Fatherhood

Jen and I have asked ourselves few questions along the way ... I'm sure there will be more, but here are some of the answers we have found: What if he drinks the bath water? He might feel queasy or get diarrhea if the water is soapy, but he will not have a problem with germs unless he bathes with someone else, says Philip Tierno, Ph.D., director of clinical microbiology at New York University Medical Center, in New York City, and author of The Secret Life of Germs. Wash children one at a time, and try not to let them drink the water. What if he sticks his finger into a socket? Standard household current would give a child a mild shock, similar to that from static electricity, says Liza DeWitt, M.D., a pediatrician at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, in Milwaukee. The child would be startled and probably pull his hand away, but electrical skin burns can still occur. What can be more serious is not pulling away immediately, which can put him at risk of internal o...

Last night was cool. Patrick was in a playful mood ... dumping food and drinks all over the place, sneaking toys over the back of the couch (then getting upset when I passed them back to him), and climbing over everything. He also got a family game going ... with everyone ready for bed, he had us put his shoes on, then Papa and Mama had to put on their boots. It was all very funny and exciting ... mostly watching his intensity. Then, we had to follow him ... around and around we went. Through the kitchen, into the dining room, through the family room, past the front door and into the kitchen again ... over and over, around and around ... stomping our feet in some sort of family train! Every now and then, Jen or I would fall behind and invariably, Patrick would stop to make sure that we caught back up. We played other games, as well ... but we always seemed to head back to the train ... oh, and don't forget the shoes ...

We had my parents over for dinner last night ... Patrick and Jen prepared dinner, even going as far as making brownies for desert! It was very cool watching Patrick cuddle with his Grandfather. It is always amazing to me how those two get along. It was also very cool watching Patrick and his Grandmother read a book together ... Before dinner, he got a chance to show off the cast-iron toy stove that Jen had played with as a child. This has become one of his favorite toys ... the parts certainly make a lot of noise when he tosses them across the room. At dinner, I sat next to Patrick, across from his grandparents ... their expressions as they watched him were sheer joy and a joy to watch, as well. At one point, I asked Patrick to show them the Moon and Stars in his room. He has a humidifier that lights up, projecting colored starts and a moon on the ceiling ... he loves them. He immediately headed for the stairs, and turned to his grandparents and signaled come on ... a q...

This is the second night in a row that we were able to spend time and Grandma and Papap's ... Patrick enjoys it so much! We even had a rousing rendition of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" with all five of us involved ... yes, Patrick is pitching in now. He runs from person to person, giving a bit to each one of us ... there is never a dull moment. Tonight, he repeated a new activity from last night. Last night, it was getting everyone involved in chasing him around the house ... tonight, we had this activity, but what we saw was that he wanted to play different games and wanted certain people involved. This is when he went to each person that needed to be involved and grabbed a finger, pulling them along. He even checked every now and then to make sure they were still following. Such an amazing child ... knows how to ensure that we sleep well.

We headed over to see Grandma and Papap after work. They had taken the time to pick up Patrick from daycare ... so cool, giving us a few quiet minutes. The silence was so amazing ... Patrick and Grandma showed us the new boots he got ... again, so cool! At one point during the night, Patrick was being chased around the house (they have a nice large circle you can run around in their house) ... by Papap. He stopped at one point and grabbed his Mama's hand and got her into the chasing. Not long after that, Grandma was pulled into the chase, as well. So there I was watching my father, mother, and wife chasing my son around the house, like some super-cool train (yes, I did get pulled into chasing hi, as well ... but at that point, I was allowed to sit back and laugh) ... we are all so well trained!

