Welcome to my groovy little "70's" Blog. This is an online diary highlighting my coming of age memories in the 1970's, my journey as a entrepreneurial dad and my observations of life today.
My hope is that this will be a journal of my wacky experiences that can be looked back on by my daughters, my family and my friends. Read with amusement and enjoy my take on being happy, finding things to live for and the funny side of parenting.
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Monday, April 19, 2010
If We're Attacked by Dinosaurs
I took my girls to McDonald's today like we do every Monday and there were some booklets laying around. The booklets were to inform families of what to do if there were a tornado, a flood, a wild fire and a few other natural disasters.
My daughters kept showing me pictures and reading the information to me. As we were getting ready to leave the restaurant my oldest crumb cruncher looks at me and says, "These are really informative dad, but they DON'T tell what we're supposed to do if we're attacked by dinosaurs."
She left it at that and walked out of the building. I giggled on my way out knowing that she really didn't think we would be attacked by dinosaurs. Did she?
Okay, maybe watching Jurassic Park I and III forty times might be starting to rub off a little bit.
Travis and Presley, "Greatest American Dog" winners were in Enid this week promoting their new DVD and book on teaching kids manners. The two won the CBS competition series that aired in summer 2008.
Their newest endeavor is called "Adventures with Travis and Presley", the good manners series. The video for the DVD was shot by KJ Productions and the book was illustrated by me!
The team was at PetSense signing books and taking pictures. A steady stream of loyal fans dropped by to shake hands and paws.
If you're looking for a inexpensive educational Christmas gift you should look into getting the DVD/book. They are available through TravisandPresley.com.
Yikes! Life keeps getting in the way of my blogging! I guess that means I'm out living it rather than sitting here reporting on it which is a good thing.
Of course my goal for 2010 will be to post more often. I hate to miss out on what the girls have been up to and all of those fun memories from the 70's that keep popping up in my mind.
Here's an old photo we ran across of me, my sister and my great-grandmother Ethel Valentine Erwin. The photo was taken by my crazy uncle Richard who, at the time, was going through a photography phase in his life.
The second photo is an up-to-date photo of me and my two little crumb crunchers. More wacky antics on the way! Stay tooned!
If you've ever seen a piece of paper that was near me when I've been on the phone you will see a whole bunch of doodles. I've always been a doodler. I have pages and pages of doodles on calendars, books, envelopes, cups and pretty much anything else that was in reach.
Recently we've been allowing the girls to take their sidewalk chalk out in the driveway to draw. After their first day I walked out to inspect their creation and was very pleasantly surprised. They are definitely taking after their dad as you can see by the photo.
It's nice knowing there might be at least one Tucker to carry on the doodle tradition.
I got a new iPhone for Father's Day and it takes video! You can take a video, edit it and immediately upload it to YouTube. You can then grab the embed code and stick it on your blog like I just did. Wow!
And to think our parents had to take 8mm in the 70's and wait weeks to get the movie back from being precessed. Then they had to set up the projector just to watch it. My how life has changed.
The second child jumper on the video is the same daughter that refused to jump off only two weeks ago. Now she won't stop and even jumps off the high dive.
I was able to spend some valuable daddy/daughter time last weekend with my youngest. Hot Wife and oldest daughter left early for Tulsa to attend a regional dance competition. Youngest daughter and I drove to Tulsa together later that morning and headed straight to PF Chang's for lunch.
After a great lunch we went on a shopping spree around Utica Square searching for some cologne. We were unable to find the fragrance we were searching for but we were told that we might find it at Saks. I told my daughter that we would head over there after shopping at a few other stores.
As the morning wore on my daughter reminded that we needed to find the fragrance. She stated very knowingly, "Daddy, we need to go to bags." I looked at her very puzzled and asked her to repeat herself. She said, "We need to go to bags." I asked why we would need to go to bags and also asked what it was. She explained, "The place with the fragrance!" It then struck me that she was calling Saks, bags.
Of course I cracked up and she explained to me that sacks and bags were the same thing. We had a great time shopping and later met Hot Wife and oldest daughter for the dance competition. Oldest daughter did great and her team won a trophy and she received two ribbons. All in all it was a great weekend and a fun time with our daughters.
Grandma Betty bought tickets for the kids and grand-kids to see the Lion King in OKC. The girls really loved the show. Below are a few pics, picture taking was not allowed so I snuck a few iPhone photos for memories.
We treated the girls to Build-A-Bear and the Cheesecake Factory afterwards.
