tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1502871696936965832012-02-16T15:12:09.485-05:00Trials and tribulations of a stay-at-home father.ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.comBlogger701100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-68716271790096155532010-12-27T12:36:00.001-05:002010-12-27T12:37:13.564-05:00

One might be wondering what Santa Claus and sicknesses have in common. Well, let me tell you. In my household this week the two are sin-ominous with the topsy-turvy roller coaster ride of holiday cares and worries, excitement and surprise, health and happiness, and sickness and vomiting.As we all know, traveling during the holidays is fraught with frustrations and dangers: loose wires, burnt

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-1519773201378019852010-12-26T14:07:00.001-05:002010-12-26T14:08:32.113-05:00

December 26, 2010Life, or the continual humdrum of our daily routine sparkled with glorious and propitious events that ease the pains of our frustratingly familiar sacrifices our family has willfully sustained these last few years has prompted me– once again– to turn on my laptop and start plugging away at the keyboard in a vain attempt to document bits and pieces of our family’s times together

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-32499929052182790452010-03-01T07:12:00.002-05:002010-03-01T07:12:35.202-05:00

Today I am tired, bone tired. Bone tired, thirsty and sore all over. It’s early. It’s early once again, for the third time this week. Thank God the coffee machine didn’t wake Taylor up– she’s … awake! And, of course, whining for momma and asking for breakfast. Whoever said that foolish consistency was the hobgoblin of simple minds? The combinations of these late nights, early mornings, and our

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-91172712676569466132010-02-21T14:17:00.004-05:002010-02-21T14:53:26.429-05:00

From the earliest time I can remember in our daughter’s life we’ve consciously made the efforts to allow Taylor choice in the simplest decisions throughout her day: which pair of pants does she want to wear, which pair of boots, shirt. Does she want hair product in her hair, or does she want to put her hair up in a tie. We learned early on that when she made a choice for herself she inexplicably

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-21125776467952541892010-02-15T09:01:00.001-05:002010-02-15T09:05:17.674-05:00

The holidays came; the holidays went. We visited family and friends; family and friends visited with us. Sicknesses came; sicknesses went. These last two months have been a time of give and take, success and setback, love and frustrations. But overall, these last sixty days have been a tremendous blessing towards the peacefulness of our household. Taylor is fully potty trained. Simon’s taken an

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-20057370035891828922009-12-21T12:37:00.003-05:002009-12-21T12:46:02.037-05:00

Time has not been gentle with me these last few weeks. While I anticipated to be "done with" a variety of projects– Christmas and otherwise–, the reality is that I'm not even close. I'm giving myself an additional four weeks to get up-to-date, close out, or finish three or four outstanding projects which never received their due attention in 2009.Expect the next posting during the first week of

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-22665411219172244512009-11-15T06:45:00.001-05:002009-11-15T06:46:40.953-05:00

Somehow the month of October passed me by without even nudging me from my befuddlement. I wasn’t asleep, my aching body can attest to that, but I also feel like I’ve just awoken from a daze and, in some scary way, been violated by the ravishings of time. I haven’t felt this worn down and morose in quite a while. Those childhood viruses certainly do more than just make the kids sick: they make

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-14875058547015155942009-11-08T08:24:00.002-05:002009-11-08T08:25:10.347-05:00

It’s been two days since Simon was diagnosed with Croup, and he is worse for the wear. Yesterday we spent the day at the State Park down the road, walking through the woods, riding in the stroller, and playing on the waterfront. We frequent the park quite often– it’s a nice park. The kids had a great time: they walked, they ran, they played in the woods, tirelessly. We thought Simon was better.

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-51687153763640637032009-11-01T08:17:00.004-05:002009-11-01T08:19:22.608-05:00

One would think that having a second child would gradually ease one’s worrying about colds, flues, viruses, and injuries. It doesn’t. Last night Simon put the scare into us, once again. Not long after he was put down for bed he awoke with a terrible bark and labored breathing. I knew something was wrong with him– his whole body rattled like a cheap maraca; I could feel his sniffling and coughing

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-74472888456861565802009-10-25T08:10:00.001-04:002009-10-25T08:11:28.315-04:00

