May 2013 | 2:58 pm

My son has been learning the alphabet in pre-school this year. It’s been a struggle at times, and his teacher recommended creating an alphabet chart. Good idea. So I decided to take an alphabet chart and combine it with his favorite game: Minecraft. Here is the result. You’re welcome to download the original PDF file.
Hand-Crafted MartinLogan Electrostatic Panels

Brett Nordquist

17 May 2013 | 2:27 am

Employees who build these stat panels for MartinLogan are the best at the company. They also put their initials on each one they build so any issues can be traced back to the builder.
How Nikkor Lenses are Made

Brett Nordquist

17 May 2013 | 2:15 am

A craftsman’s hands touch each lens many times. I assumed most of the work would have been done by machines.

5ksandcabernets
How many miles does an NBA player run each game: Not as much as you think, but NBA players are still in much better shape than mere mortals

Kevin Lyons

22 May 2013 | 5:08 am

Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah is the NBA’s “long-distance” runner./photo courtesy CBS Sports The NBA playoffs are in full throttle. And if you are like me – a runner and an NBA fan – you probably wonder this: How far does the typical NBA player run during a game. Amiright? Seriously. These guys – most of them anyway – are so skinny. Like runner skinny. Surely, they are doing running an endless amount of miles during every ballgame. Welp, not so fast. According to SportVu, which is a player tracking technology website, the most active NBA player…
Black Girls Run? Yep. Black Girls Run! Even here in Austin

Kevin Lyons

20 May 2013 | 5:40 pm

Members of the Austin Chapter of Black Girls Run! warmup before a recent Saturday run./Photo courtesy Austin American-Statesman I’ve groused and groused often in this space about the lack of black runners I see here in Austin, or anywhere else for that matter. I’ve even been quoted in Runner’s World Magazine on the subject. So it was nice to see Monday’s Austin American-Statesman story authored by Pam LeBlanc about the Austin chapter of Black Girls Run! - a national group for runners created in 2009 by Toni Carey and Ashley Hicks. Carey and Hicks, both black women and…
My new normal: Better than not running at all

Kevin Lyons

14 May 2013 | 9:19 am

Late last month, I decided that sitting around resting was not going to help me fix what was wrong with my leg. I figured I’d have to rehab AND run at the same time. Heck, at least I could see what was working and what wasn’t. I put a synopsis of each run in a chart. I’ve run 11 times in the past three weeks. So far, I’ve noticed a few things: In the beginning of a run, I’m really stiff – stiffer than normal. My paces for Mile 1 of most runs are usually in the high 9s or low 10s. I still have to stop and start once or twice a mile to let my right leg…
Street cred: The best places to run in Austin

Kevin Lyons

2 May 2013 | 9:00 am

There are a few stretches of this city, a few signature streets that make Austin a pretty cool place to get out for a morning 6- to 8-miler. So I thought I’d republish my own list from a few years back celebrating Austin’s street cred: My favorite places to run. (When I’m not injured, that is.) This list, my list, won’t include trails. And its not that I have anything against trails – though I know the soft surfaces are good for my 44-year-old joints. But the only trail I’ve run with regularity is Town Lake, thus I don’t have much authority to talk…
What happens to your conditioning when you’ve only run 45 miles since mid November: You get slow and out of shape

Kevin Lyons

29 Apr 2013 | 1:30 am

Since I’ve been on the sidelines injured, I have not done any other cardio or cross training. I’ve continued to eat (and drink) like a guy running 40 plus miles a week, instead of the guy who has only run 45 miles total since mid-November. This is a formula for getting out of shape. And fast. I can tell you that I’m slow and my endurance sucks. But seeing what a 30-minute run does to my heart rate really tells the tale. Below are capsules from a run I did Sunday, April 28; and a run I did in April of 2012. Key takeaways: Obviously, I’m much slower now – having run all of 45…

Danz Family
Will's Ninth Baseball Game

7 May 2013 | 10:21 pm

Will getting his first hit of the night. Also, notice his new bling around his neck. There was a booth at Drew's tournament over the weekend that had literally hundreds of color combinations. At only $5 a piece and with the profits supposedly going to some charity, we told the boys they could each get one. Will was very excited to pick out a necklace matching his uniform. Drew, mister practical, didn't see how it would make him play better, so why get one. Landon, just wanted to do what Drew did. So, only Will got one. Easily safe at first base. Will getting a good sized step off first base.
Drew's Bixby Tournament - Day 2

5 May 2013 | 10:07 pm

We're back at it for day two of Drew's Bixby tournament. It's still cold but, at least, it's not raining. Drew and I talked about keeping his hand warm. I suggested pulling his hand up into his sleeve and after he worked on quickly popping it out a few times, he went with it. Drew had some great swings and a couple of foul balls but wound up striking out swinging. Nothing wrong with that. The only thing his coach doesn't like is striking out looking. Drew chasing down a ball hit down the line. Throwing the ball in from deep right field. The second, and last, time Drew was up to bat, the…
Piano Recital 2013

4 May 2013 | 10:41 pm

After a chilly morning at the baseball fields, the boys had their piano recital today. Will played State Fair and Flying Carpet. Drew did a great job too especially considering his right hand was frozen numb earlier in the day. Drew played Wind in the Bamboo Tree and Storms on Saturn. Will received a trophy for the Most Songs Memorized out of all of the students. He memorized 34 songs! Great job Will. Drew and Will with their awesome piano teacher Miss Sara. Will and Drew's Piano Recital 2013 video.
Drew's Bixby Tournament - Day 1

4 May 2013 | 9:30 pm

Drew had a tournament in Bixby today and it was freezing! And, raining! Regardless, we were ready to play at 9:00 a.m. And, with the second game starting at 10:45 a.m., we'd have plenty of time to make it to the boys' 2:00 p.m. recital. Or, so we thought. Even in the cold, Drew was on the ball backing up first. Thanks to Drew's efforts, the runner was held up on first base despite the wild throw. The game wound up being delayed during the bottom of the first inning due to...wait for it...sleet and hail...in May! Ya gotta love Oklahoma weather. Drew was freezing. He had no feeling in his right…
Grand Slam Home Run!

29 Apr 2013 | 10:01 pm

In his first at bat of the game, Will hit a grand slam home run!!! I was looking through my viewfinder and heard the loudest smack of the bat that I've heard all season. The ball went all the way to the right field fence. Right before Will laid some serous hurt on the ball. Will maintained perfect eye contact with the ball as he sent it flying. On his way to first base, you can see the runner that was on third going home in the background. Rounding first base, with the coach sending Will on, and the runner that was on second base just now touching third in the background. Will rounding first…

HighTechDad
Giveaway! Your First Smartphone Could Be the HTC First!

Michael Sheehan

21 May 2013 | 10:47 am

It’s been a while since I hosted a giveaway, so I thought that I would start out the Memorial Day Holidays with a giveaway holiday! If you don’t have a smartphone yet, this giveaway is for you! Or, if your child is ready for their first smartphone, you better enter. Or if you simply want a back up phone, you may want to enter as well. Regardless, courtesy of AT&T, I’m doing an HTC First Giveaway!As I actually haven’t had any hands-on with the HTC First (because I’m giving it away), I’m just going to speak to HTC in general. I have had several HTC…
14 Things to Consider When Choosing a Cloud Provider – Part 2

Michael Sheehan

21 May 2013 | 7:00 am

In Part 1 of my 2-part series “14 Things to Consider When Choosing a Cloud Provider” I walked you through several important evaluation criteria that you should consider when choosing a cloud provider. The topics covered in Part 1 are: Performance, Breadth of Service Offering, Ease of Use, Price, Support, SLA and Security. Do note that these items are not in any particular order but some do refer to others so be sure to read through both articles. In Part 2 (this article), I add 7 more items to the list of things to consider.It is important to approach any migration to the cloud carefully.
Remote, Programmatic Home Automation at its Best – the Belkin WeMo

Michael Sheehan

17 May 2013 | 7:55 am

Home Automation and Remote Controls are cool. Really cool. Think back to the days of The Clapper (which you can still buy, by the way). Clap on, clap off. We have come a long way though. Now we have Internet-connected gadgets, gizmos, appliances and devices, hopefully all designed to make our lives easier, safer or simply better. The Belkin WeMo is a perfect example of how this Home Automation technology has evolved to become mobile and programmatic.Recently I hooked up a Belkin WeMo Switch and Motion Detector in my home. Before I go into the details of that process, I have to say that…
Using the Sun to Power your Gadgets & Light the Way – WAKAWAKA POWER

Michael Sheehan

15 May 2013 | 7:39 am

If you look up into the sky, assuming it’s sunny and daytime, you will see a vast energy source that is incredibly untapped – the sun. Solar power technologies have been evolving a break-neck speeds and the size and costs have been reduced dramatically to the point where you can throw a solar panel, charger and battery into your backpack and never worry about plugging your smartphone or tablet into the wall again. The WakaWaka Power, is no exception. This small device, in my opinion, is critical to have for camping trips or in your emergency kit or just quietly charging in a sunny…
14 Things to Consider When Choosing a Cloud Provider – Part 1

Michael Sheehan

14 May 2013 | 7:24 am

You should all know by now that the cloud is here to stay. It may be in one form or another and in various flavors (infrastructure, platform or application) and it may not be called “cloud” in a few years, but the concept of on-demand, pay-as-you-go, Internet-delivery, scalable, as-a-service functionality will persist. It’s efficient, it’s cost effective and it is becoming better each and every day. However, when it comes to choosing a cloud provider, there are several things that you or your business should seriously think about before plunking down your credit card…

Always Home and Uncool
Birthday Presents Wanted to Save Kids’ Lives

9 May 2013 | 5:47 am

UPDATE: You folks helped us raise $2,600 in 24 hours! Speechless. Good thing this is a blog, eh? (Singing): “Today is my birthdaaaaay. “DEH-NA-NA-NA-NAAAAAAA “I’m older than diiiiirt – yeah!.” At least dirt doesn’t wake with knuckle joints that feel like overstuffed sausages. Or have its left arm suddenly fall asleep on him if he leans back the wrong way in a chair. Stupid, lucky dirt. I have no plans for the big day other than visiting the person who made it possible, The Mother of All Uncoolness, in the hospital. She went in Sunday with chest pains. Looks like a second bout…
Coaching the Untalented

17 Apr 2013 | 7:00 am

The dismissal of Rutgers University basketball coach Mike Rice for using gay slurs and firing balls at his players, among other acts of stupidity, started me thinking about the coaches I had while growing up. None I can recall even remotely approached Rice’s level of old-school intimidation techniques though my teammates and I undoubtedly tempted a few of them with our mediocrity. Take poor Mickey Lione Jr., for example. Lione, one of the most successful and respected coaches in Connecticut let alone his hometown of Stamford, had the misfortune of coaching me on two of his few exceptionally…
Radio Radio – Uncool Hits the Internet Airwaves

8 Apr 2013 | 12:12 pm

How sad is the state of talk radio today? Sad enough that I was asked to be a guest on a show about modern fatherhood. I had the pleasure of forcing fellow dads Adam Dolgin of Fodder4Fathers and Lance Somerfeld of the NYC Dads Group along with WebTalkRadio host Meryl Neiman to tolerate my opinions, “jokes” and nasally whine for an hour on the Parenting with Playdate Planet Internet Radio show recently. What’s that? Yes, that is the sound of Marconi spinning in his grave. As someone funnier than I first said, “I’ve suffered for my art, now it’s your turn,” so click to download…
A Day at the Ballpark

3 Apr 2013 | 5:45 am

This is how the Uncool Family spent Monday, April 1, 2013. Once we made it out of the neighborhood, of course. Given how low my beloved and beleaguered Mets are predicted to finish this year, the ballpark was not very crowded for Opening Day even though it was allegedly a sellout. As proof, I submit that this was the first and only line I encountered all day at the park. CONTINUE READING » + + + Don’t be selfish – share the love by using one or more of the social bookmark buttons below or in your feed reader. Thanks!
Opening Day and Closing Doors

1 Apr 2013 | 6:00 am

The bulging cooler, the teeny rusted camping grill, and four cobweb-encrusted folding chairs will be loaded into the back of the minivan. The kids, still rubbing the sleep from their eyes even after a school-less morning in, will climb into the middle seat. My Love will ride shotgun. We’ll ease out of the driveway and go over the checklist. Tickets? Wallets? Extra layers to fight the inevitable stinging winds? We’ll have them all. We’ll just have rolled to a stop at our neighborhood’s edge when My Love will ask, as she tends to do when we’re in hurry to get somewhere, “Did you…

Fighting Monsters with Rubber Swords
She's waiting.

23 May 2013 | 5:36 am

Schuyler's IEP Redux took place yesterday. Her previously unsatisfactory speech and language goals were revisited and the new plan for restoring Schuyler's AAC proficiency was worked out, at least on some level. How did it go? I'm not sure how to answer, honestly. The specific goals we wanted were added with a minimum of resistance, and some really good discussion took place that I think will lead to improvements next year. There's a big thing we're asking for that I don't think we're going to get, and it feels important enough that I really believe that without it, everything else might just…
The Things That Matter

20 May 2013 | 6:46 am

Today at Support for Special Needs:It's easy to get lost in the world in which we live. It's so easy to forget how quickly things can change. It's not hard to miss how what seems like a quirk of development, an unusual manifestation of the architecture of a child's brain, can turn into epic loss with one unfortunate firing of electricity. The world we live in can feel comfortable, even when it's grey. We think about a future that might have color, but we sometimes allow ourselves to forget, for hours or days at a time, that the future could also contain bitter darkness, and that today's…
One Small Light

13 May 2013 | 4:59 am

Today at Support for Special Needs:If you're here, you get it. You're almost certainly part of the club. You have a disability, or your kid has one, or someone you love or work with. We may not have anything else in common, but the thing that we do share isn't small. When I come here and I write about Schuyler or my own fears and triumphs as a parent, you might say that I'm right, that sounds exactly familiar. Or you might say I'm full of crap. But you're probably never going to say "Oh, that never occurred to me." Because if you're in the club, there's very little that hasn't occurred to…
No Heroic Measures

8 May 2013 | 6:35 am

Before I take up the baton and add my perspective, I want to direct you to this essay at Sea Change Ripples, written by a good friend whose thinking on disability issues has both paralleled and influenced my own. This most recent essay is an important one, addressing the tendency of professionals who work with the disabled to receive hyperbolic accolades, and more importantly, to eventually believe their own hype. It's an important point, and I'd suggest that it also applies to parent advocates. And fancy pants authors.Hero. It's a word that gets thrown around rather freely, particularly in…
Tooth and Claw

6 May 2013 | 5:07 am

Today at Support for Special Needs:Overall, it wasn't a bad IEP meeting. Most of the team was very responsive to the philosophical shift we asked for, and they seem eager to find a way to engage with Schuyler in a more comprehensive way. It did feel a little like IEP meetings of old, where we fought tooth and claw for what we felt our daughter needed. It was emotionally exhausting, like being attacked by vampires and bled dry,and we both felt like we'd resorted to becoming Those Parents for the first time in years. Not a great feeling, but a necessary one, I guess.Schuyler's poem, recopied by…

GoFatherhood®
Disaster Relief: The Red Cross and the Okies

Dave Taylor

20 May 2013 | 11:24 pm

Some days I look around me at the Rocky Mountains, the creeks and streams, the rolling green hills, the big sky and fantastical cloud formations and really feel grateful that I can live in such a beautiful area. Boulder, Colorado, surely one of the prettiest towns in one of the most majestic states in the USA. But it’s not just here that’s pretty, it’s our planet. Really, if you take a deep breath, slow down and think about it for a minute or two, Earth is a pretty astonishing place, an extraordinary planet that offers stunning vistas, amazing sunsets, beautiful terrain and…
Nutrisystem Week Fourteen: Shrinking Dad Indeed

Dave Taylor

20 May 2013 | 6:33 am

I started out at 268 pounds at the beginning of February. Today, May 20, I’m at 243 pounds. That’s a loss of 25 pounds. In fourteen weeks. Calculate that out and, on average, I’ve lost 1.8 pounds/week. Booyah! Those of you who are paying attention to my weight journey here on my blog will recall that my goal for my four months on Nutrisystem was to be “around 240 pounds”. Well, with two weeks left to go I’m sure getting close. In fact, as you can see from my Withings reading this week, I’m at 243.1 which means it’s not much of a step to get down…
Family Happiness, The Fortune Cookie Edition

Dave Taylor

14 May 2013 | 12:08 pm

I’m participating in a fun little competition that my pal Pedro Veloso’s company Limetree is running, a competition where you are asked to “Post 140 character about family happiness on your blog”. As Samuel Clemens is reputed to have said, “ I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.” That rather applies here: it’s easier for me to natter on for a few hundred words about what family and happiness means to me, but in 140 characters? That’s, like, a tweet, man. Then again, I think I can handle it, having sent…
Has Princess Merida Just Grown Up?

