Straight Talk from Real Dads

This is my life. I am the type of person who likes to make statements in the absolute, and I have therefore been forced to eat crow more times then not. It is starting to happen with such frequency that I fear by actually making a statement of something I am not going to "ever" do, I am actually opening the door for that situation to happen. Below is a sampling of things I have said over the year and the eventual outcome.

Read more: Never ....

I love riding roller coasters. My wife, on the other hand, is not a fan. So, when it came time to expose our children to the joys of roller-coaster riding, it was to be my personal pleasure to introduce them to this wonderful, thrilling invention of man. Or so I thought.

I can remember the day when each of my children took their first roller coaster ride. The excitement, dread and anticipation was almost too much to bear, as they struggled with their decision, to ride or not to ride, then decided to go forward, reluctantly. Imagine my frustration, eagerly anticipating the ride to come, and the joy of sharing the experience with my child, and waiting as patiently as possible for up to an hour or more in the amusement park line, all the while watching as the child becomes more and more nervous, trying to make small talk, distract, change the subject, only to find him bailing out in tears just before boarding the ride.

Read more: Life's Ups and Downs

It's so hard for me to believe that I'm sitting here listening to some guy talk to my son's class about "Making Your College Search Count."  Really?  How can this be since it was just a few years ago when the wife woke me up to say that her labor pains were getting to the point that we needed to leave for the hospital?  I seriously have never been more excited, scared, nervous . . . you name it, than at that moment.  Then after 25 hours of labor, finally getting the pumpkin headed kid out via c-section, and just sitting in the chair next to her bed holding him while she slept, I never wanted to let him go.

Read more: Moving On

Children are mysteries. You never know what you're going to get.

We were intentional in our efforts with Thing 1 to avoid setting up rigid expectations about what he'd play with. We did our best to let him choose the toys he wanted. So we weren't really surprised when he asked for a toy tea set. After all, mom and dad drink hot tea every morning.

Read more: Teacups and Toy Trucks