June 2016

For the last several days, ok the past 5, my wife has been out of town. I’ve had to do all the cooking, cleaning, taking care of the boys, etc. Not that I don’t mind or even love doing it, but it has been a lot. But what I’ve realized more and more, is the amount of respect that I have for other parents.

The boys are able to do a lot for themselves, getting dressed, getting snacks out and in bowls, help with some cooking and picking up after themselves, but I have to say, I have a new profound respect for single parents. I was averaging getting an hour by myself each night before bed, to just rest. But that is the thing, I did it for 5 days, but what about the parents that do it everyday?

Parenting is a lot of hard work. There are so many things that go into a parents day, from the time that they wake up and getting the kids ready, to work, to returning home from work and picking up the kids, to making dinner, bed time, laundry, house cleaning and maybe a few minutes to themselves. And after 5 days, the amount of respect that I have for single parents is through the roof. I’ve done this several times, but this 5 day stretch was a little more than usual. The boys are able to do more, but they are able to get into more stuff too.

So, to those that wear the hat of both mother and father, to those that do it all, day in and day out. All I can say, is keep up the good work. Your children will notice. They will notice how hard you work and all that you do for them. They will notice the sacrifices that you make for them. They will see that when you get to the point that you can’t do or give anymore, you find away to force your way ahead. But more importantly, they too will have a lot of respect for you and will see how to be a parent and what to do or not to do when they have kids.

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This past week has been really one of reflection for me. Nothing too crazy going on, just different things in both the world happenings and also events that I’ve seen and experienced.

From the US News stand point:

  1. The events in Orlando this past weekend and the tragic murders of 49 innocent lives.
  2. The child that was taken by an alligator while on Disney property at one of the resorts.
  3. The musician that was shot by a fan after a concert in Orlando.
  4. I don’t even know where to begin on the upcoming US Presidential election. Clinton vs. Trump might drive everyone crazy for the next several months.

Personally:

  1. I can’t believe how quickly life has flown by for the boys. How in the heck did they end up turning 5? It seemed like yesterday I was rocking them to sleep.
  2. Moving back into my wife’s childhood home. Having more room. Turning our lives upside down. And becoming land lords.
  3. We’ve been working on paying down debt, done better some months than others. We are on track to increase our charitable givings this year, which is beyond awesome.
  4. We’ve been walking more and getting more exercise, which is great.
  5. I woke up to a song the other morning that Sober by Edwin McCain & it really helped put some perspective. I’ve usually had historically speaking 1 -2 beers a night & sure, there have been times where I would have 3 – 4 beers while watching a basketball game. But what I realized was, my kids are watching. One of the boys said that when he got older, he wanted to drink beer like me. Ouch. But more importantly, I really didn’t like the way I felt, even after 1 beer a night. So, it is time to really cut back the beer. For many reasons.

So, there has been a great deal of reflection over the last few days/weeks. And I hope that this reflection not only has helped me grow as a father, husband, friend, etc. but also helps me change and be a better person overall.

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Pre-K Graduation has come and gone and with that change, so comes a new daycare. One that is closer to the house and one that is within walking distance.

Leaving the old daycare was bitter sweet, as the boys really grew and learned a lot and really prepared them for Kindergarten. But with that, it was still another transition and change.

Today, the boys walked to their new daycare with my wife, excited and nervous, but walked in and immediately started playing. They transitioned a lot easier that we have, that is for sure. But as with this milestone passing, we prepare for the next. And as their first graduation has come and gone, we prepare for future events like this.

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