“Never say Goodbye Brooks. Goodbye is permanent. Say ‘bye’ or say ‘so long’. Saying goodbye means you will never see that person again. You’ll be seeing me again. Won’t you?” “Yes Grandpa. I won’t say goodbye anymore.” I was six years old when my Grandpa taught me that lesson. It’s one of those lessons that never stopped following me. It stuck with me and never let go. It’s one of those lessons that helped shape me into what I am…
I write an awful lot about parenting and part of this gig involves following a few parenting forums. One of these forums is Dads-Only. It’s huge – as in tens of thousands of members. I find this group fascinating. Without really meaning to it gives me a pretty raw and organic view of how fellow males think and what matters to them. This group offers a great cross-section of male society in a global way. If Moms were allowed to…
I have some wonderful news! I’ll be getting my basement back! And you my friend, will be getting a lot of sh…shtuff. You can do whatever you want with it all. If nothing else, the strollers will give you an opportunity to test out a few models for free. Free is good. Strollers are pricey, and frustrating if it turns out to be one you don’t like. Strollers are a big deal. This will determine the baby’s comfort and (arguably…
“Move over, make some room for me!” “Sure thing!” I shifted over on the couch, Annie curled up next to me and snuggled her head into my chest. I reached over and picked up the baby monitor, we stared at the screen. Both girls were finally asleep. Lyd was sprawled out, one leg sticking out from under the sheets, the book next to her looked like it was trying to imitate her. Reggie looked like a passed out drunk. “Little…
“You don’t need drugs when you have a kid. You’re awake, you’re paranoid, you smell bad, it’s the same thing!” -Robin Williams, Live at the Met I recently received the wonderful news that a couple friends of ours will be having their first baby. I laughed a bit to myself as I thought about all the new and…interesting things they will be experiencing. I began thinking about all the things I wish I was told back when Lydia was born….
When I’m reading a good book, I tend to become increasingly despondent. Even more so as I approach the end of the book. I’ve been transported to a world, and I know that I will not be ready to leave that world. Since becoming a Dad, my life has become (at least to me) a pretty good book, and I’m fast approaching the end of a chapter. Lydia, my “Bug” will be a third grader. Instead of walking Home with…
I recently read an article stating that Moms work the equivalent of 98 hours a week. Here’s a link to the article: http://www.valleynewslive.com/content/news/Overtime-Parenting-and-Burn-Out-477468943.html I have so many questions. First, this isn’t a question as much as a statement, the article is written poorly. Back to questions. Why is this only citing Moms? Where are the Dads? There are enough Stay-At-Home Dads and Single Dads out there that they can no longer be discounted statistically. At the end of the article,…
Recently a friend of mine was seeking Mommy advice regarding getting her infant to swallow Baby Tylenol. I immediately recalled the days of getting my babies to swallow their medicine and realized I might have some worthwhile pointers. Despite not being a Mommy, I decided to weigh in. I used to use the plastic syringe that came with the medicine for our girls, never mind that, sometimes I still have to use a plastic syringe. The tough part is dealing…
Last winter we had a snow day and the girls were driving us up the wall. When I finally had my work done I told them to get their snow pants and boots on. “Really?” “Yes, really.” I grunted as I dragged a sled up from the basement. “Yay!” There is a tiny hill outside our place. It’s perfect for little kids; a sled can’t go more than one hundred feet at best. An hour out there ought to burn…
Joy. Joy is one of those things that can be lost so easily in the turbulent open waters of adulthood. One of the simplest things an adult can do is become too focused on the logistical things, the technical things, the timelines, the calendar, the agenda, the situation. What needs to happen? Which kid am I taking and where? What time? It seems like I can ask those questions one dozen times a day, and could still justifiably ask them…