What you think does matter

Kids, more kids and no time. It’s been a while since my last post. Not because my life is boring but because it’s so consumed with the things that have to be done. School started so last more running around - books, taking them to school, homework, friends coming over to visit more darn home work. If that’s not enough - my wife decides to put my five year old son in flag football. Oh geez…. Look I think it’s great that he is getting involved, has a place outside of school to rough house and make friends. The practices are good for his health it’s just so darn time consuming and some of those sports mom and dad are nuts. Really - whackos, just plain whack jobs. The first day I was able to leave work early to go to one of my sons practices - proved to me that this was going to be a waste of my time. First I sat at the side of the field watching the kids play and then practice… I love my son, but I could have been doing something more productive. Then I had a mom and dad sitting next to m...

Vacation for Children ??? Here is a family story: What possessed me to let my kid go on vacation. Why? Really, a vacation for children - I must be crazy!!! Or maybe it's because I miss my little girl that I now think sending her on this New York summer vacation was - is nuts. It's been only one day and my son keeps crying, asking where is his big sister. I know she'll have fun - it's what I want for her. But really - "vacation for children" man how I miss having the whole summer off. I remember reading a post by cityencounters.blogspot.com : on how New Yorks need a reality check with their kids. I thought it was strange for NY city folks to have Wine & dine parties for toddlers - but here I am sending my kid on a summer vacation. really - how hard did she have it this school year.? The funny thing was - when we took her to the airport we were taking pictures like if we were tourist. i mean really - we live here, why are we talking pictures of the airport ...

Parenting: Discovering how to Read ? My duaghter loves to read. She reads more than I do. Ofcourse I have a job...lol But I could never get my son to sit still long enough to read to him. I was lucky if he let me get through two pages before he started playing games or wanting to jump on my back. Like any good Dad - I think I have the best Parenting skills around. Ofcourse my duaghter made it easy for me. My son - well, he is just proving how difficult parenting can be. For a while there I was concerned that my son would be the "not so smart" one in the family. You know, every family has the geek and the jock [ meaning the smart one and the dumb one ]. But my son gave us a nice surprise the other day. I've tried getting him to read these "hook on phonics" books I used with my duaghter - but he wouldn't listen. But out of the blue - my wife comes and tells me that he can read on his own. That he just grabed the hooked on phonic books and showed her he could r...

When I tell people I go camping - they initially seem genuially interested. But when i mention that i go camping in a "tent", they tend to freak out. It's like - Oh my God, your in the woods and all you have is this thin layer of canopy between you and all of the wild???? I hear all these horror stories about how bad camping is - and mostly it's ussually about "how it rain while they were camping"... I think that rain is just part of the camping experience. For me - it's just one more piece of the fun factor. And I think the boys who were with us on this trip - enjoyed the rain more than I did. i mean lituraly enjoyed it. The rain wasn't going to stop them from having fun - in fact - the rain was the purpose behind all thier fun. Ok - it wasn't what i had in mind when I told them go have fun in the rain - but hey they had fun. They decided that they would have a mudwrestling match. Oh it was the funniest thing to watch. i got a couple of video cl...

Yes, Camping is the best way to go if you want a "cheap vacation" loaded with lots of fun. The experience will create long lasting memories for you and your kids. There is just so much you can do. If your like me - your memories are important to you - you want your kid to tell you: I remember when me and mom [ or dad ] did this and that and the other thing.... This camping vacation this spring break was better than last year. it's becoming an annual thing and it just keeps growing & getting better! Last year we were a group of 9, this year it was a group of 19 people [ 13 were kids ]. But with all the fun you can have camping and all the money you can save - I want to point out something, camping can be dangerous. It's funny but you don't think about it until your faced with the realization that - hey, I'm in the wild.... You don't see the danger until it's right there in front of you. Like when on one of my morning walks alone - I ran across a lar...

Central Florida Camping: cheap Vacation but lots of fun work ! I think camping is the best kind of vacation with kids you can have when you. For several reasons - a camping vacation is generally cheap… at least when compared to other kinds of vacation trips. I have a friend who said she spent $800 dollars on a two day vacation trip to Walt Disney world [ and that didn’t account for the cost of the hotel ]. But the best reason I have for a “Camping Vacation” is that there is so much for children to do, experience, room to play and explore. You also have time [ the parent ] to spend with your kids [ and the honey too… love you babe…] Ofcourse it helps that comparing my cost - about $400 dollars spent on this 9 day vacation - is a lot cheaper than a $800 dollar 2 day vacation [ I don’t care how much I love Mickey ] . Yes, I am still planning my dream 5 day Walt Disney World vacation - 5 star hotel and all that - I’m just saying, you just cant beat all the pluses you have with a nice long ...