Dave Taylor

14 May 2013 | 8:08 am

Disney unveiled the newest of the Disney Princesses, Princess Merida from the Academy Award winning animated film Brave, and as part of translating her from screen to full merchandise character they tweaked her appearance a bit, as you can see in the image below: Princess Merida, Before and After First off, you can see that the style of illustration is different, Merida from the original film looks almost like claymation or some other stop motion animation figure (especially in the rounded face) while the more traditional hand-drawn illustration on the right — the “new…
Week Thirteen: Weights and Measurements

Dave Taylor

12 May 2013 | 7:33 am

First off, the good news: I weigh in at just barely under 246 — 245.9 pounds — against last week, when I was at 247. Starting weight of this four month adventure, as I detailed back in February, was 268 so that’s more than 22 pounds I’ve lost. Go to the store and pick up a 22pound turkey. That’s a lotta excess weight! I have found that my whole approach to eating and food has changed for the better, but, to be completely honest, I haven’t become the World’s Healthiest Eater. Probably an unrealistic expectation, but seeking to continue traveling down…

Clark Kent's Lunchbox
Man Up Monday: If You See Me Wearing A Blue Wristband

20 May 2013 | 7:50 am

It's Man UP Monday! I'm proud to be a member of the Team Single Jingles Man UP Monday PARENT BLOGGING TEAM! Today, I'm doing my part to spread an important message about Testicular Cancer. This post is in support of the Testicular Cancer Foundation (Team Single Jingles) which provides education and support to young men in order to raise awareness about testicular cancer, the #1 cancer among men ages 15 – 35. It's important to know this ahead of time because I rarely talk about my genitalia. * * * Every guy has a good story about testicles,…
Dump Truck Full of Dead Babies #MaleDepression

15 May 2013 | 6:45 am

Full of dead babiesRecently the dad blog community learned that Marc Block of Divided Dad took his own life as a result of his struggles with depression. In the aftermath of this tragedy a number of dads committed to writing blog posts meant to bring awareness to male depression. This is mine. I originally posted this last year, but it still applies.* * * "What's worse than a dump truck full of dead babies?" my teenage niece asks me. I shake my head having no clue how to repsond. "Unloading them with a pitchfork," she answers with perfect deadpan timing.I laugh. I laugh so hard tears…
Man of Steel, Free Will and Where My Kids are Going Wrong

6 May 2013 | 5:34 am

To say I'm excited about the new Superman movie is an understatement. Giddy is more like it. (I mean have you noticed the name of this blog?) My kids on the other hand couldn't care less. Last week at the theater the boys practically went nuts over the World War Z poster, this while I'm Instagramming the hell out the one showcasing Man of Steel. Pffft. Who would ever want to see a movie with Brad Pitt and zombies? As if.Truth be told, my kids really don't get my--obsession is too strong, so let's say my fascination with the whole Superman thing. "Why do you like him so much?" they ask me over…
I Miss Being A Dad Blogger

23 Apr 2013 | 7:40 am

I've come to a point in my life where for the first time I'm looking backwards more than I'm looking ahead. Maybe this has something to do with turning 41 last week. Maybe not. What's unclear to me is whether this is something normal that most men go through at a certain stage in their lives--the storied mid-life crisis--or is it just me. Whatever the reason, as I keep looking back in time I've realized I'm not happy in the present.There's a lot I could go into with that statement--most of which I should probably tell a shrink. Essentially it comes to circumstances and believing that if they…
How Dad Bloggers Can Keep Their Posts Alive on Facebook

19 Apr 2013 | 9:05 am

Facebook. Whether it’s our personal profile, a page for our blog, or a dedicated community, most dad bloggers I know use it in some manner to get their blog posts out there. In marketing speak Facebook is a "content distribution channel," and getting our content in front of as many eyeballs as possible is, admittedly, what we all want.A drawback with Facebook, however, is that in recent years it has limited the visibility of posts to our network of friends and page followers. Couple this with the fact that the life of an average Facebook post is less than 3 hours and you’ll realize that…

Mocha Dad
5 Things Middle School Boys Worry About

Frederick J. Goodall

23 May 2013 | 7:48 pm

Photo used by permission via Flickr Creative Commons As a youth leader at my church, I’m privy to the world of middle school boys. On a weekly basis, I get to hear about their favorite music, current trends, and what’s happening inside their schools. Because of the trust we’ve developed, the kids also tell me about their fears, concerns and anxieties. One day while we were casually chatting, I asked the boys what were some of the things they worried about. At first they were a bit tentative, but they soon flooded me with various issues that were on their minds. Of the dozens of…
5 Ways to Help Oklahoma Tornado Victims

Frederick J. Goodall

21 May 2013 | 11:19 am

Over the past few days, I’ve read social media updates from my friends who live in Oklahoma and Northern Texas. While I’m thankful that the people I know personally are safe and unharmed, my heart breaks for all of the people who lost their lives and property in the storms (read this actual account from my friend Amy). I was especially concerned about the children whose school was destroyed by the tornado while they were inside. Sadly, 20 of those children died. Many of my church members are from Oklahoma and their grief for their friends and relatives affected me deeply. Our…
Give a Child a Chance at Life by Helping to Provide Essential Nutrients

Frederick J. Goodall

19 May 2013 | 6:52 pm

I’ve traveled to several countries around the world and I’ve witnessed abject poverty. I’ve seen families living in cardboard houses in Indonesia. I’ve encountered mothers’ begging on the streets of Mexico while cradling their malnourished babies. I’ve observed children struggling to find food in war-torn Iraq. Sadly, I’ve also seen similar scenarios in the United States. My heart aches for children who suffer. Millions of children around the world are suffering from ‘hidden hunger’, a lack of micronutrients that can lead to disease and even…
Should Parents Follow Their Child’s Friends on Social Media?

Frederick J. Goodall

16 May 2013 | 6:17 pm

While scrolling through my Instagram feed, I noticed that one of my tween daughter’s friends had “Liked” several of my photos. A couple of days later, a few more of her friends “Liked” more of my photos. I didn’t think much of it until they also sent me friend requests on Facebook. That’s when I started to feel a little uncomfortable about my daughter’s friends following my social media accounts. Because my work relies heavily on social media, my accounts are open and I’m generous with follow backs. I never post anything on social media…
How to Get Your Child to Talk to You

Frederick J. Goodall

15 May 2013 | 2:02 pm

One night when my daughter was around five or six years old, I read to her from a journal I’d kept during her first few years of life. I poured out my heart and revealed all of the emotions I was feeling at the time. When I finished reading, I turned out the lights and I played her favorite lullaby CD. Before I could leave the room, she grabbed my hand, pulled me close, and whispered, “Daddy, will you always love me like that?” “Of course I will, darling,” I said. “In fact, I’ll love you even more.” That night we both shared our…

The History of Daddy Claxton
Zaditor–The Cure for Itching Eyes in Texas

Donny Claxton

18 May 2013 | 5:52 pm

Zaditor--The Cure for Itching Eyes in Texas WFAA Weatherman Pete Delkus keeps tweeting to North Texas–If you’re allergic to grass, the pollen is high right now–but you already knew that. And indeed, one of my daughters has been having a horrible time of it for about two months now and I’ve been skating past–until the [...]The post Zaditor–The Cure for Itching Eyes in Texas appeared first on The History of Daddy Claxton.
Cowboy Mouth At Wildflower Festival 2013–Disconnected

Donny Claxton

17 May 2013 | 10:15 pm

Cowboy Mouth At Wildflower Festival 2013–Disconnected Tonight was a great night to be in Richardson, Texas as the Wildflower Festival with NOLA band Cowboy Mouth playing on the Metro PCS stage. The show was great–save for a continual microphone issue for the lead guitar player which set their timing back and ultimately meant they didn’t [...]The post Cowboy Mouth At Wildflower Festival 2013–Disconnected appeared first on The History of Daddy Claxton.
The Morning After Tornadoes 2013 in North Texas

Donny Claxton

16 May 2013 | 5:34 am

The Morning After Tornadoes 2013 in North Texas This photo is of sunrise, May 16, 2013. We had an estimated 10 tornadoes in the DFW area last night. There was lots of death, destruction and fear. Lots of rain, too. I have often told my kids that rays shining down like in this photo are [...]The post The Morning After Tornadoes 2013 in North Texas appeared first on The History of Daddy Claxton.
Facebook We Have A Problem–SNAZUed Once Again

Donny Claxton

15 May 2013 | 5:27 am

Facebook We Have A Problem–SNAZUed Once Again There is a blog post coming about changes in my life that have been able to happen because of Facebook. But this is going to be a post about how Facebook is messing with me and not for good reason. You see, eight weeks ago today I made [...]The post Facebook We Have A Problem–SNAZUed Once Again appeared first on The History of Daddy Claxton.
HIMYM Mother Revelation Anti-Climactic? Only if you read Yahoo!

Donny Claxton

14 May 2013 | 11:18 am

HIMYM Mother Revelation Anti-Climactic? I started writing this based on the Yahoo! review and the YouTube video of the revelation of the Mother on CBS’s long-running show, How I Met Your Mother. After watching the actual show, I think the show was just where it needed to be, wound with the threads and twists that [...]The post HIMYM Mother Revelation Anti-Climactic? Only if you read Yahoo! appeared first on The History of Daddy Claxton.

Luke, I Am Your Father
14 Years Ago Today

23 May 2013 | 12:32 pm

May 23rd, 1999 was a glorious day in Olympia, Washington. The sun was out, the birds were singing, and everything was in bloom on that beautiful 85 degree day when I officially became the luckiest man on earth.Of course, I had unofficially became the luckiest man on earth the day I met Mrs. LIAYF, but back then she wasn't yet my wife, so more luck was on the horizon for me. The past 14 years have certainly had their share of ups and downs. Mostly ups though. And Mrs. LIAYF through it all has been the love of my life, the one person I could always count on to be there for me with…
Do the Angry Robot

22 May 2013 | 12:00 am

Robots....doing The Robot."That's a pretty cool picture Buddy. Love the Robots.""Thanks Dad, it's actually Angry Birds. With Robots!""Do you mean Star Wars Angry Birds? Because that robot on the right looks just like C3PO.""Nah, it's just Angry Birds Robots. Do you see the slingshots on their arms?""I do, I do. You sure that's not C3PO? Cause it really looks like him....doing some kind of dance.""No silly, he's getting ready to fire at the pig!!""Is there music playing? Because those robots are definitely bustin a move.""And that Robot Pig has all kinds of…
The Daddy Chair

20 May 2013 | 12:00 am

"SILENCE!!!!""Bruuuuuthaaa...?" she says to him in a deep, low, and gravely voice not often encountered in a 6 month old baby girl."Yes, Annabelle?" Lukas replies, by now fully accustomed to communicating with her this way. "I love you Bruuuuuthaaaa!" she lets him know. "You....and the big people. You know, the ones who feed us.""You mean Mom and Dad, Annabelle" Lukas corrects her. "Yes, Bruuuthaaaa" she replies. And so it goes, back and forth nearly every night. Silly banter between the two of them which only takes place when Annabelle is hooked up to…
Nailed it.

14 May 2013 | 9:09 pm

When I arrived home tonight, after a particularly long day, Lukas came running from the kitchen and jumped into my arms, giving me a huge hug and a kiss. I instantly felt better. Instantly! It was exactly what I needed after being at work for 12 hours.Honestly, it has been difficult for me to even think about posting here recently for various reasons. But during those times when life's treadmill becomes a bit overwhelming and I've had long, exhausting, and mentally draining days (like today for instance), there is one thing above all that lifts my spirits. I saw the…
Sibling Revelry

24 Apr 2013 | 9:11 pm

revelry [ˈrɛvlrɪ]n pl -riesnoisy or unrestrained merrymakingI'm pretty sure that all those times when Lukas thought of having a sibling to play and share experiences with, and when he asked Mrs. LIAYF and I when he was finally going to have one, he wasn't exactly thinking of a baby sister who was 5 years younger than him. Rather, I know for a fact that when his mother and I talked to him about our initial plans for adoption a couple of years ago, he was pretty darn excited at the possibility of getting a little brother who was closer to his age (We considered…

mattdaddy.netmattdaddy.net
“Be Nice” & “Shut up and listen”

mattdaddy

24 May 2013 | 8:50 am

Every once in a while I sit back and try to figure out what I want my kids to know and internalize the most so they get far in life. I have daydreams where they only remember one or two things that I’ve said, and I try to think about what I would want those things to be. Okay, they’re teenagers so they probably won’t remember anything I ever say Even so, if I could have two things to remember, I think that they would be this. And this is subject to change at a moments notice because I’m me and i’ll think of better things in an hour or so. Be nice. It…
Whaaaas happening?

mattdaddy

17 May 2013 | 1:49 pm

So i’m not ready to post pics of before and after, but I’m down about 16 lbs, feel 1000x better, and I’m about 6 weeks into completely Gluten Free/Paleo lifestyle. Been drinking lots of water and walking as much as possible, so physically I’m feeling pretty good. Completed my 4th Mud Run, this one was the Survival Race in Riverhead, NY, which is NOT flat. (What’s up with that Long Island?) I did a lot better than last year, but not nearly as well as I would have liked. Tough Mudder is in five months and I’m not nearly ready. Ack, it’s almost…
Sixteen

mattdaddy

11 Apr 2013 | 6:22 am

Dude. I can’t believe that this was you at one point - This isn’t happening. I remember when you were born, I got to catch you. Mom had been in labor for 50 hours or so, but it was all worth it. You were a bit purple, but the doctors checked you out and everything was fine. We held you for the first time and it was over. I knew I’d never be the same. I can’t even begin to think what it was like from Mom’s point of view, but my life was different from that moment forward. Aidan, you are everything I could have wanted in a son and 10x more.
Celiac Disease? Crap!

mattdaddy

8 Apr 2013 | 6:51 am

Let me give you some background if this is your first visit. My daughter Gillian was having serious health issues in 2007. Her hair wasn’t growing, the teeth she lost weren’t growing back, her belly was distended, no energy, the works. My niece had just been diagnosed with Celiac Disease so we had her tested, and it came back positive. A month or so eating gluten free and she was back on her road to health. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease where you attack your own body, in this case, when gluten is present in your system. Some people get the runs, or…
Keeping it going

mattdaddy

3 Apr 2013 | 6:19 pm

So, it’s been about two weeks since I started going Paleo exclusively and I have definitely been feeling better, have more energy, and just generally feeling good. I’ve been wanting to put some exercise into the mix, especially with my first Mud Run coming up the first weekend in May. I’ve been getting off the subway a stop early and walking from there, but it’s pretty freakin cold and windy in NYC lately, so it’s been about twice a week. Today, I got in earlier than normal, so I walked the whole way from Port Authority to my office on Madison and 60th.

Halftime Lessons
Wedding for rent. We’re not proud. #YourBrandHere

Jay

23 May 2013 | 10:38 am

Today doesn’t mark the beginning of this journey. Trust me when I say, it’s been an indescribably long road. But despite the length of the trip, and the opportunities for diversion, the destination has never changed. This is Shalah. Shay’s the cute one. And when I say “cute”, I mean…she’s a stunna. She’s my best friend, I’m proud to say. Smart, savvy, beautiful and hilarious. Every day that ends without hearing her say “Goodnight,...Read on... »

Makes Me Wanna Holler.com - Real Stories of Fatherhood, Marriage and Life
Monday's With Michelle: Creative Loafing's Atlanta 2013 Culinary Bucket List

13 May 2013 | 9:03 am

Happy Monday foodie friends! On Thursday, April 25th, Creative Loafing introduced it's Atlanta's 2013 culinary bucket list (see the pic below just to get an idea). Definitely worth checking out... lots of yummy eats waiting to be had! Make sure you check it out! And even if you don't reside in Atlanta, please check out the list and see what's comparatively cooking in your stomping grounds. Which dish are going to mark off your bucket list first? Post your comments below! Don't forget to visit my Foodie blog for more recipes, food tips and other foodie fun.
Food Network's Atlanta Food Destinations

6 May 2013 | 8:24 am

Hello dear foodie friends, welcome back to Mondays with Michelle! I don’t know about you, but I am major Food TV junkie. In my down time you will usually find me on the couch watching some of my favorite celebrity chefs do their thing. I particularly enjoy watching the hosts walk through some of my local neighborhoods and sampling yummy treats in restaurants I've either been too or seen passing by. My partner and I always have a hard time deciding what new places to try, so keeping a list of local Food TV favorites is a great place to start. Check out the list below for some…
A Grill-Off Against The Wife #SteakOver

5 May 2013 | 1:19 pm

When it comes to cooking in the kitchen of my home it is an undisputed fact that my wife reigns supreme. And this isn't because she spends all her time in the kitchen. In fact as a Senior Marketing Manager at her company she has been spending the majority of her time checking emails on her phone. Cooking is just something she likes to do. It soothes her and she is a foodie. She spends a good amount of time on Pinterest making the food she likes to pin. When it comes to the grill it is presumed that I am king in my castle, but that's primarily because I'm the only one who uses it. At family…
My Greatest Weakness

3 May 2013 | 7:42 am

A few days ago my daughter asked me what her greatest weakness is. I told her she is very smart. Because of that she sometimes talks more than she listens. She then asked me what her mother's greatest weakness was and I answered, "No comment." She begged and pleaded but I refused to get on that train. She asked about her brother and then asked me what I thought mine is. I told her that until recently I've always had a hard time saying "no" for fear of upsetting and disappointing others. And in the process I've volunteered to do a lot of things I never wanted to do or been trapped in places I…
Parents: You Don't Have To Multitask (All The Time)

26 Apr 2013 | 7:42 am

This week I personally learned a lesson I thought I already knew. Multitasking is cool (but not exactly natural for humans), but getting things done, one job at a time, is better. My morning duties include getting the kids' food ready for the day, breakfast and lunch and somehow in the midst of that making my own breakfast and lunch and brewing coffee for my wife and myself. I always take care of the kids, and I'm pretty on point when it comes to the coffee for the wife. But it's been hit or miss whether or not I take care of myself. I often leave the house feeling disorganized…

A Blogger and a Father
Magazines for Kids: Turtle, Humpty Dumpty, and Jack and Jill

Oren Miller

20 May 2013 | 5:30 am

I know we're a digital world, and I don't really have a problem with that. My kids could swipe-open the iPhone before they could walk, and if we're waiting at the doctor's office, you know it's Temple Run and Toca Boca time. But when I got an email about 3 magazines for kids, I immediately asked them to send me copies. When I was a kid, I had a subscription to a nature/environment kids' magazine, and I remember knowing roughly when it was about to arrive. Every day after school, I would look up at the mail box, hoping to see the one piece of mail with my name on it. Because really, it was the…
Daddy Day Care

Oren Miller

19 May 2013 | 4:00 pm

Brought to you in association with Oral BDiffering parenting styles may purely be down to personality but some would suggest that they are perhaps partly attributable to the gender gap. In fact, many couples concur that men and women do indeed parent in different and at times distinctive ways. Mothers tend to take the role of primary caregiver. Not particularly surprising considering the biological necessities of nature. As such, it’s not uncommon to hear a mother berate a father’s behaviour towards their child in a way that might not be markedly dissimilar to a toddler receiving a good…
Famous double beds from TV shows of yesteryear

