There’s a man who is totally smitten with a woman. Calling him lovestruck doesn’t give his feelings justice. He literally cannot live without her, he is that head over heels in love. As for the woman? She’s a vengeful beeyatch. Seems someone in her family was mistreated by men, and so she has taken it upon herself to be the consummate Ice Queen. No man can get close to her without getting over some impossibly high hurdles. And if he fails? The beeyatch cuts off his head! No, it’s not one of my ex-girlfriends. And, other than the head-chopping part, it’s no one I know in real life.
Dads
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Dad's House
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A Lovestruck Man and a Vengeful Beeyatch
20 Nov 2009 | 3:28 am -
Cool Parent Points
19 Nov 2009 | 3:37 amCool Parent points. If you’re a parent, you know what those are. You earn them when your kids don’t think you’re a nerd, geek, or life-ruining jerk. i.e., you do something cool. Seems a few parents in the parenting blogosphere have been scoring cool parent points lately, moi included. Put on your sunglasses and look way cool as you head over to the Silicon Valley Moms Blog and read about: More Cool Parent Points Scored (If that pre-programmed link doesn’t work, you can head straight to SV Moms.) How cool is that? If you liked this raising children and parenting teens… -
My Sexy Daughter
18 Nov 2009 | 3:33 amMy teen daughter is a good girl. She gets good grades, participates in sports, helps around the house when I ask her (er… make that, she helps around the house when I give her gas money for her truck!) So when one of the Hot Moms asked at the Hot Dads blog why it’s okay for men to check out sexy women, yet not let their daughters wear what they want, because isn’t that a double standard? – I reacted! My daughter is a girl, not a woman. When girls like Miley Cyrus pose nude in bed, with messed up hair that makes her look like she just had sex, I’m disappointed. Fifteen is too young… -
Single Parent Life – Stories, Tips, Advice
17 Nov 2009 | 3:33 amA friend recently asked why my single parent blog covers such wide-ranging topics. Of course, there are single parenting tips and advice about divorce separation, co-parenting with an ex, raising children in a two-home family, child custody agreements. There are sexy and funny stories about dating after divorce. Like any blog, Dad’s House is an outlet for me, and also a resource for single parents. Reader comments and insights provide even more help and support. So what’s with the cocktails, booty calls, sex, books, movies, cooking, and self-awareness? In short, this blog isn’t about… -
Mean Kids, Nice Kids
16 Nov 2009 | 3:30 amMy 17-year-old daughter is an angel! So are her friends!! They are super nice kids! Or so we’ve always thought. Now her brother and I are wondering if she’s a little devil, and we’ve been sheltering one of the mean kids all these years. My son was recently cleaning out his closet (not voluntarily; I made him do it) when he came across a pencil box handed down to him by his older sister. Inside was a note written years before when she was 11 years old. A contract signed by her and her girl friends. You be the judge: nice kids? or mean kids? The contract states: If you tell we will be…
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Dad-O-Matic
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A First-Year Father’s 13 Things to Be Thankful For (Podcast)
20 Nov 2009 | 3:00 amIn a few weeks, my daughter Lucy will celebrate her first birthday. Last Thanksgiving, we had to skip the traditional two-hour drive home because my wife looked like she was hiding the Great Pumpkin under her shirt. At the risk of sounding like every other dad who’s ever lived, I can’t believe how fast the time has gone. (Even though the first few weeks did seem like an eternity.) With another Thanksgiving just around the corner, and my first year of fatherhood coming to a close, I sure do have a lot to be thankful for, including sleep, football, and cheese. Here’s the full… -
A rant about new Star Wars action figures
19 Nov 2009 | 7:15 pmI was a 70’s baby. When I was a kid we often played with our favorite Star Wars action figures. Each one stood about 5 inches, yes “stood”. Maybe I’m getting old, but the Star Wars action figures today suck. I remember the GI Joes from the generation before me seemed massive in comparison. The classic dolls usually stood around 8 inches (I’m doing this from memory). They towered over our toys! My son just celebrated his fourth birthday. I introduced Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back to him shortly before he celebrated his big day. Both movies still rock. -
The Sony VAIO P-Mercial: Family Fun With Video
16 Nov 2009 | 9:23 pmAs the latest mission for the Sony DigiDad Project, we were loaned a Sony VAIO P Series Lifestyle PC mini laptop and told to go record a class trip or some other family outing. My kids are too old for “class trips” and I wanted to do something that actually included the VAIO P, because it has such an unusual form factor for a computer. And the “P” is a full-blown computer. It may be light in weight, but it is far from a lightweight when it comes to features and computing power. To demonstrate, my kids and I created our own spoof of an “infomercial”… -
Mid-Movember (Upper) Lip Service
15 Nov 2009 | 8:53 pmIt is November 15. Two weeks ago I introduced you to my hairy situation, having decided to grow a moustache this month in support of Movember and the goal of raising awareness and funds for prostate and testicular cancer research. While overall the Movember movement is doing an awesome job raising funds around he world, the support from the Dad-O-Matic community has been a hair less than what I was hoping for. With two weeks left in the month I am happy to be able to step things up with a few incentives. The details are in the short video below. If you’d like to have a chance to… -
Stale Daddy Jokes
9 Nov 2009 | 5:47 amDad, King of Comedy… Growing up in a highly opinionated, and comedic laden, Latin household you would think that new jokes would present themselves often and we would all, in a sense, “TEST” our new material out on each other in the house but then sometimes you get caught up with your “big hit.” My dad…he’s the classic “greatest hits” joke teller–you know what I mean by greatest hits joke teller, the joke your pop tells you EVERY-TIME he sees you and laughs like it was just crafted? My pop seems to think it always works because we…
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Dorky Dad
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Entering the movie drought
16 Nov 2009 | 7:04 pmIn my pre-kid days, when The Wife and I had time and money and were not chained to a pair of cute but loud distractions, we went to the movies. A lot.We like movies, but mostly we went because we couldn't think of anything else to do with all of our time and money and personal freedom."Uh, we can go to the movies or do absolutely nothing again.""Let's go to the movies."So when The Boy's arrival was imminent, all I could think of was how many movies we were going to try and fit in by the birth day.(While we were trying to have kids, we, uh, made various efforts to avoid getting pregnant during… -
The Dork hits Vegas
8 Nov 2009 | 7:26 pmIn the morning I'm flying to Las Vegas to attend a "conference," which apparently is some sort of pseudonym for "I'm going to gamble my life saving's away and wake up married to the waitress of a local diner."I actually am attending a conference, but I suspect that it'll be a big challenge trying to resist skipping the whole thing so I can see repeated performances by Celine Dion and Wayne Newton. I could get a lifetime's supply of overperformed pop music and cheesy lounge tunes in three whole days. And while I'm at it I'll get my fill of neon and drunk people.The truth is, however, that this… -
Night of the Zombie Dork
1 Nov 2009 | 5:21 amHere's how I spent my Halloween: By walking slowly and stiffly, with a distant look on my face, groaning and grunting and scaring my boy.Did I dress like a zombie? (BRRAAAAAIINS!) Hardly. I threw my back out.(Excuse me now while I curse like a sailor and yell.)I'd like to say that I threw my back out while valiantly defending my family from a gang of thieves or an army of black-clad ninjas; or that I was hoisting a piano upstairs by myself. The sad reality is that I hurt my back sitting down, which I still don't understand, because I sit down dozens of times every day. I'm an EXPERT at… -
Dorky Dad and the Fondue of Death
25 Oct 2009 | 7:57 pmThis weekend we went to a giant fondue party. I'd never been to one before, but apparently it involves a bunch of people getting together and eating small portions of food dipped in sauces. And then everybody hits McDonald's on their way home because there's no way you can get enough small pieces of bread to make a full meal.Truthfully, it was a lot of fun, even with the presence of about 5 million distractions in the form of loud, rambunctious school-aged children and at least one baby (mine). But amidst the whining and crying I found myself at the fondue table, where I took my handy fondue… -
Parenting at 35,000 feet
18 Oct 2009 | 8:15 pmThe Wife and I decided our lives were too easy, so late last week we loaded our borderline-hyperactive 5-year-old and our teething, ear-infection-prone infant into a plane packed with travelers and flew four hours to California.Yes, I did this voluntarily, but only two things would drain my brain of enough mental capacity to enable me to make such a decision: A funeral or a wedding. Fortunately, it was the latter that prompted this particular trip.I've said repeatedly on this blog that I hate flying, and though I've flown enough in recent years that I'm no longer crawling the walls whenever…
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DadCentric
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To-mate-o, To-mat-o
20 Nov 2009 | 12:21 pm"I want some cock," he said somewhere behind me. I was talking to the neighbor. We were sharing beers and laughs and suddenly silence. "What did he say?" the neighbor asked. "I want some cock," he said again as if... -
What Does A Controversial Article in Working Mother Magazine Have In Common With Katy Perry?
20 Nov 2009 | 9:38 amEarlier this week, an article entitled "Custody Lost" appeared on the Working Mother website. The article, which you can read here in its entirety, bemoans the trend of stay-at-home-dads winning an increasing number of custody battles. Our friend Greg over... -
It's Hard to be a Pimp. By Which I Mean: Dadblogger.
19 Nov 2009 | 7:06 pmDude, this interweb shit is hard. Every week, coming up with something new to say about the sovereign state of dadhood? Hell, there's just not that much that happens in my world that's interesting. Honestly — is your life that... -
Leonid
18 Nov 2009 | 1:56 pmI thought about waking him up. Yeah, 11:00 PM is late for a kindergartner, but this? Oh, he'd dig it. Of course, I wouldn't inform him of my plan. The surprise would be better - a tap on the shoulder,... -
Win the New Dan Zanes '76 Trombones' CD
17 Nov 2009 | 7:50 amMy review copy of Dan Zanes and Friends' Broadway album 76 Trombones was thisclose to the donation bin when I realized that one of you dedicated -- nay, downright sexy -- DadCentric readers deserved it more than those freeloaders at...
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Bill and Jill
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The Ice Cream Shop
15 Nov 2009 | 5:30 pmAfter a hard day hitting all the area parks and playgrounds, it’s nice to sit in the Ice Cream Shop and relax with some “Birthday Batter” ice cream and a few peppermint sticks. -
When your coworker is disconnecting giant power cables from a computer rack, this is one thing that you might say to him
11 Nov 2009 | 9:07 pm“Just so you know, if I’ve decided that you have a current running through your body but you’re unable to tell anyone or let go, I plan to dislodge you from that cable by hitting you over the head as hard as I can with this wooden carpet dolly. Yeah. I decided to go with it instead of that aluminum step ladder.” -
You’ve come a long way, baby
19 Oct 2009 | 10:50 pmBig FIVE! Happy Birthday, Beans! Liam: Day 1 Liam: Day 1,823 -
The Fast Lane
4 Oct 2009 | 6:17 pm -
Open Wide
29 Sep 2009 | 2:54 pmIn our house, the start of the school year also means the start of the plague-of-the-month club. And, as the boys are taught to do in preschool, they share! With everyone! After a week of preschool, Liam came home and collapsed onto the couch with his blanket and half-mast eyes. Bean’s eyes are his tell when he’s sick, puffy with smoky half-moons underneath. “I’m so sleepy, Mum-Mum.” He drifted off and awoke an hour later in a sobbing rage, furious at the fever that had snuck up on him. I dosed him with Tylenol and wrestled his fiery little body into bed, rubbing his ears until he…
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HONEA EXPRESS
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Draw Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Then Win It
13 Nov 2009 | 6:23 pmSeriously? Drawing? Star Wars? The video with the noise and the force and the I. WANT. THAT. Well, you got it, kid. Also, you're all clear.It's Draw Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Atticus is beside himself. Zane would also enjoy it if his brother let him anywhere near it. This is something that will never happen. Ever.Here's a rundown of what's inside (via Klutz) - ... filled with tips, techniques, practice space, and translucent overlays to make you a master of drawing. Start with stick figures, move onto basic shapes, and finish up with the details. Use the included double-tipped… -
A Band of Brothers
7 Nov 2009 | 12:17 pmA lack of sleep and a bottle of something teamed up to make my morning a series of echoes and drumbeats. The drummers stood bedside and they beat their drums slowly."Can we play the Wii?" they asked."Will you make breakfast?" they hounded."I have to go potty," they threatened.They were up too early, because it was Saturday. If it were a school day I would be the one standing over them as they lay warm and oblivious. But it wasn't a school day. It was the weekend and they were up early and I had been up late.I got up. I wiped a butt. I made some breakfast. I drank some coffee. I took some… -
There's a Sad Sort of Clanging From the Clock in the Hall
5 Nov 2009 | 12:01 amAnd he found them not where they were supposed to be and doing the things they shouldn't. He had left them alone among the molehills and found them perched upon the mountains.They were laughing and full of fun and getting away with being young. They were silent and drained of joy and by all means busted.He was tired. There were long days behind him and long nights ahead. His back, it burned with exhausted muscle and it erupted with spasms of stress and it resorted to a door frame to keep it remotely upward.Ropes wind and they twirl and they roll nicely off the spool and one minute you're… -
No Tricks, Just Treats
2 Nov 2009 | 4:12 pmI would be remiss if I didn't share our Halloween memories with you. And I do not care to be remiss. No, not at all.The last one was a neighbor that had Muppet music blaring from his home. There was another neighbor, an attractive young mom, whose costume could best be described as SpongeBoob NoPants, but I was so appalled that I forgot to take a picture and then when I went back and banged on her door at 3am the cops said I had to go home. The nerve of some people.And now for a few favorites from Halloweens past:Here's hoping that you and yours had a good time and that your teeth don't rot… -
Ten Days Gone
20 Oct 2009 | 11:43 amFrom my office I can watch the leaves fall upon the deck and melt in pools of red and yellow. They do not fight it. They have served their purpose. They have accepted their fate. Theirs is to fall beneath a constant drizzle and breaths of mist and theirs is to mock me in their peacefulness. From my office I can see a grave sixteen years deep. My gaze tends to wander there. It lingers from time to time.The boys have been sick and sad and they are making messes and mischief of one kind and another. Theirs is in the now. Pain and joy are deep and fleeting. Mornings are met with smiles and dreams…
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Gunfighter: A Modern Warrior's Life
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A Haiku About My Day
20 Nov 2009 | 7:51 pmCareer day at school "Do you have a flame-thrower?" Good times with children Sent on the go from my Peek -
Spontaneous Haiku
19 Nov 2009 | 4:07 amThis came to me while I was working out this morning: Sane folks don't like it Violence without reason Rockin' The Casbah -
An Angry Black Man
17 Nov 2009 | 9:15 pmI wrote this post on July 20th, 2008, and I never posted it to my blog. I don't remember what sparked the tirade, but reading, I have to admit that I still feel the same way about what I wrote, so here it is... Straight, with no chaser. (If you are sensitive, close your ears) I’m a little pissed off today my friends. I’m going to talk about something a little different today. You see, I have spent a large amount of my adult life being considered a “sellout” by a large segment of my own community. Since many of you who read this are… -
30-20-10-0
17 Nov 2009 | 4:06 am30: 1979 I was was about to turn 16, and about to lose my virginity. I was in my Junior year of high school. We lived in Vauxhall, New Jersey, on May Terrace I lived with my mom and my brother, as my sister had recently left for college.. My father and stepmother lived in Baltimore, Maryland. I hated my life and wanted to be out of that town. I rode my bicycle everywhere. I was in the Air Force Junior ROTC. I was in the Chorus... Mr C. was our teacher. I collected comic books. 20: 1989 I was nearly 25. I was married. I drove a Hyundai Excel. I was in the last year of my enlistment… -
My Thoughts on Fort Hood
16 Nov 2009 | 4:08 amMost of the people who were recently murdered at Fort Hood, Texas have been buried, and the families and a nation continue to mourn. What can we say about what happened at Fort Hood? As soon as the news broke, there were immediate alarms of Al-Qaeda infiltrators in the armed forces, and sleeper cells, rumors of multiple shooters, confusion over which officers fired the shots that brought down the murderer... even arguments as to whether or not the cops had an obligation to say: "Police! Drop your weapon" (no, they don't, according to Supreme Court case law, in case…
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Cheeky's Hideaway
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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. -
Like a Kelsey Grammar Show, And Unfortunately Just as Funny
22 Oct 2009 | 3:08 pmApparently you forget a few things when you live in a city apartment for a decade. Like what to do with all that shit in your yard that can't be mowed.Or how far away things are when you leave them upstairs.Or the importance of getting your garbage out on time.Or just how many bugs there are in the world.Everyone else on the planet has already figured this out. You've probably all got rakes and screen doors and a baseline knowledge of how to adjust your water temperature. We, on the other hand, curse that vile temptress Fate that would give us a house that requires cleaning and… -
It's Cure JM Day...what are YOU gonna do about it?
1 Oct 2009 | 10:01 pmMy boy, Kevin of Always Home and Uncool, has asked me to post this as part of his effort to raise awareness in the blogosphere of juvenile myositis, a rare autoimmune disease his daughter was diagnosed with on this day seven years ago. The day also happens to be his wife's birthday. These are his thoughts, and I encourage you to offer your support to combat this disease. Our pediatrician admitted it early on. The rash on our 2-year-old daughter's cheeks, joints and legs was something he'd never seen before. The next doctor wouldn't admit to not… -
Stuffed!
28 Sep 2009 | 2:36 pmHoly crap, do we have a lot of stuff.I kept thinking this as the second day of our pack 'n' move dawned last week. The first day was an amazing feat of disassembly. Before I'd finished shaking hands with the movers our walls were stripped bare, and I had to keep moving around the apartment to keep from getting stuffed in a wardrobe box myself. At the end of the day I figured we were almost done and I could spend the afternoon laying under the trees at Shake Shack.But on Day Two I went downstairs to our storage room where the unwanted detritus of years of cohabitation had…
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Discovering Dad
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Do Men Really Avoid Doing Housework?
15 Nov 2009 | 8:24 amDo men really avoid doing housework? Do we really think that cleaning the house is a woman’s job? I mean, come on, we’re in the 21st Century now, so how many men honestly believe that it is not their responsibility to participate in keeping their house clean and organized? I know men who think that because they work hard all week they deserve to rest, relax and do things that are fun for them on the weekend. Trust me, I work hard for 60+ hours at my job every week, and I like to enjoy my weekends with the family. I could not imagine sitting around the house doing “my… -
Discovering Dad Blog Carnival – November 2009
7 Nov 2009 | 11:25 amWelcome to the November 2009 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. Dad of Divas presents Fatherhood Friday – Disciplinarian or Bad Parent posted at Dad of Divas. Adam presents Involved Dads posted at Natural Parenting Tips. Grapefruit presents Little Man. -
Discovering Dad Blog Carnival – September 2009
7 Sep 2009 | 6:55 amWelcome to the September 2009 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. Scott presents Who Is Raising Your Children? posted at Simple Father. Dan presents What are Those Kids Texting? A Parents’ Guide posted at My Dad Blog, saying, “A decoder for all you… -
Max Spaniel Dinosaur Hunt Winners
28 Aug 2009 | 7:55 pmThanks to everyone who participated in the Max Spaniel Dinosaur Hunt contest! I really enjoyed reading all of the stories about your favorite pets. There’s definitely a lot of “Dinosaur Hunters” out there, all of whom seem to make a positive difference in our lives. Congratulations to the following winners of the Max Spaniel Dinosaur Hunt book giveaway: Sheila from Mom 2 A Nutball won the Grand Prize Autographed copy of Max Spaniel (by illustrator David Catrow) One (1) Jumbo kids magnifying glass Lesa from Conveniently Simplistic, Kerrie Mayans, Janet from Grammy… -
Favorite Summer Pictures
22 Aug 2009 | 2:04 pmSummer is my absolute favorite time of year. I love the heat and sunshine – it always puts me in a good mood. I even like the humidity, which my wife thinks is crazy! I like doing things outside, especially with the kids. Going to the park, playing ball and watching my son drench himself with the hose while “helping” wash the car. The other thing I love about the summer is family vacations. This year, we were fortunate enough to go to the beach (the “shore”) and to Disney World. We went to the beach with my parents and nephew, and we went to Disney…
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Laid-Off Dad
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But for the grace
30 Oct 2009 | 6:27 amNow that my nose is back to the blogstone, I want to take this chance to tell you about a new and very special person in my life. A person who reminds me daily that I am never alone, and who stretches my capacity for compassion in an infuriating world. I'm talking, of course, of Eldun, my Extremely Loud, Demented Upstairs Neighbor. Eldun first came into my life about a month after I moved in. I paused at my front door and wondered if I had left my TV on. Which was odd, since the voices were in Spanish. Also, I didn't own a TV. After I got inside, I learned it was Eldun's TV, which… -
Brought to his keyboard by a wall of garbanzo beans
26 Oct 2009 | 7:08 pmDuring the first year after I moved out, my daily routine involved about 2.5 hours on the Carnevale de Filth that is New York's subway system. Up at my elevated platform before dawn, 45 minutes to work among the doddering coffee-sippers. Half an hour downtown, to her place for a couple hours of monkeyshines. Then an hour or so back to upstate Manhattan. Some days felt like an Epic Journey between the Arctic Circle and Buenos Aires, and attempting to write, or even jot down a few notes, was impossible. I was always so bone-tired that I spent most of my time listening to the first five… -
Billious
25 Aug 2009 | 8:50 amDear Bill: According to sites like this, a lot of people have a problem with the word "moist." I mostly don't understand the antipathy, because there are many situations when moist is better than not. Moist can lead to wet, which is a muchly desired status in the summertime. Plus, there's the onomatopoeia; "moist" is such a moist word. Like "squelch." And "Colmes." Every once in a while, however, the moistophobes have a legitimate beef. Saturday was one of those onces. Thanks to you. I'll grant you that this was largely a soup of my own…
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Rude Cactus
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The Weeklies #109
20 Nov 2009 | 4:15 amThe Weekly Time Waster. The World's Hardest Game. Hey, I didn't call it that. Go find out for yourself. The Weekly Activity. Working. A lot. The Weekly iPhone App. Convert (iTunes link). I'm incredibly challenged when it comes to converting stuff. Probably because I'm no good with numbers. Currency, weights, measures...I just can't do it. Convert is an awesome app. And I finally know what British folks when they weigh stuff in stones. Always wondered about that. The Weekly Music. I'm going retro and obscure this week. Mad Season. There's absolutely no reason to think you've heard of them. -
The Great Moral Quandary
19 Nov 2009 | 3:43 amI have a Great Moral Quandary. No, I'm not trying to figure out my feelings on the gay marriage debate in DC or working out my stance on the execution of the DC sniper last week. I'm not spinning my mental wheels trying to arrive at a perfect way to balance trade between the US and China nor am I attempting to decide whether or not to read Sarah Palin's new book (though the bit I caught which included the sentence "members of the national press continued to hang out in Alaska sniffing for tabloid stuff" led me to believe it's a masterfully written piece of prose on par with the works of… -
Media Whores, Politicians...and Goats
18 Nov 2009 | 3:58 amLate last week I got an email from Mary Jones. If you don't know who Mary Jones is, I certainly can't help you because I have no clue who the woman is either. But I opened it because of the subject line - Pelosi healthcare bill - what the mainstream media is not telling. And, well, I half expected to find, instead, horny Ukrainian temptresses blowing goats or man-on-man fisting action. And who doesn't love gay fisting over coffee in the morning? I was surprised when a) there was no goat-blowing, porn of any kind or text that began I am a pretty inosent girrl from Indonezia looking for mail… -
God Gave Rock and Roll To You
17 Nov 2009 | 3:31 amLast night, Beth, Mia, Owen and I were learning some hand gestures over dinner. You know, saying okay or I love you with your hands. I tried to teach them to do the Village People YMCA thing but that didn't catch on all that well. Then I broke out the rock out hands. You know, the devil horns. Which caught on quite wonderfully. Beth got a little over-enthusiastic in her rocking out (as she often does) and began to sing Kiss songs. (Which surprised me because, while I knew she knew who Kiss was, I thought the extent of her Kiss knowledge was something along the lines of the make-up guys). Like… -
Birthday Weekend Recap
16 Nov 2009 | 3:24 amThis weekend was a special one, mainly because it was Beth's birthday. I won't tell you which one, not that I think she cares. On Friday night, Mia and I baked a birthday cake. According to Mia, it had to be chocolate, with chocolate frosting. So that's what we did. Though, we kicked it up a couple of notches. To include day-glo pink icing and, of course, pink M&Ms. Two shades of pink M&Ms, to be precise. Beth got to sleep in a little on Saturday. Meanwhile, the kids and I got her presents wrapped and chilled out with some Scooby Doo (something we wouldn't subject Beth to on her birthday…
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MetroDad
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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… -
Halloween 2009 Opinion Poll
22 Oct 2009 | 7:20 pmAs you can probably guess, I'm not a big fan of political correctness.When I was in college at Berkeley, a group of political activists lobbied to officially change Columbus Day to "Indigenous People's Day," the argument being that Christopher Columbus was responsible for more calamity and destruction than progress and prosperity. The activists blamed Columbus for single-handedly colonizing the New World and destroying indigenous populations. I'm not sure but I think they also pinned acid rain, rush-hour traffic, and the Middle East on him too. Seriously? Give me a… -
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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Hell hath no fury like a pre-schooler scorned
20 Nov 2009 | 10:52 pmIt starts out with a quick, jerking up of the head - as if she’s still not sure she heard you correctly and wants to verify that you did, indeed, dare to utter words she does not agree with. This is almost instantaneously followed by a narrowing of the eyes and a wrinkling of the nose that clearly indicates displeasure and, if one did not know better, that lasers will soon shoot out of her eyes and pierce your skull, shattering your illusions of a sweet, innocent child. If we are lucky, this is followed by a little “Humph!” noise of displeasure and a stomping off to sulk in… -
It’s a good thing I lost over 15 pounds
18 Nov 2009 | 10:20 pmSo I had a bet. This bet, you may recall, was a six week bet with my friend Tania over at Chicky Chicky Baby to see who could lose the greatest percentage of weight. Forty-two days of starvation and painful exercise. And for approximately 37 of those days, I was kicking Tania’s butt. I was certain I was going to win. I knew that there was no way she could make up the ground that she’d need. After all, she’d only lost 8 pounds in 37 days. How could she possibly lose 3.5 pounds in five days? Not likely. Especially since she was ready to throw in the towel on day 37 because of… -
Free Anissa
17 Nov 2009 | 10:09 pmEarlier today, spurred by the recent discussion on Twitter about blogging for money and bloggers disclosing their income, I got a little fed up at the blogging community. I was longing for the day when blogging was purely about sharing a passion with whoever wanted to read it. I was longing for the day when making a simple connection with another blogger who happened to live in another part of the country, or even world, was cause for joy. I was longing for the time when blogging was simply about creating community and supporting each other in our common crusades. And then, out of the… -
Helping out Disney with their Princess Dilemma
9 Nov 2009 | 11:05 pmIn our home, Princesses are a big deal. We’ve got Ariel and Aurora. Belle and Cinderella. A little bit of Jasmine. (Not really a Mulan or Pocahontas as Disney doesn’t seem to push the Princesses of Color as much - I’ve got some thoughts on that, but that’s another post.) Disney is making another Princess movie, The Princess and the Frog (little known fact, I was briefly considered for the role of the The Frog, but I wasn’t the right shade of green), and I’m starting to wonder what other Princess stories they can come up with to continue to cash in on… -
Way less than 6 degrees of separation
5 Nov 2009 | 10:41 pmThe year was 1993 and it was a beautiful spring day in New York City. Cherry trees were in blossom, snow was long gone, and the melodic sounds of birds chirping mixed nicely with the bellowing horns of cabs and the occasional “Fuck You AND your mother!” emanating from the bustling streets of the City. On this particular day, a Sunday, yours truly and his family are celebrating an amazing milestone. My graduation from college. At a couple of different times in my four years at Columbia, I feared I wouldn’t finish. But there I was, diploma in hand, with a very proud mother who…
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DadThing.com - A Dad Blog
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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… -
Freeing Up Some Space…
14 Nov 2009 | 8:11 pmSo many times I take pictures and forget I even took them. I downloaded all of the pictures off of my digital camera and realized that I completely forgot to write about the awesome time we had on a mini vacation in September! The whole goal of this mini vacation was to get out of Dodge for the weekend, and go down to see the leaves changing along the Ohio river. There were a few other festivals that we were planing on attending as well. So, we loaded up the truck, and we moved to Beverly….not really…but we did go to the hills. Not the Hollywood Hills, but the hills of… -
All Is Clear On The Home Front…
12 Nov 2009 | 10:06 amSome of you might have noticed that DadThing was labeled an Attack Site…again… a few hours last night. I quickly backed up the site and wiped it clean….reloaded a fresh new install or WordPress…using my old theme…and now Google says my site is no longer an attack site…thank goodness! The last time this happened I went through everything…and deleted a ton of extraneous stuff from the site that had compiled over the past few years…and a few weeks later, the site is “bad” again. WTH? My only inclination of what could possibly be… -
Our Yearly Photo Shoot With Lotz Studios!
11 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pmRemember a few weeks back…I told you I was excited to go get our yearly pictures done? Every year since ace was born we have called up Lotz Photography, here in Columbus, and they do an amazing job of capturing Ace’s personality… They have posted some of the pictures from this years photo shoot on their blog: http://www.lotzstudios.net/blog/hoylman-family/ I just got the rest of the pictures today (125 pictures total!), so I’ll write up a post about our experience, and post a few more pictures in the very near future. Stay tuned! …and while you are at… -
Dad, Here Is The Problem…
10 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm
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DIYFATHER
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Projects for dads: photo mosaics ... zoom in to Zumyn
19 Nov 2009 | 8:58 pmHere's another great gift idea for your child’s grandparents, god parents/guardians or perhaps even for yourself. Zumyn allows you to create a mosaic photo of your child using your entire collection of baby photos. The web site's photo upload tool compresses your pictures before uploading (saving you plenty of time), and the clever Zumyn software will then arrange your photos to represent any particular picture you choose. It's free to use, but you can pay for prints on photo paper or canvas if you like the results. read more -
One-minute DIY projects - Turkeys (part 1)
18 Nov 2009 | 7:15 pmYes, yes, yes - it's that time of the year again when Turkeys all around the US are feeling a bit anxious. Thanksgiving is just around the corner ... so use the spirit of the moment to enspire your kids with some homemade turkey (of a different kind). Basically all you need is a bunch of pipe cleaners and you're all set. Here are the instructions. Things you will need: 1 Pipe Cleaner, light brown 12" 3 Pipe Cleaner, dark brown 12" 5 Pipe Cleaner, any color 6" * Scissors * Pencil * Googly Eyes Step by step: 1) Take a single dark brown pipe cleaner and twirl it around the pencil, then slide it… -
A Dad's Point of View - Stuck Between My Wife and the Kids
17 Nov 2009 | 11:52 pmIn every marriage, spouses face an inevitable choice between their children and their spouse. It is a classic dilemma that confronts every couple and one that is inescapable and difficult. It is especially true in second marriages, like mine. I have to admit, it is an ongoing issue in our home and one I’m trying to figure out with the right amount of love and respect shown towards everyone. Some therapists advise that the husband/wife should always come first. Others, like Dr. Laura, advise to always put the kids first. As with much of her advice, I think it’s too cut-and-dried and… -
Projects for dad: a photo a day
16 Nov 2009 | 11:49 amHere's a nice little project you can do to impress you partner and family. Take a photo of your pregnant woman or newborn baby every day ... do it in a way that you can sequence all the photos to create a time lapse video clip. Check this out: And of course here's the mother of all time lapse videos from the guy who started it all on YouTube: read more -
Battle Scars
15 Nov 2009 | 11:57 pmI am divorcing and my children are with me half of the time (seven out of fourteen days, to be exact). Remaining a parent, under these conditions, makes our telephone conversations like the fruit that gets pressed on the spike to make juice. If I squeeze it hard enough, I will get the sweetest, largest drink. With every question, every detail, I squeeze and twist harder. So, hearing their stories gives me this tell-able past. It's a past that I cannot have but can at least hear told, so I cling to their stories. I spoke with my children tonight on the telephone, and it reminded me of how each…
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Doodaddy
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Girl Fight!
19 Nov 2009 | 3:59 pmI was secretly glad the shop ladies were arguing. Not because I’m one of those freaks who likes to watch conflict; in fact, I usually go out of my way to avoid it. But today we were in a cute store with piles of kid clothes and toys, the kind of store known in our family as the “batshit-crazy-maker.” Fern likes stores, you see. And catalogs and Internet shops, too, but those are easier to sidestep. “Daddy, I really like this $90 leather-fringed sweater that would make me look like a preschool ho!” My devil-may-care response: “OK, fold down the page.” Can’t do that in a store,… -
The Shrieking Game
10 Nov 2009 | 9:34 amThe game would still be deafening if I had girls who loathed each other. Except instead of screaming at each other, Fern and Claudia scream with each other. It’s a fine distinction. Claudia adores her sister. And Fern likes having another doll, one that has all the talking, cooing, pooping features you could ever want. So the sisters come together in the Shrieking Game. Claudia starts: she thinks something Fern has done is so incredibly funny that her usual laugh turns into a bit of a howl. Then Fern builds that into a real screech, so Claudia has to outdo her — well, you see where… -
Tomorrow Cometh
3 Nov 2009 | 9:23 amI saw the future yesterday, and it was this: Share care. The friends down the block came over for an hour because mom had a quick school meeting. And there was no (well, not very much) drama. The kids are getting older — mine’s a solid three-and-a-halfer, the neighbors are 3 and 5. So sure, there’s snatching and hoarding (the long-suffering 5-year old has pretty much given up: if her brother wants something, she just hands it over wordlessly). But mostly it was eeeeeasy. Last year, same kids, I would have been running around, inventing activities and smashing allegiances (what is it… -
My Three Fridas
29 Oct 2009 | 10:56 amThe mystery of the Halloween costume is revealed: Fern (and Claudia, and my wife) are all dressing as Frida Kahlo. And before you ask (what everyone asks) whether “we” adults decided on that costume for her, let me just assure you that’s not the case: it was all her idea. Fern’s a nut for Frida and pretty much has always been. Now if she can just convince her friends (as she’s convinced) that Frida is one of the Disney princesses, we’ll be set. -
Weird Science
28 Oct 2009 | 2:02 pmMinor inferno at lunchtime today. It was completely my fault — I lost track of the time and Fern hadn’t eaten in three hours. She was running on empty, and beside herself, screaming something about not wanting to wear the dress that she really wanted to wear that she couldn’t wear. I tried logic, I tried bribery, I tried getting mad. I knew I needed to get food down her throat before she’d be happy. So I resorted to the ultimate tabletop distraction. “Fern. Do you want to mix vinegar and baking soda?” That bought me at least a break in the tantrum while she considered. “And…
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ED UNLOADED - Daddy Blogger who discovers Parenting
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Announcement: Launch of Edunloaded.com
19 Nov 2009 | 12:43 amDear Readers: I have just started migrating my site, and I will no longer be using: Edunloaded.blogspot.com I am still doing some minor renovations on my new site, but I will be launching it officially from now onwards. The new site is; http://edunloaded.com Do update your browser and bookmarks Thanks and do do let me know if u have any problems with the site as well. Tks -
Cityview Hotel Hong Kong
17 Nov 2009 | 8:38 amWe’re back from a really good but tiring trip!! One of the highlights of this trip was the hotel we stayed in! Presenting to you—Cityview Hotel! It was SOOOO easy to get to the hotel. From the airport, we took the Airport Express to Kowloon Station. We heard that even the locals take this express train… makes you wonder how cab drivers earn their airport dollar! At Kowloon, look for the Airport Express Shuttle Bus K5. This bus which comes every 15 min, is FREE and it sends you straight to Cityview Hotel! Btw, we saw our first interesting signage on the bus: It seems that you can’t… -
Family Fun Vacation
12 Nov 2009 | 5:21 pmWe are flying off to Hong Kong today and we are so excited! Mummy is a bit worried as it is the first trip off, and she is worried whether if they can sit through the 3.5 hour flight. She is worried if she has brought enough milk…enough diapers…enough clothes! Btw, Nathan needs 5 diapers a day (Daddy thought 2 diapers is enough – 1 in the morning, and 1 in the night). That is about 1 dollar/day for diapers. Sigh…Going on a trip used to be so easy…I just used to chuck everything into the bag, and I was off! In fact, the way I pack my bags – makes me feel so garung!!! Like Rambo!!! -
Halloween Holiday
11 Nov 2009 | 8:21 amIn one of my recent posts, I talked about Halloween and the party that we had on that day. A reader asked whether if Christians can or should celebrate Halloween. This topic is of course closely link to topics like Harry Porter and Sun’s Music. In fact, Christianity Today (A mainstream Evangelical Magazine) also gives it’s views on Harry Porter and Halloween. Focus on the family has an article about it as well. The issue of Christians and Halloween is a much debated topic in the States, and if you do a search on google, u will find people on both sides of the fence. With Halloween parties… -
Mcdonald’s Monopoly
9 Nov 2009 | 12:36 amEveryone I know seems to be going crazy over the Monopoly Singapore game! In fact, as of the last 2-3 weeks, I have been eating Mc Donald’s more than usual….and of course the kids are definitely not protesting! Friends have been twittering that they are going to Mc-vomit very soon! :) There are people even proclaiming on Facebook about the properties which they need! Seriously, if I had Sentosa Cove or Orchard Road, would I offer it to anybody? I certainly don’t think so! Btw, I think this has been their most successful advertising campaign since the days of Hello Kitty. Remember those…
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First Time Dad
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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…
17 Nov 2009 | 11:39 pmWell I’m not talking about my blog but the malls. (I love going aroud to all the malls at Christmas to see how well they've decorated.) Everywhere you go you see Christmas trees springing up and hear the sounds of carols playing. Does anyone know why they are called Christmas Carols? If you do, please let me know before I google it…I never really wondered that until just now…why not Christmas Sues or Christmas Marys…why Christmas Carols? LOLTo me Christmas is the most wonderful time of year. At home we’ve already started on decorating the Christmas tree…I had an idea for the… -
The Concert
8 Nov 2009 | 8:05 pmFrom the title you’re probably thinking about Beyonce or something bootylicious, right? Nah, nothing so fancy but it was to me, just as exciting and entertaining. The performers were none other than my little girl’s pre-school students.I must say that I was not really expecting much since the last time I went to a kiddie concert was close to 17 years ago when my twin nephews had their first concert. I must say that times have changed…for the better. No to take away anything from their performances but it was more so the sophistication of the teachers and performances that they… -
Hello Dolly!!