Cancer Insurance ? That’s New! I sell life insurance on the side and I have life insurance - I believe it’s important. I love my children and yes even my wife. I want to believe that they will have a future even if [ God forbid ] I were to unexpectedly die. But when my Doctor mentioned getting my prostate checked in a couple of years because I’m reaching that age when men get prostate cancer - I had to take a double take. Life insurance doesn’t cover cancer??? Then I read some stuff on Cancer insurance. I remembered what a friend of mine told me about Aflack and how they provided supplemental insurance and yes even had a policy for “cancer insurance". Funny - before today I never really thought about it. That is about "Cancer insurance " - wow just like my car. Maybe I’m just being overly cautious or just realizing I’m not young and yes I am mortal. But first I plan for my kids future with life insurance - now I’m thinking about things like long term illnesses and cancer...

Ok, it's not Walt Disney World - but it's the Fair ? Yep, the county fair - it's not the big fancy walt disney or magic Kingdom kind of outing I want to go to - but the kids wanted to go to the fair. The fair, the Carney, the traveling Gypsies - or Circus [ what ever ]. All I know is they bugged me and bugged me that I just had to go. My duaghter already made plans to meet her friends there. My wife insisted we meet her friend there [ Hey Betsy - hope you had fun ] - heck if it wasn't already expensive enough - my kids wanted to invite another friend and have me pay [ What do I look like - don't answer that ]. But I do have to say I had a blast. Between my sons excitement and scare the park was worth the over price $17 dollar wrist band to go on the rides and I wont mention the fact that I and our friends son got sort of addicted to one of those carnival chance games. All so we could we could win a toy gun for my son - too bad it turn out to be a cigeret lighter .....

Having just one of those days... You ever had one of those days - you know, the one you wish you could just rewind and do over completly different. I just wish life had a off switch or atleast a fast forward button. It's funny - it started innocent enough - then it started.... car problems, kids having problems, the spouse angry becuase of stress... Oh God she's comming at me with a knife... lol Please, someone explian it to me... Why is it that when something goes wrong, it seems everything goes wrong. Can't we have a system where problems can just take turns... I guess I shouldn't complian, my father-in-law just turned 50 and he's not complianing - probably becuase he is too busy complianing about me.... Ha, good one. Needed a luagh. Well, I guess life is just a never ending battle and i have to take my own advice - enjoy what you can, while you can, for as long as you can - becuase the kids grow up, the spouse gets old and you get closer to the grave [ the nice d...

Girls and what they do? Ok, so maybe it was wrong to read the diary entry my daughter left lying around the house. But How can you blame me, it was a single sheet of paper sitting in a pile of other paper work on my desk in my bedroom. Not hers, mine. So, I read it. And let me tell you I was confused and upset. I’m a Dad and one who is protective of his children. So reading this gave me only two scary thoughts - one: my daughter is growing up two: Never again Let me tell you what the diary entry was about in summary: My wife convinced me to let my daughter to go with her friends to the movies at the mall and that they would be with supervision - her friends dad. So I reluctantly said yes. So in her loose page entry she writes how nice it was to go to the movies, that she bought pop corn and how her friends dad allowed them to go into the movies alone as he waited [ 2 hours ] in the food court. [* not what I wanted - ] That after the movie this same dad allowed them to wander the mall ...

Way to long of a crazy week end.... Things sort of become a blur when your so busy to take a moments breath. Let’s just give you a glimpse of what I mean - starting Friday morning - woke up and got the kids ready, took them to school, drove back home and took care of some things. Then I set up the tent in the back yard for my daughters sleep over party - rushed over to pick up my son at school at eleven thirty. Then drive all the way home to prepare his lunch , change his cloth and prepare for work. Drive him over to my brother-in-law’s house and off to work. After getting out of work at 8:35 pm, I drove home to eat, play with the kids and help my daughter start building her school model project. I went to bed around eleven thirty and woke up early Saturday to get myself and my son ready for his school friend birthday party. I like these people - even though it was raining, they had the birthday party. So I help by holding an umbrella over the grill to help cook the food [ after all I ...

Breaking Manufacturing rules for My kids Safety ? Well, I haven’t been able to write much about the crazy things that happen with my family, I’ve been busy working and my hours are speratic. One day I work mornings the next night - it’s crazy. But I just had to take the time to write this down. You know that everything you buy has a manufacturer guidelines, rules and all that. It’s there to keep you from doing something that would end up hurting you. Well, I broke the rules in order to help my little boy from getting hurt. Really - I broke the rules to protect my child? Well, the thing is my son wants to ride his bike without training wheels - unlike his sister who took several years up to the age of seven or eight to learn how to ride with out training wheels - he wants to be like her, compete with her and wants to learn how to ride his bike without training wheels. Ofcourse he is only four years old and learning will be tough - but my real problem is, I don’t want him to fall down an...

Life is So unfair at the beach ??? Oh how unfair life can be. As promised I wanted to share my trip with you. I had to go to Venice Florida for some training and my Boss was gracious enough to put me up in a beautiful condo right on the beach. He even suggested that I bring the family along so we could have a nice time of it. At first I was leery of one - taking him up on his offer - second, taking my family along for the ride. But the more I thought about being away for two days the more it sounded - ok. Ofcourse my wife loved the idea. The minute she heard that the condo was right on the beach and that the back door opens up right on to the beach - it didn’t take her long to start packing. So what’s so unfair about life and this situation: well, where do I start. Let me begin with how first it wasn’t a trip for me - I had to work, and while I woke up early and went to bed early because I had to be at work - my kids and my sweet wife enjoyed the beach [ see the pictures below and the...

