There is a longstanding tradition in my family based on a former job-related perk that used to come via my Dad (but has been removed since the recent economic situation): an annual trip to the local amusement park. When I was a very young kid I can remember standing in line with my mother for roller coasters as my dad (an avid non-rider) would find some shade under a tree and some space on a nearby bench to relax while we stood waiting. It was always a thrill to ride the rides. Since my father received this perk annually it … Continue reading →

This is a story about a liar. This liar doesn’t try to lie (I don’t think), but he lies nonetheless. And we can all agree that lying is bad, especially when it is intentional. I’m not sure it’s intentional though. I don’t have any proof. I don’t have the confidence to believe that someone so underdeveloped is capable of lying. Like I said, this story is about a very little liar. But first: the context. If you haven’t read my post from yesterday you should start there. In essence, my son alerts me to my tea being ready by knocking … Continue reading →

I drink a lot of tea. This is my drink of choice. I don’t do it for health reasons exactly (we drink organic coffee and tea though) and I don’t particularly like herbal “tea” (as it often has no tea to speak of) but I do drink a lot of tea. I mean it: A LOT. At all hours of the day and with great frequency. This means that I’ve got a tea kettle on for most of the day. Tea kettles whistle. Timers (for brewing time) beep. There is, in modern times, a lot of noise surrounding the process … Continue reading →

Like most people living in a city or suburb we have a park within walking distance. It’s got big grassy fields, a swing set, a playground, and even a half basketball court and a place to play tennis. How did we get so lucky? It’s really a great place to take a short walk towards. A chance to get outside a little bit. Breathe some fresh air. Look at the leaves on the trees. Smell the roses. It’s also a great place to stay for a while. As a former child myself, it’s a place to remember how much energy … Continue reading →

Last time I talked about the horror of discovering that our son wasn’t just losing diapers. It wasn’t a magic gnome removing his diapers during the day by some crazy means. It turned out that our son was removing his own diapers (to our horror) and running around the house like a little nudist. Having a cousin nearly a year older than him and experiencing his diaper-less escapades did prepare us — partially — for the future that was to come. Sure enough, our son was missing diapers (plural) and with increasing frequency. Did this mean he was ready to … Continue reading →

We’ve had a pretty good run so far. It was going so well. Everything seemed like it was in order. Everything carefully aligned and balanced. Running to perfection. I suppose, in hindsight, that it was just the calm before the storm. The silence was the only sound heralding the soon-to-be lunacy we could not imagine but would soon confront face to face. Now, after staring into the face of something lacking logic and having devious consequences, I am left shaking. I am shaking my head and I am shaking my hands. Mostly, however, I am shaking my finger. Actually, it’s … Continue reading →

Normally our son takes one nap a day. Depending on when he went to sleep the night before and when he decided to wake up that morning are normally accurate gauges for when we might expect him to take his daily snooze. Since summer has been in full swing for so long it’s been more common to have a late night, a late morning, and a late nap each day. This system, of course, perpetuated itself. The late rising kept a late nap and a late bedtime. At any rate, the one nap day has been his common operating procedure … Continue reading →

When I was a kid I remember watching the cheesy sitcoms that might appear throughout any given week on television. Many of the popular ones when I was growing up were centered around a family with children. The Dad would do dad-type things and the Mom would do mom-type things and the kids would do kid-type things. The episodes would generally focus on someone doing something wrong and then learning a lesson in the end. All of these shows ultimately affirmed, quite happily, that families are more important than any problems that might arise between the individual members. At any … Continue reading →

I haven’t said it before but I’ll say it now: it’s raining babies! Not literally, of course, but babies are coming at us from everywhere. I’m certain this just generally happens after a period of time, when all of the family members of two households become of marrying age. It’s inevitable and it’s wonderful. Children are everywhere. Maternity wear is everywhere I look and growing belly’s are expanding to fill them. It’s a wonderful time to be alive. Not only are we expecting our second child but my sister-in-law is expecting as well. As we’ve finally returned back near our … Continue reading →