Zoe's DadZoe's DadBe careful what you wish for....reflections, musings and a cry for help from a stay at home father of 5. Humorous anectdates of a dad taken hostage by his children. 
Articles
Dichotomy: The Optomist and the Realist
2008-05-02 12:19:00 A small front made it's way through our fair city yesterday. Nothing significant. No harsh rains or drastic temperature changes. Nothing inclement. Fair winds and warmer weather. My son bounded through the door, home from his morning kindergarten class and immediately spied the kite. Why it was there or from where it came I've no idea. He was a man on a mission. The wind was blowing. We had a kite. It needed flying.To the yard we ran and in no time Spidey (it was a Spiderman Kite) was sailing above us occasionally looping and dipping only to surge back high above. But not high enough. I instructed Zane to run inside and get the other spool of twine. Two hundred fifty feet is fine, for a beginner. We were seasoned having logged a grand sum of ten minutes. We were going higher. In no time he was back and the extra 500 feet was quickly attached to the end of our line. We watched in a...
Today Belongs to Zia
2008-04-28 11:32:00 <!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->I wasn't quite finished with the mowing when I looked up and noticed my wife walking across the yard to me, arms waving to get my attention. She was waddling really as she was, I believe the saying is "great with child." She had just returned from her weekly visit to the OB and I assumed was letting me know she was back home and wanted to know what I had planned for dinner. She's thoughtful like that. Being that I had been mowing for the last three hours (hey, it's a big lawn) I had surely given some thought to the matter of dinner and would have a hearty meal whipped up before the hum of the mower had died completely. I knew immediately that she was not flagging me down for the purposes of discussing dinner preparations. Something else was going on. "Doc says the amniotic fluid level has decreased significantly since last weeks' visit and that the uterine wall has a marked area of thinni... More About: Today
Zula's Lazy Cobbler
2008-04-26 06:10:00 My complete mangling of the English language is no more apparent than when I wish to put into words sincere emotions. Emotions of love, remembrance, gratitude. I've been trying for almost a week now, starting and stopping, deleting. A lot of deleting. For some reason I didn't want this one to pass, though. Bear with me. This past Monday, the 21st, my Grandmother would have been.....well, really old. She passed many years ago. I no longer celebrate the day save to note that it would have been Mammaw's birthday. I think of her often but something caused quite the pause just yesterday. Our fruit trees are blooming and that means in just a few short months--Mammaw's Lazy Cobbler! That's right. My grandmother made some of the best fruit cobbler I have ever tasted, or will ever taste for that matter. I suppose a lot of it has to do with the fact that she didn't have to work at making food taste good....
It'll Be Earth Day Tomorrow, Too
2008-04-22 11:37:00 Intended to inspire an awareness of and an appreciation for the Earth 's environment, Earth Day is celebrated today at it has been each April for the past thirty eight years. A grassroots campaign initiated back then served as a wake up call of sorts to help people to realize the impact of our actions on the planet and give the environment a national spotlight. A movement was born and today Earth Day is celebrated not only in America but in countries all over the world. But are we really doing right by our dear Mother Earth?People take to the streets celebrating, organizing rallies, staged marches on political institutions, speeches, concerts and festivals. One can don their favorite "Be Nice to Your Mother" t-shirt pack up the ice chest and Styrofoam plates with plastic sporks, maybe even the hibachi, and head off to the park with thousands of other like minded enlightened to listen to your favorite bands perform their favorite tunes at ear bleed... More About: Carbon footprint , Environmentalism , Tomorrow
It's the Most Important Meal of the Day!