13 Oct 2009 | 9:28 pmI want Emila’s cute handmade dolly because I secretly like playing with Dollies…wait that didn’t sound right. Seriously, I’d like to win it for my dear little daughter to love and cherish. She’s at that age where she hugs her favorite dollies to sleep every night. Audience cue ... Awwww (word count 50)Happy Birthday Emila –you’re really an extraordinarily gifted person who loves giving. May you have many happy and healthy years of success in all your endeavors. -
Malaysian Safari?
28 Aug 2009 | 3:37 pmRecently I posted about a trip to Bangkok and the fun time we had at the Bangkok Safari...well this has got nothing to do with it! LOL Last month the family went for a little restaurant hopping to celebrate our wedding anniversary and my birthday, which is only a day apart.No this is the first ime we've done this but I was pretty down then and wanted to just celebrate. hehehe A moment of peace...On the day eve of my birthday we went to Tony Roma's of course...my favourite joint (which reminds me that I haven't been there in a week because of that blasted flu). I'm not going to elobrate cause… -
Green Jeans
25 Aug 2009 | 10:25 pmMy good friend and fellow Genie Marzie is having another one of her fab contests over at her Mariuca's Perfume Gallery blog. This time it's in conjunction of her upcoming birthday and the prize is a mini Green Jean's Mens Perfume. I rememeber having a bottle of baby Blue Jeans a long long long time ago and I think I still have the can it came in somewhere around the house. Winning this Green Jeans perfume will bring back some memories considering the fact that wifey did own an awesome pair of green jeans before...er the denim kind that is heheOne of the rules of the contest is that I have to…
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Ransom Note Typography
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Move Your Home Folder Off Your SSD Boot Drive in OS X
6 Nov 2009 | 9:49 amSSD (Solid State Drives) are the future, kids. They are insanely fast, have no mechanical parts to wear out and run cooler than their platter based counterparts. The main problem with SSDs right now is that in order to get a decently sized drive, you have to sell off one or two of your kids just to pay for it. As of this second, the cheapest 256GB SSD at NewEgg is hovering at around $600. Ouch. Something in the “reasonable” price arena of less than $200 will only fetch you a 64GB drive. Plenty of room for the OS and a load of useful applications, but not a lot of wiggle room for… -
My Wise Investment
23 Oct 2009 | 3:49 pmMy Wise Investment Yesterday, one of my many fake Internet friends (Scott Simpson) made an offer on a house: Being the helpful (and shrewd) sort of person I am, I leapt into action. I sent him $2 via PayPal. Scott wrote back to thank me: You are a true friend. This just might put us over the top. Best. Paypal. Gag. Ever. But, like so many things in Scott’s life, he’s wrong about this. I wasn’t making a joke. There’s no gag here. I’m making an investment. Even in this freaky market, real estate is still a solid long term investment strategy. I whipped out my… -
Fish in the Sea
20 Apr 2009 | 3:59 pmThis is a bit from the “cutting room floor.” I wrote this, thinking I’d be able to squeeze it in to my novel thing-y somehow, but I just don’t think it’s going to work with my main character. So, yeah, I’m shoveling it out to my blog. It’s either this or a picture of me in a one of my new hats. You’re welcome. “Hey, buck up little camper! There are plenty of other fish in the sea.” “Oh, excellent, I pour out my soul and you shoot back a clichéd platitude.” “Yes, but just because it’s a cliché doesn’t make it untrue.” “Let me… -
Birdhouse Review, For Reals
13 Apr 2009 | 6:46 pmMy, my, those crazy kids over at Sandwich Dynamics have come a long way from the interesting beta I reviewed a couple months ago. My “official” review hasn’t posted on the iTunes App Store quite yet, but this is it, in case the powers that be at the Apple mother-ship end up rejecting my precious words: One Thing One of the reasons I really like this app is that is sets out to do ONE thing and do it well. Birdhouse is for WRITING and EDITING individual twitter posts before you send them out into the cold, cruel world. It does this with aplomb and with a minimum of muss and… -
New Glasses!
12 Mar 2009 | 9:59 pmNew Glasses!, originally uploaded by zuhl. I got new glasses last weekend. They’re growing on me. Which is actually kind of uncomfortable. You ever had a pair of glasses grow into your face? Painful.
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Daddy Brain
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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 [...] -
Self-Publishing: An Interview with Peter Bowerman, Part 3
22 Oct 2009 | 11:00 pmWelcome to the conclusion of my interview with Peter Bowerman. If you missed them, Part 1 overviewed two of Peter’s books, while Part 2 began our Q & A about self-publishing. Peter is an award-wining author, veteran commercial freelancer and business coach. His books are informative and a joy to read. We pick up here on the topic of self-publishing… You [...] -
Self-Publishing: An Interview with Peter Bowerman, Part 2
22 Oct 2009 | 2:55 pmPeter Bowerman is an award-wining author, veteran commercial freelancer and business coach. He’s written two of my favorite books, which remarkably are not about being a dad! Peter’s books are about making a living by writing: specifically freelance copywriting (The Well-Fed Writer), and self-publishing (The Well-Fed Self Publisher). Part 1 of this series overviewed both books. [...]
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Wired: GeekDad
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Get Yourself a Ticket To Ride
20 Nov 2009 | 6:30 amTicket To Ride (image:designer-notes.com) We’ve had some great feedback for our family anecdotal video game reviews on Game People. So this week we’ve been trying our hand at reviewing board games in the same way. Rather than rating them, we want to inform and tell stories about what happened when our families spent an afternoon together playing a particular game. The first game on our list was the excellent Ticket to Ride. Here’s what we made of it… It’s Sunday afternoon, and we have managed to all sit around the table together and play the Ticket to Ride board… -
GeekDad Puzzle of the Week: The Holiday Sale - Solution
20 Nov 2009 | 6:00 amCan you help Harvey’s Department Store plan their annual holiday sale? Quickly recognizing the known pattern of “Christmas Creep”, Matt S. correctly deduced the sale date of October 25th, 2009 and gets a holiday gift of his own, a $50 gift certificate from ThinkGeek! Congrats! Puzzle Every year, Harvey’s Department Store holds a holiday sale. Every year, based on marketing trends, they start the sale earlier and earlier. They have been running the sale since 1985 when they started the sale on the day after Thanksgiving. Since then, every year that they saw an increase in… -
Fantasy Art Has Arrived: Frazetta Conan Cover Sells for a Million Dollars
20 Nov 2009 | 5:30 amImage by Frank Frazetta You know that unicorn & dragon original you picked up at the fantasy convention? Don’t throw it away, it might be worth a million bucks some day. Grand Master Frank Frazetta’s cover painting for the Lancer paperback, Conan the Conqueror by Robert E. Howard, sold this week to a private collector for a reported $1,000,000. The previous record price for a Frazetta painting was the $251,000 All Star Auctions fetched for the cover to Escape on Venus by Edgar Rice Burroughs in 2008. There has always been something of a mystique surrounding Frazetta’s… -
10 Geeky Things to Be Thankful For
20 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amPhoto by Steve Voght; used under CC license. Next Thursday is, of course, Thanksgiving Day in the United States. While we celebrate the holiday with our families, along with turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie (or whatever traditions you may have), many of us like to think of all the good things in our lives for which we’re thankful. No matter how rough things are for you, you almost surely have some things in your life that make you feel lucky. Whether or not you believe in a deity or deities to whom to give thanks for the good things in your life, it can be good to take a little time out… -
Toronto’s Historic Sites Free For Kids This Saturday
20 Nov 2009 | 4:30 amJust a quick note to let readers in the Toronto, Ontario area know that the city is offering free admission for kids 12 and under to the city’s numerous historic sites. This includes Fort York, Gibson House, Spadina Museum and Colborne Lodge (details here). The freebie is in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. If you’re in Toronto and looking for something to do with the kids on Saturday, it never hurts to check out your history.
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GreatDad.com
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Santa Buddies DVD and Plush Giveaway
16 Nov 2009 | 12:53 amDisney’s irresistible talking pups are back in SANTA BUDDIES: THE LEGEND OF SANTA PAWS, a heartwarming, all-new holiday adventure coming to Blu-ray combo pack and DVD. -
How to reconnect with your college student during the holidays
10 Nov 2009 | 11:58 pmMy son rolls up in our driveway and bounces out to hug his mom. In the first five minutes of my son’s return I am full of competing emotions and questions. -
The Holidays Are Here…Really!
5 Nov 2009 | 12:11 amTis the season to be shopping, or at least having your kids make their lists. How long should their lists be? That’s the first thing that needs addressing. -
How dads can help with breastfeeding
4 Nov 2009 | 12:29 amAt first glance breastfeeding may seem a woman’s domain, but a supportive father is incredibly important.Here are a few tips for dads who are anxious to get in the game -
Five minutes with Klay Hall and Sean Lurie
4 Nov 2009 | 12:09 amDirector Klay Hall and Producer Sean Lurie have worked on several children’s films. They talk about their experiences.
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HeirApparent
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“Alas, Chilly Willy, I knew him well…”
4 Nov 2009 | 5:43 am -
The Great (Carved) Pumpkin
30 Oct 2009 | 4:00 am‘Tis the season of poorly constructed 300 thread count ghosts and cheap plastic goblin masks, of thoughtless overindulgence of candy corn and gummi worms, and of course, the creepy but warming orange glow of hundreds of hollowed gourds. Yes, it’s Halloween again, one of the more unique American holidays, a day filled with as intricate preparations and celebrations as any other non-governmental holiday warrants. In our particular case, this has included several previously documented trips to the pumpkin patch, a recent Mom’s group playdate of which I am only privy to a… -
“Well, this isn’t very exc…WHOA.”
28 Oct 2009 | 4:00 am -
Live and Let Diaper Vest
25 Oct 2009 | 4:00 amThis is a repost of my column on Dad Blogs, Armed And Fatherly, copied here as part of an ongoing effort to archive my various musings that biographers and/or Presidential librarians will probably someday want easy access to. This happens to be one of my favorites, and originally was posted June 7, 2009. Rain drizzled silently around him as he crouched outside the compound, weighing his options. He reached inside his DadGear Diaper Vest and pulled his smart phone out of the built-in cell pocket and studied the floor plans again. His mission was to get in, get the package, and get out… -
A Pile of Leaves (or Lies?)
22 Oct 2009 | 4:00 amAfter happily spending an afternoon amassing a pile of colorfully crackling dead leaves in our backyard, I watched with unabashed delight as my darling daughter ambled into view. She spotted the newly built bed of fall fun, and with her eyes wide with excitement, stumbled happily in its general direction and Fosbury-flopped into it, her face painted with smiles and the crisp autumn air pierced with her unbrided laughs of delight. My wife and I stood by, camera in hand, capturing every moment of this amazing time in our family. At least that’s how I like to recount the tale. In…
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gamingwithbaby.com | all your diapers are belong to us
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Rough year for Charger hockey...
20 Nov 2009 | 7:46 pmBut at least our fans are into it. If you're reading this via RSS feed, you never know what could be missing on gamingwithbaby.com. -
Because hospital baby pictures suck
6 Nov 2009 | 11:20 amDot, one month old. If you're reading this via RSS feed, you never know what could be missing on gamingwithbaby.com. -
My children. Their songs.
7 Oct 2009 | 7:54 pmThere is a power in music. It moves us. Inspires us. Empowers us. I lack the talent to express myself musically, as much as I want to. For no other reason than music can express feeling that mere words often lack. With Mac, the song came after the end: Butters, the song was settled early on (I even made a lousy video with it): And now, with Dot, the song I keep coming back to: These words and melodies are from people far more talented than I, but what they express is but the tiniest sampling of the love I have for my children. These songs, they belong to them. If you're reading this via RSS… -
September
30 Sep 2009 | 4:58 pmJust something to pass along on this last day of the month. Enjoy. If you're reading this via RSS feed, you never know what could be missing on gamingwithbaby.com. -
History repeats itself
18 Sep 2009 | 9:53 pmIn the final days of September 1976, a Californian (by way of Colorado) found herself traveling fifteen miles of blacktop to a hospital in north central Alabama. All the signs were there, the pain, the pressure, and that sixth sense that women develop in the waning days of pregnancy was screaming, "this is it." Confidently she told the mother of her husband, who at that very moment was thousands of miles away from his still new bride, that it was time to go. And so they raced to that pillar of hope, anxious and excited at what the coming moments would welcome. Together the woman from…
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spain dad, a baby blog
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Teo's 1st Bath
19 Nov 2009 | 7:43 amAs a form of self redemption, I post this video of me giving Teo his first bath. Some of my oldest blog readers will remember how painful it was to watch me as a new dad give Alleke her first bath back in 2006. Well, if you're willing to give me a second chance, watch the video below...Alleke thought Teo's bath looked like fun, so she took a bath too.Rewind back to 2006 and watch me as a new dad give Alleke her first bath... -
Teo photos
18 Nov 2009 | 11:51 amWatch slideshow fullscreen... -
Alleke, Meet Teo
17 Nov 2009 | 11:00 pmAlleke meets her baby brother for the first time.Alleke, Meet Teo from Kelly Crull on Vimeo. -
More photos on the way tomorrow...
16 Nov 2009 | 2:24 pmUpdate: Wednesday, 8:03amClick here to see photos of Teo as I upload them... -
It's a BOY!
16 Nov 2009 | 12:03 pmSATURDAY6pm we went for a walk8:45pm we called the midwife10:20pm we called the midwife again10:30pm we left for the hospital11:10pm we checked into the hospitalSUNDAY12:00am April labored on a yoga ball12:30 April moved to the bathtub for a water birth1:35am Teo was born11:20am Alleke met her baby brother6:00pm we arrived home with Teo
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Zoe's Dad
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New Post--But Not Here.
16 Nov 2009 | 8:57 amJust in case you've not had the chance to update.....there's a new post at Little m Long a.That's the Guy Who Sings in Tarzan!As always--thanks for reading. -
Ed's Not Here--So Why Are You?
5 Nov 2009 | 7:07 amThere's a new post at Little m Long a. Just thought I'd leave a little note here for those of you who may not have had a chance to update the ways in which you follow the Life of Ed.You can check it out by following this link: I Think I'm Gonna Take a Personal Day. As always, thanks for stopping by. -
What Have You Done, Ray?
2 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amI read somewhere recently that the fastest way to kill a blog was to take a break. And while I certainly believe this to be an effective method having recently benefited from a short respite myself, I've done the adage one better.Change the name of your blog completely. In fact, change the name of the blog and move to a different blogging platform. It's the blogging equivalent of hari kari. Though I read what is actually involved in hari kari and this is not quite as disgusting. In the purest form, not only do you get to disembowel yourself but a buddy then gets… -
Toasts, Warm Wishes and a Collective Sigh of Relief
27 Oct 2009 | 9:32 pmA toast is in order.Celebration seems hardly an appropriate descriptor yet few other words feel adequate. We spent the past weekend celebrating the marriage of my wife's younger sister. She and her husband, my new brother-in-law (I've been calling him that for years) were married this past Saturday.The entire celebration was warm, genuine and truly unique, a testament to both of their personalities. And in a classic twist, the bride and groom were able to transfer any wedding apprehensions, tensions or nervousness completely away from them and directly onto those of us… -
Ball-DA-chee (I Think It's Italian for Best Seller)
27 Oct 2009 | 2:28 amDavid Baldacci has written 17 consecutive New York Times Best Sellers. He has sold books in over 80 countries in 45 languages with upwards of 90 million copies of his works currently in print. This once lawyer from Virginia turned murder/mystery novelist is a machine!David Baldacci sells books. Great books. Books filled with pages. Pages of suspense and mystery. His characters draw you in and leave you wanting more. Some less. So why, you may be asking yourselves, would David Baldacci need a lowly blogger such as myself singing praises for his newest…
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Tales From The Dad Side
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The SFSG Journals, Volume Two
20 Nov 2009 | 3:15 amSuperman's Dead - Our Lady PeaceA couple of weeks ago I posted pages from a journal I kept in the fall of 1997 (three years before meeting MTM, when I was SciFi Single Guy - or SFSG - living in Montreal). I thought I'd try posting some more of it.What follows are the remaining pages (six and a half!) from that first night. (Dude, was I prolific or what? Eleven and a half pages in one night!) I strongly encourage you to read the previous post first, as I mention people from there in this segment.Click each image to open in a new window. In most browsers, if you click the image (in a new… -
Language Comprehension, Revisited
19 Nov 2009 | 3:15 amListen - Toad The Wet SprocketBuddy is just over a year (he's 13.5 months, technically), and the list of words that he says is constantly changing. There's nothing too remarkable in the list: Dadda, Mumma, daw (dog), dow (down), baff (bath), ear-piercing, blood curdling screams (I'm hungry, or thirsty, or pissed off about the world's injustices to me).What is remarkable, at least to me, is his comprehension. In my earliest blogging days, I wrote about this with Munchkin, who was 15 months at the time (yes, I reposted it this past summer too). Buddy is definitely his sister's brother.All MTM… -
Side Effect
18 Nov 2009 | 3:15 amBreaking The Habit - Linkin ParkWhen MTM and I discussed having children, one of the decisions we made was that she would be a SAHM. We did this because both of us were raised by SAHM, at least for the first years, and we felt it was good for our kids to have a parent at home with them too. The decision to have her stay home instead of me was a financial one. My income was greater, and would therefore offer us more financial security. One of the benefits of the arrangement was that MTM was not only a JK/SK teacher, but also had her degree in Child Studies, making her far more prepared for… -
Rocking To Music
17 Nov 2009 | 3:15 amCan't Buy Me Love - The BeatlesI was five years old, probably wandering into the kitchen out of boredom, when I heard something coming from the basement. I descended the stairs and found the door to our rec room partially closed, so I pushed it open. My older sister, 16 at the time, stood in front of our stereo dancing to The Beatles' The Red Album. I walked across the thin orange and brown carpet and sat in the broken orange velour rocking chair that had springs that dug into my back (that my father insisted he liked "for a massage" and therefore refused to throw it out when my mother… -
Retraction
16 Nov 2009 | 10:07 amToday's post has been removed. Just because this is a complete feed does not mean you cannot click through and comment. Lurkers make babies cry.
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Our Family of 4
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November
1 Nov 2009 | 4:09 amThere are a lot of things that come to mind when I think of November, my birthday, Jackson's birthday, Thanksgiving, the hope of snow, to name a few. November means something else to 3 MILLION Americans, Epilepsy Awareness Month. Just a few years ago, we never gave second thought to seizures or epilepsy. Sure, I knew a few people that had Epilepsy, but I didn't think much of it. Then came Kade. Kade was a great baby, with few issues. We noticed that he was having a hard time holding his head up on his own, but we were giving him time. We started asking his Dr about therapy to help gain some… -
Kade's Krewe
30 Oct 2009 | 9:01 pmWe will be participating in the Epilepsy Awareness Walk 2009. It is going to be held Dec 05, 2009 at Crestwood Mall. Please feel free to donate by clicking the donate button to the right. If you would like to walk with us just let me know.josh -
Fun at the Cards Game
7 May 2009 | 6:09 pmWe were able to go to the cardinals game Monday night. It was so much fun. We got everyone to go with us. Josh's parents and my parents got to go along with us. We got the all inclusive box seats. It was really nice! The food was good and there were tables we could keep Kade at the entire game. Jackson was able to run in and out and not bother too many people!! We all had a really good time!Kade has some exciting news.... he is now eating all real food! That is right no more baby food! He is enjoying the new flavors. He still has his sweet tooth though! He has taken a real liking to yogurt… -
We are still alive!!
14 Apr 2009 | 6:16 pmIt has been quite some time since we have posted anything on here. SORRY!!! We have all been very busy! Jackson is as crazy as ever! Whoever said terrible 2s were bad, hasn't met Jackson at 3 years old. He has sooo much energy! He is now playing soccer (by playing, I mean crying the whole time for now apparent reason while his team mates run around after the ball.) We are hoping this will get better as the weeks go on.Kade is doing well also. His seizures are still continuing, some days less than others. He is making slow progress with his physical therapy. He has lifted his head a few times… -
Happy Birthday Kade
9 Feb 2009 | 5:05 amSaturday was Kade's 1rst Birthday. We had scheduled a party for him on Sunday afternoon. Everything was going according to plan until 4am Sunday morning, Jackson woke up puking. We called everyone later in the morning warning of the sickness. We ended up just having family and celebrating. Kade really enjoyed the cake icing, and loved the balloons. He got cloths, a few toys, and some new stuffed animals.
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Amanamongmommies
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Monday Morning Weigh In
16 Nov 2009 | 7:03 amDaily Picture: Gandalf the Goofy Border Collie My youngest furry child “Gandalf” has become a very good, all be it goofy dog. The night before last I went outside with him and our little dog and he tore off through the yard. The older little dog look at him like WTF? As I looked it was a rabbit and he was right on it. If he had taken the last turn tighter he woul have had it… WOW is he fast! Monday Morning Weigh In… 1st Weigh in 10/22/09 – 278.2 2nd Weigh in 11/02/09 – 271.2 (7 lb loss, week and a half) 3rd Weigh in 11/09/09 - 267.6 (3.6 lb loss, 10.6… -
Parenting while still being a Video Gamer
10 Nov 2009 | 10:13 amAs a long time video game player my ideas and thoughts about video games sometimes seem to contradict my thoughts and views of video games as a parent. Video games have always been an important part of my life, but as I get older and my children are getting older I have to really focus on a good balance for them as well as me. For me my video game time is really only after the kids and wife are in bed. My oldest is now 9 and is really getting into the whole video game thing, but we have to be extra careful on time and of course titles. Most of his video game time is limited to the… -
Pancakes and Monday Weigh In…
9 Nov 2009 | 12:49 pmDaily Picture: The Pancakes! The Pancakes! For a long while now every Sunday morning I make Pancakes and of course the boys prefer them with Chocolate Chips. (I can’t stand them with choclate chips, too sweet) During the week they like to have them for breakfast as well, but I can’t make fresh pancakes daily. So I make a GIANT batch of chocolate chip pancakes and freeze the extras. The cost to make them like this is pennies vs the frozen store bought garbage. My 5yo is especially happy about this considering he eats them just bout EVERY morning. This is not a problem for… -
Two Days Off for the Kids
3 Nov 2009 | 7:58 pmPictures: Halloween Revisited. My Little Fireman… The Ninja Assassin Good For Nothing Packer Fan… The kids had a good time all be it VERY COLD TIME! The little guy loved his hat and was wearing the costume for hours after trick or treating. My oldest of course had to be a Packer Football player. Might have to leave him out of the will (LOL) The kids actually only trick or treated for about an hour and they were happy to be done. It was so cold they had no desire to stay out. November is National Adoption Month I added a little tag to the upper right hand part of my blog… -
November is Here…Really?
2 Nov 2009 | 7:58 pmPicture: Sitting with Stuffies… The little guy loves to pile up his stuffies up on the couch with him. There has even been times when he has piled so many you could hardly see him. It remids me of the scene in ET when he is in the closet. November is Here… Really? I am having a hard time with November being here already. Where did all the time go? It seems like just yesterday we were getting ready for summer. Sometimes time goes too slow and other times way too fast. Thanksgiving is around the corner, then Christmas and then the little guy turns TWO! Wow! Weight Loss…
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A Family Runs Through It
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The Disneyland Flu
20 Nov 2009 | 12:48 amI'm still processing our recent trip to Disneyland and Southern California, both mentally and photographically.Thank goodness for those photos, because a big chunk of our vacation feels like a hazy memory right now.I blame the media.I had planned this trip a year ago, and saved up for it even longer, but in the months and weeks leading up to our departure it started to feel like there was a conspiracy to stress me out with scary news stories about swine flu.It sounded almost inevitable that our trip would be ruined somehow, either on the plane surrounded by coughing passengers, or in the park… -
Are You Smarter Than A 2nd Grader?
17 Nov 2009 | 11:58 pmSix months later, I'm finally posting that test I made last May to wrap up my daughter's homeschooling year.It's an assortment of 50 questions from most of the topics she studied.Sample questions:What is the past tense of the verb "are"?Who was the first King of the Franks?As I recall, my daughter missed 4 questions.See if you're smarter than a second grader:Idaho Dad's 2nd Grade Super Test Printable PDFAnd here are the answers:Idaho Dad's 2nd Grade Super Test ANSWERS Printable PDFAlso, don't forget to check out my previous Super Tests:Are You Smarter Than A 4th Grader?Are You Smarter Than A… -
True Blue Giveaway
15 Nov 2009 | 5:12 pmI must confess that I had never read any David Baldacci before his publisher sent me a copy of his new novel, True Blue.Oh, his name was familiar. Baldacci is a best-selling writer of mostly political and legal thrillers. I'd seen the Clint Eastwood movie, Absolute Power, based on Baldacci's first novel.Whenever I start a new novel, it's almost always slow going at first as I become familiar with the characters and setting. Not so with True Blue. It hooked me right from the beginning with a blindside murder that had me quickly turning pages.The twists and turns in this story come fast and… -
Vacation and Voting
13 Nov 2009 | 2:09 amThis past week we've been on a little family vacation to sunny Southern California.We went to Disneyland, California Adventure, Knott's Berry Farm, Universal Studios, and the San Diego Zoo.Okay, so maybe that's not a "little" vacation.Certainly not with 1,458 photos to sort through. I guess I'm going to be busy cropping and editing for awhile.While we were gone, somebody nominated my blog for a 2009 Homeschool Blog Award, as "Best Homeschool Dad."If you'd like to vote for me, just click on over to the Best Homeschool Dad Blog page and select A Family Runs Through It.Thanks!In the meantime,… -
Circle Time
9 Nov 2009 | 3:03 amAnother post I found in my archives. From four years ago:My 4-year-old daughter was running around and around the kitchen island while I was cooking dinner tonight. After the tenth circle, I reached out and grabbed her, lifted her high and asked, "What in the world are you doing?!"She replied in an exasperated tone: "I'm exercising... Put me down, you're making me fat!"
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I have to wipe his what?
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I’m not cut out for this shit
17 Nov 2009 | 11:04 pmI’m not cut out for this shitGirl Scouts were tossing out sales pitches to gullible customers as we excited Sam’s club. Behind the stacks of cookies sat two of the scouts’ mothers collecting the money and no doubt gossiping amongst themselves about the other girls moms that weren’t there. In an instant, recollections of my future as a father to a little girl flashed across my cerebrum. -
In Which Some Old Crusty Hag Mistook Me For Someone Called Mr Mom
13 Nov 2009 | 12:32 amIn Which Some Old Crusty Hag Mistook Me For Someone Called Mr Mom.Taking our seat in the large waiting room of my doctors office I stuck Mr Pants’ cup of juice in his mouth, flipped open his book and handed it to him, and unzipped his baggie of pretzels in hope of having a continuous and unhindered flow of paraphernalia to keep his mouth and hands occupied at all times, then I firmly -
In Which Pigs Can Fly
9 Nov 2009 | 11:02 pmIn Which Pigs Can FlyPigs are flying. Right through the air and into our noses, straight into the blood stream where they reprocreate and replenish their host with more flying Swine. So what’s next, human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria, you know, all that biblical shit. Except that merely a fraction of the swine infected people are dying compared to the regular -
Hot Dads Post Debut
3 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amHot Dads Post DebutMy first bonerfide Hot Dads post is up and ready to be scrutinized by the masses. I should let you know that it’s nearly as long as my psychology class essay at over 1,500 words. I would be doing my experiences an injustice if I were to cut them down to a mere few lines. Most of my posts are long, and I realize that may work against my blog. But I can’t bring myself -
Pregnancy Irrationalities
11 Oct 2009 | 11:04 pmPregnancy Irrationalities Lilly had become quite upset at me while standing at the checkout isle in the grocery store, for no apparent reason. Well, she had a reason, but it certainly didn’t warrant her tyrannical mental beating she bestowed upon me, the (near) innocent bystander. Perhaps I should have been a little more sensitive to her needs, but regardless, she went way overboard
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Joeprah - Stay at Home Dad on a Mission
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A Dad of Daughters on the Twilight Phenomenon
19 Nov 2009 | 7:49 pmOn the eve of New Moon (http://www.twilightthemovie.com/), I have been inspired to voice my opinion on the Twilight series as it pertains to a dad (a stay-at-home dad at that) raising three daughters. This post is one of a series of posts from other... Feeling teased? Want more? I thought so. Go to Joeprah.com and become complete. -
Something I have been wanting to do forever
17 Nov 2009 | 7:32 pmAs some of you may or may not know, I am nerd. I am a full-blown nerd. Not your average everyday guy who casually says he's a nerd just be ironic and cool--I am the real deal. I have started my own chess clubs--on multiple occasions. My heros... Feeling teased? Want more? I thought so. Go to Joeprah.com and become complete. -
Daddy, where's your vagina? Intro
16 Nov 2009 | 6:14 amFeeling teased? Want more? I thought so. Go to Joeprah.com and become complete. -
Tyra Show Update
12 Nov 2009 | 7:53 pmSo, a long awaited Tyra update. A lot of people have been asking what it was like? Two words—nerve racking. Not simple walking on stage and seeing the audience, not just waiting for hours in a green room—the entire experience. Tuesday before the... Feeling teased? Want more? I thought so. Go to Joeprah.com and become complete. -
Happy Halloween
31 Oct 2009 | 10:25 amHappy Halloween from our family to yours! Feeling teased? Want more? I thought so. Go to Joeprah.com and become complete.
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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 -
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 -
Family Night at the Zoo, The Boys' Birthday Party, Indiana @ Mary's, Preschool Teacher Visits,1st Backpack
31 Aug 2009 | 8:45 pmA recent weekend proved to be extremely busy and fun for Emma. The following is a summary..Friday was Family Night at the Brookfield Zoo was a good time despite the rain! Emma, and Melissa and I for that matter, were entertained by the lions who were actually playing! A benefit of going to the Zoo in the evening is that the animals are wide awake and very active. The lions looked like kittens
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all that comes with it
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A request for a signature
18 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pmValue added tax (or VAT) is a tax set by the UK government on the vast majority of purchases. It’s a bit like the American sales tax, apart from some subtle differences which I really don’t want to get into in case my brain implodes. VAT is currently set at 15%, but will be returning to its usual 17.5% in the new year (apparently the economy has now been saved). There are a number of items that are exempt from VAT however, these are things that the government considers essential such as food, children’s clothing, women’s sanitary products, and other non-luxuries. One… -
I’ve just been mugged
14 Nov 2009 | 1:24 pmRemember when I ranted about how much I dislike the horsey set? And here when I complained about the unstoppable and all pervasive Hannah Montana merchandising machine and it’s effect on my daughter? Well look what I just went out and spent thirty quid on: Thirty quid! For a couple of pieces of badly sculpted plastic!! You could get three hundred packets of Space Raiders for that amount! Or forty hours worth of parking in the Huddersfield bus station car park. Or even better – six Smokey and the Bandit 3 disk DVD box sets! (that’s my entire Christmas shopping sorted out… -
A Blog Recomendation
13 Nov 2009 | 1:37 amI read two types of blogs. The first type are blogs written by people that I like. These are bloggers with whom I feel I have developed (or am developing) a relationship. I am interested in what they say and the way that they say it. They comment on my blog, I comment on theirs. I tease them and call them names, and they tease me and call me names back. I read their stories about every day life with genuine interest and pleasure. And when I say “Congratulations!” or “You’re in my thoughts” I really mean it. They are my friends and are what keep me coming back to… -
Who’s idea was it to have chickens again?
10 Nov 2009 | 3:30 amI am man who likes to live life on the edge. I pick up and eat food I’ve dropped on the floor, I walk around with my shoelaces undone, and I even agree to go on hiking holidays with random weirdos I’ve met on the internet. If my middle name weren’t George, then you can bet your bottom dollar it’d be Danger. No wonder I’m idolized by millions. However my life of excitement and peril is sometimes my undoing. When tending to the chickens in the morning it’s become my habit to slip the eggs I collect into my pockets. This leaves my hands free to lock up the… -
Pies and Soup and Cakes oh my!
6 Nov 2009 | 3:49 amIt seems that the Halloween pumpkin Evan and I carved has somehow contracted Single Parent Dad’s hideous body wasting disease. I think it must have happened when we took it down to his house last week. I think I may even been able to pinpoint the exact moment of infection: Thankfully I’m not worried about the health of any of the Hughes family as the disease is only transferred from vegetable to vegetable. But this pumpkin is certainly rotting at quite an extraordinary rate, far faster than Amy’s one. Even renowned pumpkin expert Professor Beryl Chicken says it’s…
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Cynical Dad
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Because It's Never Too Early For Christmas Music
19 Nov 2009 | 9:15 pmHere's I Wish It Was Christmas Today by the frontman of The Strokes, Julian Casablancas:And yes, you've heard this tune somewhere else before. -
I Need My Own Man Cave
19 Nov 2009 | 12:49 pmWith both the Tar Heels and the Panthers on TV tonight, I need a home theater system with nine TVs (in case you're wondering what to get me for Christmas).Until then, I'll just have to keep dragging myself to the sports bar.Of course, I have to go to a sports bar if I want to watch the Panthers game because Time-Warner does not carry the NFL Network. And yes, I plan on bitching about this as much as possible. Just like last year!And for tonight's game, I'm going with Simmons: Panthers (-3).Without Ronnie Brown, the Dolphins have no Wild Cat.No Wild Cat, No Offense.No Offense, No Win. -
Yet Another Open Letter To My Daughter
18 Nov 2009 | 6:09 pmDear Zoey--You know we love you and would love to give you anything your little heart desires.Within reason.I don't quite understand why you want those stupid things. Maybe you're proud of your family? Maybe you're just in love with your name? I don't know.But we will never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever… -
Tweets Of The Week XV
17 Nov 2009 | 6:00 pmTen whole tweets this week. You guys are lucky, lucky devils!Wanted: Pretty woman who knows how to build an ark. Ability to work in a bikini a plus. Please send pictures with references. -- 11.11.09 What the hell is The Weather Channel doing playing Sublime during the local forecast? -- 11.11.09 When I took the kids to school today, we passed two large lakes that were not there yesterday. Go away, rain! -- 11.12.09 The Who? The hell? I'm tired of dinosaurs performing during the Super Bowl's halftime show. -- 11.12.09 Filed under things I wish I'd never seen: Rivers Cuomo and Travis Barker… -
When You Call Something "Untitled," Aren't You Titling It?