Oren Miller

19 May 2013 | 9:06 am

Guest post by Kevin Walsh on behalf of Sainsbury’sThe bedroom has to be one of the most important rooms in any house. It’s certainly the room where you spend the most time. Most of us spend about a third of our lives in bed. If you add that up over the course of an average lifetime, that’s about 25 years. That’s a huge amount of time and makes you realise how important it is to have a good bed where you feel comfortable sleeping. Perhaps unsurprisingly for such an important part of life, the bedroom and the bed has played a big part in the history of TV. One of the most famous double…
The Solitary Confinement of Depression. #ForMarc

Oren Miller

16 May 2013 | 11:53 am

In 2006, I was fired from my job. I remember the joyful drive home--finally I was free from this job I had hated for 4 years, free to find a job I loved, one that would challenge me and inspire me. This was the best thing that could have ever happened to me!Which was fine, until I bombed my first job interview. And the second one. And the third. I started collecting unemployment, but we were still struggling. And then, this endless cycle that seemed to go on forever: Send dozens of resumes. Wait by the phone. Get a phone call. Shave. Put on a suit. Shake hands. Talk about my weaknesses. My…
Dads Don't Trust V8

Oren Miller

15 May 2013 | 2:19 pm

Apparently there's a drink called V8. I've never had it. I've seen V8 ads, where someone hits himself on the head. I don't know why they do that, but I know these ads never made me want to buy a V8. They can hit themselves on their heads as much they want, but when I want a healthy drink, I go for water. More to the point, I saw this picture on Dad on the Run's Facebook page:I loved Dad on the Run's comment ("Fathers remain suspicious..."), and normally that's where it would end, but after I went to their site and saw more examples of this "trusted by moms" BS, I decided to email them.So I…

Natural Papa
Hank D and the Bee: Book Worm

Joe Mohr

2 May 2013 | 5:35 am

More Books Children’s Book Reviews from EcoChildsPlay Worm’s book: The Giving Tree My brand new book: ROBOT+BIKE=KITTEN Catch up on the rest of the Hank D and the Bee series at JoeMohrToons.com. For cartoon updates and other green goings-on, follow Joe on Twitter @GreenCartoons and like him on Facebook.
5 Fun mediums for art with children

Guest Author

17 Apr 2013 | 7:56 am

Unleashing the power of a child’s imagination through art can yield some of the most impressive displays to understand your little one. We’ve all had coloring books when we were growing up where crayons were worn down to the nub. However, there are far more mediums available that you can use with your child that [...]
5 Tips for healthy eating on a budget

Guest Author

5 Apr 2013 | 11:09 am

Every parent wants their kids to eat healthy, but if your family isn’t used to home-cooked meals, the extra time and money can make it easy to put off. Fortunately, there are simple steps you can take to keep your kids healthy without overhauling your routine, or busting your budget. Here are a few of [...]
Are you giving your child the nutrients they need? How to ensure optimum nutrition

Guest Author

3 Apr 2013 | 3:07 pm

You want your child to be happy and healthy. Children learn how and what to eat from you, and forming healthy habits during their early years promotes lifelong health. Your child needs proper nutrition for optimal growth and development and healthy eating in childhood can prevent serious health problems down the road, such as obesity, [...]
The co-worker drop: The ultimate office workout

Guest Author

2 Apr 2013 | 7:03 am

If you are like most people, you spend most of your days sitting in a cubicle or office with your only exercise being a trip to the bathroom. This constant sitting literally takes years off your life. Even though the gym may be only a couple miles away, it seems like a hundred miles while [...]

Single Parent Dad
Every family should Go Canoeing

Ian Newbold

22 May 2013 | 4:55 am

Do you like making a splash?I think it would be very normal to assume that if you were going to go canoeing that you would end up getting wet.When I think of canoeing, I have images of an incredibly strong athlete fighting against swirling white water to get their solo powered vessel through a series of hanging poles, or gates, all against the clock.They look like they are always a moment away from being capsized and clearly needing to be experts in the Eskimo roll to be the right way up all the time.All very energetic and exciting, but doesn’t immediately strike me as suitable activity for…
Helping other widows and widowers

Ian Newbold

15 May 2013 | 2:30 am

When I starting writing this blog - six years ago now – I didn’t count helping other widows and widowers amongst my motives.I’d lost my wife, and Max his mother, around two years before I started putting letter-shaped pixel to screen.In those two years my focus, and functions, had been severely limited and didn’t extend much past child rearing protocols. I managed distractions, embraced them enough to catch a break and some perspective, and combated them when my child really needed my best attention.Then blogging joined my catalogue of occasional worthwhile pursuits.I’ll be…
It’s too nice to be inside

Ian Newbold

8 May 2013 | 2:37 am

How many times have you said that to your children?How many times did you hear it as a child?I’m still hearing it as an adult.We enjoyed a gloriously sunny day at Legoland Windsor - courtesy of our Merlin Annual Passes (cheers Merlin) - on Sunday. Experiencing their excellent Star Wars weekend, fulfilling a lifelong ambition to sit in Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder. Okay, it was a replica with hidden wheels, but still, how cool?We enjoyed further run-ins with Stormtroopers getting coffee, Wookiees thinking of nipping to buy keyrings of themselves from the Lego shop and even had time…
Being a terrible mum

Ian Newbold

1 May 2013 | 3:47 am

Perversely being a good mum was not something I dreamed about being as a child, and then as a young man.My dreams were all about which member of the A-Team I could replace, or who I’d slay first as a Jedi Knight.They often still are.I was a recent guest of Radio 5 Live talking about relationships and parenting, as well as plugging my book (Parenting with Balls – soon available at a car boot near you).We got on to the topic of the perception of single dads, versus that of their female equivalents.The experts I was on the show with wanted to know why I thought men are generally heralded…
When were the olden days?

Ian Newbold

24 Apr 2013 | 2:16 am

My son got some interesting literacy homework last week. He was given a small list of settings, and then tasked with writing story openings that would put the reader in them, without naming them.He had to start stories set in a school, a park and a……VIDEO shop.“What’s a video shop, Dad?” he asked.Precisely.Apart from the teacher clearly needing to update this piece of homework, it was a prompt to ponder things that my child will not experience or have knowledge of from the past.The olden days, as he puts it.When I was his age, or very near it, one of my best friends at school…

Gummy Lump Toys Blog
Making Window Clings with Kids #craft

23 May 2013 | 3:00 am

by Amanda from Crafts-N-Things for Children for GummyLump.com for ages 2 & up with Adult Participation and Supervision Have you ever tried DIY Window Clings? I have found that they are actually pretty easy to make. Now that we have made some, I think that these will be fun to make at different times throughout the upcoming years because they are simple, fun, and a great way to personalize or make your own designs for things like the holidays and seasons. It would also be cute way to make your kids favorite cartoon characters.... and lots of them for cheaper than they would be in the…
Taking a Look Inside Our Bodies #kids #activity

22 May 2013 | 3:00 am

from Alvina of There's Magic Out There This past week me and my munchkin have been learning about what is inside of us. This is a tough one for kids because its hard to imagine just how much really is under our skin that makes us who we are. I decided to try to find an easy and simple way to start. Whats better than with a puzzle? Read more »Wooden Toys from GummyLump.com: Toys That Make Sweet Memories
Going on a Shape Hunt #kids #activity

15 May 2013 | 3:00 am

by Ashley Moore from Life with Moore Babies Shapes are everywhere. Everything we see from signs, to houses, to animals, to letters, we recognize them as specific shapes. Shapes are the basis for math, reading, and writing. Children first have to recognize differences in shape before they can recognize differences in numbers and letters. Just teaching shapes by looking at the shape is good, but seeing shapes in everyday objects is even better. To practice this we went on a Shape Hunt! Read more »Wooden Toys from GummyLump.com: Toys That Make Sweet Memories
Cupcake Liner Flower Card #kids #craft

10 May 2013 | 4:00 am

from Whitney of It's Gravy Baby for ages 2yo and up with Adult Participation and Supervison Handmade greeting cards can me special momentos that friends and family hold onto for many years. Catching a glimpse of one in a drawer or a box many years after that child has grown up or even had a child of their own can instantly bring back sweet memories of those small hands and precious face. This cupcake liner card can work for Mother's Day, Get Well Soon or even Just Because. Read more »Wooden Toys from GummyLump.com: Toys That Make Sweet Memories
Creating Art with Non-Traditional Tools #kids #activity

8 May 2013 | 4:00 am

by Alvina of There's Magic Out There Creativity is an awesome tool to have in life, To be able to think outside the box is something we want our children to be able to do. When most people think about painting they think paintbrushes or finger painting but there are many other ways to create Art and we had fun exploring some of those this weekend. Read more »Wooden Toys from GummyLump.com: Toys That Make Sweet Memories

thedaddycast.com
A thought for Boston

DaddyCast

26 Apr 2013 | 6:12 pm

As a runner who has completed his first marathon last November, I felt a connection with the runners of the Boston Marathon. In training with the local Winter marathon training team, I ran with Richmond runners preparing for Boston. One of them crossed the finish line just ahead of the blasts. When the tragedy of the Boston Marathon came to light, I like so many others was shocked and my heart went out to those killed and injured, and their families. It wasn’t until later that I heard that one of the fatalities was an eight year old boy. My heart sank further. Not that any death is more…
Almost Perfect

DaddyCast

29 Mar 2013 | 10:01 am

This past weekend my wife went away for a “Girl’s Weekend” – a trip with several friends to a resort to celebrate one of their birthdays. They had a great time bonding, playing tennis, enjoying food and drink. They did it up. Her being gone left the boys and I home alone for a “Guy’s Weekend”. We too had a great time bonding, playing video games, enjoying food and drink. We didn’t have any birthday cake but we had a lot of fun too. Our weekend was full of events that included a lot of together time but also some personal time, as any good…
Reminiscing

DaddyCast

11 Mar 2013 | 6:18 pm

Recently I have reacquainted myself with our video camera. It started with a call out to all the soccer parents on my son’s new travel team. The manager asked if anyone would be willing to record their pre-season tournament. With a chance to prove my self-appointed Hollywood skills, I volunteered. Step one was to clear off some space on the video camera hard drive. It had been a while since we needed to make space but knowing we had three hour long soccer games, I wanted to make sure I didn’t let the team down. I went to the oldest video on the camera, and began the process of…
Pride in (their) Achievment

DaddyCast

24 Feb 2013 | 7:36 pm

Friday I was in a great mood. I could hardly wipe the smile off my face. Hardly anything could bring me down. The reason: my youngest made the team. He had a tryout with a new Travel soccer team and he made it. I was happy, he was happy, our whole family up through grandparents was happy. And we anticipate this happiness will continue. It is amazing how much we can be happy for his achievement. It may seem overstated but with a little background, you may understand why. A month or so ago my youngest informed us that he had a goal. He wanted to play for the middle school…
The power of closeness

DaddyCast

18 Feb 2013 | 6:54 pm

This past weekend our family participated in Pedal Power, an event held by Energy Cycle to promote the organization’s message for energy conservation awareness. It is the second year in a row that a majority of the family has participated in pedaling to generate energy. The setup includes bicycle trainers outfitted with generators with the generator plugged into a central circuit board that converts the energy to charge batteries that then power electrical items at the event (most importantly the waffle irons). Aside from the awareness that it takes a lot of energy (sweat energy in this…

rockabyedad
If I still had the drumming chops…I’d want to...

23 May 2013 | 7:42 pm

If I still had the drumming chops…I’d want to audition for her band. What a talent. @lprock
@Kodaline damn this track is moving.

23 May 2013 | 6:46 am

@Kodaline damn this track is moving.
Thoughts and prayers for everyone in Moore, Oklahoma Storm...

21 May 2013 | 9:03 am

Thoughts and prayers for everyone in Moore, Oklahoma Storm 5-20-13 (by Charles Cook)
TV junkie sisters

21 May 2013 | 8:48 am

TV junkie sisters
21 May 2013 | 8:33 am

21 May 2013 | 8:33 am

Digital Dads
Happy Mother’s Day from AT&T

PJ

10 May 2013 | 5:27 am

Mother’s Day is this coming Sunday and while I know all the Digital Dads reading this have everything already covered for the mom’s in their life, our friends at AT&T also wanted to celebrate moms with a fun, shareable video e-card. It is a special edition of the popular “It’s Not Complicated” campaign. In the new commercial that will air Friday through Sunday, mediator Beck Bennett strays from his usual “what’s better, bigger or smaller?” and instead asks, “who gives the best hugs?” to a unanimous response – mom does. Now…
Meatless Mandays

PJ

15 Mar 2013 | 5:33 am

As I discussed in this space last week, we’ve been trying to incorporate a number of meatless dishes into our weekly meal plan. Recently, Manwich asked me to come up with an original recipe using their products for their Case of the Mandays campaign to help promote family meal time, so I decided to see if I could create a Meatless Manday. It was definitely a risk, as one does not typically associate a meatless dish with Manwich, but it definitely worked out great. Craving chili I went with my gut and decided to see how I could transform it into a meatless dish using Manwich Thick and…
Sergio Garcia Easy Favorite at Tampa Bay Championship

Curtis

13 Mar 2013 | 6:15 am

With a field that does not include the slowly surging Tiger Woods or dominant Rory McIlroy, the Tampa Bay Championship at Innisbrook in Palm Harbor, FL turns its eyes to Sergio Garcia to win the course. The 17th ranked golfer sure could use this win to climb up the ranks early in the season. Yet, with only one top ten finish this year, is Garcia still a player to be feared on the course? With so many of the top players not putting down tees this weekend, perhaps this is a solid chance for Garcia to move into the top ten. Garcia has some history on this course. He’s finished in the top…
Considering Cabo

Robert

13 Mar 2013 | 4:23 am

If the name Cabo conjures of image of consuming cerveza during college spring break at joints with names like El Squid Roe, it’s time to re-boot. Cabo is cool. Or more accurately, it’s hot, as temperatures this time of year average around 80 degrees during the day. The climate is ideal for taking full advantage of the splendid beaches, water sports and the many resorts that offer stunning views of the Baja coastline. Just a part of Cabo’s natural appeal is its unusual and striking geology – it’s officially a tropical desert climate – formed by the…
Roasted Cauliflower Coconut Bisque

PJ

9 Mar 2013 | 5:28 am

Things have been a little quiet here on the food front here at Digital Dads so far this year. The biggest reason has been that I’ve been trying to figure some things out. 2012 was a stressful year for me and I didn’t do a very good job of taking care of my health. As we rolled into the new year I finally decided it was time to get my act together. Fortunately, my wife’s work has a living well program that rewards her with discounts on our health insurance premiums for meeting specific health metrics. And for 2013 they’ve also included metrics on spouses covered by the…

Welcome to Boltonshire
My Superhero.

17 May 2013 | 6:07 am

Believe it or not, I might be a geek. I know. I know. This is something that is hard to believe, but I am. I also haven't been the swoll BMOC you all believed me to be. I never really came out and said I was though. I just may have never denied it. But I've been a geek for a long time. During that time, I've read a lot of comic books. So I've learned quite a bit about super heroes. In comics, Spider Man was my favorite superhero. Superheroes step in because there needs to be more done than what is currently being done. They realize they…
Free Comic Book Day

29 Apr 2013 | 5:37 am

May is a pretty exciting month in Boltonshire. Michael will be home from his first year of college. May will also mark the end of the first home schooling year for the children. Kristie gets stoked about May because there’s Mother’s Day AND her birthday. But more important than the coming home from college. More important than celebrating of the woman who deals with my children on a daily basis. More important than saying “Mission: Accomplished” with home school. The most important thing about May is comics. Free comics. Free comics on Free Comic…
How to Be A Dad

26 Apr 2013 | 11:43 am

With Baby Number Six coming in five months, I figure I needed to get a refresher on how to be a dad again. So where does anyone who wants to know how to be a dad go? YouTube of course. I think this video sums it up nicely, from the people who hire dads. Children. Enjoy... In summation... 1 - Get a hairy chest. 2 - Don't kill them. 3 - Don't EVER EVER say, "toodles" Oh I got this... Welcome to Boltonshire
Why I Hate The New Superman Movie

25 Apr 2013 | 5:28 pm

[SPOILER ALERT] This blog post contains spoilers to TV Shows and or Movies that have been out a while. If you don’t want to be spoiled go watch every movie and every TV show ever made then come back here and read. Don’t say I didn't warn you. I’m going to let you know a secret… Watching the following are examples that can make me cry: - The part in the movie Courageous when the main character is “dancing” with his daughter. - In LOST when Sun…
Alamo City Comic Con is Coming!!!

