Tag: children

School Is Back In Session

I’ve always been a big fan of summer.

This is not a shocking revelation, I’m sure; lots of people love summer. Summer is all about freedom. Fewer rules, fewer schedules, fewer responsibilities. School is out; camp and vacations are in. You’ve heard of casual Fridays? My wife’s job had casual summers. And even though I work full time as a social worker, summers are a bit easier for me because it’s a lot easier to schedule home visits with families when their kids are out of school.  Continue reading “School Is Back In Session”

Debut of the SAHM

When you meet a person for the first time a common topic of conversation is what you do for a living. Or, at least, the question “Where you do work?” is asked. When E was only a few months old my initial response was always “I don’t work; I stay home with my son.” Now E is 14 months old and my response has changed drastically. This past year has shown me just how wrong my earlier answer was, as well as how so many people have preconceived notions about what it means to be a stay-at-home-mother (SAHM).  Continue reading “Debut of the SAHM”

Testing the Limits

“He looks so serious,” my wife said.
I answered, “That’s because he knows he’s in trouble.”

E was sitting three feet away and looking back at me expectantly. T had just spoken very sternly to E and he was looking to me for support. E doesn’t get yelled at often1 but if either of us raise our voices, it’s probably because E has climbed into his toy box or onto the recliner or, as he did a couple of nights ago, onto the ottoman where he sits and moves it back and forth like a teeter-totter. And, while this instance had nothing to do with his safety, a lesson still needed to be taught.  Continue reading “Testing the Limits”

Liars, Killers and Brauns, Oh My!

There has been a lot of negative news lately regarding professional athletes in the U.S. The Biogenesis scandal regarding the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) in Major League Baseball has re-sparked numerous debates over the validity of certain records, awards and potential future Hall of Fame eligibility. Free agent point guard Daniel Gibson was charged with battery for breaking a man’s jaw during an argument. And, of course, former1 New England Patriots tight end, Aaron Hernandez, was arrested and charged with murder.

Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio, indeed.  Continue reading “Liars, Killers and Brauns, Oh My!”

Rise of the Machines

I went to Disney World for the first time for my 21st birthday.

I usually get a number of different reactions to that statement, including “Oh, that’s so cute!” and “I’ve had so much more fun at Disney when I’ve been older” and “Really? Your 21st birthday was at Disney? And your first legal drink was a Michelob Light?”[1]

My first visit to Disney World and the subsequent discussion of when my wife and I will be introducing E to Disney are both topics for a different blog entry. The reason I brought up Disney is because while T and I were there, we went on the “ride” at Epcot all about evolving technology and the ways technology affects our daily lives.  Anyone who’s been to Epcot knows exactly the ride I’m talking about.  It’s the one where you sit in the seats and see the same family living room over the course of different decades and they sing that song, “It’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” over and over again. And while I’m not sure today is particularly greater, bigger or more beautiful than yesterday[2], I have been thinking a bit more about the ways technology is changing and what that’s going to mean for E as he grows up.  Continue reading “Rise of the Machines”

When Did I Become an Expert?

Perception is everything.

Of course, “everything” changes depending on the context. In real estate, location is everything. On tests, preparation is everything. In religion, it’s faith. In sports, it’s being able to make adjustments to your opponent.[1] But in life in general, it’s all about perception.

The way we perceive our environment has a direct correlation to the ways we interact with it. A simpler way is to think of the conventional difference between optimism and pessimism. Imagine a crowded rush-hour subway, for instance. The train is moving at normal speed until, just before the stop where many of the passengers will exit, the train stops because of train traffic. The pessimist likely starts getting upset because he is assuming he will now be late for work. The optimist may get upset also, but “looks on the bright side of life”[2] by saying that at least he gets to spend more time in the air conditioned subway car before going out into the hot and terribly humid New York City air. One sees the glass half empty, the other sees it half full.[3] It’s all about how we see things.  Continue reading “When Did I Become an Expert?”

Winning the Bedtime Battle

My son is smart.

Allow me to clarify: I’m not saying that to brag or to make anyone feel bad.  It’s not like I’m saying he’s smarter than your kid[1].  And it’s not like E would win on “Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?” or anything like that.  He’s only 13 months old, after all.

But he is smart.

No matter what he’s doing, the wheels are turning.  If you watch him play, you can see him trying to figure things out.  The ring stacker, the shape sorter, the push truck without an on/off switch, he’s mastered them all.[2]  He knows how to walk, but also knows that he gets places much faster if he crawls.  Think you can stop him from pushing dining room chairs around the room by putting other stuff in his way?  He’ll either move the obstacles or just push right through them.  Think your phone is safe because you put it on top of a couple pillows on the couch so he can’t reach?  He’ll see the phone and pull the pillows down so he can get to it.  Continue reading “Winning the Bedtime Battle”

Celebrating a Championship

As you may have heard (or read, seen personally, etc.), the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup earlier this week. I mentioned that they were in the final in my last post, focusing there on the idea of the way our superstitions affect – or, more likely, don’t affect – sports games.[1] My extremely generous wife agreed to stay home with our sleeping son while I went to a bar with my brother[2] so that we could watch together. Sports are always more fun when they’re shared so we went out, we drank, we ate, we watched and most importantly, the Blackhawks won.  Continue reading “Celebrating a Championship”

Lesson #1: The Chicago Cubs

Baseball is stupid.

I know, you’re confused. “What do you mean? You said this is a blog about sports and I know you’re a baseball fan! How can you say baseball is stupid?” Just bear with me.

I repeat: baseball is stupid. One guy throws a ball, another guy tries to hit it, and eight other guys run around throwing the ball to each other. Some of the position names make sense (pitcher, catcher, baseman) but some definitely do not (what’s a shortstop?). The managers and coaches never play in the games but they wear the same uniforms as the players.[1] Some teams don’t even put their players’ names on the backs of the uniforms so unless you follow the team closely or you’re watching on television, you don’t know who you’re watching.[2] And the game is so freaking slow.  Continue reading “Lesson #1: The Chicago Cubs”

What I Didn’t Expect

(Sorry for the delay in posts.  Work and preparations for E’s birthday party have kind of dominated the last two weeks.)

Parenting is a weird business.

Weird may not be the best word for it; I just chose it because there are so many different ways of looking at being a parent and so many different things to experience that “weird” seems like a catch-all word.  Parenting is the one job[1] I can think of that can make a person laugh, cry and want to punch a hole in the wall all in the span of five minutes.  It’s exhilarating and heart-wrenching, amazing and overwhelming, all at once.  The biggest thing about being a parent, though, is this:

You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.  Continue reading “What I Didn’t Expect”

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