tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12347489997526780062012-02-16T20:25:56.400-08:00Knights of the Changing Tablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04942295782860330774noreply@blogger.comBlogger1381100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-17241392155604374122012-01-12T15:17:00.000-08:002012-01-12T15:17:46.627-08:00

by Phil We're having an epidemic of lost items around here lately. Since my son is only 18 months old he hasn't noticed. While there are a few exceptions, he mostly plays with what's in front of him without much care. If a few things go missing here or there, who’s the wiser? Who? I am, that’s who. If it was a singular ball or a block that went missing, I probably wouldn't even notice. The

Philnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-21028319312879840272011-11-18T12:15:00.001-08:002011-11-18T12:17:55.304-08:00

by Phil It is my hypothesis that the sole purpose of toddlers within world ecology is the harboring and continued existence of viruses. Sure, within human relationship they offer their parents all sorts of joy and blah blah blah. But within the world as a whole, they are essentially virus farms. Simply, they are germ bags. I say this now because my son has shared his virus harvest with me and

Philnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-27983496938340276232011-11-02T08:59:00.000-07:002011-11-02T20:19:48.641-07:00

by Phil Halloween! One of the best parts of Halloween is all of the absurd baby costumes. When babies don't have any control over their lives or haven't yet developed a fear of looking ridiculous, they offer a blank canvas of potential. It's the perfect opportunity for later, teenage embarrassment when you pull out the photos to show their friends. Last year, when our son was only about 4

Philnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-50763742561860159542011-11-02T08:49:00.001-07:002011-11-02T08:49:22.733-07:00

Normally, October is the month I dread. That's because it's the time when Stacey (as part of her duties as co-director of an honors program on campus) heads to Europe with her class. Sometimes, it's for two weeks, sometimes, it's for the full month.This year, it was the latter. So, I was on my own, with Brady, for a whole month. Without help from family.But you know what? Surprisingly, it went

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645547426007351206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-74764142855990003662011-10-21T21:02:00.000-07:002011-10-21T21:02:56.814-07:00

By Phil There's a certain amount of guilt that I feel whenever I have a "day off" from taking care of my son. This includes both extended periods of separation overnight and even short single-day excursions. I know it may seem crazy to many people but it's a natural reaction to the way that my life now works. Life has a natural ebb and flow. There are periods when it doesn't seem like we can

Philnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-54258799533213678562011-10-05T14:15:00.000-07:002011-10-13T17:29:37.038-07:00

by CarlosIt's been over a month since my last blog. I've been looking all that time for a moment to write this. In a sense, this is my farewell blog. I say that not so much because my 'status' has changed, but because as a part time worker, I really just don't have a moment any more.I thought I was busy and tired when I was at home with one kid. I thought I was busy and tired when I was at

Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03453735887226921440noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-62093855296198577082011-09-29T20:39:00.000-07:002011-09-29T20:44:08.472-07:00

"Waaahhhhhh!"My first thought, as I hear the human alarm clock that is my 3 month old, is "Where's my wife?"And then the slow realization begins to overtake me. My heart begins pounding, my head sweating. There is no backup. This is a solo operation now.My wife has gone back to work.This summer, we were blessed with our third daughter, Ava. She has been a fantastic baby. It's as if Superman (

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399611423660046689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-6437905734299865332011-09-19T09:17:00.001-07:002011-09-19T09:18:30.985-07:00

I was asked to follow up on my earlier post where I tried to change my schedule back to what it used to be like, in an attempt to get some semblance of control back in my life. If you hadn't read that post (for shame!), I talked about how my work time used to be late at night, and how that changed when Brady was born. My goal was to get back to becoming that night owl, so that I could still get

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645547426007351206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-70961574915729422532011-09-11T20:18:00.001-07:002011-09-11T20:18:40.583-07:00

This was something interesting that popped up recently. My daughter has said wants to be absolutely, positively, perfectly perfect.I guess it's not a recent occurrence. Rather, she finally admitted it to us last night. But we did notice that she was trying very hard to correct any and all mistakes she made. Case in point, she said something that I'd say was fairly rude. So, I called her on it.

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645547426007351206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-91783580065421655492011-09-07T07:11:00.000-07:002011-09-07T07:55:30.379-07:00

I think it's time. It's nothing my son is saying or doing to show his curiosity, he really, really doesn't appear to be curious at all, it's just that he's in 5th grade now and I'm hearing that that's when public schools tend to start so I'm trying to gather the courage. When I was about 14 my mother threw a book on my bed, Preparing for Adolescence, and then ran. At the time I didn't know

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11205233324202021015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-60892227334852807342011-08-26T19:43:00.000-07:002011-08-26T19:48:05.492-07:00

by Phil It's actually quiet right now and I will be honest with you: I'm so worn out that I just want to curl up in the corner and sleep for a year. Since I have a 13 month old son, you know that's not going to happen. When it comes to kids, all parents, at some point, say something like, "Every time you get a handle on the situation, everything changes." This week is one of those "everything

Philnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-79702102787991994772011-08-17T12:43:00.000-07:002011-08-17T13:26:28.742-07:00

I'm reading a book right now that explains some of the science behind Blue's Clues. Very cool stuff. When it comes to using all available research to develop an educational program aimed at pre-school children, they say that Blues Clues may be the perfect show. The book is called The Tipping Point. It isn't focused on children's education or even children at all. It's about social epidemics

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11205233324202021015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-1800694154913508922011-08-16T15:01:00.000-07:002011-08-16T15:01:01.817-07:00