This is an update for the girls to read one day in the future:
February 17, 2009 - You girls are watching lots of Sponge Bob Square Pants these days. Not sure why but you are. We just had Valentine's and you both received necklaces, scratch pads and candy. Both of you take dance, piano, tennis and tumble. We saw Paul Blart Mall Cop and you loved it. Go figure.
Chaney scribbled permanent marker on the counter and has been banned from television for a week. This is good because you have not been doing piano practice and this will now give you plenty of time. Chaney, you love to give gifts and you love to get gifts.
Piper, your dance group performed at the boy's college basketball game last night. You had your teeth cleaned today and will head to Stillwater to see about braces down the line. Piper, you have become interested in the computer and want to start your own blog.
Both of you are attending Cimarron Montessori School and are pretty darn smart. I take you to lunch every Monday and we eat at the Club every Friday.
Well, history was made tonight. Our five-year-old ate her first sandwich. Yes, that's right, we forced our child to eat a plain ham sandwich. I know you're thinking we're such bad parents and kids should not be forced to eat things they do not like. Unlike the days when we were kids.
The list of things that she won't eat include sandwich's, hamburgers, pizza, ketchup, BBQ sauce and a few other grossly horrific food items. We've let her get by with this for some time now because she does eat carrots, sweet potatoes and most other foods.
Tonight's historic event was followed by my speech about what I had to eat as a kid. If you grew up in the 70's you might remember a few of these. The absolute worst was liver! You know the liver that looked like a steak. I think that might have been a food I refused to eat a time or two. When I did eat it I was holding my nose, literally, and would fill my mouth with some liquid to get it down. If today's kids only knew!
Other foods of contention included hominy. What in the heck is hominy anyway? Then there were the oldies but goodies like broccoli, brussel sprouts, spinach and lima beans. Yes, lima beans! Who eats lima beans? What about spam? Are your kids eating spam? On the holidays we had to eat unearthly things like black eyed peas and stuffing.
On the other hand, I also remember the great things I ate as a kid. Who didn't grow up on fried bologna sandwiches, Spaghettios, mac and cheese and frozen pizza?
My how the times have changed. So, when my girls grow up and read this many years from now, remember that mom and dad weren't so bad after all.
Remember back in the day when you wanted a photo? We're talking back when I was a kid, in the 70's. We'd either pull out our slim, black 110 camera or if we were lucky we'd pull out the bulky Polaroid Instant Camera.
Taking pictures has come a long way baby. As kids we could get instant Polaroids with the funky colors and funny border around them like the New Years 2009 photo above or we would have to send our 110 or 35mm film off to be developed. A week or two later it would return and we would gleefully rip open our envelope to see our dozen grand photos.
If you were like my friends and I, you would find a stack full of blurry photos mixed in with a few shots of your friends with their heads cut off. At that age it didn't matter much, that the color was bad, the composition was horrible and you just shelled out eight bucks for twelve bad pictures.
Fast forward to 2009 and my how things have changed. Polaroid camera you say? 110 film you ask? Those days are long gone. Today we have micro cameras that take pictures big enough for posters and they're digital! That means you get to take as many pictures as you want and you can delete the bad shots. Wow! What a deal.
No more film, no more waiting, no more photo albums... what!! No more photo albums? That's right. With the ease of today's photography many people are accumulating thousands of digital pictures without ever taking the time to get them developed and stuck into photo albums. We've all got a zillion pictures but we can't ever look at them. Wrong! Read on...
I'm guilty of not getting digital photos developed and now have a good thousand pictures taking up space on my computer. Today there are great sites like Flickr and Facebook that allow us to post our photos online. This is a great way to share photos with people a world away.
I've also recently discovered a great software called Jalbum. This software builds your albums for you and helps you upload them to their site or your own site. It's great!
I recently uploaded the photos from our 2008 Disney World trip. They are now online for the family and the world to see. Take a look and see what we were doing exactly one year ago today. Just click on the main photo and it will transition to the next. Enjoy!
If you don't have kids you most likely don't understand when parents talk about that weird "all out" love they have for their kids. I never really understood it until I had my girls. Now I look at so many things differently. I'm in awe of these two little girls that I helped create and I remind myself daily that their future may rely on how and what I teach them today.
An example of the parent love I'm talking about would be sitting through 2 hours of piano plunking just to see your kid get up there and plunk just like the rest of them. Here are our daughters playing in their grand recitals doing something I'm not sure I could have done at their age and I'm sitting back enjoying every single second of it. Enjoy...
Wow! Between a mom in the hospital, a family with the flu and the holidays, I have not been able to get much updating done. But, I'm back!