Jen had e-mailed to ask if she should take Patrick in to see the doctor. Knowing he has had a persistent cough (although not bad ... just not going away), I told her to take him ... I expected the visit to occur once she got off work. I learned that she took him much earlier than I expected ... as I got a text message from the pharmacy saying that his prescription was ready. Then, things got exciting. About an hour later, I got a call from his daycare saying he had thrown up and I had to come get him ... since I was only twenty minutes from the end of the day, I left right away. On the way, I called Jen's work and cell phones and left messages, letting her know what was going on. I called the doctor's office to determine what I was dealing with ... thankfully, nothing major. I also got the bright idea to call the pharmacy ... to find out that Jen had not picked up his medication. I stopped in on the way and got it! Then, I finally got to Patrick ... he looked fine, ...

I pulled out the bed from the fold-out couch tonight ... for watching the election results. I managed this while Jen was in getting his bath. I got sheets out, put a blanket on and laid out pillows for our general comfort. I even arranged the snacks and juice (drinks for the non-toddlers in the group). Surprise ... Then, we got playing as Mama went to get a clean diaper for him ... All was well ... until ... He wanted off the bed, sliding forward and looking at me for assistance ... nothing unusual, so far. I moved down next to him, getting ready to help him to the floor. Then, I could only watch as he jumped up and sprinted to the other end of the bed where he buried himself in my pillow ... laughing all the way. ... Let the games begin!

Patrick had fun last night ... he was laughing and playing from the time he got home. Jumping around and playing with a spray bottle, he was a bundle of energy unlike I've ever seen. At one point, he tried one of my popsicles and I got the bright idea of placing it into one of his smaller cups. He loved it ... and we loved the fact that there was little mess. Dancing with the Stars was on and he spent almost the entire two hours dancing with his mother. While this was going on, I was remembering the night before when he fell asleep while getting his bath for the night ... simply sitting and playing, then asleep ... so cute! Last night, however, he was moving with a determined energy ... falling all over the place, obviously exhausted, but not willing to give up the fight. Eventually, he crashed and we placed him in his crib. I got a quick shock as he jumped and scrambled ... until his head hit the edge of the crib, then the snoring started up again. I'm not sur...

We were playing near the stair from our kitchen to the lower level. Patrick had a squishy toy we bought for him a few weeks back. When it hits something, it flashes brightly ... he loves it. He was tossing the toy down the stairs and I was flipping it back up to him, often bouncing it off his head or chest. The laughter was incredible ... so much fun. Then, he made a run toward the stairs to get in a good toss ... and I knew he was in trouble. He tripped as I launched myself up the stairs ... just in time to catch him before his head hit the first step down the stairs. As Jen came around the corner to see what all the commotion was about, I was just getting my nerves back in order and began lifting him back to his feet. He let me hold him for a few seconds then, seeing his mother nearby, his tears stopped and he stretched out for her. ... so much fun!

Patrick's routine generally has him napping at just before noon each day. He gets some food in him and crashes. We decided to take advantage of that today. We got up and got ready for the day ... Jen took him for a walk around ten in the morning; anticipating him getting hungry around eleven. We were right ... The entire family piled into the car around noon ... a bit later than we expected, but still able to enjoy the day. Then, we drove ... twenty minutes later he was out. Jen and I explored our town ... for almost two hours we drove until he woke up. We found a store that Jen wanted to check out ... children's clothing. That's OK on a family day! Patrick enjoyed checking out all the clothing and got a chance to stretch his legs. For some reason, he liked the knit hat with three eyes ... although, we couldn't get him to wear it until I pulled it down so it covered his eyes; not too practical for winter. Then, it was time for food ... chicken, ketchup, an...

What a cool day ... we did nothing exciting, but had some fun. We all needed haircuts, but the place we chose did not do the coloring that Jen was looking for. Patrick and I got our hair done ... he sat in the booster seat with no issue (OK, a little concerned over the hair dryer, but he did cry as we left, so not too concerned). We then went someplace else to get Jen's hair done ... since we were looking at two hours, I opted to do the shopping with Patrick. He was awesome in the store ... talking with other kids as they went by and holding the new Swifer I was getting Jen (all kinds of excitement this weekend ... she did ask for a new one) ... really, he would not let go. Then, we headed back to the salon where we waited in the car ... Patrick got to drive! After a few people walking by commenting on the toddler steering the Jeep (yes, we were in Park the whole time) ... Patrick managed to get the window open and started having conversations with all the people goin...