16 Nov 2009 | 6:37 pmWe're going to be spending the night at a Ronald McDonald House in a few weeks.I really hope we get to meet Grimace.
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Poop and Boogies
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Patio
20 Nov 2009 | 4:47 amLauren and I were married in the summer of 2002. We bought our first house that fall. The house was a fixer-upper (which when said has the same syllables and cadence as mother-f@%ker). Our first anniversary we decided that instead of doing something/getting gifts, we would build a brick paver-patio off the back of our house. We figured we would get years of use out of a patio, grilling and hosting parties and having fun that it would be worth giving up any type of vacation/anniversary gift. To keep costs down we decided we would do the work ourselves.The weekend before our… -
Believe
17 Nov 2009 | 12:39 pmI took Maxfield and Wyatt with me to the art center so I could attend a theater group meeting. Both kids were, for the most part, well behaved. They enjoyed the time running around the stage and seating area while I participated in discussions about budgets and marketing.One of the galleries across the hall was hosting some type of event which piqued Wyatt's curiosity."Daaaad?" Wyatt whispered. "Can I go over there?""Noooo." I whispered back mimicking his tone and cadence."Whyyyyy?" he whispered louder."Becauuuuse." I said."Buuut I waannt tooo."I could tell Wyatt may put up a loud argument in… -
Dinosaur Poop
16 Nov 2009 | 4:45 pmA few weeks ago we went to the Academy of Natural Sciences . Sometimes a blog post does not need anything written. -
Trouble
13 Nov 2009 | 5:14 am“Dad?” I called tentatively from the other side of the living room.“Yes.” He replied from the corner of the couch, behind the newspaper he was reading.“Uhmm. I need to, uhh, ask you something.”With a quick flip of his wrist, my dad folded one corner of the paper towards himself revealing his face to me. The other half of the paper, closest to the lamp on the end table, still up in the air caused a shadow to fall on his face. I couldn't tell if he was annoyed or concerned.“I uhh. I need you to. What I am trying.” I muttered trying to find the right way to ask.“Spit it out… -
Exposure
11 Nov 2009 | 6:00 amI have a question that has been bothering me for a while now and I have never been able to figure out how to ask the question without it sounding totally perverted and messed up. It is a serious question and one that I think other parents may ask and one that I think could be answered by the people of the Internet.At what age is it inappropriate for a boy to be naked in front of his peers? Especially if his peers are little girls? (See what I mean about the question?)And at what age is it inappropriate for a girl to see a penis? (See, again, I can't ask the question without it being weird.)I…
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Mitch McDad's World
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Wouldn’t it have been nice if the H1N1 vaccine had been available before school started?
28 Oct 2009 | 6:39 amImportant health info for all of us, not just parents. Pass it along! fastervaccines.org -
Two Minutes Out Of Your Life Could Possibly Save Someone Else’s Life
14 Oct 2009 | 2:03 pmEmbedded video from <a href=”http://www.cnn.com/video” mce_href=”http://www.cnn.com/video”>CNN Video</a> Notice they are using the new technique utilizing constant chest compressions without stopping for intermittent breaths to the victim. This article, For young mom, new CPR beat back death, addresses the subject. -
Denver Ink
8 Oct 2009 | 8:33 amGET OFF DADDY'S PRIVATE AREA! This morning I uttered the words, “get off Daddy’s private area!” at least 5 times. No, this command was not directed towards my wife—I’ll spare you any more details on that front. This command was directed towards my daughters after they jumped in bed with us this morning and decided to play Spiderman vs Green Goblin Death Battle. As any dad knows, small children must acquire some DNA that implants the inherent ability to know to use daddy’s package as a punching bag. If I had a nickel for every inadvertent knee, elbow, foot… -
Do They Scare Away Little Cocks?
4 Oct 2009 | 8:35 am“Do they scare away little cocks?” The conversation stopper uttered by my 4-year-old, Lulu, during our discussion on scarecrows yesterday. I’m absolutely sure there were no racial implications when she then mentioned that the aforementioned cocks happened to be black. Needless to say, MRS and I went to great pains to explain to Lulu that the birds intended to be frightened off by the hay-filled people on sticks were indeed black crows, not little black cocks—an important distinction, I think. I was planning on writing more on this subject, but MRS got all “Julia… -
Profane Brilliance
2 Oct 2009 | 9:23 amI happened upon this Louis CK clip today. What can I say? Dude’s strong. Not suitable for children or sensitive people.
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Creative-Type Dad
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What It Feels Like Just Before Your Legs Fall Off
13 Nov 2009 | 12:30 amI did something last weekend that I never imagined I’d ever do – I ran in a marathon. AND it was today that I was finally able walk like a normal person.Just to be clear, it wasn’t the full 2,667 miles those robots that look like humans run that I met from far off places like Japan, Norway, and Fontana. Nope, it was the beginner’s course. The one just a few notches above the kid’s run to the ice cream cart.I’ve been preparing for this since the summer with some encouragement by one of my gym instructors. I have to admit when he first brought up the suggestion I had to contemplate… -
Why I Hate Facebook
1 Nov 2009 | 10:45 pmCall it peer pressure, sheer curiosity, interest in the latest internet fad, or just wanting to stop those annoying emails of people wanting me to join Facebook; I finally bit the bullet and joined with my real name.And then yesterday I determined that I’ve had enough and terminated my account.I quickly came to the conclusion that I really don’t want an “update” when somebody is tired, tried a new food, hates their boss, met up with friends, hungry, kid has diarrhea, or when the dog just threw-up again. I don’t want to know everything they’re a fan of or when they just used crop… -
More CREATIVE and FREE Pumpkin Stencils!
20 Oct 2009 | 12:00 amIt's pumpkin carving season and what would Halloween by without a Lionel Richie, Colonel Sanders, or Gary Coleman Jack-O-Lantern? Pretty boring.This year was a tough one for my annual stencil making. My daughter was requesting a Princess and the Frog stencil - thanks to the commercials and billboards all around town for the upcoming movie. Oddly enough they don't make any pumpkin stencils for the new Princess so I created one for her.An oldie I've always wanted to try was Linus waiting for the Great Pumpkin. Now after creating it, I don't know if it'll live up to the neighbors expectations. -
What To Do When There Are Monsters Attacking The House…
5 Oct 2009 | 7:15 amI’m not telling, I’m asking.According to my 4-year old monsters keep attacking our house every night and according to her the only way to keep them away is to stay up late, sleep in our bed, eat Root Beer floats, and watch cartoons.I think she’s lying because I do most of that already.Well maybe not all of that. Just replace cartoons with ‘Glee’ and the ‘new’ Melrose Place (don’t judge me.)Oddly enough this is the first time we’ve ever has to deal with nightmares. My daughter has never had any up to this point before, even, after that one incident we had awhile back with… -
Doodle Pages For Grown-Ups and Kids That Can’t Read
22 Sep 2009 | 12:30 amWhat started out as a great idea earlier in the summer has suddenly become quite a chore.My daughter has a collection of those so-called “Doodle Books”, you know the ones with those half drawn pictures that ask you to draw everything from food to how many teeth a hockey player has left in his mouth.These books have definitely run their course through my house. I’m now to the point of creating my very own…(click to download)"How much stash does Yo Gabba Gabba have left?""What did the Gnome set on fire?""Draw all the single ladies""Fill in Lionel Richie's Chest hair"
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Mommy Daddy Blog
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Parenting With No Blueprint & The New Digs
20 Nov 2009 | 8:48 amWhile working on our media kit, we agreed on a new tagline. We also wanted the media kit to match our blog and I was tired of the light brown overload that was going on. So there you have it, new digs and a new tagline that reflects our parenting philosophy. Thoughts? © Mommy Daddy Blog 2007-2009 Parenting With No Blueprint & The New Digs Blog Housekeeping Much Needed -
Blog Housekeeping Much Needed
17 Nov 2009 | 4:53 amWe Moved – Since we moved in September, we had to dedicate time to taking care of an overflowing home and business todo list. We are still trying to get it together, but things are falling in to place. The Disappearing Dad – As you may have noticed, Greg has gone on hiatus. His blogging mojo has gone out the window and I let that affect mine as well. After many months of frustration, wanting him to write, wondering if I should start a new blog so that there was no obligation from a Dad’s perspective, I’ve decided to keep it moving. Re-branding at this time is a… -
Udderly Free
17 Nov 2009 | 12:40 amYesterday, my Udder Nursing Cover arrived. I got it for free using coupon code “onefree”. All I had to pay was $8.95 for shipping! I’m stashing this away for the next baby who is not in the process of being manufactured yet . © Mommy Daddy Blog 2007-2009 Udderly Free No Related Post -
The Boogie & Popeye Pattern
13 Nov 2009 | 4:16 amIt’s been three play dates and counting. Notice a pattern? © Mommy Daddy Blog 2007-2009 The Boogie & Popeye Pattern Their togetherness makes my heart melt.My Head. His Teeth.Batman and BonesCamera Dump 10/21/09: And 1 In The YardCamera Dump 10/13/09: Just Hanging Out -
Getting Closer To Our Food: Loose Meat Turkey Burgers
9 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmThis holiday season, Viva is all about encouraging families to get closer to their food by ditching the silverware and eating food with your hands. We surely eat a lot of foods that require using our hands, so this “challenge” was a peace of cake. One of our favorite foods to eat with our hands are homemade burgers. There’s nothing like a good ‘ol homemade burger with all of the fixins. My turkey burgers are made with ground turkey, caramelized onions, lettuce, pepperjack or American cheese and condiments of our choice. I like to top mine with ketchup and relish,…
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noodad
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ASSES WIPED, NAMES TAKEN!
10 Nov 2009 | 2:17 pmAfter a 3 year run, we have decided to close our virtual doors and move onto some new projects. Our kids are older now and although we still go through painful, expensive, and stinky experiences on a day to day basis, we have given the internet all that we can give. Stay tuned for announcements on a new project we are working on. Special thanks to all of our readers, contributors, and sponsors. We have enjoyed teaching dads and dads-to-be the things we have learned the hard way. While you wait, check out some of other current projects: Noodad Follow Greg FreezerBurns Follow on Twitter:… -
Terrible 2, Meet Terrible 3
13 Oct 2008 | 2:06 amThose people that tell you that the “Terrible 2s” are bad, aren”t telling you the whole story. The whole truth is that Terrible 2s really last into the Terrible 3s. And both years are challenging. Calling it the Terrible two slash threes, just didn”t roll off the tongue. So the good people who name these things must have decided, given the choice, to warn people at the earliest possible time. Thus the name, Terrible 2. Millions of people look forward to their kid”s 3rd birthday hoping, that as they blow out the candles on their cake, out goes the demons that took… -
You Can Still Go to Restaurants with Babies and Toddlers
3 Oct 2008 | 1:30 amKids are great excuses to never do anything you used to like to do before you had them. You probably have not been to Las Vegas on a weekend bender with your buddies since they invaded your personal habitat. And when was the last time you saw a movie in the theater, went out raging until 3:00AM, streaked through Ann Taylor or went to a restaurant? Boohoodads, listen up. Yes. You can still go out to eat. Of course you can go to restaurants, but, like anything else with your bundles of pure chaos, it requires careful planning. Agree to split the duties – Even though your wife, girlfriend or… -
11 Most Important Things to Know About Your Kid’s Artwork
4 Nov 2007 | 9:56 pmMost likely your kids like to create things. Whether it is paint, PlayDoh, crayons, or anything else they can get their hands on, the way you deal with their little masterpieces can mean the difference between a fruitful childhood and a downward spiral into despair. Ok, it's not that bad but it is certainly important to know how to handle the issue of kid artwork. That's why I have compiled a list of the 11 Most Important Things to Know About Your Kid's Artwork. 1. Every piece is a masterpiece Your kid will be very happy to show you their great creation. Treat it like it is the… -
The Great AFP Debate: How Should You Weigh In?
12 Nov 2006 | 10:31 amUnfortunately, pregnancy is harder than just dealing with your wife's nausea, insecurities, and fatigue. Sometimes along the way, you and your wife will have to deal with some seriously important questions. One of these important decisions comes around the 16th week of pregnancy. It is the decision on whether or not to take the AFP test. AFP stands for Alphafetoprotein, a protein made by your unborn kid and secreted through their liver and then dumped into your wife's blood. The test is a simple blood test that checks for abnormally high or low levels of that protein. The reason the…
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Parenting Message Boards - Parenting.com Community
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I think I want another baby
20 Nov 2009 | 10:17 pmOkay i have 2 babies right now. a 21 month old and a 6 month old. after my first, getting pregnant was the most terrifying idea to me. when i messed up on my birth control I was depressed my whole pregnancy, I kept worrying about how would i feel and how would i handle 2 babies under two. after i had the baby my mom was here for a week, and when she was about to leave i was freaking out. i think i cried for a week straight after she left from how scared i was to raise two babies. but about a month later i was overly confident in myself. so for the past 3 months i've been thinking i want… -
Just a quick brag!
20 Nov 2009 | 8:22 pmI just wanted to brag for a moment about my smart little girl and I didn't know where else to share it! Today at daycare, while I was talking to her teacher, my DD was scribbling on a piece of paper next to me waiting to leave. Meanwhile, the teacher was changing another child and a third child was calling out "puppy, puppy, puppy!" I asked the teacher if he was reminding my DD to grab her stuffed puppy because we were leaving and my DD is the youngest in the class at 17mo. The teacher said that he is also very attached to a stuffed puppy of his own. Moments later, my DD puts down… -
Pumpkin crisp recipe?
20 Nov 2009 | 5:38 pmI was wonderin if anybody has a recipe for pumpkin crisp dessert, I have been looking on the Internet for one an the only one I found it required yellow cake mix and doesn't look anything like the dessert that I remember. Its suppose to look apple crisp but pumpkin crisp instead...any help would be appreciated. Thanks!!! -
I missed the forum too much, need advice
20 Nov 2009 | 5:22 pmI am back. Though Im sure noone really remembers me but I had a beautiful baby girl in July. Ill post updated pictures in a little while. Ok so I am on BC. Yaz is the brand. Been on it since 4 weeks after her birth. Ive taken it everyday same time never have missed. I have 4 alarms set around the house to remind me everyday. The first two months I got what I thought was AF it was more blackish than red or pink (TMI im sorry but needed to explain) then nothing for the next two months. I would get the cramping and all things that go along with it but no discharge. My DH and I have been intimate… -
Want to brag about your baby?
20 Nov 2009 | 4:38 pmhttp://www.surveymonkey.com/MySurvey...%2bXR%2bQCI%3d Take my survey for a class and help me out, I want to know all about you as a parent, your baby, and how you're getting along thus far! This is such a special time in a person's life and I want to know all about it.
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Writer Dad
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A Good Life Requires an Endless Edit
20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am“Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.” ~Anais Nin My daughter writes a post every Thursday over at Children Write the Future, and though she does love to write, she doesn’t necessarily experience the same pleasure at the prospect of sitting in one spot and sanding her work to a smooth finish. The other day she claimed that she was quite certain that I never have to edit my work. I assured her that although some things I write receive only… -
Grammy and Me
19 Nov 2009 | 6:00 amMy mother and I have a unique relationship. The two of us have batted banter back and forth in a nearly endless volley ever since I was small. These days we usually pick up one week at the exact same snarky moment where we left things the previous “Grammy Night” seven days earlier. It is odd, I imagine, for my children to see me in the cut and thrust wordplay which takes place between us, as it is not the sort of exchange I share with anyone else. After twelve years, Cindy is just now getting used to the rhythm. My mom lives just one and a half miles away, though proximity does… -
This is How the Law of Attraction Works
18 Nov 2009 | 8:05 amOnce or twice a month the four of us pile into our mini-van and head to CostCo on an afternoon quest to binge on household essentials. CostCo, like any other big box outlet selling salad dressing by the drum, is permanently overpopulated. Though I have always enjoyed our trips to CostCo once inside, I used to loathe pulling into the lot, knowing full well I would have to wage a small war to win the luxury of a decent parking space. I’m not the type of guy willing to spend ten minutes circling for a space when I can park in an outlying section, walk a few hundred yards, and get inside while… -
An Army of Curious Eyes
17 Nov 2009 | 8:17 amToday we had parent teacher conferences for Max and Mia. It was the first one for Max, and the first time Cindy and I have been able to attend as a couple. It was awesome to hold hands and sit across from our children’s teachers in tiny seats that made me feel even more Lurch-like than my 6′3” frame usually does. Neither conference held any surprises, but then again, they were more for confirming our thoughts than anything else. I only mention them because they serve as preamble to today’s story. The writer’s workshop Cindy teaches to the fourth grade students… -
Persevering Through the Pause
16 Nov 2009 | 10:36 amAfter three weeks of rehearsals, last Friday I finally sat to watch the fall talent show at our children’s school. Max didn’t participate, though I think he regretted his decision about five minutes after the first auditions were finished. He didn’t realize he’d have to spend every minute at the rehearsals anyway, but without the benefit of stage time. And believe me, that boy does love a good turn beneath the spotlight. Mia decided to play her violin, choosing a medley of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Lightly Row. What I dearly loved about her performance was the…
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Raising Eli & Zachary
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Been a few weeks…
30 Oct 2009 | 10:16 amI know, I have been bad, not much activity on RaisingEli for three weeks and it has all been due to a crazy busy schedule and some major changes upcoming in our lives. First and foremost Eli is doing very well, and has conquered his fear of the water. I owe a great debt of gratitude to his swim coach for making it all possible. Eli has gone from a scared little cat in the water to a swimming duck and it has been a really cool transition to see. Eli has also gone into a stage that is driving me absolutely crazy. He whines a lot, and is not listening. When corrected he cries and runs to mommy. -
Ring the Bell
9 Oct 2009 | 11:57 amAt Eli’s swimming class you get to ring the bell when you reach certain achievements in your program. It is a big deal and in the multiple lessons I have watched, I have never seen a kid ring it. Call my unlucky or something but with all the laughing, splashing, crying and temper tantrums it is just something I have missed. Last night, I get a phone call from my wife and she tells me Eli has something to say…. “Daddy! I rang the bell, and I jumped into the water all by myself!” Like music to my ears this was great news. Eli has always been scared of jumping in, and… -
A Few Great Toddler Games
7 Oct 2009 | 8:00 amEli received three new games recently and two of them are sure hits for every toddler. The first is a “Guess Who” which is a mystery game in which the players have to ask each other yes/no questions in order to narrow down the field of suspects until only one remains. This game is a logical thinking game that is awesome for the kiddies. Some examples of questions: Does the mystery person have blue eyes? If the answer is yes, the person flips down the players who have any color eyes other than blue…. etc etc. The second game is a listening game. The players separate into two… -
What does one “do” with a 2 week old?
6 Oct 2009 | 12:12 pmOk parents, what does one “do” with a two week old baby? All they do is eat, sleep, poop, pee on the wall or the unsuspecting parent or eat…wait did I say eat twice? Well there are a lot of things you can do, most importantly there are a lot of basic rules to follow: How many times per day do I feed my baby? I believe you feed on demand, but you have to understand the difference between the I am hungry cry, and the I am tired cry, and the I am bored cry. Only experience will teach you the difference. But in terms of how often? Breast feeding means every 1-3 hours. Bottle… -
The Peeing Fountain
5 Oct 2009 | 7:37 amZachary is getting me in trouble right from the start! Twice, yes twice I have been changing his diaper only to have him pee all over the place. The first time, it was my fault, I just simply was not covering him up in case the cold air caused him to pee, the second time I did have him covered but just didn’t account for the angle! The first time, Zach just urinated on the wall, the second time, he urinated all over himself. Not a good start to diaper changing! You would think I would remember all the tricks to the trade. Dad’s out there, if you have a boy, make sure you have the…
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Read To Me, Dad
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Sid The Science Kid
20 Nov 2009 | 5:27 am4 months and no update, man I am sorry about that. I have no one to blame but myself for not updating. I’ll be updating this site more. I have some ideas that I’ve been toying with and so you will see more content here, not every day however but I’ll try for no more 4 month gaps in the writing. Eva is now interested in TV shows and one of her favorites and mine actually is Sid the Science Kid on PBS Kids. The basic format of the show. We see Sid observe something and ask a question about it. It can be why breathing is important, how does your stomach break down food or where… -
Cloth Couture Diaper Giveaway
20 Jul 2009 | 6:57 amAllison and I have been giving serious thought to cloth diapers for our second child (no news to report – don’t get excited). In our research for cloth diapers we ran across Cloth Couture Diapers. I liked how cute they were and I asked Allison Vaughn the owner and creator of Cloth Couture Diapers if I could get a sample to try out and then do a review and giveaway on this blog. She was totally game so she sent us a credit and we chose the diaper we wanted. We picked the large Chopsticks Please one. It was so different and fun. Allison put Eva into this diaper one morning and let… -
Survival Tools for Dads
7 Apr 2009 | 11:05 amAs a new dad I didn’t know what to expect. But after 18 months of practice I’m pretty sure I’ve got many things down pat. Here are 5 things I could not do without. 5. – Books - My favorite one for prepping for fatherhood was The Expectant Father. Allison gave me this book and it was perfect. 4. – The Baby Sherpa - This backpack diaper bag was a life saver when Eva was little, I could put on the backpack and carry everything we needed, it worked great on the planes too when we would travel back and forth to Florida with Eva. I loved this so much that I got one for… -
Day 1 -31DBBB – Write an Elevator Pitch
6 Apr 2009 | 6:08 amToday’s task in the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge is to write an elevator pitch for your blog. This blog has certainly lost its direction. I intend to get it back in this 31 day challenge. I’m also doing the challenge on BenSpark.com Here is my elevator pitch for Read To Me, Dad. “Children love to be read to, and by doing this parents help their kids develop a love of reading themselves. Read to Me, Dad reads and reviews various children’s books and offers parents suggestions for the best books for them and their kids.“ Like my Blog? Help support it by… -
Springtime Fun is Here
26 Mar 2009 | 5:51 amWith a few false starts it looks like Spring is finally here. This is one of my favorite times of year because it means we can finally leave the house without being all bundled up, wearing boots and hats. We can now go off to the local parks and zoos. At the local parks we can play on the playground equipment with Eva, she is a big fan of slides. She also likes the swings but we’ve not been doing much swinging lately. The last time she went was her 1st birthday. (Which, coincidentally, feels like the last time I posted to this blog.) Dad Blogs is a fan of Springtime as well. They are…
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REBEL DAD
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More on Donating Your Dadness to Science (and an Update)
2 Nov 2009 | 4:28 amAnother from the inbox:I am a graduate student at Indiana State University working on my thesis. I am interested in examining aspects of being a stay at home dad and was hoping that you could help me with data collection. I have created an online survey that I would like to post on your website.It's legit: check it out here.Also: looks like The Doctors found their guy: Dan Klass of Bitterest Pill fame has hinted that he'll be the guy who gets a visit from Brooke Burke ... -
On More Media Request: Any SoCal Dads Out There?
27 Oct 2009 | 7:32 amFrom my inbox:I work for a nationally syndicated CBS health and medical talk show, called “The Doctors”. ...My reason for reaching out to you involves an upcoming family show that we will be taping at our stage at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, CA on Thursday, November 5th, 2009. The theme of the show is Ask Our Doctors: Family Edition. The show will feature some very special guests, our new mommy correspondent, Brooke Burke, and three Sesame Street Characters—Oscar the Grouch, Zoe, and Prairie Dawn. Brooke Burke does a lot of work in the field for us and the next the she wants to… -
More Blogs!
20 Oct 2009 | 6:29 pmI'm still trying to make good on my promise to flag as many dadbloggers as possible ... here are some additional ones worth a click:A Dad's Heart (http://adadsheart.blogspot.com/): By Cameron Phillips, who I met in Omaha and who is working on a documentary about at-home dads for the CBC.The Hossman Chronicles (http://thehossmanfamily.blogspot.com/): Surf there *now* ... there are a couple of great posts on the convention.Big Friggen Hammer (http://www.bigfrigginhammer.com/)Dead Beat Daddy-O (http://deadbeatdaddy-o.blogspot.com/)For more on the At-Home Dad Convention, check out this post from… -
More Blogs (and Media!)
15 Oct 2009 | 8:16 amThanks to those who are continuing to send me blogs. I'll keep adding them. Among the new additions are:Being the Dad of Twins: http://daddymanoftwins.blogspot.com/. Robb was one of the forces behind the convention last week. For that reason alone you should be tuning in to his brand-new blog.The NYC dads group is at www.nycdadsgroup.com.The Diligent Dad: http://diligentdad.blogspot.com/.And, in the department of media-that-want-to-talk-to-*you*, this landed in my inbox:I'm writing an article for Working Mother magazine about the way that the recession has caused a role reversal in many… -
The Dad-o-Sphere Continues to Grow
13 Oct 2009 | 4:59 amThose of you who were in Omaha last weekend know that I made a presentation on blogging and assorted other ways to reach out via the Internet, and I made a bold promise, given my recent not-so-impressive history of updates: I'd flag -- within 48 hours -- any convention guy who started posting. I got in at 8 p.m. last night, so the clock is ticking. I also have a huge backlog of blogs I need to feature, so here is what is going to get integrated into the blogroll:Daddy Does the Dishes: http://daddoesthedishes.blogspot.com/. Check out the convention post. Good to have you online, Mike. And a…
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Rice Daddies
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Swine Flu
12 Nov 2009 | 9:34 pmI haven't caught this, but many people I know have. There have been 3,900 deaths in the U.S. so far. Protect yourself. Wash your hands often, especially if you have kids. And if you have any questions regarding the current state of this epidemic, check out the CDC website here. -
from the K5 blog
4 Nov 2009 | 4:44 pmIt's time for parent-teacher conferences for New York City parents. This video was forwarded to me by a parent in my son's class. While not Asian specific, I felt it offered some common sense advice for maximizing the adult learning potential in just 10 minutes. I agree with the host. 10 minutes is not a lot of time but with a little preparation it might be just enough time.If you are interested, here's a list of other things you can do in 10 minutes from Associated Content:Ten Things You Can Do in 10 MinutesYou'll be amazed at what you can accomplish in just 10 minutes.Read More -
Kohn Head
27 Oct 2009 | 8:31 pmWhenever the subject of Asian parents and discipline comes up, I think of Russell Peters’ skit about his dad and spankings. BigWOWO posted a reaction to Alfie Kohn’s article on “unconditional parenting.” As Daniel Willingham aptly points out, Alfie Kohn “has made a virtual industry out of finding interesting and provocative insights” on education and child development. On the Britannica blog (Yes, the encyclopedia people), the comments to Kohn’s reaction to Willingham’s reaction to his work is the best indication of how successful he is at what he does. I don’t believe his… -
“Gwoye Fan”
18 Oct 2009 | 3:16 pmWhen you make fried rice, you use rice that’s been in the fridge overnight (“gwoye faan” in Cantonese). You don’t use fresh rice right out of the cooker. The other thing you don’t do when making fried rice is you don’t cook everything all together, all at once. I mean you can, but I’m pretty sure my Dad would give you his patented WTF-look. It’s not a look of anger or reproach. It’s more on the lines of “if you’re not going to do it right, please step out of my kitchen.” It’s been so long since I posted to Rice Daddies that it didn’t feel right to repost or… -
When Your Kid Says Too Much
15 Oct 2009 | 10:18 pmEmbedded video from CNN VideoThis is more of a Rice Boy post rather than a Rice Daddy post--since the dad is White--but I thought it raised some interesting parenting questions. So you've all heard about the boy who everyone thought was in the runaway balloon--authorities were scrambling in fear that a six year old boy was in a helium balloon that he had supposedly set aflight, and when the balloon landed, he wasn't there. It turned out that the little boy was hiding in the attic.So in the clip above, on Wolf Blitzer's show, the father asks the son why he was didn't come out of the attic when…
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Snowdeal
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the eric update - day 1957: odin celebrates st. martin's day with a lantern and a song.
11 Nov 2009 | 7:46 pmday 1957: odin celebrates st. martin's day with a lantern and a song. from Eric C. Snowdeal III on Vimeo. while november 11th is widely known as armistice or veteran's day, to the children in odin's kindergarten, it's martinmas or st. martin's day. according to legend, st. martin cut his cloak in half to share with a beggar during a snowstorm, to save the beggar from dying of the cold. that night he dreamed that jesus was wearing the half-cloak. just like children in faraway places they celebrate by tromping through the town with handmade paper lanterns and candles, singing songs about st. -
the eric update - day 1954: odin sets sail on his Ship of Science.
8 Nov 2009 | 6:48 pmodin decided to build himself a a ship from chairs so he could be a scientist with a notebook, documenting all he sees on the seas and islands. the ship even came equipped with a "lookout" with a great view and a very comfortable chair for writing down his observations. i have to wonder if charles darwin played such games as a child, imagining sailing on an imaginary hms beagle ( and no, to the best of my knowledge odin knows nothing of darwin, finches, nor read "on the origin of species" ). -
the eric update - day 1946: odin enjoys a halloween sauna with friends!
31 Oct 2009 | 7:30 pmsince yesterday was trick-or-treat day around these parts, odin decided to celebrate halloween proper with a sauna with friends! they've had never had a real finnish sauna, where you can bath by dumping buckets of cold water over your head, so he had a great time showing them The Way of The Sauna. obviously, much more fun than gorging on candy! -
the eric update - day 1945: happy halloween from odin the ghost!
30 Oct 2009 | 8:54 pmfor reasons that weren't really fully explained, our little town celebrated halloween on on friday instead of saturday like most of the rest of the country. this year, odin decided that he wanted to be a very scary ghost, so together he and his mamma sewed a suitably scary costume which, inexplicably, also required a magic wand. before going out and trick-or-treating, he got to see some of the older kids at his school put on a version of the wizard of oz during the traditional "enchanted forest walk" ( every year the kids enact scenes from a story while younger kids walk through the forest ). -
wherein odin extols the virtues of organic valley eggnog and orange juice.
24 Oct 2009 | 6:39 pmwherein odin extols the virtues of organic valley eggnog and orange juice. from Eric C. Snowdeal III on Vimeo. last week when i mentioned that eggnog season had begun and that folks should try eggnog and organge juice, the response was the typical skeptical "raised eyebrow". then i remembered that last winter ( maybe around the new year ), odin and i shot a test video that was going to submitted to a promotion that organic valley was running where folks could upload videos on their vision for an organic breakfast. for odin, that vision includes eggnog and orange juice :-) so we shot this test…
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sweet juniper!
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Two photos available at 20x200 today!
18 Nov 2009 | 11:44 amI am really excited to announce that I have two limited edition photographs for sale today at one of the coolest art websites around: Jen Bekman's 20x200. I stopped selling photos online over a year ago, but when I set up that shop I was really inspired by 20x200, so it's an honor to have some work available there at its extremely affordable prices. If you're not familiar with 20x200, it's a -
Busy Bee Hardware, Est. 1918
12 Nov 2009 | 10:19 amI bug Richie Crabb for about a week to talk to me about his hardware store for my "blog." I'd assumed it would be easy: I'd take a few pictures, scrawl out a few stories, and be out of his hair in twenty minutes tops. But every time I come in he's shooting the shit with somebody else and I don't want to interrupt. As I wait for him, lingering in the aisles and watching the employees helping -
11 Nov 2009 | 8:35 am
11 Nov 2009 | 8:35 amA few months ago a writer for the Wall Street Journal bemoaned the lack of national retailers in this city with the overt message is that it is fundamentally a terrible thing. Later I read about Icelanders celebrating the retreat of McDonalds from Reykjavik as a silver lining to the economic collapse there (even the Wall Street Journal wryly notes, "As cultural calamities go, there are worse -
Bused
6 Nov 2009 | 8:51 amThe ride took almost an hour each way. One time I stayed on the school bus past my own stop to go to a friend's house and it went deeper into the country where it dropped off the farm girl we cruelly called Sarah Plain and Tall because she was. I can still picture her on the dirt shoulder looking up at the driver for permission to cross the road. The air out there smelled like manure. I knew -
The Sweet Juniper Compendium of Magical Creatures, Chpts. 2 and 3
30 Oct 2009 | 9:25 amFor months we'd heard rumors of a white, winged horse galloping in the winds above Detroit, but only recently did we spy her ourselves. We followed a trail of tiny, floating feathers and found her in an ancient temple high up in the mountains, where we also met her friend: a fierce and mighty Griffin cub (chick? chub?), guarding his cache of golden chocolate coins. Click here to see many
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Tom Drapeau's Blog
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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. -
Hold On! You Catch Him
4 Oct 2009 | 5:41 amI wanted to share two KidWonder anecdotes before we run out for yet another great kids event (pics to come). On our way out yesterday to the Mamaroneck Lollipop Fair (MomWonder will post the pics, I keep hogging that privilege), I had to gas up the car. On the back of the front passenger seat is an old purse strap MW uses to rig up her iPhone when KW wants to watch a movie–other times it just sits there, within his reach. I left the radio on while gassing up the car, and come back to realize he’s holding on to the straps for dear life! I say “What are you doing?” He…
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The Battle of Wills
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Dry Erase Marker Game
20 Nov 2009 | 4:06 pmIn the magnificent yet sometimes dreary halls of academia, a dare was made. I won't say who was dared but DEMG was the result. Could you win if you squared off against me for a game of DEMG? Who are the creators of DEMG? Check it out and let me know what you think. -
Shooting the Benson
11 Nov 2009 | 9:16 pm -
Recent Family Funnies
12 Oct 2009 | 7:12 pmLast week Amanda fixed homemade chili cheese fries. Right then and there I was prepared to renew our vows. However, after a few nights of experimental recipes, I am not quite as enthusiastic. Please advise. I recently received a note from a family member who admits to stalking me on Twitter. I have been researching social media for more than a year but I am not quite sure how to respond to that. We got 2 babysitters for a Foster Parent Thank You Dinner next weekend. Now we have been told by the children's home that we are expected to bring all the children. How is that a "Thank You?" Slam the… -
No Training Wheels - Part 2
3 Oct 2009 | 12:54 pmPsalm 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. The people who have suffered and sacrificed the most for me to be in school are Amanda and Jacob. They support me in so many ways. They encouarage me and play the role of coach, cheerleader and team player. If I had one regret, it is the amount of time I spend away from them. This is why Saturdays are cherished and the moments, even if they are brief, provide great joy. I have been blessed with an awesome family who loves God and values serving others. Today, in the beauty of God's creation I rejoiced in His… -
When There Is Only ONE Left
23 Sep 2009 | 5:28 pmParenting has its defining moments. Of course there are the times that bring you great joy but many times your definition comes from those awkward/painful situations. Like... When your child hurts themselves When someone is mean to your child When your child is sick When they are scared These moments are hard to erase from your memory. BUT nothing is worse than when you are home alone with an infant child and they deposit something worthy of a HAZMAT team in a limited capacity diaper. You have opened the diaper and folded it back, only to realize that there is only ONE wipe left in the…
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The Busy Dad Blog
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Fury Cooks and I Get Up Close and Personal. But Not Here.
20 Nov 2009 | 8:40 amFury and his fellow Kid Test Labs comrades TXU and Brendan put Curious Chef products to the test, and they captured it all on video. Food Network, are you listening? These kids need their own show. Most adults I know can't cook like this: Throwin' Down with Curious Chef Everything you always never didn't want to know about me: check out my interview for Fatherhood Friday over at the Examiner. -
I've Got 20 Minutes and a Baby Picture
13 Nov 2009 | 8:36 amConsider this post a pre-emptive strike, nothing more. I've been doing this once-a-month posting thing for long enough to intuitively sense when I'm about to be called out on Twitter for abandoning my blog. Plus, my dogs started barking at the sky and swarms of bees flew in counter-clockwise formation yesterday. But I've got 20 minutes before I need to jump in the car and head to work. So I'm pulling the baby picture / new blog fodder card. This is BusyBaby at 12ish weeks. We don't know the sex yet, so I can't give him/her a cool nickname. Is it me or is BusyBaby really developed for… -
I'm a Skate Punk. Was.