August 24, 2009.It’s been several weeks since I first wrote this list down and tacked it up over my work desk. To say we’ve been busy is an understatement. It seems like whenever there is a break in the daily grind my wife and I find someway of filling the void. Whether we are taking the kids somewhere, visiting family, or starting or finishing a new project for others, or ourselves we are always

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-34008339416295957922009-10-18T08:05:00.002-04:002009-10-18T08:07:47.208-04:00

Last week I wrote that Adrianne and I recently purchased a pre-K and a Kindergarten workbook. I mentioned the pre-K book was designed for children ages 3-5, while the Kindergarten book was for children between the ages of 5-6. I also mentioned that for those who do not have kids or are not around little kids enough to see a glaring problem staring them right in the face– there is one heck of a

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-4344375192175222962009-10-11T08:46:00.001-04:002009-10-11T08:48:14.071-04:00

On rainy days I like taking the kids store browsing. We’ll spend hours walking around PetSmart, Wal*Mart, Target, and Borders book store simply roaming the aisles, looking at items we’ll never buy, or amusing ourselves with animal and people watching. The other morning, however, I spent a solid portion of our trip time scanning an enormous selection of homeschool, afterschool, and remedial

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-44416800647671139612009-10-04T07:56:00.002-04:002009-10-04T07:58:20.238-04:00

For the last few days, Taylor has come up with some clever comments. While I was only able to write down a few at the house– some were said in the park, at the store, or enroute somewhere– her command of the English language is improving, daily. For me, the most impressive remarks are the abstract ones that take a little imagination on her part. For example, her first comment about putting the

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-38709252231414655332009-09-27T08:14:00.003-04:002009-09-27T08:18:11.300-04:00

24 Simple Truths.1. Fifteen minutes of reading on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday is better than one hour’s worth on Friday.2. Positive discipline is a learning opportunity; punishment, on the other hand, is merely retribution.3. Words can and do hurt more than bump and bruises.4. Spanking is never an option.5. The worrying never stops.6. Learning takes time, patience.7. Laughter heals

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-80569268475922610952009-09-20T07:57:00.005-04:002009-09-20T08:08:59.480-04:00

There is a difference between socializing and socialization. Socializing (verb) means “to mix socially with others.” While the noun socialization means “to make someone behave in a way that is acceptable to their society.” In other words, besides being mistakenly and incorrectly transposed by many to conveniently refer to the later of the two definitions, the one has little to do with the

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-62232894967313288962009-09-13T08:35:00.003-04:002009-09-13T08:40:09.325-04:00

I am a stay-at-home father of two toddlers. I chose to walk away from public school teaching for, at the time, our first child’s welfare; daycare just didn’t work out! I do plan to return to teaching, however, I cannot help but question the unfairness and inconsistencies of public education, all of the problems associated with public schools, and how those problems will eventually affect my

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-58807888719764144892009-09-06T08:08:00.001-04:002009-09-06T08:09:08.473-04:00

Hesiod, the other famous eighth century Greek orating philosopher most students rarely read about because of all the fuss with Odysseus, Achilles, and that other guy who liked to fight, Hector, the author of Works and Days and Theogony, suggested that idleness, not work or manual labor is shameful; and, more definitively, he believed that the idler is a parasite. Four hundred years later, Plato,

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-63553870688525145672009-08-30T07:55:00.001-04:002009-08-30T07:56:18.096-04:00

Some days, the goal, the only goal I have, is to make it through the morning hours until Simon’s naptime. I really don’t care how I make it to 1 p.m., what the kids and I do to get there, or how much effort, wear and tear, or scraping by it takes. Some days, like today, we all just need to calm down and get some more sleep before emotions flare and grumpiness takes hold and ruins a perfectly good

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-68205811500104468922009-08-23T08:58:00.002-04:002009-08-24T15:55:03.331-04:00

We could all learn a little from the story of the Chinese bamboo tree. After being planted, the tree seemingly does little growing for almost a full five years. For four years, if one were to scan the ground where the tree’s seed was planted, he or she would see nothing out of the ordinary. It would appear as if the seed had died and rotted in the very ground it was supposed to be growing in! But

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-63312566258604766002009-08-16T08:21:00.001-04:002009-08-16T08:25:33.107-04:00

Last week I wrote that I would rather spend my time reading to my children than showing and praising them for pushing the correct buttons on my laptop as they play games, even word, color or counting games from reputable websites such as Sesame Street and BigFishGames. What I failed to mention is that the optimal time for very young children to sit and play video games is the same “best” time for