I thought I would do a quick review of 2008 for my girls to look back on. For the Tucker family, 2008 was a great travel year and we have much to be thankful for.
Disney World Trip - I think the trip to Disney World had to be the highlight of the year. The girls had their first plane ride and spent several fun filled days with the princesses of Disney.
Marco Island - During our Florida vacation we were able to visit Grandma and Papa at Marco Island. The girls had their first trip to the beach and enjoyed the plane ride back to Oklahoma.
Las Vegas - Vegas baby! Hot Wife and I spent several fun filled days in Vegas, staying at the Venetian. We traveled with another couple and spent all of our time eating, shopping and walking the strip. The girls spent quality time with Grandma and Papa.
Cancun - Hot Wife turned 40 and headed to Cancun on an all girl trip. Her and her good friends had a blast and I was able to spend several days of quality time with my girls.
School - We made the decision to leave the girls at their Montessori school. Our oldest moved upstairs into the "older" kids class and our youngest began extended day. We toured the local public school but just couldn't see a good enough reason to make the switch.
Activities - Our girls spent more time in tennis lessons and tennis clinic. They were both in dance and gymnastics and both also performed in the big dance production. They both improved in their piano lessons and were part of a piano recital. The girls dropped gymnastics and switched to tumbling later in the year. Hot Wife and I played more tennis and I joined the men's doubles league. We all spent many days at the club pool and the girls continued their swimming lessons. Hot Wife and I did not get any golf in together although I did play a couple of 18 hole rounds, the most I've ever played in one year. Our girls ran in their first mini run, a school fundraiser. They enjoyed their first trip to Tulsa and we got to stay in a hotel.
Events - I started this cool blog. The girls both lost the same top front tooth. We made it to our 6th anniversary in our house. We put on a new roof. We saw the closing of our club house for reconstruction. Granny Ann went to the hospital for surgery. Papa had knee surgery. Cousin Skylar had a baby girl.
All in all it was a great year and set a high standard which we will attempt to match in 2009.
Our happy home has been invaded by a Christmas elf. This small elf has been keeping tabs on two very worried little girls. You see, this so called "Elf on the Shelf", sits high atop the room and watches every move the girls make.
He's a magic elf and reports back to Santa Claus every night. If the girls have been good, he tells Santa and returns every night only to be found in a different spot every morning. The elf came with a book that explains the entire process. According to the book the girls are to name the elf and are never supposed to touch him. If touched by a child, he could lose his powers.
Not touching a brand new, shiny red elf when you've just discovered him is almost more than a five and six year old can stand. Especially a five year old. After hearing the rules and getting over the shock that he is not to be touched, the girls went about naming their personal elf. After much discussion his name is now Tiny Kriddles.
The routine goes something like this... the girls go to bed knowing where Tiny Kriddles is, they wake up in the morning full of wonderment. Our five year old is usually the first to hop out of bed and begin the adventure of finding Tiny Kriddles. She'll search high and low looking under things and checking every room.
Once she spots Tiny she goes into full cackle mode and starts pointing at him just like a bird dog. She'll laugh and scream and holler for the closest person to come running to see just where she has found Tiny. All in all this has been fun for the girls and has kept them in check just a smidge more than they might have been.
I believe Hallmark might be the spot to get your very own Elf on the Shelf. If nothing else, it sure is entertaining watching the girls search for Tiny Kriddles every morning.
The Tucker Family Christmas Tree tradition entails heading over to the local Christmas tree lot in the cold weather and searching every tree for the perfect one. The girls love running around the trees and hiding where they can.
The live trees come from Wisconsin and make perfect Christmas trees. We strap the tree on top of the SUV and take it home. The girls can hardly wait to decorate the tree and ask ten thousand times when we can drag the decorations out of the attic.
Tonight we get to drag the totes out of the attic and will decorate the tree while watching Santa Claus is Coming to Town.
The best holiday children's shows were around when I was a kid. The Peanuts holiday specials, the Grinch, Frosty, Rudolph and a few other less remembered claymation type shows like the Little Drummer Boy.
These holiday specials bring back so many good memories that it is virtually impossible for me to not watch them when they come on, much like the Wizard of Oz.
Although, by today's standards they are very simple, I think that is what has made them last for so long.
I'm trying to pass that warm fuzzy feeling on to my daughters and they are getting excited for this evening because Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the whole gang are on tonight!! Yippee!! It's officially the holiday season once you've seen A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Gather the family around the TV and watch this fun holiday classic.
