I just finished reading the first several chapters of Lori Gottlieb’s book – Marry Him: The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough. I followed that up with some browsing in the single mom blogosphere. Can I just say: Oy! I knew women went about choosing men in a different way than men choose women. But to read it in print really scared me. (Lori Gottlieb’s book offers solutions in subsequent chapters. Can’t wait!) Why do (some) women make choosing a man so complicated? I will preface this post by saying I know I’m generalizing. I know I’m attributing behavior to most women…
Dads
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Dad's House
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He’s Not Worthy! You Deserve Better!
9 Feb 2010 | 3:30 am -
Broken TV on SuperBowl Weekend
8 Feb 2010 | 3:33 amFriday evening while I was watching an Italian Serie A soccer match on my DVR, my satellite box bit the dust. The TV screen went black. All attempts to revive the box failed. In short – my TV was broken for SuperBowl weekend. Yikes! What’s a dad to do when his TV breaks? I called my dish company, pronto. “Let’s take it through some tests to see if it’s really dead,” the service guy on the phone said. “Trust me, it’s dead,” I said. He had me plug the box into another outlet. Still broken. He had me push and hold the reset button. Still broken. He had me push and hold the… -
Just Breathe – Pearl Jam
5 Feb 2010 | 3:33 amI’m exhausted. Sleep would be good. Short of that, I remind myself to just breathe. Before I explain why just breathing is my elixir of choice, let me run down my day. I spent the day nursing a massive head cold – I slept in, avoided work as long as possible, made one of my favorite old home remedies: grapefruit tea (with an eye on a tequila shot later that night). In the afternoon, I went to watch my teen daughter compete in a sporting event – a soccer match in the rain. As a lifelong Californian who simply doesn’t take rain seriously, I don’t own an umbrella. -
A Band for All Ages
4 Feb 2010 | 3:33 amLast week, the director of my thirteen-year-old son’s middle school band had them play with the local high school band. Fun stuff, and a chance for the younger kids to hear what it’s like to play with better musicians. But why stop there? Last night, they played with a local adult community band. We’re talking the whole symphonic wind ensemble – flutes, clarinets, trumpets, trombones, of course. But also oboes, piccolos, bassoons, saxophones, tubas, French horns, and a full rhythm section – snare, base, timpani, cymbals, xylophone, bells. All that was missing was a flaming gong… -
Grey’s Anatomy – Okay For Teens?
3 Feb 2010 | 3:33 amAh, Grey’s Anatomy. That show women love so much. My ex-wife watches it. My female friends watch it. My teen daughter’s girl friends watch it. And my daughter watches it, too. So when I finally saw Grey’s Anatomy for the very first time, I was shocked at how much casual sex and hooking up went on. Is this what teens are watching? Head over to the Hot Dads Blog and see if: Grey’s Anatomy – Okay for Teens? When you come back, I’ll give you a key to my place. (You’ll get that reference after you read the post.) If you liked this Grey’s Anatomy post,…
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Genuine
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Daughter Likes Saints
7 Feb 2010 | 3:27 pmSent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry Posted via email from genuine’s posterous -
Grand Opening of Burger King
6 Feb 2010 | 12:00 pmMy daughter’s choir at the grand opening of burger king. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry Posted via email from genuine’s posterous -
I work hard to provide them shelter
31 Jan 2010 | 10:57 pmSent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry Posted via email from genuine’s posterous -
STATE OF THE FAMILY ROOM ADDRESS
27 Jan 2010 | 7:21 pmI don’t think my son was much impressed by President’s address. The pup is just doing his job. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry Posted via email from genuine’s posterous -
It’s a one dog day.
25 Jan 2010 | 8:36 amIt may have been a three dog night but only a one dog day. Yes he is getting HUGE. Thanks for noticing. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry Posted via email from genuine’s posterous
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Dad-O-Matic
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Favorite SuperBowl Ads
8 Feb 2010 | 2:23 pmWe men took more than our usual bashing during the 60 or so commercials played during SuperBowl Sunday. We deserved some of the mocking but come on already, Madison Avenue. It’s time to give us men a little more credit, don’t you think? Still, I enjoyed the funny ones as much as the next guy. Here’s one of my favorites. Please share you favorites in the comments. Dove Men+Care 2010 Super Bowl Ad @ Yahoo! Video Related posts:WhoDad Congratulations go out to the New Orleans Saints for...Dad Men My favorite show on TV these days is without question... Related posts brought to… -
What is a DADvocate?
8 Feb 2010 | 11:22 amShortly after the iPad was released Jeff Sass wrote a great blog about iDad. iDad is a great parody on the value of a dad over an iPad and a fun little read. There is another great DAD moment that was captured in a post last night Who Dad published by Doriano “Paisano” Carta. Last year we saw a dad at a Phillies game catch a foul ball, hand it to his daughter who through it back and she got a huge hug (stupidly MLB pulled video). We even have dads who crawl into cribs to help their children go to sleep. Baby and Father in the Crib together! @ Yahoo! Video All these folks are… -
WhoDad
7 Feb 2010 | 7:28 pmCongratulations go out to the New Orleans Saints for beating the Indianapolis Colts tonight in the SuperBowl 31-17 behind the MVP arm of Drew Brees. I was happy to see them win mostly because of everything the people of New Orleans went through a few years ago with Hurricane Katrina. It’s such an amazing story. The thing that touched me the most wasn’t how happy the players were or even the fans who went crazy in the streets… it wasn’t even the extreme joy in Drew’s face as he was holding the SuperBowl trophy. It was seing Drew Brees with tears in his eyes as he held his son Baylen… -
Teaching Kids To Share In A Digital Age
7 Feb 2010 | 12:38 pmMany moons ago, when I was just a mere tike, when my Mom and Dad taught me to “share” they were mostly trying to get me not to explode in a hissy fit when my younger sister or one of my playmates wouldn’t let go of my Legos or give up my G.I. Joe. Life was so simple then… Toys and games were physical things we kids could touch and feel and pull apart and throw against the walls or step on to break. Today, in our increasingly digital world, “sharing” has taken on a meaning much larger than letting friends play with toys. Images Can Shape Your Image Today,… -
E*Trade Baby Outtakes
5 Feb 2010 | 7:44 amHere’s just a quick comedy break… hilarious stuff No related posts. Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
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Dorky Dad
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Get Ready For The Nasty
1 Feb 2010 | 7:35 pmIn the days and weeks leading up to the birth of a child, soon-to-be-parents are bombarded by advice both solicited and unsolicited. Most of it is total crap.The crap comes from one of four sources:1. People who hate your guts and want you to fail and give you bad advice on purpose.2. Existing parents whose brains are so fried by a combination of baby powder fumes and vomit that they have no cognitive abilities enabling decent advice (such people usually say simply to "Get some sleep," which is what I say).3. Relatives, usually your parents, who really, really want grandchildren (or nieces… -
On Avoiding Impalement and Meltdowns
18 Jan 2010 | 5:53 pmI have a personal policy: Don't Get Stabbed. It's a good rule to live by, mostly because being impaled doesn't feel very good.I've had only moderate success. I've mostly avoided ER trips and hospitalizations due to stabbing, but knives have met my fingers on too frequent an occasion in the kitchen and I sometimes have to go to the doctor and get a shot.I don't like shots, like most people. But I get them, because I don't want to get diphtheria or measles or the flu. And so earlier this year I waived my Don't Get Stabbed rule to get a flu shot. Another thing that necessitated a Don't Get… -
Frostbitten on Times Square
11 Jan 2010 | 7:59 pmI'm in a hotel room. I have a view of a giant sign of a guy staring into the crotch of a woman in her underpants.Yup. I'm in New York.I got here Sunday evening. I was surprised to be met by ... cold.It's cold? In a place that isn't Minnesota? How can that be?Based on what everybody tells me, Minnesota is the coldest place on Earth, home to July skiing and August snowboarding. I'm reminded so often how cold Minnesota is, by people who don't live in the state, that the only conclusion that I could come up with was that every other place is tropically warm.Sure, I lived in Indiana for a year and… -
Spreading the joy (and cake)
4 Jan 2010 | 7:08 pmWe celebrated The Sequel's first birthday on the first day of the year last week. This was also an occasion to celebrate what we hope will be the end to the following phrase, which we've heard at least once a day since then:"Ah, looks like you missed the tax break." Or some other iteration, such as the ever popular "Too bad he wasn't born a few hours earlier, then you could have got a tax break." OK, people. I get it. I lost $400 due to the timing of my second son's birth. Thanks for spending the past year rubbing it in.Birthday parties in my family are modest affairs and this was no… -
My Christmas Vacation
30 Dec 2009 | 6:01 pmI hadn't posted in a while. I'd like to say that I've been busy at work. Or that I've been on a special mission from the president. Or that I've been on an extra special vacation to some far-off distant land that is not filled with icicles, snow, glare ice, sanding trucks, snowplows and weather cursing. I'd even like to say that I've been spending the holidays in the home of some relatives.I've been doing none of those. I've been home -- not even at work. I'm taking end-of-the-year vacation days, which just means that I'm too cheap to spend money on a vacation. And on this "staycation" I've…
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DadCentric
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Brees Pass Me a Tissue
8 Feb 2010 | 4:09 pmMaybe I'm a total softy, but I got downright misty watching the Super Bowl last night. And not because of anything that happened during the game. It was this moment at the end: If there's a more touching moment between... -
For Reals This Time
8 Feb 2010 | 10:40 amThe next day, I took Lucas to his first sparring class. This was a big step. He hadn't embraced the martial arts like we thought he would: rather than the steely-eyed focus of a Crouching Tigercub, there was fidgeting, and... -
Over/Under
8 Feb 2010 | 5:55 amNo, I’m not talking about gambling. I’m not much of a gambler, although I recently bought Powerball tickets the last few weeks here in my home state of North Carolina because the jackpot had gotten up to a staggering $141... -
Lovely, Love My Family
4 Feb 2010 | 9:01 amThere's comfort in clichés. They help you wrap your head around things that would otherwise leave you speechless in wonder, or in despair. We've been dealing with a death in the family; over at my little corner of the Internet... -
The Race for The Worst Dad of 2010 Has A New Frontrunner - Billy Ray Cyrus
3 Feb 2010 | 10:28 amI see your Stephen Baldwin, Whit, and I raise you one former mulleted pop-country one-hit wonder turned juvenile flesh peddler. You probably know more than you want to know about Billy Ray's daughter Miley, she of the Teen Choice Awards...
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Bill and Jill
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So this is why Jill was dressed up like Dexter before a kill
6 Feb 2010 | 7:57 pmWe’re getting our third floor ready for human habitation. When we moved in eight years ago, this level had no heat, no AC, and no electricity. It was also home to a well-established bat colony - the largest they’d seen in 5 years, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources - that had had the run of the place since roughly the Hoover Administration. They used to poke their wings out under the door at night. The bats, not the Hoover Administration. So we evicted them, had all evidence of their 50+ year-occupancy removed via HEPA vac and bleach, installed AC and… -
And I shall wash my binky in their tears
2 Feb 2010 | 5:58 pmSaturday. In the car. Liam pointing. “That tire-swing gives me an idea. We should cut other stranger’s kid’s swings down, and stop them from having fun.” -
I’ll explain this picture later
26 Jan 2010 | 1:56 am -
Life in Thunderdome
19 Jan 2010 | 10:15 pmDada: “What were you doing?” Liam: “We were fighting Sam!” Dada: “Do you think I want you fighting Sam?” Liam: “I wasn’t the one fighting him. I was the one blocking him so Nate could get him.” -
View Asconce
9 Jan 2010 | 10:48 amThis is one of the numerous old gas and electric fixtures original to our house. Sometimes, it contains a compact fluorescent bulb, and other times, the finger of a jitterbugging ghost.
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HONEA EXPRESS
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Five Curious Years and Cat-Like Reflexes
4 Feb 2010 | 2:58 pmI can see the cat, white and quick, through the bare, gray trees. The cat runs in sudden bursts and stops on a dime, or whatever passes for currency amongst the wild. He stops and he stares.There is a pattern here, for I too am stopped. I too am staring. I am watching him watch something else and that thing may be watching yet another something and so forth and so on and I can't help but wonder who is watching me.I live in a glass house. I like to throw stones.This past Monday my little blog turned five. That's like 80 in blog years. We didn't have a party. We didn't decorate. You didn't get… -
UPDATED: Life is Like Winning a Box of Chocolates - Share Your Sweetest Love Story
1 Feb 2010 | 10:52 amWinner, winner, chicken dinner!I rolled the virtual dice and three came up. Everybody drink.Three was assigned to the third comment, meaning the winner is Laughing Mouse, soon to be Full Mouse and possibly Sugar Buzz Mouse.I need to hear from you by noon (PST) on Monday (2/8)!Thanks to all of the romantics that entered the contest. Your love makes my notebook pale by comparison.Also, thank you to See's Candy and Clever Girls Collective for making the chocolate happen.__________Where does one start a love story? Does it begin across a crowded room on an enchanted evening beneath a layer of… -
Stuff I Write and Things I Review
29 Jan 2010 | 3:27 pmI try to maintain a pretty constant flow of quality posts here at Honea Express. Constant being relative and quality being stuff my mom marks as liked on Facebook. This post isn't either of those things.It may appear to the naked eye that I've been MIA, but that is not the case. I've been wandering the internets and dropping knowledge into whatever web will catch it. Also, non-knowledge.If you have the time I'd love to share some of it with you. Seriously, it's either humor me or go back to work, and we all know how that will end.At DadCentric I've been waxing poetic about stuff that is… -
How to Breathe While Dreaming
19 Jan 2010 | 2:35 pmI tend to float and dance around the things that I must do. Deadlines are stones in my pockets, paperwork is an anchor around my neck and writing because I need to write is a pair of cement shoes weighing me forever downward.And yet, writing because I need to write pays the bills. Deadlines are, obviously, necessary and important. Editing without paperwork is like breathing without air. I am living my dream and I lay awake at night.Perhaps the grass is always greener. Perhaps I am never satisfied. Perhaps these are the glory days and someday I will remember them fondly.I'm inclined to embrace… -
Amazing Grace
12 Jan 2010 | 4:44 pmEverybody falls from grace sometime. Athletes, politicians and actors tend to fall the farthest due to their pedestals being placed so high. And yet, fame bounces. The minute they hit bottom they start clawing their way back up.Grace rains all around us. We know nothing but the space between dreams and the trampoline and the slight change of view that each direction brings.Some find solace in having the grace to fall from. Some find hope in the promise of a net.Some climb steps just to jump from the highest one. They dive deeper than where they started. We score them on their splash.Some trip…
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Gunfighter: A Modern Warrior's Life
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Hi. It's me. Gunfighter... Remember?
8 Feb 2010 | 11:29 pmWhere have I been for the past couple of weeks? Working. That's where. I have been involved in training two classes of post-academy trainees for the past month, and the pace of the training, the overtime involved have taken a toll on my blogging. Add to all of that, the Girl Scout meetings, indoor soccer, trying to have some family time, and multiple high-yield snowstorms, and you can my see why my poor wee blog has suffered from neglect. I will tell you that my efforts in the training arena haven't been for naught... I have had to deal with 4 remedial shooters… -
The iPad
28 Jan 2010 | 4:32 amLook at this thing, will you? It looks like an iPhone, or an iPod Touch on steroids... but holy cow, all the things that it can do! Yesterday, Apple unveiled the much-anticipated, and much-ballyhooed computer tablet. That's right, a tablet. How cool is that? Of course, the tablet has been the stuff of science fiction even before Yeoman Rand started using one for Captain Kirk to read and sign memoranda on the Enterprise. A tablet was the educational and entertainment platform of choce for Andrew "Ender" Wiggin and his friends at the Battle… -
Morning Music
26 Jan 2010 | 4:32 amI seldom listen to the radio when I drive. I prefer to have the music that I have loaded onto my iPod. My musical tastes are fairly broad, so I bounce from genre to genre. For example, yesterday I listened to the following on my drive to work: What is hip - Tower of Power Family Affair - Sly & The Family Stone Soul Finger - The Bar-Karys Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again) - Sly & The Family Stone Everyday People - Sly & The Family Stone You've Made Me So Very Happy - Blood, Sweat, & Teears Hot Fun In The Summertime - Sly & The Family Stone… -
Gunfighter Dreams: Rocket (Wo)man?
25 Jan 2010 | 1:56 pmSo there I was,having a great Sunday morning sleep... dreaming. Dreaming about Space. Not closet space or how to use space in designing a room. I'm talking about Space: The Final Frontier. It shouldn't surprise you to know that I think about space a lot. I have spent (misspent) my youth reading about space travel, talking about space travel, and watching anything space-related on television (which probably explains my Star Trek fixation). I have even dreamed about space travel before... but nothing, thankfully, like this. In this dream,… -
What A Man Wants, What A Man Needs (edited)
20 Jan 2010 | 5:55 amSorry for abusing the title of a Britney Spears song, but I thought that it was appropriate for today's post. I came up with the idea for this post as I was about to go to sleep last night/this morning, in a seriously sleep-deprived state, and decided to go through with it this morning (after only two hours of sleep). Men and women are different. Anyone who thinks that we aren't different is some sort of freakin' idiot, in my humble opinion. Look, the emotional states of men and women are often different, our physical beings are different. Men and…
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Cheeky's Hideaway
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Super Bowlpocalypse
8 Feb 2010 | 2:06 pmThere aren't many holidays I actually care about.July 4th is just picnics and cheap fireworks. St. Patricks Day and New Years ceased being remotely enjoyable after 25. Thanksgiving is a cavalcade of guilt and horrible travel experiences. Most of the rest of the calendar holidays are there to give kindergarten teachers lesson plans. And don't even get me started on that manufactured trap of unfair expectations and depression in mid-February.That leaves Christmas, my birthday, and the Super Bowl. And not in that order. Every year we throw a party for the big game, and up until… -
Looks Like Someone Was in a Hurry
4 Feb 2010 | 3:05 pmMy brother sent me this today. He was at Microsoft this morning and spotted this. I wonder if they'll be blaming a faulty accelerator. Or Windows Vista. -
What a Long Strange Trip It's Been
29 Dec 2009 | 1:56 pmUsually this time of year I start compiling my annual awards list, coveted by so many as acknowledgement that the 1,179,091st most popular blog on the internet has admired or condemned your work. In years past I've handed awards to Eva Longoria, Dane Cook, and Somali pirates (you can see the connection) but this year I'm going to follow the lead of Copenhagen Climate Conference and put it off until next year and get a little thoughtful. Because...man, what a year. It started out innocently enough, with a great Super Bowl and a cardiac arrest. Things were going swimmingly, with… -
The Obligatory Halloween Pictures: 2009 Edition
2 Nov 2009 | 7:56 pmBehold, Fairy Princess Princess Butterfly Cinderella Butterfly Princess! -
THIS is Why those Damn Princesses Scare the Bejesus Out of Me
28 Oct 2009 | 1:34 pmI've mentioned my deep distrust of Disney--and its sub-context of feminine enslavement--before, but for those of you deaf to my pleas this should help bring some clarity to my concerns. Just one more reason to introduce Cheeky to Star Wars. At least THAT princess killed a Hutt.
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Discovering Dad
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How to Deal with Getting Fired
8 Feb 2010 | 7:16 pmThis article written by Contributing Writer Matt Pfingsten. Life is full of challenges, and parents teach their kids a lot by how they deal with adversity. Here is one Dad’s story about How to Deal with Getting Fired: I work in marketing and advertising. This means I get fired. A lot. Unfortunately, being laid off comes with the territory in this career field. Over the years, I’ve read many books on transitioning, job-seeking, interviewing and networking, but I have yet to come across any literature that deals with how to gracefully deal with getting canned. Recently, I… -
Servant Leadership and Fatherhood
23 Jan 2010 | 1:40 pmI first read the book The Servant Leader by James A. Autry five years ago, and it had a profound impact on both my professional and personal life. It caused me to think about whether or not I really understood my purpose, mission and values. It made me question how effective I was in my roles as husband, father and leader. The book describes 5 Ways of Being – Authentic, Vulnerable, Accepting, Present and Useful – and these principles have helped me discover many things on the journey of “learning what it means to be a good dad.” Implementing the 5 Ways of Being… -
What’s Cooking Dad?
17 Jan 2010 | 6:58 amThis article written by Contributing Writer Tom Bowns. One of the best things you can do for your kids is to bring them into the kitchen with you when you’re cooking. The younger the better; it’s never too early to get them interested in cooking. While it may seem like more work to have your kids helping to prepare a meal, and it often is – particularly when they’re little – in the end you’ll benefit from having a helper, someone who will be self-sufficient, and who might even cook dinner for you once in awhile. Having kids help with cooking gives them something to do. It allows… -
Discovering Dad Blog Carnival – January 2010
16 Jan 2010 | 10:58 amWelcome to the January 2010 edition of Discovering Dad Blog Carnival. The Discovering Dad Blog Carnival is a monthly carnival that includes fun and informative posts about unique experiences, perspectives and challenges of being a dad. It also includes posts that talk about the impact of dads on the lives of children, spouses and family members, as well as some general parenting posts of interest. Steven Bush presents The Good Men Project: Real Stories From the Front Lines of Modern Manhood posted at Book Dads: Fathers That Read!, saying, “The Good Men Project: honest and compelling… -
Discovering Dad Wins Fantasy Football Dad League
4 Jan 2010 | 3:07 pmIt’s official! Discovering Dad has won the Fantasy Football Dad League hosted by fellow dad blogger Pat from Annoyingly Boring! Playing in a fantasy league definitely helps to make the football season more exciting to watch. While my favorite team is the Ravens (my team name is Discover the Ravens), it’s fun to cheer for individual players and talk a little trash on league message boards. I’d like to thank all of the dads who played in the league this year, and I’d definitely recommend visiting their blogs when you get a chance: Pat from Annoyingly Boring?
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Laid-Off Dad
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You think you know somebody.
29 Jan 2010 | 10:37 amThis morning, I was listening to an episode of "This American Life" called "How to Rest in Peace," about people coping with the murder of a parent. I don't normally seek out subject matter like that for my morning commute, but now that it starts at 5:45, it's not like I'm all that conscious, anyway.This story, however, jolted me out of my doldrums. But not for the reason you might think.It begins with two houses in Westchester, neighbors whose kids were the same age and spent lots of afternoon time playdating. Our protagonist is Jason, who was 6 when he and his… -
Merry Friday!
24 Dec 2009 | 2:54 pmFor basically ever, we've been a family of Routine when it comes to Christmas frivolity. Embarrassingly so. Like a border collie who reacts to some primal imperative and spends hours running around in the same circle. For all the years before I was married, and even a few afterward, we seldom diverted from the following Yuletide schedule: Attend Christmas Eve church service. Endure tacky skit enacted by Self-Proclaimed Super-Cool Reverend Who Can Speak To Today's Youth. Sing "Silent Night" with lit candles raised overhead. Enjoy the beauty of the scene while playing out… -
Another foray into literary gorgeousness
1 Dec 2009 | 1:13 pmOK, so the first thing I need to address is that no, I am not dead. Nor am I trapped beneath something heavy. I have, however, recently had a few epiphanies about how I might make more time to post to the blog. You know how one day you look around your home and decide you want to rearrange everything? It's sort of like that, only instead of furniture, it's my daily routine. One of the first things I'm going to do, for example, is switch out cable TV for Internet access. This will (a) let me trade in a passive media outlet for a more interactive one, and (b) allow Robert to spend…
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Rude Cactus
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Talking Heads
9 Feb 2010 | 3:41 amI've never been shy about the fact that I'm a liberal. Some of you who are not liberal don't hold that against me and read me anyway (thank you). But while this might start out sounding like an overtly political post, it's not. See, I'm annoyed. Specifically, I'm annoyed by Rush Limbaugh but hey, what else is new? Being annoyed by Rush Limbaugh motivated me to read a little more about Rush which led me to read up on other supposed political experts. What I found on both sides of the aisle was interesting. Rush Limbaugh. Rush Limbaugh holds himself up as an authority on politics, specifically… -
Snowpocalypse!
8 Feb 2010 | 4:33 amWe survived the Snowpocalypse of 2010. It was a near thing but we survived. Between Friday afternoon and Saturday night, we accumulated somewhere between two and three feet of snow. Getting an exact amount was tricky since the wind picked up late Friday night bringing with it near-blizzard conditions. Snow drifts were nipple-height. Exact measurement was tough. I'll go with one cubit dickload. Nearly every time I've ventured outside, I've tried to take pictures of the snow. But they all look exactly the same. White. None of them actually show the significance of the snow we got. Roads,… -
Haiku For Monday #305
8 Feb 2010 | 4:26 amThe Super Bowl - as a general rule - is just damn underwhelming. -
The Weeklies #118
5 Feb 2010 | 4:14 amThe Weekly Weather. Snow! Since just before Christmas, my yard has seen 34 inches of snow. And apparently there's more on the way tonight and tomorrow. Like, two feet. The Weekly Time Waster. Gravit-eye. The Weekly Read. In a lot of my replies to the comments on my vegetarian post, I've mentioned reading Jonathan Safran Foer's Eating Animals. Foer, author of Everything Is Illuminated and the astonishing Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, took it upon himself to research the animal farming and production industry in this country when his son was born. What he found he recorded in this book. -
There's An App For That
4 Feb 2010 | 3:32 amBefore I had my iPhone I used my cell phone for calls (though I tend to try and avoid talking on the phone, ironic I know), checking my email and texting. I've had my iPhone for three months and I've somehow found - literally - 99 uses for it. Here's what's on my phone: News. CNN pretty much rocks the news app but running a close second is NPR's contribution. The news headlines themselves aren't anything special but the ability to click a button and hear the latest newscast is pretty nice. Time is okay but I'm strangely addicted to the Huffington Post, especially when their pictures fail to…
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THE FATHER LIFE
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Are You Ready for Some… Valentines?
5 Feb 2010 | 7:31 pmWell, the big Sunday is coming! NO, not Super Bowl Sunday… the one after that. Valentines DAY! Got plans for the big day of romance with your special woman? I personally don’t like the idea of focusing just one day out of the year on romancing our wives. It should be something we family dads naturally WANT to do on a very regular basis. But the busy-ness of work, family, and every other demand on our time and energy can sometimes drag us into a “rut” or take the edge off our romantic creativity and planning. So here are some ideas I came up with to help you express… -
[NFL] Super Bowl XLIV Preview
4 Feb 2010 | 4:27 amNew Orleans Saints (15-3) Vs. Indianapolis Colts (16-2) Time: Sunday at 6:25 PM EST on CBS How they match up: This is a dream match up for the avid football fan. These teams stack up so well on paper that (for once) there doesn’t seem to be an overwhelming favorite. The obvious pick is the Colts due to Peyton Manning’s leadership and his over the top playoff numbers. But, don’t overlook the rag-tag group from New Orleans. Drew Brees and company finished with the top ranked offense in the NFL by being the only team to average more than 400 yards per game. The unit also finished #1 in… -
The M Word: Coping With Miscarriage
3 Feb 2010 | 9:22 pmBefore my wife had two miscarriages on our first two pregnancies, whenever I heard the word “miscarriage” I thought about an old baby carriage, and a young couple living in the 1920’s who lose a child, and how it must be pretty terrible for them to have to put the carriage back into a closet. For some reason it was always the wrapping paper closet in my mind, and they would forget it was there, and then over and over, while they were trying to rush out the door and having to wrap a present really quickly, out falls the baby carriage and they just start crying… and they… -
[DAD FITNESS] The 5 Best Ways To Stay In Shape While Traveling
3 Feb 2010 | 8:05 pmDid you have to pay the airlines “overweight” on your way home from your last business trip? …and no I am not talking about your luggage. For a lot of busy dads it seems just when we get on a role with our workouts and healthy eating, it all goes out the window when we have to go out of town for work. I recently spent a week in Tampa, Florida, attending and speaking at fitness seminars with all the top fitness professionals, and I started to pick up on some of the secrets these guys use to stay in awesome shape even while spending a lot of time on the road. So here are The… -
[A DAD'S POINT-OF-VIEW] Marriage — It’s Complicated
3 Feb 2010 | 7:54 pmMy wife took me to see Nancy Meyers’ new movie, It’s Complicated, which stars Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, and Steve Martin. She had seen it a day or two before and wanted to see it with me saying, “It would be good for us.” Honestly, I do tend to like what is typically labeled “chick flicks,” but don’t like director Nancy Meyers’ perfect world, perfect rich characters, perfect looking people, dressed and coifed just perfectly. But, for the sake of marital harmony, I agreed. I didn’t expect what followed. Throughout the movie, my wife was jabbing me in the ribs…
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MetroDad
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Diary of a Single Dad
14 Jan 2010 | 12:46 pmI'll never forget when my friend Sarah sat me down many years ago to lecture me about my relationships with the opposite sex. "Do you know how many girlfriends you'd have if you shut your mouth? You're smart, sexy, funny, caring and interesting. You read more than anyone I know and you've traveled all over the world. However, your constant need to entertain yourself is your Achilles' heel. You've got to learn to shut up. Also, it would help if you didn't have such an obvious indifference to whether people liked you or not. Idiot!"At first, I was shocked… -
The Death of Cool
18 Nov 2009 | 6:48 amI have never been cool. Trust me when I say it was never for a lack of trying.At various stages in my life, I worked so hard on feigning coolness that I'm surprised I didn't have an aneurysm. How many hours were spent trying on a variety of guises to find one that fit, I'll never know. From preppy jock to disaffected loner, I probably tried on more "costumes" than Mariah Carey in concert on Halloween night at The Flamingo. I'm not going to be too harsh on myself. I've come to realize that much of this past posturing was due to the vagaries of youth, insecurity… -
Listography: A Life in Lists
29 Oct 2009 | 5:51 pmI am an inherently lazy writer. Given the choice between curling up with a good book or sitting down at my computer, I will almost always choose the former over the latter. I'm also not very good at managing my free time. I've studied the habits of brilliantly successful people to see if there were some techniques that I might find helpful. Did you know that Buckminster Fuller averaged just two hours of sleep a night for two years and claimed he was more energetic and alert as a result? Or that Honore de Balzac ate dried coffee grounds to stimulate his imagination? Word is that… -
Golden Handcuffs
20 Oct 2009 | 9:48 amSometimes I think being an overly self-aware insomniac book nerd is more trouble than it's worth.While reading in the wee hours of the morning, I recently came across passages in two books that made me pause and reflect on the path my life has taken. Don't get me wrong. I like to introspectively examine my life as much as the next person. At the same time, I believe that too much introspection can frequently become a masturbatory exercise in self-absorption. To tell you the truth, I often think it'd be better if I slept more and read less. Anyway, here are the two… -
The Peanut Turns Five!
6 Oct 2009 | 9:47 amDear Peanut, Happy 5th birthday! Although you're completely ecstatic about this day, I think my own excitement might actually trump your own. Why? Mainly because I no longer have to keep hearing, "Daddy, daddy, daddy! How many more days until I turn five?" Don't get me wrong, kiddo. It was cute for awhile but after 5,000 times in one month, I was starting to think about canceling Christmas (FYI, it's in about 80 days.)Five is an amazingly fun age, Peanut. You've really turned into a person now and it simultaneously enthralls and scares the crap out of me. On the one…
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Child's Play x2 - A dad and his twins
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Ace of Cakes
8 Feb 2010 | 8:56 amI’ve been known to be competitive. I don’t like to lose. So when UndomesticDiva started talking trash about what a great cake decorator she is, I had to chime in. Smack talk led to smack talk and eventually a throwdown was discussed. For the record, I didn’t get to choose the theme: Mario Brothers. But, I rose to the challenge, figured out the fondant thing and put my best effort forward. The video below shows the process. The first minute is me talking about the cake and then… 3 and a half minutes of cake making - at lightning speed. Skip to the 4:30… -
Double Trouble
31 Jan 2010 | 10:59 pmIt’s a Saturday. Saturday is a day of frozen waffles, fresh brewed coffee, the morning paper, the Disney Channel and… Gymnastics. Gymnastics is pink leotards, bare feet, nervous kids, summersaults, dancing and lunch at McDonalds. Normally, we go as a family - our morning ritual of family time and lunch. This particular Saturday, however, Mommy has a cold so I am tasked with taking the kids on my own. This isn’t a problem and I hustle to get the kids ready to go. It is during this time that Swee’Pea announces she doesn’t want to go to gymnastics. Now,… -
How Fast Does That Car Go, Daddy?
25 Jan 2010 | 10:50 pmLast month my brother chronicled my nephew’s desire to know everything, calling him the smartest person he knows. My little guy likes to ask questions too. Lots of them. Unfortunately, they are almost always about cars (and Taylor Swift, but that’s another post). The boy is obsessed with cars. He can’t read but he can look at the logo of just about any car on the road and tell you who the manufacturer is. Ford, Nissan, Chevy, Toyota. BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, Porsche. It is not uncommon for us to be cruising down the road and TheMonk is giving me a play-by-play of… -
Fear Can Suck It
10 Jan 2010 | 10:25 pmI hear her cry out late at night. She should be sleeping as bed time was at least three hours prior. I rush to her room, like a masculine Ms. Clavelle and as I open the door I see her tear-stained face clutching her stuffed kitty as she cries. I quickly approach and begin to stroke her sweaty, matted hair. I ask her what’s wrong, expecting her to tell me she had a bad dream. Or maybe she has to go to the bathroom. Instead, through her sobs, she exlaims, “I don’t wanna go to school!” And there it is. Ever since we began talking about preschool - a real preschool and not… -
I love you more
27 Dec 2009 | 11:09 pmSaid the Dad as he walked with his kids on the shore, “I love you two just a little bit more. I love you more, you see, than there are stars in the sky I love you more than little girls sigh.” As he stretched for a stone that was just out of reach, “I love you two more than there’s sand on this beach. And if there’s one thing you learn from this Dad that you trust, It’s that I love you more than fairies have dust.” He squeezed two little hands and began to utter, “I love you two more than butterflies flutter. I love you two more than a forest…
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DadThing.com - A Dad Blog
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Can Being In A Rut Be Fun?
