Just the other day, I took my daughter to the airport. Now, there have been many times over the years when I’ve threatened to stick her on a plane and send her somewhere one way. But this time was different. This time she was taking her first flight by herself. It was pretty much a…
Tag: parenting
Dad, can I ask you some more questions?
If you’re a regular reader, you know my son has never worried about what curiosity did to the cat. In fact, if he could find that cat, my son would ask him just what exactly curiosity did do to him. You might be wondering where my son gets all his questions. My only reply is this:…
Wal-Mart at the speed of sound
When you live in a small town, you often have to invent things to do. And when you’re easily entertained like we are, it isn’t hard to do. My son and I recently found such a way. And as most of life does in a small town, it revolves around Wal-Mart. My son hates going…
What’s for breakfast? How about Kazakhstan toasts
Living with a picky eater is one thing. But living with a picky eater who is a bit ocd, well, that is something completely different. I’m not sure how this ever came up, but one day my son comes up to me and asks, “You know where I’d like to visit?” I was expecting Hawaii.…
Escaping to a special place
In times of great stress (or boredom – think long meetings), I have a place I escape to mentally. Actually, I have about five such places. Four of those are just rooms I like. Relaxing places. Calming places. But one of my mental escapes is an event. It was February 2006. My then 12-year-old daughter, H, and I…
I’ve already got 8 dogs in the fire
As a former high school coach I used to cover used to say, “There ain’t nothing worse . . .” That’s the best way to describe kids being sick in the middle of the night. (He was actually talking about playing his team’s biggest rival, but that’s another story). And yes, there really ain’t nothing worse than…
Dad, can I ask you a question
I don’t know what it is about kids and questions. I think all kids tend to ask a lot, and my nine-year-old son is right up there with the best of them. My son often shoots them out with machine-gun speed, and they can range from the weather to his future to sex. Luckily for me,…
My dad can be obnoxious sometimes
One afternoon in my office, a student I had known for a few years made an interesting comment about me. “Mr Trout,” he said, “you eat, breathe, and sleep Marketing.” For better or worse, that’s probably true. I teach marketing. I take on markeitng projects for local businesses. And sadly, I have marketing so in…
I’m feeling sick – can you get me a taco?
We all want to teach our kids how to do the right things. How to act in different situations. But there are a few things I don’t want my kids to learn from me.At the top of that list would be what not to eat when you’re sick. I’m not sure how it’s happened, but…
Confessions of cheeseburger-for-breakfast eater
There’s something almost magical about an after-school snack. Not for me, although I’m usually tempted, but for Sam. If it was up to Sam, the after-school snack would be part of the Bill of Rights. Actually, if you were to ask him, he would swear that it’s already there. No day is complete without the…
Holding together the jello 