24 Apr 2013 | 8:02 pm

The doctor that delivered me from my mother’s womb knew two things about me when I was born. One, I was awesome. And B, I was a dork. For the past 38 (sadly almost 39) years of my life, I have been living a dual role as both awesome AND a dork. A lot of times, and my jerk friends from middle and high school and even college might have seen more of the dork side versus the awesome side. Rarely did the two sides manifest at the same time. Sometimes awesomness and dorkiness combine to form something so incredibly dorkily awesome, you have to be a part of the…

DadCAMP
Montana’s Is Our Favorite Family Restaurant (But Do They Care?)

admin

23 May 2013 | 12:43 pm

[twitter]When it comes to eating out as a family, there is only one restaurant we go to: Montana’s. It is, simply, my kids’ favorite family restaurant. At first I felt guilty going there, then I realized this place is built for families. While some restaurants actively take steps to discourage families with children from ever coming in the doors, Montana’s welcomes families with open arms. Kids Eat Free on Tuesdays at Montana’s and they have a roving balloon animal artist making things for the kids. If you’re not there by 5 minutes after 5, you’re waiting…
How Do You Afford To Have An At-Home Parent?

admin

22 May 2013 | 1:41 pm

[twitter]As we arrived home last night, I remarked again to my wife about our neighbors three doors down. Frank was in the driveway cleaning the trailer and boat, as their quad and gear spilled out of the garage. Last summer they had a hot tub delivered to the backyard and they redid their basement. “She’s a stay-at-home mom, too” my wife remarked with a twinge of envy at their excess. We can’t afford to have a hot tub, boat, and camping trailer. Our kitchen needs new counters, and flooring that we’ve been putting off for a year. We can’t afford those and…
Opening Weekend At Calaway Park

Buzz

22 May 2013 | 6:22 am

[twitter]Every town has its carnival type attraction, in Calgary that is Calaway Park. For $40 you can get a season’s pass, and considering the park is just a 10 minute ride from our door, it’s a great place to get out and have a few rides after dinner, or spend half a day in the summer. The boys love it, and as we hit the park this weekend, we got a reminder of how much they both have grown since the fall of 2011. In fact, The Chooch was tall enough to ride the bumper cars for the first time, just squeaking over the bar. He went round and round in circles, but he loved it. We…
Meet the Sharents – When Sharing Becomes Oversharing

admin

21 May 2013 | 9:50 am

[twitter]One of the first lessons we learn as kids is how to share. What’s mine is yours, what’s yours is mine. We take turns. We wait patiently. We share. Somewhere between offering you one of my fishy crackers and Facebook, however, the lesson was learned too well. We now share all the time. We share blog links. We share photos. We like and share and repin. Sometimes you don’t even need to share to share. An original post of photos, experiences, and stories is sharing. And it is in that final leap that takes us to the realm of oversharing. While it is fine to reblog,…
My Kid Can Beat Box

Buzz

21 May 2013 | 6:13 am

[twitter]There is a time when you stop teaching your kids, and they start teaching you. Emotionally, the lessons we teach each other happen right from birth. The way you would immediately give your life so they can have theirs is the purest definition of unconditional love. You learn that lesson the moment you hear that first scream. But I’m talking about things your kids can do that you can’t. Maybe your kids are in gymnastics, or dance and have skills you could only dream of. Maybe they can sing and carry a tune or play an instrument. My 3 yr old kid can beat box. I don’t…

Random Thoughts- Do They Have Meaning?
If Laser Beams Shot From My Eyes

Jack

15 May 2013 | 5:22 pm

If Laser Beams Shot From My Eyes I would be a mass murderer. What a day. Can You Deliver A Heartfelt Apology While Juggling? The 132nd Best Posts About Blogging Bits And Pieces Of Life Too Much Information- The Girl in the Men’s Room The Greatest Posts You Have Never Read Who Is In My Tribe? Back here or elsewhere to do some real writing, but first the gym.
A Path Only I Can See

Jack

12 May 2013 | 8:39 pm

There are days when I know I am traveling along a path only I can see. Don't care if it looks strange to others or if they wonder why I am zigging while they zag.\ I am not one of the sheeple who does as others because I fear looking foolish.Hell I have looked like a fool and even acted the part more than once. It happens. It is ok because I can only dance to the beat of the drums I hear. At night when the lights go out I have to be able to go to sleep knowing what I did and how I did it. And I have to be able to feel good about that. Most of the time I do. Most of the time I shut my eyes…
Different Purposes

Jack

12 May 2013 | 8:15 am

Just finished listening to A Day In The Life and have been thinking again about the blogs and what roles they play. There is an argument to be made for not splitting my focus but there is also one to be said for continuing because they serve different purposes and there is value in being able to write as I want to. So until I reach a point where I feel they take more than they give I'll show up when the mood is right and say what needs to be said wherever it is I may be.
Alcohol and Blogging

Jack

10 May 2013 | 7:39 pm

This might be a night for talking about whether one should blog while drinking and then again it may be the time to put down the pen and the computer. Good times.
The Challenge

Jack

7 May 2013 | 9:08 pm

MyBoys3
Family Car Trip with Kids

Steve

23 May 2013 | 6:27 pm

With Memorial Day weekend tomorrow I’m reminded of a post from a few years ago when we were making regular trips to Virginia from New Jersey. (Now I can laugh about it!) Over the years, this post has proven to be one of my most popular, thanks in part to a link from the good ladies at Kids Activities Blog. Take a look at some of their other helpful hints for road trips with kids and maybe they won’t end up as bad as what I described below! The Dreaded Family Car Trip 6 hours and 37 minutes. That was how long my GPS was telling me our trip would take, but I knew it would more…
Stop Human Trafficking

Steve

19 May 2013 | 1:11 pm

Creating modern-day abolitionists. That’s one of the taglines of the Richmond Justice Initiative (RJI). While a much deeper topic than what I usually write about here, I watched a film clip about their work in our church service today and it was really thought-provoking. My son, who happened to be sitting next to us in the service today, asked innocently how can there still be slavery? A good question and also a complicated one to try to explain without getting too deep with an eight-year-old. This is one of several headlines I’ve seen recently calling attention to the serious…
Book Preview – Summer of the Woods

Steve

14 May 2013 | 7:14 pm

As we get closer to the official launch (early Summer 2013!) of our new book, Summer of the Woods, here’s a sneak peek of the first two chapters. If you’d like to pre-order the book, please send an email to: steve@myboys3.com We’d love to hear your comments so let us know what you think! Enjoy! Chapter 1: The Woods Chapter 2: The Boulder

Dad's Guide to Twins
Good Twin, Bad Twin – Myth or Reality?

Joe

22 May 2013 | 8:10 am

Occasionally I’ve been asked, “Which twin is the bad twin?” I never know quite how to handle this question. It is as if you must always have a good twin and a bad twin. Which is the Bad Twin? What does “good” or “bad” even mean here? Well behaved, as opposed to always mischievous? In observing our twins’ personalities and behaviors I don’t see that we necessarily have a “good twin” and a “bad twin” all the time. The pattern I’ve seen is that each twin plays the part. And these parts are often opposites on…
Taking Paternity Leave with NICU Twins, Raising Twins Hassle Free – Podcast Episode 35

Joe

17 May 2013 | 8:10 am

How to plan paternity leave when your twins spend time in the NICU plus tips on how to raise your twins hassle-free. Show Notes for Episode 35 of the Dad’s Guide to Twins Podcast Listen as we discuss: When to take paternity leave if your twins are in the NICU Raising twins hassle-free Subscribe to the Podcast To subscribe to the podcast, please use the links below: Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes Click Here to Subscribe via RSS (non-iTunes feed) Share Your Thoughts Please let me know what you think of this episode of the podcast, you can contact me with any questions or comments or leave…
Time Saving Tips for Twins

Joe

8 May 2013 | 8:10 am

Time is a scarce commodity with twins. Especially when your twins are young, they require so much attention and effort that time seems to be lost at every turn. Here are some time saving tips for twins that will help you make the most of your day: Advance Food Preparations I’m a big advocate of a freezer meal shower when you’re expecting twins. This will stock your freezer with food you can eat during bed rest and the early months with twins. The same principle is true with day to day living with twins. Keep a stash of ready-to-eat meals in the freezer that you can heat up when…
Twin Pregnancy vs. Singleton Pregnancy – Podcast Episode 34

Joe

3 May 2013 | 8:10 am

A twin pregnancy is significantly different from a singleton pregnancy in many ways. Show Notes for Episode 34 of the Dad’s Guide to Twins Podcast Listen as we discuss why a twin pregnancy is so different from a singleton pregnancy: Mom gets extremely large and uncomfortable Bed rest is highly likely More doctor visits and ultrasounds Higher risks of medical complications like preterm labor, preeclampsia, or pregnancy induced hypertension Babies arrive early Can’t take care of other kids Dad has to step up more More financial worries Read full transcript here. Subscribe to the Podcast…
How to Find Time to Read All Those Parenting Books

Joe

1 May 2013 | 8:10 am

I heard from a dad recently asking how could he find time to read the parenting books that he’s interested in. As a parent there is a lot of information you want to learn to help your family. Unfortunately, there just isn’t enough time. I fully understand that there just isn’t enough time to sit down and read a good book. So if you want to learn some things, you need to think about alternative ways to consume information. Use the Index If you’ve got pressing concerns about a particular topic, use the index and just go straight to that part of the book. Reading ebooks…

Beta Dad
How I Beat Cancer

21 May 2013 | 7:00 am

Last Friday, I took the kids to the Natural History Museum for a return visit to the big exhibit about dinosaurs, a topic that has dominated their conversation for the past few months.They're at once fascinated and terrified by the huge displays at the museum. They'll play make-believe with the little T-Rexes and Stegosauruses in the play area for hours, and they'll memorize the facts that I read them from the plaques on the more docile looking dinosaurs; but they won't get within 20 feet of the huge animatronic dinos that grunt, paw at the ground, and grind flesh with their robotic…
My Kids and I made a Crafty Mothers Day Gift from "Dad's Book of Awesome Projects"

10 May 2013 | 2:57 am

I've had this book in my hot little hands for a couple weeks now, just waiting for an opportunity to do one of the projects in it. Mothers Day was the perfect excuse.Mike Adamick, author of the blog Cry It Out, contributor to NPR, the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, Jezebel, etc., etc., and super crafty dude, has a book out called Dad's Book of Awesome Projects. You should buy it. I would have, except that he sent me a copy for review because he's that cool. I would gush about Mike for a couple more paragraphs, but I know it would make him uncomfortable…
The Poison Cookies

2 May 2013 | 2:56 am

This is the last thing I said to my girls tonight before they finally fell asleep:"YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT MONSTERS IN YOUR ROOM! THE ONLY MONSTER YOU NEED TO WORRY ABOUT IS ME! DON'T YOU DARE MAKE ME COME IN THERE AGAIN!" That was right after they started screaming when I slammed the door to their bedroom, at the tail end of the five hours of continual torture they inflicted upon me.You know how you're not supposed to go to bed angry at your spouse? I guess you're probably not supposed to go to bed angry at your kids either.Well, I haven't gone to bed yet,…
Grumpy Dad Is No Match For Children's Imagination

24 Apr 2013 | 7:30 am

The T-Rex couldn't stand up, so the kids made him a special shoe out of a potty watchLast month, I wrote a piece for the New York Times' parenting blog, in which I took a big dump on the Easter Bunny. I've written a few things like that, where I've explained my reasons for not participating (or trying not to, anyway) in mainstream traditions or activities that most people think of as harmless fun: Santa Claus, princess-worship, television, etc. On paper, I suppose this makes me sound like a grumpy scrooge who hates joy. Not so! In fact, I've been told that, when my…
Buy This Book: Guide to Baby Sleep Positions! It's Funny!

12 Apr 2013 | 3:02 pm

My wife and I didn't co-sleep with our kids. Not much, anyway. Not when we could avoid it. And now my friends Charlie and Andy, from How To Be A Dad, have a hilarious book out that makes me glad that we never committed to co-sleeping. It's called The Guide to Baby Sleep Positions, and it's available from Amazon and a bunch of other places. Check out their website for more details.This book, like most of their website, is not intended to be taken seriously, so don't be put off. It's a parody. A spoof. In fact, if you're on Facebook or Pinterest,…

STATS DAD
Youth Soccer: Fighting for a Position

STATS DAD

21 May 2013 | 3:00 am

My daughter, CC, is in a fight for a starting position for the first time in her soccer career. She has been a standout soccer player since she was 6 years old. Recently, she was selected to the Ohio State Pool ODP team as a goalie after making it through 3 tryout phases. That does not seem to matter as the club season comes to an end. During her 12 years, she has made every team she has ever
Youth Hockey: Unbelievable Fight

STATS DAD

13 May 2013 | 7:27 pm

You just have to watch it. You will not believe it. The fight between two Russian youth hockey teams (U12) was so big that the two refs could not do anything about it. Where were the coaches during this? The parents behind the glass just watched. No one in the stands seems overly concerned. Perhaps they were as stunned as I was just watching the video. I find this video a bit hard to believe.
Youth Track: Religious Gesture Disqualifies Winning Team

STATS DAD

10 May 2013 | 3:30 am

A religious gesture to "God" disqualified a winning relay track team at a Texas high school recently. The track team from Columbus High School (the Mighty Cardinals) won the 4 X 100m relay by 7 meters. The anchor leg runner, Derrick Hayes, made a simple "finger point to the sky". It was an impulsive action from a kid who was raised to thank God. The God gesture was not excessive in any way, yet
Youth Sports: Hanging up the Spikes to Spike a Volleyball

STATS DAD

5 May 2013 | 6:17 am

My son, Nic, was born to play baseball. Or so I thought. He excelled at baseball at a young age. Age 10 he played on a super elite team. That team went on to be finalist in the CABA World Series and Nic was named to the All Tournament Team. He could hit and he had a great arm. He set his dreams on playing in college and perhaps beyond. I was amazed at how hard he could throw a baseball at that
Youth Basketball: Feel Good Story

STATS DAD

25 Feb 2013 | 7:17 pm

My last post was about some poor sportsmanship from a dad. This story about good sportsmanship more than makes up for the poor actions of a mis-guided dad. In this story, a high school senior with some developmental issues scores a basket at the buzzer and the assist came from an unlikely player. The Main Point This blog is about the good, the bad and the ugly. This is the good side of

DaDa Rocks!
Philips AVENT Comfort Pump and Natural Bottle review

DaDa Rocks!

22 May 2013 | 8:55 pm

I’m not going to say I personally tested a breast pump – I leave that up to my highly qualified wife. When Philips AVENT asked me to check out the newly launched Philips AVENT Comfort Breast Pump and Philips AVENT Natural Bottle. What makes these the latest and greatest from Philips AVENT? Philips AVENT Comfort Breast Pump: Unique design allows moms to sit more comfortably with no need to lean forward Gentle stimulation mode to get your milk flowing and a choice of three pumping settings to make milk flow most comfortable for moms Soft massage cushion with warm feel for…
Yezz conquered New York City

DaDa Rocks!

20 May 2013 | 8:23 pm

Quinny had an exciting day on Sunday as the new Quinny Yezz conquered New York City. 400 lucky Big Apple Moms lined the streets of Manhattan to receive a free Yezz stroller. Some Quinny fans braved the rain to line up as early as 2:00 a.m. at locations including Giggle, Albee Baby, the New York Family Baby Show and more! The Yezz is Quinny’s latest breakthrough concept in design, style and materials. A culmination of extreme urban design, the Yezz uses innovative IXEF high performance composite material to create a highly durable yet very lightweight frame. The stroller switches from…
Disney Publishing is running a Mid-May Madness Sale on all Storybook apps!

DaDa Rocks!

17 May 2013 | 10:46 am

Disney Publishing is running a Mid-May Madness Sale on all Storybook apps! The sale runs from May 17 – May 21 and all Storybook apps below will be $4.99 only! Wreck-It-Ralph Storybook Deluxe – Relive the incredible story of the Disney animated film Wreck-It Ralph – and, create and race your very own kart against other racers in the film! Wreck-It Ralph longs to be as beloved as his game’s perfect Good Guy, Fix-It Felix, Jr. Cars 2 Storybook Deluxe – Experience the action-packed story of Disney/Pixar’s Cars 2 in this supercharged children’s book app filled…
Munchkin Searches for America’s Best Stinky Face

DaDa Rocks!

16 May 2013 | 8:48 pm

Munchkin, Inc., designer and manufacturer of clever infant and toddler products, today announced the “Search for America’s Best Stinky Face,” a social media contest designed to reinforce the odor-controlling abilities of the company’s award-winning Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail. Parents are encouraged to share photos of their child’s best ‘stinky face’ for the opportunity to win $1,000. Throughout the contest, Munchkin, Inc. will also give away the Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail by Munchkin, which has been proven to be #1 in odor-control in a laboratory test to fans that interact…
What do you pack in your Hospital Overnight Bag

DaDa Rocks!