2 Feb 2010 | 8:14 pmEver feel like you are in a rut…digging and digging to get out, but getting no where fast? Ever since Momma started staying at home with Ace instead of going to work, we have really had to watch where our money goes. And now that we are living in a recession it almost like a noose around our necks! We pay all of our bills on time, but what’s left over leaves little room for much entertainment or extra curricular activities. The added stress and lack of doing things hasn’t really helped my blogging much. I mean, do you really want to hear about how we do the same thing… -
Using His Words…
16 Jan 2010 | 1:12 pmForever, I thought that ace was never going to talk. But here lately he has really been jibber-jabbing about everything under the sun. I recorded this video at dinner time the other night. Ace had been saying PIIIZZA all day, and so I figured he was asking for it… Momma wasn’t home to cook dinner, and I didn’t feel like cooking again, so we ordered some Donatos!! Looks like he likes pizza just as much as me! He ate 6 pieces… -
Why Buy Toys?
15 Dec 2009 | 7:43 pmI mean seriously. Ace has a whole room full of toys. Hell, you risk life and limb just to venture into the booby trapped maze of Fisher Price land mines! With all the toys that Ace has, it never seems to amaze me the things that he plays with… Favorite toy #1 is the toilet plunger! How much more sanitary of a toy could he find? If we leave the bathroom door open, it is a given that I will eventually trip over a tool designed to push a chunk of poo the size of a drain pipe! Favorite toy #2 is the toilet brush… If you find the poop pusher in the kitchen, you are likely to… -
Ever Lost Your Kid?
1 Dec 2009 | 4:40 pmThe other morning Momma woke up and heard the TV on downstairs…and it was on cartoons. Ace has never gone down the stairs before in his life (without rolling down them). She went downstairs to find Ace running around the downstairs nekkid as a jay bird!! Apparently, he took off his jams and diaper and decided to let the boys air out a bit… Then she noticed a Fed Ex package sitting inside the living room next to the front door. She figured that I met the Fed Ex guy on my way out the door and threw the package inside…but I didn’t. So our best guess is that Ace… -
New Look and New Reviews Section!
18 Nov 2009 | 10:42 pmI finally got the new theme for DadThing done, and am happy with it! In fact, I’m seriously considering starting a web design business. In addition to DadThing I have also also designed the following sites: HoylmanConstruction.com – My brother’s construction company. Gourmet Art Studio – My friend Jurate is an awesome artist, go check out her artwork!!! Sabrina’s Brown Bag – My wife’s new party business website! All of these were designed from scratch…no FrontPage or DreamWeaver or any of that crap…just plain ole’ HTML and CSS…
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DIYFATHER
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Parental Reading and Stories
8 Feb 2010 | 5:56 pmBy Pete Rorabaugh My recent priority of media digestion means that I skim, as fast as I can, any articles that (1) seem culturally aware and (2) mention my media interest: debates on belief, parenting stories, and independent music. Recently, the Internet chefs have produced a feast of parenting morsels including bad parents, boyhood studies, and the praises of being bored. Here is a collection of my parenting fragments: Time's most recent cover story, "The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting," is here. read more -
Learning with dad - a smart start to life, part 5
7 Feb 2010 | 1:20 pmOne of the all-time favourite acitivities of dads with their babies and small children has got to be massaging them. From a very early eage on it's just superb to see how they totally love the feeling of being massaged. Well then again who doesn't like being massaged - why would babies and toddlers be different? Basically you can never do too much massaging of your baby and it doesn't stop when they are a toddler. Here is a nice variation that teaches them about "bent" and "straight" and the concept of two sides to the body which you can use to introduce them to "left" and "right" (all of… -
Kids and Marriage
4 Feb 2010 | 8:01 pmWell it's Friday and the following is doing the rounds on viral email so I figured might as well post it to get you in the mood for the weekend! (read till the end - some real pearls of wisdom there). HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY? (Written by kids) You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming. -Alan, age 10 No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with. -Kristen, age… -
Drama with dad
4 Feb 2010 | 6:22 amIn case you haven't seen the "get dad to reenact a famous movie scene" concept check out the following: I think the concept is great but they could have really pushed it a bit further. So definitely try this at home, but whatever you do ... stay away from reenacting the Fatal Attraction scenes ... now that's just wrong! -Stef -
A dad's point of view - marriage, it's complicated
3 Feb 2010 | 2:27 amMy wife took me to see Nancy Meyer’s new movie, “It’s Complicated,” which stars Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, and Steve Martin. She had seen it a day or two before and wanted to see it with me saying, “It would be good for us.” Honestly, I do tend to like what is typically labeled “chick flicks” but don’t like director Nancy Meyer’s perfect world, perfect rich characters, perfect looking people, dressed and coifed just perfectly. But, for the sake of marital harmony, I agreed. I didn’t expect what followed. Throughout the movie, my wife was jabbing me in the ribs whenever…
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Doodaddy
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Inevitability
2 Feb 2010 | 4:07 amThe jackhammers and semi-trailers notwithstanding, 14-month old Claudia has fallen asleep in the car seat again. We’ve just dropped Fern at her afternoon nursery school program, and, free of kids’ music at last, I’m blasting NPR with the bass turned up high, like the dorky hoodlum that I am. Then it starts to hail and [...] -
Little Sister Envy
1 Feb 2010 | 1:49 pmThe neighborhood 5-year old, whom Fern worships like the full-sentence-writing goddess she is, was nonetheless the topic of a complaint yesterday. “She says I can’t have that dress because she still fits in it.” Just another parenting moment, right? And a million lessons present themselves: Graciousness. “Neighbor girl gives you a dress or a toy pretty much every [...] -
Peanut Butter Bandit
25 Jan 2010 | 3:40 pmWhy is it that I’m always trying to impress my daughter’s friends with my easygoingness? We had a before-school playdate today, and as is my habit I extensively quizzed our guest on her sandwich preference — peanut butter, no jelly, crust on, cut into squares. Standard operations working with preschoolers, after all, and I thought I [...] -
Stomach Pains
13 Jan 2010 | 2:16 pmMinor meltdown this morning, but first, let’s define terms for all you non-parents. Drop-off Playdate: E.g. crack for the stay-at-home parent. This is when you leave your kid at someone’s house, and most kids love ‘em. Fern, though, is a bit of a homebody. So when promised (in the most! excited! tone! of! voice!) a drop-off [...] -
Let a Sleeping Baby Lie. Except Smoosh Her Face a Little, Just For Kicks.
11 Jan 2010 | 4:03 pmHave you ever noticed that right after a baby falls asleep, you can smoosh her face around pretty much indiscriminately without bothering her even a little? What, you haven’t tried that? Facial plasticity is just one of the many things I’m discovering the second baby around — Claudia, the baby whom I can face-smoosh, head-stand, shot-put, and [...]
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Daddy Brain
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Life is like a puzzle…with a lot of pieces
3 Feb 2010 | 9:18 pmA couple of weeks ago I bought a 1,000 piece puzzle for the family to put together. When I looked at all the pieces, scattered on one of our play tables, I realized it was a lot like life. Let me explain… If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that there’s no one clear answer for anyone. [...] -
Loss and the Erosion of a Human Being
4 Dec 2009 | 11:41 amFeelings of loss permeate my existence. They often lie just below the surface of my conciousness, occasionally jumping out like flying fish that pop out of the ocean. Problem is, the feeling does not disappear back into my subconscious. And there are more fish than ever swimming around and popping up inside my head. Loss seems [...] -
Do You Have Spirituality in Your Life?
7 Nov 2009 | 8:40 pmIt’s been almost two years since Daddy Brain posted its first article. Way back when, one of my goals was to write blog posts about spirituality. But the only one that resembles a spiritual post has the word schmuck in the title, so I’m guessing there’s more to explore. Many of the issues I’ve written about – [...] -
People are Dying to be Heard: an Interview with Ben Merens
29 Oct 2009 | 12:11 pmBen Merens is a professional speaker and radio host. His radio show, At Issue with Ben Merens, is very popular because it examines a variety of topics that have relevance to our every-day lives. As a speaker, Ben’s message is gaining more and more attention because of its importance: people are dying to be heard. Ben was kind [...] -
Little Acts of Love, by Paul Peterson
28 Oct 2009 | 7:15 amI came across a wonderful article at one of my favorite blogs, paulpetersonlive.com. I was so moved by Paul’s message, I felt it was important to share with you: Last night our family took a friend of ours to Cracker Barrel for his 30th birthday. Our friend is from Honduras and speaks broken English (though he’s [...]
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Wired: GeekDad
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Books for the Geek Love of Your Life
9 Feb 2010 | 6:00 amMost women say they want flowers, jewelry and chocolate. Well, I like chocolate likely more than the next woman. But what I really covet is a great book. So in honor of Valentine’s Day, I put together a list of science fiction books that satisfy both my geeky and romantic soul. Cordelia’s Honor and A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold. Bujold is the author who pulled me back into reading science fiction. I read the classics growing up, with Robert Heinlein a particular favorite, but after a while, it was difficult to find excellent science fiction that also featured… -
Welcome the Chinese New Year with Kai-Lan on the DS
9 Feb 2010 | 5:30 amNext Sunday is a holiday of wonder and celebration. No, not Valentine’s Day! It’s the first day of the Chinese New Year. (2010: Year of the Tiger!) Perhaps the most important holiday in Chinese culture, the New Year is an opportunity to celebrate, exchange gifts, and reconnect with family and friends. The makers of Ni Hao, Kai-Lan have made a charming Nintendo DS game, Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: New Year’s Celebration that will introduce fans of the show to some of the traditions associated with the Chinese New Year. The game is organized around the activities of a single day: waking… -
Five Great Geeky Chick Flicks for Valentine’s Day
9 Feb 2010 | 5:00 amImage: www.thetimetravelerswifemovie.com In a year when the top chick flicks involve vampires, it’s hard to say what makes a geeky chick flicks stand out from the rest of the genre. But it’s safe to say geek women are drawn to films with intelligent dialogue, an interesting premise, a strong female lead and a leading man who’s quirky but charming. (Good-looking doesn’t hurt either.) Here are five of my personal geeky romantic favorites, in five different categories: separated by time; separated by death; shades of the supernatural; fun and silly adventures; and alternate realities. -
Perform Engineering Calculations in the Palm of Your Hand
9 Feb 2010 | 4:30 amImage: MultiEducator, Inc. Are you an engineer who wishes they had access to some work-related calculations out in the field? A series of handy new apps may offer what you need. The Formulator Series by MultiEducator, Inc. is a series of iPhone/iPod Touch apps designed and packaged for a variety of engineering and other professionals. Depending on the application you choose, there are many formulas, calculations, regulatory codes and industrial code requirements included. I volunteered to review a free copy of the Civil Engineer app, since my husband has been a registered professional civil… -
RPG Battle Maps Square Off: Battle Graph Dry Erase Boards
9 Feb 2010 | 4:00 amBattle Graph boards in use. Photo: Michael Harrison Running battles in combat-centric role-playing games can be as painful as stepping on a caltrop. You’re either depending on the Gamemaster to keep the entire scene in his or her head, or you’re constantly drawing and erasing the map on a ratty piece of graph paper. I’ve seen groups use Lego minifigs, chess pieces and even jelly beans. While the DIY crowd can certainly save a buck or two and keep using confections, many gamers are seeking out more polished solutions. There are a host of battle map options, ranging in price…
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GreatDad.com
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How to hug a baby
7 Feb 2010 | 1:24 amHere are some funny instructions on hugging babies. -
Penguins of Madagascar DVD Giveaway
4 Feb 2010 | 2:00 amBuckle up for more of the wildly popular Madagascar adventures with the world premiere of the penguins first feature-length DVD. -
Evenflo Mega Splash ExerSaucer
1 Feb 2010 | 1:23 amA bright, fun-filled entertainment experience that offers developmental and exercise benefits for baby while providing parents with a safer alternative to walkers. -
The Boys are Back DVD Contest
7 Jan 2010 | 1:13 amWin a DVD of the movie. Exclusive bonus features include a behind-the-scenes photographic tour and a visit with the three special guys who lived the story. -
Top baby names 2009
7 Jan 2010 | 12:14 amHere are the top 20 names for boys and girls in 2009.
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spain dad, a baby blog
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The Aroma of Life
8 Feb 2010 | 11:25 pmIt was my day off. Alleke was at school. April was in the shower, and I sat on the couch with Teo asleep in my arms smelling the back of his neck.His neck smelled like the beach—not clean or refined, but earthy and rich, salty and sweet, all blended together by nature. Smelling Teo's neck was like smelling the aroma of life itself. Most days I take Teo in the morning while Alleke gets ready for school so that April can sleep a little longer. Even though it's Teo's best time of day, and I'll often catch him smiling and giggling at nothing in particular, I don't actually have time to play… -
Bathroom Stall
7 Feb 2010 | 8:21 amOld hardware by soopahgrover.Alleke ran ahead of me down the echoey hallway, and I helped her push open the swinging door into the men's bathroom. Before I could say anything she had closed herself in one of the stalls and said, "I can do it myself, Daddy." I watched from the outside as the small medal disk next to the door latch rotated and locked into place."You just locked the door," I said in astonishment. I was a little miffed. "I can't help you until you unlock the door again," I warned her. As I paced back and forth in front of the bathroom stalls listening to Alleke cheerfully singing… -
Ambassador
26 Jan 2010 | 3:44 amOctober 2 - David C. Jacobson - U.S. Ambassador to Canada by US Mission Canada.After Teo was born in mid November, my family appointed me as the official ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Teo. April, especially, seemed only concerned about homeland security, in other words what happened inside the four walls of our apartment. Stepping through our front door seemed as intimidating as having to go through customs, and this world beyond was now a separate society, across the border, left to be dealt with by an official representative like me. I felt bad for our friends who started to miss… -
Werewolf
21 Jan 2010 | 2:55 amEvery time our friend Laura comes over, she looks at Teo like he's a steak dinner. She has an appetite for holding babies, and she's always so appreciative that we are willing to share him with her, which is just the way April and I want it to be, since in all honesty we would let the mailman hold the baby if he was willing.April had a great idea the other day. She said, "I know, Laura, you can change Teo's diaper," and when Laura's eyes lit up, April added, "and Kelly can show you how."So, while April sat on the couch and watched TV, I supervised Laura at the changing table. I didn't say… -
San Miguel
18 Jan 2010 | 1:12 pmAlleke bowed her head reverently and folded her hands above her plate."Dear God, thank you for my cousin Josie and my cousin Emma and my cousin DJ and my cousin Charlie." She lifted her head and peeked at the people sitting around the table."Thank you for mama and for Teo and for daddy and for my friend Amy," she continued, naming each person.Once again she bowed her head and closed her eyes. "Help me drink and help me eat," she prayed, and then, as an afterthought, she added, "and help daddy drink beer. Amen."
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Little m Long a
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I Think My Calender Stopped
4 Feb 2010 | 6:15 pmIt should be later. But it’s not. It feels later. Not hours. Days. Like maybe Sunday. But I’d be watching football. Not sitting here. Wondering. Why the week isn’t through. comment. share. peace. -
Raising the Bar–A Tale of Two Raccoons
2 Feb 2010 | 9:47 amMaybe it’s the magnitude of deeply significant events. Could be my complete lack of mental capacity. Maybe I’m finally manifesting the negative consequences of poor choices at an earlier age. Or maybe I’m just forgetful. The raccoons, Zander and Zella, turned four years old yesterday. Four. Years. Old! Customarily on each childs’ birthday we recount the day of their birth. The details surrounding how each child came screaming into the world. The kids love it, so much so that the stories are often repeated throughout the year. I should be able to… -
What? Do We Live in a Zoo?
26 Jan 2010 | 4:35 am“Dad! Dad! There’s a noise! We heard a noise upstairs!” The twins, bright eyed and animated as ever came running into the kitchen. They clutched my legs, trembling. “What do you think it was?” (I knew exactly what it was. I had overloaded the washing machine—again—and as it tried to start it’s spin cycle began to shake pretty strongly.) “I don’t know,” Zander timidly responded. “Was it the cat?” I asked. (Let’s see how far I can take this, I thought to myself.) “No. The cat ran.”… -
I Haven’t Repaid Society, But Karma is Happier
25 Jan 2010 | 6:37 amThe last time I checked, I had successfully completed the third grade. OK, successfully might be stretching it as a descriptor but I made it through. And no, I do not have a diploma or letter of recognition to commemorate the occasion. But then again, I come from an era where mediocrity was not celebrated. It was expected. It was generally assumed that if at the end of the third grade school year your name is on the list of students moving to the fourth grade that you had completed the requirements for the third grade. There were no ceremonies, no pomp. Just move along. How is it,… -
That Wasn’t Supposed to Happen
20 Jan 2010 | 5:56 pmThe van had a button. Things were pretty easy. You want the back lift-gate open? Press a button. You want the back lift-gate shut? Press the button again. Easy. We don’t have the van anymore. In all honesty, that is the only feature I miss about that van when compared to our new vehicle. Well, new is kind of stretching it. It was new to us in June. New to us I have to say because the actual newness of the vehicle wore off some two years earlier when it was in fact at that time a new vehicle. The lift-gate is not automatic. It’s not really that big of a deal. I…
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Tales From The Dad Side
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Mental About Dental
9 Feb 2010 | 3:15 amGrowing up, I was never the kid who was afraid of going to the dentist. Those stories that you used to get in elementary school, about how Timmy (who else always says that name like TIM-MAY ala South Park?) was scared about the dentist and his tools and whatever? I could not figure them out for the life of me.My dentist was a kind man, not particularly kid-friendly or anything (in other words, it was a normal dentist's office and not some kind of petting zoo crossed with an arcade that happened to deal in teeth work also), just a nice guy with a calm demeanour who cleaned (I never dealt with… -
(Messed) Up
8 Feb 2010 | 3:15 amBack in September, I wrote a post about how my daughter was afraid to go to a movie theatre. I specifically mentioned the film Up as an example because it was in theatres that summer and while she was eager to see the trailers the thought of the actual movie scared her. Then she got the idea that she would watch it on DVD, and clung to that notion.This past week, Up arrived in our mailbox (via the Canadian version of Netflix), and Munchkin was beside herself with excitement. She knew there were scary parts (specifically the storm scenes in the trailer worried her, and I also warned her about… -
Parenting via Webcam
5 Feb 2010 | 3:15 amSometimes, if Buddy is having a rough morning, MTM will IM me on gmail and ask me to fire up the webcam on my laptop. The unique experience of seeing me on the computer and talking to him real-time distracts him enough that he forgets why he was pissed off in the first place. The irony is that we do not have a webcam on our home PC (we have one, but when I connected it, the video card failed, which, not so good) so I'm left to whatever MTM can type in the chat box. Otherwise, I'm like a children's tv host, pretending I can see the little person watching… -
My Interview With AndreAnna
4 Feb 2010 | 3:15 amAlternate Title: I will stab you. In the throat.In what has become a somewhat regular feature, this is my sixth blogger interview (links to past interviews can be found at the end of the post). This week's victim subject is AndreAnna of Diary of a Modern Matriarch, a long-time reader of my blog who lives in New Jersey (and sounds like it too, even though she denies it).SciFi Dad: So why don't we start with something simple: why change the name of your blog to "Modern Matriarch"?AndreAnna: From when it was Diary of a Diapering Madwoman?SciFi Dad: YesAndreAnna: Because when I checked the stats… -
Change, Revisited
3 Feb 2010 | 3:15 amOriginally, I was all set to prepare today's post last night. I'll probably write it at some point in the future, but my head is spinning with anxiety at the moment.On Monday I finally called the larger company that was interested in me, only to learn that something has changed. I don't know if my contact who talked to me in December was mistaken, or if his manager is playing with me, but there was a lack of enthusiasm. I emailed them my resume, and the manager said he would bring it up at their next meeting. Bottom line, I did not get a warm fuzzy.Then, yesterday morning when I got into the…
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Amanamongmommies
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Malware Sux
7 Feb 2010 | 7:55 pmI was hit by a really bad bit of Malware on Friday. My laptop had been out of commission until today… I used up all of my skills and then realized I was out classed. Brought it to a friend (Thanks Bill) and he was able to get ride of the beast in the machine. -
The Noise of Extra Children
4 Feb 2010 | 7:50 pmMy additional logo I have been using for Facebook I have created a fan page on Facebook. If you visit me here I invite you to become a fan and even a friend. Send me a friend request and let me know who you are. The AMAM logo works well for thumbnail and avatar images. The Noise of Additional Children Being an at home parent has it’s advantages so of which make you feel like your ears are bleeding. Typically there is an extra couple kids here and in the summer there has been as many as a dozen hanging out. I know as the boys get older this will actually increase since they… -
Monday Blues… or at least Grayish Blue..
1 Feb 2010 | 6:56 amOf course this morning it is cloudy and really gray (grey if you will) outside. I really dislike this time of the year. It is cold, very dry and of course gray a heck of a lot. So when we get up instead of the sun shinning through the blinds, there is this dull off color hue in the air. Double Whammy! Well my middle guy a whole 5 1/2 got the double whammy last week. Not only did he get an ear infection, but he also had strep throat. He was and still is a little miserable. The sore throat and as he put it a “pancake in his ear” made him rather challenging. Hey at… -
Too Little Time To…
29 Jan 2010 | 7:40 amBirthday Cake... Mmmm Now thats a cookie! Well with the little guy turning two we had the family over for Cake and Ice Cream. It was a nice little gathering of more then 25 people. I made Cake that had Chocolate and Vanilla Frosting as well as a couple GIANT cookies. Mix that with Ice Cream and the kids were a bit hopped up on sugar. Of course the little guy was spoiled rotten and he added to his collection of Lions and Toy Story Toys… Too Little Time To __________! That is the phrase of the week for me. When you have a project due that includes reading transcripts from an… -
Happy Birthday My Little Man
21 Jan 2010 | 6:16 amMy little guy turns 2 today. I can not believe how big he is getting! 2 Years Ago Today Baby Lion First Christmas 1st Birthday What Cookie? 2 years Old and Proud of It
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A Family Runs Through It
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My Last Post
8 Feb 2010 | 9:58 pmThis is my last post on the old Blogger framework.I've switched over to WordPress.If you are reading this on Google Reader or one of the other feed readers out there, then you MUST change your link to my new feed, which is:http://feeds.feedburner.com/AFamilyRunsThroughItI don't want to lose you! So, please click on the above link, subscribe to the new feed, and then delete the old one. All of my posts will now come through the feedburner feed.And then come on over to A Family Runs Through It and check out the new look. Leave a comment letting me know you're still on board. Thanks! -
Blog Change
8 Feb 2010 | 1:18 amI spent the better part of this weekend wrestling with a blog change.Blogger recently announced that they were ending FTP support for self-hosted blogs. Since that's the category I fall under, I thought this would be a good opportunity to switch over to WordPress for all my blogging needs.I also thought it would be easy. It was anything but.Oh sure, it was relatively painless setting up a new WordPress blog. They even have a handy little button to import all of your Blogger posts and comments over to WordPress. Of course, it didn't work for me and I had to do a lot of digging to figure out a… -
Photo Friday
5 Feb 2010 | 2:28 amAs we explored the Universal Studios backlot, my son was losing his patience with me.He already wasn't feel very well, and my constant, "Stand here! This will make a great picture" was becoming annoying, I have to admit.But he had absolutely no problem running over to this fountain and telling me to take his picture after the tour guide explained that the Cuzco scene from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull had been filmed in this very square. -
That Sinking Feeling
3 Feb 2010 | 7:29 amAs parents, it seems like not a day goes by when we don't get some sense of dread or disappointment. Thankfully, these feelings are usually minor. We get over them quickly, or at least with very little pain and suffering.Here are my Top Five Sinking Feelings (that don't involved death, destruction, or body parts):1. The most common one occurs while sitting on the toilet, usually after you've concluded your business, when you look over to see that there is no toilet paper on the roll. How many times do we have to tell our kids to replace the paper after they've used it up?2. Standing in the… -
Let's Take The Whole Day Off
2 Feb 2010 | 1:21 amMy son gave me the day off today.He knew I was way behind on housework and various other projects I have going.Well, yes, he knew that. But he really just wanted the day off for himself.So he worked extra hard on Monday, doubling up some of his lessons and researching like a madman for his paper on How Humans Will Live In Space.Today we get the day off.Doh! I forgot. I have another homeschooler.Okay, so my son gets the day off, while I get to teach my daughter.Of course, she's in third grade. She can afford a day off from times tables, pronouns, and Greek myths.I don't know. Maybe we'll all…
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I have to wipe his what?
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Meet The Neighbors, Again
8 Feb 2010 | 12:35 amMeet The Neighbors, AgainHaving moved, again, and again at the end of a pregnancy (dam you Lilly!) the first thing I did after we rented our new place was drive around the hood in search of signs of baby/kid life. Yes, I have to put in the effort to meet a whole new neighborhood of people. Well, as long as this doesn’t happen again, we’ll be fine. Just on the other side of my street I -
Pregnancy Irrationalities Revisited
31 Jan 2010 | 11:01 pmPregnancy Irrationalities Revisited“It’s making me sick!” Lilly said as she was leaning her enlarged pregnant body against the edge of the kitchen sink standing over the open dishwasher while yielding two potential flying glass projectiles in her hand.“Why are there still bits of food on these plates!” As she was yelling at me with a look of utter despair on her face, I had to struggle -
Photos
24 Jan 2010 | 11:51 pmPhotosCan you believe this actually worked? Since we've moved to this street two years ago I've gotten about ten tickets due to the dam street sweeper. Because I actually had a legitimate reason for not moving my truck this time, as opposed to my usual lapse in memory, I took a photo of it, ready to go to court and battle it out if I had to. But alas, they spared me another ticket. -
Merry Christmahanaquanzika!
23 Dec 2009 | 9:49 pmMerry Christmahanaquanzika!I felt so bad for the boy during the shoot. It was 60 degrees out at the beach, and pretty windy. But as soon as we plopped him down on the sand, he was loving it. In fact, he only complained when we put his clothes back on. I didn't know how to top last years card that we sent out, but I think it turned out rather well for a regular photo. Below was last -
There’s Something On The Tip Of His…
30 Nov 2009 | 11:02 pmThere’s Something On The Tip Of His…From above came a soul piercing yell aimed at me, pleading for me to come up stairs. So naturally I take my time. Until she starts yelling again and any more delay will be too obvious as intentional.There sitting on the floor, my son lying butt naked post-bath on his butt white towel, with Lilly sitting beside him shuddering.Lilly’s pleading eyes look
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Nuclear Family Warhead
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A Thousand Words Isn’t Going To Cut It
8 Feb 2010 | 11:18 amSUPER BOWL MVP DREW BREES WITH THE BEST AWARD EVER If you are a resident of planet Earth, then you know that the New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl last night. I came across a link to this picture and was amazed when it came up. I was dumbstruck by how much it said without uttering a single sound. I think the Pulitzer Prize people should just give this photographer their prize right now; I don’t know that anyone else will be able to top it. While I’m not a Saints fan, I am a Drew Brees fan. He carries himself with a grace and humbleness that is hard to find in… -
Who Are Those Guys?
2 Feb 2010 | 2:18 pmPICK YOUR DIAPER! I’ve noticed a trend recently in web ads. The days of the dancing cowboys are over. So are the days of the dancing alien. Actually, they’ve been over for a while, but the good folks at Lower My Bills dot com have changed tactics once again to continue to bring you ads that have absolutely nothing to do with the product they are selling. Oh, sure, we’ll always have the 50 states abbreviated in everything from snails, emoticons and baby diapers to keep us company, but the flash ads of dancing silhouettes on rooftops and gyrating robots may be gone for… -
Andy Warhol Was Half Right
28 Jan 2010 | 11:53 amSERTS(2ND FROM RIGHT-TOP ROW) & STEVE THOMAS (KNEELING) Andy Warhol famously once said; “In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes.” He should have doubled it for my friend Sergio Grado. Sergio, or “Serts” as he was known when we were younger, will be featured for a 30 minute segment on tonight’s episode of Renovation Nation on the Discovery Channel’s “Planet Green” channel. The show is hosted by Steve Thomas, who some of you may remember as being Bob Vila’s replacement on This Old House. Steve and his crew document… -
The Ones That Made It Through The TinFoil Hat
18 Jan 2010 | 8:25 pmI have some pretty random thoughts sometimes. Most of you who follow this blog regularly, or those who have access to my medical files, understand that. I’ve mentioned before that I cracked my head open 8 times before I was 6 years old; not just bumps on the head, mind you, but real injuries that required stitches and everything. It’s a shame that none of those bumps or lacerations gave me the opportunity to be the Original George Malley, but I keep banging my head against the wall and gazing skyward for a UFO in hopes that I too can be scary smart, just without the tumor… -
Snidely DoGooder And The Behavior Police
11 Jan 2010 | 8:41 amSNUFF IT, SUBJECT! North Carolina rang in the New Year with legislation enacted on January 4th that banned smoking in all bars and restaurants. Snidely DoGooder, economist and Job Destruction Czar for the state of North Carolina summed it up this way; “For too long the evil tobacco companies provided our country with over 15 Billion dollars and our state with over 171 Million dollars a year in tax revenue. We felt that it was unfair for smokers to be the only ones carrying such a large tax burden, so the only logical conclusion was to tax the tobacco industry out of business. We…
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Memoirs of a Stay At Home Dad
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Check out the Awesome Videophone!
14 Oct 2010 | 9:31 amThis product is simply amazing, especially when you see children enjoying it! It is much, much easier to use than a webcam--who doesn't know how to use a phone!-- and will most likely save you money on your monthly phone bill!If you are interested in getting a videophone or cashing in on this awesome technology then check out my website: http://www.kenbruce.acnrep.com -
Numerous New Posts Coming Soon! Promise!
14 Jan 2010 | 9:05 pmLots of catching up to do!!! -
Rub My Back/Belly, Nonnie Here!, Thanks Nonnie for the New Word, I Want My Mommy, Icky Witch/Mean Old Lady, Halloween Store!
13 Oct 2009 | 10:48 pmMore soon... -
1st Week of Preschool, Cousin Vinnie's Party, Pasquales Bday Party, Maria(Meera), Sleeping Beauty(Sleeping Booty), Videophone!
19 Sep 2009 | 8:39 pmMore to come.... -
1st Day of Preschool, I Love You Daddy, Florida Vacation--Chaos!
3 Sep 2009 | 7:59 pmWe recently had Emma's preschool open house. It was cool to go see her school and be able to check out all the things that are there. Emma really liked the cars that they have and played with the cash register--ka-ching! We met her teacher again who is very nice, I think Emma likes her! That is a relief! I still can't help feeling nervous about her starting preschool even if it is only a couple
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all that comes with it
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A-Z of Hadrian’s Bloggers: JJ Daddy-O & Jo Beaufoix
5 Feb 2010 | 2:48 amIn July of this year I will be walking the 84 mile long Hadrian’s Wall footpath. I am doing this in aid of The Joseph Salmon Trust, a charity that provides financial support to parents who have lost a child. This might be help with things like funeral costs for those struggling to afford them, or to allow the self employed to take time off in order to grieve. Over the next nine days I will be showcasing the bloggers that will be hiking the trail with me. JJ Daddy-O Ever since I first encounter JJ Daddy-O I was suspicious of him. This guy claims to live in the American South, and yet he… -
A-Z of Hadrian’s Bloggers: Idaho Dad & ImPerceptible
4 Feb 2010 | 2:19 amIn July of this year I will be walking the 84 mile long Hadrian’s Wall footpath. I am doing this in aid of The Joseph Salmon Trust, a charity that provides financial support to parents who have lost a child. This might be help with things like funeral costs for those struggling to afford them, or to allow the self employed to take time off in order to grieve. Over the next nine days I will be showcasing the bloggers that will be hiking the trail with me. Idaho Dad Idaho Dad started his blog A Family Runs Through It way back in 2004. That’s some seriously old school blogging. I mean… -
A-Z of Hadrian’s Bloggers: Gary & Ian
2 Feb 2010 | 1:37 pmIn July of this year I will be walking the 84 mile long Hadrian’s Wall footpath. I am doing this in aid of The Joseph Salmon Trust, a charity that provides financial support to parents who have lost a child. This might be help with things like funeral costs for those struggling to afford them, or to allow the self employed to take time off in order to grieve. Over the next nine days I will be showcasing the bloggers that will be hiking the trail with me. Gary Gary writes over at the blog Jerry Chicken. If you haven’t yet visited him over there then you really should. Not only does he… -
A-Z of Hadrian’s Bloggers: Ed & Erin
1 Feb 2010 | 2:13 amIn July of this year I will be walking the 84 mile long Hadrian’s Wall footpath. I am doing this in aid of The Joseph Salmon Trust, a charity that provides financial support to parents who have lost a child. This might be help with things like funeral costs for those struggling to afford them, or to allow the self employed to take time off in order to grieve. Over the next nine days I will be showcasing the bloggers that will be hiking the trail with me. Ed Ed over at Little m Long a is a fellow nurse, although he gave all that stuff up a few years ago to concentrate on being a full time… -
A-Z of Hadrian’s Bloggers: Clair & Dad Who Writes
29 Jan 2010 | 1:00 pmIn July of this year I will be walking the 84 mile long Hadrian’s Wall footpath. I am doing this in aid of The Joseph Salmon Trust, a charity that provides financial support to parents who have lost a child. This might be help with things like funeral costs for those struggling to afford them, or to allow the self employed to take time off in order to grieve. Over the next nine posts I will be showcasing the bloggers that will be hiking the trail with me. Clair Clair writes over at Moon in the Gutter, and before that she blogged at Sad Sweet Songs. And if you can show me two better names…
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At-Home Dad Newsletter
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The only living house dad in Eau Claire.
