Fatherhood

  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 ...

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 ...

... to a Child There is no question that a child without a father in the home has much greater challenges in their lives than those with a father. Here are some statistics I have seen ... According to the US Census Bureau, 24 million children in America (one in three) live in homes without fathers. Educational Attainment: Kids living in single-parent homes or in step-families report lower educational expectations on the part of their parents, less parental monitoring of school work, and less overall social supervision than children from intact families. (N.M. Astore and S. McLanahan, American Sociological Review , No. 56 (1991) Achievement: Children from low-income, two-parent families outperform students from high-income, single-parent homes. Almost twice as many high achievers come from two-parent homes as one-parent homes. ( One-Parent Families and Their Children , Charles F. Kettering Foundation, 1990). High School Dropouts: 71% of all high school dropouts come from...