26 Oct 2009 | 8:37 amI recently bought Fury a skateboard. Last night I was showing him the finer points of an ollie. Well, explaining. The showing part didn't go so well. Because when you're 37 years old and haven't skated in 20 years, your skate tricks look less like this: And more like this: "Well Fury, I'm just old, that's all." "Tony Hawk is older than you and he's waaaay better." I should never have taken him to meet Tony Hawk. Well, at least you can read about it (and witness some real skating) on Fury's new review blog: Kid Test Labs Meets Tony Hawk -
Time to Bring the Heat: Tastemaker Challenge 2K10
21 Oct 2009 | 1:32 amBEFORE YOU READ THIS: If you only have a second and don't want to read this long post, just skip down to the video and rate it. I promise, you will NOT be disappointed (if you like cooking, Rocky, Karate Kid and/or lightsabers). When I was in 4th grade, I spent my summer vacation fighting boredom by playing a game called "Joe's Diner" with my sister. I was Joe, the proprietor of a diner that cooked anything to order. She was Joe, a regular customer (we weren't too original with names) who came in and ordered random stuff. She would ask me about my kids, order an omlette and I'd cook it. Then… -
Music Credits You'll Never See (alt title: Announcing KidTestLabs.com)
19 Oct 2009 | 8:40 amJay-Z, featuring BusyD I'm bad luck when it comes to collabo's. Remember sometime last year when Mr Lady and I kicked off our advice blog? Looking back, it kicked ass. It was fun, and we dished out great advice. But two people who never shut up about stuff just couldn't find the mojo to keep, well, talking. It lasted about a year. But considering the Wright Brothers' first attempt lasted 12 seconds, I'd argue we're still on the path to greatness. Around the same time, I teamed up Jeff Day, one brilliant author/MD and cartoonist to start a comics site called BusyDad Tales. It too rocked. But…
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Thingamababy
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A winter family tradition: Ogre Socks
20 Nov 2009 | 7:34 amI vividly remember the morning of one December 25th when my brothers and I woke up early and quietly whispered between our respective doors waiting for the 6 a.m. start of Christmas. We weren’t allowed out of our rooms until 6 a.m., and had even broken out my father’s ancient Official Boy Scout Twin Signal [...] -
Six toys I’m not buying from Amazon.de
19 Nov 2009 | 7:23 amScore one for high school networking. My wife keeps in contact with a then-German exchange student she met during her senior year. He’s buying a DVD of the Le Premier Cri documentary from Amazon’s German outfit and shipping it to us. There’s no English subtitles, and our Deutsch is quite rusty, but so what. I [...] -
Why is it?
17 Nov 2009 | 11:23 pmWe know that children willingly accept that Santa’s elves create all of their favorite toys that are commercially packaged in cardboard and molded plastic, complete with company names, marketing slogans and flashy graphics. Why is it that when Santa forgets to remove a price tag on one toy, the jig is up? -
Music Review: Putumayo’s Family Christmas
17 Nov 2009 | 12:03 amCaution! Awesome auto-playing Christmas music when you click-through… A Family Christmas is the latest offering from Putumayo, the international children’s music folks. I pretty much love everything they dream up. Family Christmas is a smorgasbord of English yuletide tunes performed by a range of top notch artists. No, you haven’t heard of them all; they’re not Top [...] -
Giveaway: Putumayo’s Family Christmas CD
17 Nov 2009 | 12:02 amA copy of Putumayo’s awesome A Family Christmas CD is up for grabs for three lucky winners. [Read my review. Caution: audio will play.] To enter, use the comment form to post a comment on this article telling us: 1) The name of your favorite, or most hated, Christmas gift you received in your childhood. 2) A link [...]
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Xbox4NappyRash
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No pain, no name
17 Nov 2009 | 3:35 amIt’s been a big few days in the world of a very little person.On the beautifully apt Friday the 13th last, ET received the H1N1 vaccination. A sore arm and plenty of normal movement activity later and everything is hunky dory. There have been no convulsions, no legs have fallen off, no hair has fallen out, and no-one has fallen into a coma, so I am delighted to announce that I don’t think the vaccination is a collective governmental syndicate plan to annihilate several generations of the human race. So, unless kiddo turns up with three ears or knuckles for knees, everyone can just shut… -
Stubbing toes on both left feet
13 Nov 2009 | 2:11 amThe car seat on the floor has been talking to me.A chatty bugger too, so he is. Unsurprisingly most of our conversations revolve around the transportation of its future inhabitant. I’m not best pleased with the tone it takes either – ‘you’ll drop me you know’, ‘you’ll whack the baby’s head against the door frame walking through’, or ‘you’ll tip the baby out putting me in the car’.I firmly responded, and confidently assured him that none of those things would happen, but in the back of my mind all the while wagging my finger at a talking inanimate object, I knew he had… -
King & Queen of the dump
9 Nov 2009 | 12:05 pmWe planned it in advance.Three months of researching, testing, comparing, doubting, pricing, and pondering - right up until we decided to make our move. A decision which came just 24 hours before we carried out our Saturday morning attack.Motivational music was the order of the day on our way there, nerves were evident, but we were focussed. Bulbous drops of rain began to fall quicker on the windscreen as I turned the key in the car park, the engine falling quiet. In silence for one last moment we stared at our nemesis looming large before us.Fighting the urge to start the car and just go… -
25
5 Nov 2009 | 12:52 pmThe wife squatter turned twenty five weeks old yesterday. By all accounts, it now weighs just short of 2lbs, or just under a kilo for those of you who are, well, Dutch.All the wee bugger’s organs are present and correct. I now have a fully qualified donor match! It’s kind of like having your own vegetable patch. I do jest of course, something I seemingly must explicitly express for those among us who’ve had transplants of their own of a humourous variety.Anyway, all the baby’s bits and pieces are in place, its skin doesn’t look like greaseproof paper anymore, and it even has wee… -
Absolutely flabulous
2 Nov 2009 | 4:31 amIt’s a boy. If you ‘carry low’, that is. It’s a girl if you carry high. That’s what they say isn’t it?What is it if you carry low and high depending on the day of the week?This kid just won’t sit still. From an upright position last week, it seems to have started to nosedive in an attempt to take up a more horizontal position. All of which is resulting in a distortion of ET’s belly.With the placenta behind the baby, all movements are being felt more pronounced, and even seen. On a couple of occasions ET’s gut looked like the cranium of a bald man who’d fallen head first…
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The Republic of T.
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Talk the Talk, Walk the Walk
20 Nov 2009 | 12:11 pmI just have one thing to say about this. Forget WWJD. The new question is apparently What Would MLK Do? A coalition of politically and theologically conservative Christian leaders, including nine Roman Catholic bishops, who have just signed a declaration saying they will not comply with laws that could require them to recognize same-sex unions or allow their institutions to support abortions are arguing that the move is of a piece with King’s call for civil disobedience during the civil rights movement. The declaration reads, in part: “We will not comply with any edict that… -
Easy Choices
20 Nov 2009 | 9:25 amThe first time I heard it, I did a double-take, because I thought I heard it wrong. The second time I heard it, I rolled my eyes. The third time I heard Sarah Palin, in her interview with Oprah Winfrey, suggest that women who choose to terminate pregnancies are essentially “taking the easy way out.” There is much — so much, really — that I object to here, but I’ll start with one really simple point. I don’t know, and can’t know, what it’s like to decide whether or not to have an abortion. But I can listen — and have listened — to the voices and… -
Digest for November 16th through November 18th
17 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pmHere are some of the people writing about some of the stuff I wish I had time to write about, for November 16th through November 18th: When Hope Meets Reality – Abstinence Only Epically Fails – Op-Ed Columnist: What the Future May Hold – Our Rogue Evita – 1 in 7 Americans Went Hungry in 2008 – The Pledge of Allegiance is un-American – Sarah Palin, plain boring – Uninsured Twice as Likely to Die in ER – The question of LGBT incrementalism (part 1- policy) – -
Digest for November 16th through November 18th
17 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pmHere are some of the people writing about some of the stuff I wish I had time to write about, for November 16th through November 18th: When Hope Meets Reality – Abstinence Only Epically Fails – Op-Ed Columnist: What the Future May Hold – Our Rogue Evita – 1 in 7 Americans Went Hungry in 2008 – The Pledge of Allegiance is un-American – Sarah Palin, plain boring – Uninsured Twice as Likely to Die in ER – The question of LGBT incrementalism (part 1- policy) – -
Seven
17 Nov 2009 | 11:16 amIt’s birthday season in our family. (We’re all clustered at the end and beginning of the year.) And, as someone who grew up thinking he’d never be a parent, I get a little reflective when one of the kids’ birthdays rolls around. Today, Parker is seven years old. I don’t write as much about my kids and about being a parent as I did when I first started this blog, but part of the reason is that I’d just end up repeating myself. Well, perhaps the specifics change, but the reasons stay the same. I was proud this week when the parent-teacher conference revealed…
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Daddy Types
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Bojesen Auction Awesomeness
20 Nov 2009 | 8:55 pmSee that, learning a new vintage toy is just like learning a new word: now you notice when they start turning up. Take this beautiful for example: the rattan doll pram Kay Bojesen designed in 1949 for Wengler, which is coming up at auction in Denmark. The wheels are a little worn, but otherwise, it looks to be in great condition. Though the estimate's high, it doesn't seem insane. 949/525, Dec. 1: Kay Bojesen: Rare doll's pram of cane and bamboo. Made by R. Wengler for Kay Bojesen. H. 73 cm., est EUR1050-1350 [bruun-rasumussen.dk] Meanwhile, I almost didn't post this one because I wanted it… -
Good Googly Moogly, Tiny Tim Singing To Real Children
20 Nov 2009 | 5:10 pmWhen all is said and done, and we're all dead, and all the history's written, I suspect the people who are now called Gen X will be known as the lucky, unscarred-childhooded few who were too young for Tiny Tim and too old for Pee-Wee Herman. This insane song Tiny Tim is singing to these hapless children, "The Other Side," was on his 1968 debut album, God Bless Tiny Tim. It doesn't look like it's from the Australian TV special he did, so I can only guess that this performance is from Rowan & Martin's Laugh-in. If not, the most surreal, psychedelapocalyptic children's TV program I've never… -
On Not Quite Grasping The Concept
20 Nov 2009 | 1:55 pmK2 just came running into the room. "Mommy come help! Wow Wubzy stuck in car!" -
Whoa, The Awesome Leander Crib Is Available In The US!
20 Nov 2009 | 9:13 amI was just surfing through Inhabitots, thinking to myself, "Day-um, I sure don't cover the emergence of every single piece of shiny, new eco-blahblahblah baby gear like I used to," when I saw that the Leander Crib/ Toddler Bed/ Kids Bed, Denmark's awesomest, molded ply, 5-way convertible masterpiece, is now available in the US! I've been watching and waiting for this since 2005! When did this happen? Well, I did some digging, and according to this Jan. 2009 comment left by fellow Leander fan Marie on, uh, daddytypes.com, [like I said, haven't been hound doggin' the gear lately] Natart… -
Tell Your Army Of Adorable Mask-Wearing Pandas To Stand Down, IKEA!
20 Nov 2009 | 7:44 amI'll buy the little alien helmet mask. And the plush, Ikea-colored viking helmet. Oh, what's that? Someone's rifled through the bins like a bowl of M&M's in a Van Halen dressing room or a box of marshmallow-less Lucky Charms, and there aren't any? And you can't sell me these display models because someone cut off the tag that, by law, may only be removed by consumer? Then I declare this battle for my ten dollars a draw. Good day.
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Nagoh
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Wild at Heart Part II
19 Nov 2009 | 3:00 amI might make this a reoccurring post for myself as I find a huge amount of therapy in expressing my heart on paper. I also want one day for Desmond to read my struggles, and understand its O.K to struggle as a man. Being a man is very difficult. No one gives you a handbook on how to be a one. Sure there is the Bible, but it can be confusing and hard to dig deep into what it is telling you to do. To me the bible only truly starts to make sense when I am at my lowest point in life and struggles. Recently I have felt my spirit has been broken, and all the hurts I have had in the world… -
Hairy Potter!
18 Nov 2009 | 3:00 amThere is something about that hair. It is so much a part of his personality. not sure I can picture him with it cut short. It is one of the first things people say about him. It also the one thing that seems to throw people off. You see Desmond gets called a “she” just about everywhere we go. We are so use to it now we don’t even think twice. We also do not correct people unless it just keeps coming up. Then you have to do the awkward uhhh HE is a Boy, as politly as possible. Sometimes people are so embarrassed and apologetic. Other times people do not even think… -
Twins
16 Nov 2009 | 3:00 amThe more and more I look at Desmond the less and less I see of me and the more I see of Jackie. There is a saying out there that goes something like; the more you love someone, the more you see them in others. I think I totally butchered that. What I mean is, I love the two people in this picture so much, I see so much of them in each other. Desmond looks like Jackie, has her personality, laughs like her, cries like her, acts goofy like her. It is a wonderful thing to watch. I not only have a best friend, and love of my life, but I also have a little version of that too with him. It is… -
The Fair!
13 Nov 2009 | 3:00 amThe fair was a few weeks ago, and for the 1st time ever I was excited to go to it. Usually I just do not like crowds and hate fighting to get in and out of anywhere. However this year we just had to do it. We drove by it every day for weeks as they set it up. And everyday Desmond would see the giant wheel and ask “WASS DATT!!” Thats the fair buddy! So everyday he would said “hey fair” as we drove by. We went the 2nd day it was open and just had one of the best times ever. Desmond was on his best behavoir and just soaked it all up! Everynight as we drive by the fair on… -
The Zoo!
11 Nov 2009 | 3:00 amA few weeks ago we went tot he zoo with the clan at easycheese.net it was good times all around. I have never been to the zoo in Atlanta and was pretty impressed with all they had to offer. I really did not expect much. Desmond had a ball with his buddy Danny. Seeing the animals was a real treat for them. I know Desmond favorite was the monkeys, duh! My favorite also.
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D is for Dad
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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… -
A little too much grace
20 Oct 2009 | 7:29 pmWe say grace before every meal and go to church every Sunday. It’s so nice to see my little two year old getting into the proverbial “swing-of-things” in that regard. After church last Sunday I took the family to a local Chinese Buffet establishment. At the front door there is a little waterfall vignette with a moat around it. My daughter marched right up to the moat, dipped her right hand in the water, started making the sign of the cross, recited “paw, san, hoy spit, emen”, which in grown up speak stands for: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and The… -
Le Freak
30 Sep 2009 | 7:12 amI place little stock in Astrology and Zodiac signs but I do find it humorous though that they are uncannily spot on when it comes to describing most of my personality traits. According to the Roman Zodiac I am a Libra. It’s the Scales which symbolize Libra, and just like that balancing mechanism wants to stay even, Librans want to be on an even keel. I want to confess I have a sickness. I don’t know what it is called (probably OCD), but I do know it exists. I feel the need to have sets, pairs, or kits of things. Nothing makes me happier than a complete tool kit, with every single… -
We remember!
11 Sep 2009 | 12:35 pmOn Patriot Day, we cherish the memory of the thousands of innocent victims lost, extend our thoughts and prayers to their families, and honor the heroic men and women who risked and sacrificed their lives so others might survive. George W. Bush -
Warning Will Robinson! Danger! Danger!
27 Aug 2009 | 12:29 pmNot too long ago I posted about our Chicago vacation. This incident happened while we were at the Shedd Aquarium, and I had forgotten all about it until just a couple of days ago. It’s been on my mind ever since and I wanted to put "pen to paper" before I forgot about it again. It started out like any normal day at a major attraction. The lines into the building snaked around the facility’s grounds, the sun was beating down on us. Children complained, parents grumbled. Finally getting into the building was a treat. We paid our admission fee and blended into the crowd of…
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Dad2twins
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Just awesome……
9 Nov 2009 | 9:35 pmSend your own ElfYourself eCards Tags: Elf yourself, Jib Jab Related posts No related posts. -
4 year old twin girls have no taste……
6 Nov 2009 | 10:40 amThe Tooth FairyThis is what happens when you let your girls choose your Halloween costume. They wanted me to be the tooth fairy. This is my version. (Note the bottle of whiskey to get me through the night of humiliation.) Oh well, there is always next year….. Tags: dad2twins, halloween costumes, The Tooth Fairy Related posts Thinking about Halloween already. (6) Our Halloween portrait – a little late. (1) Meet Thing 1 & Thing 2 aka The Farty Pants Twins. (5) -
Are you still there?
9 Oct 2009 | 6:09 pmI don’t deserve you. I’ve taken advantage of your readership. You toil away each day reading your favorite blogs. I once might have been one of them. So if you are still out there let me know so I can personally apologize to you for abandoning you to facebook. I am still here though and I have felt the need to be creative again, so watch out. To all of the strip club searchers who find there way to my blog because I once wrote about my buddy and his bachelor party in Reno. Thanks. You keep making me money on Google ads. Thanks for supporting a Dad of twin girls. Now DELURK! Tags:… -
Facebook has sucked the life out of this blog, but…….
15 Sep 2009 | 4:18 pmI’m still here and I am not going away. I promise I will post more soon. There sure is plenty to talk about. I mean, wassup with Kanye people? Must have been the Hennessy. Or his ego? Poor little Taylor Swift. She finally got her apology. Tags: dad2twins, facebook, Hennessy, Kanye West, Taylor Swift Related posts Do you use LinkedIn? (5) You must be kidding me…. (2) You know you want to hang with me. (1) -
Sing. Sing a song. Sing it loud. Sing it long.
2 Jun 2009 | 3:27 pmMy daughter, Kiera, has decided to sing us a song from her bed every morning before she gets up. Reese, gets up, goes to the bathroom and get’s into our bed for a snuggle. Shortly after Reese arrives the singing starts in Kiera’s bedroom. She sings and sings and sings. It’s really quite funny and sweet all at the same time. Reese thinks it’s silly. Tags: dad2twins, Farty Pants Twins, kids do the funniest things, singing, twins Related posts Xbox4nappyrash.com has acquired Dad2twins.com in a hostile takeover. (3) While I was away… (0) We dress to impress. (1)
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Daddy Forever
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Large Poster Print Giveaway
19 Nov 2009 | 5:01 amThanks to Large Format Posters, I’m giving away a 18×24 poster print (glossy or semi gloss). I was impressed with the one they sent me last time. That’s why I agreed to host another giveaway from Large Format Posters. I think a poster print would make an excellent Christmas present for a relative. I’m actually thinking about getting a poster print of our kids for my dad. I like the photo I took last year (see photo below), but now I have to take a happy photo with all four kids (is this even possible?). LargeFormatPosters.com, as their name implies, prints large posters… -
H1N1 Vaccines for Prison Inmates, Wall Street Workers, and Santas – But Not Kids
18 Nov 2009 | 5:48 pmMaybe because I’m a dad, I see things differently than most people. But I truly think our world is upside down. For instance, our HMO didn’t get their first shipment of H1N1 vaccines until the week after our baby was hospitalized for H1N1. If the vaccines came in a couple weeks earlier, our baby wouldn’t have been infected and I wouldn’t be stuck with three medical bills totaling over $18,000. Now that the H1N1 vaccine is finally available at our HMO, the powers to be changed the high priority list. The list use to include people between 6 months and 24 years old. Now… -
My Little Tomboy
17 Nov 2009 | 12:01 amWhen I feel like punishing myself, I take my children to Target to check out the toys. There’s nothing more fun for a dad than having your children ask you to buy one toy after another. When that doesn’t work, the kids change their tactics and start telling me what toys they want for Christmas and their birthdays. They don’t really need to tell me. I know them well enough to figure out what they like. But the Little Monkey did surprise me. Take a look at what my youngest daughter wants for Christmas: My little girl with a Bakugan toy at Target The little tomboy with a G.I. -
SafetyTat Safety Tattoos Giveaway
16 Nov 2009 | 12:01 amThe people over SafetyTat contacted me last month about their temporary tattoos for kids. Yeah, I know, why would dads and moms want to read about tattoos? As parents, we’ve seen more than our share of temporary tattoos (Dad Blog Question of the Week: Why do kids like to stick tattoos on each other’s behinds and then laugh hysterically?). SafetyTat tattoos are different from other tattoos for children. As their slogan suggest, The Tat That Brings Kids Back!, SafetyTat tattoos are about safety. The tattoos display a parent’s phone number and help parents and child to be… -
Digital Room Custom Thank You Cards Giveaway
14 Nov 2009 | 12:01 amThanks to Digital Room, I’m giving away custom thank you cards. Don’t need thank you cards? How about greeting cards for the holidays? Don’t hold me to this, but because the cards are custom, I don’t see why dads and moms can’t design them with a family photo and the words “Merry Christmas!” instead of “Thank You.” On the Digital Room’s greeting card page, it looks like dads and moms can design RSVP, greetings, get well soon, and thank you cards. One lucky reader from this dad blog will receive a pack of fifty (50) 7 x 5″…
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Daddy Dialectic
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Four Observations About the Bad Parent "Movement"
20 Nov 2009 | 11:23 amI got a call this morning from a journalist asking about the "bad parent" trend, wherein folks like Bad Mother authorAyelet Waldman are proudly revealing their most secret parental failures. That got me to thinking about this topic, and I thought I'd share some random observations:1) Fathers are pretty much defined as "bad parents," as the term is being popularly used. When we talk about proud "bad parents," most of the time we're really talking about "bad mothers" who are rebelling against the idea that they must be perfect to be good. Ayelet isn't actually a "bad mother," at least as… -
My Baby Rides the Short Bus -- a review
15 Nov 2009 | 4:29 pmI enjoy learning things from a book, those moments when you are stunned at what you just read, or shocked at some statistic, some point, some example. Those are the books I cherish. My Baby Rides the Short Bus was just such an experience.From reading the introduction and on through the essays, I learned that some parents of special needs kids are radical prior to becoming parents and some become radicalized through parenting. I learned that they struggle, make mistakes, come to realizations about things they did, realizations that cause them pain, that inform choices they will make in the… -
Startled Reflections
9 Nov 2009 | 8:41 pmIn the dark days of Sam’s first month, back when I wondered whether the diaper existed that could contain him, his principal redeeming feature was his infant semaphore. Startle Reflex occurs when babies instinctively raise their hands. Because they don’t yet recognize their own limbs, they’re frightened. I was tickled by his ‘what the...?’ expression as well as the idea of infants scaring themselves with their own arms. Babies’ startle reflexes are totally natural; just as when the doctor boings your knee with a rubber hammer. For some reason, I always giggle at that too. Maybe… -
Write for rad dad zine's next issue: December 1st
4 Nov 2009 | 9:21 amWinter fast approaches. For my family it’s a time of contradictions. The time of holidays and visiting family. A time to question traditions, yet a time my kids begin compiling lengthy lists of things they want, they must have. Socially, it’s a time of rampant consumerism, of the spectacle of this capitalist culture at its most perverse. What are we to do as parents, as individuals? What do you do? For the next issue of rad dad tell us; consider winter in all its glory, in all its potential, the beauty of quietness, of hibernation, in the profound way it sets the stage for the coming… -
Election Night Shrinkage
28 Oct 2009 | 2:17 pmIn my book The Daddy Shift, I reported research that shows men’s testosterone levels rise and fall in response to what's happening in their lives and environment. Having a child lowers testosterone; so does losing a tennis match. Now comes a new study providing more evidence of a link between testosterone and social cues. The night to the 2008 presidential election, it seems there was a a dramatic drop in testosterone for men who voted for McCain or the Libertarian candidate, whoever that was. "In contrast, men who voted for the winner, Democrat Barack Obama, had stable testosterone levels…
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JamesSpratt: A London Blog
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Frankie’s 2nd Birthday Party
11 Nov 2009 | 1:45 pmFrankie’s 2nd birthday party round our’s on the 18th of October. 4 hours in 45 seconds. -
Dear Frankie, Aged 2
1 Nov 2009 | 7:23 amDear Frankie, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday my Frankie, Happy Birthday to you. 2 brilliant years; 24 delightful months; 104 hilarious weeks; 730 lovely days; 17520 beautiful hours; 1,051,200 perfect minutes; 63,072,000 seconds of joy. So what’s new? Comparing where you’re at now to where you were at 1, there’s a massive difference. Maybe the biggest single year difference you’ll make? You’ve gone from a squidgy bouncing baby who needs attending to, into a rather splendid little lady who attends to everything. From the moment… -
Physics
28 Oct 2009 | 6:15 amTerribly middle class I know but we had the decking done on the terrace the other week, didn’t we. One of the six muppets from Jim Henson’s workshop that came round to attempt to give us a level deck, instead decided to give me a lecture on the subject of physics. I’ve heard a lot of codswallop over the years but this guy was something special. Dave: Do you know physics? Me: I did a little bit at school. Dave: Well physics is in this building, in that building, in those buildings over there, physics is inside all of them. Me: Cuppa? -
Lone Star State
19 Oct 2009 | 6:15 amTwo weeks in Houston. These guys (yes, all Americans) have security issues. Walking into the airport we were warned over the tannoy that “Any inappropriate remarks or jokes at security may result in your arrest.” I love a red rag more than the next man so waited behind the yellow line, acting as sensibly as ever. The border security officer nodded for me to step forward. I did so, handed over my passport and glared at him like I meant business. He glared back at me. He meant business too. I glared harder. He glared harder. We both glared harder still. “What is your purpose… -
Frankie, Month 23
6 Oct 2009 | 8:28 amUp until the 18th September. Taken in Maidenhead, Cheltenham and Birmingham. Show as slideshow [View with PicLens]
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People in the Sun
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In which the sex of the Game Changer is revealed
10 Nov 2009 | 9:04 pmBut before that,We lived in Silver Spring when the sniper was shooting people in gas stations. I remember putting gas in the car and looking around, wondering if the next one was going to be me or the guy pretending not to hunch down next to me. It reminded me of that movie, Little Murders (look it up, you know? Okay. Here's the trailer). But there was nothing funny about it. And as traumatic as it was, I can't feel good about the guy dying today. I can't feel too bad about it either.Months of practice have finally paid off today: Baby told his mother he loved her.I'm trying to take it easy. -
I've been meaning to tell you
1 Nov 2009 | 9:33 pmthat I started a blog recently. Well, it's been more than a year.Here's the story:I wanted to register a domain name, thinking I'd just start a niche blog and put some content, then see where I went from there. Maybe sell it. And even though it wasn't going to be a real blog like this one, I wanted to be able to update it every once in a while, so it had to be about something I knew a little about. I was a new father, so I thought I'd write about being a father. And if it wasn't going to be a real blog, then of course I didn't write about it here, because What's the point?So I started a blog… -
I'm not afraid of CUTE
22 Oct 2009 | 7:12 pmOn the one hand, What's the point of putting up a picture of my baby hugging another kid? See, I wanted to make this blog about... well, everything I say may sounds presumptuous... But even when writing about myself, I never intended this blog to be about me. Makes sense?When writing about my army days, I wanted to talk about the way soldiers don't really know what they're doing; about the way none of us do, even when we're given a large responsibility over life and death.When I talked about my dogs, I wanted to show Pit Bulls in a positive light, because these dogs are not just pretty faces. -
Caillou Makeover, Halo 3, and Teh Gay.
14 Oct 2009 | 9:40 pmAfter those last two posts, one where I made a big announcement and one that talked about pools of blood, I think I'm allowed to relax here. It's Wednesday, after all.If you go to this site, you can do a makeover! Here's Caillou:Here's Caillou with a Kate Gosselin.And a Katie Holmes.Rihanna.Anyway.Here's a video I found. This guy called his Halo 3 character Jesus Died LOL, which is a proof that he's a retard Jew faggot (RJF for short?):And another thing! Facebook quizzes. I understand if you're at work and you're waiting for the printer to finish getting your annual CGID/4B-B report out, so… -
My Jada Pinkett Smith Story
9 Oct 2009 | 9:22 pmSo this happened on Tuesday. It was getting late, and things around here were winding down. Honey was about to put the baby to sleep, then go upstairs. I was getting ready to go online and tell people they're stupid and racist. But Buddy was crying downstairs, so I went to check on him.It's not that rare that this crazy dog cries. He's very attached to his toy, and if anyone else accidentally touches it and makes it squeak, Buddy will grab it, lay it down on his cushion, and cry for hours. But I went to check, just to make sure.There was a puddle of blood on the kitchen floor. Buddy had gone…
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Savvy Daddy - For super dads everywhere
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Is football safe for kids?
26 Oct 2009 | 2:01 pmby Phil Stott About a month ago, my brother-in-law sent me a video of his four-year-old son's first touchdown in a flag football game. It's remarkable in several ways: first, that my nephew seems to understand the purpose of the game at such a young age-when he gets the ball in his own half of the field his first instinct is to head for the opposition end zone. Second: he understood that once he crossed the end zone line, he could stop running. And, third, he threw a proper football pass to the referee when returning the ball. A couple of weeks later, as if to prove it was no fluke, he did it… -
Magic for Dads & Kids
22 Oct 2009 | 10:57 amby Brian McGovern Searching for a fascinating hobby that you can share with your child? Looking for a hobby that can help your child develop social skills and may promote a strong desire to read? The hobby of magic can do wonders to promote an outgoing personality even among the shyest children. When a child learns how to impress other kids with amazing magic it gives them more self-confidence. As your child's desire to master magic grows you'll be happy to find that he or she will be eager to read books and magazines about the topic. There's always more to learn. The art of magic is a… -
Freaky Fortnight: Credit where it's due
20 Oct 2009 | 8:12 amby Phil Stott So last Friday saw one of the best things I've read about parenting recently come to a close: Slate's Freaky Fortnight feature. The basic premise of the feature was that a Slate editor, Michael Agger, would switch roles with his wife, Susan Burton, for two weeks. In short, she would do his job while he stayed home in Brooklyn and took care of the kids. Both then blogged about the experience, and also put regular updates on Twitter. Of the two, it's perhaps not surprising that I enjoyed Agger's posts more-mostly because I found them informative in many ways on the whole question… -
Staying positive in the job hunt
15 Oct 2009 | 9:57 amby Phil Stott So I've been keeping an eye on the bill working its way through the House (well...it's stalled at the time of writing) to extend unemployment benefit payments to people in States where the unemployment rate is above 8.5 percent. Unprecedented times calling for unprecedented measures, the bill would give long-term unemployed people in my home state of New York benefits for up to 99 weeks, according to the New York Times-provided they became unemployed no later than October 27, 2008. In order for that to happen, however, the bill needs to overcome Republican objections. While I'm… -
Having Kids vs. Overpopulation
12 Oct 2009 | 9:50 amby Phil Stott I had the great fortune to be able to attend the World Business Forum at Radio City Music Hall recently, and to hear speakers like President Bill Clinton, George Lucas (yup, that one), management guru Gary Hamel, and Nobel prize-winning economist Paul Krugman all giving their views on where they think we're headed in coming years. While I could have listened to Clinton speak all day-and on any subject-the speaker who gave me most pause for thought was a guy called Jeffrey Sachs. Another economist-he advises President Obama, as it happens-he gave a speech titled "Economics for a…
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A Suitable Wardrobe
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History On Sale
20 Nov 2009 | 7:00 amA number of items from the wardrobe of the late Duke of Windsor will be auctioned this coming December 8 at Kerry Taylor Auctions in London. Lots 120-123 include shirts, ties, shoes, a cream silk dinner jacket by Metzel and a cream linen suit by H. Harris. Everything on offer was apparently in the original 1997 Sotheby's sale of the late Duke's effects.Special buttons graced much of the Duke's -
Henry Poole & Co
19 Nov 2009 | 7:00 amSimon Cundey and Alex Cooke (that is he in the background) of Henry Poole & Co. visited San Francisco's Huntington Hotel this week. In the second half of the nineteenth century Poole was perhaps the greatest society tailor that ever has been, and it remains a pillar of Savile Row. Cundey's suit in the photo exemplifies Poole's middle of the road house style that lies mid-way between London's soft -
Fancy Shirts
18 Nov 2009 | 7:00 amJoe Hemrajani of MyTailor.com is in the City this week and we spent a pleasant afternoon talking about fabrics and shirts, particularly David and John Anderson's Zephir 170 Lino. The Lino is a 50/50 cotton and linen mix with a great hand and an open weave for warm weather. Joe has been wearing the Lino these past spring and summer, and was enthusiastic about how well it does all the warm weather -
The House of Elliot Lives On
17 Nov 2009 | 7:00 amNear the end of several enjoyable months spent viewing thirty-some episodes of the BBC television series The House of Eliott, about a London couture house in the 1920's, I was sent publicity materials for Stowers Bespoke. Stowers is a Savile Row tailor presenting couture for ladies.Now, the English tailors of my acquaintance will all make clothing for ladies. Unfortunately, most of that looks -
High Gloss Was Hard Work
16 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amPolishing shoes was a considerably more arduous task before the Second World War and the development of modern tanning processes. The standard leather used for bespoke men's shoes pre-war was waxed calf, which is the rough reversed side of the hide that is now used for suede.Waxed calf can be brought to a high gloss similar to that of patent leather but the cost is literally weeks of polishing
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Nordquist Blog
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Thoughts on Google Chrome OS
20 Nov 2009 | 2:19 amAfter watching the Google Chrome OS webcast for a few minutes I decided to search for a build of Chrome OS and try it for myself. I’ve seen enough of these events to know that many of the demos are no more than smoke and mirrors. If you’re interested in running Chrome OS, check out this article. I was up and running in less than 15 minutes, but it helps if you’re comfortable using a bit torrent application like uTorrent. You’ll also need a Gmail account in order to login. Chrome OS login screen. Enter your Gmail credentials here. I ran Chrome OS from within Sun VirtualBox. -
Walking My Bike In The Rain
17 Nov 2009 | 12:23 amWhen I was 20 years old, I was serving as a missionary for my church and living in Siegen, Germany. Siegen is not a tourist Mecca like Munich or Heidelberg. But it has its share of castles and is home to a university. One gets to know a city when traveling by foot or by bicycle, and my companion and I spent 10-12 hours a day traveling through town looking for people to teach. Honestly, we were ecstatic if anyone wanted to speak with us. About anything. One morning I woke up to the sound of thunder. It wasn’t long before the rain came pouring down. We had an appointment on the other… -
The Queen Size Bed
15 Nov 2009 | 12:18 amOn the way home from Chipotle tonight Lincoln dumped a 20 oz. soda on the floor of our Honda Odyssey. “Lincoln, why didn’t you hold your drink!?” “Hold ON TO IT next time!!” “What were you thinking??” He’d placed the cup in the small cup holder in his booster seat, and it came out as I turned a corner. The van was dark and I couldn’t see his face back in the third row. Did he hear me? Did he care? He doesn’t say much. The kids were strapped into their seats and couldn’t reach the cup on the floor, and I couldn’t easy pull over. So we drove home while the soda sloshed… -
Looking Beyond the Grade
10 Nov 2009 | 8:28 pmKim and I went to school to meet with Luca’s teacher. She placed a manila folder on the table and walked us through the curriculum for third grade. This was our first time to meet with her since the first day of school. We listened as she went through each subject and explained to us how Luca was progressing and made suggestions such as books she may enjoy reading. She was organized and concise. I could tell she cared about our daughter. Luca loves school. She wants to perform well and takes pride in her work. Although I’m not certain how important letter grades are at this stage of her… -
Everyday Products
8 Nov 2009 | 11:40 pmEvery morning I stumble out of bed. Our boxer hears my steps and jumps off the couch begging me to let her outside which I do before heading downstairs to take a shower. And there, looking back at me, is the $3 shower curtain. It’s light brown. Or tan or maybe off-white. Whatever the color, it’s the UGLIEST shower curtain liner I’ve seen. I’m not sure what I was expecting from a three dollar liner, but it’s a worthless piece of plastic. I’d be better off hanging a large black garbage bag from the plastic hooks. It doesn’t hang straight, include crease marks or cling to the side…
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Ramblings of a Single Dad
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Wordless Wednesday: 11-18-09
17 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pm -
Adios, Nor'Ida
15 Nov 2009 | 6:16 pmWhat started on Wednesday finally fizzled into a drizzly mist by Saturday afternoon, when the wind began to die down and the floodwater in the streets had time to recede.The locals have nicknamed this November Nor'easter "Nor'Ida," since the storm began with the remnants of hurricane Ida stalling over our area, then sitting and spinning for days. The kids got a five day weekend out of the deal ( -
Dude... Where's my fence?