2008-04-20 19:50:00 Peace, Dude! More About: Cooking , Breakfast , Meal
Lost in Translation
2008-04-17 14:05:00 As I often do when it's just the twins and myself in the car I turn off the radio and drive in silence eavesdropping on the conversation taking place just behind me. It's a foreign language, mind you, scarcely intelligible mumblings and loosely formed consonant and vowel sounds. Much is lost in translation but they seem to understand each other. At least that's what I thought until this morning.Zella: Wa di d? ar ssay?(Me thinking to myself: Ohh I know this--pick me, pick me!! Woof, Woof)Zander: Bar. Bar. (Good job, Zander--I thought to myself. A dog does say bark.)Zella: No. Wa di c? ar ssay?!Zander: Moooo(Me thinking still--I'm not so sure that's what she's saying, buddy.)Zella: NO! NO! NO! A C? AR! A C? AR!! Silence. Silence. Silence. Then....Zella: Rooom, Rooom(What does a CAR say?)Zander attempted to say something, I can only imagine in... More About: Lost , Translation
The Incredible Likeness of Me
2008-04-16 09:38:00 Thanks once again to Pat over at Annoyingly Boring I find myself in a position where a response is in order. You may remember, his photo of the goldfinch at his bird feeder was the impetus for me getting my own bird feeders filled. The kids and I have been enjoying watching the birds feed, as have my cats. Each day the feeders seem to be alight with increased activity and watching the blue jays, cardinals, woodpeckers, wrens, morning doves and finally goldfinches return to the yard has been good for my psyche. Something about standing at the kitchen window with a fresh cup of morning coffee and watching the birds eat seems to make me feel good. I am also happy to report that as of yet, no feathers are missing from any of the birds that have chosen to dine at Casa de Zoë's Dad.Anyway, it seems Pat, after watching the great piano showdown has found a striking image likeness for myself. Pat feels there is an uncanny resemblance between myself ... More About: Piano , Incredible
Demoralizing Dad---The Piano Showdown
2008-04-14 09:36:00 There are two schools of thought on the whole let your kids win thing. One states that you should never let them win. They should have to earn it just as in real life. It builds confidence, strength, character and a greater appreciation of the victory. The other school of thought is to toss in the towel, let your kids win every once in a while. It builds confidence, strength, character and a greater appreciation of the victory. I'm torn on the whole issue. While I'm all for winning and building up of a child's confidence, I also believe that losing builds just as much confidence and strength of character. It takes a lot to come in second or third. I'm an also ran, always have been. As our local paper would recount our high school track and swim meets listing top finishers in each race, they also had the kindness to publish the names of all of the competitors in each race--the also rans. That was me. I never ... More About: Piano
Virgin Ears
2008-04-10 00:58:00 Me: That's a new cup. What is it?Her: It's the supposed to be the new coffee from Starbucks. I'm hoping they just forgot the Equal (she says adding some to the cup) because it tastes like a-s-s. (spelled).Me: Good luck with that.Not so very long ago my wife and I were able to converse freely, adult stuff with adult words. We spoke above innocent ears that were oblivious to the words or context of our conversation. As those ears grew our conversation methods evolved and we found ourselves spelling words deemed inappropriate for virgin ears. We may have to stop talking altogether. Case in point:Moments after the above conversation took place Zia pipes up. Mom, Mom, Mom...I know how to spell coffee.Her: Really? Let's hear it.Zia: A--S--S!! More About: Virgin , Ears
You are so Going to Lose!
2008-04-08 20:29:00 Stagnant. Stalled. Halted. At an impasse. Distracted. Amotivated. Indifferent. She just won't do it! I don't want to. I'm not going to! These are just a few of the words or phrases that I could use to describe the current state of Zoë's piano lessons. It would appear that as the temperatures rise outside her willingness to apply energy towards practice inversely falls. Two weeks in a row she has failed to meet her contracted practice commitment of 90 minutes. (That's a week people, not a day!) My frustration level is at an all time high. Pressed for solutions, I expressed my concerns to my wife. Make it fun she said, otherwise she's going to hate it and we'll lose her forever. No easy task, mind you because right now, I'm not having fun. I'm still looking for ideas (begging really.) But this is what we did today and she really seemed to have fun.....again.A little con...