14 May 2013 | 7:00 am

Preparedness becomes a central theme to the arrival of a baby. We’ve already discussed this matter in check list fashion, but let’s dive a little further. Mom’s hospital bag is vital, a key to being prepared as it houses the requisite items we so often overlook. For example: While everyone is comfortable using their phone as a primary camera, we’re quick to forget that on important occasions such as, say, childbirth, the phone’s primary function is to serve as a phone. Bring a camera. Document this thing right. And that being said, you can’t forget the following either: Phone…

FatherMag.com Home Page
Yes, Mommy

23 May 2013 | 10:00 pm

We tell ourselves that in America we are the Free People. I wonder whether we might not better be called the Obedient People, the Passive People, or the Admonished People. I doubt that any country, anywhere, has been so regulated, controlled, and directed as we are

Dazed Dad
23 Weeks 6 Days

Adam

8 May 2013 | 2:23 pm

This story will wreck you. Good lord. Maybe not what I should have listened to when I drove to work this morning with Caleb in the carseat. Quite an amazing story – beautifully done by Radiolab – and worth listening to. Of course, it brings up all sorts of questions for me and Micah and Judah…would our situation had been different if we were pregnant with a singleton and not twins? What would our life be like if we had essentially lived in the NICU for 6+ months with a premature baby? Is there anything else that could have been done for Micah and Judah? Did we explore all…
Caleb is 16 Months Old: Photos & Video

Adam

7 May 2013 | 7:52 am

Caleb became 16 months old a few weeks ago…I’m sure people get sick of new parents saying this, but “WOW! Time flies!” Can’t believe he’s been with us for 16 months already. I wanted to just share a few of my favorite photos in this post, and then leave you with a video that I put together last night. Now, I admit, I did not do a good job editing this video. It’s 11 minutes. I mean, seriously? So it’s not for the faint of heart. But if you want to put it on and do a few things around the kitchen, or just leave it on for some nice background…
NOW I Understand

Adam

6 May 2013 | 8:00 am

I think it was in seminary where I first started to know quite a few people who had kids. Every now and then we’d walk into their apartments and upon seeing the plethora of toys strewn all around their apartment, I remember thinking to myself “Damn. I’m NEVER going to have a house like this” while I silently judged them. Oh my. If only I knew what it would be like… The above photo is really not bad…I know that. So no need to leave a bunch of comments just stating the obvious. Our house has been WAY messier as well, and so I think I have a sense of how bad…
A Fatherhood of Joy & Grief: My First Podcast

Adam

1 May 2013 | 12:00 pm

A few weeks ago, I agreed to do my very first interview for Sherry Muterspaugh Walling and her Parenting Reimagined podcast. I’ve often turned down requests for podcast interviews because I don’t think on my feet as well as sitting down to write a blog post. However, I did want to share Micah, Judah and Caleb’s story with Sherry and her audience, so I agreed to do a podcast about my experiences of being a father. I really appreciated how Sherry structured the podcast interview, and we had a good conversation. I talked about the joy of fatherhood and shared some stories…
All Creatures Great & Small

Adam

7 Mar 2013 | 6:00 am

Caleb is no stranger to books, by any means. He certainly takes after Sarah in that regard. Often, if things are a little too quiet in the living room if we’re working in the kitchen, we’ll peak out and see Caleb sitting in a corner, just flipping through his board books. Because Caleb loves books (and everyone wants him to love books), Caleb’s library is pretty impressive. From board books on up, we have the classics, new books and more! Currently, one of his favorite books is “All Creatures Great and Small“, illustrated by Naoko Stoop. When I read this to him…

Dad Does
Meet Botti, The Remote Controlled Pet Bot You Get When You Gene Splice Muppets and Gremlins?

nessel

23 May 2013 | 9:46 am

Here at Dad Does we are no strangers to remote control (RC) toys. In addition to writing endless reviews of RC planes, cars and helicopters, we actually have an entire playlist on YouTube just for RC toys. Okay, I just read that last statement and that is pretty sad, clearly we need to get a life, or a hobby or a pet… Wait, a pet, that’s it. No not a pet you actually need to feed and take care of, remember we have RC toys to play, no we will go with Botti, the brand new remote controlled pet! Say Hello to Bopsy-Bot Our New Pet Botti As grizzled veterans of all things RC…
Review: mPULSE GO and mPULSE Rock, Cut The Wires And Let The Music Play

nessel

22 May 2013 | 4:44 am

Have you ever met someone who said, “Man, I wish there was a way to have more wires in my life?” Me neither. Everyone loves the idea of wireless headphones and speakers, but the catch is often the steep price tag to go wireless. Now a company called mWorks! is looking to bring wireless, Bluetooth, high quality, well designed speakers and headphones to the masses with affordable prices. The mPULSE Rock, Light Headphones With Big Features The mPULSE Rock Headphones use Bluetooth 4.0 to wirelessly connect to any bluetooth device. While a video review can not…
Zoom Zooka Review: Why Blast Darts OR Water, Now You Can Do Both With One Blaster

nessel

20 May 2013 | 6:04 am

Kids like planes that can fit in your pocket and high flying foam rockets. Kids like darts that go faster and high powered water blasters. No, we are not writing the next great children’s book, we are simply describing the new Zoom Zooka from Zing Toys. The Zoom Zooka is a 4-In-1 blaster that can fire foam planes, rockets and darts. An air blaster that fires different foam projectiles is fine, but not groundbreaking. No, what makes the Zoom Zooka super cool is the 4th feature, the ability to work as a high powered water blaster as well! Let’s Watch Our Video Review of…
Guide to The Best Outdoor Toys For 2013, Let The Summer Games Begin

nessel

16 May 2013 | 9:30 am

Spring has sprung! Summer is right around the corner. The days are getting longer…and if the kids don’t get out of the house soon, our tempers will be getting shorter. Enough playing video games and hacking away at tablets, it is time to get the kids playing outside. Do the kids need a little incentive to go electronics free and get playing outside? You have come to the right place oh weary parent, sit back and bask in the amazement that is… The Complete Guide To The Best Outdoor Toys and Games for 2013 In this guide we will be covering the awesome top outdoor toys…
Burley Kazoo Trailer Bike, Family Bike Rides Just Got More Fun

nessel

15 May 2013 | 6:27 am

As any parent of young kids can tell you, the idea of a fun family bike ride is often just that…an idea. Sure, in concept, you all go out, have a beautiful ride and enjoy the day. In reality, the 5 year old can’t keep up on his training wheels, so you end up walking your bike, pushing his and going home with a bad back. However, if you put a Burley Designs Trailercycle in the equation, suddenly you can actually get that enjoyable family bike ride that you imagined! Trailercycle Or Trailer Bike, Call It What You Want, We Call It Relief A trailer bike (or trailercycle) is a…

Just Add Father
You have to want to be kind

Wolf Pascoe

13 May 2013 | 5:03 am

Categories: Blessing mindfulness ProblemsNo act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. — Aesop Weeks ago, the explosions at the Boston Marathon. Like everyone, I was sick, angry, numb. I felt apprehension, pity, grief. A hundred other things I had no words for. The horror of Newtown returned, an event so hideous that at the time I [...](Read more...)
The grove of academe

Wolf Pascoe

29 Apr 2013 | 5:04 am

Categories: Doubts Problems SchoolThis is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. — Psalms, 118:24 “I think I want to stay in town for middle school,” Nick said the other day. “I thought you were into Portland,” I said. “Not so much now,” he said. The Portland idea has been with [...](Read more...)
Thomas Lincoln and the video game problem

Wolf Pascoe

15 Apr 2013 | 5:46 am

Categories: Child-development Doubts Fatherhood mindfulness Parenting“If we could meet now, it is doubtful whether it would not be more painful than pleasant.” — Abraham Lincoln, speaking about his father in 1851 Ever since my son got his computer, he’s been obsessed with a video game called Minecraft, the object of which seems to be the building of Lego-like settlements while [...](Read more...)
Easy peasy lemon squeezy

Wolf Pascoe

1 Apr 2013 | 5:34 am

Categories: Doubts Fatherhood Problems SchoolMr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people’s business. Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slimeball. – Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban . The deal was this: Nick would get a [...](Read more...)
Down Our Way

Wolf Pascoe

18 Mar 2013 | 5:14 am

Categories: Child-development Fatherhood Parenting SchoolThere are places I remember All my life though some have changed Some forever, not for better Some have gone and some remain — Lennon/McCartney . Some years ago Nick asked me for a computer. “It’s no good having computer if you’re not reading,” I said. “Can I have one when I can read?” he [...](Read more...)

Short Order Dad
“Eat-o Tourism”

admin

4 May 2013 | 1:33 pm

My assignment was to travel throughout Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit and report on the food I encountered. The full article of my culinary adventure is published here, in The Daily Meal. The corresponding slideshow video of the food is here.
Say Hello to Spring

admin

11 Apr 2013 | 8:12 pm

Nothing quite says spring like asparagus. Sure, you can get it year round, but the tastiest asparagus appears this time of year. Your best option is to try to locate some at a farmer’s market, but even if you don’t have one nearby, be sure to ask the produce people in your supermarket when the asparagus arrived in the store and from where it came. Closer and fresher is what you’re looking for. I generally roast asparagus these days because the caramelization they achieve from the oven makes them thoroughly delectable. And it’s quite easy too: just douse with olive oil…
Sugar: No Surprise, But No Good

admin

3 Apr 2013 | 10:26 am

In the public interest, I offer this infographic. I’m not advocating a particular point of view. Nor can I vouch for the source. Yet I still think there is real value in getting a handle of where all the sugar comes from, and how much of it we’re consuming. And I thought this was a worthy visual to share. Discover the fructose content of common foods, beverages, sauces, and even sugar substitutes in our infographic “Fructose Overload.” Use the embed code to share it on your website. Discover the fructose content of common foods, beverages, sauces, and even sugar…
Avocado Is The Thing

admin

14 Mar 2013 | 12:00 pm

It’s everywhere. Remember when avocado was inextricably linked to guacamole? Well now it’s in sandwiches, in smoothies, in breakfast, lunch and dinner meals, and in snacks in between. Avocado has become a national obsession. I’ll smear it on grainy toast for the kids’ breakfast. And I might even top it off with a few pistachio nuts. I just used last night’s leftover chicken to make a chicken salad – without mayonnaise – by mashing in creamy avocado instead. (pictured below) A squeeze of lemon or lime juice, a touch of oil perhaps, and a pinch of salt,…
Filed under: Good to Know

admin

19 Feb 2013 | 1:14 pm

Some foods cause inflammation, others eliminate it. That’s all for now.

The Committed Parent
Does a Cougar Have Your Leg?

Mark Brady

19 May 2013 | 5:06 am

Take a close, undistracted look at this three minute video: The Bear. Seriously. Do it. Notice the nature of the feelings that arise in your body as you view it. I’m guessing, if you’re like me, you’ll feel tension in your stomach and possibly constriction in your throat. Your breathing might slow and/or stop for a time. You’ll feel tension, then relief, then tension again. And then finally relief. This short video is definitely worth watching, for several reasons. I like to use this video during live presentations to underscore several important lessons. The first is: it’s a…
How G-Tummo Turned Me and Maynard G. Krebs into Real, Warm Human Beings

Mark Brady

12 May 2013 | 4:08 am

Before he became the cultural icon Willy Gilligan, shipwrecked on an uncharted island in the Pacific, the actor Bob Denver played Maynard G. Krebs, the original TV beatnik with a compulsive aversion to work. Every week all through 1959-1960 I would tune in expectantly as Maynard, Dobie Gillis, Thalia Menninger, Zelda Gilroy and Chatsworth Osborne Junior would haplessly try to resolve one class conflict after another arising from The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. For Maynard, the only “real human being” on the show was Dobie’s father, played by Frank Faylen. For those of you who never…
Will You Take the Radical Accountability Challenge?

Mark Brady

5 May 2013 | 3:55 am

This week’s offering I’ve purloined unabashedly from a book written by one of my favorite wisdom teachers called, Stepping Out of Self-Deception. Rodney says it all in ways I wish I had: it’s our own mind, body and brain that we must pay perpetual primary attention to … Radical Accountability Rodney Smith As a child I would make rock candy by supersaturating sugar water and letting it cool. I would insert a string in the liquid, and the crystals of sugar would form around the string. The string is analogous to our suffering. The sense-of-self needs the string of our…
Why Must All Wars, Public and Personal, Eventually End?

Mark Brady

28 Apr 2013 | 5:16 am

Fair Warning: Data-driven mini-rant follows. I recently listened to a British social scientist, Ben Hammersley, talk about how business executives prefer open office floor plans for their workers. In those offices the people with the most power have their backs protected by a wall – they take up positions around the perimeter of the open space usually in offices with doors. Those with the least power have their backs constantly exposed. Along with that exposure comes – it’s easy to guess – elevated levels of adrenaline and cortisol resulting in increased stress, less productivity, and…
Mental Health: What Can We Do When It Vacates the Premises?

Mark Brady

21 Apr 2013 | 4:53 am

In my 30’s and 40’s (my 20’s, too, now that I think about it), I had a habit of rating my days in terms of my degree of mental illness. There were either Minor Mental Illness Days or Major Mental Illness Days, but there were few Major Mentally Healthy Days. This was because one upset or aggravation or another would inevitably surface daily and hijack my neurophysiology. I recall with great astonishment when a friend once disclosed to me that whenever the phone rang in his house, his wife’s unwavering expectation was that it was a call from someone who genuinely loved her. I distinctly…

Have a Geekasm!
Pop! goes the He-Man ’cause the He-Man goes Pop!

Troy Lyons

23 May 2013 | 3:35 pm

Okay, how did I not know about these before today? I have been a Funko Pop! fan for a while, in fact, I had to go cold turkey because I was buying way too many of them. Heck, I’ve got 10 of them staring at me as I write this. As fate would have it, [...]The post Pop! goes the He-Man ’cause the He-Man goes Pop! appeared first on Have a Geekasm!.
THE WOLVERINE – Awesome New Trailer and Art

Michael

22 May 2013 | 8:29 pm

There is still that bad taste left in my mouth from Wolverine: Origins, but I have to say this film is looking promising. Guess all we have to do is wait until July 26th to see how good (or disappointing) it really is. Based on the celebrated comic book arc, this epic action-adventure takes Wolverine [...]The post THE WOLVERINE – Awesome New Trailer and Art appeared first on Have a Geekasm!.
First Trailer For Marvel’s AVENGERS ASSEMBLE

Michael

22 May 2013 | 8:20 pm

In advance of the 2 episode “preview” of Marvel’s Avengers Assemble this coming Sunday, a trailer has been released that you can check out below. If you’re interested, you can check out the first episode of the 2 episode preview on iTunes.The post First Trailer For Marvel’s AVENGERS ASSEMBLE appeared first on Have a Geekasm!.
MAN OF STEEL – New Zod Narrated Trailer “Fate of Your Planet”

Michael

22 May 2013 | 7:45 pm

Check out the newest trailer for Man of Steel, featuring a narration from Zod, and featuring plenty of new footage. “You Are Not Alone”The post MAN OF STEEL – New Zod Narrated Trailer “Fate of Your Planet” appeared first on Have a Geekasm!.
The PS4 and XBOX ONE are coming. Does anybody care?

Troy Lyons

22 May 2013 | 7:02 pm

I’m from the video game generation. I know, I know, many people think that, but I put in time at an arcade. Thats a place where we used to put quarters in big boxes to play games. I know what it is like to wake up on Christmas morning to find an Atari 2600 under the tree. [...]The post The PS4 and XBOX ONE are coming. Does anybody care? appeared first on Have a Geekasm!.

The JackB
The Greatest Father’s Day Post Never Written

Jack

22 May 2013 | 10:35 pm

Don’t tell my kids but a few years ago our fish died while we were on vacation. Since I was already a wily veteran with some years of parenting experience I had the fish “replaced” by the friend who was watching our house. When we returned home the kids were thrilled to see how the [...]The post The Greatest Father’s Day Post Never Written appeared first on The JackB.
What Happens When You Lose That Blogging Feeling

Jack

21 May 2013 | 5:35 pm

My buddy Elizabeth sent me a tweet today to let me know she had quoted me and I thought it was so cool I wanted to share it with you. Now that wacky woman the Shmata Queen might allege I am sharing this because of my ego but I can assure you it is not. [...]The post What Happens When You Lose That Blogging Feeling appeared first on The JackB.
The Universe & The Scent Of A Woman

Jack

20 May 2013 | 8:13 pm

If you want to be a writer you have to do the work. You have to put in your time and figure out how to bend the words to your will. You have to tickle, squeeze, beg, slap, anb bother them to change positions and assemble upon command. In between it all you have to [...]The post The Universe & The Scent Of A Woman appeared first on The JackB.
Misunderstood

Jack

19 May 2013 | 9:15 am

Distorted and misunderstood. Can’t tell you how many times I have looked a picture like the one above and wondered what life was like back then. Can’t tell you how many times I have had a misunderstanding or disagreement with someone else and felt like my words were distorted and misunderstood. Can’t tell you how [...]The post Misunderstood appeared first on The JackB.
Time Travel and Terms Of Service

Jack

18 May 2013 | 4:23 pm

The relationship between time travel and terms of service is straightforward. I wrote a story for Yeah Write that is called Time Travel and is posted on a different blog that is not self hosted. The problem with blogs that are not self hosted is that you don’t have as much control over what happens to [...]The post Time Travel and Terms Of Service appeared first on The JackB.

The Papa Post
MOMATH: Math Museum, NYC

ThePapaPost

29 Apr 2013 | 8:22 pm

The MOMATH math museum is built for kids of all ages to make math a fun activity. This is a paradise for geeks, however there is something for everyone – square wheeled bike riding, building structures (like LEGO), multiplication, computer generated patterns, board games and more. This museum makes math look so much fun. Here are some cool equations for the hyperbolic cylinder & the knot (geek word for weird shapes). Now, the kids can play with these images by changing the values in the equation by just turning some levers, which in turn generates new shapes. The best part…
Ikea Kitchen For Dummies

ThePapaPost

1 Feb 2013 | 5:55 pm

Here is my kitchen ready in 3 weeks. Yes, Ikea kitchen project is meant for novices like me and I mean it. Before the project began, I could rarely find any studs in the wall (even with a stud finder). No wonder we never had a toilet role holder in our house for so many years. Over the course of the project I bought a power drill, a hand saw, a 48 in. level, a jig saw, and a multi tool starter kit – pretty much everything. The first thing is to take out the old cabinets. Use the right tools so that you don’t break the wall. I used a crow bar and it took me half a day to take out…
Diwali Clay Lamps With School Kids

ThePapaPost

16 Nov 2012 | 8:24 am

Here is the story of Diwali. After the story, kids painted the clay lamps with colors and sparkles.
Speaking @ Gen Y Dads Panel by Fisher Price & Royal Caribbean

ThePapaPost

14 Nov 2012 | 11:33 am

Lamar Tyler (moderator) : Founder of Tyler New Media and Black and Married With Kids Ramesh Kumar (panelist) – Digital Consultant Mark Howerton (panelist) – Family and Marriage Therapist Audience participation: Matt Ekegren, Mark Renaud, and Jeff Smith – Sportscaster Here is a summary of the panel discussion: Gen Y Dads The modern day dads are no longer the sole breadwinners in the family. We are seeing a trend where more and more dads are involved in raising families and sharing household chores. Gen Y Dads did not come out all of a sudden – the change…
Staying In Boston At The Residence Inn Boston Harbor

ThePapaPost

8 Sep 2012 | 5:56 pm

Boston is well known for its traffic jams. It doesn’t matter whether you use I-90 or I-93 to get in – it’s all the same. For people moving in to or around Boston from outside Massachusetts it can be intimidating. Its really hard to figure out little details through Google Maps as to how your stay might be affected by traffic. Living inside Boston could be quite expensive – and its literally impossible to keep a car because of parking space. So the best thing is to stay in the nearby towns but then commuting into Boston could be an issue. Folks who plan to visit Boston…

Blog on a Stick » FluidDad
Are you prepared for a Tornado? Where would you go? What would you do?

Thomas

21 May 2013 | 5:33 am

As you see and hear the devastating details about the tornado in Oklahoma City, stop and ask yourself “Am I prepared?” What about your family? Your friends?Do you know where you’d go in your home if a tornado came to town? What about when you’re at work? Or during your commute?All to often we have seconds to seek shelter. Seconds that could be the difference between life and death. So are you prepared?Tornadoes have hit every state in the US and everyone needs to have a plan in place. Some states are more tornado prone than others, but no one is immune.Tornadoes across…
Your foot is not falling off, it’s just a blister.