Something very interesting happened this weekend. Stacey and I had a night where we got to be grownups. And we didn't have to be in New York to accomplish this.I'm sure an explanation is in order (otherwise, this would be a really short journal entry).This past weekend was a (long awaited) wedding for a couple of our friends. Festivities included camping out (and having some beer) with them and

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645547426007351206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-72820665911314680232011-08-12T20:28:00.000-07:002011-08-12T20:36:20.489-07:00

by Phil Over the past month my son has acclimated to our new apartment surprisingly well. Really, overall, he handled all of the stress from the move like a pro. My wife and I were worried that he would regress some from all of the upheaval. The last few days that we were in our old apartment, he could tell something wasn't quite right. When we were packing, he would crawl around the apartment

Philnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-61455455886360108632011-08-09T16:16:00.000-07:002011-08-09T16:50:25.385-07:00

by Carlos There used to be a commercial that showed how they made Superman look like he was flying on TV. I don't know why, I guess some kids were jumping off of buildings or something, but I couldn't accept that a flying Superman was some kind of TV trick. I was 3 yrs old and I would turn the volume down on the TV, stick my fingers in my ears and sing 'la la la' until it was over (back then

Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03453735887226921440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-75257342196176255602011-08-08T15:22:00.001-07:002011-08-08T15:22:40.155-07:00

So, I recently purchased a PS3. This was something that I had thought about doing for years, but just never got around to doing.I don't seem to play a lot of video games anymore. Turns out that there's a lot of things I don't really do anymore. At least, Stacey pointed it out to me recently. I guess I've been so busy with things, I hadn't noticed.And that right there is the problem: I just

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645547426007351206noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-9365031071510263912011-08-05T21:31:00.000-07:002011-08-05T21:54:09.734-07:00

by PhilI apologize for my protracted absence from the blog. As a penance, have a ridiculously long post.The past month or so has been pretty crazy for my family. We've made the move from Tucson, AZ to Richmond, VA and are starting to settle in. It was an adventure to finally reach this point though.All of our stuff was packed onto the moving truck and departed Tucson on June 28th. Whenever a

Philnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-80944718431324992932011-08-03T16:04:00.000-07:002011-08-03T16:29:26.065-07:00

by CarlosAs a professional teacher, we used to talk about Mastery. If a child could perform a task with such and such accuracy, we said that the child Mastered that skill. So, how can I judge if one of my children has Mastered a skill? I would have to give them an assessment; a test, right? But testing my kids is not something I really want to do over and again. It actually seems a little

Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03453735887226921440noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-8878998703361046892011-07-26T15:27:00.000-07:002011-07-26T15:47:04.120-07:00

by CarlosI find myself drifting off from reality often. I think about movies, my past, or the way that I think other people should act; ALL the wrong things when I should be present with my children. But every once in a while, my children do something so noticeable that I can't help but snap back to reality.When my first born, Damai, was just learning to walk, she kind of fell on me during one

Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03453735887226921440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-72502259549339701232011-07-21T09:13:00.000-07:002011-07-21T09:16:05.303-07:00

Came up on a good article the other day about a new study concerning the family bed, or co-sleeping or sleep sharing or whatever you’d like to call it. Here’s the link if you want to check it out:http://yourlife.usatoday.com/parenting-family/story/2011/07/Study-Sharing-bed-with-toddler-wont-harm-development/49511408/1I remember this being one of those issues like religion or politics. You just

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11205233324202021015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-2557009781614467372011-07-12T16:21:00.000-07:002011-07-12T16:45:27.895-07:00

by CarlosGod bless my grandfather; he never fails to offer me a drink, even if the alcohol isn't his. He's visiting from the mainland and I remember that when we lived closer to him, that I had become a little bitter at how insistent he was that I take a drink with him. But lately, I'm beginning to see that it wasn't his insistence at all that bothered me. It's that I could not indulge more.We

Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03453735887226921440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-62978026079939300012011-07-11T14:09:00.000-07:002011-07-11T14:39:39.448-07:00

One of the truly crappy things about coming back from vacation (aside from the fact that I had to come back from vacation) is that period where I need to get back up to speed with work and other commitments. Such as it is that the post I intended to work on and finish up last week is instead getting posted today. Whoops.So anyway, vacation is done. It was a good time, all told. We had a good time

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645547426007351206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-64424138159861934262011-07-07T13:31:00.000-07:002011-07-07T13:37:42.394-07:00

So, I’ve been outed. I don’t like puppies. Accordingly… I have no soul. I’m actually fine with having no soul. I’ll admit, it’d be better if that were still a secret. My family might have their suspicions, but no one would ever really know. Now we got this damn puppy, and I can hide it no longer. My family all fell in love with the little white and brown headache when they laid their eyes on it.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11205233324202021015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-65622821450084930112011-07-05T16:24:00.000-07:002011-07-05T16:49:49.699-07:00

by CarlosMy goodness! Steve touched the very heart and soul of a Stay at home dad. At least in my opinion. This has been a struggle for me for years and only now am I able to articulate what the struggle is.Now, this is my opinion based on my experiences and some things that I've come across. I don't want to start a battle of the sexes, but "what is a man's role?" has been on my mind for a

Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03453735887226921440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-61696656151631056412011-06-29T12:10:00.000-07:002011-06-29T12:15:36.023-07:00

What do I really think of being a stay at home dad? I thought I knew, but questions have come up. Things have changed a bit.My wife was lying on the bed with my daughter. She says, “Tell Daddy what you said you want to be when you grow up.” The girl says, “I want to be a stay at home mom… so that I can sleep in all the time.” Wife starts laughing.The focus of that statement for them was the part