Cleaning dishes that had piled into both sinks and were spilling over onto our cutting board, I was reminded of when Jen and I realized that the amount of laundry we do has increased dramatically. For a little-guy, he generates a LOT of dirty clothes ... he also generates a lot of dirty dishes ... pots, pans, silverware, and cups. Our workload has increased, but in a good way. What we did before Patrick was for us ... now, it's for family. I thought back to how he has grown ... he's even playing different. Patrick helped me with dinner ... he carried the egg from the refrigerator to the stove and mixed the egg and bread mix together for me. So cool! He has also been eating candy from Halloween ... well, let me amend that, he chews on the package with the candy in it. If he breaks the package and can taste the candy, he gets a new one. He spent about two hours taking the candy out of it's container and organizing it on our coffee table. Bored with that, he grabbe...

We missed the Trunk-or-Treat on Sunday at out church. It was cold and raining ... seemed like a good idea to stay home. Getting an e-mail from Jen yesterday that I needed to get some candy to daycare for Patrick ... I stopped off and delivered the candy. I opted to stay until Jen got there to pick him up. To my delight, I got to enjoy Patrick and his class walking from room to room "trick-or-treating" ... he and I both loved it! On getting home, I made a quick run to get some groceries ... it was cold and raining again, so we opted to get Patrick dressed up and hand out candy to the kids coming by that night. When I arrived back from the store, Jen and Patrick were both in costume ... Patrick looked very cool in his dragon costume. Kids were coming by throughout the next few hours and Patrick made it to the door every time! What a night to remember ... his second Halloween, but just as memorable as his first!

Patrick has always had a beautiful smile ... that widens dramatically when he laughs, which is quite often. Those that know him have all commented on his beautiful smile! Last night I noticed a jump in the amount of facial expressions he shows. He may have shown more expression earlier ... and, I just noticed it ... hmmm. We were sharing some Animal Crackers when I asked if he wanted more. He lifted his shoulders, giving me a big grin, and walked off. Later, sitting on a chair, I swear he gave me a flat smile ... almost like he didn't want to smile, but still felt a need to. Dancing with his mother, he gave a quirky smile as he rocked his head from side to side. These are just some of the expressions I have seen ... and recently realized I was seeing. So amazing to be a father!

Yesterday was about games ... I picked Patrick up from school, as I got off work. This way, I got a few hours with him by myself. We threw balls ... he particularly liked bouncing the ball off my head. We turned the lights for the pumpkin on and off ... you should have heard the excitement when I connected the main lights to that switch. He loved turning the sounds on and off on the door (Halloween decoration). We also had a good meal ... nice and clean for once, although he did get to crush two crackers and dump them on the floor. I will say, in his defense, that he grabbed the whisk broom and helped clean them up. We watched Tom and Jerry ... funny for an eighteen month old and his father. We bounced on Papa ... over and over ... good workout. Simple fun as a father ... smiles and laughter for hours on end!

Trouble with the stairs again. Patrick was following me down the stairs. I had already gotten downstairs and was sitting in front of the computer when I heard him heading down the steps. I issued a gentle reminder for him to be careful when I heard the thumping start. Knowing I was too far from the steps, there was nothing I could do but watch. As I described it to Jen ... "Think of the gingerbread man pose. Put it upside down and on the bottom step and that's what I saw rolling down our stairs." Patrick landed with a remarkably gentle thump and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before the screaming started. By that time, I had gotten to him and held him close until Mama arrived to take over. Amazingly, there didn't even seem to be a bump on his head ... No damage done ... but, what a scare!

