Yesterday I was reading something online about things to ask yourself before posting to social media and it really got me thinking about "why I post what I post." The biggest kicker was when it talked about when your kids crawl into your lap, they're looking to be loved on, not have their pictures taken and shared with the cyber world. That one hit me square between the eyes. I am guilty of wanting to capture as many moments as I can because I know they fly by....way too quickly. And I love sharing those moments. At the same time, I know I need to cherish those moments while they're here and live in those moments more so than capturing them so I am really going to work on that. For starters, I've gotten much better about not using my cell phone at dinner. Yes, I still grab that quick picture of my meal oftentimes - sorry, just one of those simple pleasures of mine.
Anyway, it was really on my heart to find out what exactly Preston, in particular, thinks when he thinks of me.....so today, I sought out to find out the answer to that very question.
On the way to school this morning, I asked him, "Buddy, when you think of Daddy, what do you think of?" His response was a very genuine, "What do you mean, Daddy?"
So I expounded a little more... "If someone were to say to you, 'What do you think about when you think of your dad?', what would you say?"
"Oh that's easy," he says.
(Now I'm holding my breath. This is really going to make me feel like horse poo or....geesh...I'm not sure if I really want to hear this....but let's go.)
"The BEST Daddy EVER!" (exhale...pshew) "The best-tightest-snug-in-a-bug-Daddy" (because I always tuck him in REALLY, really tight when I take him to bed....)
"Awe, Buddy! That's really sweet. I love you!!"
"Oh, and Daddy....."
"Yeah, buddy....?"
"You're also the best smeller like the grill, Daddy!!!"
1.16.2014
1.14.2014
And We're Back!!!
Happy New Year Blogger Nation! Hard to believe a year and a half have passed since the last post. Shoot, that's enough time to have a baby even.... oh yeah, that would be us! I'm sure by now if you're reading this blog then you are well aware of the events that have taken place since my last venture into the blogosphere so I'll spare you the recap.
So I wanted to start the blog back up mainly because now, with the three munchkins running around, it's hard to capture the moments via a FB post or photo so I thought it would be a good idea to revitalize this sucker and use it as a means to capture, when I think about or do it, some of the crazy things around here.
I was reading over a few of the older posts the other day and it brought a smile to my face...it really had me "re-live" those moments. It was then that I decided I wanted to get back to it! So, tonight is the kick off of the Family Man's Blog - tailored around....our family. And of course, any random thing that may come to me when I feel like writing.
Like tonight...
I was taking the kids to bed and decided we'd read one book, all together, in Preston's bed before officially calling it a night. They had both eaten a good dinner and behaved themselves relatively well from the time they got home.
So we headed up to Preston's room and starting reading a few pages from The Wizard of Oz.
I wasn't two sentences in when, without even skipping a beat, this happened....
So I wanted to start the blog back up mainly because now, with the three munchkins running around, it's hard to capture the moments via a FB post or photo so I thought it would be a good idea to revitalize this sucker and use it as a means to capture, when I think about or do it, some of the crazy things around here.
I was reading over a few of the older posts the other day and it brought a smile to my face...it really had me "re-live" those moments. It was then that I decided I wanted to get back to it! So, tonight is the kick off of the Family Man's Blog - tailored around....our family. And of course, any random thing that may come to me when I feel like writing.
Like tonight...
I was taking the kids to bed and decided we'd read one book, all together, in Preston's bed before officially calling it a night. They had both eaten a good dinner and behaved themselves relatively well from the time they got home.
So we headed up to Preston's room and starting reading a few pages from The Wizard of Oz.
I wasn't two sentences in when, without even skipping a beat, this happened....
"Daddy, you have boogers in your nose."
Why yes, Sweetheart, yes, yes....I do.
Oh to live a life unfiltered.....
6.06.2012
Just Do It
May was pretty much a crummy month for us - from a health standpoint as well as just a "blah" month. We made a vow that June would be GREAT!!! So far, so good.
We bought a treadmill a few weeks ago with the intention that it would be used daily. The problem is, the day it arrived, I was still fighting a sinus infection and a stomach bug and Lori was (and still is) in her routine of walking at night with one of our neighbors. Guess it doesn't help either that it took a few days to put it together as some of the holes didn't line up appropriately....but it finally got put together. It's pretty cool, too ...auto fan, wi-fi enabled, has iFit workouts, a 10" color screen....and so on....you know, I had to get a gadget with lots of gadgets right?