12 Jan 2010 | 10:27 amNice at-home dad tune by Garrison Keillor. He shared it on his epic radio show a few days ago. enjoy.. I'm the only living house dad in Eau ClaireMen who care for children — we are rareIt may be common in San Francisco or San Luis ObispoBut not there — in Eau Claire. more.. -
My son made a new Waffle.
31 Aug 2009 | 2:20 pm -
My son made me a waffle for Father's day....
21 Jun 2009 | 8:42 am -
More exposure on parenting bill excluding at-home dads
27 Feb 2009 | 9:17 amThanks to reader Joe Akers, Rep Davis has more comments to mull over to read opposing her bill which excludes dads from her parenting bill. He sent in this letter below to the St Louis Post-Dispatch which was published last nightIt seems that Ms. Davis has sponsored a bill that will provide a yearly tax credit for stay at home mothers. While I applaud her recognition that parents who stay at home deserve compensation, she has left out what I feel is a key component of this bill. It has come to my attention that she specifically wants to exclude… -
Dads shut out of parenting bill because "only women can be nurturers"
27 Feb 2009 | 7:36 amOn my hot seat today is Rep. Cynthia Davis, (R-O'Fallon), and not just because she bought herself a truck for personal use with state money a bunch of years back, or what I think are questionable parenting techniques. According to KMOU of Columbia, Missouri, Davis is trying to push a bill through the house to pay at-home moms $600 each year they care for children under the age of 16. A nice gesture, but dads need not apply. Davis informed the NBC affiliate reporter Sarah Hollenbeck "only women can be nurturers" and has intentionally left dads out…
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Cynical Dad
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Changes
8 Feb 2010 | 8:01 pmI have come to the realization that I'm no longer cool.To be 100% truthful, I've come to the realization that I've never been cool. I've been doing a damn fine job of lying to myself for quite some time. Denial is fun, fun, fun!Anyway, a combination of factors have contributed to a recent change in my diet:Cynical Dad Day will be no fun this year as I'm one day from turning 40. They took my sports radio away. I recently completed an 800-mile trip in a car borrowed from my father-in-law (long story) where the only disc in the glovebox was an Elvis Gospel CD.Somewhere in the mountains of… -
The Cynical Dad Super Bowl Ad Spectacular
8 Feb 2010 | 6:21 amThese are my Top 6 ads from Super Bowl XLIV:6. CareerBuilder.comI actually saw this commercial a few days ago, so I don't know if it should count as an "official" Super Bowl commercial. But it was too funny to leave off the list.5. Monster.comAnything that makes me think of Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas is aces in my book.4. kgbSumo wrestler!3. DoritosNo commercial made me laugh harder this one.2. AudiAudi's ad for their green car was a hilarious (and scary) look at environmentalists (how long do you this we are from this actually happening?). Bonus: they reworked a Cheap Trick song!1. -
Beating Bill Simmons 2009: Super Bowl
6 Feb 2010 | 6:40 pmI'll keep this short and sweet. I didn't do nearly as well as I have in the past with my postseason picks. Hell, there's a chance I'll finish below .500 for the first time in my three years of picks. But for the second year in a row, I'll beat Simmons.So there.So here's my pick for Super Bowl XLIV (Bill's pick in red):Colts (-4.5) over SaintsThere is NO WAY the Saints will come close to winning this game. Petyon Manning is just TOO good. Indianapolis will win by at least 10. It's been seven years since we've seen a good ass-beating in the Super Bowl (Bucs over Raiders). I think we'll see… -
Let's Talk About Sexy
4 Feb 2010 | 7:02 pmGuess where I am today? I'm part of the Mominatrix's Valentine's Day Gift Guide!Actually, that sentence makes it sound like you can purchase me as a Valentine's Day gift.You can't.Sorry, folks.Anyway, she asked a bunch of us dads what we found sexy.Curious? -
Oy
3 Feb 2010 | 6:50 pmA week from today, I turn 40.Forty.That's really old.I'm having a hard time coming to terms with this.I've been debating dying my hair blue, putting my earrings back in, and getting a tattoo.It's cheaper than buying a Corvette.
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Poop and Boogies
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Illustrator
8 Feb 2010 | 5:26 pmMy favorite book when I was a little kid was(a series)called Henry the Explorer. I really loved the story, which I would try to act out each week, and I loved the illustrations which I would try to copy using a box of Crayolas. As I got older my interest switched to comic books, which I would also try to act out but I had an easier time trying to recreate the images of the super heroes using colored pencils and paints.For the longest time the only thing I wanted to be when I grew up was a cartoonist or illustrator. This is one of the covers to a comic book I created with my friend Bob when we… -
Bedtime
6 Feb 2010 | 5:51 amMost nights the job of putting Maxfield and Wyatt to bed belongs to me. I usually start the process at 7:30 by getting them in their PJs as they watch a TV show. At 8:00 we head upstairs to brush teeth, pee, say prayers and climb into bed. Every night the boys ask me to tell them a story.Sometimes I read to them (which is difficult now that they are in bunk beds)but most nights I make up stories to tell them. Their favorite bedtime stories are The Adventures of Max and Wyatt, go figure, which is about two little boys with super powers. Max and Wyatt's powers change each night depending on the… -
Don't Laugh
4 Feb 2010 | 2:06 amI know I posted a similar video a few months ago, but as I was cleaning up files on my computer I found this video. This one is equally NOT funny. Do not laugh. It is NOT FUNNY.Also my wife posted over at Gigglepotamus. Please go and leave her a comment. -
Curtain
1 Feb 2010 | 3:03 am"It is bad enough that I had to listen to your mother tell me the entire time how romantic it was to watch Shakespeare, which I have hard time understanding, in the park, at night, under the stars but then to have some idiot propose to his girlfriend in front of the whole audience, I am never coming to one of your shows again."And that was the review my dad gave my performance in Much Ado About Nothing. The "idiot" was a cast member named Jim who used the curtain call to propose to his girlfriend.Six months later, in a tiny theater in Cheltenham with a different theater company, I asked my… -
Dessert
29 Jan 2010 | 4:13 amGetting Wyatt to eat his dinner has been somewhat of a struggle. Some nights he eats but most nights he does not. There is no rhyme or reason to when he chooses to eat. Max did the same thing when he was about the same age so I know it probably is just a phase. Wyatt being the second child, I have learned not to put up a fight and just let him not eat. He knows that if he does not eat he does not get anything else for the rest of the night and he is usually okay with that.The other night I had a hankering for a root beer float. I promised to go out and get the ingredients to make root beer…
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Creative-Type Dad
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No, You Can’t Have a Boyfriend in Preschool!
2 Feb 2010 | 12:15 amI knew something was strange when I picked up my daughter from school and as she was giggling hysterically. When I smiled and asked what was so funny - thinking I would get an answer like some silly picture she drew or maybe some game she had been playing - I didn’t expect to hear this:Daughter: “Guess who I’m thinking of?”Who? Ariel? Mommy? Daddy? …Lionel Richie?Daughter: “MARCUS” (followed by her giggles and those of 3 friends)“Marcus?” And they were all looking at the new boy in the corner of the room playing with Thomas trains COMPLETELY unaware of the groupies not far… -
How To Answer The Question “Where Do Babies Come From?
22 Jan 2010 | 11:45 pmApparently my explanation to my 4-year old daughter a few weeks ago didn’t resonate completely with her:“My seed, otherwise know as ‘sperma’ or haploid with 23 chromosomes, and mommy’s egg, also with 23 chromosomes met in the mommy’s womb and formed a diploid cell and after it fertilized a zygote was formed, which is basically a baby, and now you’ll be a big sister in a few months. Now go clean your room, brush your teeth, be nice to mommy, and don’t forget to wash your hands after using the bathroom. I love you.”Today my daughter told my wife how her baby brother got into… -
2010 Will Be Better!
5 Jan 2010 | 12:30 amDecember is finally over.In 4 short weeks we’ve been through my wife’s graduation, a week at Disney World, a long in-law visit, our car (2005 MINI cooper) engine dying out of nowhere, 2 more family members losing their homes, and then sudden passing of one of my oldest and closest friends’ grandmother.It’s been a very tough month.Thankfully 2009 ended on something to be cheerful about, we had our first ultrasound last week and we’re having a BOY! Everything seems to be there, in working order and he’s growing just fine and is on target for spring. We couldn’t be more thrilled to… -
Explaining Christmas to One Confused Kid
24 Dec 2009 | 1:00 pmWe’re back from Disney World! Thankfully we left just before the place started getting really crowded.The trip went great, plenty of sunshine, hardly any rain, and was an overall success. My wife and I were concerned about experiencing some major breakdowns since our daughter went without a nap for well over a week. But thankfully no major incidents except for one very odd thing that happened, which I’ll write about at some other time.One big thing we do every year there is attend something called the Candlelight Procession at Ecpot. Which is rather nice show of tradition Christmas music… -
Things Never To Ask a 4-year-old And Other Exciting Stuff
10 Dec 2009 | 12:00 amI can’t even describe how busy we’ve been the past few weeks…After 3-years of demanding and difficult work, my wife finally graduated from Pepperdine University with her MBA last weekend. I for one couldn’t be more proud of her. Working full-time, going to school, papers, group projects, and having a family wasn’t easy.When she began our daughter was only 18 months old and at the time we thought it wouldn’t be too straining on our daughter and marriage when in fact, at times, it was downright stressful. But thankfully we all survived and she did it. We’re celebrating the…
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modern day dad
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Werner Herzog "Reads" Curious George
19 Jan 2010 | 10:05 amvia daddytypes.com "But is it really George's fault? Or is it the Man in The Yellow Hat's fault for taking an agent of chaos out of the wilderness, and trying against all hope to civilize him?" If you've ever read any Curious George story to your kids (especially the first story), then watching this is a must. Greg from DaddyTypes said that this is "the single greatest video I've seen in my six years of dadblogging." It's really hard to disagree. My other favorite: "Dingaling. Dingalingaling. George had telephoned the fire station. They thought it… -
Modern Day Dad At CES 2010. Oh. And Lady Gaga Too.
8 Jan 2010 | 1:13 amWell, I did the quick calculation this morning, and this is officially the 7th CES I've been to, and while some were fun (the first few) and some were really underwhelming (last year), this year's is proving to be a little better, if only for the fact that I pretty much kicked it off by going to a Lady Gaga press conference at the Polaroid Booth. You see, she's now a Creative Director at Polaroid for a special line of New Imaging Products or something. In the conference she made it very clear (while she tried her best to hide her face with her bizarre hair-hat), that this… -
FakeTV Burglar Deterrant Keeps The Fake TV Glowing
14 Oct 2009 | 10:48 amI've bought a lot of hair-brained electronic crap in my life, and so when I told my wife about FakeTV, she just assumed this was another one of those things. And while I can't say for sure that this thing fulfilled it's purpose (and I'm happy about that, believe me), even my wife had to agree that it's a pretty cool little device.The basic premise behind FakeTV is that burglars won't bother to break into a house that they know is occupied, and the number one way they can tell a house is occupied is the faint glow of a television being watched in the dark. The problem… -
Blogging at ABC 2009 - The All Baby & Child Product Expo
14 Sep 2009 | 10:44 pm2009 is year-two for me at the ABC Expo, and even though the economy is not what it was last year, you'd hardly know it from attending the show. There seems to be just as many booths and products as last year, and once again I'm trying to blog about all of them.Well, not all of them exactly. Just the products and companies that have something new or interesting to show. And even then there's absolutely no way I'm going to be able to get to everything. So if you're interested in what I'm writing about, go over to this page at Babble.com's gear blog Droolicious… -
Can We Please Stop Praising The Baby Dangler?
29 Jun 2009 | 12:14 pmEnough of the Michael Jackson tributes already. Almost every morning I turn on the Today Show on NBC, and today was the first morning since his death that the news has been at least fifty percent something other than Michael Jackson related. On Saturday morning I even switched over to a business show on Fox News (to get a break from the wall-to-wall "king of pop" coverage on NBC), and what do you suppose they were talking about? Michael Jackson's money.Sure, I loved (and love) Thriller as much as the next guy, and no one can deny he was the amazing performer everyone says he is.
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Parenting Message Boards - Parenting.com Community
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2 year old won't sleep in her bed
9 Feb 2010 | 6:42 amMy (almost) 2 year old daughter has always been such a good sleeper...until a few months ago. She now wakes every night(it seems to be getting earlier and earlier) and we bring her to bed with us. I have tried rocking her and laying her back down in her bed, but she is always crying again within minutes. I trained her to sleep by using the Ferber method, but now that she is older, she cries so much harder, and I'm worried about her making herself sick from crying. I keep telling myself that one day she won't want to sleep with me and I will miss her. But, my husband and I are losing so much… -
Tracking the money??
9 Feb 2010 | 6:23 amDoes anyone know how I go about tracking money spent on education in my State (Florida)? I know Florida is the 4th largest state. I know we have the 4th largest grossing lottery. I know that the lottery is the primary source of funds for education with our tax dollars being the supplement. Beyond that I want to look at numbers more broken down. A spread sheet. I would think as a tax payer this is public record? I'm not too lazy to do the research, but if anyone could fast track me to how I would go about this I'd be very appreciative. Thanks. -
Позна
9 Feb 2010 | 3:26 amОчаровательная девушка доставит Вам незабываемое удовольствие и массу наслаждений! Будет… -
BC implant?
8 Feb 2010 | 9:24 pmI'm currently pregnant with #2 (ds is only 1yr, heaven help me) and am interested in getting a birth control implant after I deliver. I've done some research on the Internet, and intend to ask my doctor about it when I see her next, but I was wondering if anyone here had any personal experience with being on the implant. Specifically, do you know how soon after childbirth you can get it? Did you have any absolutely dreadful side-effects? And if you think it's a bad idea, what would you reccomend instead? Bear in mind that I have a brain like a sieve and can't be relied upon to take pills… -
Garden Bench
8 Feb 2010 | 8:41 pmWelcome to www.road8.comGarden BenchDiscount FurnitureTeak FurnitureOutdoor FireplaceTeak PatioFurniture TeakOutdoor FurniturePatio Heaters Fire Pit
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Writer Dad
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A Content Marketing Carnival
9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 amIf content marketing doesn’t bore you, then you’ll think this is awesome. I’ll keep it short either way. Though I have a lot going on, I try to keep business off the site as much as possible. Occasionally I’ll mention something either because I think it’s of genuine interest, or (rarely) because I’m trying trying to set some SEO in place, But for the most part what you get here is my version of fatherly art, four days a week. However, I can see by the emails that there is curiosity. I started a series on Ghostwriter Dad a few weeks ago. I’m not ready to blog about being a… -
The Awesome Stuff Your Child Says!
8 Feb 2010 | 12:00 amYes, we have another site in our syndicate. But if you have kids, you’re going to LOVE it. Have you ever been in line at the grocery store and had your son or daughter say something that made you want to melt into a puddle and then get mopped into a bucket? Or has your child said something so funny or touching, you wished you could cast it in silver and hang it on the wall? Good or bad, one thing seems to hold true. When our children have a memorable verbal experience, we are usually eager to share it. Now we have a way for you to share with style! Blogger Dad has designed what I think is… -
I Stink!
4 Feb 2010 | 12:00 amOf course I do not want a bath, even though I have a funk That reeks so bad, my mom is sad. She just called me a skunk I want to play with Bobby, but he bounced away from me I tried to play with Trina, but she scrambled up a tree I thought that maybe Joseph, wouldn’t notice I smelled bad Because he inherited halitosis from his hairy dad But when I went to talk to him, he up and ran away So I guess I’ll need to take a bath if I really want to play Wonderful stuff, 4 days a week. Sign up for free updates. Click here No related posts. Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts… -
Protecting Our Children From Narcissists
3 Feb 2010 | 12:00 amNOTE: This is a guest post from Lori Hoeck from ThinkLikeABlackbelt In the white-water rapids of parenting – when work, visiting relatives, or perhaps that needed car repair threaten to swamp your raft – it’s hard to rearrange competing priorities. Sometimes it’s all you can do to lift your paddle, or drag your fingers over the side. But sometimes, there’s a tug at your attention. “Move this one up in the queue,” it says. Perhaps it’s a new way of eating after a friend’s child is diagnosed with diabetes. Perhaps it’s a CPR class when your mom moves in with the family. -
Again With the Poop?
2 Feb 2010 | 12:00 amCaca, poo-poo, pee-pee, dookie… Ah, that felt good. Longtime readers probably know where I’m going with this. Thanks for being patient. :) About a year back, Cindy, Dave and I decided to create our first info product. And um… yeah, it was about poop. It was called Potty Training Power and was designed to help parents make potty training an enriching, positive experience, rather than the purgatory of conflict it often is. This was after we closed our preschool, but before all our students had left. We still had one in diapers, but had just finished training a dozen in a row. We…
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Rice Daddies
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For the Record
16 Jan 2010 | 7:41 amListening to Rosanne Cash speak at the Times Center got me thinking about what “The List” I give my children would look like? What kind of intellectual/cultural legacy will I leave for them? What legacy will I be able to forge for them? My father and I do not talk about music though we have argued politics. Rosanne says this on her blog about The List: The songs were culled from a List of "100 Essential Country Songs" that my dad made for me when I was 18 years old. It could have easily been called "100 Essential AMERICAN Songs", as the list covered every critical… -
Dudescape to Dadscape
12 Jan 2010 | 1:42 pmI caught this article linked by the fine people of BicoastalBitchin.Alls I gotta say is that the writer hit the nail right flat on the head. This was my favorite sentence:When baby makes three, the abrupt lifestyle change spells an end to these spontaneous expeditions.Age three is the magic number, and it's a dad thing, almost exclusively. Wives and women are cool checking with the singles, adjusting to the schedule, embarking on the same activities. But for guys, the party begins to end when the baby first comes, as you get used to changing diapers, feeding the baby, putting the baby to… -
I Miss Pat Morita
23 Dec 2009 | 1:45 pmSo I guess they're remaking "The Karate Kid", with Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith playing the Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio roles. And from the looks of this trailer, the movie's set in China, the ancient land of mean-eyed wushu-trained boys and demure violin-playing girls. During the course of the flick, Jackie Chan (sporting a moustache wispier than Mariah Carey's in "Precious") sagely teaches Jaden Smith how to be a kick-ass kung fu fighter, in part by instructing him to "JACK IT OFF" or something like that. (I guess "wax on, wax off" wasn't suggestive enough.)But wait a… -
humbug
20 Dec 2009 | 6:49 pmI remember our first Christmas together. I had gotten her one of those hand-held electric back massagers (which she asked me to return). She had gotten me a DVD player (which we had to buy a new TV to accommodate). And we had a live tree that we bought from a reformed drug addict who was selling them outside the Rite Aid on Grand Street. He brought it to our apartment in a shopping cart that rattled and jangled across the islands on Delancey. He had a little hatchet he used to trim off the lower branches so the tree would fit into the stand. We didn’t question it at the time but… -
Our newest edition.
29 Nov 2009 | 3:47 pmSo many changes come along with bringing a baby into the house. We've done as much as we can to prepare and now with 40 weeks gone by, a new little bundle of responsibility has again been thrust upon us. We find ourselves having the same conversations we had when our first child was born. Challenges like breastfeeding, diapering and volatile sleep schedules will now plague us for the next several months. So many issues long forgotten now have to be revisited. I was surprised to find out that swaddling is no longer the tried and true approach when dealing with newborns. In fact, we even had…
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Snowdeal
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odin makes the westby times!
8 Feb 2010 | 7:22 pmsome longtime followers of odin's adventures may recall odin in parents magazine and mothering magazine and "above the fold" in the vernon county broadcaster. and now, some of the pictures i took of him cross country skiing lessons made section B1 of the westby times! w00t! -
the infamous note for our wisconsin state senator, left on the organic valley rideshare van.
7 Feb 2010 | 6:56 pmleft for dan kapanke on our organic valley rideshare van. i truly hope we get more notes like this in the future. -
the case of the disappearing chromatophores.
24 Jan 2010 | 12:42 pmwe've had a fish tank with two humble goldfish for nearly ten years. soon after putting both fish the in the tank, one of the fish lost all its color which we thought little of since its not unusual for goldfish to change/shift color over their lives. the usual explanation offered for a goldfish completely losing its color typically cites the fact that goldfish are born with fixed number of chromatophores and if the chromatophores are thinly distributed on the surface of the scales, they can lose color completely as the goldfish grows in size. sadly, the white goldfish died a few months ago… -
unnamed, green buddish plant thing that caught my eye.
23 Jan 2010 | 1:16 pmeveryone was so helpful with the hoar frost identification/nomenclature, i thought i'd test my luck and see who wants some bonus points by identifying this plant that was in a holiday arrangement. after sitting in water for a month the branches have begun leafing out and budding. it only seems right to give it a good and proper name. -
hoar frost and brambles.
17 Jan 2010 | 9:02 amraspberry brambles after a foggy, frosty morning. anyone know if this type of foggy, frosty formation has a specific name? update:it's hoar frost - thanks!
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sweet juniper!
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A brief rant about my tone deaf family
2 Feb 2010 | 11:46 amMy son has started singing and he's just awful at it. Lately I've been trying to teach him to sing "Happy Birthday" for his sister's annual "one-year-older-but-not-much-taller" jubilee. He learned the words quick enough, but there's something about the way he sings them that makes the simple tune sound like an Estonian funerary dirge performed by an in-bred goatherd into the merciless winds of -
*crickets*
30 Jan 2010 | 8:40 amIn lieu of an actual post, a bit of self-interested promotion: there's a big weekend sale at 20x200 where every purchase over $40 gets a 20% discount. So two $20 prints would be $32 total, the $50 prints are now $40 and the $200 prints are only $160. If you were on the fence about picking up one of the limited edition feral house pictures (Number 7 or Number 13) maybe this is all it will take to -
Smiling at the Apocalypse
22 Jan 2010 | 7:09 amThe kid's birthday is in a couple weeks and after several days spent in the fetal position on the floor (more on that later) I recently found myself standing at a toy store deciding where I stand in the great yuppie parent divide between Playmobil and Lego, knowing that once the initial investment is made it's almost impossible to go back. The consequences of this decision felt dire. Although I -
Bootstraps
18 Jan 2010 | 8:11 amI am walking to the pizza shop in our neighborhood to buy a two liter of diet soda for two dollars when a homeless man stops me to ask if I've seen any bottles around. There are four inches of snow over everything so I nod towards the footprints I've just made and say not back there. He segues into a typical request for funds and for once I can tell the truth: I've only got two dollars in my -
Our Rink
8 Jan 2010 | 7:08 amWe were all by ourselves at dusk along the river, just a few blocks from home. We'd walked as far as the path would go, and there we saw a place where a field had flooded and frozen and I went out to investigate the ice: just a few inches thick, but wide and unscarred. I could smell memories: the inside of hockey gloves; inevitable hot chocolate. We came back the next day with our skates.
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Tom Drapeau's Blog
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Watching Movies
2 Feb 2010 | 12:07 pmAs a kid I watched 80’s movies… I loved Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Vacation and Better Off Dead. In high school I watched boy movies like Scarface, Bloodsport and the Godfather. I did take one film class, but wasn’t really focused, and as a result can’t name any of the movies I saw. Then I fell in love with a film maker in @ShayWade, had a wonderful son KidWonder, and am now a big homebody. About 9 months ago we decided we wanted to watch some good movies, and looked around for some. So there’s many Top 100 lists: the American Film Institute has a 100 years,… -
Book: Coders at Work
12 Nov 2009 | 2:50 pmIf you are thinking about being a programmer, pick any interview from this book and read it. If, after reading it, you aren’t excited about programming, then just stop. This is the best book I’ve ever read that gets inside the mind of a great programmer. True greats, the pioneers of computer science and industry achievement. The interviewer, Peter Siebel, does a remarkable job hanging with these giants of programming. Siebel is able to inject himself to probe when necessary, able to ask a few stock questions without it feeling overly rehearsed, and then get out of the way to let… -
Apple May Have Set The “Genius” Bar Too High
24 Oct 2009 | 12:49 pmFirst off, I’ve been a pretty loyal Apple consumer since 2001. I used the Apple IIC machines in school, Windows then Linux machines through the 90’s, then came back to the light. I’ve purchased a PowerMac, a Mac Pro, 3 iMacs (one for me), several iPods, an iPhone and now an iPhone 3GS. You could say I’ve drunk the Koolaid–I prefer cherry with lots of sugar. However, the service I’m seeing these days in the Apple retail stores is not what I would call exemplary. I think there are some good eggs in the Genius bar (one guy did a decent job on a HD problem my… -
How Do You Like Them Apples?
15 Oct 2009 | 4:11 pmI love apple picking. It was a yearly tradition growing up in central Massachusetts–picking, drinking of mulled cider, pumpkin carving and merriment. I just had the privilege of living that feeling vicariously through KidWonder last weekend, while visiting family. We went to Doe Orchards in Harvard, MA, my childhood haunt. Here are some pics, and don’t miss the video toward the bottom! The trees: The tools: The catch: Enjoying the fruits of his labor: Here is KidWonder in action: And finally, walking off, stage left, with his Pa: -
Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle… then Hold Still
15 Oct 2009 | 11:21 amIts been a while since we attended this event, another gem suggested to us by the Lollipop Moms meetup group. The Great Children’s Read, held at Columbia University, is in its third year and brings together books and celebrities to wow an audience largely 2 to 8 years old. We wiggled into the crowd of parents, strollers and mayhem just in time to see DJ Lance Rock, emcee of the popular kids program Yo Gabba Gabba, come on stage and lead the crowd in song and dance. KidWonder was a bit weirded out by the crowd, but was very excited to see DJ Lance and his favorite character, Brobee.
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The Busy Dad Blog
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That Burning Sensation
25 Jan 2010 | 7:18 amI fear churches. Don't get me wrong. I don't harbor any disdain for those who are devout in their beliefs. In fact, I quite admire someone who can devote themselves to their faith, in the same way I admire that French spiderman guy who free-climbs skyscrapers. Church just simply scares the crap out of me. I'm talking about cold sweats, vertigo. I'm talking about my blood pressure rising when I set foot in a church. My face flushing. Feeling light headed. As most people have the complete opposite reaction to churches, I have often been asked why of all things a spiritual sanctuary like this… -
Boyz Night Out. Done Right.
18 Jan 2010 | 5:42 pmThere comes a time in every man's life when the call of the wolfpack beckons. When his instinctual urge to belch, fistbump and exchange wasszuuups with the homies drives him to log off Club Penguin in search of opportunities to high five and lose his voice. These are the times when the village elders must step up and offer guidance. And Monster Jam tickets. Step 1: Round up the Boyz. Boyz nights outs are best when shared by, well, your boyz. Guys who have had your back since day one. Guys like Jaden and Jack. Jack isn't pictured below because I don't think he was born yet when this was taken. -
Shuffle On. To The Great Big Playlist in the Sky.
6 Jan 2010 | 8:25 amI'm really really good at dropping things. A discriminating expert, if you will. If an item incorporates any kind of delicate soldered wiring, wafer-thin circuit boards and liquid crystal displays, it will meet an untimely end involving acceleration at 9.8 m/s2. With few exceptions, every cell phone I have ever owned was upgraded by reason of kissing concrete. The first time I opened the box to my iPod Classic back in 2006, I knew our relationship was doomed. What Apple designers may call slick, compact, modern design, I call "slippery heavy sucker." But amazingly we survived, against all… -
"Dad, you're doing reckless magic!" - Tastemaker Video 3
4 Jan 2010 | 8:09 amThat's that first thing Fury said when he watched my third and final video for the US Potato Board's Tastemaker Challenge. Nice to know my 7-year old has stricter boundaries for absurdity than I do. And I carry that absurdity into the kitchen for my recipe as well. Because I am consistent. This latest challenge's theme was "nutrition in a time crunch." We had to create a dish that would take less than 30 minutes to cook. I could have gone baked potato or shepherd's pie but they wouldn't be different. I wanted to go out with a bang (or a WTF, I'm not picky). I figured if you only had 30… -
A Shaman, I Am Not
31 Dec 2009 | 11:02 amI awoke from my last dream of 2009 late for work and thoroughly perplexed. Whereas I could easily make up the commute time thanks to the fact that no one else was working on New Year's Eve day, there's no way I could make up a dream like this: I was sitting at round table with the living cast members of Monty Python, Captain Kirk, Dr. Spock and 'Bones' McCoy. This table was spinning in front of us (picture the table as one big lazy susan), and there were lyrics printed on it. And the table itself? Well, it was the round part of the Starship Enterprise of course. And we were all singing the…
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Thingamababy
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My Valentine’s Day Gift
9 Feb 2010 | 12:10 amThis year I’m not overcompensating with a dozen roses or giving a poetic single rose. My wife is getting a single bottle of Sweet Blossom soda made with rose petals. Unfortunately, a 12-hour drive to Galco’s Soda Pop Stop in Los Angeles isn’t feasible at the present time, so I ordered the bottle from Galco’s [...] -
Toy Review: Junior Superstar Mic
8 Feb 2010 | 12:33 amAs the father of a daughter, I despise girl-branded toy karaoke machines and all manner of toddler glitter pop performer toys. My wife brought home a couple toy microphones last week, blue and green, devoid of any labels or visual clues as to whether they should be played with by a boy or girl. I was prepared [...] -
Our Super Bowl Sunday
7 Feb 2010 | 8:52 pmI received my Super Bowl dose picking up a pizza at a pizza parlor Sunday evening. I’d brought a newspaper to read during my wait, but got the distinct impression a drunk patron was going to take offense at my reading during his time of inflated excitement. Later, I tried explaining the special day to my [...] -
Haha, laugh at the dad
5 Feb 2010 | 12:15 amSorry, it’s a Wal-Mart commercial. Double sorry if it’s old news. It seems new if you’re among the 1% of the population that doesn’t have a Wal-Mart in your TV viewing area. In other news, yeah, a couple video posts and a car diaper pad — busy week for me. -
Embrace Life
3 Feb 2010 | 9:41 pm
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Xbox4NappyRash
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Step away from the vehicle
8 Feb 2010 | 8:18 amWith hindsight, not keeping it in the boot of the car is quite a wise move.I can only imagine the bewildered looks and cautious questioning I would be on the receiving end of should it be exposed.It wouldn’t take much more than a fender bender or a heavy accelerator foot for a member of my host Queen’s police force to be rummaging through the contents of my boot.I envisage holster clips being released and faces turning solemn as the bag is opened and its contents removed, item by item.Baby clothes. Several pairs of underwear. Pajamas. A bag of sucky sweets. A prepaid mobile phone. Not to… -
Pucker up
4 Feb 2010 | 7:49 amMidwives are magic Zen masters.They exude an air of calm and leave you treats of mental time to spare.So when one sees a midwife spring into huffy action making speedy appointments on your behalf, using phrases like ‘low fluid’ and ‘handing you over to the gynaecologist’, your heart beats that little bit less comfortably and the time to spare evaporates.Yesterdays midwife visit was one such moment. ET is big and round, and only getting bigger and rounder. In an attempt to measure the baby the midwife had doubts over the level of amniotic fluid she could feel and thought it better to… -
Turning you off your cereal
1 Feb 2010 | 10:40 pmI'm impotent. Or maybe omnipotent. Or omnipresent perhaps, I forget. Some one of those anyway, but basically I'm in many places today. Here, and somewhere deep in the bowels of today's Irish Times health section.Early last year they featured an article about our attempts to conceive, and today they ran a short catch-up piece for the sane people with jobs who don’t read here every day.Complete with picture that makes me look like an anaemic wino with a glandular problem, and a title that will nauseate many, today's article can be found here.For the lazy among us, the original feature was run… -
The klossen
1 Feb 2010 | 12:40 amThey were bloody heavy.I carefully picked my step across the car park, sadistically enjoying each fresh crunch of snow under my feet while fearing the inevitable slip that would send me arse over tit. Any comfort that the close proximity of the hospital brought was overshadowed by the public nature any fall would now take, not to mention the severe battering I would undoubtedly suffer under the weight of my cargo. They really were bloody heavy.As the fall never came, I bundled the contents of my embarrassingly aching arms into the back of the car, and just 14 hours later I’d completed the… -
Footsoldiers
28 Jan 2010 | 1:49 amI’m on hoof duty.Another seldom spoken of characteristic of late pregnancy is the inability to remove one’s own footwear. Several times a day I have a heel thumped onto my thigh with the command to ‘take it off’.Thankfully, this week’s beauty parlour session included a pedicure, so the trotters that I am faced with the task of undressing are fine specimens. I suspect the pedicure was only thrown in to distract ET while the landscaping crew were changing shift, but I’ll take all the help I can get.This role has enlightened me, made me wiser. I understand now that the term…
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The Republic of T.
