Happy Birthday Nate! Dad loves you!
Nate is so excited that he can’t quit smiling and gushing about his birthday. My sister-in-law and her 3 boys are coming over to help celebrate his birthday to swim in our little pool and pretty much tear the place up. This okay as I enjoy watching his excitement as he runs around playing with his buddies and basks in the glow of being the focus of the day.
Nate has struggled in the past controlling himself as he has been diagnosed recently with ADHD. We didn’t want to medicate the life and vibrancy of this young boy, however, his doctor has provided a dose for him that he takes once a day that has drastically improved his quality of life. He is more focused, less excitable, but still a fun loving and vibrant young man.
Here’s to you Nate! It’s your special day and I’m proud to be your Dad!
Keep making me smile little dude!
Can this be the same person?
I’m not going to give these two a whole bunch of your or my time as I feel that even if it was for what they thought were the best reasons (to provide for the kids) they have sold out the most precious and impressionistic time of these poor kids lives.
If you look at the progression of Katy Dearest from frumpy Sectuplet Mom to freakin A-List media hound who thinks only of the $$ now, it is a sad statement to what fame and fortune can bring.
This show was supposed to be centered around the seemingly impossible task of providing for, and raising this huge family. You know, the kids? The parents would be documentary guides to the goings on of these kids and the challenges/rewards of this sweet brood.
What we have now is Jon and Katy Dearest dominating the scene with their antics and the kids are a secondary thought.
It appears they are headed for divorce, but for the kids sake, I hope they end the show and focus on dealing with recent mistakes and rebuilding the family unit. That is to me what is most important in life.
As a parent of 5, I feel it is my job to provide the children with the best surroundings and experiences I can muster, while focusing on quality of rearing and time spent together, and not the quantity of what can be piled up into an account, home or vacation video.
They invited the world into their home, and now blame the media for their problems. They need to sleep in this nasty bed they’ve made.
This situation bugs me. I pray for those kids.
EDIT:
Well, their “news” comes as no real surprise.
A sad day in the life of those kids…
Supernanny is in the House?
There were white posterboards with Family Rules and Reward Tracking posted all over the kitchen walls.
Apparently my wife had had enough of the kids bickering, fighting and lack of motivation to pick up after themselves.
Each child had signed the Rules board as a type of binding agreement that all rules will be agreed upon. They came up with the list themselves and even the 2 and 4 year olds signed off with marker scratchings.
Momma’s laying the smack down and I’m curious to see how this turns out.
Each time a child does what they’re told without procrastinating, hollering, bickering, crying or claiming child abuse, they get a marble and it is placed into a jar. Once the jar is full, they get a reward from the Reward List (that they came up with themselves) whether it be Family Bowling night, Movie night, camping, fishing, cake night, etc…
They will lose a marble (if I don’t lose my marbles first) if they call to our attention something they did that warrants a marble. No drumming up business, you know what I mean?
They also lose a marble if they do not execute the plan clearly defined on the walls of our humble abode.
Daddy’s gonna sit back and watch this one go.
Within the last 3 years I have begun smoking and making pipes.
My motivation was my wife’s grandfather who was never seen without a pipe in his mush. This guy kicked it really old school. He worked for the railroads, built a log cabin with his bare hands in the pines of mid Michigan.
The first time I visited the cabin was when the wife and I were first dating. It was Thanksgiving and when I first met grandpa he was sitting in his chair by the field stone fireplace, contentedly puffing away on his pipe. The cabin was effused with the smell of pipe smoke and the old guy just looked so simple and serene as he enjoyed his pipe. He was in the early stages of Lou Gherig’s disease and his hands trembled as he brought the match up to his pipe, but like magic, his hand steadied as he applied flame and grand clouds of billowy smoke surrounded his head.
I wanted things to be that simple. I wanted that serenity. I took up pipe smoking and am now enjoying that serenity. The old man knew how to keep it simple.
As with most parents, I want to be a role model for my children. The kids are at an age that they really look up to me and want to be just like me. They argue over who gets to get Dad’s pipe and who gets to polish them.
The issue arises as they are so into ‘being like Dad’ that all they talk about is smoking pipes and making pipes when they get older. They get a kick of putting one of my pipes in their mouths and pretend to smoke it.
Is that a problem? I don’t know. I’d not want to promote anything that may be hazardous to their health. On the other hand, if the pipe gives them the enjoyment and serenity that it gives me, then I should be happy.
A curious issue.
Right now the kids are on a kick that “I want my plate to be the same color as AJ’s”, then the next one chimes in “I want my plate to be the same colors as Josh’s”, then AJ of course wants his plate to be the same color as the other child that doesn’t care what color his mush is plastered on.
Of course, being a more than accommodating and doting father during their impressionable years (they WILL take care of me some day if I play the cards right) I look for ways to pull off the impossible whilst the gang works themselves into a frenzy fighting over WHAT color that plate will be.