We bought a treadmill a few weeks ago with the intention that it would be used daily. The problem is, the day it arrived, I was still fighting a sinus infection and a stomach bug and Lori was (and still is) in her routine of walking at night with one of our neighbors. Guess it doesn't help either that it took a few days to put it together as some of the holes didn't line up appropriately....but it finally got put together. It's pretty cool, too ...auto fan, wi-fi enabled, has iFit workouts, a 10" color screen....and so on....you know, I had to get a gadget with lots of gadgets right?
Anywhoooo.....after a few weeks of just looking at this nice piece of exercise equipment, I finally caved and decided to use it. And I'm glad I did. I liked it so much I used it two days in a row!!! I figured if I really want to do something about this belly, I need to just "Get Off My Butt and MOVE!!!!"
So, 2 days down and lots more to go!!!
5.21.2012
Fear the Mermaid
It's really never a dull moment around here. From Cadence dancing and grooving to the beat that is playing in her head to Preston building gigantic castles and having battles with his Legos, there's always something exciting going on. Our conversations are especially fun. Like tonight's bedtime "pillow talk"....let's begin.
Every night when Lori or I put Preston to bed, we do our best to end the night with talking about our days (even though we've talked about them most of the night leading up to this joyous event)..he also wants us to "snuggle for 100 minutes", meaning stay in there all night with him...but I digress.
So tonight, after we wrapped up doing some of his learning books, he turns the tables on me...."Daddy, tell me about your day". So I do. I won't go into all the glamorous details like I did with him about how I helped save a family from a burning building and single-handedly (Ryanism) stopped a bank robbery....or, or, or....swooped in to pull the little lost puppy out of the street before the ginormous truck squooshed him to pieces. No, you guys don't need to know about all that.....
RING, RING, RING, RING.....oh yeah, sorry....got lost in a daydream there for a bit....
Anywho....I told him about my day then asked him how his day was.
Let me set the stage for you....Preston is laying on his back, looking up to the ceiling, while I'm on my side looking at him. We just put down the learning book and I told him about my day.
He then looks over at me...
Preston: "That's cool. Daddy, can I tell you about my day?"
Me: "Sure, bud." And he rolled over and turned off the bed-side lamp.
Preston: "Can we snuggle while I talk about my day?"
Me: "Yeah, bud. That's cool"...and here we go.
Preston: "Daddy, 'Bob' (to protect the guilty party here, real names will not be used) was not being a good listener today."
Me: "Why is that?"
Preston: "Well, he was pretending to be a mermaid and, well, boys aren't mermaids."
Me: "Um....no, not usually...."
Preston: "Well, he was pretending to be a mermaid. And, and....what are the big things??? You know? The big round things that girls have right here?" (he is hitting his chest at this point)...
Me: "Boobies?" I ask, really unsure where this is leading.
Preston: "YEAH, boobies!
(Brief pause while my mind starts racing wondering where we're about to go...and I'm pretty sure your mind is taking you somewhere but TRUST ME, you won't go where I'm about to take you.....)
Preston: "Well, Bob was pretending to be a mermaid with REALLY big boobies and...."
Preston: "Well, he was using his boobies to pretend he was peeing on me and 'Joe'."
Me: "Huh???" I really was a little shocked to say the least. "Well, bud. That's um, well, um, that's not really good manners (maybe it would be if they weren't so big, who knows...???) so it's probably best to ignore him when he's doing that."
Preston: "Ok, Dad. I will."
Fast forward through my prayers....
Then...."Dear God, I pray that you help Bob not use his big mermaid boobies to pee on me and my friends tomorrow. Amen"
I'll never view mermaids in the same light again....
Every night when Lori or I put Preston to bed, we do our best to end the night with talking about our days (even though we've talked about them most of the night leading up to this joyous event)..he also wants us to "snuggle for 100 minutes", meaning stay in there all night with him...but I digress.
So tonight, after we wrapped up doing some of his learning books, he turns the tables on me...."Daddy, tell me about your day". So I do. I won't go into all the glamorous details like I did with him about how I helped save a family from a burning building and single-handedly (Ryanism) stopped a bank robbery....or, or, or....swooped in to pull the little lost puppy out of the street before the ginormous truck squooshed him to pieces. No, you guys don't need to know about all that.....
RING, RING, RING, RING.....oh yeah, sorry....got lost in a daydream there for a bit....
Anywho....I told him about my day then asked him how his day was.
Let me set the stage for you....Preston is laying on his back, looking up to the ceiling, while I'm on my side looking at him. We just put down the learning book and I told him about my day.
He then looks over at me...