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11205233324202021015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-56771523406457873332011-06-28T15:45:00.000-07:002011-06-28T16:05:53.900-07:00

by CarlosI think I see a trend, and I don't like it.My eldest daughter Damai, has these delusions of grandeur. I can hear her tell her sisters in her best royal queen voice, "Follow me sisters! I will lead you! I was the first in mamma's tummy!" I'm to blame. I told them stories about their births; all the nice stuff, but Damai blows it out of proportion. Anyway, I think it got worse as her

Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03453735887226921440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-50500543060657950662011-06-25T23:24:00.000-07:002011-06-26T00:18:58.598-07:00

by PhilMy first father's day was fantastic. It was quiet. We didn't do anything large or showy. We just had a quiet day that involved family and (of course) food.My mother-in-law happened to be in town helping us out because we're moving across the country this upcoming week. She was distracting our son so we could be productive and actually get something done.I love my son but he's almost one.

Philnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-3968288092407770462011-06-23T22:40:00.000-07:002011-06-23T23:02:34.066-07:00

Hey blogosphere:Sorry I've been relatively incognito, but we're still coming up for air from Miss Ava's arrival. I promise I'll have a hot, fresh blog next week.But I will drop this quick bit: I received, as all new moms do, ads and flyers from the various "new baby" companies. Similac, Enfamil, Gerber, and others will send stuff to new moms to "educate" them on how to raise their kids. This

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399611423660046689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-42168777713806057612011-06-21T16:59:00.001-07:002011-06-21T17:09:23.046-07:00

by CarlosEvery June, my wife's department throws a party for all the new in-coming. Last year, our first year, I was upset that we didn't bring our kids to the party. It was really cool to see all the other kids playing and I wanted our kids to play with them. Maybe also, I felt a little awkward there because I didn't know a soul and my kids would have given me a good excuse to get into and out

Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03453735887226921440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-12766537686101860772011-06-19T21:05:00.000-07:002011-06-19T21:06:08.384-07:00

Oh, cut me some slack. I'm on vacation. ;)I'll admit that one of the nice things about visiting family is the occasional time here and there where Stacey and I get to feel like grown-ups again. Now, that's not to say that we aren't grown-ups (despite what some may say), but it can be difficult to be one when your world is mostly or all-consumed by all things child.Something I picked up shortly

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645547426007351206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-66080910558025054292011-06-17T01:12:00.000-07:002011-06-17T01:14:21.765-07:00

by PhilDepending on the source, 75 to 80 percent of all child safety seats are incorrectly installed. Either way, that's a huge number. Think about that. Eight in 10 kids are riding around in a seat that can't fully protect them.It's particularly sad when there are resources out there that will check the installation of a safety seat and verify that it's been put in correctly.I'm particularly

Philnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-33594020419521341202011-06-16T21:40:00.000-07:002011-06-16T21:42:16.903-07:00

First thing's first. My apologies on not being very present on Thursdays. My life has been in an upheaval.Nothing bad. Quite the opposite.Ava was born last Wednesday at 9:28 AM. She was quite unhappy leaving the womb, while Carrie & I were ecstatic. I'm always amazed that I can fall in love again, so easily & so quickly.I just want to remind everybody that despite what you may think, there

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399611423660046689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-56465201108717720462011-06-16T13:40:00.001-07:002011-06-16T13:40:48.474-07:00

...like having a cousin around to play with Brady so I can have a chance to hang out and relax, and not have to worry about entertaining her constantly. That's certainly nice.New column on Monday. Promise. :)

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645547426007351206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-6853248067790123562011-06-16T08:41:00.000-07:002011-06-16T08:42:42.378-07:00

Music lessonsOnce a week, for one hour, I expose my kids to the piano teacher. I don’t know exactly why I say it like that, but we’ve got the strangest relationship with this odd little old woman.To give you a picture, she’s up there, maybe early 130’s? She remembers when she used to gather the leaves in the fall and pile them up against the exterior of the house for insulation during the winter.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11205233324202021015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-59378965127926157902011-06-08T22:39:00.000-07:002011-06-08T22:40:56.737-07:00

I had the best conversation with my kids today. School is out for the summer but I like to keep the learning going on all year long. So over the summer we do a little math, a little science and some other things. Nothing serious, just a little bit to keep their brains tuned up. So today was history. We did a little review of what we learned last summer so that we can pick up where we left off.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11205233324202021015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-6678904827473881472011-06-07T15:41:00.000-07:002011-06-07T16:14:35.147-07:00

by CarlosI'm in the kitchen a lot. But before I continue, I want to say that my wife is certainly the best cook. Often, I'm finishing dinner as she comes home and she does something magical to my dish that saves the family from eating something drab and tasteless. I'm always amazed at her skill. And on the weekends, and even on some weekdays, she cooks the dinner. And that's always a GOOD

Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03453735887226921440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-16147402076623982872011-06-06T22:48:00.000-07:002011-06-06T22:48:00.771-07:00

By Doug It's vacation time again. Time for us to pack our bags and board a plane, 'cause were heading back to our ancestral homeland: Upstate New York. It works out pretty well for us, since both my family, Stacey's family, and our respective friends live in the same (general) area. So, we can easily split the time, and we get to see everyone. But man is it becoming expensive to go back.