What a glorious afternoon ... It was a simple day, a Saturday, with nothing to do. Just me ... my son, and my wife. And, we did nothing ... OK, maybe a bit of television and a few diaper changes. Showers and a bath, but nothing more than that. Then, we got to the late afternoon and Patrick kind of went ballistic ... crying, no screaming ... We tried several things and I finally carried him to our bedroom where I started to bounce him ... the tears faded ... and bounce him, some more ... and he simply whimpered ... and bounced him, some more. Eventually, he fell asleep and, minus a quick shift to the center of the bed, he slept soundly for several hours. ... what a glorious afternoon.

Patrick loves to be outside. When he arrived home yesterday, I was just getting finished with some weeding ... he and Jen immediately jumped in to help. We dragged branches to the pile in the back yard. Then, I found Jen and Patrick getting ready for a bike ride. Wanting to spend time with my wife and son, I opted into the ride. We didn't go far, my back and legs were a bit sore at that point ... but we did get out together as a family. The bike seat we have is not the kind I remember as I grew up. Patrick's is pretty close to my seat, in fact my heels hit the lower part of his seat if I am not paying attention. Despite this, we have a lot of fun. He loves to look around and notices things ... at one point, Jen wandered off and he started calling to her until she headed back to what he considered a safe distance. He is also a boy and likes to play. He "high-fived" my back and spent a few minutes pulling my shirt out. I hope I never forget the head-butt...

It's now official, our walls have been decorated by our son for the first time. Patrick had been drawing in his coloring book with a marker. He wandered off, as he does at times. Not hearing him for a few seconds, I wandered into the dining room to check on him. What I discovered was an entire wall covered in orange marker ... just at his shoulder level. He looked at me with a look of excitement in his eyes. He was so proud of the artwork he prepared for us ... I was a bit angry, but more amused (though I couldn't let it show). Thankfully, it was a washable marker and a wet sponge made short work of the artwork ... Patrick was a bit upset that it was gone; that is until he found the raisins. Have I said before that he is ALWAYS hungry these days ... UPDATE: Now, not only have we done artwork on the wall, we have decorated one of the toilet covers ... with the red Permanent Marker he found!

Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak; and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat and humble and gentle in victory. Build me a son whose wished will not take the place of deeds; a son who will know Thee -- and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge. Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fail. Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goal will be high, a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men, one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past. And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously. Give him humility, so that he may always reme...

The Golden Rule I did not just grow up. I was taught ... ... to speak when I enter a room. ... to say please and thank you. ... to have respect for my elders, and to get up off my lazy butt and let the elder in the room have my chair. ... to say, "Yes, Sir," and "No, Sir." ... to lend  helping hand to those in need. ... to hold the door for the person behind me. ... to say "Excuse me," when it is needed. ... and to love people for who they are  and not for what I can get from them . I was also taught to treat people the way that I want to be treated.

My attitude reflects in my son ... I can see him learning from me daily. In a store last night, I started to get irritated when someone stepped between my wife and I, getting in line a little bit early. This is the same store that I had a major issue with about a month ago, so I wasn't in the greatest frame of mind to being with. This woman noticed me calling Jen (amazingly, it only took calling her about six times, or so) and realized what had happened. Not only did she step back to let me through, but she was pleasant about it and struck up a conversation with Jen and I about Patrick ... This all got me thinking about what Patrick reflects about me ... need to do more thinking on this topic!

Last night, Jen was in a class and I got Patrick for a few hours ... Papa time. We took some time and visited his grandparents; two of Patrick's cousins were also there, so it became a cool visit. Of course, we had to get in some Tractor time ... can't forget that. Then, we headed out ... Jen still had about thirty minutes left, so I decided to just drive around the area. I was comfortable in the car ... Patrick, different situation. As he started crying ... I tried singing (this has worked before) and to my amazement, it only took two rounds of "Row, Row, Row your boat" for him to quiet down. About a dozen rounds later, I stopped as my throat started getting strained. Then, the crying kicked in again. After about three of these sets and about twenty minutes later, I glanced over my shoulder to find him fast asleep. I kept singing ... slowly dropping the volume. Just as I stopped singing, Jen called to say she was on her way home. I turned the car arou...