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Twitter Updates for 2010-02-08
8 Feb 2010 | 12:00 pmPower finally back on as of 6:45 pm. The house is warm, the kids are asleep. And I no longer smell like a goat. #snowpocalypse #pepco # -
Playing Nice
8 Feb 2010 | 5:58 amI didn’t watch the Super Bowl, even after the power came back on. Frankly, I wasn’t interested. Never have been. I’d rather they put the ads on — maybe even put them in a show of their own — and left it at that. Well, that’s kinda what’s happened online. Now I can see the ads without having to sit through the game. This one is my favorite, hands down. It’s number one right now on MSNBC. Go vote for your fave. These were pretty good too. Build your own custom video playlist at embedr.com -
Twitter Updates for 2010-02-07
7 Feb 2010 | 12:00 pmHalf the family is out if the house at least. Still no power in MoCo on Jones Bridge Rd. Pepco WTF?! #pepco #snowpocalypse #snOMG # Heard a rumor that the east side of East West highway has power. Any truth to that? #snowpocalypse #pepco #snowcopalypse # This driving me crazy. I'm down to runiing the car just to charge my iPhone, so I can have contact with the outside world. #snowpocalypse # Does anyone in Montgomery County have power yet? # Power out since 11pm last night. Snow sucks. # -
Twitter Updates for 2010-02-06
6 Feb 2010 | 12:00 pmPower out since 11pm last night. Snow sucks. http://bit.ly/bH3u5m # -
Colorado Springs: Conservatism’s Shining City
5 Feb 2010 | 1:50 pmIf you’ve ever wondered where conservative economic policies like permanent tax cuts for the wealthy, slashed social services and government spending are supposed to lead us, look no further than Colorado Springs. David Sirota’s description of what’s happening to that conservative stronghold should serve as a cautionary tale. When the so-called tea party movement’s anti-tax activists refer to the abstract concept of conservative purity, we can turn to a microcosm like The Springs (as we Coloradoans call it) for a good example of what such purity looks like in…
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Daddy Types
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Round And Round And Square By Fredun Shapur
9 Feb 2010 | 6:16 amFredun Shapur's illustration and design work is as awesome as his name, and it baffles me how little information about it exists on the web. Shapur did toys and graphics for Creative Playthings, including an iconic series of posters and illustrations in the 1970s. [Hmm, not quite sure what's going on in that center right one...] But it's easy to imagine how Creative Playthings' bold geometric figures evolved from, say, the simpler shapes of Shapur's 1965 children's book, Round and Round and Square. Which is itself a kind of 60's Hard Edge variation of the abstract anthropomorphism Leo Lionni… -
This All Goes Down On Your Permanent Google Record
8 Feb 2010 | 5:02 pmThere were a lot of manly man ads and daddish and baby birthin' ads in the Superbowl last night, but none that beat Google's punchline. Eventually, though, Google will probably start suggesting you put that extra cookie back, and then--if not before--it'll get a little creepy. -
Interlocking Stool Cube, This Time By Habitat
8 Feb 2010 | 10:45 amEvery few years since the invention of lumber, someone invents a pair of interlocking cube stool/chairs for kids. This year, it's the UK design store Habitat, and the twist is, this one's made of molded ply, to give it that little Vedel-esque something. Some blogs claim these are already listed on Habitat's site, but they don't show up for me. Hypothetically, they're £99. Lock Kid's interlocking table & chair [habitat.co.uk via minor details, thanks dt reader nelson] -
On The Bright Side, This May Cure The Kid's Pony Fixation
7 Feb 2010 | 6:54 pmAfter some playground discussion, apparently, the kid decided she was a Colts fan. Because, you know, horses. And sure enough, she watched her first Superbowl with the intensity of a crappy, watered-down beer addict. And as we started bundling her off to bed, she managed, in between her sobs to say, "Every time I watch my team loses." Which I think is the Redskins' motto, so that's convenient. -
DT Advertiser Shoutout: Gold Pants Edition
7 Feb 2010 | 5:45 pmIt's a snowbound Sunday night, and a doddering, old English couple just lipsynched in the middle of an LED extravaganza. What better time to give a shoutout to the advertisers who support Daddy Types and line the kids' 529 plans? And what better time than when there's an ad for a controversial and scientifically problematic book, to reiterate the Daddy Types policy of not accepting or rejecting advertisements based on their content or political views? [With the exception of porn and gaming, which I do reject, after being sandbagged by CNN, which switched out an ad for a Glenn Beck week-long…
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D is for Dad
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All that glitters
15 Jan 2010 | 11:22 amRecently, my 10 year old son shared with me that he might want to be an actor when he grows up. I cringed when he said it, but told him I would support whatever decision he made when the time came. I explained to him that celebrity puts you under a very public microscope and that if you are a big name celebrity your flaws are enlarged and your private life is basically non-existent. Your best bet would be to shoot for being a B or C list celebrity, this way you still get paid, but the papparazzi don’t hassle you as much. He’s a great kid, well liked by his peers, and adults get a… -
Between the lines
7 Jan 2010 | 11:45 amI haven’t used an alarm clock for almost six years. The kids have been serving this purpose quite well for some time now. This all changed within the last few months though. Typically I could count on Ava (5) or Jada (3) waking up between 5:45 and 6:15. This was perfect for me. At the latest I need to be up by 6:30 and out of the house by 7:15. Sure, I could get out quicker if need be but I hate to rush my mornings and I do quite well on little sleep, depending on who you ask. The last few months though they’ve been sleeping later, staggering from their room closer to 6:30 or 6:45. It was… -
Everybody sing it! or Precious is as precious does
8 Dec 2009 | 9:04 amEverybody sing it! from simplyChuck on Vimeo. Jada was doing a bit of caroling all by herself, much to our pleasure. Precious is as precious does. -
Fried Turkey Recipe
23 Nov 2009 | 7:19 am(This assumes you bought a Turkey Fryer, and have all the accouterments included in the fryer kit. ) Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and soon the month long feasting and imbibing (Thanksgiving until New Years Day) will begin. I want to share a turkey brine recipe, and some tips, with those of you that will bravely try to fry turkey for the first time this year. I guarantee, after you taste fried turkey it will be the last time you’ll want to cook a turkey in the oven. I found this brine recipe on the internet a few years ago, and have been tweaking it every Thanksgiving. -
The cul de sac
15 Nov 2009 | 1:42 pmThe cul de sac hasn’t moved in all the time we’ve been here. This may seem like an odd observation but the cul de sac hadn’t been here when we found this place we call home. Maybe this is why it holds some of its magic because it came after us, because it needed us to be here first. The oldest among our small tribe, Ava, had just left for a 4H meeting with her mother. A meeting her mother has waited years for as it was the first she would be taking a daughter of her own to. Her mother loved 4H as a child and remembers fondly the impression it left on her own childhood. To share this…
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Daddy Forever
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The Little Valentines
9 Feb 2010 | 12:01 amValentine’s Day is about love and with four young children around, there’s a lot of love in our family. We are blessed. Photo above: Little Disney (11 months) and Little Monkey (4). Cupid transformed the other two kids into a heart pillow and a Valentine’s bear (they will return to normal after Valentine’s Day). Daddy Forever : : Twitter @daddyforever : : Facebook Find a Job : : Free Magazines : : Embedded Star : : EDA Geek : : EDA Blog : : FPGA Blog : : iZachy© 2010 Online Destiny Ltd : : Daddy Forever is a trademark of Online Destiny Ltd -
ABC Neckties Giveaway
8 Feb 2010 | 6:02 amThanks to ABC Neckties (Twitter | Facebook), two readers of my dad blog will each receive a $25 gift certificate. Before we get to the details of the giveaway, I want to tell you a little about Daddy Forever’s latest sponsor. As their name implies, ABC Neckties sells ties. They carry a wide variety of quality ties (both neckties and bow ties) in different colors, patterns, and fabrics. And if dads are not 100% satisfied with their purchase, they can return it for a full refund within 30 days of purchase. ABC Neckties carries all sorts of ties. One of my favorites is the father-son… -
Links Round Up – 2010.02.05
5 Feb 2010 | 12:01 amExplore the Literacy House The National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) recently launched a site that shows dads and moms how to transform routine daily activities like meal preparation and bath time into rich learning experiences for their children. According to research: Children exposed to more spoken words earlier in life demonstrate richer vocabulary and early acquisition of literacy skills Learning climate of the home positively impacts children’s school readiness and language skills The positive way parents interact with their children in the home helps children’s… -
Handy Backup Giveaway Winners
4 Feb 2010 | 6:31 amThe winners of the Handy Backup Giveaway are Alvin Bruce, Buddy Garrett, and Lydia. Congratulations to the winners! Thanks to the sponsor of the giveaway, Novosoft, the winners will each receive a license for Handy Backup Software (Standard Version). I will email the winners with the key codes soon. Note: anyone can download a 30-day trial version of the Handy Backup Software. Daddy Forever : : Twitter @daddyforever : : Facebook Find a Job : : Free Magazines : : Embedded Star : : EDA Geek : : EDA Blog : : FPGA Blog : : iZachy© 2010 Online Destiny Ltd : : Daddy Forever is a trademark of… -
Kodak Valentine Giveaway
3 Feb 2010 | 12:01 amThanks to Daddy Forever’s latest sponsor, Kodak Gallery, I’m giving away a $25 gift card on this dad blog (giveaway is open to international readers). One lucky dad or mom will receive a $25 credit at www.kodakgallery.com. Before I get to the details of the Valentine’s Day giveaway, I want to say I purchased a photo book from Kodak Gallery last December. It looked great and was a wonderful Christmas present for my dad. I ordered the small photo book (5 x 5.75″) with 30+ pages. If I had to do it over again, I would select the medium (8.5 x 9.5″) or large (12 x…
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Daddy Dialectic
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Ten reasons why I both love and hate cell phones
7 Feb 2010 | 7:17 pmOr, yes dad I know, no sexting!If you saw me now with my iphone, warm against my left butt cheek like a lover’s palm, the last thing I see before bed, the first thing I stroke in the morning, you wouldn’t believe that less than two years ago, I had never even owned a cell phone. I was (and to be honest still am) a Luddite in theory though in practice I struggle. It’s become even more of a struggle now as each one of my three kids has a cell phone. Sometimes I wonder what the hell happened to me. But in an effort to understand more critically my love/hate relationship with the cell… -
Unhappy Hipster Children
2 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pmFriends (and by that, I'm referring to my Facebook friends) know that I've recently become highly amused by the blog Unhappy Hipster, which joins dream home photos from Dwell magazine with new captions that highlight their loneliness and narcissism. I thought I'd share the photos and captions depicting the psychological and spiritual harm these homes do to innocent children :You can come out when you can properly explain the differences between Modernist architecture and postmodern ornamentation.Maybe naming him Rimbaud wasn’t such a good idea.And one day, a ladder appeared. Julien climbed… -
Holy Equal Pay, Batgirl!
24 Jan 2010 | 6:01 pmThanks, Alex! -
Oedipus Chex
21 Jan 2010 | 1:11 pmI remember well the day my father said, as he shed the sports section of the paper from his lap and checked the day's barometric pressure on his GPS-wristwatch device, "You want to castrate me."I don't remember exactly how I replied to this. It's not the kind of question that comes up often enough to have a practiced and ready response. One tactic that occurred to me would be to respond as my now 3-year old son does when his soccer coach asks "Are you a purple dinosaur?" Spot smiles knowingly and in a falling tone says "Nnnnnnnoo ...", meaning Of course I'm not a purple dinosaur, or in my… -
How Do You Know What a Fork is For?
19 Jan 2010 | 12:32 pmI thought I'd highlight some wholesome family content just published on Shareable.net, which I edit: How Kids Learn to Share Tools: How do you know what a fork is for? Objects carry meanings and tell stories, says developmental psychologist Debbie Siegel--shared stories about who we are as humans and communities. This is a really interesting essay, and I think parents will find it helpful.How to Share a Nanny: Very practical nuts and bolts overview of how to share a nanny with another family.How to Plant a Garden at the Neighborhood Playground: Our circle of families went to the city and…
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JamesSpratt: A London Blog
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Weekly Omnibus for w/e February 8th
8 Feb 2010 | 12:44 pmTop Weekly Artist #lastfm artist: Arcade Fire (3) [jamesspratt] The average cloud weighs 69,000 tonnes. [jamesspratt] #8 into town with the girls to mate’s birthday/the rugby. [jamesspratt] On a course all week. [jamesspratt] -
Weekly Omnibus for w/e February 1st
1 Feb 2010 | 12:44 pmLove this, Alex and Frankie, "baby said oh no": http://www.vimeo.com/8990986 [jamesspratt] Top 3 Weekly #lastfm artists: Arcade Fire (4), (0), (0) [jamesspratt] Liked Frankie & Alex. Frankie & Alex is it me or is there a surge in activity on LinkedIn? [jamesspratt] Looking at: "What happens when you take old photos and montage them into today? [PICS]" ( http://bit.ly/dm4rKS ) [jamesspratt] Why http://ff.im/-f4scL [jamesspratt] Candy http://ff.im/-f4tt6 [jamesspratt] Sense http://ff.im/-f4AtY [jamesspratt] Defending Yourself http://ff.im/-f4AuY [jamesspratt] need… -
Alex and Frankie, December 2009
31 Dec 2009 | 9:22 amMonthly photos now with added Alex. More about that particular angel soon. Show as slideshow 123► Also, excuse any poor editing, I used M$ Picture Manager this time round whilst out here in Jordan (post pre-dated). -
Marcel Brietzke Searching for George Spratt
6 Dec 2009 | 2:05 pmReceived the following comment, thought I should promote it to its own post. Can anyone out there help Marcel? “Hi, I am Marcel from germany, my Father and i search for George Spratt. So far we know George was born in Ireland not sure! he was born in 1938 or 1939. He stays we think from 1959 til 1961 in Germany at the RAF Station in Elmpt (Brueggen). George had a relation with my grandmother in Germany. The Father of my Grandma makes some trouble about the relationship. So far we know George is going back to the UK. In 1961 my Father was born. We search the whole life for George Spratt… -
10 Things About Sao Paulo
30 Nov 2009 | 4:26 amOi, Sao Paulo’s a cool place. I expected a dirty, rough sprawl. What I got was a friendly, wealthy, tres moderne high-rise bustling metropolis. Go. In the main, Sao Paulo is not a cheap city. For all I know I could have been flown to any southern European city. Us locals refer to Sao Paulo as Sampa. Sao Paulo lies just on the Tropic of Capricorn. That’s actually quite far south. c.1.4 million Japanese live in the state of Sao Paulo, the largest population of Japanese outside of Japan. I have never had as much sushi as I had in my 3 weeks in Sao Paulo. Eat as much as you like for…
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People in the Sun
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In which I write a post to avoid having a nervous breakdown
30 Jan 2010 | 7:39 pmWhat day was State of the Union? I wanted to watch it live, but it started just before the baby was going to sleep, so instead of me watching it by myself while Honey put the baby down, she suggested we DVR it and watch it together. Rock'n'roll, Baby, whatever turns you on.But apparently it wasn't a romantic date. An hour later, when we actually started watching, she was a little tired. When Obama said what he said about the Supreme Court, and Alito, who decided to go without his glasses to look cool, shook his head and said, "Simply not true," I said, "Honey, did you see what Alito just… -
In Which Our Hero Gets Into a Fight
20 Jan 2010 | 12:19 pmSo there's the Daddy Group thingy I go to once or twice a week. It's winter, so now instead of going to parks, we meet indoors. Last week we met at this guy's house. Of course, I've already established here that I'm a douche, so the first thing I do when I enter is tell him his Ravens sign is all wrong. I've never been to his house, I hardly know the guy, and that's what I do. It's just... I had to say something...See, the sign had the big Ravens logo, and underneath it said (with the capitalized words painted purple), "Count ON Losing This Saturday." Which doesn't spell COLTS. It spells… -
Wednesday the 13th
14 Jan 2010 | 10:52 amSo the day started bad, with the cable box not working. I call Comcast and press all the option buttons, and finally a guy comes on and says, "So you unplugged it and plugged it again and it still doesn't work?""Oh, I didn't do that..."So I unplug it and plug it again and it's alive. But I'm still angry because I was ready for him to say he'll send someone over in a week to fix it, so I say, "What happened there?" And he says, "Probably it wasn't plugged in all the way." And now I'm really angry because IT WAS PLUGGED IN, DAMNIT, so I say, "Well, I'll call again next time it happens!" And he… -
Hey, Look at this blog I found
11 Jan 2010 | 7:57 pmRachel took a picture a day in 2000. Now she's taking a picture a day in 2010.And it's not simply a "Wow! We look older!" What she gets here is a view of growing up and maturing as a person. But more than that, she also gets a view of the changing world in the last 10 years. Maybe I'm seeing too much here, but I'm allowed, because I'm the beholder.I wonder, for example, if I'm the only one who sees the 2000/2010 photos in light of 9/11. I wonder if she also thinks there's a different feel to the country. Maybe. Or maybe it's in my head. I have always been cynical of the idea that the world… -
Once Upon a Time
3 Jan 2010 | 8:29 pmA young man, about 16 or 17 years old, was lying at the edge of a cliff, looking at the clouds. The young man felt alive. The world was in him and around him. A tiny little speck of happiness, he was nothing and he was everything.A few years later, the man left his country and found a place where he could evolve and learn. And the more he learned, the more he realized how much more there was to know. He set himself humbly before the world and opened the door to the knowledge and the beauty around him.Then, after a while, that man then became pretty proud of himself, to be honest.Because now,…
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Savvy Daddy - For super dads everywhere
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Home alone with the kids
1 Feb 2010 | 12:06 pmby Andy Van Horn Sure I can handle it My wife asked me take care of our daughter so she could be a volunteer advisor at a drug prevention camp for a week in July. What was I going to say? "No." I am 37. I have multiple degrees in education and I taught school for 9 years. I now work from home with an incredibly flexible schedule. Most people would kill for the situation I have in order to be a single parent for a week. I can handle this. She asked in February. You would think that this would give me enough time to be ready. Oh silly daddy, that meant I had only 5 months… -
New dad checking in
29 Jan 2010 | 12:30 pmWell in 5 days my little baby girl will be 9 months old. I can not believe where the time has gone. I remember the day of her birth so clearly and yet I can't remember what I had for dinner each night this week. I think the experience of parenthood is just one of those things that needs to be experienced because no explanation in the world could ever do it justice. Kind of like sky diving or auto racing, when you do something like that it can not be put into words because it is a all encompassing experience consuming your emotions, senses, and sensibilities. So I thought I might stop by and… -
Re
22 Jan 2010 | 7:50 pmThat needs big exertion and time to make the thesis project related to this good topic, thus, I choose to opt for the thesis writing service to reach the PhD degree. -
Not Dead Yet
13 Jan 2010 | 10:47 amBy Jim Denny Jackson, my 10-year-old son, has taught me many things about the world around me. A shower - no matter how long - is never long enough. It is never too late in the day, nor too close to bedtime, to enjoy a good snack. And it is not against the laws of physics to project toothpaste from the sink of the bathroom to the ceiling of the bedroom around the corner. The world is a mysterious place, and I am immeasurably grateful to have him around to unveil these wonders, along with countless others, every single day. Perhaps more meaningful, however, is what Jackson has taught me… -
My 3 year old only wants Mommy.
9 Jan 2010 | 11:29 pmMy 3 year old does not want my help at night. She wakes up and wants Mommy. If I try to to help my wife and comfort our daughter, she ends up throwing a fit because she wants Mommy. She will spend up to an hour in her fit until my wife goes to her room and rocks her back to sleep. Does anyone know what I can do to help my wife and get our daughter to accept my help?
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A Suitable Wardrobe
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When an Odd Jacket Would Be Too Much
9 Feb 2010 | 7:00 amConsider the sweater jacket when a conventional odd jacket would be too much. Lounging about on the weekend, for example. Dark peach Inis Meáin linen sweater jacket, in-need-of-pressing green thin wale corduroy trousers and Edward Green monkstrap shoes. The shirt was sewn by MyTailor from Simonnot-Godard's voile shirting that is not voile at all but a poplin with some substance to it. -
A Spring Bunch
8 Feb 2010 | 7:00 amI had not been happy with fabric merchant Holland & Sherry's offerings this past year or two. It all seemed to me too light, and too fragile. Perhaps that is why I appreciate the company's Target Elite bunch 1037 for Spring/Summer 2010. Too new to even be on the web site yet (the photo is actually that of the Victory Lightweight bunch from the same release which is one reason that the numbers in -
G&G On the Way
6 Feb 2010 | 7:00 pmThought it might be timely to call attention to two models of Gaziano & Girling shoes that will be in stock at the ASW store in the not too distant future. The ASW City Shoe will be a new run of the semi-formal oxford ASW introduced two years ago. It was no surprise that roughly half of the shoes made at that time were delivered to diplomatic addresses in the U.S. and Europe as the City Shoe is -
Informal Evening Dress
5 Feb 2010 | 7:00 amIt may seem odd to call a lounge suit informal evening dress when much of the world defines informal as jeans, but that is all the language leaves us. After all, black tie is considered semi-formal, and the lounge suit is certainly less formal than the dinner jacket. Still, Friday seems like the right day to bandy about what to wear to the opera, the symphony or the theater in a city. And that is -
Immediate Shoe Gratification
4 Feb 2010 | 7:00 amSome of the world's finest ready to wear shoes are tucked away in London's Royal Arcade. Constructed on on standard lasts to near bespoke quality, George Cleverley's Anthony Cleverley line is a hard to find offering of the very best English shoes without the usual five or six month wait.Though Anthony Cleverley models can be made to order in a variety of colors and skins, new ready to wear
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Nordquist Blog
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Whatever You Do In Life
8 Feb 2010 | 1:52 amOccasionally, I’m asked to help a friend with a computer problem. Or the friend of a friend. Or just random people who come across my blog. But I don’t mind it. I enjoy working through problems, and I always learn something new. When I worked at one of the first internet service providers in Seattle, I got to know a guy who had endless problems with his computers. This was back in the days of dial-up internet, and he could not get any of his new Windows 95 computers online. After trying to walk him through the problems over the phone he asked, “Could I hire you to come to my home and… -
Time Together
7 Feb 2010 | 3:31 amThe room was dark was except the white glow emanating from my computer monitors. It was just enough for me to notice that Luca had snuck downstairs and curled up in Kim’s computer chair. She watched me type away for a few minutes. Her brothers and sister were already in bed. It was late. She should have been in bed too. But I sensed she wanted some company. I removed my headphones, closed Firefox and turned my chair towards her. She jumped off her chair and onto my lap. “Tell me what you did tonight with the babysitter”, I said. “Nothing" Maybe she doesn’t want to talk. -
Last Another Day
2 Feb 2010 | 1:56 amThe rain was coming down at a pace that didn’t match my wipers: Too much for intermittent but not enough for the slowest setting. But that didn’t bother me today because having to flip the stalk every few seconds kept me alert during my drive up the mountain. Once I get out of Redmond I can relax. I make my way through Bellevue before merging onto I90 that takes me up Snoqualmie canyon before jumping on Highway 18. The highway cuts a swath through the hills of Issaquah before dropping into Auburn valley. The last twenty minutes are the best part of the trip. I zip down hills and around… -
The Bottom Bunk
31 Jan 2010 | 10:53 pmLuca reached her arms towards me like she does each night. She’s our oldest child but the only one who will not go down unless mom and dad tuck her into bed each evening. Just a few feet below Luca on the bottom bunk was Anna. She doesn’t have the same bedtime demands. In fact, I wouldn’t have known she was there had I not kneeled down next to her. I noticed her body faced the wall. Arms at her side. Not a “goodnight” to be heard. Was she still awake? Was she so tired she jumped in bed on her own? Did she want to be left alone? Kim sat on the hallway floor reading a book aloud. That… -
Teaching Reliance
29 Jan 2010 | 12:39 amLuca invited me to spend the afternoon with her class on a field trip to the White River Valley Museum this afternoon. The two 3rd grade classes broke up into four groups, and we made our way around the exhibits with the help of volunteers. We listened to many stories about the Native American tribe that lives in our area: The Muckleshoot Tribe. Our volunteer explained to the children how the tribe used cedar in nearly everything they created. Not only is cedar strong but it’s waterproof. I didn’t realize they often wore clothing made of cedar like this women who is searching for clams.
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Ramblings of a Single Dad
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Ramblings for Kindle on Amazon.com
6 Feb 2010 | 3:00 amDon'tcha just love technology? Not only can you keep up with this blog from your computer, your smart phone, and on my Facebook profile, but now you can view it on Amazon.com's Kindle reader. The link to the Kindle edition of "Ramblings of a Single Dad" is http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0036ZAMUE.If you're unfamiliar with Kindle, or are interested in getting one, click here to find out how it works and where to get yours.Hat tip to Kathy at The Junk Drawer for showing me how to publish for Kindle. (You can subscribe to the Kindle version of her blog here -
More Ponderings of a Single Dad
4 Feb 2010 | 3:00 amWhy is it that when I buy a gallon of milk, it spoils before it's consumed, but when I buy a half gallon it's gone in two days?How many pairs of glasses should be made available to a child in a given year? What about wallets? How about house keys?If an electric shaver will run for thirty minutes on a full charge, is it really necessary to plug it back in to recharge it after three minutes of use?Since when does climbing a tree qualify as helping with raking the yard?What, exactly, does it mean when a kid asks if he can "hang out" with a friend these days? And should it feel more or less like… -
Wordless Wednesday: 2-03-10
2 Feb 2010 | 9:01 pm -
Snowday!
30 Jan 2010 | 1:44 pmThe little snowstorm that blew through Virginia made for a great "snow day," complete with coffee, chili, and my two favorite college basketball teams on ESPN. Unfortunately, plans David and I had for this weekend had to be postponed until the places we were going to go are open again, so he's having a lazy day--wandering back and forth from his room to see if I'm watching something other than basketball.I had an opportunity to speak to my father, today, who had surgery this past Wednesday and will be heading home (sooner than expected) on Monday. I wish I could have been there, but am… -
Wordless Wednesday: 1-27-10
26 Jan 2010 | 9:01 pm
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5ksandcabernets
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I hate the new Brooks Adrenalines
7 Feb 2010 | 1:51 pmLet me start this post about saying this: I am ending my relationship with Brooks Adrenaline.There.I hate the new models. Hate. Hate. Hate. I loved the GT9s. I hate the GT10s. Hate.I know. Hate is a strong word. But I hate them, and more importantly, my body hates them. See, last Sunday, on Jan. 31, after I just felt like trash during a 10-mile run and could barely average an 8:30 min/mile, I blamed my lack of nutrition for my sluggishness.Then on Thursday, a 7-mile run in which my pace was 8:46 min/mile, I blamed my right knee on my problems. But on Saturday, I had no knee problems, was… -
Forced base-building
4 Feb 2010 | 7:32 amWhat makes a stiff knee stiffer? Not running for three days. I hadnt run since Sunday. Deliberately took Monday off. And Tuesday off. Was going to run Wednesday but it was running. So I had to, had to run Thursday or I felt I was going to turn to mush. My right knee, which I twisted a week before the 3M Half Marathon, is really really stiff and sore and all this inactivity made it cry - no, make that made me cry - "uncle' Thursday morning. The first few miles were brutal, just brutal. I started at Zilcher park, ran down Barton Springs, through Town Lake and past the Austin… -
Bonking on a 10-mile run
31 Jan 2010 | 7:41 pmIn the two and half years I've been a father, I think I've done a pretty good job of not letting life interfere with my running. Outside of Noah's first week on this planet, I've not missed a run for any reason that had to do with me being a dad.But I do find myself missing many meals when its my turn to keep Noah - its hard to cook for yourself and entertain a two-year-old at the same time. Often, I find myself eating before or after I have Noah. That kind of eating habit caught up to me on my Sunday run.I had Noah from 10 am to 2. Before I picked him up, I had a cup of coffee from Starbucks… -
Easy running until Valentine's Day
29 Jan 2010 | 9:25 amI've run twice since the 3M half marathon last Sunday: 7 miles Wednesday and 8 miles Thursday. Both times around Austin's Town Lake, and both times I stayed right around 8:00 min/mile pace. No need in getting crazy because I've got another half marathon coming up on February 14, the Austin Half Marathon, which will be on a much more challenging course. Tomorrow (Saturday morning) a group of us are running the Austin Half marathon course. I like having an idea of all the ins and outs of a course before I run it, so I am definitely looking forward to that run. Health-wise,… -
3M Half Marathon Splits
24 Jan 2010 | 1:50 pmOfficial time: 1:31:39Mile Splits1- 7:132- 7:133- 7:24 (shin cramp. Stopped to rub it out)4- 7:13 (shin still hurting)5- 6:34 (felt better and tried to makeup time.)6- 7:027- 7:028- 7:069- 6:4910- 6:5011- 6:5212- 6:5013- 6:31.18 - 1:04
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Daddy`s Toolbox
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What I LOVE About Weekend Mornings
31 Jan 2010 | 5:38 amWhat I LOVE about weekend mornings. Kids get up at 6am and 7am, and I get up too. Then they bark orders like “where’s my juice” “the show’s over” “come quick, I see Zuzu Pets on TV” and my lovely wife is snuggled up warm and cozy in our bed getting her beauty rest. Well she better come downstairs looking like a freakin’ Victoria’s Secret model!! Oops, sorry to cut this short, gotta go take the breakfast orders, then cook it and clean the kitchen! (ok, stop laughing, this is reality!” And I do it with a BIG ASS SMILE! -
Ahhh! Facebook Alert! Just Take a Breath
14 Dec 2009 | 10:18 pmOk folks, so how many of you have posted the “Facebook Alert!!” that Facebook is going to allow Google to index your profile?? I know about 38 people that posted it which is all fine and dandy, but it does cause a viral panic that isn’t 100% accurate. Facebook posted this on the top of my Security Page when I went to review my already “locked down” profile: “There have been misleading rumors recently about Facebook indexing all your information on Google. This is not true. Facebook created public search listings in 2007 to enable people to search for your… -
Holiday iPhone Apps for Children
24 Nov 2009 | 4:46 amYes, I said, “Holiday iPhone Apps for Children!” Ok, so if you are like me, a parent of two young children and an iPhone owner, you most likely have installed a few apps for your kids to use and play with in certain situations – when they are screaming and just won’t calm down, or when they are in a full blown meltdown and you are stuck in traffic on the evening commute. I know, that isn’t going to make them stop that behavior anytime soon…but c’mon, I can only handle so much whine! So I did a little snooping around on some app sites and some iTunes app searches for things like… -
When Kids Make the Rules
23 Nov 2009 | 8:20 pmSo what happens when your kids make the rules? Most likely it leads to chaos, including frustration, screams, time-outs and more. Well, both of my kids now think they are rule-makers and can just bark out orders and Mommy and I will heed their beckoned calls! Ok, maybe it’s not that bad…but there is a small amount of truth in that statement, especially at dinner time! We sometimes feel like we are waiting on tables and our kids are grumpy old patrons demanding our service! Our kids do attempt to create some rules for Mommy and me. Sometimes these rules are pretty damn funny and… -
Help Make Sure Your Kids Eat Healthy Over the Holidays
17 Nov 2009 | 6:59 pmPowered by Whrrl
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Dad of Divas
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Happy Birthday Diva-PJ!
9 Feb 2010 | 4:06 am------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- New to the Divadom? Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader Questions?Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com -
Book Review & Giveaway - Live Our Values Everyday!