I was layed off for the last couple of weeks and I learned a valuable lesson.
Paper plates are ALL the same color…
From the mouths of babes
This portion of the blog is to celebrate the hilarious utterances of children as they struggle to master the English language or just plain funny sayings.
Sandwich – “swamitch” – Hannah at age 4
The Incredible Hulk – “The Incredible Honk” - AJ – current – age 4
Evan – “Feffan” - little brother Josh on his oldest brothers name – age 2
“Oooh! A bug!! Where’s my stick?” – Nate at age 4
“AJ! You just made me poop my pants!” – Nate – age 6
AJ has the harmonica – “Zsay-Zsay monica!” - Joshua – age 2
Thank You – “Gaykyou” – Joshua – age 2
My name is Bob.
I am the father of 5 beautiful gifts from the Father and this blog will be my way to record the humor and challenges of raising 5 children to be respectful, contributing adults.
Join me as I follow this path on the most important job ever gifted to me.
I have 4 boys and a girl.
The oldest boy is 9 and is diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome on the Autistic Spectrum. As with Aspies (the moniker given to children with this disorder) his is a life of quiet contemplation, rigid guidelines that, when not followed, result in “meltdowns” no matter where you are or who you are with, social dysfuntion, but amazing love and talents.
He is an extremely gifted artist that has developed his own comic series “Teeth the shark”. His ability to capture emotion in vivid detail with his characters is simply amazing. He loves anything Star Wars – Clone Wars, is a gifted cellist, and has taken to fishing with a passion only an Aspie can comprehend.
My heart goes out to this handsome young man as he struggles to fit in, labors to make the grade in school with peers unable to understand his quirks and torment him because of it as well as an administration system not trained to properly deal with an Aspie even though it has reached epidemic proportions with our children.
I ask God to give him peace. He has an engaging laugh and smile that will make your heart sing.
My daughter is 9 years old and is a teenager in a 3rd graders body. A strikingly beautiful young lady (thanks to Mom!) with an extremely giving and helpful personality.
School comes easy to her and she makes and retains friends very easily. She has already started her own blog site and encourages Dad to get off his duff and help her with the site to make it as exciting and girly as I can make it.
She has a beautiful smile and goes out of her way to make sure that her Mom and I understand how much she loves us and appreciates all we do for her.
She is ‘mother hen’ to her 2 year old brother and a worthy adversary to my 6 year old son who rubs her the wrong way with his ADHD zaniness.
When it comes right down to it she’d give her life for anyone in her family and anyone she meets. An extremely precious gift from the Father.
The next child in the lineup is, in my mind, a very sensitive, albeit rambunctious boy who loves to draw (humming to himself all the while) and is the soul mate of his 4 year old brother. I call them the ‘demonic duo’ as whenever they get together (which is constantly) humor always ensues and something is sure to get broken.
He has recently been diagnosed ADHD and we are in the process of getting him the proper help he needs to make his life more enjoyable. He is very dependent on his parents approval and struggles in 1st grade as he can’t seem to sit long enough to understand what it is he needs to do.
He is a very lovable young guy who is missing his front two teeth and has a crooked smile that warms your heart as well as a gut busting laugh that makes you laugh just listening to him.
I love all my children equally. This young guy does get a little extra understanding from Dad as I have been diagnosed and am being treated for ADD. I know what he is up against and I pray for him.
The next son is 4 years old. A wiry little waif with a hilarious personality whose life goal is to become a Jedi master. His ability to wield and defend himself with a plastic light saber is admirable. He has the force no doubt.
He is a strikingly handsome little guy who is cuddly and likes nothing more than to give hugs, kisses and to snuggle with Mom or Dad as his motor winds down into the evening.
The struggle that we have with him is that he is not yet potty trained. He goes #1 pretty regularly, but refuses to give in to properly disposing of #2 in the plumbing provided. It honestly does not bother him to carry a duece around until he drives folks from the room.
He and I have a deal going that once he is totally potty trained, I will buy him his most precious Star Wars toy – a large AT-TE troop transport like his older brother has. May the force be with him.
Finally, my youngest boy. A rather robust young man who gets his girth from his father. He has got to be the cutest and most hilarious little man on earth.
Being the youngest (Dad made sure of that…) Mom has refused to cut his locks and he sports the most impressive blond mane that extends to his shoulders. He has huge blue eyes and has an awesome sense of humor. His smile and laugh are truly perfect and once anyone meets him, they are wrapped around his little chubby finger.
He wears the same clothes as my 4 year old and spends his day trying to keep up with his older siblings and does a darn fine job of it.
He is at the point that he will mimic the phrases and mannerisms of his older siblings and to hear his rendition is hilarious as hell.
I cannot say enough how blessed I am of having these children and want to do the best for them so they have a firm foundation in a world that really needs them.
Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned.
