I recognize the fact that roller coasters are probably fun for most people, but they turn me into a frightened, whimpering child. For a guy who’s afraid of heights and gets car sick in the back seat of anything, roller coasters are really one of the scariest 'safe' things out there. Yes, I’ve ridden a few mild ones in my life, if only to convince myself I’m not a complete chicken, but when I go to a theme park it’s certainly not for the coasters. Last weekend we went to Dollywood, a wonderful … [Read more...]
The ‘man card’
Everybody knows about the ‘girl card,’ that ace in the hole the ladies play anytime there is a bug to smash, something nasty to take out, or a heavy object that needs lifting (Honey, can you use those big strong muscles to move this furniture around for me?), but did you know that men and kids have cards to play as well? ‘Man card,’ you ask? Isn’t that a relic of a bygone era? Men aren’t supposed to have any ‘cards’ these days, right?! No my friend, it is not, and yes, we most … [Read more...]
Stuff kids like (but parents hate)
Being the ‘hip’, ‘happening,’ ‘with-it,’ extremely cool parents we are, we enjoy life to the fullest and want to have fun. Indeed we purposefully seek out good times for us and for our children, although when this happens it’s usually our children who have the fun while we have… something else entirely. The fact of the matter is, kids and parents tend to have wildly differing opinions on just what ‘fun’ is, and it’s been this way at least since the 70’s when we were born. (Anthropologists … [Read more...]
How to teach a child to ride a bike
One of the greatest gratifications as a parent is teaching your children to do something they didn’t think they could do. Sometimes that extra ‘push’ can be too much, driven by the too-lofty expectations of well-meaning parents. But sometimes, when it’s something you KNOW they need to learn, that you know they will enjoy when they learn it, that push can be a good and necessary thing. Such is the case with that childhood rite-of-passage we all had to endure - learning to ride a bike. Last … [Read more...]
Rock Star
Very few people in life get to be real rock stars. I am one of those people. No, I don’t sing to adoring crowds on a stage, nor do I have any sort of record deal in the works. While I might pick a little guitar (barely), Gibson isn’t signing me up for any endorsement deals anytime soon. But I am no less a rock star, or at least that’s what my wife calls me (I’m not so sure she means it as a good thing but hey, it is what it is...). You see, Kim is the one who takes the kids to school, makes … [Read more...]