9 Feb 2010 | 4:00 amAbout the Book Gary W. Junek's newly released guide, Live Our Values Everyday!!! combines thoughtful text and easy-to-use templates that empower readers of all ages to discover, define, and live their values every day, in spite of societal trends and temptations that challenge their resolve. Comments the author, "We have created the Live Our Values Everyday!!! campaign and L.O.V.Everyday!!! slogan to bring attention to the issue of values and love in the world. In essence, Live Our Values Everyday!!! means sharing L.O.V.Everyday!!!" With chapters specifically geared toward different age… -
Scrapblog, A New Free Way to Share Your Experiences With Others
8 Feb 2010 | 3:30 amAbout the Site Scrapblog allows users to create and personalize an online scrapbook by combining digital photos with themes, stickers and decorative backgrounds. This online scrapbook can pull photos from Facebook, MySpace and Flicker among other photo sites. The easy drag-and- drop technology and unique layouts make it easy for anyone to express themselves. Spend time customizing or let the automated function on Scrapblog do the work for you. The best part is Scrapblog is free to use -- It’s free to create and share online. There are two ways to get started. With the three-step QuickMix… -
Book Review - Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teacher Tales: 101 Inspirational Stories from Great Teachers and Appreciative Students
7 Feb 2010 | 4:00 amhttp://www.facebook.com/ChickenSoupfortheSoul About the Book Teachers today feel unappreciated, underpaid, and stressed over shrinking budgets, tough children, and mandatory testing, among other things. Turnover rates are climbing. Chicken Soup for the Soul and the best teachers in America have come to the rescue with 101 inspirational stories that will make teachers laugh out loud, shed a few tears, and above all, realize that they really do make a difference and they are very much appreciated. As Anthony Mullen, the 2009 National Teacher of the Year, says in his foreword, “We need this… -
Try Cooking Your Way Into Your Sweety's Heart This Valentines Day
6 Feb 2010 | 9:00 amThis Valentine’s Day, make it love at first bite with an indulgent token of affection. Duncan Hines® makes it easy to create delicious Valentine’s Day moments on a budget with innovative mouthwatering recipes. Your Valentine won’t believe you made these decadent desserts from a box. Show your love for your family with Classic Red Velvet Cupcakes or bake your sweetheart a Conversation Heart Brownie decorated with a personal message. For more recipes, log onto http://www.duncanhines.com/. CLASSIC RED VELVET CUPCAKES Originally from Down South, and once the signature dessert at the…
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HighTechDad Blog
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How To Upgrade an iMac G5’s Hard Drive – iFixit.com to the Rescue!
5 Feb 2010 | 7:23 amA few weeks ago, my daughter’s (hand-me-down) 20″ iMac G5 started acting up. It was showing the infamous “spinning beachball”, was locking up, the fan was running a lot and loud and the machine was having kernel panics. I did a quick S.M.A.R.T. scan on it which is usually a good indication of the health (or lack there of) of a hard drive. The results of that test confirmed my suspicions, the hard drive was dying and needed to be replaced immediately. I made a quick clone of it right away! So I started asking around on Twitter for some recommendations on good… -
How to Fix Login & Authentication Issues on TweetDeck after Changing your Password on Twitter
3 Feb 2010 | 7:55 amYesterday, I received a very vague email from Twitter saying that they had reset my password because of some sort of a phishing scam or attack that had taken place off of Twitter. Below is the text of the email that I received. (Do note, before clicking through links like this, please be sure to hold your mouse over the link to ensure that it is truly the same site you are going to.) Hey there. Due to concern that your account may have been compromised in a phishing attack that took place off-Twitter, your password was reset. Please create a new password by opening this link in your browser:… -
Cast of Dads: Podcast #7 – “We Were ALL Morons!”
2 Feb 2010 | 8:57 amWe got some great user feedback on some of our previous podcasts that we were geeking out a bit too much. Since we listen to our audience, in this episode, we tried to eliminate most (if not all) of the tech and focus more on being a dad and a parent. Episode #7 of the Cast of Dads podcast is called “We Were ALL Morons!” and we spent a bit of time talking about parenting issues, cyber-bullying, toys, the difference between boys and girls and a lot of other family-related topics. But, for some tech humor related to being a Dad, specifically an “iDad,” you should read… -
20+ Ways to Harden and Secure Your WordPress Blog
30 Jan 2010 | 8:11 pmRecently, some high-profile blogs that are running WordPress have been hacked or hijacked by malicious users (e.g., TechCrunch). The worst thing is having to try to recover from such an event, you not only have to repair your site, but also your reputation. So, spending a little bit of time trying to prevent or at least make it a bit more difficult for a hacker to take over your WordPress blog is time worth investing. I have had my fair share of my blogs (both work and personal) getting attacked (denial of service attack, hidden iFrames in my code, SQL injections and my server repeatedly… -
The Apple iPad – Why It Might NOT be a Winner … Yet!
27 Jan 2010 | 9:57 pmSo earlier today, I fully drank from Apple’s vat of Kool-Aid. I wrote about Apple’s new iPad and how I think that it will be a game-changer. I still think that it has definitely drawn the line in the sand for the competition to go after, but when you report on any ground-breaking technology, you need to look at it from many different angles. So, did it really move the needle? I still think it did. Read my initial “happy thoughts” here, and below, you can see the “reality-check” come into play. Now I have had a few more hours to think about the iPad a bit more and I feel…
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Always Home and Uncool
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Doctor, My Eyes
7 Feb 2010 | 9:01 pmEven with my fuzzy vision, I could see that my optometrist had made a mistake last week. The prescription for the contact lenses he gave me was actually weaker instead of stronger. He double-checked his computer and shook his head. "No, that's the right strength. You're sight has improved a little bit in your left eye," he said. "Put in the lenses and I'll show you." I sensed I was being Punk'd. I have worn glasses since the 4th grade and contacts since 7th and not once has my vision ever improved between examinations. I have cursed my corrective lenses, lost them, broke… -
Confession of the Uncool
3 Feb 2010 | 8:03 pmAs you can imagine based on Monday’s post, it’s been a whirlwind week of projects here at Uncool Estates. Most should be done by Thursday but they would have been done by today if not for my blowing most of Tuesday attending a taping of The Jerry Springer Show. Just as an audience member. I swear. STOP JUDGING ME! There’ll be more on that adventure next week, I promise. But for now, let me summarize it thus: Brawls and boobs. God bless America, every demented nook and cranny of it. Between all that, shoveling snow and selling some ju— … um, gently used estate pieces on Craigslist,… -
Everything Falls Apart
31 Jan 2010 | 9:04 pmThe following items broke or otherwise shed their inanimate coils in the past seven days: Makita Cordless Drill. I’m not sure what about this death hurt more: That it thwarted the plans Thing 2 and I to bond over power tools by making bird feeders out of empty seltzer bottles or that My Love had given me the drill as my “bachelor party” gift. Read what you will into that last bit. Floodlight over garage door. Meh. An $8 bulb. Not a biggie. Especially considering the next thing to go was … The automatic garage door opener. Not the clicker in the car, mind you. The actual thing that… -
Deduction
28 Jan 2010 | 9:01 pmOne week ago: Yesterday: Can you figure it out? (If you need a hint, read "Milestones".) Have an equally great weekend, everyone. You can support our family’s efforts to find a cure for juvenile myositis by donating to Cure JM today. -
This Yoga Tale is a Bit of a Stretch
25 Jan 2010 | 9:01 pmEven in my athletic heyday as a teen (multiple baseball teams, singles tennis, pickup basketball) and my resurgence in my mid-20s to early-30s (multiple softball teams, doubles tennis, pick up another six-pack), I never suffered any serious strains or sprains -- a fact I attribute mostly to my notable lack of muscle mass. Can't hurt it if you don't have it. That's my philosophy. It's worked pretty well. While I was never the biggest or best player, my reflexes, hand-eye coordination and proper positioning always made up for my lack of strength and helped me through. For example, while I never…
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LiteralDan
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When 3-year-olds attack
2 Feb 2010 | 12:00 pmAfter hearing suspiciously uproarious laughter coming from the bathroom one evening, my wife and I came upon this scene:Show of hands, how many of you have had this happen?Editor's Note: For the record, this is only what was left after the perpetrator and her highly amused accomplice tried desperately to destroy the evidence. Also for the record, we have a deceptively large bathroom sink-- that right there is about a third of a large tube of toothpaste. -
Classic quotes, Vol. 21
26 Jan 2010 | 11:30 pmHere are some recent quotes from my wife J-, my 5-year-old son D-, my now-3-year-old daughter M-, and me:D- (excitedly, as I mix salsa and sour cream) Are we having chimps and dip?!?M- (looking at Winnie-the-Pooh clock, trying desperately to become the world's first 3-year-old to either carry a tune or remember actual song lyrics) Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh... silly nilly willy, stuffed with stuff! Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh... he fluffs himself! ... Silly old bear.Me (to J-, pulling what we'll call "a Dan", in fairness) "In a few minutes"? "In a few minutes"??? What's "a few… -
A conversation between M- and J-: Victoria's open secret
20 Jan 2010 | 12:00 amWhile I'm ashamed at my lack of posting there in general, and especially lately, I'm glad they'll still have me over at Hot Dads, where you can read my latest post.I'll just let the post title do all the teasing for me-- now click on over there! -
Important Question: What would you use this for?
14 Jan 2010 | 10:30 pmWhen I first saw the item pictured below, I was dumbfounded as to its purpose, given the context in which I found it. So I ask you all the following Important Question:For what do you think this is meant to be used?Leave your best or most entertaining guess in the comments. -
Things that amuse me, Vol. 2
12 Jan 2010 | 10:30 pmHere, in lieu of something more cohesive, are a few of the things that have been amusing me lately:1. Already a budding patriot at 2, the other day my daughter M- called out, "Look at my sandal!" only to reveal that, for no apparent reason, she'd ripped the flag off one of those 4th of July souvenirs and tied it around her little foot with a piece of string.2. One recent message in the waves of spam e-mails I get daily stood out from the cesspool of similarly themed junk. It was called, "Your pork pistol won't fail" ...Great, thanks for ruining pork chops for me, for all time. Even schnitzel…
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Unraveling Life's Mysteries
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Interesting Speech, Mr. President….
We finally dried out around here and looks like sunshine for the next week. Great news for me because I get to put on my shorts again. Not a lot of news around here to speak of. Me, still looking for work and writing articles like a mad man. The wife, still working hard but enjoying sixth [...] -
Time to Start Building That Ark….
So much for sunny Southern California. Those wonderful guys at the weather channel have said we are in for a LOT of rain in the next week. Something like five (yeah, five!) storms are all backed up and coming our way. No sunshine till next week sometime. Everyone knows I enjoy wearing my shorts most [...] -
A Novel Idea…
I’ve been contemplating this for some time now. During the holidays I met up with some friends who know of my situation. Out of work and living in the sunshine state. We talked about what I’ve been doing to keep myself out of trouble. I told them basically writing anywhere and everywhere. Of course suggestions [...] -
A 4th Anniversary…
Holly Toledo, I’ve been very neglectful of this blog. I hope everyone had the best holidays. Mine were great with family and friends around to make the season and the New Year festive this year. My wife and I last week celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary. For those keeping track, the 4th anniversary is celebrated with [...] -
I Hate My Job…
Obviously being unemployed, this doesn’t refer to me. However, I have been in this situation myself (hating my job) and when I saw this I just needed to pass it on. Enjoy…. When you have an ‘I Hate My Job Day’ Try this out: Stop at your pharmacy and go to the thermometer section and purchase a rectal [...]
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Annoyingly Boring?
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Smokey Remembered (7/365 year 3)
8 Feb 2010 | 9:06 pmProject 365 // Day 7, year 3 Today over at The Daily Shoot the assignment was pet portraits. I didn’t feel like taking Fluffy’s photo but thought I’d share my most favorite key chain attachment. This was Fluffy’s brother’s tag. After we had to put him down I added it to my key chain so I would always have a reminder handy. Smokey has been gone for years now, but he’s still fondly remembered. Such a sweet boy. Many times over the last two plus years I have turned the camera towards my keys, but I don’t recall ever actually using them as a daily photo. -
For Fun And Amusement Only (6/365 year3)
8 Feb 2010 | 9:11 amProject 365 // Day 6, year 3 My father-in-law fills in the last couple available squares. A great game, a pleasing result, and my son won the 2nd quarter square for a whopping $10.00! -
Post Game Pep (5/365 year 3)
8 Feb 2010 | 9:03 amProject 365 // Day 5, year 3 You can’t see him in this photo but my son was sitting dead center, obscured by numbers 42 and 4. He was the target of some praise after a hard fought loss. The team they played Saturday night had beaten them by 30 points earlier in the season. This time out they fell behind 13-0 and things again looked bleak, but they fought back. While they came up short by 7 points, they played a hell of a game. My son, the tallest on his team faced off against a boy who had almost 6 inches and probably 60 pounds on him. He played him well. the two best games my son has… -
Name That Movie (4/365 year 3)
5 Feb 2010 | 8:08 pmProject 365 // Day 4, year 3 I’ve been having fun playing along with the daily assignments at The Daily Shoot. Today was “Make a photo that goes with the title of a movie you’ve seen, interpreted any way you like!” What movie is it? Easy one I think, but then again I was the who planned the shot! -
13-8-13-8 (3/365 year 3)
4 Feb 2010 | 10:51 amProject 365 // Day 3, year 3 I had this one in mind since the day I got my Chucks. She already had hers.
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One Dad's Life
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Wordless Wednesday - Wino
27 Jan 2010 | 5:25 amA basket full of wine corks on our kitchen counter. Many vineyards now use the artificial "corks" which aren't as cool, but at least some of them are now printing on them as well.Taken with a Nikon D60, 18-55mm, f3.5 - 5.6 kit lens. ISO 100. 6 seconds at f8. Yeah, I used a tripod. No flash, lit by a small night light. Click on picture for a larger version. -
10 Ways I tried to Get to Sleep Last Night - and FAILED!
22 Jan 2010 | 5:57 amFor whatever reason, once again I could not get to sleep last night. So here are the things I tried to do to get drowsy. Counting sheep is for amateurs. Played Animal Crossing: City Folk. Fished in Animal Crossing: City Folk. This usually works. Fishing is SLOW, plus they play this soothing music. Last night - fail. Ripped some CDs in iTunes for the family iPods. Watched the iTunes progress meter. Ripping CDs is slow, and boring. Last night - fail. Watched some TV. TV shows bore me. They make me go to sleep. Last night, I watched 30 Rock, The Office, and Clean House. I… -
Wordless Wednesday - Change of Seasons
20 Jan 2010 | 5:42 amI really like taking pictures of patterns and textures, in particular as they occur in nature, though I've been known to take pictures of carpeting, because I might be able to "use that pattern somewhere."So naturally, this little pile of leaves covered in snow and ice attracted my attention.Click on the picture for a larger version. -
And the Winner Is...
18 Jan 2010 | 6:28 amBoy does it feel good to win! No matter how altruistic you are, you simply can't deny that rush of adrenaline that you get when you win a competition, contest, or even something good from the bottle cap on that soda! I'm STILL disappointed that I didn't get one of those Dr. Pepper Camaros, though.So, this past weekend, I won in a BIG way!Our Christmas lights were up the longest in our neighborhood. There was a close contest between us, and our next door neighbor, but they finally relented on Friday afternoon. Ours came down on Saturday. It doesn't even really… -
Unicorns!
15 Jan 2010 | 5:39 amWell, what a week it has been! It's been busy and all, because reality finally caught up with me and I had to return to that full-time job thing. Um, meh.But in other news, for nearly the past week, I can now see unicorns! That has been so much better than that job thing.Like I said. What a week it has been. To get the details, you'll have to read this. Did you read the comments? Because, if you didn't, then you still won't understand. Read it now - WITH the comments. The truth is finally revealed in the comments. Read it now. I'll wait.Pretty amazing, huh?
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Fighting Monsters with Rubber Swords
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A Fat
4 Feb 2010 | 8:58 amOkay, Amazon. Now you're just being rude. -
Dispatch from Beleaguered Tokyo
30 Jan 2010 | 10:18 pmFirst of all, the CEO of Macmillan, John Sargent, has responded to the Amazon brouhaha. (When I see that word "brouhaha", I imagine it spoken with rolled R's and bugged eyes.) So the rumble appears to be on. (More good observations from John Scalzi, Cory Doctorow, the L.A. Times, and Scalzi again.)For those of you who aren't following this, here's the quick and dirty version. (Not actually all that dirty, sorry.) Along with a number of other houses, Macmillan (whose imprints include Straus & Giroux, Tor, and my publisher, St. Martin's Press) has been pushing for Amazon to change their… -
I bleed the people.
16 Jan 2010 | 11:30 pm"I bleed the people."Originally uploaded by Citizen RobSchuyler was writing sentences using spelling words for a homework assignment the other day. I popped by her computer to see how she was doing. One of the words she had to use was "bleed". She had a sentence on the screen."I bleed the people."When I asked her what she meant, she just laughed, and kept laughing as I tried in vain to get an answer. She eventually changed it to something about bleeding when she lost a tooth, but I don't know, when your little girl writes "I bleed the people", it's hard to let that go. When she embarks on her… -
If you don't like me, she's probably the one to blame.
10 Jan 2010 | 10:49 amHappy birthday, Mom. -
Hopeful Me
9 Jan 2010 | 3:42 pmWell, given my previous post, this may seem sort of ironic, but as of today, I am now writing once a month over at Hopeful Parents, a site for families of kids with disabilities. My first post may seem sort of familiar, since it's adapted from something I wrote a few months ago. But it's an issue that's about to raise its ugly head again, just in time for it to get kicked in the mouth by my size thirteens. Because I'm seriously not in the mood to fight this fight again.Anyway, go check it out. So far, no one's gotten too crazy in the comments, beyond a little bit of passive-aggressive "if you…
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Velcrometer
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Assault and Battery
7 Feb 2010 | 7:16 pmAssault and BatterySo then I got in the trunk of the car and pulled the lid shut.Oh, I seem to be starting in the middle. Let me back up.In a two-telecommuter house, there isn't a lot of driving. In fact, there have been times when if we didn't have to bring M. Edium to school, we wouldn't leave the house at all for a week. We kind of wish he'd learn to drive himself already.In the meantime, though, Trash likes me to alternate between the two cars when I drop him off and pick him up. She's got some crazy, superstitious idea that if we don't drive both cars semi-regularly, then on some cold… -
Pop History
3 Feb 2010 | 8:43 amPop History(Apologies to Glark for the title)Have you seen those commercials paid for by the Corn Growers of America or whatever? At some picnic or birthday party, someone busts out some juice or similarly wholesome treat. A tight-assed counterpart remarks, "Isn't that made with high fructose corn syrup?" Our hero, politely enough, is like, "So?" Then the tight-ass says, "Well, you know what they say about high-fructose corn syrup." And then our hero is like, "No, what do they say?" And the tight-ass has to be all "well…uh…" and it's not like the HFCS booster is going to help them out… -
Winter Wonderland
31 Jan 2010 | 9:12 pmWinter WonderlandI told you a few weeks ago about our feeble attempt at a snow fort, and my even more feeble attempts not to feel inferior about it when I saw other peoples' in the neighborhood after we received a generous shipment of highly moldable snow. However, in the intervening weeks, I have not told you about some of the other structures I've seen, just within a mile radius of our house. These have included a snowman twelve feet tall, a snow Sphinx, and a snow Eiffel Tower (although several sever thaws have rendered it more of a hollow snow Great Pyramid). And those are just the ones I… -
Gym Dandy
29 Jan 2010 | 8:17 amGym DandyI told you about M. Edium's gymnastics tryout, but I didn't really give much detail on how it went. To be honest, it didn't start off that great.The way it works is that the kids are in the main gym, which is fully equipped. Music is supplied by a stereo mounted on the wall, 95% of the carpeted floor is also covered by thick padding, and there are rings, a balance beam, padded ramps, and a padded vault horse, all arranged at heights designed for people who are even smaller than gymnasts.We got there early, while the previous class was still going on. You have to cross the gym to get… -
House Rules
27 Jan 2010 | 5:56 amHouse RulesAt different times, we've had a lot of our friends living in our house with us. It happens when you have a spare bedroom and friends with living situations in flux who you love having around. As we tell all of our long-term houseguests, we only have three rules:1. If you have a party, invite us.2. If you let one or more of the cats escape, you're not coming home until you find them.3. No crashing your car into the garage.Rule three was the only one of those rules that was ever broken at all, which is why we ended up making it. And it was only broken one other time after that.As we…
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Attachment Parenting Blog: Raising Children with Love
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Looking for an über-chic hotel in San Diego?
8 Feb 2010 | 9:57 amI was in San Diego a week or two ago and rather than just check out Expedia to find a place to stay I contacted a friend at Bailey * Gardiner who arranged for me to get a journalist rate at the Sé San Diego, downtown in the center of urban San Diego, California. Just as well, too, as even with the special room rate, it cost me over $150 for a single night's stay. The normal rate would double the tab, but you know what? It was totally worth it and was probably the very nicest place I've ever stayed on my travels. Please continue reading Looking for an über-chic hotel in San Diego? - Tech… -
Weird Pic Caption Contest
2 Feb 2010 | 8:25 amI hosted a panel last night on the future of television, for the DaVinci Institute, and as part of it, I continued an amusing tradition of presenting the weirdest pictures of the week and offered up what I hope were amusing captions for them unrelated to the original context of the pictures. Seems to me that'd be fun to do here on my blog to, so without further ado, here they are... The first one is easy, and I'll use it as a demonstration of what I mean: (1) Larry was determined to do anything to avoid being the black sheep of the family. Now, what's your best caption? Read on for more... -
Research: Why your match.com email doesn't lead to dates
25 Jan 2010 | 10:27 amI know I'm a research geek with lots of academic background and even a stint as a research scientist at an R&D lab, but still, this kind of data really fascinates me to no end: Online dating site OK Cupid has released the result of some semantic analysis that it did of the aggregate emails that people on the site sent each other, comparing what they wrote against whether or not they actually went on a date with the other person. Now anyone with a research background will immediately glom onto the fact that they have committed the cardinal sin of assuming causality from correlational data,… -
The Story Behind Cirque du Soleil's The Beatles LOVE
19 Jan 2010 | 9:08 amIf you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that I write about all sorts of stuff, not just parenting (though as a single dad with three kids parenting is pretty much always on my mind!), including some of the shows that I have a chance to see as I travel around. About a year ago I got to see Cirque du Soleil's The Beatles LOVE, and wrote an extensive review on this blog [see Review of Cirque du Soleil's The Beatles: LOVE]. I was back in Las Vegas a few weeks ago for the Consumer Electronics Show, and my friend Jessica who works at Cirque sent me tickets to see The Beatles LOVE again,… -
Finding your sex appeal after divorce
16 Jan 2010 | 9:40 amThis amusing piece was sent to me by the gal who wrote the book The Laptop Dancer Diaries and I thought I'd share it, even though it's a bit, um, explicit. It's written from a woman's perspective, but with a few tweaks I think it addresses universal issues of self-image and self-confidence post-divorce. Read on, but you've been warned. Oh, and it's okay to laugh a few times, even if it's in embarrassment. :-)You're a woman in your forties. You've been through enough of life's experiences that nothing can faze you. You've developed confidence and style. You are no longer self-conscious about…
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Clark Kent's Lunchbox
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Birthday Cards From Far Away
8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 amToday is my son's birthday. As many of you already know, we (to include my other two sons) are separated by hundreds of miles for the time being, so the best I can do to be with him on his special day is a package in the mail, an early morning phone call and my feelings put into words. Below is a letter I wrote to him last spring for his kindergarten graduation, and even though it's a different occasion, the message still applies. Happy Birthday, Harrison.Dear Harrison,I wanted to say how proud I am of you for getting past that great hurdle in life known as Kindergarten. You're teaching said… -
About A Boy
5 Feb 2010 | 7:31 amThere's a boy at the bus stop. Cute kid, deep dark eyes, bright charismatic grin-probably in kindergarten. He's also a holy terror. He will rip things he wants out of other kids' hands. He tears around the entry drive, darting in front of moving cars without regard. When the drivers blow their horns, all the adults turn and look at him, wondering where his parents are. Usually, he's the last one on the bus because he has to find where he left his backpack. You can see the annoyance on the bus driver's face as she holds the door over, waiting for him to locate it. Allie and Avery say he's even… -
A Second Round Of Sugar Milk With John Cave Osborne
3 Feb 2010 | 4:41 amToday is part 2 of the interview with John Cave Osborne, author of the very funny Tales From The Trips: How Three Babies Turned Our World Upside-Down. (If you'd like to read part 1 click here.) So, we'll pick up right where we left off, with John about to explain his brush with Ashton Kutcher. But before we do, let's have a look at a little video clip.CKL: The video of you on YouTube taking care of the kids all by yourself went viral - even Ashton Kutcher and Alyssa Milano got in on the action. How did that go down? Got anymore video's planned?JCO: First off, it only got 8,100 hits, so I… -
Lady Gaga + 6 Year Old = Bad Romance
2 Feb 2010 | 9:06 amAllie and Avery have been grounded from TV, the computer and video games this past week for wrecking our portable DVD player (a post unto itself) during our trip to Denver. In the meantime, they've been forced to come up with creative ways with which to fill the hours. Armed with a closet full of dress up clothes, make up and a Lady Gaga song, this is just one of the shenanigans they came up with--a video remake of Bad Romance produced by Allie and performed by Avery. For being grounded, they look like they're having more fun than they ought to.The full version is pretty much the same, but… -
Just Another Manscape Monday: Cure JM
1 Feb 2010 | 3:57 amColdplay - New Music - More Music VideosI'm a glutton for punishment it would seem, because yes, I have decided to run a new edition of Just Another Manscape Monday - the post where you get to make fun of me for tweezing and trimming those hirsute nether regions, and in retort I play some uber-metrosexual music video (usually Coldplay) to fan the flames.If you happen to be stopping by after my suicide attempt on Friday (which has warranted a follow-up post), then I would like to offer my appreciation for you're graciousness in coming back. I will, however, warn you that this is where my…
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Mocha Dad
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The Nightmare
7 Feb 2010 | 9:31 amScary things happen when Mommy applies hand sanitizer While sleeping, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I rolled over to see my daughter, Nee, standing in the faint light of the digital clock that displayed 3:30 a.m. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” I asked. “I had a bad dream,” she replied. I pulled her close to me and gave her a big hug. “It’s okay,” I said. “You don’t have to be afraid any more.” I exited the bed, slid into my slippers, and grabbed Nee’s hand. She was still shaking as I led her back upstairs to her bedroom. I… -
Dancey, Dance Time
5 Feb 2010 | 2:53 amDJ Lance Rock - The master of "Dancey, Dance Time" (photo via buycostumes.com) “Dancey, Dance Time” is a big deal in our house. Not only do I get to expose my kids to different types of music, but I also get the chance to teach them how to dance. Before I proceed, I must admit that I gave to birth to two out of three rhythmless children. This fact saddens me because I loved going to clubs and getting in the middle of the dance circle when I was younger. I won’t say who they inherited their rhythmless genes from *cough, cough, KayEm*, but it sure wasn’t from… -
The Wrong Response
2 Feb 2010 | 12:20 pmDuring dinner, my wife, KayEm, and I often attempt to teach our children life lessons. For the most part, we do a good job of delivering motivational messages that resonate with the kids. There are other times when we fail to make our intended point. One such time was when we were teaching the kids the proper way to respond when things don’t go their way. “Bad things will happen to you during your life,” said KayEm. “No matter how good you are.” The kids stared blankly at her as they shoved forkfuls of spaghetti in their mouths. “Even, though bad things will… -
Hero is Another Name for Daddy
29 Jan 2010 | 11:13 amMy kids and I are comic book geeks. We love to watch superhero cartoons and movies. One of our favorite shows is Teen Titans. Although the series has been canceled for a few years, we still try to catch reruns whenever we can. After watching the show one morning, the kids and I decided to analyze the episode. “The thing I liked about this episode,” said my daughter, Nee. “Was that it was full of surprises.” “Yes,” I agreed. “There were many plot twists.” “It was interesting how the bad guy tricked Raven into believing he was the good… -
The Case of the Runaway Beagle
26 Jan 2010 | 7:41 amMischief lies behind those big brown eyes. I often travel for business. My wife, KayEm, and I stay in touch with Skype, Twitter, and e-mail. I’m always excited when I pull out my Blackberry and see one of her messages. But sometimes, I receive a message that I’m afraid to open. About a year ago, we adopted a beagle named Ginger. Although the adjustment was tough at first, she has become a beloved addition to our family. Ginger is an active dog who loves to play and explore. Her wanderlust is the reason why KayEm sent me an e-mail message with this subject line: Ginger ran away. As…
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Parenting - The Dad Jam
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10 ways for YOU to get ready for potty training
3 Feb 2010 | 9:52 pmThere is an overwhelming number of articles on the net that ask the question, “Is your toddler ready for potty training?” but I haven’t yet found one that asks another very important question, which is, “Are YOU (the parent) ready for Potty Training?” So I thought I’d turn the world on its head for a moment here and write about that very topic. If you’ve been jamming with us here at The Dad Jam lately, you’ll know that we are going diaper free with our daughter, who is now 18 months old. With her, we never had to ask ourselves if she was… -
Spend time with your kids
10 Jan 2010 | 3:21 pmI’m on a business trip and I’ve been away from Love Buns, Sweet Cheeks and Smarty Pants for just over a week now. I’m counting the days until I see them again… only 5 more to go. We video-chatted over Skype yesterday, and it was so nice to see them again. Even if only a digitized version, it was still nice to see their faces and smiles, and hear their voices. It made me miss them even more. This is the first time since both kids were born that I’ve been away over a weekend, alone. It got me thinking. Its funny; when you have kids, there never seem to be… -
Rainy Day in Vancouver – Take the kids to the Airport!
20 Dec 2009 | 9:45 pmRunning out of things to do with the kids on these rainy Vancouver days? Been to the Mall, Community Centre, Chapter’s, Science World, Aquarium, and Kid’s Market with them a million times already? Here’s something that you can do with them that I’m sure many of you haven’t thought of yet… take them to the new Observation Area at the Vancouver International Airport! Don’t know what that is? Don’t worry… I didn’t know either, until I recently had the pleasure of touring it myself. The Observation Area is designed for young… -
Review – Sylvan Learning Language Arts Success
29 Nov 2009 | 11:15 pmLucky me, I recently received three Sylvan Learning Language Arts Success books for my reviewing pleasure. I received the Grade K, Grade 1, and Grade 2 books, since they come closest to my son’s age. These books are great, and the timing is great too, since we are starting to think about teaching our son to write now, and he is starting to show a lot of interest in writing. Each book is huge, weighing in at over 300 pages each, with nice, solid, quality paper. The pages are colourful too, with cool colour pictures throughout. My son really enjoys the drawings in these books. … -
Green Tip – Biodegradable Laundry Detergent (plus Giveaway!)
22 Nov 2009 | 10:34 pmFrequent readers and Jammers here at The Dad Jam will know that my household is a big fan of being green and doing what we can to walk more lightly on this planet we call Earth. So…. being the green beans that we are …. I was happy to say “Yes” when I was contacted to try out the new Green Works(TM) line of cleaning products from Clorox(R). We have already been using several brands of biodegradable and natural cleaning products, so trying out a new one was a delight. We tried out the Green Works laundry detergent, and the All-Purpose Cleaner. I’ll let you…
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DaddyClaxton.com
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Billboard in Wyoming, MN. Like him or not, this is funny
8 Feb 2010 | 2:56 pmMy daughter, Chandler's, godfather in Florida sent me this picture of a billboard that's said to be along Interstate 35 in Wyoming, MN. Like former President George W. Bush or not, this is funny. -
The Al Gore Snowman Contest--Maybe we can build one in Dallas Thursday!
8 Feb 2010 | 12:42 pmYou had to expect it at some point. The clever fokes at Human Events have created a snowman building contest for the nation's Capital in honor, or dishonor, of former Vice President Al Gore, who as you know, is the king of perpetuating the "global warming" myth that has been hyped beyond the limits of reason and drilled into the psyche of our schoolchildren nationwide as though it were concrete fact. How fitting a name for such a contest. You know, Gore has predicted the end of life as we know it because the earth is getting so incredibly hot. Well,… -
He's just saying that 'cos I'm here--The Leno, Letterman, Oprah Miracle
8 Feb 2010 | 12:12 pmWow. What a logistical effort it must have been to sneak Jay Leno into the Ed Sullivan Theater in NYC so that David Letterman, Oprah and Leno could all do the 15-second video for the Super Bowl last night. You'd think that with all the attention Leno has had in recent months over the Conan O'Brien Show fiasco that he'd have something of a following to keep tabs on him. And then over on CNN you can read how the idea came together at CBS, Letterman's people shared it with Oprah, then sold it to Leno and then got NBC's okay to share him on another… -
Super Bowl Weekend; A Super Time to be a Super Dad
8 Feb 2010 | 10:37 amI had a very active weekend with my kids, though I must say, we didn't get out a lot. I did get in some quality time with the children and that's not always an easy thing to do with them because their interests are different, their interest levels are different and then there are responsibilities I have around the house that also dictate that I can't just sit there with them the entire weekend. But I did learn some great things about my kids this weekend and here are a few things I'm ready to share: For one thing, my 13-yo-daughter, Chandler, has a budding… -
Should Audi Yank The Green Police Campaign?