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645547426007351206noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-12300496844724437842011-06-03T13:06:00.000-07:002011-06-08T00:10:49.856-07:00

by PhilTwo weeks ago, I wrote about our disastrous first flight with our son last christmas. We've had two other flights since and it's been a breeze. In fact, while our son received compliments, I was also referred to as "great" by two different strangers.Whenever we are out as a family and we need our son to sleep, I'm often the one that does the classic parent bounce.Even if you aren't a parent,

Philnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-78358283327618406112011-06-02T22:20:00.000-07:002011-06-02T22:21:34.069-07:00

So here's where I'm at:We've been getting the house ready over the past few weeks for the baby. (Better late than never!) It's been the most intense over the past week and a half or so. I've done a little home remodeling, Feng Shui adjusting, and redecorating. It's been nice to be so productive.Since Carrie's due date (May 31) with no baby, her doctor recommended a induction to be scheduled

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399611423660046689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-85351955190204935202011-06-01T11:19:00.000-07:002011-06-01T11:25:25.403-07:00

I need to book our big, family vacation, but I’m not very good at it. I just about ruined last summer. My wife was stressed and had to get away. It didn’t need to happen immediately, but she required something to look forward to. Like when dinner is still an hour away and the kids are staaaaarrrrrrrrrrving, a little snack holds them over. A vacation on the horizon, all planned and ready to go,

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11205233324202021015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-49334527175795158642011-05-31T16:20:00.000-07:002011-05-31T16:21:12.478-07:00

by CarlosSo, this morning I get a phone call from my annoying fraud detector alert than an internet transaction was made over the weekend. Nothing new... except that my wife was on call the whole weekend. "Wait a minute!" I got a little excited. "Maybe a thief just used my credit card!" It's kind of weird, but what's the use of having a fraud detector if no one actually commits fraud on my

Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03453735887226921440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-3562037734790233622011-05-31T00:14:00.001-07:002011-05-31T22:45:35.071-07:00

A long while back, I was once asked what it was like to now have a little Mini-Me running around. Apparently, my friend thought that Brady and I had an uncanny resemblance. More than likely it was because at the time, we both had little to no hair.(Sadly, she's now surpassed me in that aspect.)In any case, I do realize now that I do have a Mini-Me of sorts running around. It's just not in the way

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645547426007351206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-85275904188011865012011-05-24T17:10:00.000-07:002011-05-24T17:47:05.904-07:00

by CarlosSomething Matt said a while back about putting his girls in the same bed got me to wander about in my memory: There was a time when I was able to say that I had 3 girls under the age of 3. And as soon as a younger child moved out of the parent's room, the girls slept together. For the past year, I've even had all three of them sleeping in the same bed (its actually 2 single beds

Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03453735887226921440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-9436288356674520692011-05-23T15:26:00.001-07:002011-05-23T15:26:22.912-07:00

By Doug "Are weeee there yet?" Do you know what is the worst part about that question? I mean, aside from the given fact that it can drive you up the wall further and faster than most any other question out there? It's that sometimes the child saying it knows that it's annoying...and does it anyway. Purely to tweak you. That's how Brady can be. Oh sometimes, it's legit. She's really bored, or

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645547426007351206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-4691480674160593762011-05-20T07:57:00.000-07:002011-05-20T08:06:01.343-07:00

There is a place where only the strong survive.This place has no rules, but has one rule: WIN.There are no alliances.There are no teams.You must fight to thrive here.The hunted becomes the hunter.And the hunter...becomes the hunted.This place...?Playland McDonalds.Last week, after Carrie's baby doc visit, we went to the playland McDonald's. My girls have never been to it before. And since Carrie

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399611423660046689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-85747474337369423812011-05-20T07:44:00.000-07:002011-05-20T07:54:33.186-07:00

By Phil Flying with a baby is never a relaxing experience. Having now done three cross-countrytrips with the little guy, he is (and by extension we are) experienced enough thatit's not painful. If you ever get stuck behind us in security, don't fret. We have it down to a science andwe fly through without a problem. The only thing that slows us down is my refusal to gothrough the full body scanner.

Philnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-48388228267902418822011-05-17T15:52:00.000-07:002011-05-17T16:14:49.406-07:00

by CarlosSo the count down is nearing the end; less than two weeks left in pre-school for 2 of my girls. Damai is sad because she says she'll miss her teacher. Lani is excited because she wants to go to the beach more often. And Ana, my 2 yr old, doesn't really understand.But I'm starting to understand. A few more days and my sole time with Ana will end. I can't say we conquered the island

Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03453735887226921440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-31392991672865950152011-05-17T15:24:00.001-07:002011-05-17T15:33:40.792-07:00

by PhilLet me just start out with a big ol' Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Yeah! The screaming has almost completely subsided. At this point, it only rears its ugly head when my son is frustrated or angry. Since he's generally a laid back baby, that isn't much.The past two days have been glorious. I don't want to curse myself here (I probably have already just for mentioning the subject) but this

Philnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-47319222221083570872011-05-16T16:47:00.000-07:002011-05-16T16:50:10.587-07:00

...is that when a 4 foot by 3 foot section of shingles blow off your roof, you can patch it right then and there before the rainstorm rolls in.Not that it's great it happened, but, y'know... beats having to do it at 9pm at night.

