Ah, the long-awaited return to the realm of swim lessons. Living through the hot Arizona summers, learning to swim is almost a necessity. My children will eventually all reach an age where their friends will want to go swimming and to water parks and have pool parties. Due to a combination of circumstances—COVID-related disruptions and our inadvertent procrastination in registering last year when everyone was rushing to get their kids in lessons again—our triumphant return was delayed. Three years have passed since my children last attended lessons – though they love being in pools. The time has finally come to […]
Things my kids have done in the past 48 hours that hit harder this time around, versus the other times they’ve done it in the past: Garett: pulled out and shredded an entire package of baby wipes while he was supposed to be napping Ruth: Made several bowls of sugar and milk “potion” – like the majority of a gallon of milk and half a bag of sugar. Frances: asked me to cook a box of the Mac N Cheese I managed to snag (3 whole boxes!) at the store then refused to eat it once I cooked it. That’s, […]
Frances came down stairs holding the face plate to the bedroom light switch and a screwdriver and proceeded to tattle that Ruth had taken it off – which Ruth confirmed when I saw the screws on the floor beneath the switch. “because I wanted to, Daddy.” I guess keeping a screwdriver in the junk drawer needs to be rethought. I can only assume this is the first of what will be many similar moments.
There are moments as a parent when our dignity goes right out the window, as was the case over the weekend… Over the weekend, I found myself battling a severe bout of the flu. The symptoms hit me with full force, leaving me dealing with incessant vomiting and relentless diarrhea, Yes, TMI, but we’ve all been there. Despite feeling utterly drained and weak, I knew I had to make something for my kids to eat. In the moment, a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich seemed like the feasible option. I mustered the strength to hobble downstairs to the kitchen […]
In an unexpected turn of events, my adventurous 2-year-old daughter, Frances, decided to embark on a daring mission with the hose that she had been using to fill her wading pool on the back porch. Ignoring any notion of boundaries, she boldly carried the hose into the dining room, unaware of the havoc that was about to unfold. Time seemed to stretch in that moment, as the hose made its way into the room, and within what felt like a blink of an eye, the tranquility of the space was transformed into a watery chaos. The hose, though only present […]
Came home to everyone asleep and the downstairs looking like a trash, clothes, and food bomb went off. I think the girls wore down Mom to a breaking point today. They win this round. My wife has to tangle with two very formidable opponents each day. My wife is awesome.
Raising three kids, each with their unique personalities and characteristics, can be a challenging yet rewarding experience. One of the most striking aspects is how different they can be from one another. Despite being raised in the same environment and exposed to similar parenting techniques, their sleep habits, eating habits, and general demeanor can vary significantly. What works for one child may not work for the others, making it evident that a one-size-fits-all approach to parenting is unrealistic. Sleep habits are a prime example of the individuality among children. While one child may easily fall asleep and follow a consistent […]
What is Frances crying about tonight? I won’t let her bite my big toe.
I think the whole concept of “sleep training” with infants is bogus and any results are arbitrary – or not really arbitrary, but completely based on the demeanor of the kid – and not directly a result of the “training” Exhibit A: With Ruth, we tried this sleep training malarkey, but it never worked. She was going to sleep when she was going to sleep. Even if she was tired, if she wasn’t ready to go to sleep, she would will herself into staying awake and would yell at us for an hour or two from her crib. She never […]