September 2017

For some reason, the thought of pulling teeth for the boys just never crossed my mind., until last night. I knew that Boy A had a really loose tooth, but I just figured that he would lose it like he did the first one, eating. But no.

So after dinner, he kept complaining that his tooth was really loose and he was in pain when eating. And the more he complained, the more my fair of pulling teeth became a reality. Just the thought scared me to death! I just keep thinking that I was going to hurt him and he was going to be in pain.

I tried to do what I thought was right, ignore the situation, offer him an apple and another slice of pizza, but that did not work at all. He chewed out of the other side of his mouth, which defeated the purpose. Then he asked for dental floss and I just could only imagine what crazy ideas that were going on through his mind, like ting it and slamming a door. Or tying it it and throwing something down the steps.

So as he was coming up with other ideas of how to get it out, I started texting fellow dads and they all said that they struggled the first time too, which did make me feel better. But, they all said to just pull it. Just grab a Kleenex and take it out. As I paced the hallway and kitchen, I got everything that I needed and just really need a few minutes to calm myself down and reassure myself that I was not going to hurt my son.

I had a glass of salt water on the counter to stop the bleeding, if there was any. A damped paper towel and a glass of wine for me. I had my son close his eyes and I took the Kleenex and felt how loose his tooth was and if he had eaten the apple, it would have come out, I am pretty sure. But I slide my thumb down and slowly lift his tooth out. I spent more time walking and pacing than it did to pull the tooth.

The tooth fairy came. He is happy. I was glad that my first experience of pulling teeth was not awful, but definitely never wracking. There are a lot of YouTube videos that are out there, so take a watch and see what works for you. The only real advice that I have, is to remain calm.

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Heroes don’t wear capes and masks, instead they wear uniforms and business suits and dresses, and overalls. Heroes are everyday normal humans that do extraordinary things on a daily basis.

Teachers, doctors, famers, fire fighters, police officers, soliders and the list goes on and on, these are true heroes. They put their lives on the line daily or they do something for the better of the world. And more importantly, they do amazing things with little to no fan fare or rarely a thank you.

Today, as I type this, my grandfather, who is one of my heroes, is laying in a hospital bed and is coming to the end of his life. He fought in World War II, he was a farmer, he was a father and grandfather, brother, uncle, etc. But more importantly, he contributed to society in different ways and made everyone that came in contact with him a better person.

He is always quick with a joke or a smile and he has never known a stranger in his life. Even when he is down or not feeling well, he is doing everything he can to make someone else’s day better. Through out the last several months as his health has steadily declined, he never once complained. He never once asked for pity or for someone to feel bad for him. Instead, he offers advice, he tells a joke and he makes others ok with were he is in his life and in knowing what the future holds.

My grandfather has lived a great life. He lived within his means and built up a legacy for his entire family and has been a rock for us all. And as we come to the end of his life, I have struggled with making sure that I have asked all of the questions that I wanted to know. I have wanted to ensure that he is comfortable and ready to leave this world, because when I get the call, though it will be a sad moment, he will no longer be struggling.

So as we watch what is going on in the world today, I reflect more on what lessons of life I have learned from my grandfather, because he is a hero that wore a farmer’s hat and drove a tractor.

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This past Friday, I took the day off from work to be a chaperone on my sons school field trip. Is this how I would normally want to spend a day off? Nope. But what a great day!

The boys and I walked over 5 miles that morning at the fair and visited every single exhibit with farm animals that they had. We laughed. We joked. And most importantly, we had a lot of fun.

At some point in time during our trip, one of the boys asked if my father ever went on a field trip. One thing that I have realized is that there are parts of my childhood that my kids do not need. Will it serve them any purpose in knowing that my father didn’t spend a lot of time with me? Do they need to know that he put work before me?

I just smiled and pointed out that a cow had just pooped and the boys went running and laughing. But it got me thinking while I was walking around the fair and looking at the other chaperones and I was one of the only Dads that was there. I understand it, it is hard to take off of work. I had to cancel 4 meetings in order to go on the field trip, but it was important for me to be there. My son’s need to know that they are my priority!

All Dad’s and future Dad’s, spend everyday as if it was your last. Give your children your undivided attention and it is not always easy to do, but try. Put the phone down and listen. Read at night to your children. TV can wait and so can responding to the emails that are sitting in your inbox.

As I watched my boys interact with their classmates and show their engagement with the animals and asking questions, I thought about the previous year and how much they had grown. I realized that I will never get today back. And in a few years, the boys will not want me to go on a field trip with them. So for today, right now, I will be glad to take off every chance that I can to spend time with my sons. I will be glad to be the only Dad going with their kids.

And more importantly, I want to make sure that my sons know that I have and will always make them a priority.

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This is strictly a homework rant about how first graders should not be doing homework.

Everything, I spend 10 – 15 minutes working with the boys on learning how to read and work on words that they might not know or missed during school today. And by this, I mean that the take turns, get in my lap and they read and I assist with words that they might not know.

Each and every night, minus Wednesday because on Wednesday we also do Math homework too. So the homework rant is this, why? Why are first graders reading at school and then coming home and doing more and reading more? Kids need to play. They need to be outside, running and getting dirty.

Instead, we take turns reading. The boys ask me questions. They relate the books that they are reading to their lives, like why they still have training wheels on their bikes? That lead to how bikes are balanced with training wheels and how  they have an expressed interest in taking the training wheels off.

Then they asked about pizza, because they each read a book tonight about making pizza.  As they read, they asked why certain topics were on some pizzas. Why some didn’t like bacon on their pizza and for that question, I just had no answer for them.