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645547426007351206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-42929403819256851182011-05-13T12:29:00.000-07:002011-05-13T13:22:25.378-07:00

First I'd like to say that I had this one ready to go yesterday, but somebody thought it was a bad idea.Nice move, Google. Maintenance.Yeah.Sure.After last week's gem, I thought I should chronicle my adventure this past weekend. We headed to the other side of our state for Carrie's friend's daughter's baptism. Carrie is the godmother, so her presence was essential. We all hopped into our new

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399611423660046689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-55968678011479798582011-05-11T15:07:00.000-07:002011-05-13T06:16:11.648-07:00

There are so many great movies that I can’t wait to watch with my kids. I’ve compiled a list of my top ten. Actually I don’t think it’s just MY top ten, I think it’s THE top ten.Rule: You are welcome to challenge anything on my list (good luck with that, my list is awesome), but don’t challenge one without a replacement.I’m a huge horror fan but I’m not going to include any of that on my list. I

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11205233324202021015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-7253734867617196242011-05-10T15:38:00.000-07:002011-05-10T16:10:07.428-07:00

by CarlosIt was really quite wonderful to sit with so much of my family on Mother's Day. All the kids were playing with their cousins. The food was fantastic! And the conversation was joyful. Happy Mother's Day! When I asked if my wife was having a good day, she asked me back because, she said, that day today was to be shared with me. "Oh no!" I said. "I'm not a mother! Today is YOUR day."

Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03453735887226921440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-87495123131479103532011-05-09T16:29:00.000-07:002011-05-09T16:37:21.851-07:00

Some of you may have noticed that I didn’t post at all last week. It’s because I couldn’t muster the energy to do much of anything beyond exist for several days for reasons that I never would have guessed possible.Often in my writings here on the blog, I attempt to concentrate on the more positive side of parenting. I try to bring the levity. This week, though, I’m concentrating on an obstacle I

Philnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-44930620242193750922011-05-09T13:20:00.001-07:002011-05-09T13:20:44.605-07:00

By Doug So, now that I have a clearer head than I had the other week, I'd like to talk a bit about the flat-out despair I was feeling, from a different (ie: more rational) perspective. Sometimes, getting slammed with responsibilities can hit you without any warning. One day, you're on top of things. The next day it's, "oh, crap! I have 7,000 things due tomorrow!!" It can really drag you down.

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645547426007351206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-53300729199769547802011-05-05T21:29:00.001-07:002011-05-05T21:29:56.244-07:00

Blog.

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399611423660046689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-50442319749980400222011-05-04T08:42:00.000-07:002011-05-04T08:48:31.098-07:00

In the last few weeks I wrote two posts that are, now that I look at them, contradictory. On the one hand I wrote how strong and effective Montessori education is, on the other I wrote that my son (who goes to Montessori school) is no longer engaged in his work. So Phil asked me, (I’m paraphrasing) ‘do you think that the Montessori system is attempting to engage your son effectively, or do you

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11205233324202021015noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-12598736245471309862011-05-03T16:09:00.001-07:002011-05-03T16:45:23.770-07:00

by CarlosTwo and half months ago, Damai, my 5 year old, was sucking her thumb like it was made of honey. She'd suck it in the car, watching TV, at school, when she was up set, or when ever she just felt like she was missing her best friend, Mr. Thumb. Now, since we started on this program with an orthodontist, she sucks it on average about 2 times a week. I'm really amazed by the success. She

Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03453735887226921440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-27633023355741372842011-05-02T13:21:00.001-07:002011-05-02T13:21:18.825-07:00

"So, does she like ice skating?" "I think she does, yeah." "Do you think she'll want to keep going with it?" "So far, it seems she does." "Start saving your money then." This was a brief conversation I had at the end of an ice skating show that Brady took part in this past weekend. Brady has only been skating for a few months, so her performance was a fairly simple one. But I soon found out

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645547426007351206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-68543830169019250752011-04-28T21:42:00.000-07:002011-04-28T21:44:16.378-07:00

by MattI thought I'd try something a little different today. My head has been all over the place lately. This may be a bit reflective of the 24hr news cycle-information available within seconds-culture. I'm just going to peel back my skull, and tell you what's been on my mind.The baby will soon be on it's way. In just about 4 weeks, I will have another beautiful girl added to my 4 person

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399611423660046689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-64590901576125917772011-04-27T06:32:00.000-07:002011-04-27T06:38:10.054-07:00

When you’re checking out schools, especially at the very beginning of their education, make sure to put Montessori schools in the mix.When my son was ready to start pre-k, I though that Montessori school was some obscure religious thing, full of spells and incantations. Which sounded great, so we checked it out. Turns out it’s none of that. It’s just a method of teaching/ learning that is

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11205233324202021015noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-88473415697874762692011-04-26T15:40:00.000-07:002011-04-26T16:10:38.907-07:00

by CarlosAs a Catholic, I've just entered into the Easter season after having gone through the Lenten season and the Triduum and I see that something in my parenting has changed. The Lenten season is often one where I see that I am not the good person I thought I was, but this Lenten season was also filled with the realization that Jesus already knows who I am and loves me anyway. The more that

Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03453735887226921440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-67792309564354058712011-04-25T21:27:00.000-07:002011-04-25T21:35:45.076-07:00

by PhilIf you witness a father playing with their children and toys are involved, I'm willing to bet that you'll eventually see every one of those fathers participate in the exact same activity. Tower Building.If there are toys around that can be stacked, those toys will be stacked. Every father I've ever been around has done this with their child. It's a commonality that runs through the entire

Philnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-74798728405235615002011-04-25T13:41:00.000-07:002011-04-25T13:42:17.932-07:00

I really wonder how others do it.How they manage to get their work done when there are so many other things that need one's attention.I've been doing this whole stay-at-home work/dad thing for a few years now, and I've noticed one very important side effect of the whole thing:My productivity has been getting progressively worse.There was once a time where I could sit for hours at a stretch on a

