Don’t kids just do the cutest things? They’re so cuddly and lovable and they’re all the time doing things that we think are so wonderful. Except when they’re not. Except when they’re doing something that, let’s face it, is about to drive us completely batty and instead of giving them a hug, we’d really just…
Tag: parenting
But was it worth a Triple Dog Dare?
Normally, you don’t have to twist my arm to drink a milkshake. In fact, I’m usually looking for an excuse, ANY excuse, to slurp one down (or is it slurp one up. Hmmmmmmm). But then IT happened. What exactly was IT, you ask? Actually, there were two ITs. But let me back up for a second.…
Turning Legal
Recently, we celebrated my daughter’s birthday. 21. Yep. The BIG ONE. This is the one everyone looks forward to. Except when you get to my age. Then you just dread each one, and at the same time just hope you can MAKE IT to the next day, much less the next birthday. What do you…
My daughter, guest blogger – How I made my dad sick
Parenting isn’t for the faint of heart. Nor is it for the faint of stomach. My father can surely attest to this. After all, he’s had to deal with some seriously sickening stuff while raising my brother and me—everything from our various injuries and ailments to my ill-fated forays into cooking. And for the most…
The Empty Chair
Losing a loved one to cancer is never easy. You try to move on, but there are always reminders. Little things. Sometimes big things. At the dinner table, there’s always an empty chair. Just a few days ago, we broke out an old Scrabble game, and there were still some score cards revealing just how…
Just another “typical” day
What is a typical day? Not only do I not know, I’m not even sure I would know it if I saw it. Such is the life around our house. I don’t think typical days at our house would pass for anything close to normal in most houses. Here’s an example from just the other…
The latest sign of the Apocalypse: My son eats a baked potato
We reached a BIG milestone at my house this weekend: my son ate a baked potato. Why is that so big? Well, for starters, my son is a VERY picky eater. Actually, the term “picky eater” might not be degrading to people who actually are picky eaters. My son won’t eat. Anything that doesn’t start…
Surviving the storm with my son
In the distance, the thunder rumbles, rolling toward us on the waves of the gathering dark clouds. A bolt of lightning slices through the sky, helping to open the sky, which pours down rain and wind. For most, this is a typical spring storm in Arkansas. But for my son, it represents the end of…
My son makes a BOLD announcement
I knew something big was coming. It was an ordinary day at home, when my son came up to me and said, “Guess what?” The announcement didn’t come with a lot of fanfare or the trumpets and pageantry of say the anointing of a new king. Or, even more rare, a win by the Arkansas…
We should get married in a Subaru?
When you live at my house, you come to expect strange comments. Not that my kids intentionally say odd, off-the-wall stuff. So I’m usually not surprised at any eccentric remark that might escape the lips of my son. There is almost nothing he can say anymore that can surprise me. Almost nothing. But the other…
Holding together the jello 