During a slow moment during this past vacation, J decided to teach the boys a game. She put both hands behind her back and secretly hid a crumpled up napkin in one of them. Then she held both hands out in front of her, fists closed. “Pick!” C picked a hand, but it was the […]
Read MoreEvery other week, DaddyTales is carried in the Seminole Chronicle. Rather than duplicate what appears there, I just link to it. Here it is. Keywords for searchers: Alligator smile, moo, R.J. Gator’s. Enjoy!
Read MoreAs parents, it’s a bad idea to compete for your kids’ attention. You really don’t want them to have a favorite parent. However, it’s practically impossible to stop yourself from trying to have a good time with your kids. I mean, they’re your kids. You’re supposed to have a good time with them. Sure, family […]
Read MoreLike most parents, we are perpetually trying to get the kids to engage in dinner conversation. We try to get them to use table manners. We ask them about their day. We talk about our day. That sort of thing. The other day, J was trying to get N to tell me about his day. […]
Read MoreFew things are as satisfying as watching your toddler be fed a taste of his own medicine. The other day I was in the kitchen when I heard the two boys playing together. C wanted to pretend that he was the Beast from Beauty and the Beast, and he wanted his little brother to join in […]
Read MoreOur bedtime ritual is pretty well established. We read stories on the couch, ending with a “good night” book. Then I shout “All aboard the bedtime train” and we race to C’s bedroom. “All aboard the bedtime train” is actually a song I created that is syncopated to the point of being almost indistinguishable from […]
Read MoreIn front of the Corpus Christi Aquarium, there is a series of rather fascinating water features. One combines with statues to look like it’s the blow hole of a whale you’re walking on. Another makes it look as though you’re walking through a waterfall. A third is a whale’s tale that appears to be in […]
Read MoreWhen it comes to nicknames, I’ve really gotten the short end of the stick in our family. During the Tarzan phase, for example, the kids dubbed themselves Tarzan and Baby Tarzan. When asked, they promptly named their momma Jane, and I was dubbed the Mean Monkey. Ever since, I’ve worked pretty hard to lose the […]
Read MoreWith C, the terrible twos came early – right around 18 months, actually. With his little brother, therefore, we’ve been hoping that maybe they wouldn’t be so “terrible”. The other night at dinner, however, I think we may have seen their beginning. The boys were being bad with a capital B. I managed to bring the older brother […]
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