The hills are alive with the sound of Music... You know, I usually look forward to the week end. It’s time to hang loose, the most I worry about is if I can get away with “not doing “ the lawn. Heck, come Saturday night - I look forward to joining my kids and watching some Naruto [ cartoons ]. But, lately my week ends seem to bring fear, large amounts of fear. Look, I am grateful that my daughter has an interest for music. She’s shown interest in the "recorder" [ looks like a flute to me ], she’s taken some tips on the Drums from me and when she showed interest in the Piano - a teacher at her elementary school gave her some tips. So what does she do when she get “band” in middle school [ jr high ] - she decides she wants to learn how to play the Alto-Saxophone ???? So what’s the problem, what causes me such fear - I love my little girl, but when she ask me if I can pick her up Friday from school so she can bring home her Alto-saxophone so she can practice making noise.... I ...

Parenting Advice: Build your children’s self esteem with Rap Music? Here is a "Parenting Advice" and "Parenting tip" - It’s a bit unorthodox so hear me out. I used a little Nelly rap song to teach my child [ daughter ] to build her self esteem. " I am #1, 2 is not a winner and 3 no one remembers… What does it take to be #1 - hey, hey, hey ..." This method of “Parenting advice” may sound a bit off, but please - give me some time to completely explain my madness. I know most people hear the words “Rap music” and they think - degrading, thug, junk... So how did I teach my daughter about having good self esteem with a rap song? Well, one day I heard this song and it was so catchy - I spent days humming the chorus and singing the chorus to myself. I just couldn’t get it out of my head. Then came a conversation with my wife - she was expressing her concern over our daughters “shyness” and her fear that our daughter may have low self esteem. So an Idea ...

I was picking up my son from pre-k school today and I just happened to over hear this conversation - “I’m sorry - the darn waiting area is so small - how can I not over hear the conversation”... But this mom was talking to another mom [ luckily I’m not the only Dad there…] about how she almost breaks down every morning when she brings her little girl to school. I could sympathize with her, I’m a man and I almost broke down when my son gave me those - your abandoning sorrowful tear filled eyes look. Ofcourse the second Mom who of her own admission has way to many kids - said… “oh, I was so happy when school started, I finally got some free time again”. Not what the first mom was expecting to hear - in fact every one in the waiting room was a bit shocked [ but we pretended not to hear ]. Then the second mom went on to say - that after having the first one, the second, the third and the fourth - parting with them was pretty easy. Now she wakes up eager to take her kids to school. Hey, don...

Don’t try to grow up so Fast! I tell my daughter all the time - "don’t worry about growing up, that will happen. Enjoy being a child now, because when you do get old [ grow up ] you’ll wish you were a kid again". This leads me to a conversation I walked in on with my daughter and wife. I walk into the kitchen and bang the conversation stops [ clear sign I should get involved ]. So after poking my nose in - I find out that my eleven year old girl wants to "shave her legs" - so first I get defensive and ask why and throw in a "your too young". Then I get logical - I break it down for her with a series of questions: How old are you? Who are you trying to impress? Are you a model? Are you going somewhere other than school? What hair on your legs? [ still has thin small almost invisible baby hair. ] I told her look, I can’t see any hair to shave and if you start shaving now, the norm is that your baby hair will grow in thicker and then you will need to shave. S...

Oh look out generals back!! Well, guess whose back? Yep that little dog with the big name "general". General is cool but he just has a weird effect on my family. My wife treats him like a baby, probably gives him more attention than me. My daughter - she treats him like a china doll - afraid that everything will hurt the dog. look out here, look out with the dog... no he'll get hurt... leave the dog alone Isaac.. My son is the funniest of them all - this kid of mine spends most of his time calling general to him only to run in fear when general comes near him. It only gets worst in the morning when my wife lets the dog loose, my son does not want an excited pup jumping on him at six thirty in the morning - lord help me. Don't let these pictures fool you - it takes all the nerve my son can muster just to be this close without getting hysterical... Well, general is going to be here for a while [ helping out a friend ] so I better get use to the insanity. Look at me...

What do you do when your facing down possible hurricane It’s been about three or four years since several Hurricanes came thru our town and brought a stop to the belief that people were safe inland. So when the reports came in that tropical storm “fay” was projected to become a level 1 hurricane - lets just say some people went bonkers. I’m glad it didn’t turn out as bad as it was predicted - but there has been a lot of damage, especially flood damage around all parts of Florida. We did our part to get ready for the storm after that we just had to sit and wait. So what do you do while you wait for the worst and try to keep your family calm? Here is what I did: Watched chicken little movie with family Played black jack with kiki Played uno w/ kiki Played with my son Ate dinner together - early just in case Relaxed as son played in shower and daughter played her DS Played battleship w/ kiki Talk with wife and helped clean up [ she always clean when nervous] Relax as waiting for next “fay...