My house is like a fish tank.  Ever watch fish meander through a fish tank?  They make their way to each corner, secretly wishing they were out in the ocean.  My kids also filter through the house like fish, each room must be visited and especially my room.  Just got out of the shower?...within 30 seconds there will be a fish/kid swimming through the area.  Need to take an important phone call?...they'll come smashing through your hiding spot with a symbol in hand!  Need to use the bathroom?...well, you get the idea.  These fish-kids do respect that certain parts of the tank are for Adults ONLY!

The Dandelion Wish

I went for a walk the other evening with my 8-year old daughter.  For whatever reason I was thinking about frustrations at work and wasn't having a "quality moment" with her...just walking.  I felt short tempered and was ready to get back to the house.
She on the other hand was skipping along, not a worry in the world.  Smile on her face and happy for no reason at all.  Happy to be with her Dad.
As we walked, she reached down into a neighbors yard and picked a dandelion.  This wasn't the yellow flower dandelion, but rather, the "seed distributor" dandelion.  You know what I'm talking about, it's the kind that when the wind blows, it distributes the dandelion seeds all over the yard.

When she picked it, I knew what was next...she would blow the seeds all over the neighbors yard...and then they would have more dandelions!
I was just about to shout, "Don't blow those seeds all over..." but something stopped me. 

Just as I forecasted, she took a deep breath, brought the seed pod up to her face and seeds flew everywhere.  I flashed a moment of agitation and prepped to explain what she had done...explain that the neighbors were going to have dandelions all over their yard now.  But before I could say anything she looked up at me and exclaimed, "now I get my wish Daddy!"  


My heart softened, a smile came across my face, I gave her a little hug and said, "you sure do!"  We finished the walk, hand-in-hand and I was thankful for her...and the reminder to ignore the insignificant and embrace the meaningful. 

Coffee is the lifeblood of all good Fathers!

I was walking through Target the other day, holding my 8-year old daughter's hand, and came across the coffee pot section.  I looked at the different models and said aloud to myself, "I wonder what the difference is between the $100 coffee pot and the $20 coffee pot?"  My 8-year old turned to me and with a matter-of-fact tone said, "the price."

I was never much of a coffee drinker.  I didn't drink it when I was in the Army.  I didn't drink it in college.  I didn't drink it in my 20's.  But, somewhere along the line, after children emerged in our family, I started.  I'm yoked to coffee, it is my source of inspiration, my machismo, my clarity, my deep thoughts.  If we want to create a business model, we need coffee.  If we want to write a book, we need coffee.  If we want to write this BLOG...we need Coffee!  I'm starting to sound like Gollum from Lord of the Rings, "Coffee is my...PRECIOUSSSSSSS!" 

Sorry, I've derailed, I'm jittery from too much coffee. 

Oh, please chime in with your knowledge about costs of coffee pots...I can't, for the life of me, justify the cost of a $100 coffee pot.  I'm hoping you can shed some light on the issue for me.

OC Dad...Out

I have a story to tell about this banner, but I'm not sure I can do it right now.  Let's just say that there are a couple of emails that I want to publish along with this shot to express the psychotic insanity that I've experienced with Nutball Parents on the soccer field this season.  

Gonna let this one stew a bit first. 

Sunscreen Take 2

See the black line?  That is how much sunscreen is left after using this spray-on product all spring and summer!!  So, for a family of 5 living in southern California, this product from Rocky Mountain Sunscreen is well worth the price.  The convenience of application is the reason I wanted to try this experiment.  I will say, there was a lot of talk this summer about NOT applying this sunscreen near an open fire...highly flammable.  Believe it or not, there were a couple of times when this rang clear for me...once while applying near a lit candle in the house and once when applying near a gas grill while on a camp out.  Neither time resulted in any kind of harm, because I remembered last minute not to apply near an open flame. 

This OC Dad highly recommends this product!

Freaking Hilarious

When you're a 39-year-old, father of three, there are few things that can make you double-over with laughter...I mean life is just way too serious...right?  Anyway, at "drop-off" (Parents understand what that means) this morning, I witnessed something truly hilarious. 
Now, my kids go to a public school, but it's a very nice school surrounded by million-dollar homes and some of the parents can be a bit pretentious.  That said, it's not uncommon to see 40+ year old moms that had a successful career before motherhood and now show up to school with their black spandex workout attire and store-bought body parts.
This morning was no exception, but it appeared that one of these moms decided to let Fido join the kids on the ride to school.  My assumption is that Fido decided to jump out of the Escalade when the kids got out and enjoy a long run.  So, as I'm getting out of my truck with my girls I was startled by the quick little dog that came from nowhere, swirled around my feet for a few and then ran off to the next car.  I looked around and saw the owner, a previously described spandex mom apologizing to everyone and seemingly calm and in control...nope.
For the next 10 minutes, as parents and kids from all over scurried into the school grounds, spandex mom chased Fido UP and DOWN the main street where most people drop off.  She looked like a giraffe...she would lope down about 50 yards with Fido 20 feet in front of her and then stop...slap her knees and say, "come here" in a soft and cutsie voice.  SUVs are ambling by with gawkers staring out the window.  Parents are standing, cross armed and wonderment.  "Come here," she would say again, and Fido would run toward and do a last minute cut left or right and zoom past her...right in the middle of the street mind you.  Off spandex mom would trot, more chasing, more embarrassment, more fatigue I'm sure. 
When Fido finds a glove lying in the gutter, he picks it up and parades up and down before kids and parents, triumphantly destroying any dignity spandex mom once had in the community.  She is shaken and weak.  It's at this point that I turn to my girls, chuckling at the spectacle and tell them that if that was our dog, I would snap its neck and toss it into the gutter...as a public service and apology. 
The bell rings, I usher my girls to their classes and only assume that she eventually caught the dog and stuck it in the Escalade because I see her finally coming through the gate as I'm leaving.  She makes no eye-contact, wants no more scrutiny...she's just trying to get little Johnny to class on time.  It doesn't matter though, her mom cred is shot, she might as well switch schools.
For me, I'm disappointed that I didn't videotape the whole thing on my phone, but sometimes you have to just witness pure comedy with your own eyes.

 (Dog in the picture is Our dog, Lady, she never gets too far away from me, if I call her, she comes running!)

weight-gain

When you're a dad, the first place you gain weight is in the luv-handles...it's also the LAST place you will lose weight.
I've lost 20lbs since January and my "bloop-bloops" are still hanging over my BVDs.
Hollister Ads depress me!