7 Feb 2010 | 7:21 pmI saw the Green Police Audi commercial during the Super Bowl. To my knowledge it only played once, but it was kind of frightening on the face of it about people being arrested for not doing things that are considered "green." And then comes the research and power of the Internet pointing out that in Germany, where the Audi hails, the Green Police under Himler were a pretty powerful group that helped facilitate the Holocaust. My guess is that in the next 24 hours there are going to be some serious repercussions over running this spot. Yes, it was just a…
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Luke, I Am Your Father
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Cold Feet
7 Feb 2010 | 3:32 pmIt might have been an elbow to the back. Or perhaps it was just a firm hand on my shoulder. It makes no difference, the result was my being startled out of what was, from the best I could recall, a comforting dream.There was muffled whimpering coming from Lukas' room. Only half awake, I ignored it, rolled back over, and immediately fell back to sleep. Then only moments later another cry, this time louder, woke me up once again. I glanced at the clock.4:30 AM.Uhhg. I immediately got up and stumbled my way to his room. He lay there on his side, rubbing his eyes, but otherwise looked… -
Feeling the Pain
3 Feb 2010 | 8:00 pmHoly Rip the still beating heart out of my wintry pale Seattle chest and feed it piece by dripping piece to a voracious pack of bloodthirsty hyena's Batman, this parenting gig is H.A.R.D.I know what he means, you may be thinking. Is it...The late night wakings? No I can handle those, but mostly in a Zombie like trance.The potty training? Not so much really. I don't normally brag about this but I have worked with a lot of poop in my life.Toddler tantrums due to hunger or lack of sleep? I can't say these don't exist, but the ones we do experience have been...um...tollerable. Not the horror… -
Naturally, He's a Whiz Kid
1 Feb 2010 | 12:00 pmIt was one of those rare Saturday mornings when Mom was away from the home, leaving Lukas and Daddy alone for some male bonding time. Since it WAS still morning, the boy and I opted to pass on cracking open PBR's in the garage while listening to heavy metal riffs, and reminiscing about past glory days. Perhaps another time (Er...yes, at least 20 years hence Mommy).Instead our plan was to attend a scheduled, and paid-for, morning Daddy and Me soccer class. However, being a one car family now, and with neither of us getting our act together enough to get out the door in time to catch the bus… -
Sympathy for The Parent?
29 Jan 2010 | 1:00 pm(T has pity for the fools!)I guess I don't really blame them, since I have been there before, and occupied that mindset myself at a time in my life prior to becoming a parent.I had to work from home the other day since Lukas wasn't feeling well. While there I called a colleague in another office, a man with no children of his own, to try to work out an issue. Lukas chose that moment to throw a mild fit. I'm not sure about what, he just wasn't feeling well that afternoon. At a subsequent meeting with another person in this same office it came up that this guy had a good laugh about this, and… -
The Afterthought
26 Jan 2010 | 8:25 pmThis is not a love post. It is a post about love.Mrs. LIAYF and I loaded Lukas into the car yesterday for a short trip to the grocery store. No, not the fancy store, though it was nice.Anyway, as we were pulling out of our driveway Lukas noticed bright lights on in a neighbors window."Look, Christmas lights!" he exclaimed"No, buddy those lights are red. Those must be Valentines lights." I explained."Valentines Day is a day where we show people how much we love them." Mrs. LIAYF added."Lukas, who do you love?""I love MOMMY!" he excitedly cried."That's good. Who else do you love?""I love…
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Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
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Thinking Healthier Thoughts
8 Feb 2010 | 1:51 pmI ran this afternoon for the first time in over two weeks. It felt great. I feel great and my head is more clear. I track my run using Run Keeper so I can compete – with myself. I’ve never really been a competitive person and I only started running three and a half years ago (when my ex-husband and I first separated) so it still feels like a relatively new experience for me. Each and every time I run, I remind myself why I need to do it more often, how great I feel afterward and how much more healthier I will be when I add it into my routine more regularly. I tell my clients… -
Apparently I Have An Issue With Letting Go
1 Feb 2010 | 10:56 amI was the first one to arrive…scoping out the joint and trying to figure out if I would be able to summon the courage to climb up the ladder and swing from the trapeze along with my friends. But my son and I showed up way too early. When we got there, the sports center was filled with young volleyball players and their parents. There was no sign of trapeze, circus-type activities going on so we sat on the sidelines, waiting patiently for the game to end. Once the young girls and their families departed, the people behind Circus Fund wasted no time. In less than 25 minutes, the nets were… -
Do You Care for Valentine’s Day?
25 Jan 2010 | 12:20 pmI cringe when thinking about the time my ex-husband gave me a Vermont Teddy Bear for Valentine’s Day – over six months after he moved out and filed for divorce. Even though the card said that it was from my son, I couldn’t help but gag at the idea. I mean, it’s not like our son (who was only 3 at the time) actually picked it out or even suggested that he get me a gift at all. In fact, when I opened the box, my son grabbed the bear, assuming it was for him. I didn’t argue. Sad to say this is the memory that first came to mind when reading about this contest from… -
Mother Beauty
22 Jan 2010 | 10:46 pmLast week, much of my energy and excitement went into a professional photo shoot that I put together rather quickly. I gathered up the courage to put myself on center stage, posing for nearly 75 photos during the two-hour session, changing into over 7 outfits and using several different props and backgrounds. From a business suit to my birthday suit, I took a wide range of photos to show how diverse even just one woman can be in the many roles she plays. Although this was a rather impulsive idea, the plan was to create a photo shoot around “The Many Faces of Mom” theme. My focus… -
Home Sweet Home
17 Jan 2010 | 9:20 pmLast night was our first overnight at the new apartment. There was nothing to do but play cards since we packed up just a handful of items to bring with us at the last-minute. We snuggled next to each other at bedtime to stay warm, the sun waking us up this morning, reminding us where we were (the sunlight had a difficult time reaching us at our old place). We sprawled our sleeping bags out on the floor of my son’s new room and brought just a few items to set up in the kitchen and bathroom – enough for a sleepover. Today, we made our second trip, bringing over a few more things…
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Dad's Workbench: A Dad Blog
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A close up on fresh fish
7 Feb 2010 | 6:10 pmA while back I posted on my ice fishing trip and posted a few pictures. Most of the photos were of the trip since accidentally over exposed the photos of the fish. The other day at my dad’s birthday party we were talking about the trip. It inspired me to revisit those photos. So I touched them up again and also added some photos of the cleaned and gutted fish. What is amazing about these fish is the nice red meat they have. Fresh is best plus the next day they make good fish sandwiches. So here are just a few more fresh fish photos from ice fishing at Red Lake. Other fishing photos can… -
1 month down, 1 month to go.
30 Jan 2010 | 2:11 pmIt has been a month since I broke my leg and I have one more month with my cast on. The worst part of it all is that it is so hard to do anything or go anywhere. Before I just wanted to sit around the house on my days off. After a full week of work it was nice to just sit and not go anywhere. And now that I am almost glued to my couch I now want to get out. My plan is to go for a hike somewhere and take about 100 photos once the cast is off. Any photo from a view point other than my couch would be nice. I have to say the one thing I miss most is being able to chase after my daughter and play… -
Max iPad
27 Jan 2010 | 8:31 pmiPad? What kind of sick joke is that? If I upgrade to the best iPad do I get a Max iPad? Since I could care less about nice little white computers that make you feel warm an fuzzy. I haven’t been following the whole Mac thing. To me it is just a fad that will one day fade out but apparently there is a large chuck of our population that thinks cosmetics help them perform better. So I had to do a little research on this thing they call an iPad. One of the results on a Google search nearly made me fall over laughing in pain, it was a court case over the name (Apple Tries to Wrangle iPad… -
Although I Am A Cripple, My Daughter Loves Me.
23 Jan 2010 | 3:50 pmAlmost three weeks ago I broke my leg. That means I sit still as much as possible because my arm pits hurt from the crutches. So lately I have spent a lot of time reading my photography books. On day I put the book on the back of the couch. I was doing something on my computer then some how knocked it and if fell off the back. It made a bit of a noise so my little girl went over to see what happened. She went over and tried to pick it up. As it is fairly large book and she is quite small it took a lot of effort to pick it up properly without grabbing it by a couple of pages. Eventually she… -
Photo Goodies!
15 Jan 2010 | 8:48 pmOver the last four years I have been getting more and more into photography. So for Christmas and my birthday photography stuff has been at the top of my gift list. The other day we went out for my birthday dinner (I had a three course meal which included an amazing blueberry duck). My in-laws bought me a fold out camera. I think it is a Franka Solida III but I don’t know much about it. I really wanted one but probably would have been a while before I ever bought one. I like old photos even though they aren’t always clear or high quality compared to now days. I just like the…
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mattdaddy.net
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One more and I can breathe!
1 Feb 2010 | 1:50 pmI’ve haven’t been writing a whole lot lately because of some major releases at work. Nervous, paranoid, and stressed, but truthfully I think the fallout will be minimal and manageable and I’m freaking myself out for no real reason. Got a big one on Friday and when it’s done it becomes a series of managing much smaller releases, which is the way it should be anyway. Plus we start using some cool stuff and get rid of some old dusty manual processes, YAY! I’d rather be ready for anything than slammed by stuff I didn’t think of. Even now, a few days before,… -
Slowing down
29 Jan 2010 | 2:14 pmTake a minute. Take 5. Slow down, you’re moving way too fast. Got to make the morning last… heh, sorry. Sometimes my fingers just keep typing. We sometimes run through life so quickly that we don’t take the time to smell the flowers…or is it roses? Who knows. WHO CARES! Take a deep breath. Read to your kids. Give your wife/husband a hug just because you love them. Go do something you’ve always wanted to do, but never dared to. Life is too short to keep running so fast that you never see things flying by you unappreciated or un-looked at. (yeah, so my grammar… -
Making Sushi with Gillian
21 Jan 2010 | 7:34 pmSince Gillian has been diagnosed with Celiac disease, we’ve been trying to find ways to get her to eat more diverse foods than gluten free(gf) mac and cheese and gf grilled cheese and grilled chicken. I knew enough to download a translated card from the Celiac Disease foundation that listed the instructions and asked a few questions in several languages so the guys at our japanese restaurant could understand and make her sushi. They did, and she loved it. Problem is, it’s really expensive. So for the holidays, Gillian bought me a sushi kit – a book, some implements and a… -
Ack! Been too long!
15 Jan 2010 | 1:08 pmI’ve been so busy lately that I didn’t even realize it’s been a while since I updated. I think I’ve been waiting for enough time to download the pics and movies I took the other day when I made sushi for the first time with Gillian. Tre yummy btw if I do say so. I’ll post about that tonight hopefully. Feeling okay in the elbow department thankfully. Went through class on Wed with little to no discomfort, tho I forgot to wear the brace, but I seem to be okay still. Currently wearing it because of a twinge I felt this morning. Hoping it’ll go… -
Almost…cut my…
7 Jan 2010 | 12:19 pmHair? No, sorry. No references to CSNY today. Actually I’m growing a goatee, not sure about it tho. Hmm, I should take a pic when I get home. No, this is in reference to cutting something else. I’ve been having issues with my elbow that make it next to impossible to practice Kendo on any kind of regular basis. I got a cortisone shot before the holidays, and had two weeks off from Kendo for the holidays. Nice and rested, I worked from home this past Tuesday. Got excited to go and get my ‘rah rah’ s out as my sister puts it. I had a bit of a hangnail on…
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Blogger Dad
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Men: How To Understand Them
5 Feb 2010 | 5:49 amSince most of my readers here are women, I’d like to offer a public service to help bridge the gap in male-female relations. Most problems tend to crop up when we fail to understand one another. Men and women are different. Only when we understand what makes the other tick can we really try to work with one another. Below is a list of some things to help women better understand their men a bit better. Obviously, this list doesn’t apply to all men. Just 99.982% of them. Men don’t always say that they love you. It’s not that they don’t. I mean your man might love the New York… -
Classic Blogger Dad: Valentine’s Day Cards
1 Feb 2010 | 1:41 amNote: This is a classic post from Feb. 2009. I’ll be back Wed. with a fresh new Blogger Dad entry. Enjoy. Valentine’s Day is Saturday and many people are rushing to the store to find the perfect card. While there’s a ton of generic cards suitable for most couples, there’s a significant lack of cards for specific situations. To that end, I’ve created some cards to fill the void, and perhaps, make somebody’s Valentine’s Day one to remember. Valentine’s Day cards for everyone else as always, thanks for reading, David Note: I used Flickr Creative… -
Things My Child Says
24 Jan 2010 | 11:37 pmYay! Things My Child Says is live! If you are looking for funny, sweet, and amusing children’s quotes, then you must check it out. Whether you’re a mommy blogger, daddy blogger or simply someone who enjoys the amusing things that children say, Things My Child Says will have something for you. For this project, I customized Eric Hamm’s wonderful WordPress Frugal theme. As you might recall, if you read the post on the design process, I had a green site design last week. Well, the final result is waaaaay different. Started out like this (click to make bigger): Added some new… -
Jealous Dad?
21 Jan 2010 | 10:35 pmMe and E Now I know how a lot of moms might feel. One of my son’s female daycare teachers recently moved out of state. While I might have caused my kindergarten teacher to quit teaching, I don’t think my son caused his teacher to move. At any rate, he now has a male teacher, who he talks about with a huge grin on his face. The guy’s name is is Mr. Dave. Yes, the guy stole my name! “I hit Mr. Dave with a ball today,” my son said, smiling. “You hit him? Was he upset?” “No,” E said, “he laughed. We were playing.” Then my son proceeded to laugh as he recalled the moment. -
More Art & Coming Soon
20 Jan 2010 | 6:02 pmNext week, I’m going to introduce a new feature here at Blogger Dad – where I cook. If you think you know where I’m going with this, think again. Here’s some more art from the upcoming site, Things My Child Says, a site devoted to children’s quotes. Thank you to everybody who has emailed me quotes and commented on the site premise. For those who missed the prior posts, you can check them out here. See you tomorrow with more art. Like this post? Please consider tweeting it and telling others about it. Want BloggerDad delivered to your email every time I post?
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Halftime Lessons
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Business2Blogger: It’s about damn time.
1 Feb 2010 | 1:00 amSoooo…you knew I had been working on something…maybe you even cared. Well, today it is born. Business2Blogger.com opens its doors to the little Blogs, and the big. To multi-national corporations and Etsy moms. And the only downside is that on the other side of the door… is me. and holly. and shauna. Never dreamed I’d have “matchmaker” on my resume, but it’s now a reality. Come see what it’s all about. There’s a contest, too. A BIG one. The first of many. Just come see, already. -
Ok…sometimes there’s great stuff.
17 Jan 2010 | 9:50 amRecorded this as quick as I could, in case I never hear it again, or it just doesn’t sound as amazing as it did this morning. Music Playlist at MixPod.com -
Blog, Interrupted.
14 Jan 2010 | 1:00 amHello out there…echo echo echo… Been missing you. I’ve been here, though it’s easy to believe otherwise. The life that I was loving last year, write read write read write, came to a crashing halt when my company decided to restructure in the fall. I kept my job, but was immediately handed new responsibility which sent me scrambling for safety…and I haven’t truly regained that ground yet. Then the silly season started, and I took my family to one of my favorite places in England for a few weeks…truly amazing time I hope to share more with you in the… -
Evil is a Reality. Watch Your Kids.
6 Dec 2009 | 4:31 amNo funnies today, just a reminder to hold your kids dear, and near. As Christmas continues to ramp up, we all like to think of our suburbs as safety zones, relatively immune from the horrors we see on the news. And yet, those things are happening on our minivan-covered streets, by our exemplary schools, and out front of our designer stores. We know a great couple in our neighborhood who had a terrifying moment this week. I am reposting what he wrote in the hope that it reminds you of family-changing possibilities that lie waiting for gaps in our attention. Talk to your kids, keep ‘em… -
I’m Cheating On My Wife.
23 Nov 2009 | 4:36 amAnother excerpt from our bedroom is in order today…my wife broke the relationship-shattering news this morning. What was vivid, she went on to explain, was that I had done it. According to her, I had been with a woman named Jennifer. She had a dream, and when she awoke, I was informed that I had been cheating on her. “It was so vivid”, she said. “So real”. I said, suddenly excited about the detail of my indiscretion, “Well, was I any good?” “I didnt see any of that.” “Uh…well, was she hot?” “I didn’t see her…
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Ask Mr. Dad
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Too Much Tube?
3 Feb 2010 | 12:36 amDear Mr. Dad: My 18-month old son is suddenly obsessed with TV. He watches at least 3-4 hours per day. My wife doesn’t see the problem since it allows her to get stuff done around the house, but I’m worried. How much TV is too much? A: Great question—one you have every right to be concerned [...] -
No more No!
27 Jan 2010 | 12:08 amDear Mr. Dad: I feel like when I spend time with my 2-year old, I’m constantly telling him “no!” Is there some way I can enforce boundaries without being so negative? A: It’s no wonder that one of the first words kids learn to say is, No. After all, it’s the word they hear the most—even [...] -
Walking a Mile in Mom’s Shoes
20 Jan 2010 | 12:12 amDear Mr. Dad: I’ve always resented my mother and thought she was a lousy parent. I saw only her negative side and was extremely critical and judgmental. But now that I’m a new mom myself, I see her in a different light and realize that her intentions were good. How do I make up for [...] -
I’ll Take The High Road. You Take Whatever Road You Want.
13 Jan 2010 | 12:39 amDear Mr. Dad. I’m getting divorced. My spouse is acting horribly and I have to admit that I haven’t been behaving much better. I’m angry and I find myself wanting to punish him. But maintaining this level of intensity is exhausting—and I can see that it’s hurting our children. Is there a way for me [...] -
High Anxiety and Expectant Fathers
6 Jan 2010 | 2:52 amDear Mr. Dad: I’m a first time father-to-be, and the entire pregnancy has been going very well for me and my wife. But about two weeks ago, I started experiencing anxiety which was pretty severe at times. I got very scared about me or my wife getting ill or having an accident and dying. My [...]
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Dad's 'Mac & Cheese'
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Party Time?
6 Feb 2010 | 7:02 amWe have entered day two of Luke’s actual birthday celebrations. Yesterday was his actual birthday, today will be his ‘birthday observed, with friends’ (friend/neighbors party), and tomorrow will be his ‘birthday, observed, with family’ (the family party). There was such a buildup, I wasn’t sure his birthday would live up to the lofty expectations that had been [...] -
A Boy Named Boobie…
4 Feb 2010 | 6:19 pmLast Thursday, Uncle Mike and Aunty Lori called from Hawaii to announce that they were expecting their second child in September. The kids were very excited. Charlotte happily exclaimed, without any sense of irony, “Another cousin who lives really far away!” Then, on Sunday, Aunt Kate came over to tell us that she and Uncle Chris were [...] -
Having a Ball, a FOOSball!
30 Jan 2010 | 4:33 amThe countdown continues: seven days until Luke’s birthday party, and the excitement keeps building. We’ve even wrapped his present already. Usually, we’re not this on the ball, but since Charlotte’s been so excited about Luke turning three, she’s been heavily promoting birthday preparations. Plus, we bought his present over a month ago, back when we were [...] -
On Demand
27 Jan 2010 | 6:24 pmLuke’s going through another stretch of early morning wakeups. This morning, he woke up at about 5:30am. We brought him down to our bed with the deluded hope of getting him back to sleep. One of his new favorite shows is Dragon Tales on PBS, which comes on at 6:30am. Shortly after getting in our bed (again, [...] -
‘The Birthday Boy’
24 Jan 2010 | 6:18 pmApparently, Luke’s birthday celebration is going to last three weeks (at least). Luke’s birthday is almost two weeks away, but Charlotte has been referring to him as ‘the birthday boy’ for the past seven days. Plus, she’s been giving him frequent ‘birthday hugs and kisses’ (sometimes he’s willing, sometimes not so much). And whenever we count [...]
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FriendFeed - dadinfo
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BBC News - Parents can share time off for babies, ministers say
28 Jan 2010 | 9:51 amDad Info BBC News - Parents can share time off for babies, ministers say - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1... January 28 from delicious - Comment - Like -
BBC News - Fathers to be offered more help
20 Jan 2010 | 1:51 amDad Info BBC News - Fathers to be offered more help - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1... January 20 from delicious - Comment - Like -
Nervous new father? Here comes the official instruction manual - The Guardian
19 Jan 2010 | 12:40 pmDad Info Nervous new father? Here comes the official instruction manual - The Guardian - http://news.google.com/news... January 19 from Google Reader - Comment - Like -
National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse
12 Jan 2010 | 10:25 amDad Info National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse - http://fatherhood.gov/ January 12 from delicious - Comment - Like -
When fathers lose their jobs
12 Jan 2010 | 10:15 amDad Info When fathers lose their jobs - http://www.duncanfisher.com/index... January 12 from Google Reader - Comment - Like
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Makes Me Wanna Holler
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The Soldier of Love CD Giveaway
8 Feb 2010 | 1:08 pmBefore Halle,before Salli,before Paula (Patton),before Alicia (Keys),before Jill (Scott),before Erykah (Badu),before anyone that I could list here,...there was Sade Adu...and boy did I love her music and lust after her beauty. Many a teen and college age night was spent sitting in the dark listening to her music, either lamenting alone over some stupid and immature love lost or with company doing my best to make it last forever (even though I can't say I can remember any of those moments now).If you haven't heard her very radio-compliant track and title of the album, Soldier of Love, please… -
Shopping With The Wife
8 Feb 2010 | 8:00 amMy wife thinks it's so unromantic that I don't go shopping with her. But when I have, this is what happens...every time, multiplied by 1000.Sigh.Follow Me On TwitterSubscribe to Makes Me Wanna Holler -
Gotta Get A Real Car
8 Feb 2010 | 7:00 amIf you missed the Superbowl last night you missed the New Orleans Saint's historic win over the Indianapolis Colts.You also missed this:I'm so due a car with some real horses under the hood...Follow Me On TwitterSubscribe to Makes Me Wanna Holler -
February 9th, Two-Thousand-Again
8 Feb 2010 | 5:13 amOn February 9th, 2008 I wrote the inaugural post for this blog which at the time was entitled Manchild In The Promised Land. What was I thinking? The post was entitled Here I Go Again... I wrote about new beginnings and what to expect from me based on my previous illustrious bad luck with blogs. I smacked this ship with a bottle of cheap champagne (the bottle didn’t break) and sent it off into the sea otherwise known as the Internet. Back then I was writing for one --- myself. Back then I didn’t know if anyone was going to read, let alone care, about anything I had to say.On Tuesday,… -
Unitard Fights For Us All
6 Feb 2010 | 11:13 pmBesides the lights, camera, and action, Superbowl commercials rank right up there as on the main highlights of the big game. From cars to jobs to Internet domain companies there's nothing that can't be promoted on one of television's most watched nights. And most of them thrive on one major component: they're funny.Presenting UNITARD, the superhero spokesman for VacationRental.org. UNITARD tirelessly fights for the happiness of travelers, and he will not rest until people learn the benefits of the affordable, quality vacation rental. He fights for us all.Check out their vacation rental…
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Jitterbug
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Ziggy Marley wins Grammy Award
1 Feb 2010 | 2:25 pmCongratulations to Ziggy Marley for winning a Grammy Award in the Best Musical Album For Children category. His album Family Time gets better and better the more you listen, with or without the little ones…. -
Holiday song playlist for DailyCandy
17 Dec 2009 | 6:48 amIt’s that time of year to give gifts… Jitterbug has put together a holiday song playlist of 7 original songs for DailyCandy Kids. We’re offering a free download of the songs for the holidays. Take a listen and give a gift of music – download for free here, enjoy! -
Grammy Nominees on jitterbug
16 Dec 2009 | 10:10 amCongratulations to artists Milkshake, Ziggy Marley, and Cathy and Marcy for your Grammy Award Nominations this year. We’re happy and proud you are involved with jitterbug – good luck… -
Daily Candy Kids Playlist
15 Jun 2009 | 4:43 pmDaily Candy, the free daily e-mail that gives you the scoop on fashion, food, good deals…… and kids stuff – asked Jitterbug to put together a summer music playlist. We were happy to help out! Barenaked Ladies, Ziggy Marley, The Jimmies, Randy Kaplan and Brady Rymer are part of the mix. The artists were generous enough to offer a free download of their song (for a limited time). Five artists, five songs – listen and download here. Go enjoy! -Dan -
Batchblue recognizes Jitterbug
29 May 2009 | 1:35 pmJitterbug was recognized by Batchblue in their annual Small Business Super Hero Contest. Read about it here, and congratulations to RetroRazor and Kitbook for their 1st and 2nd place finishes! Batchblue’s online software is a great way to keep track of people, communications, to do lists…etc. Thanks Batchblue for providing a solid service and choosing jitterbug! -Dan
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Dad Writings
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A New Resource For Special Needs Parenting
27 Jan 2010 | 8:28 pmRecently, I picked-up a new writing client; they are a blog for children with disabilities. Since I have plenty of experience with this, I was more than happy to start writing for them. The site has recently launched in the last month and I would like to let you know about it. When you get a chance, check out: ChildRC.com As a parent to a child with Special Needs, I firmly believe in bringing awareness to this subject; I believe this site will help with that. As I have written before, my youngest child is a Special Needs child. She has Ataxia and Hypatonia, No one can tell us for sure what is… -
Happy New Year!
1 Jan 2010 | 5:05 amWell, another year has gone by. That also means another year is starting. I hope everyone has a great new year and all of your goals for the year come true! I personally hope this year is better than the last. So many things have happened and I hope this new year will bring better opportunities than 2009. Happy New Year to All! Photo credit: optical_illusion Related posts:Happy Holidays to All! Happy New Year Happy Father’s Day -
Happy Holidays to All!
25 Dec 2009 | 12:10 pmThis is the time of year to focus on more personal things in life: family, personal goals and accomplishments and more. I am thankful for what I have and that I still have my family and home. I have had many changes this year; some good and some not so good. I am planning for many things in 2010 and hope for a new start on some things in my life. Here is hoping that you have a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones. Photo credit: me Related posts:Happy New Year! Happy New Year What Are You Thankful For This Holiday Season? -
How a Video Game Taught My Child About Quitting
4 Dec 2009 | 2:21 pm“It’s too hard; I can’t do it, I quit!” These were the words from my 5-year-old daughter. We were playing Wii Sports Resort and she was playing the sword duel module. She was in a duel to knock the computer player off of the platform with a fake sword – she kept losing. I said, “Quit? Why don’t you try again?” She said, “It’s too hard. I won’t be able to do it, ever!” I said, “If you quit, you will never win. Keep trying and you will make it.” She had enough; she sat on the floor and asked me to play instead. I picked up the controller and picked another module to… -
What Are You Thankful For This Holiday Season?
11 Nov 2009 | 4:53 amThe holidays are a time for giving and giving thanks. Too many focus on getting gifts and not enough on the reason for the season. This holiday season, we should think of those less fortunate; some families don’t have a roof over their head now. I give thanks I have a roof over my family’s head, food on the table, and my loved ones are around for this holiday season. In my personal opinion, I don’t think many give thanks for what they have; they only focus on what they don’t have. I recently wrote an article at Parenting Special Needs Magazine on giving thanks and how my Special Needs…
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A Blogger and a Father
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40. Creative-Type Dad
2 Feb 2010 | 11:50 amCreative-Type DadCreative-Type Dad has a 4-year-old daughter, a pregnant wife, and an amazing ability to draw Lionel Richie. He started blogging (by accident) soon after his daughter was born. I guess he had the silly idea we all have, that blogging would help him understand his daughter and the meaning of fatherhood...It's a really fun blog, full of love and laughs, and original coloring books masterpieces.As a father who will soon have a second child, I share CTD's anxiety. It was hard enough the first time, after all. But I also know this anxiety will disappear as soon as we hear our new… -
This Post is Dedicated to Lonely Fathers
24 Jan 2010 | 9:20 pmI got this link from one of the fathers in my SAHD group. It's just a comical little Garrison Keillor song, but it makes me think about how different things are for some fathers. -
On Twitter and Facebook
15 Jan 2010 | 9:47 pmTrying to maintain a community of blogging fathers, I decided a few months ago to try out the Twitter thing everyone was talking about. I had my doubts. Actually, I didn't have doubts--I knew it was the end of Western Civilization. Because I DON'T NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU HAD FOR LUNCH.But while people who haven't joined, either think it's all about lunch updates or are curious to see what exactly it is they're missing, people who have joined Twitter know it's much more than that.The beauty of Twitter is that the only reason it has evolved from lunch updates to the giant conference call it is… -
39. Danny
7 Jan 2010 | 11:10 pmDad Gone MadI used to be a Twitter-hater. The idea of communicating to the world in 140 characters or less was a sign of the end of civilization, or at least the end of art and literature and everything sacred and good. And then I gave it a try. All of a sudden I was surrounded by updates from all the blogging fathers I knew, and many from parents I didn't know. And Twitter wasn't about short mundane updates anymore--this was more like a conference call. Mothers and fathers, some very different from each other, all talking at the same time, and still all equally able to be heard. Obviously,… -
How to Make Sure Your Son Grows Up to Think Inside the Box
29 Dec 2009 | 8:50 pmSo when my baby turned two, I bought him a blackboard and some chalk. It was time for him to be creative. Sure, I thought, at first he'd just draw some lines, but with time those lines would turn into whatever he wants them to be. I don't know if he grows up to be an artist, but at least he will grow up with imagination and creativity and the simple magic of turning an empty page into a canvass.And of course, as soon as I opened the box of chalks, he took one and started using it on the wooden bed frame.And did I tell him what he did was beautiful? Did I encourage his imaginative…
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Pacing The Panic Room
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Walking On
9 Feb 2010 | 6:37 am*Sorry for the delay in the series post. I had the pleasure of documenting the birth of a healthy baby boy yesterday and was gone watching the clock all day waiting for the big moment. The little guy was brought into this world after almost 41 weeks of waiting with just 3 big pushes. It was awesome! Hopefully down the road the proud Mama and Papa will let me share some of the pics from the day here. The Walk to 40 Weeks: This week Trish finally slipped comfortably into some maternity clothes that Isabella Oliver was so super rad to provide for our shoot. She loved their pieces because it was… -
Gone Shooting
8 Feb 2010 | 6:24 amGood morning,The Walk to 40 Weeks will be up later today. Sorry for the delay I had to run off and shoot some pictures for a friend who is having a baby this morning :) So here is a picture of LB trying to push Tessa in the stroller on our walk yesterday. All the Love in the Universe ~ Me -
The Mix Tape
5 Feb 2010 | 5:35 am*The backstory--In our car we have one CD that plays, when we get in the car it comes on, and immediately The Littlest Buddy will start requesting songs that he wants to hear by number. Typically it is "one" sometimes "10" and occasionally "16."And so we have been playing his requests now for months. Since that CD first went in. He calls this CD "Devin Moore" which for whatever reason he has mastered saying that name. It is one of the clearest things the boy can say. He calls it "Devin Moore" because my best friend by that name sings on most of the songs on the record, and LB has watched him… -
And They're Off
4 Feb 2010 | 4:41 amFlorida had an unusually long and eerily freezing cold snap during our 3 week winter here :) and pretty much everything that we had planted in our backyard turned black, wilted, and has died a horrible chilling death. Our backyard is a miserable graveyard of shriveled foliage caught in the path of Old Man Winter this year. So when we looked out back, and saw these little buds of life opening up to say hi to us, it immediately brought a little bit of cheer back into the yard. These are the very first blooms on our peach tree that we planted for Tessa just after she was born. So we have been… -
The Gross Out and Lost and Loving my Wife
3 Feb 2010 | 6:51 amOne thing I have always avoided writing in this blog-- was resorting to penning posts that dealt directly with poo-poo and puke in descriptive hilarious detail. I always saw it as the ol' "football to the groin" gag of personal bloggers that deal with the life and times of raising babies and kids--When you get in a bind, there is always that really nasty piss and shit story to throw out there that will get a good hard reaction. I am not bashing anyone that does it, I always get a good laugh from reading these accounts, as does the ol' football to the groin bit that I have seen a million…
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OMG I'm A Daddy!
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Where has the time gone?
2 Feb 2010 | 6:57 pmOur little boy is growing up at an accelerated rate, so it seems. “Mauldin no!” I say… constantly.Where has the time gone? I feel like someone has taken a remote and pushed fast forward. “Mauldin, what did we say?” I continue as he stops in his tracks on his way to the dog bed… as soon as I look away he turns his little butt around and heads right back to his previous direction of naughtiness. Our son has a weird fascination with our pets... he loves them. As soon as he heads their way our little Westie, Andy, runs in fear of being pummelled by a 18lb 10 month old!I feel as if… -
It's a girl!
11 Jan 2010 | 5:44 amI guess I should start saving... honestly, I don't know how...1. I am going to handle my little girl dating and2. I don't know how I will be able to afford her wedding.Yes, it is official, the Mrs. and I will be having a little girl come this summer!Epic. Here is a picture of our beauty, Elle. -
Superior awardage...
1 Dec 2009 | 11:41 amOkay, I was awarded this fantastic award from Lynn over at S3xinthepantry... so Thank you Lynn!Here are the rules for the Superior Scribbler:•Each Superior Scribbler must pass The Award on to 5 Bloggy Friends.• Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.• Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog.• Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blogI'm passing this along to the following Superior Scribblers:DC Urban DadFoFIhavetowipehiswhatSeattle DadThe Busy DadCongrats gentlemen! -
Are you the Gate Keeper?
30 Nov 2009 | 3:14 pmOr the Key Master?Okay, I couldn't resist...It is my own fault, I know this, I provked and actually led to it.What am I talking about, you ask?Our son can climb the stairs... I do not just mean he can get his leg up on one step... ut uh... the boy can scale the whole stair case on his own. We, of course, stay behind for support just in case he were to miss a "step," but our little man rocks. If we aren't careful he may be rock climbing soon... or maybe splunking!I, for about a month, have been practicing with MJ showing and helping him make it up the stairs... who knew he could catch on so… -
Here we go again...