Watching the Wheels
2008-04-05 02:52:00 Sometimes, things just hit me in the right manner. They seem to appropriately apply, I guess you could say. Mostly it's music, but it could be other things. A book, an article, a comic strip, a quote or quip. Even a word or sentence. Like I said, it could be anything but mostly it's music. I'm in the van the other day which is not so unusual as I spend a great deal of time in my beloved Grand Caravan and the station plays a song I have heard countless times over the last twenty five or so years. I've never given it a second thought, never considered the words or the meaning. Never attempted to dissect what was going on in his head when he wrote the song. Oh, there's plenty of conjecture about what he meant and what he was trying to say. I've just never paid it any mind. Still haven't. And probably won't. You see, the song hit me in just the right way the other day and I was able to appreciate it's... More About: Kids , Watching , Wheels
A Light at the End of Winter
2008-04-03 13:42:00 Old Man Winter may not be asleep just yet, but he's definitely sporting his Superman pajamas and sipping on a warm glass of milk. The last embers of the fire are smoldering, covers have been turned down, he's finished reading Goodnight Moon and The Velveteen Rabbit and eaten of the chocolate left on his pillow by housekeeping. Yes, folks, winter is coming to an end here in America's Armpit and I could not be more excited. It's been long, harsh, physically and mentally draining. Frigid temperatures, snow, ice, sleet, rain all repeated in a dizzying cycle over the past five months. But the thick gray clouds of winter gloom and misery have broken and for two days consecutively the sun has been shining bright.Oh, it's still chilly (31 this morning) and the heater is still on but I can see the light at the end of winter. Really?, you ask. It's 31 degrees, you say. On my thermometer that's still freezing. What makes you th... More About: Flowers , Baseball , Ice Cream , Light
Catharsis
2008-04-01 10:00:00 Laughter fills the room where children are playing oblivious to my exasperation. Lessons have ended far from complete. I clear the table. Distracted, detached or otherwise completely uninterested in either content or purpose they have moved on. Wooden puzzle pieces clank to the floor as they are dropped from their formed cutout containers. Crayons and colored pencils are scattered around the room as they would rather toss undesired hues than set them aside. Crumpled scraps of paper dot the floor, artwork in various stages of completion. A trail of books leads to the shelves from which they were housed, a trail that most assuredly will remain as the need to re shelve is clearly not a priority. Squabbles escalate. Declarations of "Mine!" become shouts then screams. Eventually tears. "I'm sorrys" and "that's OKs" are exchanged. Hugs. The cycle repeats itself. Typical. Unable to see the importanc...
Let the Games Begin!
2008-03-31 11:19:00 The feeders have been filled and the birds are happy. My cats believe, however, that I was merely setting traps.Let the games begin! More About: Games , Birds , Bird Watching
Story Time with Zoë--Volume 4
2008-03-29 10:23:00 It's been a few weeks, so I thought I would revive a fledgling feature on my blog, Story Time with Zoë. It's not that we haven't been reading much lately. Quite the contrary. Zoë has moved on to some very interesting chapter books and has thoroughly enjoyed the adventures she is able to take in her mind with these new gems. Even Zane is stepping up his game. He just doesn't realize that maybe he's not supposed to be reading as well as he is and although he will struggle with new words and how to pronounce them, he has yet to become frustrated in any endeavor. His latest undertaking is the Book the First Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events. Although he needs help with many of the words he has yet to indicate frustration and plows ahead. Funny thing. We have attempted to restrict the television viewing around here with varying degrees of success. There are many days, I am proud to report, that the tele... More About: Books , Reading , Volume
Alright, Already! I'll Feed the Birds!!
2008-03-28 14:19:00 Of late, I've been following a few bloggers that have been crazy enough to undertake this Project 365 (+1), the plus one on account of this being a leap year. Absurd idea. Essentially, you post a photograph each and every day of the year. Some will post only a photo while others have gone the extra mile to caption the photo or even provide a brief explanation or story. Wow! I've neither the time, will power or dedication to get involved in such a project. My hat is off to those that do and I have enjoyed the daily glimpses into their lives. One of the participants in the Project is Pat from Annoyingly Boring?.He's posted some great shots of his family, neighborhood and New England countryside. Recently, though, he has begun to needle me with his photos. Goading me, if you will. Challenging me. You see, a few weeks back he posted a photo of himself filling his bird feeders. And just a couple of days ago a phot... More About: Birds , Feed , Alright
They Have a Pact with the Devil