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645547426007351206noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-4115654503422879002011-04-21T22:59:00.000-07:002011-04-25T22:04:53.939-07:00

by MattIt really shouldn't be this hard.I'm a big comic book fan, as I'm guessing a few of my fellow Knights are. I have tons of comic book memorabilia all over the house. My favorite is easily Superman. It's still my opinion that every kid should have some sort of Superman item in their possession. He can do anything! Nightmares, shadows, colds, coughs, belly aches, thunder, lightning, aversion

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399611423660046689noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-63747520160504488812011-04-20T07:48:00.000-07:002011-04-20T07:56:09.987-07:00

Teachers shouldn’t talk about politics in class. Scratch that… they should talk, responsibly, about politics, but they shouldn’t talk about their politics in class.Here’s the inciting incident. “President Obama,” my 10 year old tells me, “is going to be impeached because he does things that are unconstitutional. You know, like with health care and stuff.”My wife and I, who are politically on

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11205233324202021015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-82051870145762967492011-04-18T20:38:00.000-07:002011-04-18T20:43:55.881-07:00

by PhilSteve wrote a simple and profound post a few weeks ago. He said, "It's so much better when they're asleep."His declaration that things are better when his children are sleeping brought memories of my own childhood rushing back. I remember very distinctly lying in bed at night believing that my parents did all of the fun stuff after they sent me off to sleep. I pictured them out there in

Philnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-22483373002256017772011-04-15T23:53:00.000-07:002011-04-17T19:36:44.298-07:00

This is going to be a short one this week, but honestly I couldn't pass this one up. So, I came home one evening to find Brady and Stacey watching the Muppet Show. Once she sees me, Brady declares, "I'm Little Liberace!" Apparently, she had been watching the episode that had (the one and only) Liberace, and was just enamored by him and all of her sparkles. As Stacey was explaining how he loved

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645547426007351206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-10817464332360602592011-04-14T13:38:00.000-07:002011-04-26T07:10:20.769-07:00

by Matt(cough, cough)I'm sick.I have the typical change of season cold, complete with coughing, sneezing, insomnia, and hacking up of green phlegm.(I'm going to wait while the weak hearted get grossed out, throw up, and then come back to my captivating blog.)And we all know where it came from. It came from those dirty, little, virus carrying, snot-wiping, hand not-washing, drink sharing, petri

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399611423660046689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-53982007789754072992011-04-12T16:23:00.000-07:002011-04-12T17:07:00.981-07:00

I love raising 3 little princesses. I love dressing them in their favorite colors and tying bows on their little dresses. And they love it, too. They cry when I tell them they can't wear a dress. They like being girls. It's a lot of who they are. I don't dream too far into what they might be when they're off on their own, but I figure these are the days when I am preparing them for those

Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03453735887226921440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-53132138969697085562011-04-11T23:58:00.000-07:002011-04-12T00:11:00.597-07:00

by PhilBabies are weird. There’s no way around it. I know that you are most likely shouting at me right now, telling me how wrong I am. BABIES ARE CUTE! BABIES ARE ADORABLE! BABIES ARE PRECIOUS!!!Stop yelling. I can’t hear you through your computer screen. And besides, babies are still weird.Case in point: What is the deal with dream feeding?I first encountered dream feeding last fall when my

Philnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-68351607761686008652011-04-11T11:57:00.000-07:002011-04-11T12:02:12.504-07:00

This past week was Brady's spring break. Most kids would probably want to just stay home, but when we asked her if she wanted to go to All About Kids that week, we got an emphatic "YES!" as a response.All About Kids is a day care facility that we had been taking Brady to since she was about a year old. We wanted her to go to day care for two reasons. First, as Phil mentioned a few weeks back,

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645547426007351206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-19610560525128545342011-04-07T14:00:00.000-07:002011-04-26T07:10:48.579-07:00

by MattOriginally, I was going to write about something that happened to us last week. The subject was also going to explain my missing post last week. (It was not, as I recall reading in the papers, a secret mission hunting Nazis in the Amazon. That's next week.) Ever since I read Steve's post, and then Phil's post, I've just been consumed with the topic of gender roles, both actual and

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399611423660046689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-6235622541334257352011-04-06T21:24:00.000-07:002011-04-06T21:28:33.330-07:00

It's so much better when they're asleep.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11205233324202021015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-56479136080456583672011-04-05T16:04:00.000-07:002011-04-12T17:07:40.913-07:00

Well the count down is nearing the end; my daughter is down to less than a month to her birthday and she is much more giddy about it than when she started her count down 6 months ago. Thank you, Sr. Joy for teaching her the months of the year.Damai will be 5 years old and can't wait for the day when she can be the official center of attention, as apposed to every other day when she is the

Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03453735887226921440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-48878482417118695202011-04-04T19:32:00.000-07:002011-04-04T19:44:09.981-07:00

by PhilA few weeks ago, I wrote about the current conventional wisdom that boys don’t like reading. Last week, Steve wrote about how boys are having motivation problems in school and his first-hand experience with the subject. In the long term, these factors are a serious detriment to their success.The most recent statistics I could find on college graduation rates are from 2004, when 58% of

Philnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-11444746610800415452011-04-03T23:13:00.000-07:002011-04-03T23:17:01.720-07:00

Buckle your seatbelts, kids...because things are baout to get geeky.To riff a bit on the topic I brought up last week, I would like to talk about something near and dear to all of us...What's the proper order to introduce the Star Wars movies to your youngster?Yeah, go ahead and deny that you haven't considered that dillema. Do you stick to your staunch childhood roots, and show them the movies