16 Nov 2009 | 2:51 pmAlright, I want to first apologize for being so MIA and non-blogger like. I admit I have had a lot going on... I mean, I got it goin' on.Let me just spill the beans right here, right now and get it over with. No need to go into the "I've got some major news to tell," or make you play the "Guess what" game.We are now officially expecting... expecting what you ask? Expecting to not go out as much anymore, expecting to not go on our 2 year anniversary trip to the Bahamas and most certainly not expecting the be sleeping well in about, oh seven months.Okay, maybe I am being just a bit alusive, but…
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Natural Papa
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Social Media, Virtual Communities, and Generosity
8 Feb 2010 | 2:48 pmAs a blogger, I thought I really understood social media and knew the potential for using it for doing good things in the world, but it wasn’t until I became the focus of a social media campaign myself that I felt the true power of it. On January 15th, I took a big fall, which put me flat on my back, unable to work, with medical bills piling up because of it. For the first week, I stayed positive about it all, determined not to get beat at the mental game while I healed, but after that, I started to really get down on myself. Not only was I going to miss out on climbing, biking, and… -
Recycled Clothing Projects: Baby Split Pants and Felted Wool Slippers
5 Feb 2010 | 7:35 pmI’m beginning to think that old wool sweaters are one of our nation’s great untapped resources. Easily available from thrift stores and garage sales for a couple of bucks at the most, or from the back of your closet for free, wool sweaters can be felted and recycled into warm, soft, water resistant clothing with a minimum of fuss. If you’re one of those people who forgets to take out sweaters before drying your clothes, you may already have some great felted wool just waiting for a little time and imagination, and you could be wearing some new slippers tonight! Felted Wool… -
Hank D and the Bee: Carbon Sequestration
4 Feb 2010 | 4:13 amCarbon Capture and Storage or has Elvis already left the building? Follow Joe’s cartoonery at JoeMohrToons.com and on Twitter at @GreenCartoons. -
What’s More Important than the Health of Your Child?
3 Feb 2010 | 1:37 pmI love the message in this video from Healthy Child Healthy World – the message that all it takes is teaching one friend, who teaches one friend, for the awareness to spread throughout our world. It’s a community driven approach that puts some of the power for reform back into the hands of those most affected by poisons in the environment: the parents. Because as they say, what’s more important than the health of your child? Healthy Child Healthy World is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit “inspiring parents to protect young children from harmful chemicals.” They are on the… -
Two-fer Tuesday: Circumcising Your Daughter, and the Optimal Number of Kids
2 Feb 2010 | 1:31 pmBecause there are so many other writers, both dads and moms, writing about great parenting topics each week, I thought I’d start sharing two links to ‘must-read’ articles each Tuesday (hence the name Two-fer Tuesday). This week, we’ll take a look at what it would be like to consider circumcision for your daughter, and then we’ll show you how to figure out the optimal number of children for you. From Woman Uncensored, things that make you go hmm: “I was talking with a guy friend of mine who’d recently had his first child: a perfect baby girl. He…
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Dad Therapy
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Nothing Better Than Free Homemade Pizza
4 Feb 2010 | 6:20 pmHere’s one way social media pays off. I won a $100 gift certificate via Twitter to Homemade Pizza! If you’re not in the Chicago, Minnesota or D.C. area, Homemade Pizza is quite terrific. Courtney and I have been going there for over five years now. Basically, you order your pizza uncooked and throw it in the oven at home for 20 minutes and then partake in some deliciousness. It’s actually home baked but who cares. Courtney forwarded me the Twitter code to retweet to enter the contest and the next day she told me I won. Simple right?But get this, she was mad that I won and she… -
Wives Will Shoot Down iPad
27 Jan 2010 | 8:37 pmDads, this is serious. After a brief talk with my wife this evening it seems there is no chance an iPad is heading to the Thomas household. I thought it would be a nice, lightweight alternative to the better-half’s clunky Dell laptop for her chatting with friends in forums and for recipes in the kitchen. We also have our iPhones out all night long after the kids are down for twitter, facebook and email of course. So it could help with eye strain. Seriously. But when I mentioned it as a technological innovation to her she said, “what do I need it for? I have my laptop.” Damn. -
There is No Ethical Rule for Journalists Not to Help
20 Jan 2010 | 12:02 pmIn the past 48 hours there have been a few examples of journalists helping those impacted by the Haiti earthquake, namely CNN’s Anderson Cooper in the video above and Dr. Sanjay Gupta. This has raised questions among OTHER media, especially TV and Internet, of whether getting involved somehow diminishes the reporter’s objectivity and “crosses a line.”I’m not sure what journalism school the people asking these questions went to - or their editors and producers - because unless I missed that day in ethics class the dilemma never came up. I went to the Society of Professional… -
Dad's Day Off: Errands and a Movie ... Review
19 Jan 2010 | 7:36 amI actually don’t get today off as a holiday but I took it as a floating travel day anyway, not even realizing it was a holiday. I spent the morning running errands: Haircut: At my favorite suburban barber, not my Loop guy CVS: Drugstore run Dr. Visit Dog food run Home Depot for some lightbulbs Five Guys for lunch that I brought home so Carter could have some “Bye Byes” Then I got to go out to a movie for the first time in 18 months. After perusing Rotten Tomatoes to make my decision between Book of Eli and Daybreakers I was pretty excited to see anything. I decided on… -
QuadCamera iPhone app Makes Kid Photos Cool
18 Jan 2010 | 8:22 amI’ve had the QuadCamera app for a while and use it for some car shots, especially interiors to get a panorama effect. But I’ve had some fun recently capturing a Carter meltdown or two. Then today after realizing I spend a long time just sitting and watching Carter play with his toys I decided to play with one of mine. I was surprised at how good the pictures were when I actually tried to frame them and took some time. The quad effect I think works best because the finished product is full size. If you try one of the long strings of images I’m not sure where you’ll ever view it…
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Single Parent Dad
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What am I, kryptonite?
3 Feb 2010 | 2:49 amThis isn’t a timely, and self-indulgent post about how another man has declared his public love for me, granting me ‘hero’ status in the process. No. That would be ridiculous. However, I do believe even I could do a better Spiderman than Tobey ‘the-lights-are-on’ Maguire, and it seems those savvy movie makers have only taken three films to agree. But this is something else. Ridiculous. I have long discovered, as I suspect many other parents have, that I am blessed with special powers akin to the fake minerals that leave Superman not so super. Whereas kryptonite works on Clark Kent… -
Parenting tourettes
28 Jan 2010 | 1:59 pmI consider myself to be reasonably articulate being, well, no one else is going to are they? And with that in mind, I have always tried to avoid, and regularly use, age-old parenting catchphrases. Like; ‘I’ll give you something to cry about.’ Or; ‘Get out of my sight.’ But I do have to admit to using this one recently; ‘Do I look like I have two pairs of hands?’ I had obviously been pushed to my parenting-motto-subsiding limit, and just beyond. Oh, and I have started saying; ‘Does that live there?’ at any recently grounded, and abandoned piece of clothing. Not that any of it… -
What sort of man are you?
20 Jan 2010 | 12:59 pmWhat does the term; “a man’s man”, actually mean? I hear it a lot, not particularly aimed at me – shock horror – but about certain men folk, who I have trouble coming up with a common characteristic that defines this term positively. To me it is just posh for inconsiderate arsehole. And do not get me wrong, I can do arsehole like the next bloke, unless the next bloke is Elton John of course, but still, I cannot recall being grouped in this genre. I do not actually know where I figure in the infinitely vast, and complex male spectrum of meathead or nancy, but it was something I… -
No doubt about it
17 Jan 2010 | 3:50 amTara of sticky fingers, and pervy mind - a common combo - who incidentally, never-ever-creates-memes-nor-does-she-engage-with-or-pass-on-memes-borne-by-others, has tagged me in a meme.This one in particular is about recollecting a song, that reminds you of a certain time, or story.Tara picked an 80s gem, and regales what it recalls here, while this particular meme originates at Brits in Bosnia.There is plenty of music that takes me back to a certain time, or that reminds me of a certain event or a specific person.Some really random, like if someone told me once that was their favourite song,… -
Parenting is vile, positively disgusting
14 Jan 2010 | 1:25 pmAs a young, or younger man, I was not known for an ability to deal with things commonly found queasy. Quite the opposite really.I was regarded as squeamish, do not know why, other than turning ashen whenever there was a bit of claret about, and, being excused from school safety videos as there was a high likelihood that I would vomit. But, these things are totally normal, right?Okay, it is true, while generally akin to a house-brick in most facets, I could genuinely be considered delicate when dealing with the unpleasant. Not the best preparation for parenting. However, I was hopeful, like…
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Cheese and Beans
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4 Year Old Brain = Work in Progress
9 Feb 2010 | 6:02 amOur youngest daughter developed an unexpected speech impediment several weeks ago; she became unable to say her sister’s name without stuttering on the first latter. Without wanting to dwell too much on it and make her aware – or to let the others realise and tease her about it – we occasionally tested her out – asking about similar sounding words. They were all fine. It was just her sister’s name. When asked who had done something she would stumble over the first letter, and smile. You could break the name down, and ask for each syllable. She could do that. -
Oh, the cleverness of me
8 Feb 2010 | 3:13 pmMario had been thinking for some time about reading a big book… Please forgive me for this momentary lapse in lucidity. I’ve not been well. Honest. -
Little Children and the Human Condition
8 Feb 2010 | 7:12 amI’m off work with a cold. I can’t quite figure out how it crept up on me – yesterday evening I was fine; this morning I felt like my brain had been put in backwards. Putting words together in any kind of sensible, lucid manner is proving difficult – hence the decision early this morning that attempting to instruct a computer to do anything similarly planned or constructive might be a bad idea. I think this may be the second “real” day off sick since the girls arrived in February 2008. I say “real”, because I invariably end up working if I am at… -
Dinner With Friends
7 Feb 2010 | 10:15 amThis weekend has served to remind me about the value of friendship, and of having a life. It’s easy to let work consume your life – in my case so much that I approached this weekend with a creeping dread that the time we were investing in social activities were taking away from time I might otherwise have spent working. On Saturday morning, shortly before leaving for my inlaws, I wrote on twitter “Saturday morning, and the beginning of a slightly mad non-weekend. Freelance work, dinner with friends, and dinner with more friends to come”. Notice the italics. A part of… -
The School Reunion
4 Feb 2010 | 12:20 pmA few of the people from my year at school are arranging a reunion this year. Quite why it has to be this year, I’m not sure – we’ll all be hitting 37 – surely 40 would have been a better number ? Last year would have been 20 years since we left. It really makes no sense at all. As fun as it has been to get hear voices from the past on Facebook making encouraging noises about the prospect of seeing one another again, my gut reaction is to stay the hell away from any sort of reunion. I have a couple of misgivings; one entirely pragmatic, and the other less so. When the…
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Hockeymandad
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Valentine’s Day Meh
6 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pmWith the big VD just one week away, its time to start scrambling to find that perfect gift for your sweetie besides VD. I’ll be honest, I despise Valentine’s Day. Not just because I’m a guy either. I think it’s a silly manufactured “holiday” designed just to sell candy, cards, and flowers. Really, what person in a serious relationship wants any of those cliche’ gift items from their significant other? As adults, I think we need to drop the business and let the kids keep it. I guess jewelry is OK, but if you buy jewelry for gifts you’re probably… -
New Best Friend and some jibber jabber
5 Feb 2010 | 8:34 pmSo last week my oldest daughter’s school they had a read with your bear thing. The kids got to bring in a teddy bear and read a story with it. My daughter forgot a bear that day but was told she could do so again a few days later. Since that moment last week, she’s had a new best friend. This bear comes and goes with her everywhere now including bed.They have become inseparable. See… Seems normal right? Well there’s something you can’t hear from this picture. This bear has one of those little button thingy doo-hickies in it that plays a sound when you press it. -
Doppelganger Week?
3 Feb 2010 | 6:58 pmSo I guess it’s something called doppelganger week. Which is good because I really don’t have any meaningful content for you right now. Nothing perky anyway. Somewhere someone said this week would be where you post pics of yourself as a celebrity look alike. People have always said I look like Tobey Maguire, especially after Spiderman came out. That’s cool I guess, but according to this handy dandy Internet tool, I look more like women than men, and not even Tobey! See that? I cannot say I’m too unhappy with those results, because I love Reese. She is totally on my… -
Music’s Big Night
1 Feb 2010 | 7:04 pmLast night was “music’s biggest night” with the Grammy awards. It’s one of the few and only music awards I will watch. Come to think of it, it’s one of the only awards shows I watch period. I like that they focus on the performers and not so much the trophy distribution. That’s boring, especially when music is involved. I also respect that the awards are given based on voting members of the academy. You become a voting member by being credited creatively or technically on produced music. Getting on the list is probably skewed by sales figures, but at least… -
The Upside of Flu
28 Jan 2010 | 6:20 pmYes, there really is an upside to the stomach flu circulating around these parts. The upside is being the one who doesn’t have it. My oldest suffered from it for about 12 hours. My wife got it for 60 hours. My youngest and I are so far unscathed. Sure, this meant some crazy frantic mornings and amazingly busy daily schedules of running around both in and out of the office. I even suffered through partially sleeping on the couch one night as a preventative measure. I say partially because of ll the times I woke up in the night even with the sleep meds. The upside to all that mess is the…
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Out-Numbered
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My Daughter Is Sleeping Around...
8 Feb 2010 | 8:01 amHoping this isn't a sign of future things to come.Gonna go lock her in her room now...Maybe she's just really tired.Glad I remembered to put on her tights.This can't be good.Maybe she just takes after her Dad.I've been known to sleep around as well.Out-Numbered by big girl beds.When in Rome... -
A Woman's Right To Choose...
3 Feb 2010 | 5:00 amMy oldest daughter and I are very musical people.We both love to sing and perform.For her 5th birthday, I bought her a microphone and an amplifier. She uses it all the time. We have guitars in the house, a piano, keyboards and all sorts of musical influences, that serve as a constant source of inspiration and encouragement.The only thing that's been slightly disappointing for me, from a selfish standpoint, is that our tastes in music seem to differ quite a lot.I grew up loving all things Heavy Metal; Manowar, Scorpions, Metallica, Queensryche and anything else I was able to bang my head to. -
Dear Mr. Diner Owner...
30 Jan 2010 | 7:02 amDear Mr. Diner Owner,I am writing to you today in the hopes that I will be able to offer some humble, constructive criticism. The suggestions I am offering are merely observations and not meant in any way to be disrespectful. I have always been a loyal patron of your establishment and plan on continuing as such, for many years to come (God willing).Aside from the one time that I contrived salmonella, as a direct result of eating your roasted chicken (Which at the time was delicious. The meat was so juicy and fell off the bone), I have very little negative sentiment, toward your cuisine. Of… -
The Three D's Of Being A Dad...
25 Jan 2010 | 6:30 pmSometimes being a Dad is dangerous. Sometimes it's delightful. Other times, it's delicious.DangerousOn Saturday night, I got slugged in the face by a bedazzled purse filled with Chucky Cheese Tokens. Yep that's right. My 7 year old filled her purse with about 50 gold tokens and tossed it, in all of it's glittery glory, right at my mug. She was standing about a foot away. It was like a prison beating. She might has well have packed a pillow case full of soda cans and pummeled me in my sleep. The worst part. No remorse. She claimed it was an accident. She said the purse slipped out of her hand. -
Nuts and Popcorn On The 7:41...
21 Jan 2010 | 5:30 amOK. I'm going to be honest here.I had something I wanted to write about but I'm having a hard time concentrating.A few months ago, I started doing most, if not all of my writing on the train. It's the only time, aside from late at night, that I have to myself. For the most part, it's been a pretty decent escape. Sometimes I write in the morning on the way to work. Sometimes I write in the evening on the way home. I usually sit with my tiny computer on my lap and stare at the screen the entire commute.Typing.I'm pretty sure I look like a douchebag and for the record, I don't agree with my…
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Real Men Drive Minivans
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Things to consider when naming a child
5 Feb 2010 | 8:09 amA few weeks after my wife’s pregnancy was confirmed I took the opportunity to dust off the list of names that we had compiled when we were expecting our son. By no means was it an exhaustive list, as I had a strong preference for a boy’s name while my wife had a strong preference for a girl’s name. At the 18 week ultrasound where we learned we were having a boy half of that list immediately became irrelevant. Additionally, I dropped certain boy’s names that I had on there to torment my wife, specifically Fergus and Maximus. My wife wasn’t totally in favor of my… -
Can’t afford Barry Sanders? Then try this to spice up your Super Bowl party
4 Feb 2010 | 9:47 amImage via Wikipedia With Super Bowl XLIV just a few days away I’ve been trying to think of things to do to spice up my game experience. This will be the first time in years that my fraternity brothers and I didn’t all get together for the big game, nor will I be making my famous Super Bowl braised short ribs. As I was racking my brain with ideas of what to do I saw that Barry Sanders was auctioning himself off to join you at your Super Bowl party, plus he’d bring the food and drinks! At the time of this post the pleasure of Barry’s company was going to run me a little… -
This. Looks. Awesome.
3 Feb 2010 | 7:00 amToday’s supposed to be wordless, whatever. Release the Kraken! More Clash of the Titans (2010) News & Previews Related articles by Zemanta Clash Of The Titans Releases The Kraken Overseas With A New Trailer (cinemablend.com) Clash of the Titans Int’l Trailer (screenhead.com) Clash Of The Titans Reboot (jeffisageek.net) -
I’m huge in the Netherlands
2 Feb 2010 | 6:53 amIt must be something about this time of year, but I’ve been doing a fair share of ranting here these past few weeks. From my thoughts on naming advice to grocery store etiquette, I’ve been quick to temper more than usual. In keeping with that theme, you know what else really grinds my gears? People who turn into the wrong lane when there are two turn lanes that go in the same direction. That drives me absolutely bonkers. If you are in the left turning lane is it really that hard to point your car to the corresponding left lane? Over the last few weeks I’ve nearly been run… -
The incredible dough with the funny name
27 Jan 2010 | 10:25 pmIf you’ve come around here with any regularity you know that cooking is a big release for me. I love trying new things in the kitchen and surprising friends and family. Back in the early of December my wife was working a stretch of third shift, which meant she got home a little after seven in the morning and would go straight to bed. During the quiet hours when she’d still be sleeping and little man would be down for his nap I would bide my time reading blogs when I came across a blog post by author Michael Ruhlman about a simple pastry dough called Pate a Choux. Ordinarily baking…
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The DaddyCast
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Teaching Adapt, Improvise and Overcome
8 Feb 2010 | 6:48 pmLayover- Disney research and planning Originally uploaded by LoveHouse Radio As time approached for our annual pilgrimage to Mickey World, we kept a close eye on the forecast. The weekend before our planned departure we were hit with a foot of snow, very uncommon for Central Virginia, and they were calling for more. The question was, when? Our flight out of Richmond was scheduled for 7AM. Earlier in the week, the meteorologists, with all their advanced scientific modeling, showed us on the rain snow line, more toward the rain side. There was hope. As we got into the end of the week (a week… -
Do as I say, not as they do
24 Jan 2010 | 1:51 pmAs if parenting weren’t tough enough, trying to teach our kids to do the right thing, to understand why, and so on. But we also have to explain why some people don’t do the right thing, people we have no control over. Last night the boys went with me to the grand opening of our new Volleyball Club. As we watched the main event, a match between the club teams of Virginia Tech and JMU, There were a ton of people there for the event and the boys were definitely more interested in the moon bounce and games they had setup for the kids but allotted me a few minutes to watch the title… -
DaddyCast #192 – In it to Win it
21 Jan 2010 | 4:19 pmThe DaddyCast Episode 192 Support the show, support the sponsors- check out an offer for PetMeds and save. A little tangent on how different personality types respond to crisis, involvement and making sure you get adequate time with your family- apprently the bar is pretty low for us fathers. Great offer for domain registration and hosting through GoDaddy- Use Dcast8, Dcast9 and Dcast10 to get other special discounts at GoDaddy.com and see which one works best for you. Find out more at My Mevio Promotions Page- and the hosting deal is back – save 20% on hosting with code Daddy20H!! In… -
If You’re Happy, Thank Someone
13 Jan 2010 | 7:03 pmLast week the boys went to Target to blow, I mean, spend some of their Christmas money. They were actually pretty good at what they picked out. When we got to the register, I told them to thank the cashier after she checked them out. They gave an obligatory “Thank You” and started to move along. For some reason it dawned on me to take it a little farther. I asked them if they were happy (knowing the answer with the big excited smiles on their faces while looking in the bags at their newly purchased treasures). They said yes. I told them that when you are happy, you should thank… -
Thumbing your nose at your kids
10 Jan 2010 | 8:19 amYes, I still believe in leading by example and perhaps some positive can be found in this but for now, I will even allow an exception to my rule. From time to time you just have to thumb your nose at your kids to make you point well know, loud and clear. I think we have earned the right! So here is how our story goes- my wife was looking forward to a nice breakfast at a local place this morning and had been planning on it for the past day or two. Add to that we had Chinese last night for dinner so we both woke up famished. Then, my youngest states that he hates that place, he doesn’t…
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Real Men Drive Minivans
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Things to consider when naming a child
5 Feb 2010 | 8:09 amA few weeks after my wife’s pregnancy was confirmed I took the opportunity to dust off the list of names that we had compiled when we were expecting our son. By no means was it an exhaustive list, as I had a strong preference for a boy’s name while my wife had a strong preference for a girl’s name. At the 18 week ultrasound where we learned we were having a boy half of that list immediately became irrelevant. Additionally, I dropped certain boy’s names that I had on there to torment my wife, specifically Fergus and Maximus. My wife wasn’t totally in favor of my… -
Can’t afford Barry Sanders? Then try this to spice up your Super Bowl party
4 Feb 2010 | 9:47 amImage via Wikipedia With Super Bowl XLIV just a few days away I’ve been trying to think of things to do to spice up my game experience. This will be the first time in years that my fraternity brothers and I didn’t all get together for the big game, nor will I be making my famous Super Bowl braised short ribs. As I was racking my brain with ideas of what to do I saw that Barry Sanders was auctioning himself off to join you at your Super Bowl party, plus he’d bring the food and drinks! At the time of this post the pleasure of Barry’s company was going to run me a little… -
This. Looks. Awesome.
3 Feb 2010 | 7:00 amToday’s supposed to be wordless, whatever. Release the Kraken! More Clash of the Titans (2010) News & Previews Related articles by Zemanta Clash Of The Titans Releases The Kraken Overseas With A New Trailer (cinemablend.com) Clash of the Titans Int’l Trailer (screenhead.com) Clash Of The Titans Reboot (jeffisageek.net) -
I’m huge in the Netherlands
2 Feb 2010 | 6:53 amIt must be something about this time of year, but I’ve been doing a fair share of ranting here these past few weeks. From my thoughts on naming advice to grocery store etiquette, I’ve been quick to temper more than usual. In keeping with that theme, you know what else really grinds my gears? People who turn into the wrong lane when there are two turn lanes that go in the same direction. That drives me absolutely bonkers. If you are in the left turning lane is it really that hard to point your car to the corresponding left lane? Over the last few weeks I’ve nearly been run… -
The incredible dough with the funny name
27 Jan 2010 | 10:25 pmIf you’ve come around here with any regularity you know that cooking is a big release for me. I love trying new things in the kitchen and surprising friends and family. Back in the early of December my wife was working a stretch of third shift, which meant she got home a little after seven in the morning and would go straight to bed. During the quiet hours when she’d still be sleeping and little man would be down for his nap I would bide my time reading blogs when I came across a blog post by author Michael Ruhlman about a simple pastry dough called Pate a Choux. Ordinarily baking…
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Howefitz Blog
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Twitter Tittilations: Weekly Updates for 2010-02-07
7 Feb 2010 | 2:00 pmhttp://su.pr/2uR0fv # Twitter Tittilations: Weekly Updates for 2010-01-31 http://su.pr/2uR0fv # @CK_Lunchbox If you're gonna RT one of my posts wait for the one I'm working on now! And 'Broke Back Tweeting'? You've gone too far, sir! in reply to CK_Lunchbox # @CK_Lunchbox Thanks! I haven't had my coffee either, which is probably why I'm blogging about Mormons… in reply to CK_Lunchbox # @CK_Lunchbox Yeah, I may lose a few on this one, but it's what's on my mind! in reply to CK_Lunchbox # @melisalw Agreed! @CK_Lunchbox # Sunday Sermon: The Mormons Came… -
This Episode of Sesame Street Is Brought To You By The Letter I … Phone?
5 Feb 2010 | 7:21 amBefore I blow full steam ahead on this post, I want to take you back in time. Through the magic of YouTube, please go back with me to the 1970’s, and a very familiar television show opening. I bet you can sing along… Now, did you notice anything? Kids? Ok. A big yellow 7 year old bird? Good! Notice anything else? Were the kids outside?! AND they were PLAYING!!!! Keep this in mind as I continue to rant… Yesterday, Christina Warren of Mashable.com wrote a piece praising Sesame Street and their Elmo iPhone app. Take a look: Christina begins her article by saying: Sesame Street… -
Wordless Wednesday: Wee Ones Edition
3 Feb 2010 | 6:03 am -
Sunday Sermon: The Mormons Came Calling, And I INVITED THEM IN!!!
31 Jan 2010 | 9:51 amTo those of us that are not Mormon, we see them as a mystery, and a lot of us see them as a nuisance. Yet when the Mormons came calling to my home, I let them in to my home three times! But before I tell you about that, please allow me to define what I mean by my new ‘Sunday Sermon’ feature here at Howefitz Blog. I’m calling this feature ‘Sunday Sermon’, but it’s anything but a sermon. To me, a sermon implies someone will stand at a pulpit and relay his or her interpretation of a religious document as if their interpretation were the complete truth. -
Twitter Tittilations: Weekly Updates for 2010-01-31
31 Jan 2010 | 8:00 amGod had it right. Sleeping in on Sunday rules! # http://su.pr/77sUmD # @ezmomm @livetothemax1 I don’t see anything about another Haiti quake. Source? in reply to ezmomm # OK, I live too close to an RLDS church. #MormonsAlwaysKnocking # @JRReedradio Right? How do you tactfully say, ‘I don’t believe what you believe, now leave me alone!’? in reply to JRReedradio # @JRReedradio LOL! Yeah, my wife is always telling me I’m too nice to strangers… in reply to JRReedradio # @JRReedradio There is nothing like a good F Bomb to make you feel better! in reply to…
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RockAByeDad.com
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Stillerstrong
4 Feb 2010 | 10:20 amSimply, thank you Ben. LOS ANGELES—Ben Stiller announced today the launch of the Haitian... -
Still want to construct a recording studio...but how!?
5 Jan 2010 | 9:18 pmI have a long term goal and am currently struggling at wrapping my brain around the logistics and... -
Holiday Traditions
10 Dec 2009 | 9:55 amIn April, we became a family of three. Now that Christmas is upon us, my better half and I have been... -
Little Blue Door
9 Dec 2009 | 7:23 amI am so tickled to see that my Wife has started to share her perspective of being a first time... -
Thankful for...
26 Nov 2009 | 12:51 pm…the house, our freedom, the simple things like shoes on our feet, a job for the now, our...
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Digital Dads
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I Miss the Boy Scouts
8 Feb 2010 | 7:00 amToday marks the 100th birthday for The Boy Scouts of America. Happy birthday BSA! I grew up as a scout. I raced pine wood derby cars, went to summer camp, learned how to make a fire, went to a National Jamboree and spent many nights under the stars on a variety of camping trips. The day I was was given my Order of the Arrow Vigil sash is still one of my fondest and proudest memories. I loved it all and know that it had a ton to do with shaping me into the man I am today. But, the scouts I grew up loving are lost to me now. I can’t find them anywhere. After graduating from college and… -
Days Never Finished
1 Feb 2010 | 8:59 pmTo say that I’ve been busy is an understatement. In the past month I have painted my son’s room, built his crib, assembled the custom rocking chair, and put together his transforming-hotrod-stroller. Adding room to grow in the basement, I had our entire storage unit custom-fitted with shelving. For peace of mind I had a home security system installed. (Photo Credit: Wools) All that and I am still not done. Before I am through, I will have to make a decision about which of our health insurance plans to choose, which pediatrician to entrust our son, decide on a nanny or… -
Rules for My Unborn Son
17 Jan 2010 | 1:31 pmWith the birth of my son on the horizon, I find myself overwhelmed with advice from well meaning family, friends and strangers. Despite their good intentions, I promptly ignore 99% of what I am told in favor of knowing that fatherhood is a different experience for everyone — which depends largely on the type of father you turn out to be. I recently picked up Walker Lamond’s Rules for My Unborn Son while browsing at a local bookstore. For me the book is timely and also timeless — Lamond’s insights are curated wisdom from his father, thinkers, historical figures,… -
7 Can Chili Recipe
16 Jan 2010 | 6:16 amOk guys, time to get in the kitchen again. Don’t freak out, this is so easy that anyone can make it and the end results will be well worth it. I promise. While I’m all about using fresh ingredients whenever possible, there are times when canned good will do the trick and this super simple chili recipe works great for a weekday dinner or a football game tailgate. It is NFL Playoff time so you need a recipe that you can put together without any thought and eat when you are ready. So today I give you: 7 Can Chili Ingredients 2 1/2 lbs Ground Beef or Bison 1 large can Tomato Sauce 1 … -
I Have a Penis = I Am Not a Mom
7 Jan 2010 | 2:34 pmMom and Dad both have three letters and describe someone who has children, but in many ways they are very different words. This post is not a slight against Walt Disney. It is a brand that I love and had a blast last summer when our family took our vacation there for the first time. So please do not take this as a slam against them, because so many brands do this, but they were the ones the broke the camel’s back. Yesterday on Twitter I saw several women I know tweeting about a Social Media program that Disney was doing and an e-mail address to reach out to for more information. It was…
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Juggling Eric
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A Quick Escape
9 Feb 2010 | 7:30 amLast night, my wife and I had a semi-impromptu date. Nana and Grandpa Robert were bribed graciously came over to watch the Bolton Brood. The original plan was to go to a movie screening, but the tickets never came through and we opted to go out to dinner instead. Since we had no kids, I could treat my woman to the finer, classier places in San Antonio.The Olive Garden.Honestly with no kids, Taco Bell would have been one of the finer, classier places in San Antonio.It was weird. We rarely leave the house on a week night, but I noticed that a lot of the restaurants were packed. Is this what… -
Super Mega Bonus Lotto
8 Feb 2010 | 8:00 amHaving five children can get a bit overwhelming as expected. They wake up before God does and won't go to sleep until you take them down with Benadryl Tranquilizers. The in-between time could consist of crying, fighting, screaming, whining, not listening, running, slamming, hurting, arguing, and down right localized destruction. So every once in a while when one or more of them leave the house with KC or go with their grandparents somewhere, it's like winning the Super Mega Bonus Lotto.This weekend, I won the Super Mega Bonus Lotto a few times. Nana took Disco to spend the night at her house… -
Dirty Jobs
5 Feb 2010 | 12:30 pmA cold bug has hit my house. It appears to only affect the female children right now. It started with Celi, stopped by to nag Ladybug and has set up shop with my five week old, Em.Ladybug she is old enough to take the children cold medicines. They suppress it enough for her to feel okay in the interim. When she had her tonsils and adenoids removed last year, she was rehabilitated with popsicles. She now believes that popsicles are the cure for soar throat and runny noses. Which is fine with us. It keeps the whining and complaining to a minimum.With Celi and Em, popsicles are not an option. -
The Blogger's Court
4 Feb 2010 | 4:00 amWhat you are about to witness is real. The participants are not actors. They are actual litigants with a case pending between each other. Both parties have not agreed to drop their claims and have their cases settled here before Juggling Eric's Three Jurors, in our forum: The Blogger's Court.The Plaintiff: KC. She claims the defendant her husband dropped the ball when it came to getting Tim McGraw concert tickets for this upcoming weekend's show. She's seeking tickets that are not sitting next to cumulus clouds.The Defendant: Eric. He claims that he got mixed signals from his wife when it… -
Previously on Lost... LA X
3 Feb 2010 | 9:59 amLast night was the start of the final season of LOST. It started a few minutes before the plane was supposed to crash. There was some turbulence but the crash was avoided and flight 815 landed safely. It also showed the island in this timeline. It had sank to the bottom of the ocean.So it appeared Jack's planned worked. But then we see everyone from 1977 at the hatch site. Only it us after the Swan hatch site in 2007. We don't get an explanation as to why they are at that particular time or why a flashlight and Dharma van came with them, but we can assume that they were sent to the year they…
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dada & babee
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The Big D... Daylen & Dallas
12 Jan 2010 | 9:14 amThe Big D sportin' his loyalties to his teams from the Big D! Shout Outs: To the 'Boys on their way to the 2010 Superbowl and to the Mavs on their run to 10x50 (10 years straight of 50+ win seasons and playoffs) and hopefully a championship for both! See and download the full gallery on posterous Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Now Introducing... Daylen Sy
4 Jan 2010 | 8:22 pmMy son Daylen (7 lbs 6.2 oz, 20 inches) finally arrived today around 12:20 PM!His full name is Daylen Jisun Sy, with his middle name "Jisun" coming from his Korean grandparents. Don't ask me what it means right now because I'm tired and I forget. Daylen and Mommy are doing well and are resting and recovering. Please send a prayer out for Justine's quick recovery, as we delivered through a C section (again).Chloe is anxious to meet her new baby brother so she can hug him and practice her tennis swing on him. I'll update my blog later with more details. Happy New Year! See… -
Super Stay-Cation & Dada (That's Me!) Plays the Hero
23 Sep 2009 | 9:05 amDuring the first week of September I took time off from work to do a little “stay-cation” in the San Francisco area with Justine and C. Initially I wanted to write a novel about every place we brought C to and post every picture, but since too many things happened and we literally took close to 500 pictures, I’ll spare Posterous the memory and all of you the agony, and attempt to keep it short. I do have one interesting story I'll share though. Below are some highlights of a few stops from the Super-Sy-SanFran-September-StayCation! California Academy… -
Biggidy Biggidy Bee-bim Bop!
