The Adventures of a Stay-at-Home Dad of 5
I needed to go get my daughter's birth certificate today. She's about to turn 4 and somehow I hadn't needed it up until now. But now I did need it, so I figured I'd load up the crew and go get it. I would also get the two younger boys' birth certificates as well since…
Here is the latest episode from our playground. I actually filmed it the same day as episode 5 in case you are wondering why we are all wearing the same clothes. It's hard to have a serious conversation with these 4 crazy kids. And there is something about a camera that makes kids lose their…
Happy Friday everyone! After a lengthy time away, playground interviews have returned. This week I asked my kids to help me make an instructional video. I didn't bother to tell them what we were going to be instructing about. I had to have my oldest son operate the camera so I could have both hands…
One day a while back, I went to wash my hands. I went into the downstairs bathroom and pumped a squirt of soap onto my hands. I immediately noticed that the soap was incredibly watery. I remembered noticing the day before that the soap level was low and thinking I needed to add more soap.…
I've never been a morning person. Ever. Everyday as a kid getting up for school was such a battle. I can remember dragging myself downstairs to the kitchen table and falling back asleep waiting for my mom or dad to get me a bowl of cereal or a pop tart or whatever I was eating…
My four year old goes to Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) 3 days a week for 5 hours. It's a program our state pays for to get kids ready for Kindergarten. Or in my case, give me 5 hours of a break 3 days a week. The school he goes to is very close and only takes…
Ah it's that time again, possibly my favorite holiday. Thanksgiving. I love spending some relaxing time with family, eating great food and not having to stress out about buy gifts for anyone. It's a low stress, carefree holiday and it marks the beginning of the Christmas season. Which, after all, is the most wonderful time…
Kids don't come with a handbook and much of parenting is on the job training. Thankfully for all of you, I have learned a thing or two about being a great parent. As I prepare to become a dad for the 5th time I've decided I should share some of my pearls of wisdom with…
The 3rd installment of Playground Interviews has finally arrived. In this episode we discuss our outrage that Starbucks has red cups for Christmas and the kids weigh in on their choices for the 2016 presidential race. This is a political debate unlike any you've ever heard. I promise. https://youtu.be/vONqd3rdRz8 You can watch episode 1…
Today is Veterans Day so I thought it was appropriate to interview the kids about that today. And what an interview it was! It was complete with a dinosaur and an appearance from a real helicopter. A big thank you to all the men and women who serve and have served to help keep our…
I've been throwing around the idea of adding more audio/video content to the site here and I've decided to try out an idea for a series called "Playground Interviews." Where I talk to my kids (ideally on the playground) about issues or topics and get their answers. The idea would be to ask them deep…
I like to think of myself as still being youthful. In my mind I don't feel like I should be any older than about 25 or so, but my body is beginning to tell me on a more regular basis that I'm starting to age a little bit more than I want to admit. I'm…
Last night after her bath, Ela started trying to "teach" me something. She was going on and on and being so serious in what she was saying. I was having a hard time not laughing. Every time I tried to do what she was doing she would tell me I was doing it wrong. I…
Now that school has gotten back into full swing our routine has become fairly....well, routine. Long gone are the lazy summer mornings where I drank 3 cups of coffee and the kids watched some cartoons before breakfast. Now I have about an hour once my eyes open to get 4 kids, fed, clothed, teeth brushed,…
I have only briefly touched on it before in my blog but I am a member of Jacksonville's Mad Cowford Improv troupe . In 2007 while living in Connecticut I auditioned for Funny Stages which was the improv wing of The New Haven Theater Company . I was accepted into the group and over the…
Before I became a parent, I had a completely different notion of what gross was compared to now. Things that I formerly would have found to be utterly disgusting I now do on a daily basis without batting an eye. I have compiled a list of a few things I no longer find repulsive. Food…
Brushing teeth around here is an unpredictable event. Sometimes it's smooth; the kids hold their mouths open, keep still, spit into the sink and then brush themselves at the end. But then there are other times when it's the bane of my existence. There are certain times when, for whatever reason, the kids won't keep…
I know what you're thinking: "Where is he going with this? I thought this was a family themed blog." Please just hear me out, I need to get this off my chest. I know a lot of my readers are women and you won't really be able to relate to what I'm about to say…
Like most people who have little kids will tell you, they can say the craziest things sometimes. My kids are no different. They are always making some off the wall and usually funny comment. It also seem that the crazy second child , Greyson, is the biggest culprit. I decided this past week I was going…
Wednesdays are early release days from school. Often when my oldest is getting home from kindergarten on Wednesdays at least one of the other 3 kids is still napping. The bus stop is just far enough away I don't feel comfortable letting him walk home by himself yet and I feel awkward leaving a sleeping…
Today I was letting my 3 year old watch some TV so I could pick up around the house a little without him getting in the way. I was suddenly overcome with the urge to let him know I loved him. So I walked over to where he was on the couch and said: "Greyson,…
Heading home the other night we stopped at a red light and our 3 year old pipes up from the back seat: "Is that our lollipop getting place?" My wife and I looked over to see a bank drive though lit up and we just started laughing. As far as he is concerned, a bank…
You won't believe what I'm about to say. We've all heard the stories about the Bermuda Triangle and we're well versed with the unexplained goings-on in Area 51, but little to no attention gets paid to the unexplained supernatural paranormal activity that surrounds kids. It's a real thing happening all around us everyday. I'll discuss…
When you become a parent everyone, whether you want it or not, decides they need to give you advice. You hear about how "It'll be the best part of your life" how "You'll never get any sleep" "Your life will never be the same again" "Cherish them, they'll never be little again." How-to book after…
My second born, the three-year old, is a walking soundbite. Sometimes I have a difficult time remembering all the crazy things he's said throughout the day to repeat them later. He's also so animated and has such great delivery that sometimes simply repeating his word doesn't do the situation justice. Last night at dinner he…
On occasion I send the kids out into the fenced-in back yard to run around and play while I get dinner ready in the kitchen and watch them through the large bay windows. I usually open one of the windows so I can keep a better ear out for anything that might be going on.…
My kids seem to enjoy any trip that gets them out of the house. The grocery store is no different. I'm eternally grateful to BJ's Wholesale Club for having a decent stock of family friendly shopping carts. These carts have a double-seater race car on the front and two standard kid seats up near the…
When I venture to the playground with my 4 kids I have to have my head on a constant swivel. The youngest isn't mobile yet but the other 3 run around like lunatics. It seems they have an unspoken rule that they will be the furthest away from each other as possible at all times.…
It's not often I get to have a day without any kids. But a little while ago I was able to do just that and got to take advantage of the time to play some golf with an old friend. It was a beautiful day and my buddy had 2 of his friends come and…
One of the highlights of my day is when one of my children say something unexpected or funny. So often these little nuggets are full of wisdom, not always mind you, sometimes it's just down right silliness. Either way it is usually a wonderful glimpse into the mind of a child and a reminder of…