Thomas

9 Jan 2013 | 7:32 pm

Lily is a tough little girl. She has been known to fall down and scrape her knee, be bleeding, and not blink an eye. But over the weekend she got a blister in the outside of her big toe and it was like her foot was severed.She walked as if it was broken, hobbling all afternoon. We decided to put a band-aid on it for the day, and in the evening she completely broke down if we even talked about taking the band-aid off.Then we tried taking a bath. A little water and you’d think she’d out her foot in boiling water. The poor thing was scared to death to get it wet.I think that a…
It doesn’t matter how the world sees you.

Thomas

7 Jan 2013 | 7:57 am

I was watching last years Christmas episode of Raising Hope a few weeks back on Netflix and they made a good point. It doesn’t matter how the world sees you. It only matters how the people in your wold see you.Quite often we get caught up in appearances or other people’s lives. We worry too much about what others think that we forget to be happy ourselves.You don’t have to wear designer clothes. You don’t have to listen to same music. You don’t have to go to the best school or work at some fancy job. You just need to smile and enjoy what you have.Don’t…
Some Post Holiday Cheer

Thomas

2 Jan 2013 | 8:02 pm

Christmas and New Years have come and gone. Seems like not long ago we were just putting up the tree. Good news though is that all the red and green stuff is 70% off at the store. Score!We had a great holiday this year and are very blessed with everything we have and everyone we get to spend it with.Here is a quick look back at some of my Christmas fun.A Muppet Family Christmas is one of my favorite Christmas movies.Christmas Vacation is probably the best Christmas movie ever.Lily’s purple Christmas tree with a festive M&M decoration.Touring around the city looking at Christmas…
A little holiday bubbly.

Thomas

23 Dec 2012 | 1:45 pm

Holiday Santa bubble light., a photo by TwisterMc on Flickr.It’s nearly Christmas and I’m ready!Only a couple more sleeps and then my daughter will be spoiled rotten. Not to mention all the food we are going eat and family we’re going to see.Now, how about a little more snow to freshen up the landscape?A little holiday bubbly. originally posted at http://www.twistermc.comThe post A little holiday bubbly. appeared first on Blog on a Stick.

The Daddy Files » The Daddy Files-
Many Women Don’t Support Stay-at-Home Dads

Daddy Files

17 May 2013 | 8:43 am

How many times have we heard that men need to do more at home? I know I’ve heard it. A lot. Online parenting sites and message boards are filled with frustrated moms lamenting the fact that their husbands spend too much time at the office and not enough on household and childcare chores. If only they’d focus more on family, change some diapers, clean the house, and cook a few meals. Hell, if only they’d pick up their socks off the living room floor, right? Whatever the case, these guys need to do SOMETHING to take the burden off poor mom who is stuck at home with the kids…
Why I Let My Son Fall & Fail

Daddy Files

5 May 2013 | 11:35 am

Will loves the playground. And not just because it’s a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon, but also because it’s challenging. The one by our house has a cool plastic climbing structure that really makes Will work. It starts off vertical with holes throughout for hands and feet, before it twists down horizontally and then back up again before reaching the platform on the other side. It not only forces Will to think about where his hands and feet go, but also whether he wants to traverse the top portion or go underneath. The result is many attempts that fail spectacularly. As you…
It’s Time to Stop Treating Dads Like Idiots

Daddy Files

24 Apr 2013 | 9:05 pm

The straw that broke the camel’s back came in the form of a text message from my wife. This is what she sent: I know what you’re thinking. “Really? You’re upset about this?? Get a life.” I get it and you’re not alone. Hell, I showed it to a few fathers in my dads’ group and many of them thought the same exact thing. Some even said it was funny and told me I was being oversensitive. Don’t get me wrong, this ridiculous onesie in and of itself is not the end of the world. I didn’t see this picture and suddenly reach for my pitchfork, start a…
Boston Will Overcome

Daddy Files

15 Apr 2013 | 6:41 pm

The heartbreak was not relegated to runners on the infamous hill at mile 20 yesterday. For those of you who don’t pay attention to the news, two bombs at the finish line of the Boston Marathon injured more than 120 people and killed three others — including an 8-year-old child, according to news reports. I grew up — and still live in — a town 30 miles south of Boston. I work 12 miles from Boston. And for two years I lived in parts of the city called Allston and Brighton. When you factor in all the sporting events witnessed there and the bars frequented in my youth,…
A Perfect Father & Son Day at Fenway Park

Daddy Files

8 Apr 2013 | 8:33 pm

Fenway Park is a cramped, antiquated place to watch a baseball game. Fans in left field sit atop a 37-foot tall Monster, fans in right field face the wall in left field instead of home plate, and fans taller than 5’5″ weighing more than 150 lbs have serious trouble fitting into seats built for people 101 years ago. It’s a physically uncomfortable experience that can leave you bruised and sore long after you leave the confines of Updike’s “lyric little bandbox.” Simply put, it’s a ballpark that often matches the awkward and tumultuous Red Sox…

CuteMonster.com
Paternal Not Paternalism

Elaine Heffner, LCSW, Ed.D

21 May 2013 | 1:59 pm

Dr. Elaine Heffner, LCSW, Ed.D, explores how paternalism fits into the evolving roles of parenthood.
Kirk and Spock Find Strength in Each Other

Vincent Daly

20 May 2013 | 9:00 am

Movie Review of Star Trek: Into Darkness directed by J.J. Abrams.
Shane Black searches for Tony Stark in Iron Man 3

Vincent Daly

10 May 2013 | 11:04 am

Movie Review of Iron Man 3 starring Robert Downey Jr.
Basketball Time Machine takes you to the Hoop

Vincent Daly

7 May 2013 | 8:28 am

App review of Basketball Time Machine. A repository of the game's greatest moments.
Review and Giveaway: Angry Birds Star Wars AT-AT Attack Battle Game

Vincent Daly

29 Apr 2013 | 5:28 pm

Review and Giveaway of Angry Birds Star Wars AT-AT Attack Battle Game by Hasbro.

Fatherhood Channel
Yes, You Can Help Prevent Suicide

Seth Eisenberg

17 May 2013 | 8:43 am

Columnist Armstrong Williams struggles with the suicide of a close friend and how to help prevent suicide. That has a lot to do with learning to listen, rather than giving advice, when someone you care about is feeling sad, scared, angry, or hopeless.
Ending homelessness for Veterans is not just about housing – healthy, stable relationships matter too

Seth Eisenberg

12 Apr 2013 | 7:53 am

Ending homeless for America's veterans is not just about stable, affordable housing. Evidence-based skills training for creating and sustaining healthy, lasting relationships with family members, neighbors and co-workers is also vital to their long-term success.
Five Freedoms Helping Veterans Overcome Reintegration Challenges at Home and Work

Fatherhood Channel

10 Apr 2013 | 5:49 am

An innovative initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is helping Veterans overcome challenges reintegrating into their homes, communities and civilian jobs.
American Income Life Executives Help Homeless Veterans Get Fresh Start During Miami Visit

Fatherhood Channel

7 Mar 2013 | 5:02 am

During a company retreat in Miami, American Income Life executives and their spouses help formerly homeless South Florida Veterans get a fresh start.
Studies Offer Insights into Value, Principles of Evidence-Based Relationship Skills Training

Seth Eisenberg

20 Jan 2013 | 3:04 pm

Virginia Satir, known as the "Mother of Family Therapy," and Dr. Marty Sullivan, a pioneer of Duke University's Integrative Medicine program, were among the earliest innovators in their fields to integrate relationship skills training into modern approaches to promoting health and wellness. Findings from a five-year federally funded study provide significant evidence validating the models they embraced.

DadBlast
Goodbye to Our Nanny, Part 2

Dadblast

24 May 2013 | 4:54 am

About two years ago we bid farewell through tears to our beloved nanny in California, Livy. We didn’t know how we were lucky enough to find a woman like her. She loved our kids with her full heart, and it was crushing to leave her behind when we packed up and headed for Massachusetts. Turns out lightening can strike twice. We interviewed a number of nanny candidates, but one really stood out for us. We thought one person had an easy disposition, had solid education and great experience, and made us feel at ease in her presence. The kicker was when one of her references told Bixie:…
Our house is a festering disease pit

Dadblast

19 Feb 2013 | 4:48 am

Enough already with winter, right? I’m just pulling out of a 7-day Coughapalooza that saw me sidelined from work for two days. The other three days were miserable, with people telling me things like “you look pale” and “you aren’t looking great” and “please get away from me.” To add insult to injury, now that I’m feeling better I have very attractive fever blisters on the bottom of my nostrils, which cause people to look away uncomfortably because they don’t want to stare rudely at what they suspect are the snots of an untidy man. “Don’t look at the homeless person,…
Our Sons: Yin and Yang

Dadblast

15 Jan 2013 | 6:04 pm

Ozzie is two and Gus is three, and they agree about almost nothing except for a mutual love of trains. They carry them around in bunches, held tightly to their chests like wounded appendages. There’s Thomas and Percy and Bash, Dash and Ferdinand. There’s Luke, and Henry and Victor. All of these contraptions are and have been our boys very best friends for several months running. The boys line up the trains on the dinner table, each with their own favorites, and enjoy an audience of multi-colored metallic pals, each with their own unique human face painted on the front. But the boys…
Remembering “Cookie” James Kennedy

Dadblast

27 Nov 2012 | 3:50 pm

Editor’s note: My sister-in-law Ali is trying to come to terms with the loss of a cherished neighborhood friend. I have provided the forum for her to put down her parting thoughts, and I think you’ll agree it’s a moving tribute to a special man, Cookie James. Off we go… Early this morning, a very dear friend of mine passed away. James Kennedy; a man with the largest, kindest heart – was waiting for a heart transplant, and his heart never arrived. Five years ago, Josh and I moved to Gary Lane. I think it was meant to be. Let me give you a glimpse of the…
Top 5 Reasons Why I’m Voting For Barack Obama

Dadblast

24 Oct 2012 | 3:46 am

My fellow Americans, It’s no secret who I’m voting for, if you follow me on social networks. I’m not a democrat or a republican. Rather, I’m an independent who has been having trouble sleeping at night.. I’m also a husband. I’m a father. I’m a member of the work force. I’m a proud citizen of these United States. As such, I’d like to share with you the reasons why I’m voting for Barack Obama. You don’t have to read this, and I’ll defend your right not to do so. But if you’re any of the things I listed above, maybe you should give it a go. Here’s why I’m voting for…

Daddy Dazed » Dad Blog Parenting FatherhoodDaddy Dazed
Daddy Nappy Bag

20 May 2013 | 7:35 am

Many thanks to Miatui for sending me a very cool, man’s nappy bag. The Ascot is a messenger style bag that can be used as an everyday bag but it’s got a cleverly thought out interior which makes it ideal for using when on daddy daycare duties. It has different-sized pockets, an insulated water bottle holder, a key clip and mobile phone and pen holder. The main body of the bag is big enough to accommodate a laptop or iPad plus snacks, toys etc. A clear, removable zipped bag is also included which can be used to store wipes and nappies. And most importantly its in a manly brown colour,…
Competition – Win £500

15 May 2013 | 6:52 am

Want to win £500 worth of Red Letter Day vouchers? Then enter the Carex Live Life Hands On Awards. Carex, the makers of anti-bacterial hand gel, are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year and they want to celebrate all the wonderful things that we do with our hands. To enter the competition all you need to do is visit www.carex.co.uk/carex-live-life-awards and share a day in the life of your hands. Entries can be written, photographic or even a video diary – the aim is to highlight the amazing things your hands do. The competition is open to everyone. The best 20 answers will…
Parenting Fail

14 May 2013 | 7:17 am
Competition – Win a garden comedy gig

2 May 2013 | 2:42 am

How do you fancy having a top comedian perform a private gig for you and your friends in your garden? Well Ronseal are running a competition to allow you to win just that. Top comedian Justin Moorhouse will do a stand up routine in your garden, plus also Ronseal will give you products to update your decking and £200 to put on some food for your guests. To win, all you need to do is prove that you have a sense of humour by visiting the Ronseal Facebook page and sharing a joke or anecdote about your garden. 20 runners up will receive £100 of garden products. The competition is open now and…
Soft Play Horror

26 Apr 2013 | 1:44 am

Like a stampede of wildebeest, I hear them before I see them. I look up and they are upon me a screaming multi-headed multi-limbed mass of amped up, sugar high kids. From my experience, on the whole in the real world kids are polite and defer to adults and wouldn’t push past you. But this is their world. Their kingdom. And adults will be crushed. The Soft Play Safari in Holloway is no place for men. It is at that moment, just before I am trampled on by a barrage of tiny feet, that I vow to get myself life insurance. It had started nice enough – myself and my daughter were playing…

About.com Fatherhood
Father Cleared of Abuse Charges After 15 Years in Prison

22 May 2013 | 1:20 am

KSL Television in Salt Lake City is reporting the tale of Kevin Peterson, who just last week learned that his now adult-children were recanting their testimony from 1990 that they were sexually abused by their dad. Kevin was in the midst of a nasty divorce and custody battle with his ex-wife and the kids were coached by their mother and stepfather to lie about their father's alleged abuse. Kevin, despite his innocence, served 15 years in the Utah State Prison and while he has now been out for about 5 years, he has been on the State's sex offender registry. Now he is…
Five Great Family Water Games

20 May 2013 | 4:09 am

We seem to be having an early summer here in the Intermountain West. Â We have already had at least one day in the 90's, which is prompting many families to start to find ways to cool off. Â On that hottest day of the year so far, I saw a family in our neighborhood out in the front yard with a water volleyball game underway....Read Full Post
Work Life Balance Tips from Successful CEO's and Fathers

17 May 2013 | 10:59 am

I get asked a lot about work-life balance and I understand fully how hard it can be to find a comfortable balance between our work life, our home life and our personal life. There just never seem to be enough hours in a day or a week to do it all. And yet I think we all know intuitively that it is usually our families who suffer from our lack of time, or at least our lack of planning and prioritizing....Read Full Post
Genealogy and Your Family

12 May 2013 | 5:58 pm

Our family has long been interested in genealogy, or finding our family ancestry. Maybe it is an innate desire to know more about our ancestors and their lives and times. Perhaps it is just curiosity. Or maybe we feel drawn in some way to those who make up our family line. In any case, genealogy can be a fun family pastime....Read Full Post
Happy Mother's Day to Our Kids' Moms!

11 May 2013 | 12:34 pm

It is Mother's Day weekend, and it frequently happens that dads have a bunch to do with Mother's Day for their own moms and the mom of their children....Read Full Post

Digital Dads
Happy Mother’s Day from AT&T

PJ

10 May 2013 | 5:27 am

Mother’s Day is this coming Sunday and while I know all the Digital Dads reading this have everything already covered for the mom’s in their life, our friends at AT&T also wanted to celebrate moms with a fun, shareable video e-card. It is a special edition of the popular “It’s Not Complicated” campaign. In the new commercial that will air Friday through Sunday, mediator Beck Bennett strays from his usual “what’s better, bigger or smaller?” and instead asks, “who gives the best hugs?” to a unanimous response – mom does. Now…
Meatless Mandays

PJ

15 Mar 2013 | 5:33 am

As I discussed in this space last week, we’ve been trying to incorporate a number of meatless dishes into our weekly meal plan. Recently, Manwich asked me to come up with an original recipe using their products for their Case of the Mandays campaign to help promote family meal time, so I decided to see if I could create a Meatless Manday. It was definitely a risk, as one does not typically associate a meatless dish with Manwich, but it definitely worked out great. Craving chili I went with my gut and decided to see how I could transform it into a meatless dish using Manwich Thick and…
Sergio Garcia Easy Favorite at Tampa Bay Championship

Curtis

13 Mar 2013 | 6:15 am

With a field that does not include the slowly surging Tiger Woods or dominant Rory McIlroy, the Tampa Bay Championship at Innisbrook in Palm Harbor, FL turns its eyes to Sergio Garcia to win the course. The 17th ranked golfer sure could use this win to climb up the ranks early in the season. Yet, with only one top ten finish this year, is Garcia still a player to be feared on the course? With so many of the top players not putting down tees this weekend, perhaps this is a solid chance for Garcia to move into the top ten. Garcia has some history on this course. He’s finished in the top…
Considering Cabo

Robert

13 Mar 2013 | 4:23 am

If the name Cabo conjures of image of consuming cerveza during college spring break at joints with names like El Squid Roe, it’s time to re-boot. Cabo is cool. Or more accurately, it’s hot, as temperatures this time of year average around 80 degrees during the day. The climate is ideal for taking full advantage of the splendid beaches, water sports and the many resorts that offer stunning views of the Baja coastline. Just a part of Cabo’s natural appeal is its unusual and striking geology – it’s officially a tropical desert climate – formed by the…
Roasted Cauliflower Coconut Bisque

PJ

9 Mar 2013 | 5:28 am

Things have been a little quiet here on the food front here at Digital Dads so far this year. The biggest reason has been that I’ve been trying to figure some things out. 2012 was a stressful year for me and I didn’t do a very good job of taking care of my health. As we rolled into the new year I finally decided it was time to get my act together. Fortunately, my wife’s work has a living well program that rewards her with discounts on our health insurance premiums for meeting specific health metrics. And for 2013 they’ve also included metrics on spouses covered by the…

Memoirs of a Single Dad
Cyberbullying Challenges Students, Parents and Lawmakers

Daniel Ruyter

15 May 2013 | 2:15 pm

From parks to schoolyards, bullying has been a way of life. Some insecure youngsters need to feel bigger, better and badder than their peers, so they pick on vulnerable students without a second thought. These victims used to be able to keep their distance, but a new trend is expanding bullying from the playground to all areas of digital life. Cyberbullying affects millions of students. It’s time to learn about this dangerous new form of ...The post Cyberbullying Challenges Students, Parents and Lawmakers appeared first on Memoirs of a Single Dad.
Memoirs of a Psychologist: Helping Children Cope with Traumatic Events

Daniel Ruyter

15 May 2013 | 8:45 am

Our life is full of surprises and they are often not pleasant. Everybody experiences traumatic events during the course of life and children are no exceptions. It is important to examine the question how their developing body, mind, psyche and morality reacts to sudden and unexpected life experiences and how adults can help helping children cope with traumatic events and not only survive but bounce back and grow stronger. Development is endangered by the factors that ...The post Memoirs of a Psychologist: Helping Children Cope with Traumatic Events appeared first on Memoirs of a Single Dad.
Four Ideas to Turn Your Trip Into a Fit-Cation

Daniel Ruyter

14 May 2013 | 9:05 am

Some people love relaxing, lazy vacations that are full of swimming, eating and not much more. If you get bored quickly and like to be on the move, though, a vacation that’s jam packed with fun workouts may be more up your alley. Whether you want to stay in the U.S. or venture farther away, you can find the perfect location to get equal amounts of exercise and relaxation during your vacation. Surf in St. ...The post Four Ideas to Turn Your Trip Into a Fit-Cation appeared first on Memoirs of a Single Dad.
The Five Most Expensive Celebrity Divorces Of All Time

Daniel Ruyter

13 May 2013 | 8:55 am

In the words of the 70’s Nazareth rock song, Love Hurts… especially if there is no prenuptial agreement. Mistresses and misdeeds have cost these celebrities plenty of their hard earned total net worth. Long marriages have the highest settlement figures attached to them with a few notable exceptions. Here is a list of the five most expensive celebrity divorces of all time. Mel and Robyn Gibson After 31 years and seven children together, Robyn Gibson ...The post The Five Most Expensive Celebrity Divorces Of All Time appeared first on Memoirs of a Single Dad.
Five First Steps When Starting an Online Business

Daniel Ruyter

10 May 2013 | 9:00 am

Balancing work and family life can be a real challenge, which is why many single parents are interested in working from home. Starting your own online business allows you to set your own schedule, involves relatively low start-up costs, and can be rooted in your own interests. 1. Choose a Market The first step for any new business is to decide what you’re going to sell. However, rather than selecting a product first and then ...The post Five First Steps When Starting an Online Business appeared first on Memoirs of a Single Dad.