Our family loves these shows so much that we stick the CD with the songs from a Charlie Brown Christmas into my car and listen to it over and over. The girls love the Charlie Brown theme song and ask for it every time I start the car. I've requested that they both learn to play it on the piano.
The show runs tonight, Tuesday, November 25 at 7:00 p.m. on ABC (Channel 5).
I am very proud of my two daughters. They both put in time and effort walking on their own to qualify for the Kids Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa. The run was only 1.2 miles but the kids felt like true runners.
Both girls completed the race well ahead of many others and received medals for their effort. It's never to early to get your kids physically active. Our girls loved walking and want to continue. Get your kids outdoors and keep them active!
When Hot Wife went vacationing for four days it left me and my two girls to fend for ourselves. Working at home, this gave us even more time to spend together. We had a great time, ate out, shopped and watched movies.
I think the most important lesson I learned from this weekend is patience. When you are around your kids for days on end and they get wound up it can be a bit trying at times. There were instances when both daughters were jumping around, talking loud and making absolutely no sense. In a restaurant this can become nerve racking.
Each time I was about to tell them to be completely quiet and not move I would think about something. What if, heaven forbid, something unexpected happened to one of my precious daughters? What would I give just to hear them laugh and scream or see them jump around just for one second? I would give anything.
With that in mind I would politely ask them to tone it down, take a deep breath and thank God that there they were, my daughters, with me having fun and being kids.
Our Wednesday Night tennis was canceled this week due to the fact that all of the tennis playing wives decided to gallivant off to Cancun without the husbands. Not to be ones to sit and mope, the dad's decided to pack up the crumb crunchers and do a dad's night at the club buffet.
All dad's with vacationing wives showed up and brought the buck-a-roo's. Notice my oldest and youngest daughters actually not sitting next to me. Funny how they're both sitting next to doctors. Maybe that is an indication!
All went well and we got off the hook for cooking at least one night's meal. We now have three more nights of daddy/daughter bonding. Let's see, there's McDonalds, Chick Fillet, Rib Crib, Donuts...
Halloween 2008 was the Rock and Roll Halloween. Hot Wife and I dressed up for our first ever costume party together. The Tennis Crew and Friends got together and all dressed as rock and rollers. Here I am doing my best Kid Rock pose. I'm kinda digging the hair and may start wearing it everyday.
Hot Wife and the other wives posed together for this groupie photo. We've got Joan Jett, Pink, JLo, Avril Lavine (Hot Wife), Courtney Love, Dolly, Madonna and a wigless Sandy from Grease.
The crumb crunchers also played the rock and roll part. Here we have a rock and roll friend and two versions of Sharpay. I love the look of our youngest in the back. Looks like trouble to me.
I'm not sure if I should be posting this or not. I'm going to go ahead just because of the humor factor.
We are a family not known for eating at home very often. There are a half dozen restaurants in town that not only know us by name but know our orders before we sit down. Because of this habit we rarely eat at home and even rarer yet, hot wife cooks something. When we do eat at home it is usually cereal, microwave pancakes or mac and cheese.
Hot wife threw a loop in the household today by firing up the crock pot. It was full of pot roast and vegetables. The house very quickly became filled with the smell of home cookin! In most homes that would bring memories of hot meals and family dinners. In our house it brought a bit of confusion.
I had been home with youngest daughter while she played with the Wii. Oldest daughter arrived home from dance and I met her at the door. The first thing she noticed was the smell. She asked, "What's that?" With a light laugh I told her mommy was cooking dinner. She looked confused and asked, "Who's coming over?" I laughed a little harder and said that just because mommy was cooking it didn't mean someone was coming over.
The funny moment came when youngest daughter said, "Wow, I thought that smell was my feet."
We took the girls to the airshow this weekend to see the USAF Thunderbirds. Despite the strong wind and lack of places to sit, they were real troopers. The loud jet engine noise was a big hit. We saw helicopters, B1 Bombers, B2 Bombers and several vintage aircraft.
Being somewhat of an Air Force brat and having an entire family that worked on an Air Force base, I've seen my share of airshows which included the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels. Being on the base brought back many memories of the times I spent there as a kid.
My dad was an MP in the Air Force which led to a few stints on or around bases when I was little. I was born on Fort Sam Houston military base, lived on a base in Turkey and also lived on Clinton Sherman Air Force Base in Oklahoma.
Being a sneaker wearing dad of two cute daughters I know I should be dishing out my best fatherly advice. Here are my guidelines every girl should know...