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-78270344211381562162009-08-09T09:06:00.003-04:002009-08-13T16:19:53.671-04:00

I had two interesting conversations with family members over the last few days. I’ll call the conversations interesting and politely refrain from calling them disturbing because I, like many new parents, have yet to struggle with how much and how often my kids are exposed to video games. I fear these days are coming sooner than I want them to and abhor the thought that I’ll probably give in to my

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-67350494958356256492009-08-03T09:28:00.001-04:002009-08-03T09:29:23.875-04:00

I’ve been struggling to remind myself that just because one child has done something for the first time that it still is a big deal when the second child reaches the same milestone fifteen months later. I can distinctly remember taking thousands of digital pictures, from every possible angle, of Taylor walking, running, stacking blocks, and even looking at towering cumulous clouds in our backyard

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-40206835525202656432009-07-26T07:53:00.006-04:002009-07-26T07:56:51.710-04:00

As far back as I can remember, Taylor has always been a little autonomous: choosing her own toys, choosing her own day and nightwear, putting on her own shoes, brushing her teeth, and regulating her sleep schedule to match Adrianne’s work schedule, but recently she has been acting a lot more independently. I’ve enjoyed watching her slowly take control of herself and her environment, little by

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-22649669423634243372009-07-19T09:08:00.001-04:002009-07-19T09:10:07.254-04:00

Taylor’s vocabulary has expanded; she is speaking in complete sentences. Her average sentence length is roughly four to six words, and every once in a while seven words. According to the What to Expect: The Toddler Years, she is well ahead of the cognitive development curve. As a matter of fact, the book states that by three years old she should have a vocabulary of 31 words and speak in two to

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-70686069941994803102009-07-12T08:43:00.004-04:002009-07-12T19:55:34.920-04:00

Having more than one toddler playing in a small area takes a little planning, a little creativity, and sometimes a lot of hands-on refereeing. Ideally, kids should be able to play by themselves with minimal support from an adult. Ideally. Toddlers, however, still requires one to give a bit more guidance and have a bit more patience and flexibility before letting them off on their own.Over the

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-6751121358932976322009-07-04T14:19:00.001-04:002009-07-04T14:20:35.202-04:00

I believe there are three levels of cleaning one’s house. These levels are familiar to all, although I’ve been in enough households to know that some people rarely make it passed beyond the first or second level. Just the same, a level one cleaning consists of moving items around and out of the way, picking up items off the floor– usually to place in larger piles to be dealt with at a later date,

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-6988071380231709952009-06-28T07:04:00.000-04:002009-06-28T07:05:13.239-04:00

Every once in a while I’m reminded of how good our kids truly are; how blessed we are to have two happy, healthy, and naturally curious children. This revelation usually occurs the day following a rough day with the kids. Like getting over a long suffering, difficult cold, everything is made clear once the fog of frustration and neuralgia is lifted off of one’s head. Today is one of those days.

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-35959232464954614512009-06-21T13:57:00.001-04:002009-06-21T13:58:46.666-04:00

In the not-to-distant past I used to giggle to myself, discreetly shake my head, and roll my eyes at those “Did you pack the kitchen sink, dear?” beachgoers. You know the ones: they are the ones dragging the industrial sized Igloo coolers– usually more than one, the four dented and scratched, antiquated aluminum folding chairs; a useless, brightly colored sunbrella; enough floatation devices to

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-54091878159170827432009-06-13T15:37:00.001-04:002009-06-13T15:38:43.682-04:00

“At least you’ll never have to go through it again,” the doctor smirks from the foot of my $1,300 dollar a night hospital bed. “One can only have their appendix out once in their lifetime.”Comforting thought, was the first response without a swear word tagged on the end of a sentence that came to mind as I silently curse to myself in pain.“Thanks doc. Thank you for saving my life.”The

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-74703159797227741382009-06-07T10:51:00.001-04:002009-06-07T10:52:05.372-04:00

I’ve been busy. I’ve been in a lot of pain, but I’ve been healing.What happened? My appendix burst on Monday, April 25th at 2:40 am. Luckily, I was in the ER when it happened. Since then … well … life has been topsy-turvy for the last month with little more going on than mending and finding ways to make it through the day without having those excruciatingly agonizing pains shooting through my