12 Nov 2009 | 3:02 pmWe're kind of hunkering down for the next day or so. This nor'easter is pounding Virginia Beach right now, canceling schools today and causing problems on the roads and some damage to our homes. By noon yesterday, part of my fence had blown down, and during the course of the day today, I lost two screen doors, and a portion of siding from the back of my house blew off (it's been recovered!).Thank -
Wordless Wednesday: 11-11-09
10 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pm -
Six Successful Words
9 Nov 2009 | 6:27 pmIn a "sermonette" delivered to the children of our parish recently, Father Jimmy made a statement that has been ringing so loudly in my head that I cannot stop thinking about how both profound and appropriate it is.He told the children, "Obedient people succeed. Rebellious people fail."Wow. Six words that could change the course of a child's life and they almost seemed too simple to be true.
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5ksandcabernets
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Isn't pasta supposed to be good for you?
12 Nov 2009 | 8:23 pmMile 6: 7:11Mile 7: 7:34Mile 8: 8:44Mile 9: 9:31Mile 10: 8:13These are the splits of my last five miles of Thursday morning's 10-miler with Team Rogue. I know what you are thinking: "Ah-ha, you ran Mile 6 too fast and you were spent the last four miles of the run." Wrong.During this entire run, I just didn't feel right, and felt nothing like I did during Tuesday's 10-miler, when I ran the last 5 miles in sub 7:00-mile pace. To be honest, on Thursday morning, I felt exactly the way I felt during the Portland Marathon. Sluggish. Weak. A little delirious. -
Trying to add things up
7 Nov 2009 | 11:19 amOctober 4: I'm fully hydrated. Hadn't drank wine in two days. Well-tapered. I take gells and drink water every three or four miles. And then I go out and run a 4-hour marathon in temperatures in the 40s and on a flat course. Today: I awaken with a hangover from drinking 3 glasses of wine the night before. I feel so bad that I take ibuprofen. I run 17.5 miles in 2:16 (7:50 pace) on a hilly Austin course with temperatures in the 60s and rising and 100 percent humidity. During the run, all I take is a few swigs of water. No gells. No salt. Nothing else. Huh???If I ever figure this… -
I've got to get out of the rabbit hole
2 Nov 2009 | 10:04 pmIn my new job, everyday I see stories that are shocking or sad or crazy: A father making less than $30,000/year somehow qualifying for a $150,000 mortgage; a senior citizen with perfect credit talked into emptying his retirement account to buy four investment properties in two weeks. And of course, by the time I see these files - stuffed with all the personal information of the borrower or co-borrower - the borrower is well on their way to losing their house.I see these train wrecks everyday. And the stories are fascinating. Sadly fascinating. And that's the problem. In my old job, as a… -
October 2009 mileage
1 Nov 2009 | 10:10 amI ended the month with a 16 mile run on Halloween. Got it done in 2:01. Because I took a lot of time off after my October 4 (Disastrous) Portland Marathon, October was my lowest mileage month since December.October mileage - 124.64 Time: 16 hours, 39 minutes, 53 secondsPace: 8:01 min/mile2009 mileage: 1,896.762009 pace: 8:07 min/mile -
So what...
25 Oct 2009 | 10:31 amI know it seems like I've dropped off the face of the (blogging) earth, but I have been adjusting to my new job investigating mortgage fraud and have been trying to fit how to run in my new schedule.And I have been running and in this colder weather, my runs have gone well, but so what... I ran 13 miles in 1:37 (7:30 pace) this morning, but so what... I don't even come close to that pace when I run marathons. I also averaged around 7:30 for an 8- and a 7-miler last week. But it's like, yeah yeah yeah, where is all this speed and endurance on Marathon Sunday? I don't know.
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Daddy`s Toolbox
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Help Make Sure Your Kids Eat Healthy Over the Holidays
17 Nov 2009 | 6:59 pmPowered by Whrrl -
I’m Suffering From a Man Cold
2 Nov 2009 | 7:06 pmI always get a laugh out of watching this video from Man Stroke Woman, a British comedy show. And it’s perfect for this week, as I’ve come down with a “Man Cold” which is more like the flu. I’m all achy and running a low-grade fever. Nothing a few Advil can’t take care of. Anyway, the video says it all!! LOL. -
Daddy-Son Bonding – Taking My Son to Lunch
9 Oct 2009 | 9:52 pmWell what an awesome lunch I had today! No I wasn’t at a bar watching a sports game or out with my coworkers, instead I spent a nice hour taking my (almost) five year old son, LT, out to Pizzeria Uno’s. I had mentioned that I would like to grab lunch with him one day and this morning he asked me, “Daddy, when are you taking me to lunch?” “Well today is good!” I replied, LT smiled! So just before noon I left my office and did the 3-minute drive to his school (he’s in Pre-K). He was so anxious for me to arrive and when I got there he hopped up, ran… -
Enjoying His New Ride – Upgrading to a Booster Seat
13 Aug 2009 | 1:49 pmOk, today was my 4.5 year old son’s first ride in his new booster seat – drum roll…… …and he loved it! It was THUMBS UP! He thought it was the coolest thing to be able to have more mobility and move around, grab books from the seat next to him (easier) and he even managed to reach out and touch my arm and said, “Cool, Daddy! I can even touch your arm!” I did tell him that he should always keep his back against the seat while moving like he does on the school bus for his preschool field trips. He couldn’t wait to get to school and tell his one teacher, Miss Lori, all… -
Way To Go Buddy! My Son Is Learning How to Swim
8 Aug 2009 | 6:05 pmWay to go Buddy! I’m so proud of my son for becoming comfortable jumping into a swimming pool!! Of course, I still freak out when I see him do it and go underwater for 8 seconds. But it no longer seems to phase him. Today, both of our kids spent the morning and most of the afternoon over at my parent’s community pool while I did some work on my basement project and my wife did her things. I think it’s best this way since I tend to overreact to small things and get freaky when the kids don’t listen to me at the pool (or anywhere for that matter). I think if I was with…
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Danz Family
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Sports Cupcakes
6 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pmPreviously, I posted about Mary's awesome soccer ball cupcakes. This year, Mary added basketball and baseball cupcakes to the mix for Drew's birthday party today. Basketball cupcake pattern. Baseball cupcake pattern. The sports cupcakes were a huge hit with all the kids! Awesome job Mama!!! -
Will Plays the Piano
5 Nov 2009 | 9:54 pmDrew was at school when our new piano was delivered so Will had first crack at breaking it in. Despite being the wild one of the two, our full-of-energy three year-old Will surprised us all by sitting down at the piano and gently stroking the keys in the most amazing manner. We don't know if its from watching other people play or what, but it's totally out of character for the little guy. We weren't thinking about starting Will out with lessons for another year or so, but if his demeanor in front of the ivory continues, we just might have to get him started sooner. -
Steinway & Sons Essex EUP-123 Piano
5 Nov 2009 | 9:52 pmToday we welcomed a new addition to our family, a brand new Steinway & Sons Essex Empire Studio upright piano in Sapele Mahogany, model number EUP-123FL. We had the perfect spot just calling out for an upright piano to make its home. The Sepele Mahogany finish is absolutely beautiful and goes really well with the rest of our furniture. Neither Mary nor I ever learned to play, but we really wanted to get a piano for the boys to learn to play. We first started looking for a piano two years ago and after a lot of research and many trips to various piano stores we finally decided on this one as… -
Three Brothers
4 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmMary took it upon herself to try and herd cats today and...amazingly enough...got an awesome picture of the three boys, all of them looking at the camera! -
America the Beautiful
3 Nov 2009 | 9:39 pmWhile looking for some Thanksgiving pictures, Steve Chavez came upon DanzFamily.com and was inspired by the American Flag which waves proudly at the top of the page. After exchanging emails and directing him to the original iStockPhoto.com photo, he created the image above. Well done Steve!
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Dad of Divas
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Project 365 - A Review Of Where I Have Been
20 Nov 2009 | 4:52 amI have put together a Whrrl story to look back at the 365 project - take a look! Hope you enjoy it! Powered by Whrrl ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- New to the Divadom? Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader Questions?Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com -
Overheard the other day....
19 Nov 2009 | 5:44 amDiva-J has been a bit of a slow poke lately when it comes to finishing her meals. The other night at dinner the following was overheard... Diva-J - Don't worry mom, I'll be done in a gypsy! J-Mom - You mean you'll be done in a jiffy? Diva-J - Oh yeah...that's what I meant. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- New to the Divadom? Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader Questions?Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com -
Project 365 (365/365) - The Divas Take Me Home
19 Nov 2009 | 3:12 amOn this last day... I will start as I began with pictures of my divas! It has been a hard but fruitful trip in photography and npw that it is done I do not know what my plan is.... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- New to the Divadom? Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader Questions?Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com -
Squirrel Nests in the Morning
18 Nov 2009 | 5:25 amSunrise, a light fog hovers across the ground. As I walk toward my work I look up in a tree in the park which sits close to my work and see a large squirrel nest that sits at top of an old oak tree. As I look at this, I find myself pondering the symmetry and construction that one animal uses to make such a nest. I found myself as a father wishing that I could share this experience with my daughters and talk to them about why animals do such things. It opened my eyes to the amount of things that were out there that can be used as teaching tools. After I experienced this morning, I began… -
Project 365 (364/365) - Corn on The Cob
18 Nov 2009 | 3:03 amMaize always reminds me of fall! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- New to the Divadom? Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader Questions?Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com
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HighTechDad Blog
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A Week with the Verizon/Motorola DROID (By an iPhone Addict)
20 Nov 2009 | 8:30 amThis past week, I decided to find out what the hype was all about regarding the Droid. Launched just a few weeks ago, the Droid has been positioned as a potential iPhone-killer. Being an avid iPhone user (but still someone open to new, better or different devices), I wanted to truly test the Droid out to find out what the hype was all about. Even before the Droid was launched, Verizon initiated a series of “attack campaigns” targeted at the iPhone. These “iDon’t” ads really helped to delineate the differences between the two companies (Google and Apple) from an… -
A Theater in your Pocket: WowWee’s Cinemin Swivel
16 Nov 2009 | 8:32 amI must admit, I have never heard of the WowWee Cinemin Swivel until my step-brother-in-law sent me a Facebook message asking me if I had ever tried it out. I told him that I hadn’t but that I would try to get my hands on one for a review and let him know my thoughts. Funny thing is, I actually had heard of WowWee before (FlyTech Dragonfly) but just not about this specific product. The Cinemin Swivel is definitely NOT a toy (the way the Dragonfly is, sort of). The Cinemin is a pocket-sized DLP projector which hooks up to a variety of A/V sources including iPods, iPhones, video game… -
“The Sony Witch Project” – A Halloween Adventure with Sony Gear
10 Nov 2009 | 8:03 amTen years ago, a movie was released that scared many and used a format that was unique to its space for the time period. The Blair Witch Project had an interesting premise, 3 student filmmakers disappear in the wood of Maryland while filming a documentary about a witch. After a year, footage from the students is found and thus this movie comes to be. The movie is edgy, raw and quite frightening. As is seen in the footage, the students become lost and as night descends, they camp and things just gets odder and scarier. They find out they are being stalked and…well…you should probably just… -
The Future is Here: Wireless Power Charging with Powermat
9 Nov 2009 | 7:45 amWhen your life is filled with gadgets, much the way mine is, you have a huge trail of power cords that follow those devices. What this means is that you have to consider where to store those cords, which cords go to what and keep track of all of them. I have thought about actually labeling ever power cord that I have received so that I know what goes to what. I may still do that…however I now have a different, better and more modern solution. The people at Powermat have come up with a device that anyone who has any number of gadgets, cell phones, handheld gaming devices or other consumer… -
Sounding Out! Sony Xplod MEX-BT5700U versus Parrot RKi8400 In-Dash Bluetooth Car Stereos
2 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amFor me, the season of giving came early. This summer I was contacted by two PR firms who wanted me to test out some new Bluetooth, phone enabled in-dash car stereo systems. Both requests for review were unsolicited and completely independent of each other. And since they both offered me the units for free including the installation, that was something I just couldn’t turn down. I did warn both of them that I would be doing not only a head-to-head comparison, but that it would be a balanced review, highlighting positives AND negatives. So let’s set the framework here. We have two…
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Always Home and Uncool
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Why I Won't Sleep Much Halloween Night
29 Oct 2009 | 9:01 pm"Hey, Dad! Wanna see my pictures from art class?" "That's an scary looking jack-o-lantern, Thing 2. But, uh, what's with the red under the eyes and mouth?" "That's blood! Oozing out!" "Uh, awesome, buddy. What else ya got there? That's a big one." "Yeah. I was the only one to do two pictures. Everyone else only did one. But I did TWO." "Cool looking witch silhouette in front of the moon, dude." "Yeah. Look down there ... "... That's a tombstone by the house!" "Nice touch, son... but, um, what's that over there? ... "... Is that a scarecrow? With a chainsaw?" "Yeah! He… -
Conditions May Be Slippery
28 Oct 2009 | 11:30 amThe autumn sky refused to wake this morning. Rain dripped then coldly plummeted and the wind scissored through the Northeastern trees, cutting leaves down in carnival-colored tears. I told the Things to pile in the minivan. No walking to school this A.M. The tires tried to accelerate up the driveway, but slipped and skidded on the motley blanket of New England fall. I warned the Things, as they sat seat-belted in the middle row. I warned them that no matter how quickly you need to get somewhere, sometimes you must be slow and cautious because even the most passive beauty can hide the… -
Lost in Translation
26 Oct 2009 | 12:16 pmWhen the Things were younger, we set the TVs in our house to display the closed captioning under the belief that this might help the runts learn to recognize words and spell while somewhat countering Zack and Cody's best efforts to turn their brains to mush. I cannot verify this method actually works, given Thing 1's struggles with reading and what happened this past weekend with Thing 2. My Love sat in the living room watching a movie and Thing 2, taking a break from his ambitious early compiling of his Christmas list (top item: "Everything Pokemon"), joined her. In one scene in the movie,… -
The Sex Vacuum
23 Oct 2009 | 9:27 amI'm firing the people who clean our house. Apparently, they're killing my sex life. The Wall Street Journal, known internationally as the Masters and Johnson of financial reporting and research, wrote this week about a study that finds the more housework husbands and wives do, the more likely they are to have sex. Sex with each other, I should note. Cybersex, actual physical affairs and going solo were not mentioned, so I can only assume that when one spouse scrubs the shower grout, even if it is with some Bon Ami, that the other spouse is the sole beneficiary of said scrubbing. After reading… -
Tuesday To Do List
20 Oct 2009 | 5:19 pm1. Eat vegetables even though you'd prefer a double chocolate doughnut. 2. Share a giggle with me as I tell the real story behind Gwen Thompson, the formerly homeless American Girl character that parent company Mattel is trying to pawn off on you at $95 a pop. It's over on DadCentric. You know, the place where the Wild Things are. 3. Go see Where the Wild Things Are. By yourself. It's a very good movie about both the reckless abandon, infinite imagination and awkwardness of childhood. Exuberant, dark, brilliant, sad, funny and quiet. We parents all need a refresher in that now and again. 4.
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LiteralDan
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Book Review: Spongebob's Feelin' It!
18 Nov 2009 | 1:00 amWhen you see this, the cover of the infant-tactile-stimulation book SpongeBob's Feelin' It!, are you as unnerved as I am at this answer to the question, "What is SpongeBob doing when he's not filming his show?"How did this pass all of the various committees that surely had to approve its creation? Are they even paying attention anymore, when they're not busy cashing checks labeled "SpongeBob Toothbrushes", "SpongeBob Glucose Monitors", and "Actual Square Pants"?I mean, just look at that satisfied smile on his bucktoothed face! Chilling.Then again, haven't you always wanted to find out exactly… -
Amusing searches, Vol. 4
16 Nov 2009 | 1:30 amHere are some of the most amusing searches that brought people here recently, this time collected under the very simple theme of Herpes.PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: I must warn you against using Google without at least some kind of keyboard cover-- it seems to be the ringleader in spreading herpes across the Internet.(All search strings are reprinted exactly as they were entered.)• can a dog give you herpes and can dogs give you herpes - Yes, these were two distinct searches.* All I'll say in answer is, if you find yourself driven to search the globe for this particular bit of information,… -
A conversation between M- and D-: Now thar's a handsome woman
13 Nov 2009 | 1:00 amHere's a little conversation I overheard the other day between my 5-year-old son D- and my 2-year-old daughter M-, while they were sitting on the floor getting dressed:D- (innocently) You look handsome today, M-.M- (lovingly but firmly correcting him) No. I'm pretty! Not handsome.D- (seeing a chance to frustrate her) I'm pretty, you're handsome.M- (getting riled up, but still just extremely insistent) Noooo!!! Handsome is for boys, pretty is for girls, so I'm pretty, and you are handsome.D- (scrambling for a BS explanation, just like his old man would) No. ...M- (shouting now) YES!! Handsome… -
They never specified "Veterans" of what
11 Nov 2009 | 2:00 amAs the Calendar Gods grant all Americans (except my mom, as usual) a rare Wednesday off from work and school (or, for some of us, from not neglecting the care of children), I think it's important that we all take at least a few moments to remember who this Veterans Day is really about: Me.How is this day about me, you ask? In what branch of the military did I serve? Well, that's a complicated question, in one sense. In another, more realistic sense, the fact that I never served is not complicated at all.But let's look past that technically unanswered question to the most pertinent issue-- I… -
Kids are nature's way of overwhelming your gag reflex
9 Nov 2009 | 1:00 amFor those of you who don't have children, or those who just haven't found out quite yet, somehow, I have a very special bulletin for you.Children are, as a species, probably the most disgusting beings on Earth, with the tie-breaking edge being handed to them over the dung beetle only because their cute, innocent looks and demeanors really blindside you with the scandalous truth.I mean, you don't know how many times you'll have to ask them, whether an infant or a first-grader, to stop graphically tonguing the handle of a shopping cart, especially if it's got crevices (thanks Target).A typical…
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Unraveling Life's Mysteries
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The End Is Near…
By every-one's comments and the recent glaring looks I got from my wife, I guess it's time to change the subject from my sex life. On to more pressing matters. I just received my next to last unemployment check today. One more in a couple of weeks and then the money ... -
No Time for Sex…
There I said it and I stand by my words. There just doesn't seem to be enough time to consummate my relationship as often as I would like. Life has just gotten either too busy, too crazy, interrupted or some other priority like catching up on my sleep. Now this isn't a complaint ... -
Greetings From San Antonio…
Weather's great, wish you were here... The wife and I are spending a few days in the big, wide open state of Texas. We're really enjoying ourselves here in the Lone Star State. Great food, even better alcoholic beverages (margaritas seem to be the specialty) and of course Shriner beer. For ... -
Global Warming?
As I write this at 5:30 wait, (damn time change), I mean 4:30 in the afternoon today the weather report is 77 degrees in Newport Beach. Yeah, 77 degrees on November 1st. What the hell? Living in Southern California, which I love by the way, has it's advantages. Clean air when ... -
A Day of Mourning…
Yes, we were the Boston Beaters we just couldn't be the Yankee Killers. This morning I've resigned myself to a little self pity on the 5-2 loss to the Yankees. I'll get over it. Really, I will. There is always next season and since these Angels have found a way ...
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Annoyingly Boring?
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Just Back From The Library (292/365 v2.0)
20 Nov 2009 | 10:55 amProject 365 // Day 292 v2.0 Ignore Everybody And 39 Other Keys to Creativity by Hugh MacLeod Don’t know where I saw it, either on a blog I follow or on somebody’s Facebook feed, but I know or at least “know” somebody who recently read this and loved it. I just can’t remember who it was. Got the email the other day that it was finally available and ready to be picked up at my library. I’ll let you know how it is. UPDATE: It was Rob Weiher from (Un)qualified to Blog, another 365′er who mentioned the book. -
He Rides Head First Into A Hurricane (291/365 v2.0)
20 Nov 2009 | 4:55 amProject 365 // Day 291 v2.0 …and disappears into a point And there’s nothin’ left but some blood where the body fell That is, nothin’ left that you could sell just junk all across the horizon, a real highwayman’s farewell -
The Dude Abides (290/365 v2.0)
20 Nov 2009 | 4:50 amProject 365 // Day 290 v2.0 Fluffy is a dude. Even if everybody always thinks he’s dudette. It’s the cute pink nose I think. -
Another Sick Day (289/365 v2.0)
19 Nov 2009 | 9:21 amProject 365 // Day 289 v2.0 This is Tuesday. John wasn’t alone either. He’s back to school Thursday. Lara is shooting for a Friday return. This bug is no longer welcome in our home (not that it really ever was)!! In a selfish side note, having the kids home sick has totally thrown me out of whack. It should be just Regan and I dagnabit! Still need to get Wednesday’s (and today’s) photos up. I am all discombobulated! -
National Monument To The Forefathers (288/365 v2.0)
16 Nov 2009 | 10:30 pmProject 365 // Day 288 v2.0 Although not as famous as the Mayflower II or Plymouth Rock, the National Monument to the Forefathers is pretty impressive and worth a look for sightseers visiting Plymouth Massachusetts. I’ve been a resident of the area my entire life but had never checked it out until today. It stands 81 feet tall is fashioned from solid granite and has some pretty impressive sculpture in it. My photo doesn’t really do it justice as I was there at high noon (not a great time for photography).
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One Dad's Life
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And Some Posts Just Write Themselves!
13 Nov 2009 | 6:21 amOne of the truly great things for a parent, if you have more than one kid and they are separated by a few years, occurs when the first child hits the teen years, believe it or not. What is this great thing? Why it's built-in baby-sitting, of course!Our daughters are approximately six years apart, so we have the perfect baby-sitting situation. This is very useful, due to all the rehearsals, performances and other similar events that my wife and I have. It's nice that the youngest can get in bed on time (if it is a night-time event) and they would BOTH rather not be tagging… -
Wordless Wednesday - Blooming in the Rain!
11 Nov 2009 | 5:45 amA couple of weeks ago, after returning from our trip to Eckert's (the subject of this Wordless Wednesday. And this one, too!), it was overcast and started to rain. Frequently, when this happens, I head outside - risking our non-waterproof Nikon SLR - to get pictures of flower blooms in the perfectly even lighting and water droplets the weather so graciously provides!Unfortunately, I never remember the names of the flowers, but the ones shown below make up borders in our front yard flower garden. The bright blue flowers REALLY ARE THAT BRIGHT. This little plant was one of the lone… -
Another Important Teenage Milestone Reached!
10 Nov 2009 | 8:34 amAs you know, those turbulent teen years are years with many "firsts." This is the time when kids make that sometimes difficult transition into adulthood. My oldest daughter, Rebecca, is 13, with her 14th birthday coming up soon. We've noticed lots of changes in the past couple of years with her...she's really growing up! This past week, however, definitive proof presented itself that she is moving steadily towards adulthood.I know by now that many possibilities are going through your head about which particular first this could be, and let me tell you: IT'S… -
Why Does Toilet Paper Have to be so Confusing?
6 Nov 2009 | 5:31 amWhy is it so difficult to buy toilet paper? I'm not talking about actually finding and then obtaining the toilet paper, mind you. That's easy enough. I'm also not talking about any psychological issues with buying something as "private" as toilet paper. I don't have any problem with grabbing the MEGA super-value pack and walking around the store with it. I mean, really, think of the alternatives!I'm not even talking about picking a brand, though the claims on the rolls of toilet paper crack me up. Example: "A guaranteed clean!" Really? … -
Wordless Wednesday - Classic Truck
4 Nov 2009 | 5:18 amWhat is it about rusty old pickup trucks that make them such a popular photo subject? I don't know, either! However, I was still ensnared by this truck that literally FORCED me to take its picture!Taken at Eckert's Millstadt Farm, Millstadt, IL. with my trusty Nikon D60. Click on the picture for a bigger version.
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Fighting Monsters with Rubber Swords
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More on Bernie Goldberg
19 Nov 2009 | 9:57 pm(Heh. "More on Bernie Goldberg". I'm twelve.)I had listed these updates on the last blog post, but at this point, I think they probably deserve their own post. So here you go:Update: I posted a comment on his blog (and you can, too!):Robert Rummel-Hudson says:November 19, 2009 at 10:56 pmThe thing is, and I suspect you are fully aware of this, parents of kids with disabilities aren’t offended because of your conservative positions. We’re offended, deeply offended, because you have taken our children’s plights, their very LIVES, and you have turned them into talking points. You’ve… -
A Message for Bernie Goldberg
19 Nov 2009 | 10:43 amI'm going to start off by saying that I had no idea who Bernie Goldberg was before this. A few minutes on Wikipedia and his own website told me plenty, that he's got a snappy suit with a nice tie, and that he's a conservative writer with a penchant for hyperbolic book titles. And that's fine, really. There are plenty of conservative writers whom I've admired in the past. (Well, "plenty" is perhaps pushing it.) I realize that sounds dangerously close to "some of my best friends are black", but it is what it is. In my own writing, I try to be fair and I try not to be boring. (It's harder than… -
From the margins
18 Nov 2009 | 8:26 amWalking for talkingOriginally uploaded by Citizen RobOver the weekend, we participated in the 2009 Childhood Apraxia for Speech Walk in Fort Worth. I realize that I almost never use the term "apraxia" to describe Schuyler's monster, mostly because in her case, we know where it comes from, which is hardly the case for many or even most parents of kids with apraxia of speech. We're at least spared some of the mystery, which is no small thing. Think of all the scariest movies you've ever seen; it's the monster you CAN'T see that inspires the deepest dread.Schuyler's particular affliction,… -
Flygirl Realized
10 Nov 2009 | 9:26 pmOn Halloween weekend, we had an amazing experience, one that we're unlikely to forget any time soon. Almost a week and a half later, we're all still talking about it.And the book festival was fun, too.A few weeks ago, when they saw that Schuyler had chosen her hero, Amelia Earhart, for her Halloween costume, Austin friends Jim and Pat Howard emailed me with an amazing offer for Schuyler's weekend in town for the Texas Book Festival, assuming we had time. When I read the offer, I knew immediately that we'd make the time.I'm not sure how long I've known Jim and Pat, although I can remember Jim… -
"It is before our very eyes..."
10 Nov 2009 | 1:48 pmExcerpts from remarks by President Obama at the memorial service at Fort Hood, Texas.For those families who have lost a loved one, no words can fill the void that has been left. We knew these men and women as soldiers and caregivers. You knew them as mothers and fathers; sons and daughters; sisters and brothers.But here is what you must also know: your loved ones endure through the life of our nation. Their memory will be honored in the places they lived and by the people they touched. Their life's work is our security, and the freedom that we too often take for granted. Every evening that…
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Velcrometer
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Miles to Go
19 Nov 2009 | 5:08 pmMiles to GoI don't know how long it's been since it was still cool for bloggers to make fun of the ridiculous and overpriced crap in Sharper Image and Skymall. Probably since before I was one. But as passé as it may be to skewer products aimed at people with more money than sense, I'm not sure the same can me said of products aimed at people with not very much of either.Hence my appreciation for the Miles Kimball catalog, or as Trash and I like to call it, "Magazine O' Crap." Just look at a few of the things you never knew you needed, and still don't! For instance:If you've been kept awake… -
17 Nov 2009 | 7:04 pm
17 Nov 2009 | 7:04 pmChoose Your WeaponAs you may or may not be aware, I am well into recapping my third season of The Amazing Race for Television Without Pity. As you are almost certainly aware, my redoubtable predecessor at that gig was Miss Alli, a.k.a. my very good friend Linda Holmes. She recapped the other twelve seasons and left some very big shoes to fill. While she has continued to showcase her writing skill in other impressive places, she is still missed at TAR via TWoP, especially by me on Sunday nights when it's after nine and I've barely finished drafting the first act.The good news is that she is… -
The Host with the Most
14 Nov 2009 | 10:15 pmThe Host with the MostRemember reading about all the work we went to for M. Edium's birthday party last month? Well, M. Edium returned the favor for his mom. I think he put in just as much effort as we did, if you use a sliding scale adjusted for age of the person putting in the effort.Of course, they both got help from me. While Trash took it easy for a little while, M. Edium and I went upstairs to his room to work on preparing it for the party he wanted to host for her right there. This involved the two of us cleaning up his room, making his bed, and organizing all his books, toys, and… -
Not Getting Things Done
11 Nov 2009 | 8:58 pmNot Getting Things DoneI had the afternoon off and I was already in the car, so I was going to go pick up Trash's birthday present really quick. Trash called my cell and insisted I come home first instead. Yes, Veteran's Day might be a little early to start hanging Christmas lights on the roofline, but she doesn't like me up there when there's snow and ice on the ground and when am I going to have another chance to do it when it's 60 degrees outside? Without moving out of state, that is? I told her I'd just do my "errands" and then come home and get it done quickly. She said I could get it… -
Unhappy Feet
9 Nov 2009 | 10:09 pmUnhappy FeetPart of the reason Trash bought us a Wii last year was to help us get into somewhat better shape. Unfortunately, however, it turns out that most Wii games are really boring. And then it also turned out that most of them can be played just as well from a full couch-slouch, as Chao and Gerd always reveled in demonstrating.So last Christmas, one of the gifts I got Trash was a couple of Dance Dance Revolution games for the PS2 and a universal dance pad. Last week I took it even further: I plugged them in.Trash loves it. It took us a while to figure out the game interface -- how were…
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Attachment Parenting Blog: Raising Children with Love
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Fighting H1N1 with a cool soap dispenser
3 Nov 2009 | 9:24 pmI'm not a big fan of vaccinations. I think that it's one of the reasons that we're seeing more and more extreme allergies and auto-immune deficiency illnesses, a path that only seems to have one direction for us to travel: to a world where people are more and more sickly, more reliant on the vaccinations and big pharma medications. Probably makes me sound a bit paranoid. Ah well, can't be helped, I'm just being transparent. My kids have never been vaccinated for anything and they've had remarkably healthy childhoods and when they've gotten sick, they're returned to health quite quickly. -
Dad + daughter's hair: an inherent disaster?
27 Oct 2009 | 4:37 pmI'm lucky, I know. I'm a single dad to two girls, 12 and 5, and while it'd be a bit odd for the tween to be asking me for help with the latest hair style, it's a miracle that my 5yo daughter can do her own hair and never asks me for more than finding those darn hair bands. Most dads don't have it that easy, and there's little more intimidating than a little girl asking you to "do that pretty braid like mommy does" or "fix my hair for photo day". Turns out I'm not alone in my misigivings and angst in this area: a chap called Craig Lawrey contacted me a few weeks ago about a book he's written… -
Jif Peanut Butter is gluten-free, but ...
22 Oct 2009 | 8:53 amThe PR agency behind Jif peanut butter has a promotion where they're asking for the best recipes that include Jif peanut butter. Okay, not a bad idea. When I got a copy of the query I responded that to me the real question is the quality of the food: two of my three children are on gluten-free diets. To my surprise, they informed me that Jif actually is a gluten-free product. Now, before you say "well, yeah, it's peanuts and oil", you should know that just about all foods on the shelf now have the ambiguous "natural flavoring" and that's often where gluten is hiding, as an additive or… -
The economics of driving a taxi in Las Vegas
17 Oct 2009 | 9:12 amI'm in Las Vegas right now for the Blogworld and New Media Expo and took a cab, as I often do, cruising around from hotel to hotel, party to party. This time the driver, Frank, was in a talkative mood and revealed some very interesting information about the economics of being a cab driver here in Las Vegas. Wondering how these guys get paid? Turns out that one of their biggest sources of revenue is dropping fares off at strip clubs. In fact, there's a "price war" going on with the strip clubs here in Vegas and a cabbie can earn up to $100 per person for dropping people off at the door. They… -
For me, the Hilton Grand Vacation Club timeshare numbers didn't end up working
14 Oct 2009 | 10:59 amA pal of mine emailed me a few days ago asking: Do you have a hilton grand vacations hgvc timeshare? Which resort do you usually go to? Are you happy with it? We went back and forth in email, including me explaining some of the math behind time shares and why they're such a bad idea for most people (myself included, in hindsight) and so I thought I'd publish the back and forth here, add some additional comments, and invite you readers to add your own two cents and your experiences with timeshares, whether you jumped or not. Ready? Here we go... I responded: We paid $110,000 for a…
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Clark Kent's Lunchbox
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My Wacky Brain: I Swear It Could Give Me An Aneurysm
11 Nov 2009 | 9:55 amIt's funny. When single, I always thought I would end up with a cute, Jewish girl from NYC who had a split-your-sides sense of humor like Sloane Crosley or Sarah Silverman (I would've included Tina Fey, but she's not Jewish). Turns out, I did waaaaay better: a beautiful, quick-witted, part Cherokee woman from Oklahoma who suffers from seizures and has a mother who narrowly escaped an aneurysm. Lucky indeed!Take this weekend for instance. Sunday I walked into the kitchen and chuckled, relaying to my wife that I kept having these strong moments of de'ja vu and couldn't get this burnt hair smell… -
"Twilight" For Girls? Dad Bloggers Share Their Thoughts
10 Nov 2009 | 11:00 pmHave you hear about this story called Twilight? It's about vampires. No? Well, walk into any Target, WalMart or Borders Books, ask a store clerk and note their expression as they wonder if you've been living under a remote forest. Yeah, it's that big, and with the series' latest movie installment, New Moon, hitting theaters, the story of forbidden love between mortals and vampires will reign eternal (at least until the day Twilight-related merchandise is marked for clearance after the next big thing comes along).As part of a consortium effort known as the Twilight Dad Bloggers Experiment,… -
Mad Men = Bad Parents? My Essay on Babble
10 Nov 2009 | 8:06 amWith another season of Mad Men over, my wife and I are left with a big hole to fill in our entertainment schedule. This constitutes a real problem. We're talking about Mad Men — not some cream-puff comedy easily replaced by a few rounds of Wii bowling. Night after night we have sat on the couch, she holding a tumbler of scotch, the day's newspaper folded neatly in her lap, and me in my apron, swirling my third glass of merlot. If that sounded backward, then allow me to explain. While my wife brings home the organic, hormone-free turkey-bacon, I am a stay-at-home dad (or SAHD). Our dynamic… -
My Stepdad's Not Mean, He's Just Adjusting
6 Nov 2009 | 3:30 amMy wife and I were bored the other night and decided to pull out an old DVD (I suppose in a broader sense, DVD's in general are old these days). After 20 minutes of deliberation, we finally settled on Death to Smoochy staring Edward Norton, Robin Williams, Catherine Keneer, Jon Stewart and Danny DeVito (who also directed it). If you've never seen Smoochy, it's a dark, farcical comedy about the kids entertainment industry (but it's NOT a kids movie). In one of these scenes Norton sings the song, "My Stepdad's Not Mean, He's Just Adjusting," which I totally forgot about. Ash and I rolled on the… -
Halloween Geek Out
4 Nov 2009 | 7:03 amHere are a few pics of the girls from Halloween. In the morning we hit the comic book store a did a little Christmas shopping since wearing a costume got you a 25-30% discount. (kids make great coupons.) Yes, I know; the Clark outfit is a rerun, but the girls were begging me to wear it, so I obliged. And in the late afternoon we hit a Halloween festival put on by the local church. Loads of fun. However, I have to say, for as cool as the girls looked, their candy collecting efforts can only be described as "deplorable."
