It was a frantic and rushed morning. It seemed like everything was working against us in getting Lyd off to her summer classes. Somehow, some way, I got her to school on time. I gave her a kiss, watched her run off to class, shut the van door and wearily climbed back in. I let loose with a heavy sigh before I put the van back in gear. Today was going to be busy, we had company coming in a…
One morning back in July, Regina finished her breakfast. I wiped her face and told her it’s time for a bath. “I want a Bubble Bath Daddy.” “Bubble Bath? Sure!” I opened the bathroom cabinet and the bottle was empty. “Oh. I’m sorry Hun, we’re all out of bubble bath.” Regina, being who she is, had to check the bottle herself. Cue the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree music. Cue naked toddler with her chin touching her chest. Saddest. Bath. Ever….
“All right kids! Way to hustle!” I looked up, satisfied to see Lyd hustling and not staring at the sky. It’s just a pre-game practice. Time to take it easy for a few minutes, now where in this bag did I put my Kindle? I looked over at one of Lyd’s teammates’ Moms. She brought her laptop. Smart! I could be writing right now! Ugh. Actually no. It’s just enough day light out here where I’d be struggling to read…
“Daddy! I want Privacy!” (actually, what I heard was “Pwie-Vuh-See”) (Be enthusiastic Brooks, be encouraging. Use your high pitched voice. You can do this!) “Okay. First, you don’t know what privacy is, you just recognize that privacy happens behind closed doors (actually, I suppose you do know what privacy is after all). Second, the last time I decided to ‘grant’ you a bit of privacy, I ended up re-rolling 2/3 of a roll of Toilet Paper.” Awkward silence passes before…
It’s the first day of school! Today’s the day! I can get a routine started again! I can focus on teaching Regina the alphabet and shapes and counting without Lyd interrupting or impatiently scolding Reg when she gets it wrong. I can get ahead of the laundry. We live close enough to the school where we can walk Lyd every day, we’ll be able to get out, get some fresh air. Sun rays are coming through clouds, a cherubic chorus…
My Funny Girl You drive me nuts. Do you know that? Several times a day, I’ve come so close to putting my head through drywall because of you. And then I hear your husky, toddler voice say, “Hey. Don’t worry dude. I got this.” That’s when I half-snort, half laugh Yes you got it, don’t you? I can’t stay angry. Always Looking Forward. Now that I’ve gotten to know you, I know why you were born three weeks early. You…
One night after we put the girls to bed we decided to watch a little grown-up television. “Wanna watch some Paranormal Witness?” “Sure!” We were properly frightened. The scary face happened, we both jumped. Luckily we lived through it. But what should be considered more impressive was that we didn’t fall asleep on the couch. Staying awake on the couch equals a high-five. We did it! There was no way we’d make it through a second one, definitely time for…
Before I start this story, I just want to publicly congratulate my wife Annie, she’s been working very hard on a tightly monitored diet and exercise program, and she has enjoyed great results. She has officially attained a weight she hasn’t seen since before becoming a mother. There have been a few lessons learned along the way, one of them being exercise equipment. If the price is too good to be true, then it is not good at all. We…
Meh, Olympics. Whatever. The whole thing is too hyped up. I’ve got things to do, I’m busy, and I have better things to watch during my free time. Now let’s look for something to watch… News, Jeopardy, ugh…there it is. The stupid Olympics. Looks like swimming. Hmm, this is kind of close. I suppose I’ll see how this one turns out. If for no other reason, I won’t be totally out of the loop. Wow…this is looking like a really…
The dishwasher was loaded, counters wiped off, I looked over my shoulder…no kids. I quietly popped a couple of Tostitos from my super-secret-just-for-me-not-for-kids stash into my mouth and went to check on the girls. They both looked at me suspiciously. Lyd spoke, “I smell Doritos.” (Doritos? She’s got her names mixed up. Should I correct her? No.) “Really?” I asked, my expression was saturated with innocence. “I really like Doritos” She replied. “Really?” I asked. “Yeah, they’re my favorite.” “Good…