Parenting is about the small joys
Tweet There are joys great and small that come with being a parent. For every first word or graduation ceremony, there’s an expected giggle or insight that makes us swell with pride. Public humiliation is such a small joy. And it’s a door that swings both ways. Jellybean’s embarrassed me by, for example, [...]
Read More →The Music of Our Lives
Tweet Music has played a huge part in my life. I got my first kiss at a fifth grade lock-in while slow dancing to Bon Jovi’s “Never Say Goodbye” off the seminal Slippery When Wet. When my house burned down, the only thing I actually mourned was the loss of my KISS records. [...]
Read More →Cool doesn’t care about temperature
Tweet My grandmother – or maybe it was Captain Kangaroo – used to say, “Cool doesn’t care about temperature.” While such wink-and-a-nod sarcasm was mainly aimed at yours truly, they pertain to teenagers of any generation, when looking good and fitting in defy all other forms of logic. It’s why so many young [...]
Read More →Let’s give Jellybean something to talk about
Tweet It’s important for a father to bond with his daughter. It takes time and effort, finding not only mutual interests but also forging new levels of compatibility. It’s not necessarily natural, but the benefits will be played out for years and years to come. These building blocks, like the foundational stones [...]
Read More →Of music and rebellion
Tweet I never thought Lil’ Wayne would become such a dominant presence in my life … or Lil’ John or Lil’ Mama or any other the other legions of “Lil’ ” hip-hop stars that seem to have recently invaded my radio. Little Red Riding Hood. Little Bo Peep. Little Orphan Annie. The Little [...]
Read More →What do ya mean I’ve got a ‘bubble butt’?
Tweet It wasn’t supposed to hurt my feelings, mainly because I didn’t understand what she was talking about … but it sure wasn’t a compliment. Allow me to set the stage The Diva and I were sitting in the car waiting for cheerleading practice to end. And no, she’s not a cheerleader but [...]
Read More →Kids will command your attention…whether you want them to or not
Tweet I try to pay attention. I try to stay involved, connected; to say all the right things and hide my swelling impatience. I want her to know that I’m proud of her accomplishments. But a man – even the most well-intentioned father – can only feign wonder and excitement so many times [...]
Read More →There are no secrets
Tweet Life with Jellybean is like living with a TMZ reporter. Every little secret and embarrassing moment is thrown out there for strangers to ridicule and nothing is left to the imagination. Now I know what it’s like to be Lindsay Lohan – minus the cocaine and craziness. Take for example the answer [...]
Read More →A Parenting Rhapsody
Tweet It was a rare attempt at subterfuge and it failed miserably … it’s impossible to sneak anything past a 4-year-old, but you can’t blame a Daddy for trying. I wanted to listen to MY music for a change. It was just a 10-minute drive to Wal-Mart, and I figured we’d be in [...]
Read More →It’s all about the intent
Tweet I would think she was playing me if she didn’t look so sincere. “We don’t say, ‘butt’ because ‘butt’ is a bad word.” And that’s pretty much how the conversation begins, but it’s far from over. For Jellybean there’s an ever-growing list of words and phrases that she’s not supposed to say [...]
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