HowToBeADad.com
5 Crazy Rumors about New Netflix Features

charlie

24 May 2013 | 2:25 am

For the past week, I have been at Netflix headquarters and got to hear lots of insider information that Netflix doesn’t want me talking about I will reveal to you very soon. It’s pretty exciting stuff. In those meetings, I had the chance to speak with several executives there including the company’s CEO, Reed Hastings. As soon as he left, I got to the bottom of all the rumors surrounding Netflix and their upcoming announcements. 1. Flix for Fones™ Are you still using a pager, fax machine or rotary phone? Then, it’s a safe bet someone is reading this to you because…
Quadruplets Think Dad is Funny

charlie

23 May 2013 | 3:45 am

This video is just one of those things that is destined to roam the Internet landscape for some time. Much like Andy’s platonic sextape titled, “I really like hugging.” These babies are hilarious. So, here’s your pick-me-up for the day! First question, where the hell did they get that table? I’d like to think that it’s a custom job. I mean, I’ve never seen something like that at Babies R’ Us. Second question, what kind of casino is this? Third question, QUADRUPLETS?! Carry on, Internet. Carry on. Follow us on Facebook. We try to keep it…
Gas Rant

Andy

22 May 2013 | 3:30 am

This is actually a thing for me. I’ve had nightmares. I am not joking. If my wife even mentions the word “gas” my hand will break the sound barrier being held up in a quivering halt gesture, whereupon I will inform her that she is not allowed to continue speaking unless the conversation is about burp or fart gas, but not gas gas! Never gasoline or its “prices.” And by prices I of course mean AAAAUUURHHGHGHH!!! Hey! You can just squeegee that look off your face right now, okay!!! Unless you’re gritting your teeth along with me, in which case you can set the…
My Wife Just Said… #110

charlie

21 May 2013 | 3:59 am

“You know you’re a mom when you find food in the creases of your skin.” -Avara Previous “My Wife Just Said…” Follow us on Facebook. It’s the best way to stay connected to us.
Studying Monsterology is Terrifyingly Rad

charlie

20 May 2013 | 4:03 am

Someone once said, “Learning to do everything is both impossible and highly suggested.” Oh, wait. That was me. Never mind. But in the interest of trying new things and doing the impossible, I went to Pixar in advance of the release of “Monsters University” on June 21st. Charged with learning about the animation process behind the film, I knew I was a square peg going into a talented round hole. That sounded way dirtier than I meant it. We started early one morning and shotgunned through five classes: ENGLISH 101: How to Tell a Great Story Learning about the story…

Daddyplace
How to Decorate Your Child’s Room So They Can Learn

Keith

21 May 2013 | 5:43 am

I love decorating the house, particularly my children’s bedrooms. It just transports me back to my childhood and allows me to indulge in all the childish things an adult shouldn’t do and most of all it’s great fun! When you’re decorating your child’s bedroom, do you ever think about their education? Probably not. I know that didn’t until I heard about how creating the right bedroom could actually help encourage my kids to learn.The post How to Decorate Your Child’s Room So They Can Learn appeared first on Daddyplace.
Stay-at-Home Dad: Can You Make It Work?

Keith

17 May 2013 | 3:26 pm

The thought of handing your young child to a daycare provider each day may cause your stomach to flip. Sure, you can find quality childcare providers who will love and care for your kids. But there’s nothing like taking care of your own. The post Stay-at-Home Dad: Can You Make It Work? appeared first on Daddyplace.
It’s a Good Time to Teach Thoughtful Gift Giving

Keith

4 May 2013 | 3:40 am

Teaching your children different skills and actions is part of parenthood. Every mom and dad will ultimately spend time working on developing a child’s mental well-being as much as his or her physical well-being. When it comes to lessons that you'll want to teach your children, thoughtfulness and empathy are among the most important. Teach your children to consider the feelings, needs and interests of others before giving a gift or taking any actions, really.The post It’s a Good Time to Teach Thoughtful Gift Giving appeared first on Daddyplace.
Poolside Safety For Children

Keith

3 May 2013 | 5:22 am

Unfortunately, if proper precautions aren’t taken, a fun day of swimming can turn into a tragedy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is a leading cause of unintentional injury death among children.The post Poolside Safety For Children appeared first on Daddyplace.
How to Make It on One Income

Keith

2 May 2013 | 11:02 am

Quitting your job and staying home with your children may seem like a dream. You may calculate how much you spend on your mortgage, utilities and other monthly expenses. After crunching the numbers, you may come to the realization that your lifestyle might require two incomes - both you and your spouse working. However, that is not always possible, sometimes mom cannot work or often single Dads are left with carrying the entire financial burden.The post How to Make It on One Income appeared first on Daddyplace.

Daddyplace.com
20 Things Every Parent Should Hear

17 May 2013 | 10:47 am

Thought this was pretty good:1. You are a hero for your kids. You are. You're a go-the-distance, fight-the-dragon, face-the-challenges hero for your kids. Taking a beating makes that more true. Not less.2. We all struggle. Every parent. Everywhere. We all second-guess ourselves. And we all want to quit sometimes. Hold the good times close, and when things are tough, remember, "this, too, shal...
I'm back

13 May 2013 | 12:09 pm

So over the course of the last 6 months, it seems that I keep apologizing to you guys for being gone, then coming back. So this will be no different. life has gotten really hectic lately, as I informed everyone it would. The train keeps on going with no letting up. First, we conducted the change of command, so I am no longer in charge of the troop (80 soldiers) that I was in charge of. The...
Great Video Game Ideas Not Used Resident Evil 1.5 Restoration

10 May 2013 | 3:50 pm

I felt like this particular set of videos needed it's own topic. I have so far 3 videos done for Resident Evil 1.5, but I'm uploading one each day, and I will update this thread as I do so. Here is the first video, and I do apologize for the quality. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XM03EvZrGMY
Battle of Chickamauga - Boy Scout Trip

28 Apr 2013 | 3:39 pm

The boys and I just got back from our Battle of Chickamauga Civil War trip. Boy did we have fun and actually learnt quit a bit about this battle that lasted several days.The boys all seemed to love it as well and I believe they all learn't some history about the battle on our 8 mile hike.Learning aside. This trip was rainy, muddy and rainy and muddy. It rained the entire time we were there...
My new Logo

16 Apr 2013 | 11:53 am

Just finished it a few minutes ago. Thought I would share it and see what you guys thought.Done in Photoshop CS6

The Adventures of Jaydon and Daddy
Pebbles and Stones

Chris Hall

24 May 2013 | 9:49 am

Jaydon got to spend the cool morning at Wannamaker County Park. It was actually very busy with several school buses dropping off kids for a Friday activity day. Jaydon and I spent most of our time at the playground. He ran, climbed and slid down slides. But he one thing he did the most, was […]
I told you that was a bad idea

Chris Hall

23 May 2013 | 10:35 am

Find Jaydon and Daddy Online Facebook Twitter YouTube Pinterest Related articles Toddlers Jaydon and Ryley, Funny Dance (JaydonAndDaddy.com) The Little Personal Trainer (JaydonAndDaddy.com) Filed under: Adventures, Humor, Parenting, Photography Tagged: babies, carseat, demotivator, despair, diapers, Family, funny, humor, Jaydon, motivational parody, parenting, photography, photos, sarcastic, toddlers
Purple chalk on the sidewalk

Chris Hall

22 May 2013 | 9:12 am

Wordless Wednesday Find Jaydon and Daddy Online Facebook Twitter YouTube Pinterest Related articles Jaydon and the Purple Marker (JaydonAndDaddy.com) Filed under: Adventures, Parenting, Photography, Wordless Wednesday Tagged: chalk, chalk on the sidewalk, child, childhood, Children, coloring, Family, Jaydon, Jaydon and Daddy, parenting, photography, purple chalk, toddler, Wordless Wednesday
Checking out videos at the library

Chris Hall

20 May 2013 | 9:19 am

Last Thursday Jaydon got the opportunity to spend some time at the Otranto Road Regional library. After looking at some children’s books Jaydon decided he wanted to checkout a video. Jaydon has a computer Wall-E toy and book so he was excited when he found a move about the little robot. He walked around the […]
Da Plane Da Plane

Chris Hall

17 May 2013 | 11:34 am

Running through the park Jaydon stops to tell dada that he hears a plane flying overhead. Find Jaydon and Daddy Online Facebook Twitter YouTube Pinterest Filed under: Adventures, Humor, Parenting, Videos Tagged: childhood, Children, cute, da plane da plane, Family, father and son, humor, Jaydon, outdoors, parenting, Park, toddler, videos, YouTube

Bobblehead Dad
RADIO: Great Tips for Raising Tots to Tweens!

jimhigley

20 May 2013 | 8:54 am

Want to listen to the entire interview? Just click the above link! If you’re dealing those tender years that fall between high chairs and high school, then this show is for you! We’re talking to parent coach, Meghan Leahy, who shares some of the wisdom you’ll find on her website, Positively Parenting. From two to twelve, being a great parent to this age group is challenging, exciting, frustrating and fun – but Meghan will shed some light on the things you should be doing . A few of the topics we cover includes: • Timeouts? Yes or no? • Sibling rivalry • Over-scheduled kids •…
RADIO: Raising Kids with Strong Character!

jimhigley

12 May 2013 | 8:58 pm

Want to listen to the entire interview? Just click the above link! I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. And I find myself going back to qualities of character. Things like self-control, grit, self-confidence, gratitude, perseverance. There’s many more. Including one of my favorites: handling failure. The older my kids get (and the older I get!), the more I realize that these are the traits I care about most. And more and more studies are showing that kids who DON’T have these qualities of character have a tougher time in just about all aspects of life: school, work,…
Because You Were My Mother, I am a Better Father

jimhigley

12 May 2013 | 9:00 am

NOTE: HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO ALL OF YOU! I WANTED TO SHARE THIS AGAIN – AS WE SHOW OUR LOVE TO MOMS EVERYWHERE… Hi Mom, So where do I start? It’s hard to believe that you died 38 years ago. A lifetime. Yeah. Whatever that term means. For you that meant 49 years. I’ve already had more time here than you were given. I think about that often, Mom. When you died, I didn’t think of you as old. Or young. You were just Mom. And since I was only 14 I couldn’t put into perspective how tragic the whole thing was. It happened so fast. Eight days from the time you…
RADIO: Lighting the Spark in Your Child!

jimhigley

6 May 2013 | 3:21 am

Want to listen to the entire interview? Just click the above link! If you read nothing more today, please read this statistic: When a child has one caring adult in their life, their level of confidence in the classroom increases 65%. 65%! Is that not an extraordinary statistic? Does that not give you – as an adult – a sense of having an incredible “super-power” of sorts to support the children in your life? Today, we’re joined by Tara Brown, a wise, thoughtful educator who has spent over 25 years supporting children, their parents and teachers. She’s known as the Connection…
Gone Fishing. Then Off to Jail?

jimhigley

1 May 2013 | 3:00 am

I saw some little boys fishing in a lake near our house the other day which started my mind on a little journey down memory lane… I took my 10-year-old son Kevin on a father-son fishing trip to Canada a few years back. The week’s catch included 83 northern pike, 133 walleye and—as Kevin likes to put it—a Canadian criminal record for Dad. Our adventure started with a flight from Chicago to Winnipeg. The itinerary included a quick layover before we hopped on a little puddle-jumper to take us to our final destination. That would be the connection we never made. During the descent…

The Crazy Daddy
Daddy, I love you.

Chong Beng LING

19 May 2013 | 4:22 am

Without fail, every time if I bring 小tz to bed, she would want me to tell her story about how she was born. Not sure why, but she enjoyed hearing the details of how mummy started feeling the pain till the time when both of them were discharged from the hospital. More than 20 times i have told her the same old story and yet, she is still not sick of it. OMG! So... instead of telling the same old story, again. I told her how daddy gets to know mummy that leads to sign language and interpreting. She gets so excited and insisted that I must teach her how to sign "Mommy, I love…
Try harder, mummy.

Chong Beng LING

14 May 2013 | 12:35 am

Coming out from the bathroom... 小tz: "Mummy, can you help wipe me dry please?" Mummy: "Why? Can't you wipe yourself dry?" 小tz: "Mummy, you forget. I said if I bathe myself, you will wipe me dry. If you bath me, I will wipe myself dry. Right?" Mummy: "So if I bathe you, you going to wipe yourself dry. If you bathe yourself, you going to wipe yourself dry. Right?" ;-) 小tz: "No mummy... " :-s Hmmm... Mummy needs to try harder next time. Our little girl has grown up and see through your tricks leow. ;p
Here it goes again...

Chong Beng LING

4 May 2013 | 7:00 pm

On our way to her class, she told me this... 小tz: "Daddy, you know? The first day I attended nursery, I have no friend. On my second day, I still can't find a friend. Then the 3rd day and 4th day, I still have no friends. On my 5th day, E came and wants to be my friend. We became good friend after that day!" Me: "That's good!" 小tz: "But Daddy, E is no longer my friend now." Me: "Why darling?" 小tz: "She shouted at me!" Me: "Oh, that's bad. Tell her not to shout at you next time. You and her…
It's flooding, let's RUN daddy!

Chong Beng LING

29 Apr 2013 | 4:02 am

28-Apr-2013, Sunday. While waiting for the roti-prata man in the coffee shop to serve our breakfast. Daddy: "Look at the news, it's flooding at Chai Chee and that car can't even move." 小tz: "Daddy, why is it not flooding here?" Daddy: "Because we are very far from Chai Chee." 小tz: "But daddy, Singapore is only a small red dot on the map. So Chai Chee should be very near and its going to flood here soon. Let's go home fast!" ;p #facepalm# My cheeky daughter. Ok, ok... I am not a teacher. Remember? :p
It hurts...

Chong Beng LING

27 Apr 2013 | 7:23 pm

小tz, Seeing you cry a week ago hurts me deeply. More than a week had passed and while you appeared to be back to your usual cheerful self the very next day, I still can't get over it that I allowed all this to happen. If my memory is still good, that was the third time you were visibly shaken ever since you starts to be aware of the environment and understand things. Your first happened more than a year ago resulting from a miscommunication. Mummy wasn't there to watch your mother's day performance and received your hand-made gift at school. You were strong then as your teacher had…

The Gizzard Stone
Dad Gear: REI Nesting Tableware Set

Mike Henderson

13 May 2013 | 4:07 pm

Thanks for reading articles on The Gizzard Stone by Mike Henderson. For more cool things to show your kid, check out the magazine page: The Gizzard Stone.Ok, I know what you’re thinking. Nesting Tableware Set? This is what qualifies as dad gear in your world? IT’S FOR CAMPING!!!! In my world, camping is the man’s domain. The kitchen at home is man’s domain too, but I really only get excited about the camping part, and this camp utensil and dish set is pretty nice. REI Nesting Tableware Set Service for 4: $44.95 REI Nesting Tableware Set Fork x 4 Knife x 4 Spoon x 4…
The Third

Mike Henderson

9 May 2013 | 11:00 am

Thanks for reading articles on The Gizzard Stone by Mike Henderson. For more cool things to show your kid, check out the magazine page: The Gizzard Stone.Yesterday he asked me if we could wear our space shuttle boots next time we go into space. It was a rainy day. He was pulling on his green and blue striped rubber boots to go outside and play. We live on a flood irrigated ranch property on south Reno so we all have rubber boots. His cousin has black rubber boots. My sister calls them puddle boots. My son heard ‘space shuttle boots.’ With all the space books we read, it stuck.
How Bikes Are Made

Mike Henderson

23 Apr 2013 | 11:07 am

Thanks for reading articles on The Gizzard Stone by Mike Henderson. For more cool things to show your kid, check out the magazine page: The Gizzard Stone.My brother in law sent me this 17 minute video from 1945 showing the making of the classic Raleigh steel bicycles in England. What’s amazing about industrial manufacturing that you see when watching videos like this and the Science channel show, How It’s Made, is how, despite the heavy use of machinery, and automation, everything is basically hand made. How a Bicycle is Made (1945) from British Council Film on Vimeo. Hand Made…
Strider Bike Racers

Mike Henderson

22 Apr 2013 | 4:25 pm

Thanks for reading articles on The Gizzard Stone by Mike Henderson. For more cool things to show your kid, check out the magazine page: The Gizzard Stone.My son and his cousin love their Strider Bikes. And my dad is teaching them to race. Strider Bikes The Strider Bike is an awesome product. It’s the only toddler running bike that I’ve seen that is adjustable for 1 year olds and 3 year olds. I wrote a review of Strider’s pedal-less kick bikes for toddlers last year. The boys continue to love their bikes and gain new skills every week. Their latest trick is using the Strider…
Book Haul: The Big Bad Book of Beasts by Michael Largo

Mike Henderson

18 Apr 2013 | 1:07 pm

Thanks for reading articles on The Gizzard Stone by Mike Henderson. For more cool things to show your kid, check out the magazine page: The Gizzard Stone. I have always been a fan of encyclopedic books. Books that provide short digests of information that you can burn through quickly and gain enough information to sound interesting at a party, but not so much that you have to write things down and read a ton of footnotes. The book I featured in my last Book Haul, Vistas of Many Worlds, is one, and this week I got The Big Bad Book of Beasts: the worlds most curious creatures by Michael Largo.