1. Boys Are Evil - Really no explanation needed. Refer to #2.
2. Boys Only Want To See You Naked - Do not under any circumstances find yourself alone with a boy until you are either in a very committed relationship or are married. Public places are fine. There is only one reason a boy would want to be alone with you - refer to #1.
3. Boys Do Not Love You - If a boy tells you he loves you refer to #2. Boys lie, refer to #1.
4. Gossip Is Not As Important As Friendship - Never say anything about a friend that you would not say to their face. No matter what, gossip will get out. Talk highly about your friends, talk sparingly about your enemies.
5. A True Friend Will Never Abandon You - Short of murder and adultery, a true friend is one that sticks with you through thick and thin. If a friend abandons you, they most likely weren't a true friend in the first place. Don't abandon your friends when they need you most. A shoulder to cry on is a very special place.
6. Stay Educated - You should always know who your politicians are, you should always know how to balance a checkbook, you should know how to cook at least one great meal, you should know the rules to at least one major sport, you should know how to change a flat, read whenever possible. Learn the game of golf or tennis.
7. Know How To Protect Yourself - Refer to #2. Do not be paranoid but always be alert. Know the steps you would take to get out of any sticky situation. Knowledge will replace fear. Always be prepared.
8. The Borrower Is Slave To The Lender - Stay out of debt whenever possible. Credit cards are almost as evil as boys. Learn to invest on your own. Create a budget and stick to it! Spend less than you earn. Save.
9. There's No Time Like The Present - Do it now. Talking about things can be a waste of time. Take action. Start today and work out the details as you go along. Try things while you are young and get involved. On the other hand, you're never to old to start. Life is short, don't dilly-dally.
10. You Can Do Anything You Set Your Mind To - If you want something bad enough, and you really make an effort to make it happen, the chances are that it will happen. Set goals and strive to meet them. Do not listen to naysayers. Dream big.
11. Giving Up Is Not An Option - Don't give up and don't quit. The moment you are about to give up will be the moment that defines you. Avoid regret and give everything you do 110% effort.
12. Do - Vote, Pray, Laugh, Share, Encourage, Exercise, Hug, Listen, Make Amends, Sacrifice, Forgive, Participate
My littlest little crumb cruncher turned 5 this weekend and we threw her a glamour shots style party with many of her friends. This is her older sister playing reporter during the party...
The Tooth, The Whole Tooth and Nothing But The Tooth
The pool is officially closed and the girls are back in school. Here they are showing off missing matching front toofs. There are many times lately that they look very much like twins.
If I remember correctly, I lost both of my front teeth at the same time. I believe I was in the first grade. My mom was helping me pull a shirt over my head and the neck of the shirt caught on my loose front teeth. One yank and my teeth went flying as the shirt came over my head.
I most likely got a couple of quarters, whereas today, our daughters rake in 5 dollar bills for each tooth. Even the tooth fairy is keeping up with inflation.
My girls are always asking if they can take off with my camera and snap some photos. They usually come back with close ups of their Hello Kitty dolls, over exposed shots of their doll house or just crooked pics of their toys.
This fun photo caught my eye as I was deleting the others. This is a self portrait of my oldest daughter at age six.
Hot Mama and I took the girls out of town to visit their Uncle, Aunt and four cousins down south. We did a little shopping and spent day one at a nearby amusement park. It was above 100 degrees but the kids were troopers and our daughters rode several roller coasters and loved the log ride.
I remember my best friend and I riding the log ride at Six Flags, always trying to see how many times in a row we could ride it. The wetter we got the happier we were. Now a days, I avoid the log ride at all costs. I don't cope well with the whole chaffing thing and the smell of musty clothes. Eee-Gads! Am I really typing that? I guess I really am a grown up? Dang!
Here is daughter #1 riding the fiberglass tiger. She did great but I almost lost her on the Wildcat roller coaster. She is so thin she started to vibrate under the bar holding her in. I grabbed her just in time but the fear of flying off the ride had already gripped her. It took a few minutes to calm her down and get her excited about riding more death defying mechanical terror machines.
Daughter #2 had her first trip to the lake, her first boat ride, her first attempt at skiing and her first ride on a water weenie.
She actually was very brave up until the moment she nose dived on her first ski attempt and came up with a snout full of water. After that she was toast. (yes, that's me floating in the water, some help I was)
We did get her on the water weenie also but she screamed the entire time that it was time to stop. All in all it was a terrific weekend full of family fun and adventure.
Our oldest daughter recently found a rock on the playground. She's very intelligent and is reading and writing much like a second grader and she's only six. She decided that this was not a rock at all, it was the bone of a long lost dinosaur.
