We have known Beth to be influenced by TV advertising for some time. When she was three years old and could barely pronounce her full name she could, with perfect TV announcer intonation, declare to mommy and daddy that she really wanted “Cinderella II: Dreams come true, now available on home video and DVD.” Now she is starting to see the commercials for Spy Kids II. She already owns…
“John, I’m bleeding.” When you’re pregnant wife has had a miscarriage once before, those words only have one meaning. You don’t think lacerations. You don’t think of blisters that have burst. No, there is only one thing that comes to mind: reliving a past and unpleasant experience. Such was my experience this weekend. Cheryl uttered those words, and my…
Earlier this evening I was sitting down next to Beth and she was enthusiastically talking about something; exactly what it was escapes me. Some kind of parent I am, teaching my daughter such wonderful listening skills. I bring this up not to point out more of my shortcomings as a parent, but to try and explain something I observed that may prove to be unexplainable. While Beth was speaking I noted…
What can I say about my daughter that you haven’t already heard? Would you believe that I have something? Yes indeed I do. If you know us, you may have heard us allude to Beth’s fondness for exploring limits. This weekend, Beth learned new vertical limits. On Saturday we were playing a game that can best be described as a cross between hide and go seek and dodge ball. We had been at it…
In kindergarten, there apparently is a no moving around policy in the lunch room. In other words, once you find a seat you stay in it until you are done. Beth has been given an exception to this rule. She has been told that if someone at her table is eating a peanut product, she is allowed to move due to her peanut allergy. Well, I was talking with her teacher and she recounted recent story from…
I consider it a natural law of the human experience; we tend to find more joy in the unexpected moments than in those that are more routine.
If there is anything that makes me feel like a failure as a parent, it is that neither myself nor my wife has more time to spend with Beth in her school related activities. Both of us work, so we are not often available to strike out with her class on many of…
Mommy and Daddy were having a little disagreement. Beth was caught in the middle, sitting at the table trying to do her homework. After this discussion began to wind down and mommy left the room, Beth called out, “mommy, stop being argumentative!”
“What did you say?”, mommy asked incredulously from the other room.
“Argumentative”, Beth responded.
Beth and Cory could not decide which house they wanted to play at this weekend. Cory said, “can I play at your house Beth?” Beth replied, “can I play at your house Cory?” This went back and forth about as you would expect for a conversation between a five year old and a four year old. Finally, an exasperated Beth took Cory by the shoulder, lovingly shook him and said…
Beth went up for the children’s sermon in church on Sunday and gave the whole congregation a heaping helping of BETH. The church member giving the children’s sermon asked a young boy to volunteer to be John. She (the ranking adult) told him that he was going to be “the light.” Then she asked another group of kids to walk up next to the altar and imagine that they were in a…
Say you and some of your friends are hiking through the Hillsborough River Watershed region. Now imagine that you are in the rear and you hear something behind you. You look back and see the largest wild pig you have ever seen. Of course you have never seen a wild pig, so that may not be saying much. Picture yourself turning around and announcing to your hiking partners, in as calm a voice as you…