A few days back, as we were walking around the Flower and Garden show at Epcot, my six year old made an announcement. “Daddy,” he said. “I’d like to visit Lost Vegas.” This wasn’t a complete shock. We had seen the movie Bolt not too long ago, and part of it takes place in Las Vegas. […]
Read MoreThe alligator wrestling show down at Gatorland is a lot of fun. The gator wrestler stands on a concrete island surrounded by a moat filled with alligators. At the beginning of the show, he grabs an alligator by its tail and hauls it out of the moat on to the island. Actually, that’s not quite […]
Read MoreWe have managed to convince our oldest that he’s not allowed to get out of his bed until after 6:30 in the morning – which means he’s in our room every morning at exactly 6:30am. Once he arrives, the negotiations begin. He wants us to get out of bed and play until it’s time to […]
Read MoreMany years ago, back when my wife and I were still yet to be married, we developed the habit of saying “love you more.” It was a cute(ish) little romantic thing. Whenever one of us would say “love you” the other would answer “love you more.” At this point, I’m willing to bet that you’re […]
Read MoreAfter embarking on our brave adventure (part I), almost getting gunned down by SWAT (part II), our brave adventurers found themselves on an endless trek across Baldwin Park. For those unfamiliar with Baldwin Park, here’s the story. When Orlando closed it’s Naval Base, they converted its grounds into a giant planned town. It has shops, businesses, town […]
Read MoreThose Tolkien fans out there might recognize this quote: He used often to say there was only one Road; that it was like a great river; its springs were at every doorstep, and every path was its tributary. “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door,” he used to say. “You step into […]
Read MoreHere’s a mildly disturbing conversation I had with my 6-year old son a week or so ago. After trying everything I could think of to get him to talk about his day, I finally asked about his ride home on the school bus. “Okay, how about the bus ride? Anything happen on the bus?” “Yeah,” […]
Read More[This tale is running in today’s Chronicle – but it’s not in their online version.] DaddyTales: Flying SoloBy Patrick Matthews I generally enjoy flying solo with the kids. I view it as a chance to get some special one-on-one time with the kids. So when my wife said she’d be gone for five days, I […]
Read MoreOver the years, we’ve accumulated quite a few plastic “kits”. Among them are doctor’s kits, barber kits, veterinary kits, and dentist kits. For the most part, they don’t get much attention any more, but every once in a while the kids decide to be doctors. Usually, I’m the recipient of their tender ministrations (click here […]
Read MoreWe watched Chicken Little this past weekend. It’s a fun movie with lots of crazy characters and memorable lines. Among the zaniness is The Ugly Duckling. “I didn’t like the Ugly Duckling,” my six-year old announced this morning. “Why not?” “Cause she’s ugly!” Hmm… Lesson time. “Yeah, but she was nice. What matters is what […]
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