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Mocha Dad
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Holiday Mail for Heroes 2009
20 Nov 2009 | 8:25 pmPartnering with the Department of Defense, Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Pitney Bowes, Inc., the Red Cross is sending holiday greeting cards to recovering service members in military hospitals. Last year I wrote about the Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign and I received great feedback from all of you. This year, the goal of the campaign remains the same: to recruit Americans to send holiday cards with messages of thanks and cheer to service members, veterans and their families. Through this campaign, American service men and women in the U.S. and around the world will receive a much… -
The Promise of a Father
17 Nov 2009 | 12:51 pmI was sitting in my office when my sister called. “Dad will be in town next month,” she said. “Why is he coming to town?” I asked. My father and I hadn’t seen or talked to each other in years. He gets the obligatory Christmas card, but I rarely communicate with him otherwise. “He’s never seen your son, X,” she said. “He wants to meet his grandson.” My father has always been a mystery to me. My parents divorced when I was about four or five and I have few memories of him in our home. There are no photos or mementos to prove his existence. It’s like he was an apparition… -
Pizza Rolls, Pop-Tarts and the Goodbye Kiss
12 Nov 2009 | 5:50 pmUsually, my wife, KayEm, gets the kids ready for school in the morning. But on a few occasions, I handle the this task. Based on my experiences, I’ve realized that things don’t go as smoothly for Daddy. 6:45 a.m. – I enter Nee’s bedroom to wake her up. She lifts her head off the pillow and asks, “Daddy, what are you doing here?” “I’m taking you to the bus stop this morning,” I say. “It’s time to ready, sweetheart.” Nee looks around the room and says, “It’s too early, Daddy.” “What do you mean… -
Hair Styling is No Job for Daddies
6 Nov 2009 | 11:30 amDon't touch my hair, Daddy! My daughter, Nee, has absolutely no confidence in my ability to do her hair. Whenever I attempt to style it, she becomes more obnoxious than Rush Limbaugh. Recently, my wife, KayEm, had to run an errand and I thought I would surprise her by combing and styling Nee’s hair (even though, Nee prefers KayEm to do her hair, it’s not a pleasant experience for either party. If you’ve ever bathed a cat, you can understand how these styling sessions go). I gathered all of the tools and materials and set-up a styling station at the kitchen table. “Nee,” I said. -
Did You Hear the One About Underpants?
2 Nov 2009 | 1:51 pmMy 6-year-old son, N, is a master of the one-liner. He keeps my wife and me in stitches with his witty observations. He hasn’t realized that his wit and charm naturally draw people to him. He is convinced that telling jokes is his key to developing friendships. Unfortunately, he is no Chris Rock. Here is an example of one of his better jokes: N: Knock-Knock Me: Who’s there? N: Chicken. Me: Chicken, who? N: Chicken, underpants. I can understand his need to connect to his peers with humor. When I was in grade-school, my friends and I engaged in what is commonly referred to as playing the…
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Parenting - The Dad Jam
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The Power of the Liquid Timer
2 Nov 2009 | 11:41 pmIf a timer is a parent’s best friend, a liquid timer is a parent’s best friend forever. Or life partner. I took a trip to Science World in Vancouver with the family today (Telus World of Science I should say – and a great place to go with the kids at that), and made the obligatory gift shop stop. While there, I happily learned that holders of yearly admission passes get a fifteen percent discount on everything in the shop. With this new found knowledge, I couldn’t leave empty handed. Come on, how can you pass up 15% off (even if everything in the store is 25%… -
I’m Still Alive
12 Oct 2009 | 12:33 pmThey make you laugh They make you cry, They make you smile They make you sigh. They are a joy They are a pain, They are your sunshine They are your rain. They give you hopes They give you fears, They’re full of smiles They’re full of tears. They’ll wake you up They’ll make you sleepy, They’ll make you happy They’ll make you weepy. They’re independent They need you there, They make you worry They make you care. They’re so small They’re so big, They make you shout They make you sing. They’re your kids They’re everything,… -
We didn’t inherit the Earth
20 Sep 2009 | 9:42 pmOne of the (many) things I love about my wife, is that she has taught me and our kids so much about caring for our Earth, and for others. I have learned through her that giving back to the Earth and others is the most fulfilling thing you can do in life, and I owe her the world for setting a wonderful example for our kids in this regard. When our kids see what we do (she does) to take care of the Earth and others, they want to do the same (you know, kids always want to be like their parents – until they reach puberty at least – which is why it is good to start when they’re… -
To force participation in hobbies, or not to force?
6 Sep 2009 | 11:09 pmFor your reading enjoyment, we are pleased to bring you a guest post from Keith Wilcox of almightydad.com. Keith is a stay at home dad and fellow dad blogger with lots of great wisdom and thoughts to impart, so I hope you give this a read and check out his site as well. To Force Participation in hobbies, or not to force? by Keith Wilcox of almightydad.com Each of my two boys has particular skills that make them good at certain hobbies. My youngest, Alan, is an excellent story teller; his imagination is off the charts, and he’s witty. Someday he could probably be a comedian or an actor… -
How to get your kids to do something – you do it too!
23 Aug 2009 | 1:59 pmI recently learned one of the best ways to get my toddle to do something is to simply do the thing that I want him to do. He is going through a bit of a phase right now where he wants to do whatever we do, so this works perfectly. If you are having troubles getting your toddler to listen to you, or to do something, try this out. Here are two examples that illustrate my point: Putting on pyjamas – after a long day, I was struggling to get Smarty Pants to put his pyjamas on after his bedtime bath. He insisted that he wanted to put shorts on. I had no idea why, but I was…
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The Dads Center
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Moving to www.daddyclaxton.com; join me.
16 Nov 2009 | 7:55 amDecember 2009 will be the last month for The Dads Center. I began with an idea when I was going through my divorce in 2004 for this site and found that being a single dad was pretty demanding, but rewarding nonetheless. As I've progressed in my growth with my marriage to Kari, it's become more and more clear that I need to do more direct marketing and branding of myself. And so, I've already transferred the content of this blog over to www.daddyclaxton.com. The pages still are under construction, but I'm making progress. I'm excited about what the new site can become and have some… -
Giving Myself Permission To Be Me; What makes you happy?
29 Oct 2009 | 6:14 amI've been in research mode, reflection mode and healing mode the past few weeks (well, months.) It's time for some changes in my life and I've been sorting through what they might be and what they might become. The forces of evil have been whipping about me and my family for the duration of the summer of 2009 with the force of a Katrina wind. Others have sought to bring ruin upon me and my household and I'm sure they're feeling very good about themselves and their worthless greed. May God have mercy on you. You'll need it. When I was younger, I wanted to be a novelist. But the… -
Product Bloggers Beware! New FTC disclosure requirements!
5 Oct 2009 | 10:02 amFinally, something from the FTC requiring the disclosure of information when one is blogging about a product in exchange for something from that company. From Mashable: FTC to Fine Bloggers up to $11,000 for Not Disclosing Payments October 5th, 2009 | by Adam OstrowBloggers now have up to 11,000 reasons to disclose when they are being paid to review products.The FTC has updated its Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising for the first time since 1980, and among the changes, a requirement that “bloggers who make an endorsement must disclose the material… -
Engadget: 30% dropped iPhone calls normal; My solution is ...
2 Oct 2009 | 9:09 amI saw this piece on Engadet today and thought about the frustration I used to suffer driving down 635 here in Dallas and suffering the angst of another dropped call on my iPhone 3G. Well, the solution I learned from an Apple Genius was to simply turn the 3G function off unless I was doing something with a lot of data. Yes, I'm paying for 3G, but it was explained to me that AT&T had over extended its towers with the launch of the service. When I went back to EDGE on my phone for making phone calls, the problem went away almost completely. But here's the Engadget piece just in case… -
I fell in love at the Apple Store. Too funny
28 Sep 2009 | 8:02 amThis is funny. Get a Mac. Today. I know this feeling. My wife and I are both Macs.
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Luke, I Am Your Father
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My 1st Kiss & A Bowl of Hot Random to Go.
19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pmLady Mama tagged me with the following Meme. It has been quite a while since I did one of these, plus I really like her blog, plus I am home pathetically sick with little else to amuse me besides the sound of construction in my basement, so I decided to give it a go.1. Name someone with the same birthday as you. My former boss. It was awwwkward.2. Where was your first kiss? Oh yeah. In my bedroom. I am pretty sure it was 'Destroyer'.3. Have you ever seriously vandalized someone else's property? Not that I can remember.4. Have you ever hit someone of the opposite sex? I am proud to say NO.5. -
Faint of Head
17 Nov 2009 | 1:25 pmThings were never like this before. The only explanation I can come up with is that I may be going soft in my old age.Before the birth of my son a couple of years ago, I had a extremely strong composition. I was born, raised, and spent my early adulthood on our family dairy farm in the southwestern part of Washington state. I worked hard, slept little, and witnessed more than my share of what could be called gruesome things. Whether it involved animal or human, there were many times where I watched blood, including my own, being spilled during those years. Enough blood and gore, in fact, that… -
Floundering Father
15 Nov 2009 | 10:28 pm"These are the times that try men's souls."Ok, ok . Fair enough. Those are not my words. Thomas Paine, in fact, penned those words, in reference to struggles of a newly declared independent nation against the treachery of a dastardly and oppressive invader from foreign soil, right after the birth of our nation in late 1776.I looked it up to refresh my memory, so I figure I am at least as smart as a 5th grader.As for the quote, I find relevance in those words even to this day. Perhaps it's just that I am battling a rather dastardly and oppresive bug which is making me feel as if my throat was… -
Wordless Wednesday: 'You Asked for More' Edition
11 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am -
The Hardy Boys
6 Nov 2009 | 8:44 pmThe promise came from Mrs. LIAYF. It was more of a bribe really."Lukas, eat all of your dinner and I'll give you a surprise". "I want a tattoo!" was his reply. Fair enough. It was a deal.And at that, the remainder of our 2-year-olds Friday night pizza was devoured without delay, followed by his mother bringing over a basket, filled with skin art booklets toddler dreams are made of. Sharks, Pirates, Trucks, and Firemen to name a few.Sticking with his recent fascination, Lukas choose a large firetruck to adorn his forearm. A wet washcloth and 30 seconds later and he was grinning from ear to…
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Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
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Twitter’s Finest
20 Nov 2009 | 5:15 amSomehow, I manage to follow over 6,000 people on Twitter (on two accounts), although it’s hard to keep up. With the new list feature, I’ve tried to separate these wonderful and funny people which helps me find who and what I need at a given moment. Since the lists feature was created, I’ve discovered some pretty amazing people who I might not otherwise find. What I find the most interesting are the names of the lists I’ve come across that have made me laugh out loud (LOL) and want to follow everyone included. Luckily, I don’t have to. I can just follow the list… -
Yo Gabba Gabba – Music is Awesome
19 Nov 2009 | 10:01 amEven though we’ve never seen Yo Gabba Gabba on TV, my son and I were introduced to the characters on the Nick Jr. website where there are games, videos and music available. I received an email from the PR company that’s promoting the new Music Is Awesome CD featuring hit songs from the TV show, wanting to know if I would be interested in reviewing the CD. Since and were listed on the list of artists who are included, I figured this would be music that both my son and I could enjoy. Music is Awesome When the CD arrived, my son asked me to put it in right away so on the way to… -
Single Dads wanted
18 Nov 2009 | 6:02 amNow is the time to get a little excited….SingleDad.com is past the stages of development and is now looking to cast 3 to 4 additional fathers for their TV Reality show by December 4, 2009! We need your help finding the “perfect fit”. Here is what we are looking for: Dads residing anywhere in the Greater Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange and San Diego Counties. Any type of fatherhood situation that is in the early stages of transitioning to being a single parent. Fathers never married with children, newly divorced with children or widowed fathers raising their children. To qualify, single… -
Putting it all in perspective
17 Nov 2009 | 5:57 pmOver the last few days, for no reason whatsoever, I’ve been feeling pretty low. I’ve been keeping quiet, staying away from my usual connections – both online and in real life. Today, I had a ton of things to do after dropping off my son at school and I was starting to feel really anxious, frustrated and impatient – with myself and my office equipment. As I was trying frantically to get this week’s newsletter out before 5pm (my personal deadline), I decided to check in to my Facebook page for a quick distraction and to see what everyone’s been up to today. -
Happy Healthy Hip Holiday Gift Guide
15 Nov 2009 | 7:25 amIt’s that time of year, once again. Check out these hot products, hip toys and haute clothes for the lucky people on your gift list. play Prudence Owl Doll by blabla BMW 3-series convertible (for kids) A-Frame Doll House Build Your Own Robot Baby Giraffe Teething Toy Turner’s Tunnel Magnetic Nature Theatre House of Cards Build a Treehouse Tin Can Robot wear Childhood Clothing Fat Tie Pink Lightning Tank Dress (with removable silver cape) Floor Plan Dress by Katricewear Right Bank Babies Taupe Lamb Hat by blabla Naturino Mommy | Daddy Cape Clogs read A Friend Singing to the Sun…
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mattdaddy.net
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Why Bother?
17 Nov 2009 | 9:36 amSomeone mentioned to me that they couldn’t understand why I blogged. ”You can’t talk about work, you can’t say anything bad about your wife or kids or home life, you can’t even tweet as openly as you’d like to. How do you bitch about things without everyone knowing it?” Well, it’s a mixture of things. I like blogging because it makes me write, it makes me think, it’s an exercise in organizing the millions of unrelated thoughts in my head into something that may have a chance of being coherent somehow to someone. I don’t blog… -
Back from Florida
16 Nov 2009 | 5:25 pmEver prepare for something for a really long time, and it comes off without a hitch? Yeah, that’s what my trip to FL last week was like, totally psyched. Then again, I wasn’t really worried about my presentation because it’s something I’ve been working on for about 9 months and got a lot of positive feedback, suggestions and a few oohs and aahs Those were nice. My company has an annual conference to bring all of the facility administrators, regional folx, and a lot of the support staff all to one place for a few days to rub elbows, compare notes, and just hang… -
My Anemic Wife
9 Nov 2009 | 6:32 pmFae saw our general practicioner on Wednesday, who sent her to a blood specialist on Thursday, and was set up immediately for iron infusions, which began today. The hematologist ordered Benadryl and a low dose of Prednisone in her IV drip just to make sure she didn’t have an anaphylactic reaction. I’m *so* glad she got right to the hematologist and had her do further bloodwork after our general practitioner freaked out about her iron levels… He did basic bloodwork, and the hematologist did more that was in-depth. Her Ferritin levels were insane. This is the measure of platelet… -
Now that explains something…
5 Nov 2009 | 11:08 amFae’s been sick for a while, whether it be emotionally from trying to work with the right anxiety and depression meds, or side effects of them all, or sinus and flu the past week or so. This summer was a disaster, but thankfully the doc and Fae realized that certain kinds of drugs, SSRI’s, don’t work and just mess up her functions. Sept was so much better, and October was even moreso, having Fae back in spirit, if not in body. She’s been tired, and when she gets moving, gets winded and tired easily. So when we had to get a refill on one of her antibiotics, the… -
Maybe 4 hours
2 Nov 2009 | 6:46 amIf I was lucky. That’s the amount of sleep I got on Saturday night. So it’s 6pm on Halloween night, and Gilli’s first friend shows up. I”m already realizing this is going to be a long night because she’s a) afraid of our cats, b) never had a sleepover, and c) has never been trick or treating before. Yeah, I know, she’s 10. I’ll give the 1$ version instead of going into lots of details. They all got there, made buttons for their candy bags so they could tell who’s was who’s, went out trick or treating with my wife for about 2 hours…
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Blogger Dad
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Waiting For Poo
13 Nov 2009 | 9:34 amI’m waiting for my son, E, to poop. Until he has a solid movement, he can’t go back to daycare. Which means he’s been home all week with me while I scramble to work late into the nights. I’m not sure which of us is more stir crazy, him being stuck inside or me, stuck watching mind numbing TV shows like Thomas the Train and Barney. At any rate, this might be the first time I’ve prayed for poop. I’m not sure where he picked up whatever stomach bug he has, either the communicable disease factory known as daycare or perhaps from a certain fast food restaurant… -
Scenes From This Weekend
8 Nov 2009 | 9:31 pmI hope you don’t mind the format of this post. I wanted to write about a few different things which happened this weekend which aren’t necessarily connected, but also not worthy of entire posts devoted to them. Well, except the frog story. That will likely continue into another post this week. After dinner on Saturday, my two year old son, E, was walking around the house pointing at us, saying, “You’re awesome!” while smiling and laughing, thoroughly entertained with his new phrase. “You’re awesome!” Future motivational speaker? Woke up Sunday and the living room looked like… -
Swine Flu Madness – Make Your Own Choice
1 Nov 2009 | 9:41 pmI’ve been wanting to write about the swine flu before my entire family got it two weeks ago. You see, there’s lots of misinformation about the H1N1 vaccine that’s being thrown out there. And it seems that more than half the people I know have some pretty wild theories about the vaccine. None of which are based in fact, but that’s not surprising as the vaccine discussion has taken on a tone not of public safety, but rather a political one. Pundits are not your friends Yes, the talking heads on both the extreme right and oddly enough, some on the extreme left, are out there spreading… -
Whine Time
25 Oct 2009 | 11:54 pmThanks to everybody who wished my family well in the comments and via email. I’m glad to say, we’ve recovered from the swine flu. I’ve got a lingering cough and am still a bit tired, but otherwise, I’m feeling 100 times better than I was. Now, on with today’s post. My two year old son, E, is going through a whiney phase. When he doesn’t get his way, he goes from zero to 60 on the Tantrum Express in two seconds flat. It begins as an “eh” followed by a louder “eh” Followed by a constant barrage of increasingly louder “eh”s… -
Caution: This Post May Give You Swine Flu
20 Oct 2009 | 7:33 pmI’m wearing a full body biological suit while typing this, as I may have swine flu and I don’t want you to get it, too. My son was diagnosed with the swine flu on Sunday and while he is getting better (thankfully) I have a fever and am feeling like crap. I went to the doc today and got tested, though their test is taking a few days since I didn’t want to pay for the express version. However, I am being treated with Tamiflu and some other medicines. I’m hoping my wife doesn’t get it. So, in short, no real post today. Once I’m feeling better, I have two posts…
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Halftime Lessons
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The Ragged Edge of Mental Health
11 Nov 2009 | 12:11 amLet it be said that I have a job that many who don’t know better yearn for, many are scared of, and many, like myself, are scared of losing. I’m a pharmaceutical rep. Many of you already know this, and hopefully some of you doctors have read me and felt my wrath. I know…like anyone reads me, let alone doctors…sigh… I don’t talk about my company, or my drug, and the only times in the past I have referenced my profession is when I was so frustrated with certain aspects of it that I chose to lash out. Today, I had something happen that gave me pause, and I… -
Sunday Mornings
8 Nov 2009 | 7:12 amMy wife works. Despite the benefits of her semi-flexible work schedule, she still has to put in time caring for sick kids and their abhorrent parents on the occasional weekend. No, I’m not making a general statement about the parents of sick kids here, I am simply referring to the ones I hear stories about from my wife, who is very selective about what she brings home from work. And those particular parents paint many others with their misbehavior, the same as could be said about the silicone-laden pharmaceutical representatives who make my own work more challenging. But I digress. She… -
Chasing The Sun
1 Nov 2009 | 7:27 pmAs I write this, I’m high above the vast monotony of Tennesee, racing the setting sun back to the family I have missed so much while I worked this week to keep my job. I’m fully aware how much of a pansy I sound like when I say that it has been a stressful, emotional week, and I am unbelievably happy to be on my way to a halloween party to re-unite with my wife, Superman and a Fairy. I did have some fun this week though…ate half my weight in sushi and concerned several friends with my ability to alternate coffee with vodka depending on the sun’s position in the sky. A… -
Today’s Gastrointestinal Tip.
19 Oct 2009 | 6:10 amThere are a grand total of ZERO circumstances that make chicken chili at 2am a good idea. Great people, a lot of laughs, too much to drink, and a terrible showing of impulse control with a spoon led to a painful following day, so please accept this tip as gospel. I’m gonna be tied up for the next couple of weeks, if you care. In our industry, when you start carrying a new drug, or in my case, when you keep your job and have to re-learn your drug for the THIRD time, the company sends you some brief night table reading. Then they put you in front of a firing squad and ask you to recite it… -
Survivor Guilt
15 Oct 2009 | 6:11 pmFair warning, this will not be the place for a laugh tonight. Just need to write some things down so I can try to put this day behind me, if that’s remotely possible. Today I narrowly avoided becoming one of the thousands of Pharmaceutical Representatives that have been, and continue to be laid off. It has been going on for years, and one could argue, as I have, that we created this mess ourselves. And today, my company reduced the salesforce that I have been a part of by half, or better. I’m sitting here tonight shellshocked, sad, with even other emotions I can’t seem to…
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Ask Mr. Dad
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Sports Dreams
17 Nov 2009 | 8:36 amDear Mr. Dad: My nine-year old son has no interest in practicing sports. He says he wants to play in games but cringes whenever I mention that he need to go to practices too. I’ve been frustrated at his lack of interest and want to encourage him, but I don’t want to turn him off [...] -
The Unkindest Cut
12 Nov 2009 | 8:40 amDear Mr. Dad: I’m a 37-year-old mother of two, ages 18 and 5. I really want another baby, but my husband had a vasectomy immediately after our second child was born. At the time, I was exhausted and fighting post-partum depression, so when he came in an announced that he was getting the surgery I [...] -
Nap Dreams
10 Nov 2009 | 8:38 amDear Mr. Dad: We’re having trouble getting our almost-four-month old daughter to take naps. Until a week or two ago, everything was fine. Now she won’t go down for more than 45 minutes. We’ve heard all kinds of advice on what to do, but we’re trying to let her sooth herself to sleep—and trying to [...] -
All of Life’s Riches
3 Nov 2009 | 3:40 pmDear Mr. Dad: My wife and I are relatively well off and can give our kids whatever they want. But how can we be generous without spoiling them rotten? A: First of all, change your perspective: think in terms of giving them what they need instead of what they want. That said, if by “generous” you [...] -
Dropping Out of School is Not an Option
27 Oct 2009 | 6:43 pmDear Mr. Dad: Our 15-year-old son wants to quit school and get a job. He has struggled academically but we always assumed he’d graduate and go on to college. We’re trying hard to dissuade him from quitting, but he says he can always get a GED later. What can we do? A: Having been in exactly [...]
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Dad's 'Mac & Cheese'
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For-Never in Blue Jeans
19 Nov 2009 | 7:28 pmFor some reason, Charlotte and Luke both hate wearing jeans, which is a shame, because we have a ton of hand-me-down jeans. I’m not sure why they don’t like them. Karen and I wear them frequently. Blue jeans are so iconic, so representative of the American spirit (I actually wrote a paper [...] -
Man in the Mirror…
14 Nov 2009 | 7:23 amDoes every two and half year old get fixated on his reflection? Luke loves watching his face in the mirror. Actually, it doesn’t even have to be a mirror — it can be his reflection in a window, in a spoon, or even the side of a stainless steel bowl on the table. He loves to [...] -
Give a little bit…
12 Nov 2009 | 7:39 pmIn the week leading up to Halloween, one of Charlotte and Luke’s great aunts gave them each $5 to get an ice cream for Halloween. A couple of weeks later, we decided to use the money for dinner and an ice cream at Friendly’s. When I told Charlotte that her $5 would pay for not just [...] -
Full of _it…
10 Nov 2009 | 6:46 pmEarlier this week, Luke pooped in the bathtub. Not fun. Thankfully, we’ve only had to deal with feces in the bathtub on a small number occasions (although we would have preferred zero). Click here to read about one of those previous experiences (how’s that for a teaser?) in ‘Hope’s Not the Only Thing that Floats.’ Luke [...] -
‘I Love You, Man’
7 Nov 2009 | 10:40 amEarly Thursday morning, during our customary ‘cuddle time’ when we desperately (and futilely) try to get the kids to fall back to sleep in our bed, the kids had the following conversation: Luke: “Charlotte?…. Charlotte?…. Charlotte?….” Charlotte: (finally, in an exasperated tone) “Yes, Luke.” Luke: “I love you, Charlotte.” (Pause) Luke: “Charlotte?…. Charlotte?…. Charlotte?….” Charlotte: (finally, in an exasperated tone) “Yes, [...]
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FriendFeed - dadinfo
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Baby LifeCheck - Welcome
19 Nov 2009 | 3:02 amDad Info Baby LifeCheck - Welcome - http://www.babylifecheck.co.uk/ Thursday from delicious - Comment - Like -
It’s too easy to blame dads - Times Online
16 Nov 2009 | 3:15 pmDad Info It’s too easy to blame dads - Times Online - http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol... Monday from delicious - Comment - Like -
Labour to give new fathers four weeks of paternity leave - Times Online
15 Nov 2009 | 3:22 amDad Info Labour to give new fathers four weeks of paternity leave - Times Online - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol... November 15 from delicious - Comment - Like -
Men: The second sex? - Times Online
15 Nov 2009 | 2:54 amDad Info Men: The second sex? - Times Online - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol... November 15 from delicious - Comment - Like -
Fathers Gain Respect From Experts (and Mothers) - NYTimes.com
3 Nov 2009 | 1:16 pmDad Info Fathers Gain Respect From Experts (and Mothers) - NYTimes.com - http://www.nytimes.com/2009... November 3 from delicious - Comment - Like
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Makes Me Wanna Holler
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Classic!
18 Nov 2009 | 2:32 pmShot this in August at this year's Classic Car Show at Harlem Week 2009.Wish I had this in my garage......wish I had a garage.Subscribe to Makes Me Wanna Holler Follow Me On Twitter -
Shaniya Davis: A Child Like Mine
17 Nov 2009 | 9:40 amThis past weekend I went to see the movie, Precious, with my mother who was visiting from Chicago. As soon as I got home I hugged my daughter for nearly five minutes and almost trembled holding back the tears as scenes from the movie flashed in my head. I would've done the same with my son, but now that he's a teenager he doesn't allow me into his "bubble" unless I tackle him.In Precious' face I saw my own child. What made the movie so difficult for me is that I know from my own work with teens at risk that this fiction tale is not fiction at all for thousands of nameless, faceless, abused,… -
It Takes A Village: Children's Village
15 Nov 2009 | 5:42 pm"It takes a village to raise a child."I am a firm believer in the fact that it takes a community --- parents, teachers, extended relatives, church, mentors, etc. --- to contribute to the totality of the rearing of children. This includes those kids and sometimes parents who don't have the luxury of having all of the above at their disposal. That's why I love The Children's Village.Founded in 1851 and located just outside of New York City in the Hudson River town of Dobbs Ferry, the mission of the Children's Village is to work in partnership with families to help society’s most vulnerable… -
Testing The Ice: Book Review & Giveaway
12 Nov 2009 | 10:09 pmIn the early 1950s, legendary baseball hero Jackie Robinson literally “tested the ice” for his kids who so eagerly wanted to skate on the frozen lake near their home. Testing the Ice is a stunning metaphor for Robinson’s remarkable racial breakthrough.This book review is based on a promotional copy provided to me thanks to Scholastic. I was immediately drawn in by Kadir Nelson's compelling illustrations and found myself imagining the rural descriptions contained in the book. Through this storybook I was able to relive moments of Jackie Robinson's life and piece together tidbits and… -
Father In Focus: Lamar Tyler
12 Nov 2009 | 10:30 amThis is a Dad I've been itching to feature. Because he's a particularly busy man I had to be patient as I waited for him to have the time to be interviewed. His name is Lamar Tyler he is the co-creator of Black And Married With Kids and Happily Ever After: A Positive Image of Black Marriage. He and his wife, Ronnie, have been instrumental in utilizing the Internet and social media to promote the very obvious fact that there are good African American men out there who are wonderful fathers and husbands. The Facebook fan site for his recently released documentary, Happily Ever After: A Positive…
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Dad Writings
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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… -
Health Insurance – A Love-Hate Relationship
28 Oct 2009 | 9:10 amHealth insurance. Some love it. Some hate it. Most love AND hate it. There are some that even say it is a love-hate relationship. I have one of these relationships; for me, marriage is much easier! The Need for Insurance You get sick; you go to your doctor or your local hospital for treatment. You may have some tests done or told to get some medicine. Now, how are you going to pay for it? You didn’t think it was free, did you? Of course not! This is where insurance comes into play. This is what you pay your insurance premiums for. There are some that can’t get health insurance. There is a… -
I Don’t Remember Toys Like Those When I Was Growing Up
11 Oct 2009 | 1:58 pmI grew up playing with toys like G.I. Joe, He-Man and Star Wars; I actually have a few of them in my closet. In those days, you were lucky to get the kung-fu grip on your action figures. Today, we have toys that can make a pre-school aged child into a fully functional bringer of hell itself. I don’t remember toys like those when I was growing up! Now I have two girls, so I don’t get to go down the toy isles that prepare children for the end of the world; however, from time to time my oldest will want something that is far beyond anything I could imagine at 5 years old. At 5 years and 4… -
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Review
11 Sep 2009 | 11:07 amAs I wrote before, I recently finished doing Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy treatments for my youngest daughter. The experience was wonderful and the personnel there were great. I want to thank everyone that helped out during this time. I have written a review of the experience on one of the sites that I write for. It details the experience and how I believe this treatment is something all Special Needs Parents should look at. You can find the article in the current issue of Parenting Special Needs Magazine. Here is the link to the article: http://parentingspecialneeds.org/article&article=166… -
Updated – Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment
5 Jul 2009 | 7:07 pmIn a previous post, Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Time, I wrote on how we were starting a new treatment for my youngest daughter. The new treatment, Hyperbaric Oxygen, is not really new; it is something that has been around for years for treatments of wounds and more. After 4 weeks of treatment with this therapy, I am happy to say this therapy is working and we will be continuing treatments. Others and me are seeing improvements in cognitive, physical and other areas of my daughter’s progress. I do believe this treatment is the start of getting my child on the road to a much improved…
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A Blogger and a Father
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36. Kelly
19 Nov 2009 | 12:04 pmspain dad, a baby blogI always start with the same sentence: many blogging fathers are already a part of a virtual community, often visiting and commenting on each other's blogs. But just in case you haven't had a chance to visit Spain Dad, go there now and congratulate Kelly and April on their newborn, Teo (that's him in the picture below, asleep in a bucket). Kelly seems to be going through everything many other fathers are going through: First, being a husband of a pregnant woman, then questioning his self-identity once the first baby is born, dealing with the everyday struggles (and the… -
November is National Adoption Month
11 Nov 2009 | 9:23 amAdoptUsKids - Children In Foster Care Awaiting AdoptionAbout a week ago I got an email from AdoptUsKids.org, asking me to remind people that November is National Adoption Month in the US. I'll leave the rest to them:November is National Adoption Month and AdoptUsKids, the federally funded project whose mission is to recruit and connect foster and adoptive families with waiting children throughout the United States, and the Ad Council are working to educate potential adoptive parents on the benefits of adoption. There are many misconceptions about adoption. The chief requirement is that… -
A Quote by Annie Dillard
6 Nov 2009 | 7:26 pmYoung children have no sense of wonder. They bewilder well, but few things surprise them. All of it is new to young children, after all, and equally gratuitous. Their parents pause at the unnecessary beauty of an ice storm coating the trees; the children look for something to throw. The children who tape colorful fall laves to the schoolroom windows and walls are humoring the teacher.-- From An American ChildhoodI probably should add that as much as I love this quote, I'm not sure I agree with it. The examples of snow on the trees and dead leaves might be correct, but there are an equal… -
35. Ed
27 Oct 2009 | 11:23 pmZoë's DadWhile some dad blogs are a little obscure (for now), others, like Zoë's Dad, are familiar to every father or father-to-be who's ever looked at a blog. I'm not sure what it is that makes this one stand out, but my guess is that it's the ease with which Ed lets us into his world. You don't have to let your readers know everything about your life, but when you do say something, you need to be honest about it.Despite the name of the blog, there's more than parenting here. I always like to look at blogs and search for answers to my own questions, one of which is about the way my… -
A Short Post About Love
16 Oct 2009 | 10:41 pmJust wanted to mention that last week I wrote a guest post for the Baltimore Sun blog, Charm City Moms. If the controversy in the last post wasn't enough (I really didn't mean to be controversial), maybe a post about not loving my newborn son will do.The short version of the post--and I hope you read it there and comment either there or back here, or both--is that the one thing the classes and the books and well-meaning parents didn't tell me was that I might not fall in love with my baby.I think it's an important issue that should be talked about more, and whether or not my writing did any…
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Pacing The Panic Room
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Magic Hour
20 Nov 2009 | 5:08 amCan we all agree that when Daylight Savings Time ends it feels like a great big nasty fuck you to kids everywhere. The Littlest Buddy races dusk every time we go out to play since DST has closed. (*thanks for the correction anono, I always mix them up) Right around 5 the sky starts the light show, spilling violets and gold, and flashes of green onto the earth, busting clouds, and shooting light thru the trees, and I want to stop time and play until everyone is exhausted and satisfied. Instead-- by 6 the sky is black, we are inside, and he is standing at the front door signing to "play,play,… -
Shhh (part four)
19 Nov 2009 | 9:22 amThings have never quite been the same with my father since he had that lousy accident that I mentioned. He still has the tendency to go on and on endlessly these days when we get the chance to speak, but not in the same way that he did when I was a boy. Now when we talk it's rarely ever about anything crucial, or a heated opinion, more just pointless stories. That may sound like I'm being obtuse, but I assure you I like his pointless stories-- sometimes-- for a little while. He has a little bit of that wacky senility like ol' Grandpa Simpson thing going on, ya know what I mean? That… -
Giving In
19 Nov 2009 | 4:27 amI finally convinced Cole to start up a twitter account so that when we are home and she is in the other room I can just twiter her stuff I am doing/need/want/think and vice versa. So she obliged and now has an account, and if you want to follow her for any reason at all you can do so HERE. And on that note, for any of you who live in the Central FL area I suggest you follow her so that you can get the scoop on when she is doing deals and discounts on hair and color, and also she needs hair models all the time for classes and projects she gets involved in, so there is always the chance to get… -
The Bag Of Wind (part three)
18 Nov 2009 | 7:54 amCole and I didn't immediately take on these parenting philosophies we have embraced for LB, it took months of trial and error and being big enough to admit when something was not working, or if we were doing something that was more for our own benefit to feel like some kind of justice was being served to match his disobedience or defiance. We never fool ourselves anymore into thinking "Now we got it figured out!" Because we know what works one week, will most likely fall apart the next. So we have just decided on some core beliefs, like the major one being not to be loud & terrifying to… -
Pushing Up
18 Nov 2009 | 3:53 amThis little girl is so close to sitting up and crawling that I figured I better get a picture of her while she still sits still. She has been an epic squirmer and fighter these past few days. Writhing around and reaching and straining, pushing up and wiggling across the floor in subtle inches. She figured out that she can just keep rolling to get to a toy that she wants. So I have been entertaining myself by placing her on one end of the carpet, and then taking a particularly bright and enticing toy and placing it on the other end of the carpet, and watching her roll over to it. That is what…
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OMG I'm A Daddy!
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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… -
Textless Tuesday
20 Oct 2009 | 10:36 amProbably won't win father of the year! -
Our strong lil' man...
12 Oct 2009 | 3:00 pmSix and 1/2 months ago if you would of told me my son would already be highly mobile I would of laughed.My child, at his last doctor's appointment, was 13 lbs and some change. That is smaller than some kids are born! But, he is a strong lil booger! Our little dude is already pulling up on things and wobbling around on his toes... with some assistance, of course. He moves really fast... we have to keep an extra special eye on him or he will run into another room! Okay not run, but... well, scramble on all fours.My wife, Laura, made a bet with me, not sure of the stakes yet, but made a bet that… -
Have you ever been to the ER with a child?
8 Oct 2009 | 9:53 amHave you ever been to an Emergency Room with a child?Now you may be wondering "why were you in the ER?" Well, we went on Sunday afternoon to pick out pumpkins, have a fun day with family and enjoy a nice, crispy fall day. On the way home our little man was uncharacteristically pissy. He basically whined and cried almost the entire way home. We chalked it up to he was not happy to be in his car seat for the hour 1/2 ride home.We come home and Mauldin seems to be really hot and on this 60 degree day there is no real reason for him to be hot to the touch. My brilliant and intuitive wife insists… -
Say Da-da, please!