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645547426007351206noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-59792249975677162772011-03-30T08:14:00.000-07:002011-03-31T09:06:30.275-07:00

My son is in 4th grade and has begun the transition from:[Me before] “He is the ONE. The future is saved.” To [Me now] “Please, God, just let him pass this spelling test.” I thought it was a stereotype, but it’s not. There really is a big difference between boy students and girl students. It’s science. It’s biological. It’s out there. Books, studies, long term experiments. Here’s what I

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11205233324202021015noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-55285785882556375372011-03-29T15:07:00.000-07:002011-04-12T17:07:40.914-07:00

We were in the bathroom and I was talking to Damai (4yrs old) when Lani (3 yrs old) began to call my name. She couldn't get my attention because when I'm speaking to one child, I make the other wait until our conversation is done. The kids need to learn patience. But Lani is not patient.She called, "Papi.......Papi....Papi!..Papi! Papi!Papi!" and then she began to do this warrior yelp, "Whooo!

Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03453735887226921440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-80379605234071919542011-03-28T15:33:00.000-07:002011-03-28T16:16:31.825-07:00

by PhilLast week, my friend Adam was telling me about how much his cats like playing with his shoes, particularly when he’s putting them on and the laces are flapping around. I passively remarked that my son also likes playing with shoes which quickly led to me realizing that my son has a lot in common with cats. They have many similar interests and hobbies.Let’s start with the shoes. This kid

Philnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-40769419651642107352011-03-28T14:30:00.000-07:002011-03-28T14:30:00.365-07:00

Oh you know what I'm talking about. "That kid" is the one you see having the meltdown at the grocery store, or the tantrum at the restaurant. "That kid" is the one that's crying and screaming for all six hours of a cross-country flight. "That kid" is the one where you feel bad for the parents, but are also secretly glad that your kids are not like. Or at least, you hope they aren't.Here's the

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645547426007351206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-62058706115531207072011-03-24T13:30:00.000-07:002011-04-26T07:11:16.107-07:00

by MattCarrie & I started a swimming class for the girls on Monday nights. It gets them used to being in a real pool, and so far (it's been two weeks) it gets them used to the idea of kicking and paddling. I love it. It's been a lot of fun so far. I don't often get to use a pool, and lately I've been really into swimming.At the first lesson, the instructor asked us to each stay with one child.

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399611423660046689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-89475063377670972392011-03-23T19:09:00.000-07:002011-03-23T19:25:42.177-07:00

I know, I know… don’t control them… guide them. Let children express themselves… Whatever… My son is NOT going to walk around with his ass hanging out of his pants. I never thought myself qualified to criticize anyone’s fashion sense. Any rights I may have had to do that were revoked in the 80’s. Right at the moment that I sat in the barber’s chair and said “short on the top and sides, leave

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11205233324202021015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-86371309925255733592011-03-22T15:46:00.000-07:002011-04-12T17:07:40.916-07:00

What I'm about to write is probably a no brainer, but it was certainly an 'aha' moment for me. What I discovered should lead me to less stressful days as the homemaker of my family.Recently, we moved into a house that is across the street from the only other house with kids on my block. The husband is a fire fighter captain and I hold that in high regards. I see him cutting his grass and last

Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03453735887226921440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-76864685042983570352011-03-21T22:44:00.000-07:002011-03-21T22:53:30.770-07:00

by PhilThis morning I looked at my wife and asked, "When was the last time we went on a date?"A pause. The pause went on for too long before she relied, "I don't now. Maybe the last time your parents were here?"The last time my parents visited from Michigan, it was Thanksgiving. November. My wife and I haven't had a proper date since November.As I’ve written about previously, my wife and I don’t

Philnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-31113479508810131202011-03-18T16:00:00.000-07:002011-03-18T16:08:29.180-07:00

By DougIt doesn't feel that long ago, but at one point my generation was the one that was on the bleeding edge of...well, everything, it seemed. Technology, television, music...these were items that were geared and marketed to us. So, we'd have access to all kinds of new-fangled things like Walkmans, Nintendos, computers, and cable television. All the while, our parents and grandparents would

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645547426007351206noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-77972758562641097022011-03-17T17:04:00.001-07:002011-04-26T07:11:42.519-07:00

By MattYou probably thought I forgot, right?Well, you were right. I did. I'm on my way to SXSW, a multimedia festival happening in Austin, TX. One of the groups I play with is backing up a solo artist for a few shows there. Currently, I'm driving in a 12 passenger van, with all our gear, clothes and 8 guys through southwest Kentucky. We're trying to make Memphis, from Detroit, in 12 hours. We'll

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399611423660046689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-27282347285853507002011-03-16T08:03:00.000-07:002011-03-16T09:42:28.223-07:00

Speaking of books. I read this one for book club at our school a little while ago. Can I say that I read it if I actually listened to it on I-pod while running? Am I crossing any lines?It’s called Nurture Shock, New Thinking About Children: by Po Bryson and Ashley MerrimanThe premise is one that needs to be banged into the heads of everyone with baby making parts. We don’t know how to raise

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11205233324202021015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-82403579249997707852011-03-15T15:23:00.000-07:002011-04-12T17:07:40.917-07:00

Last year my second born Lani, was crying in the shower. She was 2 yrs then. "My caca is coming out!," she told me. Yes, we call number 2 'caca.' What do you call it?So, I grabbed Lani and put her on the toilet. Now, she was crying because her "caca is coming out" and because she was sitting on the toilet for the first time. My first born, Damai witnessed the whole thing with jaw dropped and

Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03453735887226921440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-59254708750781566442011-03-14T17:59:00.001-07:002011-03-14T23:31:42.936-07:00

by PhilWhen it comes to reading and school, the last thirty years has seen a steadily-growing achievement gap between girls and boys. Girls have been improving in school while boys are being left behind. The message that boys don't read is out there. There are programs and strategies of all kinds to combat this growing and alarming trend. Besides being a dad, I am an illustrator of print

Philnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-10495285979182250212011-03-13T14:33:00.001-07:002011-03-14T23:41:04.741-07:00

by Doug HillsBet you thought I forgot, didn't you?This was actually a premeditated delay in my article this week, as I wanted to see how the events of this past Saturday panned out. See, like Matt and his daughters, Brady celebrates her birthday in March (on the 10th, to be exact). And this year, she was looking to have a big party with some of her schoolmates. Unlike previous years, where there

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645547426007351206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-65385416698498797962011-03-10T21:25:00.000-08:002011-03-14T23:41:45.903-07:00

by Matt'Tis the season at our house when candles are lit continuously and frosting & ice cream are grocery staples. Yes, that's right:It's Birthday Month.Yes, Birthday Month started many years ago, when my parents thought it best to have a child born in the gray, cold month of March. 33 years later, that weather tradition continues. These days, however, March makes me blind with warm sunshine

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399611423660046689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-30652245355591572742011-03-09T15:49:00.000-08:002011-03-14T23:52:00.029-07:00

by SteveMy son has this big red ball. He loves plying with it on the stairs. He’ll throw it up the stairs and try to punch it back up when it comes bouncing down. He’ll drop it down the stairs trying to nail me as I walk by. His timing is getting pretty good. It’s harmless, he’s having fun, but he never puts the damn ball away.Recently, somewhere in the dark part of my mind, I decided that I

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11205233324202021015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-25044907583966975952011-03-08T14:15:00.001-08:002011-03-14T23:52:21.559-07:00

by CarlosWell I learned something new this week that I quickly put to some good use.My daughter, Damai, is 4 yrs old and will be 5 yrs old soon. Unfortunately, she still sucks her thumb and fingers and she loves it. We looked at putting an apparatus into her mouth but decided upon a program that an orthodontist recommended to us. I prayed (and am still) a lot on this because he's charging what

Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03453735887226921440noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-88397372619039845142011-03-06T23:36:00.000-08:002011-03-14T23:33:44.446-07:00

by PhilMy wife and I currently live in Arizona. We’re originally from Michigan and that's where most of our families still live. So every year for Christmas we take the trek back to the arctic north to take a break from the too-nice winter weather of Arizona. Too many days of perfectly mild temps in the mid-seventies can really skew a person’s perception of the world. We can forget that there are

Philnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-41481748342617903182011-03-04T07:48:00.000-08:002011-03-14T23:52:47.878-07:00

by DougJust a quick entry this week, as I really wanted to make sure this moment was recorded for posterity.Now, it's been pretty well established that Brady likes to march to the beat of her own drum. This march can tend to be slow, as she just likes to go at her own pace (much to my "oh for--just go faster!" annoyance). Hell, we will drop her off at school, and watch her take a full minute to

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645547426007351206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-5628479956188462882011-03-03T13:15:00.000-08:002011-03-14T23:53:12.508-07:00

by MattYesterday was my birthday, so today we took a field trip to the Secretary of State to renew my license. (Yes, technically, I drove illegally to the office. My picture is probably up already at our post office.) If you've spent anytime in one of these facilities, then you know it's probably not the best idea to bring two toddlers around lunch time to a room full of crowded, cranky people.

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399611423660046689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-51986642169504004522011-03-02T07:28:00.000-08:002011-03-14T23:53:34.380-07:00

by SteveMonday was a big day for me. Monday I received my first paycheck in about 9 years. To be clear, it was a check… for money… with my name on it. Not mine, and my wife’s. Just mine.Jury Duty= $25 My Wife= Wise-ass sarcasm... funny though.There were so many sarcastic bombs thrown around the kitchen that night that I can’t exactly recall any of them. But I do give her credit for what she

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11205233324202021015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-13866472055772394062011-03-01T14:54:00.000-08:002011-03-14T23:53:54.251-07:00

by CarlosBill Cosby has a skit; I think it's called The same thing happens every night. I just thought he was kidding, but I see the skit playing out in my own house.By 6 pm my schedule is set for the next 90 minutes. The goal; get the girls to sleep. It's quite simple in theory. Lani will go to sleep so long as it's a little quiet. Damai won't sleep unless she sure that she can't play with

Carloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03453735887226921440noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-65034011910330146952011-02-28T00:50:00.001-08:002011-03-14T23:34:44.987-07:00

by PhilIn my previous post, I ended by pointing out my son's overwhelming cuteness factor. I called attention to how adorable he is. These weren't bold claims. It was (and is) obvious to all who look at him. (Can you tell that I love this kid?)Awwwwwww. Smiley and cute. That's how he typically looks. Remember that because, from here on out, things get angry.My wife and I often joke that we have

Philnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1234748999752678006.post-47478436609852294722011-02-25T14:56:00.000-08:002011-03-14T23:54:21.379-07:00

by DougDiscipline.Punishment. These were things I hated when I was a kid. Not that I knew what those terms were at the time, but hated them anyway. All I knew is I hated when i got in trouble.Why should I get punished for doing something wrong! I said I was sorry and I wouldn't do it again! Why send me to my room, or take away my toys, or (God Forbid!) get a spanking!I remember the sickness in my

Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645547426007351206noreply@blogger.com1