She found an envelope for her new bone and labeled it. Sometimes I wish I could just spell like my dotter.
Our youngest is definitely the child that knows what is right and wrong but usually chooses to do the wrong thing anyway. She's been told not to cut ANYTHING unless she asks. Of course she's already cut the carpet, curtains, hair, dresses, etc. You get the point.
We recently came across this brand new five dollar bill that our daughter had earned. If you notice, the border has been removed. When asked why the five dollar bill needed it's border removed, she answered, "I didn't like the border."
Little sister decided to nap next to older sister, only there wasn't enough room on the couch. Tiny obstacles never stop our youngest from accomplishing her goals.
With the 4th of July comes hot weather, fireworks, swimming pools, hot dogs and just every now and then a miracle...
My four year old daughter is a collector of things and one to turn a piece of trash into a treasure. She can put an irreplaceable value on the most mundane object or make you believe that a tiny bead is the lost Jewel of the Nile.
Recently this inquisitive daughter of ours went on a sleep-over to one of her very close friends. A friend that has a very peculiar pet. This friend has a dead June bug that she feeds and talks to every day. She takes it food and makes sure it has been resting nicely out in the flower bed. Well, this was an inspiration to our daughter! Only she now needed her own dead bug to love and to cherish.
When she arrived home she came running into my studio with a pink cup (the only color in the universe according to her). Inside that plastic, tattered old cup was her new pet, one dead roly-poly. She proudly announce that she had named her little dead doodle bug Lolly Pop.
For a couple of days she was on a mission to comfort and bring joy to the tiny dead bug. She fed it a Starburst candy and put the covered cup outside for Lolly Pop to get some fresh air. We of course played along with her fantasy and talked to Lolly Pop and would help make sure Lolly Pop was still inside the cup.
On the night of the 4th, Lolly Pop was given the special privilege of attending our cookout with several couples and their children. During the evening little Lolly Pop was carried from room to room so that she could enjoy the festivities from her special little cup. I was even requested to turn Lolly Pop over at one point because she just kept laying there on her back. As I flipped Lolly over there was no doubt in my mind that she was well past room temperature and very dead.
As the evening came to a close and we were all giving our good-byes an accident occurred and the pink cup was knocked from our daughters hand. Like a slow motion movie I watched in horror as Lolly and the cup now full of dirt, leaves and twigs hit the floor. The mess went everywhere and our four year old let out a scream crying for poor Lolly. We quickly secured the area and began sifting through the dirt and mess on the floor.
As it started to become apparent that Lolly was not going to be found I overheard the kids talking about a prior spill downstairs and began to think that Lolly had been lost during that spill. My daughter was crying and pleading for everyone to find Lolly. Then it happened, a miracle like no other, something I would not have believed had I not seen it with my own two eyes. There, about one foot away, was Lolly Pop on her back with legs kicking. Yes, legs kicking, this roly-poly was ALIVE!!
They say my mouth dropped and my eye bugged out because as sure as I'm typing this I just knew that bug had been dead for the last two days. My daughter screamed with delight and snatched up Lolly along with all of the other mess from the floor. The world had been set right, my daughter had her bug and I had seen a miracle.
As most of the people filed out of the house a conversation sprang up about what had just happened. I reiterated the fact that the roly-poly had been dead only an hour before. It was then that our friend, the veterinarian, announced that during the confusion he had run outside and unbelievably stumbled upon a larger but live roly-poly. He quickly brought it back inside and tossed it near the mess on the floor.
I was in awe. I couldn't believe how quickly he went into action and saved the day. My daughter really had no clue but she did mention that Lolly had gained a little weight. It's a joy to observe the imagination of children, but also a joy to see the creativity of great friends.
Okay Dads, when your kids reach the age of talking non-stop (about 4 years old) you will quickly learn that they love to ask the same things over and over and over again. There are a few things my four and six year olds tell me or ask me almost everyday. Here's a sampling...
1. Daddy I'm done going potty 2. Can I have a snack 3. Is it movie night 4. Do we have to eat healthy 5. Is it a school day 6. The light was yellow dad 7. Can I have some gum 8. What number is the Disney Channel 9. Will you sit next to me 10 I want to ride on your side 11. Talk like Goofy again 12. Leave a light on 13. Where's my waggy 14. Ouch, you're pulling my hair 15. Do I have to eat it all 16. Don't forget to check on me 17. Can you turn it up 18. Daddy stop singing 19. Will you carry me upside down 20. You're sweaty 21. Can I text Mommy
As a dad you wait for those priceless moments when your kids do or say something that comes so far out of left field that you can only laugh until you cry. Last weekend provided one of those golden moments.