We took Patrick to his cousin's volleyball game the other night. What a terror that could have been ... What fun we had! We got there and Patrick got fixated on the net bag of volleyballs that the girls were using ... he simply sat back and watched as they added and removed balls. Then, he sat on my lap as the girls practiced serving over the net ... all patience. Once the balls were back in the net, he did pick up the bag and attempt to carry it off the court ... I was impressed that he managed to get it off the ground; it was bigger than he is. As the game got going, he again sat patiently in my lap and watched the game; clapping at all the appropriate times. When his cousin got up to serve, he was wildly cheering and calling her name ... could you ask for anything more of an eighteen month old son! I couldn't believe how much fun he had and how well he behaved ... what a cool night!

Two days ago, I was getting Patrick dressed ... he was home sick and I stayed to take care of him for the day. After getting him dressed, we played. At one point, he looked like he was getting sleepy and I took him back to my bedroom and put him on the bed. What I didn't notice ... but he did ... was a clean diaper sitting in the middle of the bed. He got hold of it and started swatting at me. We both laughed. Jen loved the story as I told it to her the next morning ... what a cool way to start Mama's day! This morning, as I was getting ready for work, Patrick started playing Peek-a-Boo with me ... tilting his head in from the hall, "Peek," then back into the hall again. Over and over we played, smiles on everyone's faces. He has this incredible laugh that just reverberates ... anytime I can get him to laugh, I go for it ... There are so many things that little man does that make me smile ... the list could go on forever!

I love to watch the way my son's mind works. I had removed him from the cart (yes, the one with the plastic car on the front ... I've said before that he loves to drive) ... and had him following me. I figured that we could check the meat prices while Jen got the lunch meat. About fifty feet away, he realized where he was and turned, with a yell, toward his Mama. He started running her way ... arms back, like a jet fighter. Then, Jen dropped to one knee and put out her arms toward him ... at which point, he turned ninety degrees to the right ... We both laughed watching him as a made a complete circuit around to sneak up on his mother from behind ... with a massive smile on his face. As I said ... I love to watch the way my son's mind works.

  Can you believe that I had no idea how to spell "croup" two days ago? Thank you Google. I arrived at my parents to find my wife and son in the bathroom with the shower running ... I am not sure what thoughts were running around in my head as I heard where they were, but croup was not one of them. Then, I heard it ... croup. And ... so aptly named. In anguish, I was trying to remember everything I knew about child-rearing and croup ... it didn't take but a second, or two. Again, thank you Google. After a quick refresher on what we were up against, I made a quick trip (with Jen ... my parents gave us a break from watching Patrick, knowing we were heading for a long night) ... to get a cool humidifier for his room. Everything together, we headed home. He did get to sleep, after two rough attempts where he coughed himself awake, having trouble breathing because of all the crying he was doing. He did get to sleep ... in between his parents, both watching him ...

At the golf-scramble the other day, there was golf,  a dinner, a silent auction and a live auction. Needless to say, there were quite a few members of the family, co-workers, and people from the community present. What got to me were the children present. There were about six or seven toddlers ... all of them were very cute, with little hats when they were outside, bring carried by doting parents, being fawned over by loving family or friends who just wanted to see an amazing, loving smile. I still think that if you lined them up, side-by-side, that Patrick would be the cutest of them all, but I expect that each of the parents there would tell you the same thing. But, in this case, I'm right!

The strength of a small town was hammered home yesterday. I just spent the day away from my wife and son, helping out at a golf-scramble in memory of a tremendous young man that I worked with. His loss was a terrible accident. He came into my life for a short time, but was a part of this community. There were people in pain, but coming together to help each other come to grips with what has happened and make it into something positive ... there was so much raised for his fiance and son-to-be ... and it wasn't about the money; at the core, this was about helping each other. I spent a few hours talking to his grandfather ... every topic under the sun.  The biggest thing that ran through the conversations was the value in living in a small town ... a tight-knit community. As I sat thinking about all this last night, I realized that these are the same values that I was raised with as a "military brat." My parents were from this same type of town and had instilled th...