2008-03-25 11:37:00 Can someone tell me again why we are having spring break? And who decided that this was going to be a good idea--especially after loading the caches with chocolate, gummy bears, cream filled eggs and all manner of high fructose corn syrup derivatives. Essentially, we give our children a speed ball and an empty week praying the weather will hold so that the high will be burned up out of doors. Yesterday, the first day of our spring break, began innocuous enough. We slept in. Relatively. I could have used another hour or four but then again, who couldn't? I made my world famous, from-scratch pancakes and sausage breakfast. Children were laughing and singing and doing all manner of things that little people do when they are happy in the morning having been served the best breakfast in the world. They politely asked to be excused from the table and scampered away. Funny. They never politely ask to help clear the table an... More About: Devil , Spring break , The Devil
Blogiversary
2008-03-21 02:46:00 It's been a year.I changed my template. I'm going to bed! More About: Blogging
It's Gotta be an Oversight
2008-03-20 13:58:00 A shout of kudos to several many most of the dad bloggers that I read. You guys (and you know who you are) have been included in the core group of dad blogs listed at Alltop. A little bit of press is never a bad thing. OK, wait. Maybe a little bit of GOOD PRESS is never a bad thing. That being said, I seem to have been left off of the list. I know. I'm sure it was an oversight. Anyway, as per their FAQ page, I composed an e-mail informing them of their egregious error and feel that the situation will be rectified in short manner.For those interested, here is the letter: To the Powers that Be at Alltop: As per the instructions on your FAQ page, I am sending you an electronic mail transmission that would indicate a desire to have my blog, http://zoesdad.com, moved just a tad bit higher on page that lists Dad Blogs. Currently, I am located somewhere below the blog that appears at the very bottom of the page.... More About: Letters , Forgiveness , Gotta
Redirect
2008-03-20 11:46:00 It's a short week, so why do I feel so tired? On Monday, I thought it was Tuesday. Tuesday I thought it was Thursday. This morning I thought it was Friday and told Zia to stay in bed that she didn't have school today. She argued. I stood my ground begging her to stay in bed. Zane eventually stepped in to defend her reminding me that today was in fact Thursday. "Now we're late, Dad!, Thanks a lot!!" And so it has been.So, not much happening here today. Instead, I'll send you to my column World-Colored Glasses over at Quirkee.com. When you're done there, head on over to Project X and see what else I've been up to. Project X is the brainchild of Darren at Clare's Dad. It's a newly formed blog chronicling a group of dads and their commitment to get into shape or in my case shaping a need to get committed. Then be sure to come back here and let me know what you think. More About: Redirect
Does Somebody Need a Hug?
2008-03-18 17:50:00 As instructed, we dutifully file into the hallway outside of the preschool classroom doors. We wait. Patiently. At the appointed time, seldom before, the teacher opens the doors to the classroom and one by one ushers the energetic preschoolers into the waiting and loving arms of parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters. It's a pilgrimage of which we partake twice a week, the twins and I. They are scarcely able to contain their excitement having been separated from Zia for a grand sum of three hours and fifteen minutes. Ever had a puppy that would piddle itself with glee each time you walked into the door? It's just like that minus the tails of course, and maybe the slobber and piddle. Wait. I am talking about the twins. Yes, there's plenty of slobber and I'm quite sure piddle. (Thank God for Pampers!)Today, the families of Zia's classmates were privy to a rare glimpse of the World of Ed. You see, m...
Prologue
2008-03-17 22:21:00 Can you feel it? Winds have shifted--something's gonna change. More About: Mary Poppins , Changes , Prologue
Spring is coming---I hope!
2008-03-10 12:09:00 It's been a crazy, crazy, crazy week. March 5 (Ice) and then... March 9 (Snow) oh well..Peace out!On the bright side--we got to spring forward this weekend. More About: Spring , Hope
The Perfect Storm
2008-03-08 13:31:00 They are calling it the storm of the century, epic proportions of snowfall in a matter of 36 hours. It started right as forecasters called it, 10:00am. and continued heavy probably 4 inches or more by 4:30pm. And it kept coming. We could have gone to the grocery store, stocked up on water, juice, milk and propane. But we didn't. We could have just hunkered down in our living room, popped in some dvd's, prepared some popcorn and snuggled under some blankets ignoring the accumulating powder outside the windows. But we didn't. We could have packed some bags, loaded up the family truckster (van) and fled, south to warmer climes. But we didn't.So just what did I do to weather the blizzard of ought eight? Well, we did pack some bags, I put on my favorite Hawaiian Shirt and sandals (it's my passive aggressive way of flipping the bird at the storm), loaded up the family truckster (van) and drove NORTH!!! Into the eye of the... More About: Storm , Perfect , Perfect Storm
Punxsutawney Phil Had Better Watch His Back!