Our girls have been taking piano lessons for several months now in preparation of their piano recital. Recently it was D-day for our little Liberace's. We all gathered together and sat through two and a half hours of piano plunking, chord bending and scale mutation. Not to say that we didn't enjoy our own kids interpretation of music theory, it's those darn other kids that had the hair on the back of our necks standing on end. None the less, we applauded them all just as though they were our very own.
Our girls sat up straight, played their parts and did a fine job. They were rewarded with a trip to one of their favorite restaurants (Chili's, in case they forget). We all ate, laughed and talked about the grand recital. As we neared the end of our meal, our 4 year old pointed out the fact that she had eaten almost all of her dinner.
We told her how proud we were that she had eaten so good and that she had done such a grand job at the recital as well as at the restaurant. She sat up proudly with her chin in the air and her shoulders pulled back and said, "Thank you, thank you, you can hold your paws up."
We all immediately began to laugh because we instantly knew exactly what she meant. She was trying to say, "Hold your applause." It was a great moment and she beamed from ear to ear as we made her feel like the silliest girl on the planet.
Enjoy your kids and don't forget that they are just kids. Allow them to be who they are and above all, have patience!
Warning: This has been another daddy moment, meant to embarrass and shock our daughters as they get older and read back about how cute and cuddly they once were. Apologies are now given if this post has interfered with or caused a boy to no longer have anything to do with you. Yeah right, boys are vermin that pick their noses and toot under covers.
Here's a pretty good list of things I believe my four and six year old daughters would rather me not do. If I've broken any of these (which I have) I apologize now.
A daddy should never...
1. Wear black socks with sneakers 2. Sing in the car 3. Shave off his mustache 4. Wear anything pink 5. Grow hair on his ears 6. Kiss another woman 7. Bake a cake 8. Skip through a store 9. Wear a dress or skirt 10. Use a blow dryer 11. Put on lip gloss 12. Sit to go pee 13. Wear a party/pretty hat 14. Eat anything with sprinkles 15. Say, "I'm so sure" 16. Ride a girls bike 17. Roller skate 18. Sit in a tanning booth 19. Participate in Pilates 20. Wear fur 21. Shave his legs 22. Take a bubble bath 23. Wear socks with sandals 24. Buy panties 25. Eat grilled chicken salad 26. Go shirtless in public 27. Make jewelry 28. Wear earrings 29. Use hairspray 30. Watch My Little Pony 31. Toot in public 32. Smoke cigars 33. Wear earmuffs 34. Spray on a tan 35. Give sweaty hugs 36. Listen on the phone 37. Forget birthdays 38. Belly flop 39. Burp the alphabet Read the rest of the list...
I hope the mixture of my posts on blogging, making money online, working from home and being a dad will be a good enough mix to keep everyone coming back for more tips, ideas and stories.
I guess I had better describe my daughters as I see them today. Both girls attend a Montessori school and have never had to stay at a daycare. I've watched them practically every day of their lives. I take them to school, have lunch with them most days and pick them up from school. They are very active and currently are involved in dance, gymnastics, piano and tennis.
My oldest daughter is now six. She is very bright and can read practically anything that is placed in front of her. She's kind, quiet, shy and a bit reserved. She loves bread and butter but hates ice cream. She doesn't so much like to be hugged or kissed but she's becomes very sad when we are away. She learns quickly and remembers everything. She rarely get into trouble and knows that doing certain things will get her in trouble. She does not push the envelope.
My youngest daughter is four going on twenty four. She is happy, lovable, outgoing and very rambunctious. She's smart but is not so much interested in learning. She loves to play, make up things and collects everything. She wants everything now and becomes very clingy to a new item until a replacement comes along. She loves to hug and kiss but has no problem waving good-bye to us when we leave. She loves sweets and is picky about everything else. She pushes the envelope on everything and gets into trouble daily.
Today was a great example of one of my four-year-olds memorable quotes. We were driving home from picking up Hostess Cup Cakes for breakfast, (her favorite at the moment) and we began talking about the clouds and the rain we had just experienced. Without ever having heard her use this word before, my four-year-old says, "I'm assuming the water that comes from clouds is pee." I chuckled like I always do and thanked the Lord again for giving me such wacky girls.
They bring a smile to my face every morning and I greet them with a big hello and a morning hug. They are by far the coolest things I have ever created.