Having to work late ... I miss my wife and son. I love being there when he gets home ... I see that smile light up on his face as he sees me. I get that first hug and sometimes, even a kiss on the cheek. Some days, I take him out to the Mustang so he can "drive," having to remember to reset all the lights, vents, radio, and mirrors. Other days, he heads straight for the cupboard for food ... it is truly amazing how much food one little man can put away sometimes. Then, there are times ... those truly rare days when all he wants is Papa time. I have to hold him, snuggle with him, and generally have him nearby no matter what I want to do. I miss them ...

As a parent ... raised in the days of voice contact, seeing children converse in the same room via cell phones and fingers ... I feel like a throw-back, a relic of some lost age. Even today, I find myself cringing when I call and get an automated system. What happened to our conversational skills. The question today is, who needs a voice when our children can tap on a touch screen faster and more efficiently than any of us ever though possible. Hung up on inflection and tone, can't we just hop on Skype for those important conversations (yes, you can connect Skype directly to the television). Parents are important in this new age of technology ... someone has to buy the phone, maintain the plan, and replace damaged devices. We even have to tell our children to stop texting at the dinner table, as well as to turn the phone off before going to bed. Being a parent and watching my child's fascination ... and, eventually becoming an extension of the phone, I sometimes wonde...

I think I have told the story of our walk by the church where someone was riding the tractor, mowing the lawn. As the story goes, I said "mower" to Patrick ... and got "more" in sign back. This trend has continued, especially since he loves riding on tractor/mowers. We found a kids mower today ... green and yellow plastic; it ticks when pushed or pulled. This mower has a knob that rotates, as well as one that can be pushed/pulled. It even has a starter; you give it a pull to hear the engine start up. Patrick has rarely let it go since we got home ...

Mama and I were trying to get ready for the day. Having a little boy in the mix certainly makes this a longer, more interesting process than it ever was when we were single (and I use to wonder what took Jen so long to get ready ... six hours today). I had him, playing on the bed, as we approached his nap time. He was diving on pillows, trying to give me a heart-attack as he tried repeatedly to topple off the bed. Eventually, he dropped over my legs and I bounced him for a bit (not too long ... need to work on those abs). I grabbed him and flipped him to the other side of the bed and began to pat him on the back. Within seconds he was asleep ... two hour nap! Then, the day began ...

As we picked up Patrick from daycare, he got all excited and rolled over this blue padded cylinder they had in the room. He promptly hit his forehead and started crying (we did not see the impact on the forehead until later). It was actually pretty funny other than the crying (yes Mama, it was OK to laugh). His crying settled down very quickly ... even with Papa holding him. A typical incident ... as I have written about previously, he does have a tendency to Bonk His Head . As the night went on and we went through various games, such as Papa laying on the floor and Patrick jumping on top of him ... the bonks to the head continued. Thankfully, being that close to him, I was able to minimize the damage to the reddened bruise on his forehead. ALL BOY!

Last night, we found that Patrick's little Leap Frog Fire Engine was broken. Well ... basically, the batteries corroded and it no longer worked ... played music and honked. Thinking that it was a pretty simple design, I decided to take it apart to see if I could clean the leads and possibly get it working again.  As I removed the dozen or so one-inch screws, Patrick decided to step in and help. With Patrick's help (Mama's distracting him at key moments), I managed to get the steering wheel disconnected and the wheels out to finally get it apart ... basically to find that the sections I needed into were deeper inside (more screws ... more complications). I decided to let it be and search for a few one later. Today, I searched ... and searched ... and searched (yes, I teach computers and pride myself on being able to locate just about anything ... a detailed knowledge of databases helps).  Apparently, it was a limited release and I really didn't find anything ...