My point is this, as the boys grow older, they are going to be doing more and more homework. But today as I type out my homework rant, I am so grateful that they want to climb in my lap, put their heads on me and read to me.

Bring on homework, until they get into common core math, then I will have to pay a tutor.

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And just like that, the boys hopped on the bus and were off to their first day of school. No problems. No trying to reassure them of their day, nothing. But in reality, I was hoping that they were going to reassure me about their day.

The first is over, the boys have started first grade, so they know the teachers, were to go, etc. And as the bus pulled away from the stop, my wife and I looked at each other in amazement. Not that we had any doubt that the boys were not going to do great, but because they are growing up so fast.

So as my wife and I walked home and got ready to head over to a local restaurant for breakfast, we talked about the summer, we talked about the day for the boys and realized how much they are growing up.

The summer is officially over! School has started back and we are looking forward to seeing the boys grow up even more.

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I have held off saying a lot about Hurricane Harvey and I did so for a reason, I didn’t know what to say? Was I going to discuss the disaster? Was I going to discuss the loss of lives and devastation? The political rhetoric that has been thrown around? Or, was I going to talk about how I was personally effected?

Honestly, I still don’t know what to say? This will probably be a rambling post, but that is ok. I think often times, we struggle to find the right words to say in the aftermath of this disaster.

I am from North Carolina and at the age of 21, I packed up my jeep and moved just north of Houston to a town called The Woodlands. There, my life changed for the better. It changed because I went out with what I could put in my jeep and my best friend John, who was already living there, we got an apartment and I became who I am today. Houston is the 4th largest city in the US, so for me, I had never lived near that large of a city.

My first week of living in The Woodlands, I drove to downtown Houston to see the sights and to get use to the traffic and to the area, but what really happened was I fell in love with the city. I feel in love the area, the people, the culture, etc. And had I not accepted, at what I thought was a great job on the east coast, I would still be there today. I to this day, love Houston and more importantly, the great state of Texas.

The food and the music to this day have been completed changed because of my time there.   BBQ has an entire different feel for me today than it did in North Carolina because of Brisket and smoked sausage.  Tex-Mex and Mexican food, I don’t even know where to begin on this, but I think that Lyle Lovett said it best and is words that I still live by to this day:

Never eat Mexican food east of Mississippi or north of Dallas. – Lyle Lovett from a Southern Living article.

And the music is just amazing. From seeing King George Strait, Lyle Lovett, Robert Earl Keen, Pat Green, Randy Rogers Band and Wade Bowen and the list just go on and on.  To this day, when these artists are in town, I try like hell to get back, because for a few hours, I get to relive my time in Texas.

Texas is a part of me. It made me who I am today. It shaped me into the father, husband, man etc that I am today. It forced me to make new friends and leap outside of my comfort zone. I had to abandon things and views that I thought were one way to realize that it was really another. I changed into a better person, because of the years that I lived in Texas and for that, I am forever grateful.

So as I sat and watched the storm unfold, I was in constant contact with my family and friends that live there. I saw through their photos via text and on Facebook what was going on. And then the days after, I saw media photos of places where I worked or drove to and from work or the damage that my church had. But through it all, my friends and family are safe. The church can be repaired from the flooding, again. And Texas will rebuild, hell if you have ever spent anytime in Texas, you’ll know that not only will the city and residents rebuild, they will rebuild even bigger than before. That is the Texas way. That is Texas Pride!

As I listened to a friend the other night discuss the political tone and how the GOP failed to pass legislation when Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey, I couldn’t help be thinking that he was missing something. Regardless of the political views, the residents were rallying around each other and helping one another in a way that can not be described. People that did not know each other and regardless of color, political views, religious views were there helping to save the lives of their fellow Texans.

Hurricane Harvey hits really close to home for me. I have a good friend that was working the entire time as a fireman. I have friends that are in law enforcement there. I have close family there. I have friends that have serious medical conditions that were unsure about treatments that they were going to have. And through it all, you see Houston Texans J.J. Watt started a fund with a goal of $200,00o to be raised to help the residents of Houston and at this time, it has raised over $16 million.

Houston is Houston Strong and that will not change. Hurricane Harvey will not destroy the great state of Texas or the city of Houston and surrounding cities for that matter. If you are able to give, please do so, as it will take years to rebuild. And there is a reason why the phrase “Don’t Mess With Texas” is so true. Texans have rallied in a time of disaster to help those in need. So as I type this out, my heart and prayers are with those today and always, in a city and state that I truly love.

God Bless Texas!

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The summer is almost over and it is going to be back to school next week. But first, we are going to have a blow out this weekend of fun!

Due to a heavy rain today, it will be a low key day inside today and today starts college football season.  And let’s be honest, football season is really important. But the kids are actually doing a little prep of food for their first week back and they are helping me plan their meals.

Last year, we let the boys buy their food the second half of the school year because let’s be honest, it was easier. But now because we have an official diagnosis of ADHD for my son, we really wanted to try and change up his diet a little.  There has been a overload of reading of diets and things that can help with ADHD, so why not give it a try? And besides, it will be cheaper for us long term in terms of buying food and I can ensure that he will be getting a good lunch.

As I have been told by numerous people, especially teachers, the jump from Kindergarten to First Grade is big in terms of reading more and doing more math, I wanted the boys to have a low key weekend. So, FUN is in on the agenda. We are watching UNC play today on tv and then doing a little grilling. Tomorrow we are going to the Zoo and then on Monday, maybe a movie in the morning and then grilling out again. A good nights sleep and then off to school on Monday.

Summer is almost over and the beginning of a new school year is coming up within just a few days. The boys have had a blast going to camps and learning how to swim. But now, it is time for fun to shift to learning.

 

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