The thing about growing up without a dad at an early age is that it's kinda like growing up without an uncle you never met. You hear stories about him and wonder what he might be like but you realize he's not a part of your life and you easily forget that he might have once been a part of your childhood.
When my parents divorced in the mid 60's, they divorced. My dad high tailed it out of town and I have not seen nor heard from him since I was about five or six. I was just young enough to not have really relied on him for many things and was not old enough to have a multitude of memories. My dad has always been that guy in the pictures that was once married to my mom. A sad way of looking at it for some but a mundane reality for others.
Growing up without a dad had its ups and downs. Every one of my friends growing up had a dad and as far as I knew all had pretty great marriages. The funny things was, as much time as I spent with many of my friends, I really never saw their dads that often. Most dads were off working during the day and then seemed to disappear at night. None of my friends dads coached the baseball team, were Boy Scout leaders or spent time playing outdoor games with us. So I never really felt like I was missing out on anything.
I do think I would have pursued sports a little more had I grown up with a dad. Especially one that might have coached me and could have built up a my confidence a bit. I never saw myself as a good athlete growing up and I actually never really was that interested in watching sports. Looking back now I know I could have been good at one sport or another but I just never gave it much effort.
As weird as this might sound I actually ended up with two dads rather than one. My mom did a great job of filling in for that fatherly role. She signed me up for baseball and came to my games, she had me in scouts and helped me earn my badges and she encouraged me to pursue the things I was interested in. My mom did a great job of showing me how to make my way on my own. She always worked two jobs, without complaining, and first showed me that entrepreneurial spirit that I finally harvested in my adult years. I never realized it in all of the years that she ran her craft business but my mom was a business owner. She worked hard, managed her business and turned out a quality product.
I am very blessed to be in the position of belonging to our local country club. It has become a routine with my daughters and I to eat there every Friday. Mom sits in most Friday's but the girls and I have missed very few.
Every waiter there knows us by name and they pretty much know what we will order. One waiter has created his own ritual of giving my girls flowers after every Friday lunch. The entire staff is getting to watch our girls grow up and they have almost become like family.
My oldest orders corn dogs and shoestring fries most of the time, she changes it up with a cheeseburger or grilled cheese every now and then. She really loves the muffins and tries to get as much butter on each one as she can. My very picky youngest daughter, gets her chicken strips and fries almost every week. Once in a while I can get her to do spaghetti. She refuses to try ketchup (?) but likes to dip everything in salsa and even puts it on her spaghetti!
One of the lasting memories I have as a kid is eating at a local restaurant in a round room. Every year on my birthday, my family would get together and eat at this restaurant. It is something I looked forward to and still remember. Just think, that was only once a year! Think of building a tradition you do every week or every month.
Create that ritual of doing something with your kids every week at the same time and set it in stone. Your kids may not think much of it now but they will look back on it years from now and remember it as one of their favorite times.
I hope you girls enjoyed spending time with dad every Friday. I looked forward to it every week.
Search the directory for posts on blogging, ideas on making money online, raising daughters, being an entrepreneur, how to cartoon, being a great husband and dad and watch fun videos from That Sneaker Wearing Entrepreneurial Cartoonist Internet Guy.
• Have 1 million in the bank
• Own a hut on the beach
• Bench press 325 lbs.
• Learn a wicked guitar solo
• Sell a cartoon to the New Yorker
• Appear in The Goonies II
• Write a screenplay
• Be an Oprah favorite thing
• Prove OJ did it
• Invent a new color
• Surf a big wave
• Be 500 yards from a tornado
• Have lunch with a President
• See my daughters marry
• Meet my grandkids
• Catch Bigfoot
• Break 100 golfing
• Grow my hair back
• Work a 20 hour week
• More to come...
I remember my best friend and I riding the log ride at Six Flags, always trying to see how many times in a row we could ride it. The wetter we got the happier we were. Now a days, I avoid the log ride at all costs. I don't cope well with the whole chaffing thing and the smell of musty clothes. Eee-Gads! Am I really typing that? I guess I really am a grown up? Dang!
Daughter #2 had her first trip to the lake, her first boat ride, her first attempt at skiing and her first ride on a water weenie.
I am very blessed to be in the position of belonging to our local country club. It has become a routine with my daughters and I to eat there every Friday. Mom sits in most Friday's but the girls and I have missed very few.
One of the lasting memories I have as a kid is eating at a local restaurant in a round room. Every year on my birthday, my family would get together and eat at this restaurant. It is something I looked forward to and still remember. Just think, that was only once a year! Think of building a tradition you do every week or every month.