2 Oct 2009 | 9:28 amMy son likes to crawl and roll... he is very mobile and can move from one side of the room to another in under 60 seconds. Hey, he is six months old and to someone who has never had a child before - this is pretty darn impressive.However impressed I am I have to admit I am slightly saddened that my child doesn't or hasn't said "dada" or "ma ma" yet."Mauldin, saaaaay da-da!""pbbsssthhhhht"Yes, if you can pronounce that, that is what our offspring can "say." My wife, Laura, and I think he knows how to say it because he produces a coy smile after we ask him to say our names. I guess he will say…
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Natural Papa
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Get Some One on One Time with Your Kids
20 Nov 2009 | 6:13 pmAs a father, it’s important to get some time with your kids, outside the usual routine – a date with your kids, if you will. This video is a little glimpse at a recent daddy-daughter date with my 4 year old. First, she shows us her recent craft project, a doll she made with mama. At the end, she shares a little joke with us. If you couldn’t hear her joke, it’s “I love you, now hush.” I can’t even remember where that came from, but we use it quite a bit in our house. Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUponShare this on FacebookTweet… -
Providing for Your Family isn’t about Presents, it’s about Presence
19 Nov 2009 | 1:59 pmI’ve been following the works of Jonathan Fields for some time now, mostly for the great insights on being an entrepreneur that I found in reading his book Career Renegade. Today, however, he wrote about something close to my heart – fatherhood. More specifically, the trials of providing for our families, and how that can actually cause major issues for our children. “Simple truth that us men have trouble wrapping our heads around… Being a “provider” isn’t all about money, it’s also about “providing” love, attention, support, inspiration, compassion and… -
Fatherhood and Personal Development: To Help Your Family, Help Yourself
18 Nov 2009 | 3:51 pmI’m a big proponent of the power of personal development to help us to become better fathers, and I think that by working on ourselves, we are working on our relationships and our family dynamic. In this video, I discuss the importance of finding a place to air your feelings, perhaps in a men’s group or other place that you feel safe and supported. The links I mentioned in the video: @JayGaddis and his site Revolutionary Man, and a new product that teaches you how to easily start and lead a men’s group within a week: Men’s Group 101. Always feel free to hit me up on… -
20 Natural Health Tips for Cold and Flu Season
18 Nov 2009 | 11:45 amCold and flu season is here, and once it makes an inroad at your house, it may really make life miserable for all of you. If you want to be better prepared for it, set yourself up right with some preventative measures. You can’t avoid every cold virus that’s going around, but you may be able to minimize the risk to yourself and your family (or at the very least, get through it with minimal downtime). Some of these tips are common sense, and some might take some effort, but the payoff of a healthy family is definitely worth it. Just remember, prevention is always cheaper than the… -
Manly Skills of Fatherhood: Burping
17 Nov 2009 | 1:40 pm[I love the fact that there are sites about the art and skills of manliness on the web, but fatherhood doesn't usually make the cut (as far as being considered manly). We're going to try to change that.] When I was growing up, I had a totally different perception of what being a man meant. I seem to remember it had something to do with how much you could drink, and how many hot girls you hung out with, plus you got extra points if you could act like a bad-ass in front of your friends. After high school, I went out into the world and started working and socializing with adults, and those macho…
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Dad Therapy
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I Love Having a Freezer
17 Nov 2009 | 7:25 pmOut of all of our purchases for the new house, my favorite has got to be the freezer in our laundry/mudroom. Sure, it holds a gigantic bottle of Grey Goose, but check out the tray of frozen veggies. We can stock up when they go on sale. Underneath, in the depths you can't make out is the frozen meat/Costco purchases. Salivating just thinking about it. Actually, think I'll grab a late night gimlet... -
Siblings, Swine Flu and Swelling
16 Nov 2009 | 5:41 pmOur weekend was all about health it seemed. On Saturday my lovely wife got in line at a local clinic at 5 a.m. to secure three of the 400 H1N1 shots for the two of us and our son Carter. We have a daughter under six months of age so we’re “at risk.” However, it was pretty sad seeing some of the other people waiting who were clearly old, disabled or of course pregnant which isn’t bad but we knew folks 300 or so back wouldn’t get the shots that day and we would. Actually, we got nasal mist and Carter got a shot. He screamed loudly but calmed down relatively quickly as all good… -
Nov. 21, Checked off Calendar for Pearl Jam Awesomeness
13 Nov 2009 | 8:26 pmThe above video is a teaser - actually time lapse of the entire performance! - of Pearl Jam's recording for Austin City Limits airing Nov. 21. I've been out of PJ mode since the tour ended but this sucked me right back in. Damn you Pearl Jam. Damn you to Austin! -
Five Guys Tracks Me Down, Opens New Store Next Door
12 Nov 2009 | 11:50 amSeriously Five Guys. It’s bad enough you opened three minutes from our last place in Chicago on Clybourn making you the closest restaurant for me to get lunch if I was working from home. Now, I move all the way out to the suburbs and you open a new place just five minutes down the street?So yeah, I went for lunch today. Yeah, I got a single bacon cheeseburger. Yes, that’s it above topped with some of my homemade bbq sauce from Sunday’s ribs. Hell yes it was good. And yes, I will admit trying to finish the fries before Carter got home from one of his classes, but there were so… -
TV UnWatcher: Show’s I’ve Nixed so Far
11 Nov 2009 | 7:13 amAs a father of two kids under two the wife and I don’t get out much. Our primary source of entertainment is the TV for better or worse. And while this year’s new TV lineup has some promising new shows I’ve found myself with a few nights completely devoid of anything to watch (Tuesdays and Wednesdays) and I've rejected new shows in as short a time as ten minutes. Below is how my selection process has gone down so far this year. Mondays: House and Monday Night Football. Solid night of TV. I can watch most of House during half-time on the DVR and if the game stinks finish it up for an…
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Single Parent Dad
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Who do you think you are talking to?
18 Nov 2009 | 3:34 amI joked earlier this week with a fellow blogger that I am not in fact, who I say I am. However, Bigamist Camel Dad just did not have the same ring to it. And I could so be a camel, always complaining of a bad back and often caught typing tripe that could easily have been hammered out with hooves. I was not actually making a serious revelation, more trying to be funny (or should I just stop that at ‘trying’?). But it has crossed my mind that the words on these pages need not be a reflection of reality, and indeed, my identity, or persona ‘could’ be entirely different to the one,… -
Star struck
16 Nov 2009 | 10:36 amMy boy has an incredibly ability to put me on my backside. Both figuratively, and literally. One of his favourite tricks – cannot think where he learnt it – is to catch me unawares, when I am in a bent down position, tying shoelaces, picking up toys, or whatever, he then proceeds to knock me off balance with all his might. He calls it wrestling and hilarious, I call it unnecessary violence and mildly irritating, but I am guilty of the same. If he is ever stood near a bean bag, or other cushioning medium, he often finds himself forcefully buried in them shortly afterwards. His other… -
Why am I the default bin?
9 Nov 2009 | 12:45 pmThere is one thing I can pretty much guarantee when I give my son a packet of something, a carton of juice or generally anything that has any packaging. That is, when they are empty, or he has consumed enough of the aforementioned items to therefore make them now useless to him, the remnants will be handed to me, accompanied with his best ‘well-what-else-do-you-expect-me-to-with-it’ face. This phenomenon is not limited to any one place, or any one time, it is the default no matter the circumstance, what I am doing, what he is doing. I can be driving the car, cooking the tea, or probably a… -
Signing the homework diary
4 Nov 2009 | 12:01 pmMine was a pain in the backside throughout my schooling.I was generally pretty good, only ever doing the minimum, but it would be rare that I would rebel to the extent of not completing work set for outside school at all. But getting it signed, was just a robotic act I forgot to get round to.We were so busy with other stuff as a family, that it was never on my mind, that is until they asked for them first thing Monday morning. I find the fact that my 4 year-old son has a homework diary a tad ridiculous. I am not an exponent of bringing school work home.I am happy to be involved in what he has… -
What is value for money?
1 Nov 2009 | 2:08 pmWe have had an awesome week, and absolutely awesome half-term week. These last seven days were something I was so looking forward to, having lost my son to the misery of school since September. To the surprise of some (one), I did not compile a spreadsheet, nevertheless each day had an outline plan, and was jam packed with activities. We had various days out, varying in degrees of complexity and cost. The part wondrous Hughes family even came to visit, bringing pumpkins amongst their charms. For Halloween, an event I have pretty much ignored for the last 31 years, we got tickets for a…
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Cheese and Beans
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Squeak!
20 Nov 2009 | 3:58 pmJust got this one in before midnight (NaBloWriMo lives for another day) -
Home
19 Nov 2009 | 1:36 pmI’m home from my first stint working away from home. Arriving home, the house was empty, and I ended up doing what I had joked with a colleague about – washing up. A little while later there was a knock at the door, and two very sleepy little girls greeted me at the door. No cheers, no jumping up and down. I read their stories, and then I gave their Mum a huge hug. A little while later their elder sister arrived home from brownies – this time there were excited cheers, hugs, and kisses. It’s great to be home. -
Getting into the swing of it
18 Nov 2009 | 2:33 pmIt’s Wednesday evening – the third night in the hotel – and I’m slowly getting used to it. If the old saying about not missing what you never had is true, I’m starting to forget what I once had. Perhaps that explains my acquiescence ? After the trials of the first night, the 3G dongle on the netbook has performed like a champion – giving steady connectivity from the hotel room. It’s not fast enough to handle video on Skype, but it’s enough to read the news and reply to emails. While sat in the hotel restaurant this evening with my colleagues,… -
Hilton wins me over with her mediocrity
17 Nov 2009 | 1:25 pmHotel breakfasts rule. You don’t have to make them, and you don’t have to wash up after yourself either. What’s this? I’m not annoyed this evening? Perhaps the mediocrity of this hotel has bludgeoned me so much that I can no longer differentiate between “good” and “woeful”. In the interests of balancing things out somewhat, the vindaloo I chose at dinner this evening bore about as much resemblance to it’s label as a tin of mince and big soup mixed together with a spoon or two of crushed chillies. So there you go – I’ve covered… -
Paris Hilton can go stuff her family hotel chain up her …
16 Nov 2009 | 3:20 pmWhile away with work over the coming weeks, I am staying at a rather big, rather expensive hotel on the outskirts of a big city in the UK. Any novelty that might have been had through “living in the hotel” has been destroyed before the end of the first night. It all comes down to one thing – no internet. No internet means no Skype video call with my children. At (their) dinner time this evening I sat down in the hotel room, and looked around for an internet cable, or a leaflet explaining about WiFi. I even looked in the wardrobe. Nothing. A sinking feeling came over me as I…
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Hockeymandad
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Management Training
17 Nov 2009 | 7:16 pmThe calendar event had been set for a couple weeks and when I did I cringed. Management training with a description that read “..an interesting, educating, and fun afternoon.” Immediately I saw those silly team building exercises where you fall back into arms and what not. Anyway, what I got was not much like that at all. What we really got was a psychological profiling tool that showed us what kind of personalities we all had and then some simple group exercises to stress that point. It was interesting to say the least and I learned more about my co-workers than myself but it was… -
Collecting Thoughts
11 Nov 2009 | 7:22 pmDid you have or still have a collection? We all do actually. Whether it be small or large or isolated or vast, we all collect something. For some reasons there are stereotypes or ridicule directed at those who collect certain things and that is unfair. We all have a collection of something. Even if you don’t respect or fully realize it yet, look around your house, find a theme or pattern and there’s your collection. If not, although I’m sure you do, you need more love in your life. When I was a kid I collected baseball cards. Until the last year or two, it was never about… -
Post Number 200
6 Nov 2009 | 5:47 pmAccording to my WordPress console, this is blog post number 200 for me. Kind of neat I guess so I’m going to take a page from Avitable and Finn and complete the Vanity Fair questionnaire. Some of the questions anyway. Mostly though, because I couldn’t think of anything else that would be worth hitting a bicentennial milestone, of sorts. What is your idea of perfect happiness? I would have to say there is no such thing, but there are some things that come close. Watching your child complete an achievement is a pretty amazing feeling of happiness. Also, when the Islanders, Mets,… -
Vote For Me!!!
3 Nov 2009 | 7:20 pmThat’s right, I’m pandering for votes. And since this is post #199, it can’t be nearly as good as my next one is supposed to be I guess. If I know you in the contest, I voted for you too. Also, I’m nominated in Personal so vote for me there too. Thanks. -
Father’s Day
1 Nov 2009 | 7:56 pm6 years exactly today since I found out I’d be a dad. I wrote about it last year, so I won’t go into the story again. Just that it was 6 years ago my life changed forever. Since the, every year gets better than the last. I am her best friend. I fear the power of the influence I have on her. I really don’t try to have such influence, but I just do. If I like it she loves it and we share great moments enjoying whatever it might be. It’s pure bliss and I am savoring every minute of it. I hope it’s still just like this even when the questions get harder. I hope I…
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Gummy Lump Toys
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DOLLHOUSE Giveaway from GummyLump.com
3 Nov 2009 | 7:29 amWIN IT! Multi-level Wooden Dollhouse by Melissa & DougAccepting entries thru midnight November 22, 2009 Your child will love playing with this charming wooden dollhouse. It's decorated in purple and pink and features beautiful balconies and lovely, natural, wood trim accents.Any child will love to make this dollhouse home for her doll family. Standing just over 2 feet tall, it's the perfect size for preschool children! It includes19 pieces of hand-painted wooden furniture and the feature I just love is that the furniture actually works! All the drawers and doors open and close! There are… -
FREE Puzzle Storage Promotion
3 Nov 2009 | 7:25 amOFFER EXPIRES 11.08.09GummyLump.com: Toys That Make Sweet Memories -
Buy 3 Get 1 FREE on Melissa & Doug Art Supplies!
28 Oct 2009 | 10:24 amNo coupon necessary. Offer good thru 11.03.09.GummyLump.com: Toys That Make Sweet Memories -
Fear and Halloween
21 Oct 2009 | 9:51 am3 yr old Robbie comes running into the kitchen announcing, “Mommy, I want to be a pirate for Halloween and Katie (his 2 yr old sister) wants to be a princess.” They’re so excited!The day arrives to go get costumes. Robbie begins telling Katie all about Halloween night, “We’ll go out after dinner and come back with lots of candy!” Then mom hears Robbie whisper to Katie, “Be good in the store or you’ll lose your costume, okay!”As soon as they see the Halloween isle they both freeze in their tracks. Mom hears Katie say, “Go home!” Robbie says nothing. They both run up to… -
FREE Puzzle Promotion!
15 Oct 2009 | 12:06 pmNo coupon necessary. Put all Melissa & Doug puzzles in your shopping cart and free puzzle(s) will be automatically calculated. Need help? Call 1.800.807.8821 today!SHOP NOW!Offer expires 10.29.09GummyLump.com: Toys That Make Sweet Memories
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Out-Numbered
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The Ass Ninja...
19 Nov 2009 | 3:59 amRoast Chicken and Brussel Sprouts fuel my toxicity.I am silent.I am deadly.You can do nothing to stop me.I will find you.You will not see me coming.By the time you realize I was in your midst, I will already be gone.I do not know how to show mercy.I feel nothing.I will devastate the world around you.You will be left in ruins.I am...The Ass Ninja.6:18pm - Sunday EveningI eat Roast Chicken and Brussel Sprouts. I leave the skin on. I chew the bone. I eat half the bird. I drink Diet Coke.7:02pm - Clean Up TimeI clean up the kitchen. I sneak one more piece of Roast Chicken. Dark Meat. More skin. -
What Would OZZY Do?
16 Nov 2009 | 4:14 amDriving in the car with my two daughters. My wife is at the Salon, again. We are on a mission. French Toast and Bacon at the Diner. I have Black Sabbath playing in the CD player. I love Black Sabbath but it is obvious that my daughters do not share this passion with their Father.Out-Numbered (Singing in Ozzy Falsetto)- "Nobody will ever let you know. When you ask the reasons why3 Yr Old - "You're the best singer in the whole world Daddy."Out-Numbered - "Thank you sweetheart." (Continue singing) "They just tell you that you're on your own. Fill your head all full of lies"7 Yr Old - "No he's… -
F, Marry, Kill...
13 Nov 2009 | 3:55 amLet’s have some Friday fun!OK, here we go.“DO-YOU-WANT-TO-PLAY-A-GAME?”If you somehow read that to yourself in that fucked up, disturbing computer voice from War Games, then you can stay.There’s a game that I love to play with my friends. You can play it with guys, girls, transgender folks, whoever. The game is called “F, Marry, Kill?” If you don’t know what “F” stands for, then you probably don’t know what cock-docking is either. Don't worry about it. Not important.Here are the rules:1) You must have at least two people to play the game. It’s especially fun with… -
Fairytales From The Darkside...
9 Nov 2009 | 3:30 amSo my daughter is in the 2nd grade and one of the things they do in her class is called Snack-Story Time. Parents are supposed to pick a story, a snack and a day to come to the class to read that story and then administer the snack to the children. The hook is that if possible, you should pick a story that will tie into the snack of choice, as to make it more of an interactive experience. Sounds like fun! I obviously love stories and judging by the red indentations from my skin tight jeans, where my waistline used to be, I love snacks as well.My only potential conflict is that I loath the… -
Funeral For A Friend...
5 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amThere comes a time in every man’s life when he has an epiphany of self reflection. This moment usually comes without warning and is never kind. Like most of my peers, I’ve always carried myself with an air of invincibility. It’s hard not to laugh at your elders when you’re still frolicking around in a young man’s skin. There’s no remorse in goading the freshman when your plume is in full dress.But be careful…Youth is but another layer of skin, shed from the snake.Your time will come. It always does…And when it comes, it will be you who cries the tears of a clown.My time came…
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Real Men Drive Minivans
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Defining modern manhood
20 Nov 2009 | 4:36 amRecently I was offered the opportunity to review a copy of The Good Men Project either in paperback or DVD form. After perusing the foundation’s website and reading an excerpt chapter written by Hall of Fame linebacker Andre Tippett (one of my all time favorite Patriots), I knew immediately that I wanted to dive into the book. In it’s own words, The Good Men Project: Real Stories from the Front Lines of Modern Manhood is: more than a book: it is the centerpiece of a national discussion about what manhood means today. Thirty-one essays by a broad range of men – rich, poor,… -
Time for dessert
19 Nov 2009 | 6:48 amAfter a starter and an entree it’s time to turn our attention to dessert as we reach the half way point of the fall flavors series. Over the years I’ve developed confidence in my abilities in the kitchen, but I don’t have a tremendous amount of experience making desserts. When I decided to make a creme brulee the first time I ever made dinner for my wife it was a big risk. On Top Chef any attempt at pastry by a chef with little experience in that world can sink their chances of winning the challenge. Despite the risk, I decided to go for it and, yes, there was a small part… -
A post of thanks
18 Nov 2009 | 11:42 amImage via Wikipedia Today’s post is just a quick word of thanks to everyone that has either visited or commented on this blog. A year ago today I hit the publish button for the first time and I had no idea what to expect. Now, even 237 posts later, it is still existing to launch a post and discover what you all take away from it. Over the past year I have met some amazing people both online and offline and truly appreciate the connections that this blog has enabled me to make. The ways in which expressing myself on this blog and meeting such a great group of people have been some… -
Fathers and the parenting equation
16 Nov 2009 | 7:19 amEvery once in a while there is an article or a news story about dads and fatherhood that really rubs me the wrong way. It has been a while since one has come through my stream that has annoyed me as much as the New York Times article “Fathers Gain Respect From Experts (And Mothers)” that Ron at Clark Kent’s Lunchbox posted last Thursday. In this particular case it wasn’t the article or the study on fatherhood it detailed, but rather the manner in which the results of the study were heralded as earth shattering news. In this new study it was ‘discovered’… -
American Diabetes Month 2009
12 Nov 2009 | 9:56 pmFor those of you that don’t know, November is American Diabetes Month. As a dad living with Type 2 diabetes I wanted to share some information on the disease and the importance of heeding the warning signs for it, as they may seem relatively harmless when viewed independently. According to the American Diabetes Association 24 million children and adults in the US live with diabetes and 57 million are at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. Even more alarming is that 1 out of every 3 children born today face a future with diabetes if things don’t change. The fact that I have…
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The DaddyCast
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DaddyCast #187 - Project Management
15 Nov 2009 | 6:41 pmThe DaddyCast Episode 187 Support the show, support the sponsors- check out an offer for AngiesList.com and save 25% on a membership. Projects have been keeping us busy- school projects, work projects, home remoldelling projects- even Project class! Great offer for domain registration and hosting through GoDaddy- Use Daddy5, Daddy6 and Daddy7 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!! What is the proper balance for helping your kids with… -
Pride (In the Name of Love)
9 Nov 2009 | 9:54 amSaturday I was able to attend a soccer game for my youngest for the first time in a couple of weeks. Working on the bathroom remodel has caused some missed soccer games as well as our normal hiking and other outings. We will get back into it soon but for now, I can’t very well leave our head contractor (my father-in-law) to fend for himself in the world of shower tile and toilets. The joke has become that since I have started missing games, my youngest, Sir Talks-A-Lot, has scored a goal a game. So, it has been suggested that I stay away on purpose. Well, Saturday I broke the… -
Project Management - at Home!
4 Nov 2009 | 4:42 amBlowfish project done, report needs some work. Originally uploaded by LoveHouse Radio It has been crazy project time around the Love House. Last week my youngest had a Science - habitat project. He was assigned a Blowfish to build and write up a report. The end product of the build is pictured here. The report was a bit funny. To help him with his research I printed out the Wikipedia entry for Blowfish. He read through it and began to write up his work. When we reviewed it, we found that he had copied, verbatim, the beginning of the fourth page of the printout. It even started mid-sentence. -
The DaddyCast #186 - Workin for a livin
23 Oct 2009 | 4:44 amThe DaddyCast Episode 186 Join The DaddyCast Facebook Fan Page!! Working mothers- feel vindicated, you are not harming your children Article Put the kids to work! Our boys decided they wanted out of our Tae Kwon Do commitment, for which we have already paid for the year. So, now they clean the house during practice time Great offer for domain registration and hosting through GoDaddy- Use Daddy5, Daddy6 and Daddy7 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… -
Payback’s a Bit… Tough
22 Oct 2009 | 4:42 amBrown belt in toilet cleaning Originally uploaded by LoveHouse Radio Lately the boys have been less than enthusiastic about going to Tae Kwon Do. In fact, my youngest has been such a distraction when forced to go that I have left him home for the past few weeks. It has actually made practices for me a lot more enjoyable, and seemingly so for my oldest although he contests that he is not having fun without his brother (collective “awww” from the crowd). I am not really a penny pincher but one night, when the boys were asking why I was forcing them to go to TKD, I included in the…
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Real Men Drive Minivans
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Defining modern manhood
20 Nov 2009 | 4:36 amRecently I was offered the opportunity to review a copy of The Good Men Project either in paperback or DVD form. After perusing the foundation’s website and reading an excerpt chapter written by Hall of Fame linebacker Andre Tippett (one of my all time favorite Patriots), I knew immediately that I wanted to dive into the book. In it’s own words, The Good Men Project: Real Stories from the Front Lines of Modern Manhood is: more than a book: it is the centerpiece of a national discussion about what manhood means today. Thirty-one essays by a broad range of men – rich, poor,… -
Time for dessert
19 Nov 2009 | 6:48 amAfter a starter and an entree it’s time to turn our attention to dessert as we reach the half way point of the fall flavors series. Over the years I’ve developed confidence in my abilities in the kitchen, but I don’t have a tremendous amount of experience making desserts. When I decided to make a creme brulee the first time I ever made dinner for my wife it was a big risk. On Top Chef any attempt at pastry by a chef with little experience in that world can sink their chances of winning the challenge. Despite the risk, I decided to go for it and, yes, there was a small part… -
A post of thanks
18 Nov 2009 | 11:42 amImage via Wikipedia Today’s post is just a quick word of thanks to everyone that has either visited or commented on this blog. A year ago today I hit the publish button for the first time and I had no idea what to expect. Now, even 237 posts later, it is still existing to launch a post and discover what you all take away from it. Over the past year I have met some amazing people both online and offline and truly appreciate the connections that this blog has enabled me to make. The ways in which expressing myself on this blog and meeting such a great group of people have been some… -
Fathers and the parenting equation
16 Nov 2009 | 7:19 amEvery once in a while there is an article or a news story about dads and fatherhood that really rubs me the wrong way. It has been a while since one has come through my stream that has annoyed me as much as the New York Times article “Fathers Gain Respect From Experts (And Mothers)” that Ron at Clark Kent’s Lunchbox posted last Thursday. In this particular case it wasn’t the article or the study on fatherhood it detailed, but rather the manner in which the results of the study were heralded as earth shattering news. In this new study it was ‘discovered’… -
American Diabetes Month 2009
12 Nov 2009 | 9:56 pmFor those of you that don’t know, November is American Diabetes Month. As a dad living with Type 2 diabetes I wanted to share some information on the disease and the importance of heeding the warning signs for it, as they may seem relatively harmless when viewed independently. According to the American Diabetes Association 24 million children and adults in the US live with diabetes and 57 million are at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. Even more alarming is that 1 out of every 3 children born today face a future with diabetes if things don’t change. The fact that I have…
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Howefitz Blog
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Grab your 3D glasses, It’s Fatherhood Friday!!!
20 Nov 2009 | 11:16 amI have always loved 3D images. I spent countless hours as a child staring through my ViewMaster and marveling at the wonderful images that I felt like I could reach in and grab. I was disappointed when I bought a ViewMaster projector at a garage sale, only to find out that it only projected through one image, creating a very flat clay Bambi on my wall. If I wanted 2D images on my wall, I could have gotten a poster… I’ve been excited to see 3D stuff making a comeback. Coraline, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Up, and Journey to the Center of the Earth are just a few recent films… -
Kyle Baker’s ‘How To Draw Stupid’: Where Was This Book When I Was Growing Up?
18 Nov 2009 | 10:10 amI have been a fan of Kyle Baker’s for a while now. Actually, it’s been a decade. I remember seeing a lot of Y2K-themed books in 1999, but ‘I Die at Midnight’ popped from the shelf. It was how I ‘found’ Kyle Baker. The artwork looked more like animation cels than a comic book. And the story of a man who wants to end it all after getting dumped must have struck a chord in my 21 year old heart. The subsequent return of the girlfriend with our hero attempting to vomit the pills he just overdosed on, well, pure comic genius! It is the only Y2K book that I will… -
…And The Winner Of The Paying Forward A Random Act Of Kindness Giveaway Is…
17 Nov 2009 | 6:03 amI am happy to announce that Jason of The Devoted Dad is the recipient of a $20 Wal-Mart e-gift card as the winner of the Paying Forward A Random Act Of Kindness Giveaway! Although the winner was chosen through the use of Random.org, I would like to repost his comment here: This is a great way to keep it going! I love the pay it forward idea. I’ve waited all day to post about this because I wanted to give it some thought. The idea that I came up with was to have my 3 year old go to Walmart and look for gifts to place in the local giving tree at the hospital for a child in need of a christmas… -
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-11-15
15 Nov 2009 | 6:00 amhttp://su.pr/2b45Us # http://su.pr/5SvPLL # Finally got V watched this morning. It was OK. Now back to cleaning the garage… #Yay # Working on a children's station that doesn't suck: Kid's Music (Adult-Friendly) (http://bit.ly/3sGpg0) #pandora # @PatrickD88 Pandora didn't know 'em. Listening at their site now! (& liking it, thanks!) #PandoraFail in reply to PatrickD88 # Almost gave a song from Pocahontas a thumb down, cuz I don't like the movie, but couldn't do that to something by Alan Menken… #Pandora # WHAT?! Pandora has music from Glee?!!! -
Why I Am A Daddy Blogger
13 Nov 2009 | 12:43 amThis post brought to you by Dad-Blogs' FatherHood Friday. Be sure to swing by for all the other great Dads and Moms who love to share their lives online! I’m not going to lie. I started this blog to try to make money. A year ago, I discovered guys like John Chow and Shoemoney. I saw sites like Problogger and thought, ‘Man, I could do that! Let me at it!’ A year ago this month I started the Howefitz blog, and I have not made one cent. In fact, I’ve lost a few. (I’m lookin at you, aweber!) But the fact remains that my blogging intensity has increased during the…
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RockAByeDad.com
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Monsters of Folk - Temazcal
18 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm -
RIP - Jerry Fuchs
10 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pmYou left us tragically, but we’ll keep playing your records… And when my daughter grows... -
I and Love and You
9 Nov 2009 | 7:00 pm -
Lesson Learned - Naps Aren't A Given
4 Nov 2009 | 2:17 pmNap? What nap? She was too busy showing us that she knows how to pull up in her bed… And... -
The Crash That Took Me
4 Nov 2009 | 1:39 pmComing will be their sophomore record…best of luck to you my friends! Here’s a...
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Digital Dads
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Everything Changes
18 Nov 2009 | 10:18 pmThe first thing that came to mind, when five months ago my wife told me we were having a baby, was that everything changes. In general I have no idea what will change or exactly what will be. What I do know is that this narrative, which is my life, is about to hit that point where the plot thickens and the twist will rearrange our whole hustle like an F-5 tornado. Case in point — I no longer have the luxury of considering the passage of time in years. Time itself has changed. Everything is now measured in weeks. When I mentioned to another pregnant couple we were five months… -
Internet Safety For Kids – Be Involved. Not Stupid.
16 Nov 2009 | 8:45 amThere are evil people on the Internet. Right now there is some child abusing scum just waiting to find an unaware child on the Internet. Guess what? There are those same people who want to abuse your children in your neighborhood, at the mall and in every corner of the world. The real truth is that the world is full of bad people and that includes online. Now that I’ve got that out of the way, I need to slap a little reality into all the parents out there who are scared to death of their kids getting online. I recently spoke at an elementary school about Internet Safety. It was a small… -
Mom Jeans on Dads Everywhere
13 Nov 2009 | 7:13 amWhat are mom jeans and why are dads wearing them? The term ‘mom jean‘ refers to an old style jean which has a higher waist line, is loose in the thigh and tapers at the ankle. Also known as a Traditional cut, the silhouette of widened hips and thighs is the single most unflattering cut still on the market. They’re distinctly frumpy, hence their nickname. Even President Obama wasn’t able to get away with wearing the traditional cut jean when he made the ceremonial first pitch at the All-Star Game in St. Louis. From CNN to the blogosphere, “Obama’s mom… -
Introducing Emmi & Clarence
9 Nov 2009 | 6:34 amWhen I started Digital Dads I knew I wanted to do something a little different. I love the model of Dad-O-Matic where any father is welcomed to come and write for the site, but I wanted a little more control over what was published and who wrote it. Not much, but a little. I get e-mails all the time from readers asking if they can write for the site. My answer has always been that we were not currently looking for writers at the time but if they wanted to write a guest column to show me what they were thinking about writing to please do so. Up till now no one has taken me up on that offer. -
iPhone Picture Time
8 Nov 2009 | 6:06 pmRemember when our fathers or grandparents would pull out the little picture portfolio from their wallets and purses and show pictures of their families? They’d always be full of pride and eager to show them to anyone who they might come in contact with. They got outdated quickly and you’d always have to explain when the pictures were taken. As the tradition got passed down to my generation we might have a single picture of our families in our wallets to show people. As the kids grew up this wasn’t as important and many wouldn’t even bother. At a recent conference…
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Juggling Eric
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Again.
18 Nov 2009 | 5:15 amI started getting sick again. Yesterday on my birthday of all days. Not sure if it was the Blade 2 Mutant Vampire Virus from two weeks ago. But I'm not feeling very creative. I probably won't comment on many blogs in the next few days either. I could keep you mildly entertained over at Pretty Dang Exciting. Anything that comes up in the next few days has already been scheduled. But there probably won't be any blogs posts from me again this week.Hope you all are feeling well.Make Me Feel Useful. Subscribe To This Blog. -
Countdown to Cinco - T Minus FIVE!!
16 Nov 2009 | 9:32 pmThanks to everyone sending their well wishes to my daughter after the horrendous birthday she had last week.We're at 32 weeks now into this pregnancy. That means we have about FIVE weeks until the baby will get here. That's five weeks to get everything in order.We need to make more room somehow. I plan on getting some free boxes off craigslist and pack away a lot of clothes that aren't fitting anyone right now. But the thing with that is, eventually it will fit someone again. We don't know the sex of the baby, so if we pack away all the boy's clothes we'd have to get them out again eventually… -
Worst Birthday... EVER!!!
13 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pmThank you all for your very nice comments and birthday wishes for my daughter. I just wish it was as happy as it should have been.Yesterday was supposed to be filled with cupcakes, streamers, ribbon, torn wrapping paper and presents. Yesterday was my daughter's first birthday. But it turned into 100 plus degree fevers, possible UTIs, catheters, partial dehydration, and an evening emergency room visit.She had a fever the day before. We did the Tylenol thing, and the fever came and went. She woke up on Thursday grumpy and not wanting to eat or drink much. Her Nana was going to take her for her… -
Happy Birthday Beautiful..
12 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amHappy Birthday Celi, I know it's a cliché, but I can not believe that you are one year old today. It doesn't seem all that long ago when we were surprised with the knowledge of your forthcoming. I was still trying to adjust to the fact we only had your brother for a few months before we knew about you. And even after that, having the two babies seemed like it was the hardest job in all of existence. Then you were coming later in the year and I didn't know what I was going to do. If I figured out what I was going to do, I didn't know HOW I was going to do it.When your mom was pregnant with… -
Ladybug's Magic Trick - Missing Leg
11 Nov 2009 | 3:59 amI'm going to switch up the regularly scheduled Ladybug's Portfolio today and show a video of Ladybug's Magic Trick. She started liking magic tricks when I would do quarter tricks for her. Now she's a regular Cristina Angel.Have a great day friends.Eric.Make Me Feel Useful. Subscribe To This Blog.
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Simple Father
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Tolerance
19 Nov 2009 | 2:00 amI saw something today that bothered me. In the increasingly tolerant (or so it seems on the surface) world we live in, the ugly face of intolerance came into the light. People were screaming from the rooftops a message of tolerance, all the while harboring hatred in their heart. Because we are all flawed humans, from different backgrounds, it's to be expected that from time to time opinions will differ. However, there are a few issues that always end in heated discussion... one of which is the sexual preference of cats. Do boy cats choose to keep the company of other boy cats? Or are boy cats… -
White Space
17 Nov 2009 | 3:00 amThe words "white space" mean different things to different people. To an artist, it signifies the unmarked areas on a canvas. To a radio broadcaster, it means an open frequency. As a father, it can mean something altogether different. Recently, I had the privilege of hearing Juliet Funt speak. Even though she doesn't live in a van down by the river, she manages to be an effective motivational speaker. One of the things she talked about that hit home with me was making sure that there is plenty "white space," or unplanned time in your day. Often, I find myself too busy, too distracted, too… -
Review & Giveaway: Draw Star Wars - The Clone Wars
11 Nov 2009 | 10:10 pmWhen I was growing up, some of my favorite 'books' were put out by Klutz. So when the opportunity arose to check out their new Draw Star Wars: The Clone Wars, I was curious too see if the books were still top notch. The Book The book is filled with tips and tricks that aim to make you better at drawing. At first I was expecting a howto on drawing various Star Wars characters, however that is only part of what the book offers. There are built-in tracing pages that allow you to trace various characters, with the purpose of getting used to their lines. Draw Star Wars: The Clone Wars also starts… -
Monthly Roundup - September/October
10 Nov 2009 | 2:00 amIt's been a busy few months around the Simple Father household, and if your life is anything like mine, you've been keeping busy enough chasing kids every which way. I'd like to highlight some posts from September and October that may have slipped through the cracks. While these weren't the most popular, they're worth checking out. Thank you for reading SimpleFather.com. If you're new to SimpleFather, the 'popular post' section to the right is a good place to start. Thanks again, and without further ado, the September/October highlights: 5 Parenting Hacks for Dads of Toddlers Beware of Dr. -
Now With Karate Chop Action
5 Nov 2009 | 3:00 amEarly one morning, a diabolical plan was brewing in the mind of Special K. If only she could escape her prison, use her powers of persuasion to control the Queen, and then lop off the King's head, she could be ruler of the kingdom! But first, Special K had to get the attention of the Queen. This turned out to be much easier than anticipated. As the Queen tried to fully wake from her slumber, Special K let loose her siren's call, which sounded like a mix between a helpless puppy's whimper, and a cat's meow. The Queen didn't stand a chance, the call drew her in and swallowed her up. Special K…
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The New Dad Guide - Parenting Information for Dads
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We've Moved!