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-73453490673614365032009-04-24T16:00:00.002-04:002009-04-26T18:55:17.961-04:00

William Congreve, the playwright of "The Mourning Bride" (1697), would probably consider my flippant alteration to his famous proverb a bastardization of his work, but he’s long been dead and I doubt his surviving relatives have logged-on recently to read my tiresome musings. Never the less, since my singing, guitar playing, and play acting skills are less than spectacular, and I would rather not

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-29221192516505579872009-04-19T11:39:00.004-04:002009-04-19T13:15:52.595-04:00

This morning marks day two of consistent running for me. Adrianne and I have decided to run together again after a three-year break from the sport. While the initial reason for stopping had little to do with our lack of desire or motivation to continue, the point is that we stopped, virtually cold-turkey, and have missed it terribly so ever since. Now, 156 weeks later and 30 pounds heavier, we

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-70687954379979701942009-04-12T12:44:00.004-04:002009-04-12T20:56:49.043-04:00

I believe that angels are God’s messengers whom reveal themselves to believers at appointed times. The Christian bible refers to angels 237 times. In each case, a male angel has an assigned role: Worship and praise (God), revealing messages from God, guiding, providing needs– such as food; protection, delivering man from danger, strengthening and encouraging, answering prayers, and caring for

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-6209309558156683522009-04-05T08:16:00.003-04:002009-04-05T18:12:11.627-04:00

With the advent of warmer weather, we are spending a lot more time outside. The words a lot maybe an understatement; we are spending every available minute outside. The kids love the fresh air. I love the fresh air. And the fresh air has done wonders for all of us. Simon is coming alive more than ever. Being with the kids virtually every minute of every day it is sometime hard to see them making

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-36976573482457537072009-03-30T12:46:00.005-04:002009-03-30T16:41:26.866-04:00

Quite often, I am asked how I am handling the additional workload with the kids. Adrianne’s new schedule has extended her workday by several hours into brutal twelve-hour shifts. When preparation and commuting time is figured in, she is away from home nearly fourteen hours on her workdays. Twelve hours is a long time for one to be on his or her feet; and fourteen hours is a long time for one to

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-56377180910565953962009-03-22T07:48:00.002-04:002009-03-22T10:09:35.782-04:00

I am slowly wading into uncharted waters with Taylor. Well … uncharted for me, that is. For the first time in two years she is paying attention to the TV. Recently, her favorite movies are “Fish,” Finding Nemo, and “Bunny,” Watership Down. Luckily, these are the only two movies or TV shows she has paid attention to. But how much TV should she watch? How many times should she watch her movies in

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-35604987470174234982009-03-14T12:47:00.002-04:002009-03-14T12:48:52.986-04:00

Our recent move has been taxing in so many ways. First, the expense of moving is astronomical! Figure, after the moving company charges their $800.00 worth of driver surcharges and gas taxes to drive a measly 300 miles, the actual cost of moving is based either on the gross tonnage or square feet used in packing the moving truck. When we moved, we decided to go with a carrier that charged us by

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-47365152774369145982009-03-07T20:40:00.004-05:002009-03-08T06:40:00.556-04:00

Two-weeks ago, our backyard became the new food shelf for a variety of local birds. The first week, the majority of the birds eating out of our feeders were Pine Siskins: smaller, slimmer birds with dark brown streaks washed in golden highlights on their wings, rump, and tail. A member of the finch family, Pine Siskins are uncommonly trusting of humans and have no reservation about perching on

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-8920199601777885862009-02-28T15:57:00.003-05:002009-02-28T15:58:32.632-05:00

The kids rarely fall asleep or wake at exactly the same time. If Simon, now 10 months old, wakes before Taylor, now 25 months old, it’s a race to get him changed out of his nighttime cloths and into his day-wear and downstairs before he starts making noise– usually in the form of a sing-song racket consisting of “da da da!,” “ma ma!,” “blah blah blah!,” or another jumbled combination of excited

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-7124840616376764592009-02-03T08:01:00.001-05:002009-02-22T14:17:20.128-05:00

Leafing through my tableside notebook this afternoon I came across the following quote: “Character is only developed during the difficult times.” How true. These past couple of weeks has been difficult times for our families. I have found myself questioning God more and more often, praying more often, and, ironically, I have felt an increased strengthening in my faith that God will provide for