Preston: "That's cool. Daddy, can I tell you about my day?"
Me: "Sure, bud." And he rolled over and turned off the bed-side lamp.
Preston: "Can we snuggle while I talk about my day?"
Me: "Yeah, bud. That's cool"...and here we go.
Preston: "Daddy, 'Bob' (to protect the guilty party here, real names will not be used) was not being a good listener today."
Me: "Why is that?"
Preston: "Well, he was pretending to be a mermaid and, well, boys aren't mermaids."
Me: "Um....no, not usually...."
Preston: "Well, he was pretending to be a mermaid. And, and....what are the big things??? You know? The big round things that girls have right here?" (he is hitting his chest at this point)...
Me: "Boobies?" I ask, really unsure where this is leading.
Preston: "YEAH, boobies!
(Brief pause while my mind starts racing wondering where we're about to go...and I'm pretty sure your mind is taking you somewhere but TRUST ME, you won't go where I'm about to take you.....)
Preston: "Well, Bob was pretending to be a mermaid with REALLY big boobies and...."
....wait for it.....
Are those crickets chirping....???
Me: "Huh???" I really was a little shocked to say the least. "Well, bud. That's um, well, um, that's not really good manners (maybe it would be if they weren't so big, who knows...???) so it's probably best to ignore him when he's doing that."
Preston: "Ok, Dad. I will."
Tick, tock, tick, tock....a wee bit of silence followed.
Then...."Dear God, I pray that you help Bob not use his big mermaid boobies to pee on me and my friends tomorrow. Amen"
I'll never view mermaids in the same light again....
5.06.2012
Catching Up
My quest for posting every week was squashed. Heck, I haven't even made it once a month past January. One may say "life happened" or something like that, but I won't be that one....I'll just be honest, I've been a slacker....
I could go back through my posts and read what I've posted so as to not re-peat or re-post, but I'm not going to do that either. That would take too much time and honestly, I'm lazy and don't want to do that - I'd rather ramble on and hope to not repeat myself....but if I do, I apologize.
So what all has happened this year? Well, I'm glad you asked. Let me recap for you....Lori had a trip to the ER due to a severe migraine. Thankfully she was ok. It stinks though because even right now she's laying (lying...whichever) on the couch right now fighting another really bad headache. I hate it when she's sick because there's nothing I can do...
Cadence had tubes put in her ears in late January. They have worked wonders. I was a nervous wreck because of having to put her to sleep (I really hate that saying because it makes me think of putting an animal down) but she did just fine.
We had the house repainted, windows tinted on the front of the house, the last bedroom painted, and I've floored in a little more of the attic. We also have the garden going (and growing) again. Just hope we can keep it watered and help it survive the intense dryness and heat we are going to have this summer.
Preston's been playing soccer. He started off really enjoying it and "just playing" but lately he seems to be "thinking" about what to do so much that it's becoming more difficult for him. I keep telling him to just enjoy himself and that's all that matters.
Lori had a REAL birthday this year. Being a leap year baby, she tries to celebrate EVERY day, which I'd like to think I do a pretty good job of treating her like it's her birthday most everyday....but this year she actually HAD a birthday. She spent the day in SC with her mom so the kids and I did our best to get the house ready for her and surprise her....thankfully I was able to get some stuff done because we had to go pick up Preston's soccer gear and Lori ended up beating us home....
Cadence is still Cadence. She's a mess....geesh. Her personality is really coming through. She still won't go potty on the big-girl potty....and she still has that nasty "bah-bah" (aka pacifier) but when she turns 3, she's going to do both!
I took Lori to see George Straight and Martina McBride for her birthday. She enjoyed it. I enjoyed people watching. That concert was a little out of my style, but we had fun being together. We're going to see Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney in June - that one is a little more my taste when it comes to country music.
Let's see....what else? We went to a Hawks (basketball) game with some friends. It was actually our first NBA game we've attended...and we had fun! Preston even had his first sleepover after that game - he stayed with his buddy, Tristan.
Oh yeah....we even had to take Rascal to the Pet ER. That was a frustrating night. He was holding his neck all sideways and stuff again and acting like he was in a lot of pain. Not 5 minutes after I got him in the car and we got down the road did he act like all was well again. Ugh...thankfully (if you want to say that), the vet was able to see that he was a little sore - he started acting funny again today with the same symptoms so I was able to get a video of him for proof this time!!!
I actually had a lot on my mind before sitting down to type this up but it all left me as soon as the computer turned on. Oh well. At least I'm making an attempt.
