As I’ve mentioned before, N generally goes to bed without any problems at all. In fact, the routine is so easy that I’m starting to get a little bored with it. It’s not that I’m looking for a fight, mind you – just something a little more interesting. The other night I decided to try […]

N is starting to try to assert his independence. In non-parent speak, this means he’s saying “no” to things for no apparent reason. Because I’ve already gone through this with C, I really want to nip it in the bud. He’s allowed to say “no” to inquiries (like “would you like ketchup with that?”), but […]

C is getting to the point where he really, really doesn’t want to take naps. However, his body is used to them. So around 3pm every day, he gets both determined and sleepy. This combination makes for odd moods. Yesterday, I walked in on C crying to his mom. Well, he seemed to be crying. […]

What do you call your grandparents? To my kids, my mother is “Nana” and my father is “Grampa”. Grampa is currently called “gumpa” by N, just as he used to be called that by C when he was younger. He’s fine with that. We have some friends who call their grandparents “Groty and Grungy”. No, […]

The other night we were playing with the trains in C’s room. These are little wooden trains based on the children’s series Thomas the Engine. The great thing about them is that they’re sturdy enough (and simple enough) for the kids to be able to put the track together themselves. The problem, of course, is […]

For me, facial hair is sort of a hobby. It takes me about a month to grow a beard, two months if I’m going for the viking look. I don’t really have a preference one way or another, but I tend to stay clean shaven more often than not. However, I did grow one for […]

[I’m headed out on a business trip for a week, so the next daddy tale won’t appear until 2/20. Since the last tale was kind of depressing, I thought I’d take us all to a happier place.] A month or so ago, C had a birthday party to go to and his little brother wasn’t […]

It’s not always easy being a daddy. Yes there are great moments, and the occasional low spots. I’m not talking about those. I’m talking about the really difficult times. Let me give you an example. I’m writing up this tale after having put the kids to bed. J is out tonight, so I’ve been flying solo. […]

One of the parental challenges that has surprised me is getting the boys to be willing to hold my hand. There are lots of situations where you need to have a hold of the little guys, and you really don’t want each of those to be a battle. C, as you may have guessed, tends […]

The other day, an unusual confluence of work responsibilities meant that we had to use a babysitter during the daytime. We have a great babysitter, but this is very unusual for us, so I was a little nervous. I made it until just after lunch time before calling. The babysitter let the answering machine take […]