Jen and Patrick found the top to a spray bottle last night; we had purchased it with some laundry supplies. This particular one had never been put into anything; so it made a great toy. At least, he thought so ... the tight grip on it as he tried to squeeze the trigger and bright grin were pretty good indicators. After watching him work the trigger for a few minutes, I grabbed a water bottle and put the stem into the water and gave it a few squeezes. Once I figured out I had to unlock it, we got some water spraying through the nozzle. After five attempts where he sprayed himself in the face ... to his obvious delight, I showed him how to turn it around. "Spray Mama," I said ... and off he went! Then, once Mama and the floor had been doused ... several trips back and forth, she told him to "get Papa," and it was my turn to get wet. All this was accompanied by beautiful childish laughter. He even understood the "No" when he tried to spray the o...

OK, I am a father ... My son has THE PERFECT SMILE! Am I just saying that because he is my son ... maybe.  But, it is true. When he smiles, he lights up a room.  It is one of those smiles that you cannot help but notice. When he is smiling at someone, they can feel the love and happiness he feels when he is around them. When he is laughing ... the smile is accompanied by peals of the best laughter. My son has THE PERFECT SMILE. OK, I am a father ... and he is my son!

I saw this one a few days ago ... HILARIOUS! Mrs. Ravioli was visiting her son Anthony for dinner. He lives with a female roommate, Maria. During the course of the meal, his mother could not help but notice how pretty Anthony's roommate was. She had long been suspicious of a relationship between the two, and this had only made her even more curious. Over the course of the evening, while watching the two interact, she started to wonder if there was more between Anthony and his roommate than met the eye. Reading his mother's thoughts, Anthony volunteered, "I know what you must be thinking, but I assure you, Maria and I are just roommates." About a week later, Maria came to Anthony saying, "Ever since your mother came to dinner, I've been unable to find the silver sugar bowl. You don't suppose she took it, do you?" "Well, I doubt it, but I'll email her, just to be sure." So Anthony sat down and wrote an email: Dear Mama, ...

This morning was unusual. Patrick woke at three in the morning and was still up and about when I got up for work at five. While there was nothing unusual to this point, having him join me in the bathroom as I got ready for my work day was ... I was closing the door and turning on the lights, when the door opened back up and there stood my son. He joined me. I put him on the counter with his feet in the sink while we brushed our teeth. I left him to his mother as I got into the shower. Patrick quickly opened the door to the shower. "Patrick, Papa's going to get cold in there," his mother intoned. I told her that it was warm enough in the bathroom. No water was splashing out, so I had few concerns. I passed toys to Patrick, only to have them thrown back at me. All fun and games! Then, he wandered off for a few seconds ... and the toilet flushed. So much for a warm shower! All in fun. What an amazing way to start the day ...

His visit with Grandma and Papap was cool. We played with everyone ... kind of bouncing in between. We ate dinner. This went well until I gave him Grandma's old cell phone (deactivated, should only be able to dial 911 ... waiting for that one). Once he got the phone, there was no interest in food. You have to remember that he has always been fascinated with cell phones, but is usually monitored very closely and rarely gets to hold it for long ... and, he can tell the difference between the real one and the fake one ... this one was real! Eventually, we got the phone away from him and he did eat ... Later, after more playing, he turned to his Grandma and waved goodbye. He then proceeded to give out hugs and kisses. When asked, he indicated that he was ready to go home ... rapid head nod (Yes). He indicated the same when asked if he wanted to come back tomorrow. I guess he was ready to go ...

Tonight it was three slices of "Eese" (cheese for those not familiar with the linguistics of small children). There would have been a fourth slice if Papap had not recommended a string cheese as an option. Patrick was more than willing to take it on. Then, he headed for the raisins; almost finishing one box (the large box, not one of the bitty ones that's gone in seconds) ... before heading for the unopened box. Mixed into all this was at least one "Ooose" (juice ... hang in there). I really think he was ready to take on the unopened box ... he was trying to sneak it out the door as we left. Hilarious ... a child trying to sneak out a box that was about half his size out the door! Upon our arrival at home, he started in on the cheese curls before settling on a meal of Chef-boy-ardee 'ronis. Two juice containers later and we finally allowed Mama and Papa to get us ready for a bath ... he needed it after all that food. Oh, and did I mention the t...