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-67208014562708038272009-02-02T12:54:00.002-05:002009-02-14T20:50:58.624-05:00

Two weeks ago, my wife had the pleasure of setting up Taylor’s big girl’s toddler bed in our daughter’s very own, for the first time alone, I can’t believe she’s two years old, room. I cannot speak lightly enough of the numerous stresses and intricate planning that went into this momentous afternoon. Adrianne and I contemplated everything, had contingencies for everything, and prayed a lot. We

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-64495357532856172432009-01-18T20:07:00.002-05:002009-02-07T19:28:20.882-05:00

If memory serves me correct, Taylor said her first words as early as four or five months. Her first babble … um … words were the ‘ol English standby “mum mum mum” and “da da da.” Yes. Despite the fact that since she had been six-months old when I began staying at-home with her her entire day while her mother was a work, she called for mommy first. At least I can brag that I heard her say it

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-73717198619295105732009-01-12T13:27:00.005-05:002009-02-03T08:03:17.021-05:00

I’ve started playing the guitar again. Well, let me be honest … I’ve started strumming the guitar strings in a fain attempt to raise my musical abilities above pallid mediocrity. This is the third year I’ve taken my guitar out of the closet and the fourth time I’ve tried to start playing it. Hopefully it will not be the fifth time I quit in so many years. Adrianne purchased the guitar for me, a

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-88362581484864552512009-01-10T14:51:00.003-05:002009-01-26T13:10:54.370-05:00

Ever since I can remember, exercise has been a mainstay in my life. I’ve always been physically active, involved in organized sports, or preparing, completing and recovering from some sort of physical excursion; my wife even more so. When we first met she was running multiple nine-mile runs per week, working full-time, and enjoying an active social life. Together, we ran in several races,

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-71833282670176371182009-01-10T14:47:00.004-05:002009-01-18T20:07:02.814-05:00

Last night (actually, the day I wrote this was a little bit ago) was Simon’s third day and fourth night falling asleep in his own room. For the last eight months we’ve been able to simply allow him to fall asleep at his leisure in his Fisher Price calming vibrations chair just about anywhere in the house without worrying if he’ll get enough sleep. He has been such a good baby. For months he’s

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-7672013516492922772009-01-10T14:35:00.002-05:002009-01-13T07:31:06.811-05:00

This morning my wife Adrianne began her new job. She’s been working for years to obtain her new position. I am proud of her, her family is proud of her, and she is proud of herself. This morning was also my first day alone with the kids in over a month. I would like to boast that over the weekend I was not anxious about the change, but that would be a lie. The kids have grown so much in such a

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-57634118297141106392009-01-10T13:55:00.002-05:002009-01-10T14:10:16.182-05:00

Nearly a year ago I wrote I’d be taking an unwelcome break because of the time dedication needed to complete an online college course. I passed the class and for about one hundred dollars– a processing fee for a paid State employee to do their job– secured my secondary teaching license for another three years. Thank you State of Vermont. Simon, our second child and our first son, was born about a

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-12196714708984090102008-01-07T07:23:00.000-05:002008-01-07T07:28:45.895-05:00

As of this morning, Monday, January 7th, my "free" time will be diverted to a college class. Postings, from this point until early March, will be sparse.

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-81687891188483611042008-01-03T20:39:00.000-05:002008-01-04T08:26:42.524-05:00

I, like millions of Americans, spent hours upon hours of my pre-Christmas time researching, looking for, buying, and creating my 2007 Christmas gifts. Unfortunately, I had the ill luck of designing a fundamental flaw in the gift I was to give my wife, my parents, and my brother and sister-in-law at its onset. As a result, not only was the Christmas cheer in short supply (at least from me), but

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-2047537996190074732007-12-23T12:20:00.000-05:002007-12-23T14:38:47.867-05:00

(Last posting until January 2008).“Okay. If I get up by seven, shower; and she’s up by 7:40 a.m., we can be out the door by…nine,” I think to myself. “Damn, she’s moving all ready. What time is it? Six fifty-three. It’s going to be a long morning,” I sigh with a smile as I turn over and see Taylor staring at me with hunger in her eyes. Our day has started early; my morning window of opportunity