Now on to my reality check....
As I've mentioned many times in the past, this blog is intended to keep me honest and on track - and in my quest to continue being as transparent as I can - it's time to do a gut-check on my Top 12 list for the year....
I could go back through my posts and read what I've posted so as to not re-peat or re-post, but I'm not going to do that either. That would take too much time and honestly, I'm lazy and don't want to do that - I'd rather ramble on and hope to not repeat myself....but if I do, I apologize.
So what all has happened this year? Well, I'm glad you asked. Let me recap for you....Lori had a trip to the ER due to a severe migraine. Thankfully she was ok. It stinks though because even right now she's laying (lying...whichever) on the couch right now fighting another really bad headache. I hate it when she's sick because there's nothing I can do...
Cadence had tubes put in her ears in late January. They have worked wonders. I was a nervous wreck because of having to put her to sleep (I really hate that saying because it makes me think of putting an animal down) but she did just fine.
We had the house repainted, windows tinted on the front of the house, the last bedroom painted, and I've floored in a little more of the attic. We also have the garden going (and growing) again. Just hope we can keep it watered and help it survive the intense dryness and heat we are going to have this summer.
Preston's been playing soccer. He started off really enjoying it and "just playing" but lately he seems to be "thinking" about what to do so much that it's becoming more difficult for him. I keep telling him to just enjoy himself and that's all that matters.
Lori had a REAL birthday this year. Being a leap year baby, she tries to celebrate EVERY day, which I'd like to think I do a pretty good job of treating her like it's her birthday most everyday....but this year she actually HAD a birthday. She spent the day in SC with her mom so the kids and I did our best to get the house ready for her and surprise her....thankfully I was able to get some stuff done because we had to go pick up Preston's soccer gear and Lori ended up beating us home....
Cadence is still Cadence. She's a mess....geesh. Her personality is really coming through. She still won't go potty on the big-girl potty....and she still has that nasty "bah-bah" (aka pacifier) but when she turns 3, she's going to do both!
I took Lori to see George Straight and Martina McBride for her birthday. She enjoyed it. I enjoyed people watching. That concert was a little out of my style, but we had fun being together. We're going to see Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney in June - that one is a little more my taste when it comes to country music.
Let's see....what else? We went to a Hawks (basketball) game with some friends. It was actually our first NBA game we've attended...and we had fun! Preston even had his first sleepover after that game - he stayed with his buddy, Tristan.
Oh yeah....we even had to take Rascal to the Pet ER. That was a frustrating night. He was holding his neck all sideways and stuff again and acting like he was in a lot of pain. Not 5 minutes after I got him in the car and we got down the road did he act like all was well again. Ugh...thankfully (if you want to say that), the vet was able to see that he was a little sore - he started acting funny again today with the same symptoms so I was able to get a video of him for proof this time!!!
I actually had a lot on my mind before sitting down to type this up but it all left me as soon as the computer turned on. Oh well. At least I'm making an attempt.
Now on to my reality check....
As I've mentioned many times in the past, this blog is intended to keep me honest and on track - and in my quest to continue being as transparent as I can - it's time to do a gut-check on my Top 12 list for the year....
- Read one book per month (minimum) - well, this one started off with a bang then fizzled quickly. I have purchased quite a few but have slacked off drastically. Ugh....
- Update blog once/month (minimum) - yeah, I pretty much covered this one in the first few sentences.
- Daily Bible reading - falling off badly on this one, too - someone please keep me accountable....
- Be down to 175lbs by Mar 31 - down to 189 so I missed the mark big time on this one - 195 on 1.1, and 192 on 1.23 so still going in the right direction
- Start - AND FINISH - P90X - have not started yet - new goal, start on May 14
- Begin a daily devotion with my family - have not started this yet either :-(
- Have a date night at a minimum of once/month (with my wife of course) - no date night per se but see #12
- Write (and mail) one hand written letter to a friend once/month (minimum) - nope
- Cut out soft drinks - completely - been doing really good with this one - have only had them when on long trips...and once in a while at certain restaurants....but less than one/week and that is HUGE!!!
- Get - AND STAY - organized - definitely moving in the right direction here
- Do something nice and unexpected for someone once/month (minimum) - in progress
- Go somewhere new / do something new once/month (minimum) - still doing good with this one, too
Ok, so I have A LOT of work to do on this....anyone care to keep me accountable?
If you're up for it and want to share a few of yours and how you're holding up, let me know! Also, if I can help hold you accountable, let me know - I'd be honored to help!
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