Are there good parents, great parents, ... bad parents? I recently saw parents that took their two young daughters to a concert. These two girls were not just bored ... they were in some pain; the music was very loud. Thankfully, one of the security personnel stopped by about half way through the show and dropped off ear plugs for the girls. Were these bad parents? Probably not ... I suspect they made one bad decision (to take the girls to the show) and made it a bit worse (by attempting to stay). Part of me can understand the decisions; the tickets were over seventy dollars each ... but, part of me does not understand the decision to let the cost of a ticket over-ride the health of their kids. Many parents, most likely, fall into all these categories at one time or another. As I am learning, being a parent is not a one-time thing, it evolves and changes over time.

Patrick woke crying in his crib. Since Jen is on a quarter break, she got up and tried to get him back to sleep. Unfortunately, this was turning out to be one of those nights where something is wrong ... and we have no clue what. She brought him to bed with us ... which usually works. Not tonight. I rolled over to the cries of my son. I suggested medication; Jen agreed and went to get them. That is when Patrick got livid. Something was wrong ... and now, it was worse; Mama was gone. As he leaned her direction ... arms out, I carried him down the stairs looking for Mama. When we reached the kitchen, Jen and I swapped Patrick for the medication ... I think Jen got the better deal. We quickly got the medication into him ... Patrick then leaned forward for his step-stool ... yes, I know ... kind of unusual. Once on the step stool, he was reaching for the fridge. I placed the magnetic teddy bear near him. Patrick gave me an odd look and pushed it toward the bottom of the...

We walked into my parents house ... looking for Papap. "Hello," we called. "'Ello," Patrick mimicked. "Hello," we called again, laughing a bit. "'Ello," Patrick mimicked again, delighted that he could get us laughing that easily. Out in the back yard, he went for the shovel (small blue plastic one I got for him a while back). "Maybe he should go shovel in the sand-box," Papap said ... Off he went to the sand-box, lugging the shovel. Later I asked him if he wanted raisins. Shaking his head no, he headed for the fridge. "Eeze," he said ... Cheese, he intended. His comprehension and vocal capacity is growing by leaps and bounds!

Last night, we had a continuation of a previous game. Patrick joined me as I was getting ready for bed. I leave early for work, so I am often getting ready before my wife and son. It looked like he wanted to lay down with me ... what it became was a game of "bounce on Papa." In this game, he sits up (often helped up by Jen or myself) and he then slams his head back into my chest or stomach ... Jen is often concerned for my well being, but in reality I am generally not in pain, more surprised as my ongoing laughter does not give me time to prepare for the next hit. He did get one or two good hits on my sternum ... just knocking the wind from me ... making me laugh even more.

Tired this afternoon I lay down for a nap... Patrick was right next to me. Several hours later, I got up ... with my son sitting up next to me. While both of us were a bit bleary-eyed, we both felt much better. Dinner was accompanied by grandma and papap ... what more can you ask for in a day! What an amazing feeling ... such a little man enjoying time with his father!

The tractor ... we can always climb on, but not when it is turned on ... that would be scary. The car ... steering and moving all the buttons and levers ... nothing scary here. The big-wheel ... only the original; the new ones are cool, but only the original is the best. Swedish-Fish ... how many can we shove in at one time ... The broom ... so we can sweep up the mess we just made. The computer ... how many times has he turned this one off while I was working on something?

I missed him ... I missed my wife. I got invited to a Rush concert last night and headed over to meet the friend I was going with right after work. We had dinner, a beer before the concert ... an awesome experience with a band I like very much ... a beer after to let the traffic die down, then I headed home. Arriving at one o'clock in the morning, there was very little family time. Thankfully the weekend is here!