Chubby Toes

Don't you see, don't you knows?

I'm cannot stop loving your cute chubby toes.

My love for those toes consitantly grows,

while those wiggly toes tend to move to and fro.

In cute little shoes you secretly stow,

cute little piggies that remind me of dough.

As you sit there and rest, you put on a show,

my face starts to beam and my face starts to glow.

To your mother I'll credit, and will always owe,

for giving such sweet toes to you, but although,

I think it is fair and I think that it shows,

you're part of us both, with those cute chubby toes.

Daddy - 2012

Activities For Your Kids

"Boy, n.: a noise with dirt on it." - Not Your Average Dictionary

     So I was getting my old bike ready for a quick ride with my 'Lil Man and he asks if he can help. I remember wanted to help my old man with stuff as a kid. I never really got my hands dirty with tinkering. Either dad wasn't interested at the time, or I wasn't when he offered. I've made a little promise to myself, that of all the activities for kids out there, teaching mine to use tools would be one of them.
     There is a cool tool kit for girls at Target here that 'Lil Miss has been begging for.Currently 6 years old, and she wants her own hand tools. Interesting. As for 'Lil Man, he grabs the cordless drill and hits anything he can! I'm trying to encourage it, 'cuz I'm still nervous around anything with more than four parts. The thing is to get them to try stuff, get dirty, learn how things work, etc.

Good luck, and keep the soap handy.

J.

A Loving Big Sister

"Is solace anywhere more comforting than in the arms of a sister." - Alice Walker

   I glanced over the other evening to see 'Lil Miss  with her arm around her little brother. Pride and love welled up inside for the love that she shows him. I think of the rivalry that existed between me and my three brothers (yup,...there were four boys), and the lack of lessons learned without a sister in the family. Our 'Lil Miss has already shown us she has the right stuff to be a great big sister.
   I can't tell if our little chats about sharing, loving, protecting and so forth are sinking in. They may have a small part, but I really feel that it's in her true nature to be that way. Hearing her kindergarten teacher say that she's been looking out for the boy who lovingly torments her daily confirmed it. She looks out for the underdog, thinks a lot of others (as well as herself, let's be real!), and so forth.
   It was just a treat to see. Let's hope it lasts.

J.

Baking Cookies With 'Lil Miss

"Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate." ~Sandra Boynton

   So it's been awhile since a good post, so I thought I owed a good one. 'Lil Miss has begun to inquire about baking, and we've been including her in said past time. Recent to this post I came across an AWESOME song by Hudson, called "Against The Grain". A short film of my gal making chocolate chip cookies came to mind and I had the whole thing scripted out in my head in no time. The result is the above short film. We followed the recipe for the traditional chocolate chip cookies from Nestle Tollhouse. When we finished, 'Lil Miss asked, "Can we take them around to our friends?" I love her enthusiasm for new things, and I love her thoughtfulness for others. Try baking with your kids. You'll love the results,...all of them.

Liar, liar, pants on fire!

“I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche

We've reached a point in my 6 year old's life that the lying has begun. The other evening, while playing outside with the neighborhood friends, it happened. The Wife and I were working in the garage and the kids were all having a great time out front. Out of nowwhere, 'Lil Miss comes running through, claiming she's got to go potty. She comes back out, and within minutes, goes running back in under the same claim. Sensing some form of foul play, The Wife goes in and catches her RED HANDED, eating as many Peanut Butter Cup Minis she can fit in her mouth.

....................silence ensues.

