I Hope You Enjoyed Your Childhood. Now, Pay Up!

Exciting news! Although he’s only three, Grayson is already showing potential for a promising career in science.

A couple weeks ago, he decided to conduct an experiment to see how well my 51″ plasma TV would hold up when struck repeatedly by a flying sippy cup. His experiment had a very conclusive result. TVs, in fact, do not hold up well when having sippy cups thrown at them. His findings showed, with little margin of error, that doing so results in premature death of the TV.

For his next experiment, he decided to test the longevity of our Kindle Fire under harsh impact conditions. Specifically, he tested the Kindle Fire’s natural reaction to being dropped on the hardwood floor. Again, the results were conclusive. The shattered screen corresponded directly to the height from which the unit was dropped.

His findings also suggest that an increase in broken electronics correlates to a decrease in checking account funds. I told you, he has scientist written all over him.

Going Gray?

For the last few years, I have had a single gray chest hair. I have never understood why. The blame likely goes to my oldest daughter, Alexis, who takes pride in aging her dad well beyond his years. But, who knows?

Now suddenly, as if overnight, I have four. Now, I’m not narcissistic enough to check for this sort of thing every day, so perhaps they have been there for a week or two, but today was the first time I discovered them.

The Lighthouse Award – Oh Yeah!

My first blogging award – jackpot! To Kate Loveton at ‘Odyssey of a Novice Writer,’ thanks so much for the nomination! Your blog is an inspiration to aspiring writers everywhere.

If you haven’t stopped by to check out Kate’s blog, what are you waiting for?!? Click here now!

Nap Time: How Do You Manage?

Of my four kids, Grayson has to be the most stubborn of all (which is saying a lot!). Not unusual for boys his age, I am sure, but nap time (or lack thereof) is a constant struggle.

He will nap occasionally, of course, but only when unprompted, never when told, and usually in the strangest, most inconvenient places.

Parents: The Ultimate Multitaskers

If universities ever wanted to teach their students how to multitask or if corporations ever wanted to train their employees in effective time management skills, all they would have to do is offer hands-on work studies or off-site training seminars in parenting. Looking just at this past week, my job functions included being chauffeur, short-order cook, soccer coach, artist, woodworker, housekeeper, teacher, accountant, nutrition specialist, etc., etc.

I’m not saying this to pat myself on the back, but to collectively pat the back of all active parents. Sometimes I wonder how parents have managed this since the dawn of mankind. I will admit, however, that much of my free time lately has been spent planning a mostly kid-free vacation.

This is How I Do Friday Nights

It was another rockin’ Friday night in the active dad household. Cameron got the hook-up with Ninjago Lego sets for Christmas, so I promised him that we would start knocking them out this weekend.

It quickly turned into a family affair, which basically meant I was building all the individual sets (Samurai X, the Temple of Light, and the Golden Ninja) while I had four kids climbing on top of me and each other, wanting to “help.” The process would not have been so painful, had Cam decided not to open all the boxes and dump all of the thousands of individual lego pieces into one big pile, which I then had to re-sort in an effort to keep my rapidly slipping sanity.

 

“Clare!” It’s More than a Name, It’s a Battle Cry

I’m back after an extended winter break at home with all four kids. I’m sure many of you also experienced the arctic cold weather that swept across the US. Honestly, in my 34+ years, I cannot remember it ever being as cold as it was this past Monday: -30 wind chills. I still cringe just thinking about it.

The weather also caused two consecutive days of school closings after the kids had already been off for two weeks. On top of that, since it was so cold, the kids and I were trapped inside the house for the most part. I’m sure it was just a coincidence that I spent the majority of those two extra days planning a kid-free vacation for myself this summer.

Why Does the Turkey Taste Better After Being Dropped on the Floor?

The post title asks the question I have now asked Clare (age 1) several times this past week. Of course, she is being stubborn and refusing to answer. So, maybe you can help me. Does anyone know why sliced turkey (and many other staple meal items) are seemingly inedible when on the high chair tray, but suddenly become delicious after they have been thrown onto the kitchen floor?

AA Batteries: the Next Big Thing

I am going to start with a brief update regarding my knee, but then quickly move onto more entertaining news (i.e. stories about my kids). I know that the last post was a little bit of a whine-fest, and I’ve done plenty more whining about it offline (just ask the wife), so no need to repeat here. To the point, I have a bucket-handle tear of my right medial meniscus (cartilage in the knee). It requires surgery to remove the torn region as that part of the meniscus cannot typically be repaired due to a lack of blood flow.

Active Dad at Home: the MRI Edition

So, as I sit here at the orthopedic and sports medicine doctor’s office awaiting an MRI on my knee, let me give all of you parents a friendly piece of advice. Never, ever play with your kids and their toys as it can be extremely detrimental to your health.

Wait, what? Don’t be too quick to disregard this pearl of wisdom. I know that at first glance, it might seem counter-intuitive or even bizarre, but let me assure you that it is not.