Family and Friends

ABCs

Our son and daughter have something in common. They both loved to play with the alphabet magnets on the fridge. Boy, if those letters could talk… oh the stories they could tell. You can sense it just looking at them. Scratched, scarred, chewed, abandoned, thrown, drown, colored and just plain abused – they’ve suffered every indignity a child could throw at ’em. I tell you…
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Family and Friends

On your mark...

I wonder if it’s normal for kids to be restless sleepers. My kids are all over the place. It’s like they treat their bed the same at night as they do when they’re awake – like a piece of gym equipment. I wonder if their sleep position has anything to do with their dreams. Yesterday morning made me wonder. Adam had his arms raised, his chin up (his pillow was under his…
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Family and Friends

My mother's day

There was a long time when I couldn’t get over feeling angry with my mother (like she had some choice in this). I was angry that she wasn’t like everyone else’s mom. I was angry that she made all of us different by association. I was angry that middle and high school were really hard – in part – because she was so different (and because I wasn’t strong enough to…
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Family and Friends

My uber-parent moment

This evening I pulled something off that made me feel like I’d harnessed the power to solve all the world’s ills. What could possibly make me feel so… well, manic? Adam was just starting one of his trademark tantrums when I tried a little change of pace. I have no idea what came over me. Normally I’m kind of reserved, but this evening I jumped up and down and cried…
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Family and Friends

The good stuff

And no, I’m not talking about the headache meds. Sometimes it’s a lot of fun being a dad. I say that like I’m revealing some tightly guarded secret. Hey, cut me some slack. I’m still feeling guilty about ignoring Adam’s unusual warmth the last couple mornings. Yeah, I haven’t mentioned that yet, have I? Our morning routine involves me sitting down on his bed…
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Family and Friends

Kids say

How often does your child say something that takes a while interpret? How often is your first guess wrong, or your second? This evening we were lounging in the family room, basking in our relative freedom from responsibility (Cheryl and Beth were out on errands), and out of nowhere Adam says, “I’ve got the blues dad.” My first thought was, “Are they playing B.B. King at…
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