13 Nov 2009 | 11:24 pmI made the decision to convert from blogger to a self hosted wordpress account. With only a couple dozen posts under my belt, I figured now was the best time to convert before this blog became too big. Currently I am in the process of rewriting some of my articles to improve their quality before re-posting.With out further adieu, I present cleverfather.com make sure you update your bookmarks and let me know what you think! -
How to Swaddle a Baby
3 Nov 2009 | 7:42 pmYou were probably taught how to swaddle your baby while in the hospital. If you were like me though, there is a good chance that your attention was on someone else. Since becoming a new dad I've learned that swaddling is a great way to keep baby calm and cozy. It can also help prevent their own startle reflexes from disturbing them.New Dad's Guide to SwaddlingSpread a fairly large blanket on a bed or flat surface. The blanket does not have to be huge, but larger then the average receiving blanket. There are swaddling blankets available that are light weight and stretchy for extra comfort. -
Baby Bath Time Basics
26 Oct 2009 | 5:42 pmBabies can be a challenge to hold and control. This only gets worse when water is added to the mix. Now you have a wet, slippery, and wiggly person to deal with. As a new dad, our number one priority is to ensure the safety of your baby in the bathroom. Here are a few tips that you can use to make bath time safe and enjoyable for you and your new baby.New Dad's Guide to Bath Time SafetyBefore starting the bath, get the shampoo, soap, towel, etc ready and within reach.Place any harmful objects such as razors, radios, hair dryers out of the way so your baby is not tempted to grab them.Always… -
Surviving Sleep Deprivation
20 Oct 2009 | 6:26 pmWith a new baby sleep can become all but a distant memory. These little monsters can be very demanding for the first few months of life. Each baby is unique, some may sleep through the night immediately while others wake up numerous times a night. Either way, keep these tips in mind to help you and your wife get the best sleep possible.New Dad's Guide to SleepWork shifts with your wife. The new baby belongs to both you and your spouse. You might as well suffer equally and trade off nights of sleep. This gives each of you a chance and a full nights sleep.If you need a good night sleep due to… -
Quick and Easy Holiday Cards
15 Oct 2009 | 8:32 pmWell, the leaves are turning color and if you are one of the unlucky ones like I am, old man winter is giving you your first snowfall. With the seasons changing and the temperature dropping it comes as no surprise that the holidays are right around the corner.With our little girl having her first Thanksgiving, Halloween, and Christmas this year, we have decided to do something special for friends and family. We are going to create custom cards to go with the first new family photo!About a week ago I was contacted to see if I would be interested in writing a review for a custom card website.
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Simple Father
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Tolerance
19 Nov 2009 | 2:00 amI saw something today that bothered me. In the increasingly tolerant (or so it seems on the surface) world we live in, the ugly face of intolerance came into the light. People were screaming from the rooftops a message of tolerance, all the while harboring hatred in their heart. Because we are all flawed humans, from different backgrounds, it's to be expected that from time to time opinions will differ. However, there are a few issues that always end in heated discussion... one of which is the sexual preference of cats. Do boy cats choose to keep the company of other boy cats? Or are boy cats… -
White Space
17 Nov 2009 | 3:00 amThe words "white space" mean different things to different people. To an artist, it signifies the unmarked areas on a canvas. To a radio broadcaster, it means an open frequency. As a father, it can mean something altogether different. Recently, I had the privilege of hearing Juliet Funt speak. Even though she doesn't live in a van down by the river, she manages to be an effective motivational speaker. One of the things she talked about that hit home with me was making sure that there is plenty "white space," or unplanned time in your day. Often, I find myself too busy, too distracted, too… -
Review & Giveaway: Draw Star Wars - The Clone Wars
11 Nov 2009 | 10:10 pmWhen I was growing up, some of my favorite 'books' were put out by Klutz. So when the opportunity arose to check out their new Draw Star Wars: The Clone Wars, I was curious too see if the books were still top notch. The Book The book is filled with tips and tricks that aim to make you better at drawing. At first I was expecting a howto on drawing various Star Wars characters, however that is only part of what the book offers. There are built-in tracing pages that allow you to trace various characters, with the purpose of getting used to their lines. Draw Star Wars: The Clone Wars also starts… -
Monthly Roundup - September/October
10 Nov 2009 | 2:00 amIt's been a busy few months around the Simple Father household, and if your life is anything like mine, you've been keeping busy enough chasing kids every which way. I'd like to highlight some posts from September and October that may have slipped through the cracks. While these weren't the most popular, they're worth checking out. Thank you for reading SimpleFather.com. If you're new to SimpleFather, the 'popular post' section to the right is a good place to start. Thanks again, and without further ado, the September/October highlights: 5 Parenting Hacks for Dads of Toddlers Beware of Dr. -
Now With Karate Chop Action
5 Nov 2009 | 3:00 amEarly one morning, a diabolical plan was brewing in the mind of Special K. If only she could escape her prison, use her powers of persuasion to control the Queen, and then lop off the King's head, she could be ruler of the kingdom! But first, Special K had to get the attention of the Queen. This turned out to be much easier than anticipated. As the Queen tried to fully wake from her slumber, Special K let loose her siren's call, which sounded like a mix between a helpless puppy's whimper, and a cat's meow. The Queen didn't stand a chance, the call drew her in and swallowed her up. Special K…
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Raising Great Families
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Mike D Finally Releases "Motion Before Motivation, The Success Secret That Never Fails"
10 Nov 2009 | 1:14 pmMike D DESERVES Our Support! Mike D is a friend, someone who has interviewed me for his website (Raising Real Winners), and someone who has written for THIS website: he DESERVES Our Support! But please don't read this note if you're not looking for a new way to look at the world, success, how to get things done. I know there are a lot of success strategies floating around out there. Law of Attraction Positive Thinking Affirmations Motivation And don't get me wrong – all of those and a few others are great and they surely can help you. But– and this is a real Big… -
Medical Report – No Wonder My Elderly Folks Are Confused At Doctors' Offices
21 Oct 2009 | 4:10 pmYou Must Ask Questions Of Doctors To Get The Best Service My elderly parents were SO confused when they'd leave the doctor's office that my younger sister, Nancy, and I used to take turns going to each appointment with them. Now Nancy (who recently retired from teaching) goes to all appointments. And NOW I better understand why they are so confused! My "Head"-line Story Here's my personal story from today (hey, it took 2 hours and 27 minutes, so I hope you have a few moments to read this… some of this really pissed me off and some of it really showed why my… -
Four Reasons Parents Should Choose Work They Love
14 Oct 2009 | 11:58 amWhether one or both parents will work has become a non-issue in modern families. It’s estimated that in 75% of American families both parents are working on jobs or running their own businesses away from home. Some parents are fortunate enough to be able to work from home or telecommute. Regardless of which model describes your family, how you feel about your job affects your family life and helps determine family harmony. Choosing work you love is not just for your own fulfillment. There are four reasons a job you love helps your family: 1. You are better prepared to spend quality time… -
5 Steps to Raising Financially Responsible Children
14 Oct 2009 | 11:06 amGrowing up, things were always tight for my family. I knew that certain things could not be afforded, like ballet lessons, and that certain things were substituted for ballet lessons, like soccer at YMCA. But I never truly understood why it was that my parents were so far behind on their bills or why my Dad had to work two jobs just to support our family. I was never taught the true value of a dollar; I was taught that working to make ends meet was the way life was meant to be lived. But this could not be further from the truth. After beginning the process towards becoming a financially… -
RaisingGreatFamilies.com Featured on AllTop.com
10 Oct 2009 | 4:18 amThe All Top website recognizes Charlie Seymour Jr's family-related website THIS blog has been recognized as a Top Blog by the top blog: AllTop.com People like Guy Kawasaki, Seth Godin, Tony Hsieh, and Chris Brogan are there. Mashable, Mac World, The New York Times, and Copyblogger are there. And now so are Charlie Seymour Jr (and our guest writers) and RaisingGreatFamilies.com. So… if you have a topic that interests you and you want to find a blog that fits in that category, go to AllTop.com. If you want great reading automatically fed to one location (so you don't have to…
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The Moonlighting Dad
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Who is Wally Backman???
16 Nov 2009 | 8:40 amThe NY Mets announced today that they are bringing back former player Wally Backman as a coach for their Single A affiliate Brooklyn Cyclones. From MetsBlog.com “I am thrilled and grateful to be coming back to the Mets organization,” Backman said in a press released, issued by the team. “The greatest days of my professional career were spent here in New York, and I have always felt a special connection to the city.” I saw this today while watching TV and being a big fan of Wally from back in the day I was pretty excited. Emma was sitting with me and I started to explain who he… -
Car Accident and the Hunt for new Wheels (Part 1)
11 Nov 2009 | 6:27 pmI have been away for about two weeks and what a two weeks it has been. Between the multiple birthday parties for Emma and a car accident involving The Moonlighting Mom (MM) there has been a lot going on around here. The Crash On Emma’s birthday we had some guys working on the house so I decided to stay home. Late morning ‘MM’ left the house to go over to school to help out like she normally does. Around 1:00PM I the phone rang and I received the call that non of us wanted to hear. She was on the other end of the phone on the verge of tears explaining that she was involved in… -
Happy Halloween: It’s Pumpkin Carving Time
30 Oct 2009 | 5:00 amThis time of year kids and parents all start thinking about the annual ritual of pumpkin carving. For those of you who have trouble with the carving process here are 6 easy steps to follow: Select the right tools: Various hand or power tools can be used during the carving but the essentials of small poker, sharp paring knife, small saw and a sturdy ice cream scoop will get the job done. Cutting: Create an opening in the top of the pumpkin with your knife ensuring the the hole is big enough for you to easily reach inside and clean it out. When cutting be sure to angle the blade towards the… -
Happy 7th Birthday !!
29 Oct 2009 | 5:10 amCome on everybody sing with me Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday dear Emma Happy Birthday to youuuuuuuuuuuuu Seven years ago early in the morning you came into this world and changed everything in our world. I look back over the last seven years and can’t imagine how life was before you were born. Enjoy your special day Emma and I can’t wait for you to get home from school to celebrate !! Love Daddy -
The Office: Find the Mallard – Dunder Mifflin Infinity Game
26 Oct 2009 | 12:59 pmWho doesn’t love The Office for giving this to us? OK - I have finally found all of the little mallards.. Wow do my fingers hurt from clicking. But I still love the Office ! See the images below for the answers from the online game Find the Mallard over at Dundler Mifflin Infinity. Thanks for all the tips I received from everybody on Facebook and let me know how you did and if this helped !!!
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Coupon Dad
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Energizer Exceptional Value Battery Charger
20 Nov 2009 | 4:08 pmHoliday Gift Guide – Energizer Exceptional Value Battery Charger New Item Posted to the Coupon Dad Holiday Gift Guide! Head over, read the review and tell us what you think! Energizer Charger ReviewOther Posts You May Enjoy: FOTOBOX Slide Show Creator Holiday Gift Guide: Wordlocks – ‘Use Words, Not Numbers” GoateeSaver – Goatee Shaving Guide Shred Sled Share and Enjoy: -
Polar Cuddle Cub
20 Nov 2009 | 12:44 pmHoliday Gift Guide – Polar Cuddle Cub New Item Posted to the Coupon Dad Holiday Gift Guide! Head over, read the review and tell us what you think! Polar Cuddle CubOther Posts You May Enjoy: FOTOBOX Slide Show Creator Holiday Gift Guide: Wordlocks – ‘Use Words, Not Numbers” GoateeSaver – Goatee Shaving Guide Energizer Exceptional Value Battery Charger Share and Enjoy: -
Chuck E Cheese Printable Coupons November 2009
20 Nov 2009 | 6:22 amChuck E Cheese Printable Coupons November 2009! Four great coupons from Chuck E Cheese. Chuck E Cheese printable coupons All four of these coupons expire on 12/02/2009. My children and I just love going to Chuck E Cheese. Not for the food mind you (Ummmm…..let’s just say I’ve had better pizza). We love all the games of course. I’m a skee ball nut. I’ll spend a fortune racking up thousands of them little tickets so I can can go cash in for a prize worth about half of what I spent. Hey, it’s all about the memories and fun though right?Other Posts You May… -
Mega Swag Bucks Friday!
20 Nov 2009 | 5:54 amIt’s Mega Swag Bucks Day! It’s Friday! Ready for Mega Swag Buck’s Day? Random lucky winners throughout the day will win swagbucks in the amounts of $10, $20, $50 and even $100 swag bucks! Just search as you normally do through the Swag Bucks search engine (powered by google and ask) or use the handy Toolbar for chances to win a Mega Buck! New to Swag Bucks? If you haven’t signed up you are missing out! I’ve taken care of most of my Christmas present for my kids through my Swag Bucks I have earned for doing nothing but my regular Internet searches! …..and… -
Kohls Coupon Code for November 2009
20 Nov 2009 | 5:44 amKohl’c Coupon Code for November 2009 For two days only, Friday the 2oth and Saturday the 21st you can save 20% off everything at Kohls.com. To get the 20% discount just enter coupon code SHOPEARLY at checkout.You can also get Free Shipping when you spend $50 or more! Remember this code is good only 11/20 and 11/21/2009. Other Posts You May Enjoy: Kohl’s Coupon Code for Power Sale November 2009 Kohl’s Printable Coupon 3 Day Shopping Pass October 2009! HOT Kohl’s Coupon Code for Halloween Costumes 2009! Shutterfly Discount Codes September 2009! Share and Enjoy:
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DadCAMP
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Toddler 101: Temper Tantrums
17 Nov 2009 | 6:26 amThese are notes taken from Toddler 101, a program presented by our daycare where Gillian Ashley-Martz, a Registered Clinical Counsellor, a mother of two and Certified Canadian Family Educator who has been working with families for over ten years taught new parents how to get through the early years. The part of the presentation that had parents scrambling to take notes and leaning forward paying attention was a 7 step process in conflict resolution. HOW TO DEAL WITH TEMPER TANTRUMS 1. press PAUSE button (take a deep breath and gather yourself, don’t get sucked in to the situation) 2. -
DadCAMP3 On The Big Screen
16 Nov 2009 | 6:27 amIt was Hockey Night at DadCAMP last night as the boys got together for a little hockey action at the Rink on Renfrew. DadCAMP is all about Dads getting together and meeting other Dads and enjoying some of the best days ever with our kids. This one didn’t disappoint. We snagged seats on the aisle next to where the Zamboni comes out on the ice – Zambonis are the tractors of hockey, a sure fire hit with boys. Our seats were right in the front up against the glass and behind the net meaning we got a great view of the action and lots of banging hits right in our face. Throw in some… -
Today Is World Diabetes Day
14 Nov 2009 | 6:24 amToday is World Diabetes Day. Type 1 Diabetes is the type that usually affects kids. There’s nothing you can do to stop that switch from being flicked one day. You’re born with it. My friend, Kerri Morrone Sparling’s blog is called Six Until Me. She discovered she had Type 1 Diabetes when she was 6 years old. She talks about the challenges of living with diabetes, how she manages her daily life, and how she’s finding community online. Dr Brian Rodrigues is a researcher at UBC. He does a great job explaining what Sir Frederick Banting did with the discovery of insulin… -
Toddler 101: The Job Description
13 Nov 2009 | 6:47 amThese are notes taken from Toddler 101, a program presented by our daycare where Gillian Ashley-Martz, a Registered Clinical Counsellor, a mother of two and Certified Canadian Family Educator who has been working with families for over ten years taught new parents how to get through the early years. To better understand why toddlers do the things they do, Gillian presented “the toddler job description” STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE FROM THE PARENT AND SELF MASTERY Toddlers are still trying to develop from the dependence they needed as an infant to the independence they feel as… -
Car Seat 101: Research Tools
12 Nov 2009 | 6:45 amThere are many resources for car seat research online, my friend Karen Hamilton (@tinybites) has been kind enough to pass along the tools she’s discovered as she preps for baby #1 in the new year (right around the same time we’ll be escorting Chuck in to the world). Infant or Convertible The first thing to choose is something we’ve tackled before in Car Seat 101: do you want a convertible car seat or an infant only to bring your bundle home from the hospital? Karen is going with the latter. “Definitely going with an infant carrier based on what practically every car…
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Random Thoughts- Do They Have Meaning?
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Recent Posts
20 Nov 2009 | 3:28 pmSince the Traveling Jack show is going on the road I decided to leave you with a collection of posts to read. Here are some recent ones with a couple old ones thrown in for good measure. A Love Song That Needs To Be Written Continued A Holiday Gift Guide- Some Unusual Gifts The Pressures of Parenthood Mumbai- One Year Later Music of the Day Healthcare, Funerals, Costco,Coke and Libel Why Do You Blog? A Little Digestive Distress- Chicken Vindaloo Not Quite a Recap- Let's Talk about Body Parts -
A Love Song That Needs To Be Written Continued
20 Nov 2009 | 3:09 pmThis is part two of this post. The pain of your absence is significant. The emptiness and the ache are more prevalent than not and sorrow has become a trusted companion. I live alone and apart. Bright blue skies surround me and the warmth of the sun embraces me but at times all I can feel is a bitter cold that shoots right through me. Sometimes tears come to my eyes, unbidden and unwelcome I fight them and force them back from whence they came. My eyes are closed and I let my mind wander. I look for signs of your wrongdoing and seek evidence of misdeeds. I use these as kindle for a fire that… -
A Holiday Gift Guide- Some Unusual Gifts
19 Nov 2009 | 8:38 amHere at The Shack we are well aware that Chanukah is less than a month away and as a result we have done absolutely no shopping for those eight crazy nights. After all, what fun would it be to do all of our shopping in advance. It would remove the sheer joy of fighting crowds for parking and being assaulted mentally, emotionally and verbally during those fabulous trips through the mall. Besides we like sharing this experience with our Gentile friends who have to help out that joyful fat man with his adventures in chimney cleaning and present deliveries. So we are pleased to present to you the… -
The Pressures of Parenthood
18 Nov 2009 | 6:56 pmSomething is off and I can't quite figure out what it is. Must be my Mojo. That crazy broad the Shmata Queen must have run off with it or hidden it. I hate when that happens. Fortunately I have a spare. Actually I have more than a few that I keep secured in a secret vault that she doesn't have access to. I don't mind mentioning this because she is on a secret mission and is not currently reading this. And even if she comes back early from her hiatus it won't matter because by that point I'll have reacquired my mojo. That mojo thing is important. It is part of what keeps me going. It is… -
Mumbai- One Year Later
18 Nov 2009 | 6:03 pmIt is a year since the terrorist attack in Mumbai. Some questions have been answered and others remain. Are the police better equipped than they were. Have they learned anything. Something tells me that the terrorists are still training. They are not stupid. They look at the tools they used in the past and implement them again where needed. I worry that nothing has changed. Time has passed and people have forgotten. Lost memories are dangerous.
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MyBoys3
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Splashing in the Deep End
19 Nov 2009 | 7:07 pmTonight Mommy made us a fantastic pasta dinner and then headed off to the store, leaving Daddy to handle bed time with the three boys. We managed to get through dinner and we all headed upstairs so I could get the baby ready for bed and feed him a bottle. Just as I was about to put his sleeper on, I remembered that Mommy had said that all the boys needed a bath. “Alright, bath time for everyone,” I announced. “What?” they answered incredulously, “Even Aaron?” “Yep. Even him,” I confirmed. “Everybody’s getting in tonight.” I think that he understood something fun was… -
Don’t Miss the Guacamole Daddy!
15 Nov 2009 | 8:16 pmI never know what to expect from our weekends. They tend to be hectic and fleeting. Last night, however, it all seemed to come together and provided one of those memorable evenings that I can think back to when I’m sitting in my hotel room on Sunday night, back in Florida (again) for business. It started off a bit shaky… 6:05 – Desperately trying to get the kids shoes and jackets on, moving towards the door and into the van to head out to a yet unannounced restaurant 6:10 – Boys secured in the car, baby crying as he’s recently decided that he severely dislikes riding in the dark… -
Not Being Don Draper
12 Nov 2009 | 8:12 pm“And who are you supposed to be?” the man at the door asked the charming couple as they stood behind their two children on the porch waiting for Halloween candy. That is the central question that seems to haunt Don Draper, the protagonist on one of the most thought-provoking shows on television today, AMC’s Emmy award-winning Mad Men. Played in perfect pitch by leading man Jon Hamm, Draper’s character is a complicated paradox of a man. As a dashing Madison Avenue creative director in the early days of a modern advertising agency in the 1960s, he has quickly climbed the ladder of…
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Who's Your Daddy?
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Couch Pillow Fort Fun
18 Nov 2009 | 12:02 pmAs a kid, I remember building some crazy indoor forts out of couch pillows and blankets. While they probably drove our parents crazy, there were some good times to be had in those indoor forts. You’d never have two that were the same and each time seemed to be two great activities built into one (three if you count cleanup!). One was the great construction project that is required of a truly special couch pillow fort. You need to make sure all your pillows are balanced to hold a roof. You need it to be big enough to escape into when the enemy is coming, but not so big and open… -
The Seeing Stick
10 Nov 2009 | 9:07 amThe Little Man is lucky enough to have grandmothers who are excellent book givers and last night was a seriously good one. Books arrive from California in bunches and so sometimes we don’t get to them all right away. As Last night we found such a book that we had not yet read, but was an gorgeous surprise. The Seeing Stick is an old Chinese legend told by Jane Yolen about a young blind princess. I don’t want to give the story away, but I highly recommend it for kids who are in the first grade to fourth grade range. Our little second grader AND his father were both captivated… -
Grownups Are Dumb
5 Nov 2009 | 11:07 amSo the Little Man and I are sitting watching the World Series last night and a commercial break comes on. On comes an ad for the new movie “The Box” with Cameron Diaz. Just to be clear, I haven’t seen the movie and I don’t know anything about it beyond what I’ve seen in the ads. I don’t know the actors, the studio or anyone else in the movie industry for that matter (I’m clearly not that cool). I’m sure this is one of those “you had to be there moments” but we watch the ad and the Little Man looks at me with his deadpan look and states: “They should have called that… -
Little Man Big Decisions
3 Nov 2009 | 6:47 amOur Little Man participates in his school’s afterschool program a few days a week. So for one day of the afterschool experience, we had thrown in a Spanish class. As I mentioned in other posts before (see Màs?), we would love to give our son the gift of a second language. Before the school year started there were many protests and “discussions” but we held fast thinking he gets to choose two days and we get one. Fair enough, right? As the year has gone on, the protests had not stopped, but in fact had multiplied. The entire walk home from that day was a recount of the… -
Old School Halloween
29 Oct 2009 | 2:08 pmBe warned – here it comes, the “old guy” bit about how it was so different when we were kids, blah, blah, blah. Walking to school uphill in the snow (both ways) and all that. But it was different back then, right? My nostalgic memory of Halloween is combing the local (and not so local) neighborhoods in a very methodical manner (mixed in with some minor mischief) to secure as much candy until we had to get home, otherwise known as curfew (do kids still have those?). We carried pillow cases because any other bags were just too small and flimsy to carry the immense load of…
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A Culminating Life
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What’s This Itchiness?
20 Nov 2009 | 11:07 amIt’s the itchiness of awesomeness! After getting invited to a conference call with Jason Schwartzman who plays Ash in the upcoming move Fantastic Mr. Fox, I spent my time preparing my questions, and then was able to ask him my question, which was a pretty fun moment. Hilarity ensues... What was interesting was all the bloggers in attendance. This was a smorgasbord of awesome bloggers. We had The Mommy Insider, Deb on the Rocks and Peeling an Orange With a Screwdriver. And a handful of others that I missed, due to many of them coming into the call all at the same time. Things I… -
I’m Not Inclined To Resign To Maturity
17 Nov 2009 | 5:48 amShe passes the money as if it’s a brick of gold. You could almost see the pain in her eyes. I can help you get out of jail if you really want. Hmmm, she thought. What’s there to think about? You can you get out of jail and have one less property, or sit there waiting for your time to be done. I don’t know. Let me think about it. Mwwwhahhwhh, I did my evil, “I will rule the world” laugh. Sweet awesomeness.... The British version of Monopoly! Look it’s right here, you give me your property and I will give you this golden ticket and you won’t have to… -
Leave Me One More Weekend
13 Nov 2009 | 11:29 pmYou know what I should be doing right now? Cuddling with my two girls and my youngest boy. All while eating popcorn and watching High School Musical 3 for the umpteen time. You know what I should be doing tomorrow? Waking up late, making pancakes, eggs, bacon, orange juice (Just loaded up this week on everything). Enjoying a great day. Out to the parks, maybe a movie, and something they get to fully decide. You know what I am doing? Typing out my frustration to the world… Think happy thoughts... think happy thoughts... See it all started a couple of weeks ago with a phone call… -
Insomniacs Parental Guide to a Bob Dylan Christmas
12 Nov 2009 | 5:49 pmWARNING: Following the link to the Christmas album on Rhapsody, may cause distress and sadness, resulting in children crying. Oh My… I heard a small portion of Christmas In The Heart on my way to work, on a local station, and immediately decided that I was going to have to listen to this. Oh the regrets we have… Are those letters... bleeding? I’ve decided that my first instinct’s are way wiser than I give them credit for. I had a feeling of atrociousness but I ignored it. Obviously I’ve had this problem before, and you would think that I would learn my… -
Road To Closure: Vol 12
7 Nov 2009 | 1:39 pmBecause… This time it’s for real. Not like all those other times… which, uh, were fake. Yeah, many years ago, I learned about the 7 stages of grief, plus one that I made up… SHOCK AND DENIAL - Not the 'mostly-green-apple-with-some-caramel-lite' lollipop that I was hoping for What was that you said? Oh, I was ignoring you? You… were telling something about my green apple lollipop? No, I don’t believe so. PAIN AND GUILT - It starts out as a pin prick…. then it grows… [ Who the heck keeps punching me in the arm? ] Wait, I know it’s…
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smonk you: a pre-daddy blog
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Gear Thursday: Retro Fisher Price
19 Nov 2009 | 7:20 amI was out of town the end of last week through the beginning of this week so I didn't have much time to review anything for this week...but I did find some goodies online. Fisher Price has released some of their retro stuff including the Chatter Telephone pull toy. It's pretty much the same one that was around when I was a kid, although I assume there is less lead in the paint...hopefully no lead. The eyes still roll up and down, the mouth chatters and the dial still rings. The funny thing is kids will have no idea what it is.When I was a kid this toy was a great primer on how to use a… -
Trying to figure out what babies are thinking
17 Nov 2009 | 6:32 amI just got back from a trip to Chicago to see some old friends. While there I stayed at with friends who have 2 kids. Their youngest is 13 months...he's just on the verge of talking. He'll say small words like dada and up. I was semi fascinated by him.He's at that age where he's to young to speak but also too young to get frustrated that we don't understand him. I have never actually spent good time with a kid that age. I'm used to that stage he'll be at in a month or even a few weeks. That stage where they really know they are saying things but we have no idea what they are saying.I'm… -
Gear Thursday: Semi-Fantastic Mr. Fox by Bird and Little Bird
12 Nov 2009 | 6:36 amWell I was going to talk about strollers this week and mention how we went with a Maclaren Easy Traveller because we heard from so many parents that this simple, lightweight system is much more convenient than regular all in one strollers. But then the recall went out. While I'm sure the fix will be fine I am going to hold off until I get the hinge guards and reevaluate then. So here's something more fun anyway...Staci found it on Etsy. It's a custom made fox toy made by Annie who goes by Bird and Little Bird. The fox is made of all natural materials and filled with organic cotton.She also… -
New Giveaway: ABC's for Expectant Dads - 10 awesome copies
11 Nov 2009 | 9:02 amA bit ago I found Todd Lieman in Twitterland and he sent me a copy of his book ABC's for Expectant Dads: The Ultimate A- for Dads-in-Training. I'd looked at a bunch of expectant dad books and I thought most were terrible. I did pick up The Expectant Father and I liked it but I haven't looked at it in months.I think it's tough for dad's because we're just reading about what's going on with the mothers and it's easier to hear it from them. Staci is reading so much that she keeps me up to date on things I should know and I'm sure most expectant moms are the same. I'm also luckily in that doing… -
Random thoughts: a trial run, time and pseudo science
9 Nov 2009 | 6:27 amThis was once again written on the bus so pardon the typos.One:We had a 24 hour trial run as parents this week when a friends 2 year old son stayed at our house. We've had kids over but only when their parents were staying over. And Staci's watched kids a lot but no one has left their child in my care before....It went well. I realized I'm not as bad with kids as I thought.Part of that could be because I thought you had to talk baby talk or talk down to kids so I had no idea what to say. But I just spoke normally and it was easy. Sarcasm didn't go over well because when I asked if he wanted…
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Book Dads
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Book Dads Twitter Digest 2009-11-20
20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pmBook Dads Twitter Links is a roundup of our posts on Twitter this week and we hope to share links related to books, literacy and dads too. Follow Book Dads on Twitter Google Wave test # Mom, Jason’s Breathing On Me! real-world solutions to sibling bickering from a child psychologist & father of 2. http://bookdads.com/5TTE # RT @MrsPstorytime: I re-did my You Tube page in my Mrs. P colors please come see me #Read2kids http://tinyurl.com/yl28s4k thanks, Mrs. P # RT @balmeras: Book em', Guru: 4 Picks for Playful Readers: http://digg.com/d31A9ff?t # The Sons of the Dragon King: ancient… -
My Daddy is a Pretzel: Yoga for Parents and Kids
20 Nov 2009 | 8:03 amMy Daddy is a Pretzel is a rare instructional storybook that inspires to stretch your mind, body and soul with your child in kid-friendly yoga positions. Written by world-renowned yoga teacher Baron Baptiste, this book is the definite expression of a dad who wants other parents to get involved in yoga and its benefits. The story revolves around kids in a yoga class that each tell what occupations their parents have. One kid says his Mommy is a gardener and his Dad is sometimes a tree, which is followed by an interlude that teaches parent and child the Tree Pose (like Daddy). The step by step… -
My Father’s Shop
19 Nov 2009 | 4:08 amBefore my son was born, we took a trip to the Canary Islands. It was our last trip before fatherhood and was an amazing experience. Before we arrived I expected that the islands would have some Moroccan influence because of their proximity to Morocco. But that was just not the case. So to fulfill my Moroccan fix, I found this beautiful book about a Moroccan father and son. My Father’s Shop is not only a great reflection of father and son relationships but a gem of artistic renderings and colors. The story revolves around Mustafa and his father’s shop, which is filled with detailed rugs… -
A Course in Happiness: Mastering the 3 Levels of Self-Understanding That Lead to True and Lasting Contentment
17 Nov 2009 | 1:18 amWe teach our children reading, writing, and arithmetic, so why don’t we educate them on how to achieve happiness? Though written for adults, A Course in Happiness contains many lessons that can be helpful for adults, young adults, and children, as well as material addressed directly to parents. This is above all a practical book about the hard inner work and self-reflection that is necessary to find happiness, and there are no quick solutions or easy panaceas here. In the words of Dr. Horowitz, “Pulling together the sides of the self into an overall sense of organization is a… -
The Sons of the Dragon King: A Chinese Legend
16 Nov 2009 | 2:04 amThe Sons of the Dragon King is a retelling of an ancient Chinese folktale that also carries lessons about fatherhood and valuing each of our children for their own individual gifts. In ancient times, Chinese civilization consisted of many tribes, each with its own animal totem. When these tribes became unified, their totem animals merged together into a single ruling Dragon King that combined their features. When the Dragon King’s nine sons were born, each of them was as distinct from the others as their father’s different features, and each moved to a different region of…
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Dad's Guide to Twins
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How to Handle Your Twins Swapping Food and Drink at Mealtime
18 Nov 2009 | 6:01 amYour twins will trade food and drinks during meals and snack times. So how do you know how much each child has eaten or had to drink? We’ve sat our twins in booster chairs next to each other since they started eating solid foods. Due to their proximity to each other, they tend to swap food, sippy cups, spoons, and anything else on their trays. Your twins may very well do the same. One option to make sure each kid gets what she needs and nothing else is to sit them on opposite sides of the room. Unfortunately, this makes it a little more inconvenient to single-handedly meet the needs of… -
How to Handle Nighttime Care When Both Twins are Sick
11 Nov 2009 | 6:01 amYour twins won’t always get sick at the same time, but sometimes they do. This will put extra strain on your family and household. Our girls were both recently sick at the same time. In summary, it felt like we had reverted to newborn twins again. They needed constant care and were up multiple times during the night. After your twins are old enough and start sleeping through the night, you get spoiled. When an interruption comes along, it will be especially difficult to handle middle-of-the-night awakenings. During the initial newborn phase, you’ll get used to the pattern of… -
The Exact Number of Kids that are Easy to Care For
4 Nov 2009 | 6:01 amWith twins, you feel like you are always busy, always have your hands full, and never seem to get a break. If you have other children in addition to twins, you’ll be busy from the time the kids wake up until they go to bed. I discovered recently the secret formula that indicates how many kids are easy to manage at once. This equation is based on the number of kids you have: Easy = number of kids – 1 In our case, we have four kids. When one is asleep or at grandma’s house, life is easy. If you have just the twins, and get a time when only one is in the house or awake, life seems like a… -
Sleep Deprivation is Torture
28 Oct 2009 | 7:02 amOne of the most trying aspects of having newborn twins is sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation is torture. Think about those old war or spy movies where the hero is literally tortured by being forced to stay awake. Just when the hero falls asleep, the bad guys wake him up. You, my friend, are the hero. Unfortunately, your twins play the part of the torturer. Not that they don’t love you. They just haven’t learned to sleep through the night yet. By the time we had our twins, we had already had two boys. Since they were both singletons, my wife ended up caring for them most nights… -
Why you don’t need high chairs for your twins
21 Oct 2009 | 7:10 amWhen your twins are ready to start eating solid foods, you’ll need somewhere for them to sit. Traditionally, this means buying high chairs. Since you’ve got twins, you are already used to unconventional methods, so here is another tip: Buy booster seats that fit on your normal kitchen chairs instead of buying high chairs. Eventually your kids will need booster seats anyway. So if you skip the high chairs, you save money and can use what you buy for a longer period of time. High chairs are great when you have one baby at a time. However, with twins, here is why you want booster…
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Incredible Dad
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Review of HotHouse Cafe – Toronto
18 Nov 2009 | 11:04 amAn IncredibleDad.com review of the HotHouse Cafe in Toronto, an award-winning brunch buffet restaurant. Read on for a review of the restaurant, some tips to make your brunch more enjoyable and pictures & video of the current Guinness record holder for the World's Largest Buffet! Related posts:Review of Fairview Mall Food Court – TorontoReview of Michael’s Eatery – AjaxReview of Halibut Time – Ajax -
Review of “Best Things Fathers Do” by Will Glennon
13 Nov 2009 | 10:19 pmAn IncredibleDad.com review of "Best Things Fathers Do" by Will Glennon. Read the article to see what kind of Dad would enjoy this book, review a quick summary and see if some of the best tips from this book apply to your life! Finally, also included is Roger Fox in a comic on spending quality time with your kids. Related posts:Review of “The Dads’ Book” by Michael Heatley“Kids Party Place” Search Tips and Review of Creative Play Indoor Playground in AjaxThree Important Books My Kids Should Read -
Review of Massey’s Restaurant – Pickering
12 Nov 2009 | 9:13 pmAn IncredibleDad.com review of "Massey's Restaurant" in Pickering, from a family perspective with kids! Massey's has been a fixture in Durham for 45 years. Find out why, what you NEED to order (and eat) next time you're there and a video of what you WON'T see at the restaurant (a musical)! Related posts:Review of Milos Greek Restaurant – PickeringReview of Big Boy’s Burgers – PickeringReview of Michael’s Eatery – Ajax -
Top Five Board Games for Families with Young Children!
9 Nov 2009 | 8:56 pmAre you looking for a new board game to play with your family? IncredibleDad.com takes a look at the Top 5 board games, for families with young children, according to the Web and our own family's experiences. Also included are some hilarious quotes, a video and some strategies to help you win at the next family game! Related posts:“Kids Party Place” Search Tips and Review of Creative Play Indoor Playground in AjaxHalloween Kids Party Cheat Sheet!Top Ways To Store Your Kids’ Art and the Funny Things They Say. -
Review of “The Dads’ Book” by Michael Heatley
7 Nov 2009 | 7:33 pmIn this book review of "The Dads' Book - for the Dad who's Best at Everything" by Michael Heatley, find out what's good and not so good about it and get a couple of free Dad tips out of it to boot! Related posts:Review of Michael’s Eatery – AjaxReview of “Best Things Fathers Do” by Will GlennonReview of Halibut Time – Ajax