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-20398225170617000672007-12-23T08:52:00.000-05:002007-12-23T12:19:39.085-05:00

Being a parent, I mean actually being a parent: planning, participating, developing, loving, caring, worrying, engaging, reflecting, hoping, wishing, praying, etc., and not tossing the kid off for someone else to raise, means swimming in the deep end of the pool, constantly, incessantly. It means immersing oneself in one’s child’s (rens) life. That is not to say, and please do not misunderstand

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-89291335809561378112007-12-20T11:34:00.000-05:002008-11-13T13:58:00.465-05:00

We have all heard the stories of friends or family members trading in their used vehicle at the last possible moment, just before it dies, with tall tales of smoke billowing from under the floorboards, stealing each precious breath as they careen down the highway, praying the ‘ol jalopy makes it just one more mile before quitting for good; or stories of incessant grinding and clanking coming from

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-8227122040191815782007-12-16T13:15:00.000-05:002007-12-16T13:20:16.479-05:00

I have spent the last week, at least bits and pieces of it, teaching my daughter to share, to relinquish her thievishly acquired doohickey’s from around the house– basically anything she can get her hands on. I was shocked a few weeks ago when visiting family in Pennsylvania when my daughter refused to return an item to her aunt after she snatched it off the kitchen table. Thinking that she did

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-29673366477014714492007-12-12T13:02:00.000-05:002008-11-13T13:58:00.626-05:00

I’ve noticed over the last few postings I’ve mentioned that Taylor cries a little now and again. It strikes me as odd that until now I have offered little advise on how to decode those cries. Since, as I’ve read and been told, every baby behaves a little differently, one may want to take what I have to say on the subject of crying with some reservation. However, the five categories of crying my

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-77576425483923550482007-12-10T08:10:00.000-05:002008-11-13T13:58:00.887-05:00

Three weeks, four pediatrician visits, one terrifying midnight trip to the ER– complete with a set of chest X-rays, and countless sleepless hours of worry, our daughter was feebly diagnosed as a colicky baby. What a crock! We have all heard the stories of parents suffering months of sleeplessness and headaches because their baby was colicky. This was not going to happen to us. When we were told

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-48873779306223069342007-12-09T09:48:00.000-05:002007-12-09T09:50:37.961-05:00

Four-year-olds are exuberant explorers of their world. They are beginning to distinguish fantasy from reality, and they are working out relationships within families and friends.They love words, so read a lot of poetry, and books with rhythmic language, repetition, and chants like We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and The Cat in the Hat.Sheila Rae, The Brave By Kevin HenkesMama Don’t Allow By Thacher

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-40888272329336268242007-12-08T14:34:00.000-05:002007-12-09T09:47:42.282-05:00

Children of this age like to think they are independent, yet cared for, so classics like The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Where the Wild Things Are are perfect for them.Introduce stories like The Three Billy Goats Gruff and Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but leave the fairy tales like Snow White until later.Seek out books with imaginative language and silliness (like Sheep in a Jeep and If You Give

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-56357360904614838342007-12-07T18:30:00.000-05:002007-12-07T18:33:00.336-05:00

Between the ages of 1 and 2, introduce books that the child can participate in, like books that require you to lift a flap or pull a tab.Children like to make all kinds of sounds, so show them books with animals, and books with trains, trucks and other machines. Continue with lots of nursery rhymes, songs and action rhymes.Stories for this age should be short, colorful, and without unnecessary

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-89331216994828751122007-12-05T20:20:00.000-05:002007-12-06T07:09:32.902-05:00

Christmas ideas:It is never too early to begin reading to a child. Newborns can’t understand words, of course, but they respond to the sounds of familiar voices and to the closeness that comes from being held.Start off with Mother Goose rhymes, lullabies and other songs. Then, begin to introduce very simple stories like Goodnight Moon. Let the child have some board books of his or her own to hold

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-74294073373917764082007-12-04T17:33:00.000-05:002008-11-13T13:58:01.255-05:00

From July 2000 to June 2001, the Vermont Business Roundtable distributed 7000 tote bags to all Vermont families who had babies born in the year 2000. Yes, it’s now 2007, and darn near 2008, but the message is still the same: Reading to and with your child is important for his or her development.The follow information, and the next few postings, was published by the VBR and the Vermont Department