The next few days proved hard to believe ANYTHING she said. I've explained why I'm having a hard time believing her, and I think she's getting it. Still, we're having a rough time with her right now. Wish me luck

Vacation With Children

"I found out long ago. It's a long way down the holiday road." - Lindsey Buckingham, Holiday Road

   The Wife and I waited 7 years to have kids. It was a way to get to know each other better, spend some time traveling, go to concerts, etc. We then felt the next step was to expand the clan. Since then, we've had some really cool adventures. Yet, as I comb the blogosphere and social networks, there are those that will go on these adventures, sans children. While I know it's "each to his own", and that's why I love America, I need to at least express myself.
   As we're in the thick of our current island adventure, I'm noticing that I don't have a personal agenda. It's become all about the family unit. Where I used to get up and go do what I wanted to do, now it's what we want to do. Moreover, it's whey THEY want to do, because I get so much joy out of seeing then explore and such. There are moments that are not as fun as others. The flight was atrocious and my arms are tired from all the carrying. However, at the end of each day, when the little ones are passed out, it all becomes clear. They are why I'm doing this. I see my parents, and ALL the free time they have, now that they're empty nesters. There's plenty of time for that. Right now is time for our family. I intend to have as much fun as possible.

J.

Kid Comments

As I was dropped of at the house today, The Wife pulled out of the driveway and 'Lil Miss sternly asked,
"Why do you like daddy so much!?"
The Wife was a little surprised.
"Because I'm married to him and I love him." Wife replies.
"Yeah, but you guys talk too much, 'n when I want to play with you, you're ALWAYS talking." 'Lil Miss retorts.

It's nice to know that, as a dad, I'm a hot commodity.

J.

Family Room Masterpiece Theater

"The play was a great success, but the audience was a disaster." - Oscar Wilde

   Isn't imagination everything when you're a child? Heck, I'm 36 this month and it's everything to me! So when 'Lil Miss prepares a masterful performance in the Family Room Masterpiece Theater, I make sure to attend. Her request is simple. Just sit there and enjoy. I'll grant you, the plot is weak, the characters are not well developed and the scenery could use some help. (YOU KNOW I'm just joshin'!!!) It's such a treat to see children use their imagination to spin new tales of love and adventure. I was treated to some sort of argument between My Little Pony sisters. All was resolved in the end.
   When does this end? I hope not for a long time. It's a way for them to express themselves, maybe even tell you something you're not hearing another way. Let's stow the rolling of the eyes when our children want a few minutes of our oh-so-precious time. As I watch families in my life, you have to give them that time. If not, one day, they may not give you much of theirs.

J.

Prednisone - Why I'm Up So Early

"Early to bed, early to rise,.....and Prednisone, will make you healthy, wealthy, an insomniac, etc." - Me

   I'm an 8 hours of sleep kind of guy. So when I was put on Prednisone recently for GI and Kidney inflammation, things changed. I was on it for about a month a couple of years ago, so I knew more of what to expect this time around (first time was tough, as I didn't now at ALL what side effects to expect).
   So far, in the last week, I'm eating like a horse. I'm also Project Man, as I feel like I'm on a triple espresso, 24 hours a day. I can't get to sleep at night, and then am awake around 5a.m. each morning wondering if I should just get the hell up and do something. So here I sit, surfing dad blogs and maintaining this bad boy.
   To be fair to The Wife, one of the side effects is difficulty controlling emotions. That's a hard one for guys to admit when we DON'T have a drug to blame, yeah? I go from easy going to mad, and back again, really fast. It's tough to notice and control. I guess admitting it is the first step. I'm only on this for another three weeks, and I'll miss Project Man. I won't miss insomnia.

J.

Graduation Day

“All our dreams can come true...if we have the courage to pursue them.” - Walt Disney

   Today was pre-school graduation for my 'Lil Gal. The buildup was tremendous, the ceremony was well put together. I teared up as I marveled at how big she had gotten in these past 5+ years. We were presented with an aptitude test that showed her skill level as she entered class back in September, and then where she's at as she ends the year. The growth is tangible. Her fetish need to spell everything on paper has gotten epic. Her comprehension of things, attempts at reading small words and such are SO much fun to watch. It was a good day.
   Cherish your moments, you great dads out there (mums too...). I was glad I got to attend. I would have missed so much that pics and shaky video don't convey. I say it often, but it truly is the little things. Well, this one could be classified as big. I put the Walt Disney quote, 'cuz I really believe that our dreams come true. I've tried to have the courage to pursue my dreams. So far, so good. So there it is. Happy graduation to all!!!

J.