Dad and Buried
Iden-daddy Crisis

Dad and Buried

21 May 2013 | 9:18 pm

On Twitter, it is possible to create lists into which you can group and categorize the people you follow. As I’ve grown my presence there, I’ve seen myself added to more and more lists (you get notified when it happens). Yesterday, I was added to one that was simply called “parents.” And it made me a little sad. Being a parent doesn’t make me sad. It makes me tired and frustrated and often stressed and sometimes bored and sporadically grossed out and right now covered in food, but it doesn’t make me sad. What makes me sad is that my identity can be so…
The Agony of the Teeth

Dad and Buried

20 May 2013 | 10:38 am

Everyone hates going to the dentist. These days, my two-year-old’s bedtime routine is making me hate BEING the dentist. I didn’t realize that teaching my kid how to be a normal person would be such hard work. There are a lot of everyday activities that we adults take for granted as simple, almost instinctual, parts of our daily routine: Going to the bathroom; taking a bath or a shower; getting dressed; brushing our teeth; feeding ourselves; and so on. These are all things we do every day as a matter of course, with hardly a thought given to how or why we do them. It wasn’t…
Zombie Post: Little Did I Know

Dad and Buried

17 May 2013 | 12:56 pm

I wrote the post I’ve resurrected below one year ago. It’s a charming little trifle about my son’s increasingly bad behavior. Little did I know that what I thought, last May, was the onset of the terrible twos – though I even admit in the post that I might be a tad premature in that assessment – was nothing but a tiny preview of the hell to come, and of the abuse Mom and Buried and I were yet to face. Now, a year later and a good three months into the real terrible deal, this post would probably make me laugh if I weren’t usually already crying. I thought…
It’s Not Me, It’s You

Dad and Buried

15 May 2013 | 4:55 pm

Everybody has that one friend for whom they’re constantly making excuses. “He’s not normally like this” or “He’s cool once you get to know him” or “He’s got a weird sense of humor.” After a while, though, it starts to become apparent that despite your friendship, that’s an awful lot of caveats. Maybe it’s time for the guy to start taking some of the blame for his own behavior. Lately, that’s how I feel about my son. I’m not going to lie: he can be pretty miserable to be around sometimes. It definitely comes…
You Threatenin’ Me?

Dad and Buried

14 May 2013 | 6:08 am

Despite the fact that I could quote Cape Fear ALL DAY LONG and just pretend I’m having a conversation with my toddler – “I can out-learn you. I can out-read you. I can out-think you. I can out-philosophize you. And I’m gonna outlast you! ” – that’s not what the title of this post refers to. This post is about Other Parents and the way they use their experiences to scare you. I’ve complained about people without kids giving me advice about how to raise mine. And I’ve complained about parents who judge parents. But I haven’t yet…

Family Is
DAY 2: Trying to apply The Power of Habit

admin

23 May 2013 | 2:30 pm

My journal of trying to apply The Power of Habit HABIT 1. Replace :Always finish what is on your plate with: Always leave something on my plate ( This idea is inspired by French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano ) ———– This habit is working well in terms of making me change. At breakfast it made me think about when I was actually no longer hungry, so I stopped eating a lot earlier than I thought I would. At lunch I remember looking at my plate, and deciding to cut off some of the omelete before I started. I was really hungry at dinner and ate really…
The Power of Habit and the ENTP woman

admin

22 May 2013 | 3:04 pm

The Power of Habit: Why We Do what We Do, and how to Change By Charles Duhigg Habits can be changed if we know how they work That’s really encouraging! ENTP’s struggle with doing anything consistently, apart from consistently wanting to change! I feel like I don’t have any habits, I mean good habits, like cleaning my teeth everyday before bed. I do clean my teeth but it seems random. I have the habit of wanting to change everything all the time, of wanting to learn new things. I have the habit of going to bed too late, of leaving things to the last minute… So this…
A Frugal Gluten Free Breakfast | frugal family food budget

admin

14 May 2013 | 4:10 am

Frugal gluten free breakfast ideas for under $1 per person At the moment we are doing GF Smoothies. This helps me feed 6 children in record speed with not much clean up as we hurry out the door for school. We do a cooked breakfast on Saturday morning and on Sunday they eat commercial cereal. Our Smoothie: 1 to 1.5L Yoghurt (see below) ($2-$3) 4 egg yolks ($1 ) 2 bananas ( or other fruit eg tin of mango, 1 c frozen berries) ($1-$2) 1-2 TBsp of honey (optional – $1) Whizz all together. Serves 7. Cost under $7 ($1 per person) YOGHURT We use the easiyo yoghurt maker, but I…
Fighting and Marriage

admin

14 May 2013 | 3:37 am

Fighting and Marriage Conflict is part of every relationship, but it is how you resolve the conflict that determines if the conflict ends in a fight or in greater understanding and a closer relationship. I have found this book : the high conflict couple really helpful. You can read the preview on google books and the image links to book depository where you can buy it. Here is a great summary: You hear and read a lot about ways to improve your relationship. But if you’ve tried these without much success, you’re not alone. Many highly reactive couples-pairs that are quick to argue,…
ENTP wife and INFJ husband

admin

28 Apr 2013 | 10:23 pm

Love these youtube videos from SummerPenguin about the ENTP and INFJ relationships and love this about ENTP women!!! It is so true to be understood as an ENTP is to be loved and to have someone to share all the Ti thoughts with is not to be alone in the world. And our whole relationship with feelings The post ENTP wife and INFJ husband appeared first on Family Is.

Daddytude.com
Talking to My Son About His Erections

gwalter

6 May 2013 | 12:34 pm

Several months ago my Smiling Son began to notice his penis would “stick up.” Usually this was in the middle of the night, or in the mornings, when he had to urinate. I was a bit freaked out by it, but not noticeably so. As you can imagine, I haven’t seen a lot of erect penises. The first time I had to redirect it so his pee would actually go in the toilet, I was actually a little weirded out. But I didn’t give it too much thought. Last week, he began to ask me about it. He wondered why it dis this and what it meant? I didn’t have a good answer, but I knew…
Protect Your Child Against Depression and Anxiety in Adulthood

Guest Contributor

8 Apr 2013 | 11:12 am

Today’s guest post is from Angela Prickette, a recent college graduate. She currently works independently as a freelance writer and photographer. She enjoys snow skiing, hiking, and rock climbing. In the past few decades there has been a significant increase in the amount of teenagers and adults diagnosed with anxiety and depression. Often the development of these disorders can be traced back to childhood. When raising a child, parents should be mindful of the ways they can protect their child from developing depression, anxiety or related illnesses. One of the biggest benefits…
Guest Post: 10 Simple Rules for Kids on the Internet

Guest Contributor

3 Mar 2013 | 6:30 pm

Guest Post by Liam Garcia, a staff writer for TipsonHowToSaveMoney.com I recently read Gary’s post about cutting down on social media for the sake of his children. He likened his social media usage to his parents’ smoking addiction. He pointed out that they quit their bad habit after they read a startling statistic: smokers tend to raise smokers. This statistic wasn’t even available until decades after smoking became a social activity. So, if ramifications from our social activities don’t become public knowledge until after it is already commonplace, could social media…
Facebook, Social Networks, and Our Kids

gwalter

24 Feb 2013 | 5:25 pm

Recently I’ve noticed our kids taking a particular interest in Facebook – or, more correctly, our involvement on Facebook. This wasn’t a sudden change on their part, just an observation of mine. I’d like to tie this into a story from my childhood regarding something my parents did for my brother and I. My Dad was a four-pack a-day smoker. And in his words, he didn’t just light them and let them burn, but he smoked the tar out of each one of them (pun intended). My Mom didn’t smoke quite as much, but nonetheless, like many in the rising middle class of the…
Last Night

gwalter

1 Feb 2013 | 9:47 pm

The kids have been sleeping with us due to the flu and all the changes lately. Last night my son had a 102° f temperature and was feeling really miserable. About 2am, I rolled over and put my hand on his chest – partly diagnostic, partly to comfort. As a paramedic, I’m attuned to temperature, skin condition, and breathing. But what I found disturbed me. I sat up awake. Smiling Son was motionless, and I didn’t sense he was breathing. I put my finger between his ribs, where I should be able to feel his heart beat. I felt nothing. I still couldn’t sense any breathing…

Joshua Wilner
The Five Minute Writing Exercise

Josh

24 May 2013 | 8:55 am

Send to Kindle I am wired now so I gave myself five minutes to write. It is the five minute writing exercise to clear my head and get ready for seeing my doc. Five minutes to clear my head of all of the crap floating around it now. Flew back to LA yesterday to see the family, see the doc and take care of some personal matters. Still have to work and don’t mind that. Pushing hard on multiple fronts and feeling frustrated because my schedule is tweaked and interruptions abound. Normally do a good job of rolling with the punches but these constant interruptions are getting on my nerves.
Do You Understand Your Analytics?

Josh

21 May 2013 | 8:01 pm

Send to Kindle A thousand years ago when the dinosaurs roamed the Earth and men were true hunter/gatherers I worked for a manufacturer of diamond tools. We made equipment that you could use to cut concrete, saws, drills and the blades/corebits that were used on them. My first position in the company was in the Inside Sales department where we would take 50 or 60 calls during the day from contractors/distributors who wanted to purchase equipment and supplies as well as those who needed help because their saws/power packs wouldn’t work. Some of my favorite calls started with “Listen…
Layers

Josh

19 May 2013 | 7:32 pm

Send to Kindle Sometimes the words don’t flow from my fingertips with the kind of ease I would like them to. This is not writer’s block. I haven’t any trouble coming up with a sentence, paragraph or story. What I have a problem with is the way that it reads. It lacks the sort of flow and rhythm I would like for it to have so I attack it…repeatedly. Sometimes this works and discover that writing and rewriting is the solution, you know it is that bleed at the typewriter thing that Hemingway used to talk about. And sometimes it doesn’t. “I notice that you use…
Take Cover Now- The Tornado

Josh

15 May 2013 | 7:08 pm

Send to Kindle The extreme weather alert came in about 38 minutes or so ago, I am not really sure. It said there is a tornado warning until 8:45 and that we should take cover. It was an interesting moment for me. I know natural disasters. I have been through multiple earthquakes of assorted sizes and been evacuated from a forest fire but I haven’t much experience with tornadoes. Years ago my friend Daniel and I drove across country and during the way into Kansas we heard a warning over the radio, but we never did see anything. Confession After I received the text I walked outside and…
He Wore A Black Hat

Josh

13 May 2013 | 6:51 pm

Send to KindleClick here to view the embedded video. What you have in the video above is solid gold. Gene Autry only wishes he could sing as well as I can. Confession, I don’t sing in this video but if I did I would definitely sound better than Gene Autry but only because he is dead. Yeah, I know it is sort of unfair to make him compete in that fashion but if I have learned anything in the past 44 years it is to leverage the strengths and angles. Anyway, this is a short blurb about the importance of listening and how that impacts our relationships on a personal and professional level.

THE ROCK FATHER™ - The Daddy Blog and Pop Culture Magazine for Families that Rock!
Preview: 2013 AMERICAN GIRL of the Year gets a movie - SAIGE PAINTS THE SKY...

24 May 2013 | 10:16 am

AMERICAN GIRL's 2013 Girl of the Year was released this past January to much fanfare as SAIGE COPELAND was presented alongside a movement to support Arts Programs in schools (something that The Rock Father can 100% get behind) with 13 Grants awarded through the Elevate the Arts Contest. Now, Saige is coming to life as a live-action movie, AN AMERICAN GIRL: SAIGE PAINTS THE SKY (pre-order from Walmart). The folks at AMERICAN GIRL sent over the full details on the new movie, along with some new photos, all of which can be seen below... Jane SeymourDollsAmerican GirlMattelMoviesNBC
Father's Day Giveaway: BECAUSE I'M YOUR DAD - the new book by Ahmet Zappa

23 May 2013 | 11:22 pm

Since becoming a Dad... actually, since starting The Rock Father two years ago, a lot of people send me books about being a Dad. At this point, it's not often that I seek out a "Dad Book" on my own, but when I heard that Ahmet Zappa (a certified "Rock Father" himself) had written a new book called BECAUSE I'M YOUR DAD, I had to reach out to Disney-Hyperion to get a copy. While my intention was to save my review for Father's Day (and my full review is being saved for that occasion), here I am talking a bit about it now, because I've been presented with an opportunity to give a copy to one of…
Rockin' Summer Products from Ty's Toy Box (plus a Memorial Day Deal)!

23 May 2013 | 10:19 pm

It's Memorial Day Weekend, and for most, that means that Summer is officially getting started! The folks over at Ty's Toy Box hit The Rock Father with a list of the Top Five popular summer products, and details on a limited-time offer of 20% Off for the Holiday Weekend. Check 'em out below... Ty's Toy BoxThe Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That!Super Why!Scooby DooCare BearsSesame StreetMartha SpeaksShopping Deals for FamiliesToysPBS KidsCaillou
Ceremonial Yearly Placement of the Garden Jawa... 2013

23 May 2013 | 8:12 pm

Nearly 14 months have passed since I last mentioned him on The Rock Father, but as of today... our little friend from Tatooine has returned to the Garden here at Rock Father HQ. The Ceremonial Placement of the Garden JAWA has once again taken place, kicking off the "official" official start of the 2013 Gardening Season for us, later than last year (which had record heat) as we're still going hot/cold here in Northern Illinois. Our little scavenger is ready to rock and roll, with his garden tools tucked firmly into his bandolier strap, and his hose ready to soak the earth. Even…
BRENT ALMOND releases debut single to benefit Family Equality Council...

22 May 2013 | 7:52 pm

You might not know the name Brent Almond, but in the realm of "Dad Bloggers" many know him as Designer Daddy. For the past few years, Brent and his husband (known as "Papa") have been raising a beautiful, adopted son named JJ. On his blog, Brent covers life as a two-dad family, cool kids stuff, superheroes, and more. A few months back, Brent shared a live video of a performance from last October in which he did a song at the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington’s annual retreat. That song, "My Two Daddies (Can Beat Up Your One)" was well-recieved, and now it's spawned a studio version.

Smartest Dad
Shareables: Raising Scientifically Literate Children

Jason Katke

14 May 2013 | 6:39 am

“We spend the first year teaching them to walk and talk and the rest of their lives telling them to shut up and sit down.” Loved this video from Neil deGrasse Tyson and the BigThink YouTube channel. He kind of trails off after his initial message but the advice is sound: Let your kids get dirty and experiment with the world around them!
Shareable: YouTube Broadcasts from Space

Jason Katke

24 Apr 2013 | 7:30 am

The YouTube account for the Canadian Space Agency has been keeping me entertained and informed by broadcasting aboard the International Space Station. Chris Hadfield is the current Mission Commander of Expedition 35 and he’s be lauded as the most social media savvy astronaut ever to leave earth. Subscribing to the CSA YouTube channel will bring you regular doses of what life is like in space as he answers questions from classrooms and people from around the globe. You can also follow Chris on Twitter for some pretty rad space tweets.
Kids Ask: Why Do We Vote?

Jason Katke

5 Nov 2012 | 6:33 am

Why do you vote? This question can be incredibly personal. You vote for family, you vote for your religious beliefs, you vote for your morals, and you can vote for your rights. Why Do We Vote? The Short Dad Answer: Our government exists to create laws and protect its people. We pick people who we think will best represent what we want to happen in our country so we don’t have to make a choice on every decision that needs to be made. The “Only the Facts” Dad Answer: We are a “Representative Democracy” which means we pick people to represent us in government by voting. When…
Smart Dads: Psychologist Dad Shares D&D Study With Son

Jason Katke

1 Nov 2012 | 7:14 am

Take a psychologist dad, mix in a dinner conversation with his son about his work, and add a dash of geekiness and you get the recipe for this story. Using the “Monster Manual” from Dungeons and Dragons as inspiration this dad and son duo were able to conduct some cool research together. The Experiment Humans (and animals) have a distinct reaction when we see someone staring intently at something. Our initial impulse is always to look in the same place. Try it out: Instruct your son/daughter to stand go stand next to Mom and tell them to look at something nearby and say nothing. Chances…
Kids Ask: Why Do We Carve Pumpkins?

Jason Katke

31 Oct 2012 | 1:06 pm

By now, unless you’re on the north-east coast, your house is adorned in spooky decor in anticipation of the first freeloader coming to your door. Part of that decor involves a fruit that we hollow out, creatively stab with a knife, and burn from the inside. What’s that all about? Kids Ask: Dad, Why Do We Carve Pumpkins? The Short Dad Answer: It is an evolution of an old Irish tradition where people would create lanterns out of gourds to scare away evil spirits. The Fake Dad Answer: A long time ago there was an old Irish man named Jack O’Lantern. After getting tired of…

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