Hello, I’m Brooks . . . and I’m a Stay At Home Dad. This is my Blog. After a lifelong habit, hobby . . .unstoppable compulsion maybe, I have finally decided to dedicate my thoughts to an actual blog. My wife Annie has been extremely helpful in helping me get this started up, I’m one of those persons who thinks that clicking the mouse button repeatedly and with force will speed up my computer, I am intimidated easily when it comes to things technical.  I guess what I’m getting at is, at present, this is feeling like a monumental accomplishment.
I might have lied a little when I said I’m a Stay At Home Dad, truthfully, I’m a Full-time Stay-At-Home-Dad and a Part-Time Stagehand. For those who don’t know what a Stagehand is, we’re the ones who work backstage for most any entertainment act, from tiny low-budget stars-still-in-the-eyes theater troupes to full-size arena concerts like the Rolling Stones and KISS and Bon Jovi and, well you get the picture. We work any and all hours, sometimes many hours (my personal record was working for 37 hours straight (with lunch and dinner breaks of course . ..we’re not freaks, at least not like that). I started out as a Stage Manager, my main disciplines these days involve being a Flyman (we pull the ropes that make curtains and other such things go up and down) and as a Truck Loader (it’s pretty self explanatory, we empty and load the trucks for traveling productions). My hours are pretty hit & miss. My working hours pretty much depend on when the gigs are happening, and to a certain degree, they are seasonal. Work tends to fizzle in the summer months. I also have the “luxury” of determining how much I work, I am able to decline work calls, I am not necessarily under a contract. I put luxury in quotes, because . . . well, you don’t make money if you don’t work. Having said that, I am able to tailor my hours to taking care of my girls.  Let’s just call “luxury” “convenience” and leave it at that.
I used to think I had a pretty tough job . . .until the finale of my wife’s pregnancy happened. Nineteen years as a professional Stagehand, nineteen years of solving bizarre problems, and witnessing bizarre things, did NOT, indeed, prepare me for Daddyhood.
Kids are dirty, disgusting, emotional, completely self-centered and have little to no concept of consequence. The demands can be off-the wall and their digestive systems do not care if you’re wearing your favorite shirt. They also represent a level of joy I did not know was possible. I never believed in love at first sight, now I do. I was wearing scrubs when it happened, both times.
As I mentioned a moment ago, we have kids. Two daughters, one is five years old, the other is eighteen months old.
This blog will be about my adventures raising our daughters here at home, and anything else I may be in the mood for. I guess you could say it’s about my life. Some might find it boring, and that’s fine, I may not find your life terribly interesting either. So there.
I have developed quite a few opinions about Stay-At-Home Daddying. Sexism is still alive and well, and I find SAHDs on the receiving end, ask any SAHD who has had to change a diaper only to find no changing tables in the men’s room. Furthermore, no, I am NOT unemployed. Yes, if I chose, I CAN get a full-time job. No, I am not lazy or listless, in fact most days I am working from alarm clock to bedtime. I approach Stay-At-Home parenting as a job, and what can suck about this job is you NEVER actually get away from it. I do not have a desk that I can leave at the end of every day. On the clock, off the clock, you are still at your workplace, and be it kid or counter top, there is always something that needs to be cleaned.
I’ll talk about the technicals of this job, I’ll complain about certain baby products, I’ll sing the praises of others. I’ll talk about routines, how to keep the house tidy (looking past my laptop, the place looks like a wreck right now)
I’ll talk about the emotional aspects. How some days you feel like you could burst with love and affection, and other days you.. . could . . . just . . . AGGGH! I’ll talk about the feelings of isolation, the loneliness, about how to take an actual break.
I’ll do my best to stay on task, but again, once in a while I may just talk about whatever might be on my mind. At the end of the day, I love to write, and this blog will serve me in keeping up that habit, and hopefully keep me drawn to all the other stuff I’m writing.