Kids
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Dealing with a loss
It’s the unfortunate scenario that eventually every parent has to go through… telling their child that someone they loved has died. Today our family experienced a tragic loss – we lost the boys’ caregiver, Elaine, in a car accident. Elaine has been part of our lives for the last four years. She’s been watching Brogan since he was 8 weeks old. Monday through Friday, 8 or 9 hours a days, she has loved our boys like they were her own. She was loving, yet stern; they behaved better for her, they ate better for her. She could change their diapers easier too. She is what they have known for their…
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A New Chapter
A few months ago I shared that Blake decided to end his career as a chef to pursue something that allowed him to be more focused on our family. It was a change that I welcomed, even though it came with some uncertainty. A few months ago, Blake told me he wanted to own a gym, and through determination and fearlessness, I am happy to report that today he signed the paperwork to purchase our very own gym. One may ask how someone goes from being a chef to a gym owner, and while it seems to be a 180 degree change, for Blake, it makes sense. See, about a year…
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Mother’s Day
Mothers Day – a day where moms everywhere get to kick up their feet. A day where they are fed and pampered – where the world revolves around moms and all of their desires come true. Well I’m sure that’s how mother’s day went down for some, but for me, mother’s day was spent… being a mother. This is one of the last weekends of Blake working in the restaurant business, and obviously, today is a busy restaurant day. So the Sundays off that we’ve become accustomed to fell by the wayside, and from early in the morning till late in the afternoon, I got to play the not-so-glamorous mother on…
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The Art of Reverse Psychology
Reverse psychology… one of the many great parenting tools. If you really think about it, the reason reverse psychology works is because the person on the other end of the negotiation wants nothing more than to oppose you. That’s right. The whole thing works because someone would rather do the opposite of what you’ve asked than do the original request (that they didn’t want to do). And while I’m fully aware of all the reasons that this tactic is not forefront in all of the parenting books, let’s just entertain the notion that perhaps it’s not all that bad. Perhaps it’s the key to getting kids to do what you want them…
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Are my kids your birth control?
I’ve had several friends tell me that reading my blog and all of the “fun” I’m having with my boys has given them second thoughts about parenthood (just a delay, I hope – I don’t think I’m sending anyone to get fixed just yet). First of all, this does not offend me. Not in the least. I get it. Kids are a handful. Especially mine. If I had read this stuff years ago, it may have given me a little pause too. From an outsider looking in, sometimes it may seem that I live in a hell made by the little demons I created. And sometimes, that’s not far off. But most the…
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Our first family vacation
And let’s be honest, I’m using the term vacation loosely here. As I write this this we’re driving back from Hilton Head. Not quite a real vacation, because I firmly believe you cannot have a real vacation with two toddlers. But it was a trip, with the four of us – and it was great family time. Overall, it went pretty well and I’d rate it a success. There were parts that were wonderful and fun and memorable… and then there were parts that were not. Like every time we had to eat outside of the hotel room. That sucked. Or when the kids had to sit still for any…
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Advice for my kids – Because I want you to be happy, successful and decent adults
I’ve recently been thinking about the really important things I should teach my children – the values that will help them to (hopefully) grow into happy, successful and decent adults. It’s the things that aren’t always taught in a classroom – the things that I realize may be lost on some of the present generation. Through my various interactions with adults, it has become apparent that not everyone is taking snaps from the same playbook – some folks just don’t get it. They don’t get how to be responsible and accountable and cordial. They don’t get the common sense component of how human beings should interact with each other. It’s unfortunate. But that’s one…
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What it’s like with just one… when you’ve got two
Brogan is spending the first part of his spring break with his grandparents at the beach… which means Blake and I are parenting for one for five days. Experiences like this are a testament to perspective and relativity. When I just had Brogan, just about every day with him felt like a full-time job – there was no rest for the weary. And now that I have two – I still can’t catch a break. But, when you’ve gotten used to two, and then go back to one, oh my goodness it’s like a vacation! It just proves that everyone measures their current situations against their own past experiences. I would…
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Corruption
Despite all of the kid-drama I’ve dealt with thus far with Brogan, one thing I’ve held my hat on is the fact that he and Beckett actually get along. Sure, they chase each other around and fight over toys, but you can tell that they really like each other. But recently, Brogan has begun to exploit Beckett’s admiration… and it would seem that our oldest has found a little recruit to help execute his mischievous efforts. In short, we have entered the corruption phase. Brogan spent a considerable amount of time this weekend “calming down” in a chair in the living room. And since he was physically unable to assault…
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Leading by Example
When I picked Brogan up from the sitter’s today, he was in one of those moods. He was running all over the house, talking (obnoxiously and intentionally) loud while the sitter was taking an important call, picking on Beckett (like, literally trying to pick his nose), and not listening to anything I asked of him. And then it was time to make it to the car. Now this daily ritual is always a fun one. Beckett demands to “walk!” (one of his new words), he screams when you put in him his car seat because he wants to turn on the overhead “light!” (another new word). Then he wants to…