2008-03-05 20:49:00 Two days ago it was nearly seventy degrees outside. The wind was blowing, sun shining intermittently, birds were singing, children laughing and a warm feeling of hope cradled us all... OK So maybe it wasn't all that great, but I did open up the windows and the kids played outside all afternoon, in short sleeves.This morning it was twenty five degrees and I woke up to this:That's a solid ice covered tree with an extra coating of snow for good measure.Not so much as I woke up to that huge pile of ice covered limbs as I went to bed with it last night. I had to clear enough of them from the driveway so that my wife could get to work this morning.I'm gonna kill that Groundhog if I ever catch up to him!P.S. Some of you may recall I've recently had some problems with that same tree. I was going to have it chopped down. Mother Nature is pruning it for me. More About: Watch , Back , Phil , Groundhog Day , Punxsutawney
I Lean to the Left.......
2008-03-05 14:02:00 My first time was in 1984. I was nineteen years old, but I was confident, proud, self-assured and completely unafraid. I had read up, done some research, talked to friends who had done it before and picked up a few pointers. This was going to be a monumental experience in my life. A coming of age moment. I may have even showered. I know I put on a clean shirt. And I had begun a relationship with whom I felt was the perfect person.It was all over in a matter of minutes--seconds, really. And it didn't hurt like some people had told me it was going to. Yep, I was 19 years old and officially--a voter. I've done it at least every four years since, you know, to keep in practice. Keep my skills sharp as it were. Many years I have been adamant and strongly in favor of a particular candidate. I enjoyed getting in bed with them, so to speak. Other times I have been totally apathetic and felt like I was just ... More About: Lean , Obama , Polling , Left , Polls
Project 236.....
2008-03-03 10:46:00 Theodore S. Geisel was born on March 2, 1904 on Howard Street in Springfield Massachusetts. To all of us he is better known as the beloved Dr. Seuss . His first children?s book was published in 1937. And to Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street was a labor of love and a model of persistence as it was rejected over 25 times before finally being published. At the time of his death in 1991 he had illustrated and written 44 books, many of which remain favorites of both children and adults. Today, March 3, is Read Across America Day. Dr. Seuss may best be remembered for his book The Cat in the Hat. What many may not know is how the book came into being. Geisel, in response to an article in Life magazine, accepted a challenge to write a children?s book that was brightly colored and visually stimulating in direct contrast to the bland primary readers used in the classrooms at the time. He used just 236 words (sight words) from an eleme... More About: Project
Story Time with Zane
2008-03-01 02:06:00 It's funny how something as seemingly insignificant as recording Zoë reading a book can have such a ripple effect on the rest of my kids. Zane (5), never one to be outdone is selecting and reading books like a madman. He practices alone on the couch and then brings the book to me proclaiming he's ready to read go and get the microphone. He's not at Zoë's reading level yet he remains undaunted in his zest to conquer new words, unfazed by the sibling rivalry that is surely brewing. I've struggled through countless books with him and he's not become frustrated once. I pray it's a trend that continues. On a recent trip to the library Zane amazed me with his double take, stop what you're doing when you see something familiar recognition of a book by Todd Parr. We own a couple of his books and I suppose there are some in his kindergarten classroom. I asked him how he knew it was a Todd Parr book and he said, "Well, it says it right... More About: Story , Time
Table Talk.....
2008-02-25 23:25:00 Stimulating dinner conversation. I suppose it beats, "So, how was your day?"Dad, you shouldn't say stupid. It's not a nice word.I haven't said anything in the last ten minutes. I'm eating. In fact, I don't use that word. (Not out loud, at least.)I know. I'm just saying, you shouldn't say stupid.(Zane steps in) Zia, you just said it two times.No, I didn't.Yes, you did.No, I told Dad not to say stupid but I didn't say stupid.You just did it again.No, I didn't.Anyone else have problems reasoning with a three year old? More About: Talk , Table
Remembering Joseph.....
More articles from this author:2008-02-22 00:07:00 I began my nursing career believing I had been fully prepared to handle anything that could be tossed in my direction. Oh sure, there were departmental and hospital specific procedures and idiosyncrasies that are naturally a part of the learning curve. But I had just graduated from one of the best nursing schools in the state and very highly ranked nationally. I had been prepped, taught by the best. I was ready. Or so I thought.You see, in nursing school they teach you how to treat injuries, how to heal wounds and infections, how to administer medicines and administer care that helps people get better. What they didn't tell me my was that sometimes, often times, the patients don't get better, that despite my best efforts and most earnest attempts people sometimes die. I wasn't ready for this. No one is ever ready for this. They didn't teach me about this. Over time you develop ways and means to deal with the harsh reali... More About: Joseph , Remembering 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
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