24 Aug 2009 | 8:20 pmAlmost time for supper / Rushing to the store / Mama buys the groceries / more, Mama, more! Hurry, Mama, Hurry / Gotta shop shop shop / Hungry Hungry Hungry / For some BEE-BIM BOP! No, that’s not the lyrics to one of my new rap songs (tho I can definitely lay down a bangin' track to this, ya heard?). That’s an excerpt from one of C’s favorite books called Bee-bim Bop! by Linda Sue Park (illustrated by that’s Ma Ho Baek Lee). Bee-bim bop, which translates literally as "mixed rice" or “mixed meal,” is a popular Korean dish consisting… -
It’s a Boy!
21 Aug 2009 | 4:57 pm[Caution: Somewhat graphic baby blog post] It’s official… Baby Sy is a boy and C has a baby brother coming in January 2010! We do understand that all ultrasound technicians aren’t 100% accurate when distinguishing the sex of a baby, so we’re hoping she’s correct. My cousin had a baby a few years back and they were told by their technician that they were having a girl. Months go by as pink and lavender outfits and toys were collected in piles for the new princess… and the princess comes out lookin’ more like the father from the waist down…
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Simple Father
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When people tell me about their kids, they tell me...
9 Feb 2010 | 5:30 amAs my days at work have gotten longer, my nights of brainstorming have gotten shorter. Even though I haven't had a lot of time to dream up brilliant ideas, I do have a few rattling around in my head... but I need your opinion. If you've been out there lurking, but not leaving comments, could you please do me a favor and at least vote in the poll to the right. I would really like to know what you tell people about your kids, or what you hear when people talk to you about their kids. Thanks for stopping by, and thanks in advance for participating. photo courtesy of secretlondon -
Control Yourself
4 Feb 2010 | 3:00 amIf people do something that surprises you, it's your fault. I heard the phrase above a while back, and I just can't seem to get it out of my head. With some very minor changes, the same phrase applies to parenting. If a kid does something that surprises you, it's your own fault. Just to be clear, I'm mainly talking about the unpleasant surprises, like wiping a booger on grandma, streaking in front of company, dating a hoodlum... those types of things. What does it mean? Do humans, and therefore kids, have flaws? Do they get emotional and act erratically? Of course they do, that's part of the… -
The Dragon Slayer
2 Feb 2010 | 3:00 amLong ago, in a distant land, there lived a king. The king ruled his kingdom with a fair and just hand, and life was good. However, after a period of stability throughout the region, an unsettling presence sought to disrupt the peace. Enter the dragon... this was no friendly, PBS Kids Dragon Tales type of dragon, but a man eating, fire breathing dragon. After laying in slumber for many years, the beast was awakened, and seeking to devour all in its way. Luckily, the noble king mounted his trusty steed, and rode out to confront the great winged creature. What happened next is the stuff legends… -
Seven Suggestions for Spouses
26 Jan 2010 | 3:00 amIt's no secret that when a married couple has kids, soon their world revolves around the kids, and the relationship they once had starts to deteriorate. Less and less time is spent focusing on the person that helped you become a family in the first place. Below are seven suggestions that may keep you and your spouse from becoming strangers. Be nice to each other - This was one of the very first pieces of relationship advice that my wife and I received. I thought the person was joking... isn't this a given? However, I now realize that this was great advice. It's so simple, yet so many couples… -
You're going to ___________ and you're going to like it!
21 Jan 2010 | 3:00 amThere have been times in the past when I have grown frustrated with my children... particularly the older one. One could say that I have been curt, gruff, and insensitive. Take what I like to call the "bike riding incidents" for example. They started out well enough, but always ended in me saying something like, "I'm not carrying your bike home, if you want it, you can ride it... or else we'll leave it in the park for someone else to enjoy." While reflecting on my parenting tactics, I had a hard time figuring out why my approach didn't work. Doesn't everyone like their stuff given away,…
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Shotgun Daddy
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Bravest of All
26 Jan 2010 | 2:47 amWhen it's time for bedtime stories for Henry and Kate, we usually read two books, one chosen by each child. If you're in the business of reading bedtime stories, you know all too well that for every Cat in the Hat on your child's shelf, there is another title that seems to have been written by a chimpanzee with a typewriter. So some evenings are full of beautiful literature, while others leave you searching for a spoon with which to gouge out your eyes.Tonight Henry chose The First Thanksgiving, a well-meaning story which conveniently avoided the entire issue… -
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
5 Jan 2010 | 1:39 amIf you have a child under ten, there's a pretty good chance that you've seen this movie. Here's how things work in our family: 1. A children's movie is released. 2. We see the movie within 12 hours. 3. Before the movie begins we're treated to the coming attractions, advertising more children's movies that will be released in six months. 4. Eventually those movies are released. 5. Return to Step 1, repeat for the next ten years. The sad truth of the matter is that a lot of these movies are disastrous and end up putting me to sleep within about twenty… -
You Know How It Is (or at least I think you do)
25 Dec 2009 | 12:09 pmYou know how it is. Since it's the holidays and the kids have two weeks off of school, you figure it's the ideal time to take off for a family vacation. (You do this because you've forgotten about all the arguing and fussing from your last vacation, choosing only to remember the smiling faces you see in the pictures you brought back.)So you stop the newspaper, put a hold on the mail, and arrange for Santa Claus to drop by a day early (Santa can be surprisingly accommodating, considering how busy he must be during the days leading up to Christmas Eve). And even… -
Happy Birthday
12 Oct 2009 | 4:17 amHad he not passed away forty years ago, today would've been my father's 85th birthday. He died five months before I was born, so I never knew him, but I've always been struck by what a profound impact he's had on my life without ever being physically present.A picture from my parents' wedding day always sat atop my dresser as a child, and dozens more photos filled an album on my shelf, but he has always existed within me as much as in the photographs. People who knew him would comment on similarities they saw in me, from the expected physical resemblances to… -
Jalen's Journey
22 Sep 2009 | 12:57 amImagine for a minute that your worst nightmare is coming true. Your four-year-old daughter has just passed away after a long battle with brain cancer, and you struggle with how to take your next breath, take your next step, live your next day. You grieve, but only in small doses because your daughter left behind two older brothers and one younger one, all of whom need your love to fill the hole the tragedy has left in their hearts. Years pass, and even though you lovingly keep your daughter's memory alive, you and your family slowly begin to recover and build a life that looks like normal…
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Simple Father
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When people tell me about their kids, they tell me...
9 Feb 2010 | 5:30 amAs my days at work have gotten longer, my nights of brainstorming have gotten shorter. Even though I haven't had a lot of time to dream up brilliant ideas, I do have a few rattling around in my head... but I need your opinion. If you've been out there lurking, but not leaving comments, could you please do me a favor and at least vote in the poll to the right. I would really like to know what you tell people about your kids, or what you hear when people talk to you about their kids. Thanks for stopping by, and thanks in advance for participating. photo courtesy of secretlondon -
Control Yourself
4 Feb 2010 | 3:00 amIf people do something that surprises you, it's your fault. I heard the phrase above a while back, and I just can't seem to get it out of my head. With some very minor changes, the same phrase applies to parenting. If a kid does something that surprises you, it's your own fault. Just to be clear, I'm mainly talking about the unpleasant surprises, like wiping a booger on grandma, streaking in front of company, dating a hoodlum... those types of things. What does it mean? Do humans, and therefore kids, have flaws? Do they get emotional and act erratically? Of course they do, that's part of the… -
The Dragon Slayer
2 Feb 2010 | 3:00 amLong ago, in a distant land, there lived a king. The king ruled his kingdom with a fair and just hand, and life was good. However, after a period of stability throughout the region, an unsettling presence sought to disrupt the peace. Enter the dragon... this was no friendly, PBS Kids Dragon Tales type of dragon, but a man eating, fire breathing dragon. After laying in slumber for many years, the beast was awakened, and seeking to devour all in its way. Luckily, the noble king mounted his trusty steed, and rode out to confront the great winged creature. What happened next is the stuff legends… -
Seven Suggestions for Spouses
26 Jan 2010 | 3:00 amIt's no secret that when a married couple has kids, soon their world revolves around the kids, and the relationship they once had starts to deteriorate. Less and less time is spent focusing on the person that helped you become a family in the first place. Below are seven suggestions that may keep you and your spouse from becoming strangers. Be nice to each other - This was one of the very first pieces of relationship advice that my wife and I received. I thought the person was joking... isn't this a given? However, I now realize that this was great advice. It's so simple, yet so many couples… -
You're going to ___________ and you're going to like it!
21 Jan 2010 | 3:00 amThere have been times in the past when I have grown frustrated with my children... particularly the older one. One could say that I have been curt, gruff, and insensitive. Take what I like to call the "bike riding incidents" for example. They started out well enough, but always ended in me saying something like, "I'm not carrying your bike home, if you want it, you can ride it... or else we'll leave it in the park for someone else to enjoy." While reflecting on my parenting tactics, I had a hard time figuring out why my approach didn't work. Doesn't everyone like their stuff given away,…
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The Moonlighting Dad
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School Delay
29 Jan 2010 | 5:43 amAfter the surprise snow storm which covered NY and Southern New England yesterday it seems that everybody is scrambling. Funny enough I was out last night and the roads were actually drying out but with the cold overnight winds I guess everything froze over so the buses are delayed. I think school delays in general are the most fun (and confusing) days for them. Everybody is thrown off schedule – they are up at the normal time with nothing to do. It’s a bit of a crazy thing in the morning so they enjoy it – Plus they still get to go in and hang out with their friends for… -
Where did the snow come from?
28 Jan 2010 | 7:43 amI woke up early today and decided to catch an early train to work. So i did my typical routine just 60 minutes early. The snow on the ground was all gone from the “heat wave” we had earlier this week so it was cold but dry. The forecast said we “may” have some rain later on but the day was going to get to the 40’s. I got on the 6:44 train out of Bridgeport and settled in for the 45 minute ride. Somewhere around Stamford, CT I looked up from my iPhone and noticed that EVERYTHING was covered in snow. Everybody on the train was caught off guard. So here I… -
iPad !!!
27 Jan 2010 | 7:49 pmSo its been announced and everybody is talking.. When am I going to get one??? I have been looking to get a kindle for awhile but I may have to convert. What type of Mac guy would I be if I could have this for 500 bucks !! There are a ton of articles and reviews out there on it so I won’t go into it here. Instead I will just show myself GREEN with envy for those who have a demo and are piloting one today ! -
The President is on tonight
27 Jan 2010 | 4:05 amAnybody want to play poker???? -
Haiti
13 Jan 2010 | 3:20 amThe largest earthquake ever recorded in Haiti (7.0) rocked the area near its capital of Port-au-Prince on Jan. 12. I read on the news between 50,000 and 500,000 people have been killed with 100,000+ people injured or missing. According to Wikipedia Haiti has a population of just over 9,000,000 people. That is an awful number of people affected. I expect that there will be a huge humanitarian effort put forward.
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Coupon Dad
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Free Sample Burt’s Bees New Toothpaste
9 Feb 2010 | 6:41 amFree Sample of the New Burt’s Bees All Natural Toothpaste! Burt’s Bees is launching a new toothpaste and is offering a free sample (.5 oz) so you can try it out! Burt Bees Toothpaste Sample You will get a sample of their Burt’s Bees Natural Toothpaste – Multicare with Fluoride Formula. Once you fill out the form it says you should receive your sample within 8 weeks. Thanks Free Sample Freak for the heads up!Other Posts You May Enjoy: Free Sample of Burt’s Bees Acne Solution 8/10/09! Burt’s Bees Printable Coupon October 2009! Burt’s Bees Printable… -
Contadina Canned Tomatoes Coupon 2010
8 Feb 2010 | 3:53 pmContadina Canned Tomatoes Coupon 2010 New coupon from Contadina canned tomatoes! Contadina printable coupon Coupon is good for $.75 off any 3 cans of tomatoes 15 oz or smaller. Bricks coupon so you can print twice and best part is they don;t expire until 06/30/2010!Other Posts You May Enjoy: Contadina Tomatoes Printable Coupon 2010 Red Gold Tomatoes Printable Coupon November 2009 Contadina Printable Coupon November 2009 Hunt’s Tomatoes Printable Coupon November 2009! Share and Enjoy: -
Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry Coupon 2010
8 Feb 2010 | 3:38 pmPepperidge Farms Puff Pastry Turnovers Coupon 2010 New coupon from Campbell’s on their Pepperidge Farms brand. Pepperidge Farms printable coupon Coupon is for $.55 off your next purchase of Pepperidge Farms puff pastry turnovers! It is a bricks coupon that comes up after you enter your email address so you can print it twice!Other Posts You May Enjoy: Campbell’s Printable Coupons November 2009 HOT! Campbell’s Soup Printable Coupon! HOT Samples on Name Brands from Quality Health Hillshire Farms Printable Coupon 2009! Share and Enjoy: -
9 Lives Dry Cat Food Printable Coupon 2010
8 Feb 2010 | 3:26 pm9 Lives Dry Cat Food Printable Coupon 2010 Great new coupon from Del Monte on their 9 Lives dry cat food brand! 9 Lives printable coupon Coupon is good for $.75 off any one bag of 9 Lives cat food 3.15 lbs or larger. Bricks coupon so make sure to print it twice by using your browsers back button!Other Posts You May Enjoy: Printable Pupperoni Coupon Oct 09 Pup-Peroni New Printable Coupon November 2009! Pup-Peroni Printable Coupon 2010 Printable Pop Secret, Diamond and Emerald Nut Coupons October 09 Share and Enjoy: -
Bliss In A Bottle – Valentine’s Day Gift Guide
8 Feb 2010 | 11:33 amValentine’s Day Gift Guide: Bliss in a Bottle – Love this idea! New post to the Valentine’s Day gift guide…this one is really cool. A Wine bottle (with wine) dipped in amazing chocolate! Bliss In A BottleOther Posts You May Enjoy: Valentine’s Day Gift Guide: Amore 2007 Red Wine Valentines Day Gift Guide: Q.bel All Natural Chocolate Valentines Day Gift Guide: iHome 2 in 1 Headphones Valentine’s Day Gift Guide: Harmony Scott Jewelry Share and Enjoy:
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Random Thoughts- Do They Have Meaning?
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How Sister's Helped to Train A Father of "Daddy's Girl"
9 Feb 2010 | 12:55 amI have six thousand sisters and a bunch of brother-in-laws but not one single brother. My father says that when they told me about the births of my youngest sisters I began to cry and complained that he and my mother had ruined my life. The majority of my memories of growing up with just sisters are positive. That is not to say that we didn't fight, because we did. It was almost always them against me. Those wacky dames worked as a team to get me in trouble and they did a good job of it. They were so good that I sometimes wonder how I survived. When we were relatively young they sometimes… -
Instant Gratification Is Making Me Instantly Impatient
8 Feb 2010 | 11:38 pmOne of these days my buddy John Cave Osborne is going to make it out to L.A. and we're going to hit a Laker game. The occasion might even merit a t-shirt with his picture on it, perhaps the one of him and the pink pillow. Ok, I probably won't make the t-shirt. You can blame my laziness on having given in to the collective, I am a member of the instant gratification society. Instant gratification is our unofficial motto. We want everything now and if not now than in mere seconds from now. Instant gratification means that we carry and use our cellphones everywhere so that we can call people at… -
Dolph Lundgren/Ivan Drago Plays Elvis
8 Feb 2010 | 9:28 pmvia youtube.comThis is too weird not to include on the blog. And just because here he is as Drago and the Universal Soldier.Posted via web from thejackb's posterous -
I Still Hate Valentine's Day
8 Feb 2010 | 11:39 amAs is my custom here are some thoughts about the coming pagan holiday. Soon the million man march on Hallmark shall take place and we shall end the cruelty. For more thoughts play and or read the posts below. Valentine's Day Should Be Banned Married for More Than 70 Years Valentine's hype can force tough decisions Random Babbling About Valentine's Day The Couple That Pees Together A Valentine's Day Card Valentine's Day- A Day That Should Live In Infamy -
Monday Morning Music
8 Feb 2010 | 10:25 amKing Without A Crown- Matisyahu Jerusalem- Matisyahu Free Bird- Lynrd Skynrd Hungry Heart- Bruce Springsteen Shir Ahava Bedoui(Bedouin love song)- David Broza Inspiration - Gipsy Kings Bookends- Simon & Garfunkel Young Turks- Rod Stewart Rhythm of my Heart- Rod Stewart This Time- John Legend
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MyBoys3
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Sneak Attack Illustrated
8 Feb 2010 | 5:50 pmOK, Here’s the plan: This is Josh, coming downstairs to play Then, we go down the stairs, very quietly… Then, we jump out and surprise Josh! And then, we take over the kingdom! -
Not Being in New Orleans
6 Feb 2010 | 7:17 amMy taxi sped along Interstate 10 past what could have been the outskirts of any small city in America. Lights and signs and passersby all moving at their normal pace. You couldn’t really tell that anything had gone wrong with a quick look at things. As we approached the downtown, I spied the Superdome to our left just off the freeway. Other than its odd pancake shape, it looked good, clean, and it was hard to imagine that only four years ago its roof was nearly ripped off and scores of desperate lives were gathered in hoards grasping for existence, their world turned upside down by… -
Bahamas is Better Than New Jersey
20 Jan 2010 | 8:14 pm6:30 AM – New Jersey. Hear the baby wake up, hungry and smelly. Try to decide whether to get up and tend to him or nudge wife to do it. 6:30 AM – Bahamas. Sleeping. 7:30 AM – New Jersey. Boys clamor down hallway and stairs to watch their morning show. Head down to make their breakfast. 7:30 AM – Bahamas. Still sleeping. 8:30 AM – New Jersey. Threaten boys that if they don’t get off the heat vent and go upstairs to get dressed they will soon be very unhappy. 8:30 AM – Bahamas. Slowly wake up. Happy. 9:30 AM – New Jersey. At my desk on first of many conference calls and combing…
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Who's Your Daddy?
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Dads In The Night
2 Feb 2010 | 9:17 amWhile the Little Man may be well out of diapers, he still is a child of the night. Lately, we’ve had many nights requiring bathroom breaks, glasses of water and dreams requiring extra tuck-ins. As every parent knows kids move through phases as often as shoe sizes, so as soon as you think you’ve got one covered, it changes. So with each wake up, wanting nothing more than our restful night sleep, we help the Little Man back to bed with reassurances of good dreams and the fact we’re right down the hall. I’ve been told I’m not the most patient when it comes to multiple middle of… -
YouTube and Facebook and Twitter, Oh My!
20 Jan 2010 | 7:23 amI must be approaching middle age. It now is a daily occurrence where I think to myself, “he can’t be old enough for that, can he?” The latest installment of “Dad is getting old” came during the morning scramble to get ready for school and out the door. The Little Man stopped cold as if a thought had switched some hidden button I still haven’t found and announced that his best friend had received a computer for Christmas and was getting “computer lessons” after school. Further digging revealed that the child’s parents (not Bill Gates) were teaching him… -
Move Your Butt
13 Jan 2010 | 7:22 amYesterday’s Wall Street Journal featured an article by Ron Winslow entitled Time Watching TV Linked to Higher Risk of Death that discusses an Australian study that links watching TV to higher death rate. I encourage you to read the article One of the most surprising aspects was that participants in the study were generally active people (getting 30-45 minutes of exercise per day). The study revealed that, even for people who exercise, sitting on the couch watching TV or playing video games (guilty as charged) is the metabolic equivalent of sleeping and therefore has a fundamental impact… -
Old Bones
5 Jan 2010 | 10:50 amAfter now having coached the Little Man for two full seasons of outdoor soccer and well into a season of indoor soccer, I’ve been itching to get out and play myself. I shudder to think that it has been close to two decades since I’ve played in a regular organized soccer league. So, with a bit of trepidation I went ahead and signed up for an adult indoor soccer league (at Chelsea Piers for any of you New Yorkers). Now I should note that I use the term “adult” a bit loosely because at our first game last night, as I was signing the roster for my newly assigned team, I came across… -
Careful of Parental Declarations
21 Dec 2009 | 6:24 amAs many parents probably do, I sometimes have a tendency to get a bit carried away and make broad declarations, especially when it comes to disciplinary matters. There are many times when I proclaim how things will be if my rules aren’t followed. Often, as soon as the words are out of my mouth, I regret it because I’ve now painted myself into that parental corner. Don’t follow through with the threat and the Little Man will know I’m full of it. I came across this great clip from ABC’s Modern Family that demonstrates exactly what I do. I hope you enjoy: I’ve never gone as far…
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A Culminating Life
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When I Hit The Water I Hit The Deep End
8 Feb 2010 | 5:43 pmA slow rhythm is playing in the background. You’re a couple of feet away from each other. It’s raining, you’re eyes are closed, and you can hear the water hit the roof. The rain is causing a mist to rise off the road… you can see the steam rising… Friend: Let me ask you question. Me: Okay… Friend: Well, what’s up with all the romantic crap on your site? Me: What do you mean? Friend: Your always writing as if the room is about to start on fire. Me: Yes, I do at times write what I see in a relationship Friend: Dude! You’ve got to knock it off! -
Boom, My Heart Skips A…
6 Feb 2010 | 2:59 pmAlso known as, Mmmm Hero[ine] Looks Good On You. A common theme with all of us divorced and single parents seems to be this quest for love, the idea of finding a new love, the challenges achieving that happy ending entails. And it’s easy to understand why we are so focused on that. We all want our second chance. We all want this happier life. And we’re anxious to get started already, to share our life with someone special. Every once in a while I used to start thinking that I might be interested in meeting someone new. For me, it isn’t easy. Those of you who… -
This Thought Brought To You By Grilled Cheese
5 Feb 2010 | 8:29 pmAlso known as, Mmmmmm on French Bread with ham.. [ Is that a hint of garlic I taste? ] So there I was. Headphones on. Playing a Anjulie song… one that is causing me to think of future dates. This bench is nice. I love Central Park. It’s so.. fake. [ Is that a real rock? ] but real too. beautiful. But this time, I was sitting in Central Park just about to eat a sandwich, when from out of nowhere some guy reaches from behind the bench, and grabs my sandwich. I turn around, and Steve Martin is taking a huge bite out of my grilled ham and cheese. He’s enjoying it [ A… -
The Words You Said… Oh… Made Me Weak
3 Feb 2010 | 7:58 pmAlso known as, I’m addicted to you I’m a weak man… I admit it. I yield to this one temptation. It’s terrible. I know I should stop.. and I can stop! [ Really! I can! ] But I don’t want too, but if I did, I could… I could stop… I can do it… I rea… [ Oh what am I saying?! I can't stop! ] Fine, I admit it. I have an addiction too… too… Sour Patch Kids I walked into Walmart and there it was. in it’s 30.4oz bag of glory. I placed it in my cart and quietly walked to the cashier. I acted all nonchalant. “So…… -
I Saved Lives
3 Feb 2010 | 6:36 amAlso known as, Not really, but I was a life saver! [ Mmmm lifesavers... ] Not many people actually knew this about me, but I was a lifeguard for awhile. Now most people see this and go, well that’s exciting, did you yell at kids at a waterpark? [ Uhhhh, no. ] I was a lifeguard at a swimming pool, in a rural area of Wyoming. This swimming pool was privately held, but had hooks with the EMT’s and Search and Rescue. That’s right. Being a lifeguard in this area, meant you were on the backup river search teams. We were taught and practiced how to search for people in fast…
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smonk you: a story about being a dad
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Week two in numbers
7 Feb 2010 | 7:28 pmHere are week two's numbers...as a reminder they start on a Friday and go until Thursday and these are only for this week. Numbers are tallied and verified by an independent conslting firm.Heads up that my next post will be my hundredth post. It will be a huge posting event with many celebrities, reality TV stars, musicians and such* so it might take a couple days for it to go live. *There is no gaurantee that celebrities, reality TV stars and musicians will be part of the event...but there will definitely be some 'and such.'Please click this to vote for the blog...no other action… -
Gear Thursday: Ghostbusters
4 Feb 2010 | 10:22 amI'm not really a video game reviewer...but then this isn't really a game review.A while ago I did a post where I mentioned that at first I thought I'd be able to hang with my sleeping baby and play some Wii.Yada yada...I bought Ghostbusters: The Video Game for Wii. I was attracted to the game because it had the original actors in it and Aykroyd and Ramis, who wrote the films, helped to write the story.I popped it in my Wii yesterday and started to play...here's how gameplay went.Step one: Disc goes into the console. Step two: Miloh starts crying because he has a wet diaper.Step three: Change… -
Side effects include:
3 Feb 2010 | 6:08 amOf course the obvious one would be drowsiness. Then I guess sleeplessness goes along with that...or maybe is the cause of it.But I'm experiencing some other unexpected side effects.One would be the feeling of youthfulness. not sure why but sometimes when I'm hanging with the little dude I feel much younger...early twenties.Abdominal pain. Miloh likes when we sit on an exercise ball and bounce up and down. We're getting some good ab workouts from doing this.Leg cramping. He also likes when I hold him and bounce my legs up and down like a squat. And he knows the subtle differenc in the way this… -
Week one in numbers
31 Jan 2010 | 9:31 pmI was thinking it would be cool to figure out the carbon footprint of Miloh's first year of life. I wanted to include not only diapers, laundry and clothes but also car seats and all the things that need to be replaced every few months.But I realized that would be a huge pain in my ass...so instead we decided to take counts of day to day things in Miloh's life. Every Sunday or Monday I'll try to upload a new infographic of what that week was like. The weeks run from Friday until Thursday.Please click this to vote for the blog...no other action required...just a simple click. Thanks. -
You are one click away from greatness
29 Jan 2010 | 3:31 pmA bit ago I was flattered by an email from Mandy over at Harper's Happenings asking me if I'd write a guest post for her blog...I was like sure, I'll knock it out in a week before our, then unknown, baby was born...then as you can read from my last blog entry baby Miloh came a week early.The post I was going to write morphed a bit...since Miloh's here...but this is what you'll get if you read my guest post; you'll learn what my best written school paper was about, you'll read about how the name smonk you came to be...this is a huge exclusive that even TMZ couldn't break, you'll read about my…
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Dad's Guide to Twins
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The Secret to Doing Anything with Twins
3 Feb 2010 | 6:01 amYou’ll probably hear incredulous comments from non-twin parents like, “How do you do it?” Well, as with anything in life, I find a way. That way contains the secret to doing anything with twins. The secret? One at a time. Need to change a poopy diaper on both twins? Change one at a time. Are both babies crying and you’re home alone? Soothe one at a time. Spoon feeding both twins dinner? Take turns: one at a time. Very rarely will you need to do whatever you are doing simultaneously with both twins. One exception would be if your house is on fire. Grab both twins and… -
How to Handle Older Children After Twins Arrive
27 Jan 2010 | 6:01 amIf you’ve prepared your older children for the arrival of twins, you’ve made good progress. However, your work is not done. You need to actively manage your relationship with your older children and be attentive to their needs even when you have your hands full with newborn twins. One-on-One Time Your life will very easily be consumed by sleep deprivation and taking care of the newborn twins. You need to consciously make plans to spend time with your other children. I took advantage of the twins’ nap time to play with my boys or take them out of the house for some… -
How to Prepare Older Kids for Twins
20 Jan 2010 | 6:01 amSometimes twins are not your first children. You need to prepare your older children for the arrival of their twin siblings. My wife and I had two sons before our twin girls arrived. At the time our twins were born, the boys were 3 and almost 2 years old respectively. I knew that life would be different once the girls were born but I didn’t really understand how that would impact their brothers. Here are some things that helped us get our older kids ready for and helped them survive the twins’ arrival: Involve Kids in Preparations Get your other kids involved with the preparation… -
Expecting Twins this Year? Take your Tax Deduction Now!
13 Jan 2010 | 6:01 amIn the United States, the government is willing to financially help you with your twins. This comes in the form of a child tax credit and deductions for your dependents. If you already have other children, you probably know about these benefits. If not, each child you have reduces your tax obligation to the government for that tax year. In my opinion, now is the time to reap these rewards for your soon-to-be-born twins. Well, my friend, by now it’s no news flash that two babies bring with them double the expenses. You need all the cash you can get. If your twins are due this tax year,… -
New Year’s Resolutions for the Twin Dad
6 Jan 2010 | 6:01 amThe new year is upon us and as is tradition, it is time to set some goals. Your goals this year could include being a better dad to your twins. If you need some ideas of how to do this, I did the hard work and brainstormed for all of us. This is what I came up with: Spend one-on-one time with each twin and not always together Stop mixing up their names and start calling them by the right name Look for and love unique personality traits in each twin Master getting both twins changed and dressed in the morning without help Learn to identify the different cries from each twin Find out what foods…
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Incredible Dad
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Tips to Save you Time and Money at Great Wolf Lodge (Part 2)
1 Feb 2010 | 9:10 pmIn Part 2 of this article, we asked the managers in each division at Great Wolf Lodge - Niagara to give us their best 'secret-tips' to help your family save even more time and money at the Lodge! Find out some surprising tips for you or someone you know who's going soon! Related posts:Tips to Save you Time and Money at Great Wolf Lodge Three Easy Ways To Reduce Costs and Save Money Review of Great Wall Buffet – Pickering -
Review of Papps Casual Dining – Pickering
29 Jan 2010 | 8:25 pmA restaurant review of Papps Casual Dining in Pickering ON. Find out 1) some good tips on making the most of your visit and 2) how to win at RPS (Rock Paper Scissors)?!? Trust us, read the article to find out why you'll need these strategies.. Related posts:Review of Great Wall Buffet – Pickering Review of Pickering Markets – Pickering Review of East Side Mario’s – Pickering -
Back To My Roots: The Philippines (Part 2)
21 Jan 2010 | 8:48 pmIn this next article focused on helping your kids connect back to their Filipino roots, we'll delve into a brief (but complete) history of the Philippines, talk about what the flag means, give you some new phrases to introduce to your children, introduce some famous Filipinos that your kids should know and point you to some other Filipino sites to check out! Tayo na! Related posts:Back To My Roots: The Philippines (Part 1) -
Tips to Save you Time and Money at Great Wolf Lodge
15 Jan 2010 | 9:01 pmIf you're considering a trip to Great Wolf Lodge, then this article can save you a bundle so you won't 'drown' in costs... (sorry, couldn't resist...). Read on to discover valuable tips to save you money and time, and help you make the most of your 'Staycation' at Great Wolf Lodge! Related posts:Tips to Save you Time and Money at Great Wolf Lodge (Part 2) Three Easy Ways To Reduce Costs and Save Money Incredible Family Trip to New York City – The Summary -
The Top 5 Inspirational “Dad” Movies of All Time!
11 Jan 2010 | 6:56 pmA list of the Top 5 Inspirational "Dad" Movies of All Time! (talk about setting expectations...). If you or a Dad you know hasn't seen any of these 5 movies, give them a good shake then rent it for them! Related posts:Top Three Educational Nintendo DS Games for Young Kids Top Five Board Games for Families with Young Children! Review of “Best Things Fathers Do” by Will Glennon
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SparkDad
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SparkDad Weight Loss Challenge Update
9 Feb 2010 | 6:32 amYou can read the rest of the weight loss challenge posts here. Last week was a rough week for me in my weight loss challenge. First of all I only went to the gym 2 times last week. I did get a workout on the elliptical at the house, but I find that it is a [...] -
Funny Vacation Rental Commercial
8 Feb 2010 | 4:48 pmThis year had to have been one of the worst years for Super Bowl commercials. I did however see a commercial for Vacation Rental.org that sparked my interest. They had a very funny vacation rental commercial. This site is a travel site that focuses on staying at vacation homes instead of at a hotel when [...] -
Insurance Rates
7 Feb 2010 | 7:38 pmInsurance. The industry we all love to hate. No let me preface this by letting you know that I am a licenses insurance agent and can sell both property insurance and life and health insurance. I have worked for State Farm, Allstate and Farmers. During this time, I have only been insured by State Farm, [...] -
Prescription Sunglasses, Part 2
7 Feb 2010 | 7:27 pmIn an earlier post I discussed my sunglass problems. This week I received a call from my eye doctor to come look at some frames that they ordered in for me to take a look at. My local eye doctor is a chain so the frames were less than spectacular! When I bought the shades [...] -
Día de la Candelaria
3 Feb 2010 | 1:07 amToday we had a small party in celebration of the Dia de la Candelaria. This celebration falls 40 days after Christmas and for Catholics it is the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin. You can read a lot more about the tradition here – Article about Dia de la Candelaria The reason that we [...]