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-65676970478867241182007-12-02T20:10:00.000-05:002008-11-13T13:58:01.564-05:00

“What should we buy him for his birthday?” My wife asks as we walk, arbitrarily, up and down the toy aisles shopping for our eight-year-old nephew.“How about a book,” I reply. Disconcertingly, my wife disagrees with my feeble suggestion and instead we purchase him a National Geographic Deep Sea Jellyfish Aquarium for $34.99. Maybe we should have bought him a book instead?According to the 99-page

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-75480546292429938012007-11-30T08:41:00.000-05:002008-11-13T13:58:01.738-05:00

Hell hour begins the moment my wife walks through the front door and lasts until Taylor’s bath time. My wife cannot wait to kick off her nursing shoes, hang her canvas tote bag in the foyer, strip off her scrubs, take a shower, and unwind from her stressful day with a few minutes in front of the mindless TV. I, on the other hand, after spending the last ten hours caring for Taylor cannot wait to

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-86606501016587471042007-11-28T12:58:00.000-05:002008-11-13T13:58:01.767-05:00

As a stay-at-home father there are days, like today, that I feel like one arm is tied behind my back, one leg is anchored by a lead weight, my cognitive abilities are awash in emotions, and I still have to function as a loving, caring, concerned father and husband who has been tasked with several “must do” errands in and outside of the house until my wife’s reprieve. Thank God for routines.At one

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-8250906846869555852007-11-26T08:59:00.000-05:002008-11-13T13:58:01.984-05:00

Taylor reached another growth milestone the other day. With her ankles and little pink Robeez shoes suspended over the lip of the infant car seat and the five-point shoulder strap unable to comfortably lie across her shoulders without stubbornly rubbing against her neck, she has outgrown her rear-facing car seat. When did she grow so much? Is she really over 22 lbs. and 26 inches long? It seems

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-52126184217562157202007-11-23T16:40:00.001-05:002007-11-24T22:01:34.074-05:00

O! How does it feel,Oh neighbors of mine,To waken from slumber divine,And feel as if you were waken from steal wailing on steal?To wake, blurred vision from your doze, forty winks, siesta, and beauty sleepBy the crying babe of mine.And you can do nothing but ponder in the deep,Dark night and ask, “Where the hell is that noise coming from?”It’s from a teething tot,An aching little girl.Whose mouth

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-36200674721782858802007-11-22T18:29:00.000-05:002008-11-13T13:58:03.313-05:00

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-90551895302101275952007-11-20T14:21:00.000-05:002008-11-13T13:58:03.421-05:00

“All you need is a belt of scotch,” my father suggests, “that’ll help out your bedtime routine.”“For me or for the baby?” I inquire.If there is one thing my wife and I cannot agree upon it is in the consistent implementation of our daughter’s bedtime routine. We have the easy part of the routine down. Around seven o’clock the bathwater is filled. For the next fifteen minutes it is wash and splash

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-45038375234565654492007-11-16T10:59:00.000-05:002008-11-13T13:58:03.523-05:00

One dry-sack, two stuff sacks, one tank bag, a few nylon straps, and a couple of bungee cords¬– that’s all I needed to carry our camping gear, clothing, and personals for a two week motorcycling trip. Our packing motto was “If you didn’t bring it, you don’t need it.” Oh, how things have changed! I never could have imagined how much effort one needs to put into planning and executing a simple

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-74696192809434265082007-11-14T12:03:00.000-05:002008-11-13T13:58:03.651-05:00

The decision for one of us, my wife or me, to stay home with our little girl was an easy one. Both of us grew up in strong, loving, caring home environments and we adamantly believe that it is our responsibility as parents to provide our daughter an equivalently strong, loving, and caring home environment as she matures. As for which one of us was to stay home…I qualified best for that job.Three

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150287169693696583.post-29303062887524966822007-11-09T15:16:00.000-05:002008-11-13T13:58:03.838-05:00

We started our family a little later than some. Thank God my wife and I look younger than we actually are! I like to think that our age gives us the wisdom to overcome the stumbling blocks of youthful, emotional, and sometime irrational decisions younger parents make. Yet, maybe my wisdom is little more than a mixture of some life experience, a dash of higher education, a splash of pride, and all

ERGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02938748491533462424noreply@blogger.com0