As I sit at my computer this morning, there are ominous piles of paper stacked around me. Piles stacked dangerously high. If my desk was a ski resort, the slopes would be closed to protect the safety of visitors. In other parts of the house, clean dishes diminish, while dirty clothes accumulate. I see the…
Author: Mark
Kids say (and eat) the darnedest things
When it comes to sick kids, there are basically three types of parents. First, there are the parents you see in a typical comedy at the theater: parents teetering on falling into chaos as panic sets in. Then there’s the more normal parents. The ones who calmly assess the situation, show a balance of concern,…
The Hero is in the Eye of the Beholder
I don’t wear a cape. Or fly. Or even have x-ray vision (although that would be a nice super power to have). In fact, about the closest I feel to accomplishing anything even remotely heroic is fixing my son’s lunch in time to take him to school. But I recently found out that even if I…
Who needs Super Bowl? We’ve got Kitten Bowl
This was the year I had been waiting for. My son, now 11, was excited about watching the game with me. Ok, he was excited more about the commercials. And the promos for Kitten Bowl, promos that aired all week leading up to Sunday. And my son fixated on this program. I think it was…
What if kids ruled the world?
I’m not sure how it happens, but the other day I found myself in another rather (how can I put this nicely?) interesting conversation with my son. I’m not sure how we fall into these, but these talks always seem to be lurking around the corner, just looking for a chance to jump into our…
Oh boy! It’s my second book!!
Last year at this time, I received the good news that I was about to have my first book published. I’m happy to say that 2015 is starting the same way. My newest book is called “Hushpuppies are My Favorite Fish and Other Stories.” It will be published once again by Raburn Publishing, and will…
If I’m not a dad, then what am I?
It’s a question that’s been hovering around me in recent weeks, pecking away. And it’s this: if I’m not parenting, if I’m not in full-on Dad Mode, then what should I be doing? And, more disturbing, who am I? For some time now my life has been defined as much by my role as a…
Take whatever you want, but PLEASE don’t take the chocolate!
The kids caught me by surprise. It was the week between Christmas and New Year’s. We were sitting home one evening, when my daughter said something that sent chills down my spine. “Dad, can we get rid of all this chocolate?” It had been such a calm evening up to that point. Now, my heart…
Parenting Inside the Box
You’ve probably had this happen before. You’ll be in a meeting at work or with a group of friends, brainstorming about a problem. And someone will say, “We need to think outside the box.” I love when that happens. Because basically that means “let’s be creative.” “Let’s be innovative.” And, in marketing especially, I love,…
The open road
I’m outside this morning, on the brink of a run. It’s cold. And it would be easy to go home, put on something warm to drink. And to wear. But the morning is beautiful. Still. Quiet. The sky offers a feast for the eyes, with clouds in various shapes and colors. My iPod plays “I…
Holding together the jello 