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24 hours later after the Supreme Court ruling and I was asked this morning by a co-worker what my thoughts were about Obamacare and how does it play into the writing on the blog. So, here goes:

I will answer the question about the ruling in two parts. The first part is simple, I think that Chief Justice’s ruling that the mandate was constitutional was wrong. Let’s be honest, when one of the most liberal Justices, Justice Kennedy is against a ruling like this, you know that something isn’t right. But, let’s look at the mandate in a broad spectrum, the Justice’s ruled that the US government has the authority to make private citizens purchase a product or good. Has a new precedent been established by the courts?  Will they now make the government to require that everyone buy car insurance, whether they need it or want it or not? Whether they drive or not? Will the government now require that all citizens must own a cell phone? Do I think that those two things will ever happen, no, but I also didn’t think that they would make this ruling either.

The second answer that I have to this first question, is that Justice Robert did in fact give Mitt Romney a gift. He ruled that the mandate was in fact constitutional, but that it was a TAX. That is right, a tax. And not just any tax, the largest tax increase that has ever been handed down to the American public. Here are just a few articles that touch on this subject:

The polls were pretty clear that the majority of the American people did not want the mandate included. That being said, there were good merits to this bill. The elimination of pre-existing conditions, affordable health care, etc. But let’s look at it from another point of view, for all of the small businesses that are out there, is it cheaper to provide healthcare or pay the tax? If it is cheaper to pay the tax, guess what they are going to do? PAY THE TAX! Which means, that their employees have to go out on their own and pick up their own private insurance policy, which might be more than what they were paying before the bill took effect.

So, why do I write about politics in a blog about raising my boys, well, 1) It is my blog, 2) These bills that are being passed today, will have an affect on my boys, both now and in the future and 3) I just love politics.  The game of the election just changed. Obamacare became the new focus of the election, the question is, can Mitt Romney deliver the message to the American people in a way that it resonates with them?

So tonight, I type. I think ahead for the next several months, I wonder if Obamacare stays at the for front of everyone’s mind or do jobs float back to the top? I wonder how the elections will be? I wonder if the turnout will be like it was 4 years ago or two years ago ?I wonder if the Independents step up and vote for Romney instead of Obama. I wonder, would I feel the same way about this bill had Chief Justice Roberts ruled differently?

Regardless, for today, Obamacare stands and all American’s will be afforded the right to healthcare. However, I wonder what will happen in a few months, a few years? I wonder if this healthcare bill will be a good or bad thing? Will parts stand out that helped others, will the new taxes that will be asset destroy small businesses and individuals?

I wonder.

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I grew up going to baseball games and as a kid, one of the things that we would always do was collect autographs from players. I was fortunate to players like Chipper Jones when he was playing in AA baseball & Manny Ramirez when he played for the Kinston Indians in A ball and the list just goes on and on. And yes, these guys were great signers and I was able to really start collecting autographs.

So I am trying to start collecting autographs for my sons. I am trying to do it on two different fronts:
1) Get some of the current members of the Baseball Hall of Fame:

  • Cal Ripken, Jr, (Already have)
  • Stan Musial
  • Reggie Jackson
  • Johnny Bench
  • Nolan Ryan
  • Brooks Robinson
  • and the list continues

2) Get some of the current players and prospects that are in the minor leagues:

  • Dan Uggla
  • Dylan Bundy
  • Jonahthan Schoop
  • Derek Jeter
  • Josh Hamilton
  • and the list continues

And then there are Football autographs too that I want to get, Ray Rice, Torry Smith, Ray Lewis, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, etc.

I want teach my sons that these are athletes and that they people, just like everyone else, but that they are exceptional athletes that worked hard to get ahead in their sport. But I also want them to be polite when they meet athletes, say please and thank you, and to most importantly, have fun collecting autographs.

This will be an ongoing and updated list over the course of the next few years.

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Country LivingMy wife’s god parents have a home out in the country. This past weekend we packed up and took the kids out of the city and into the country for some fresh air.

Having grown up with grandparents that lived on a farm out in the country, I am quickly taken back to my childhood. The boys on this trip were able to not only play with the dogs there, but also got to see their first horse. It was great to see how excited that they got when the animals came over.

My wife’s godparents also kept the boys for a few hours so that my wife and I could go and have a quiet lunch together. And that quiet lunch turned into lunch, then 2 winery tours and then back to the restaurant for dessert. My wife and I were able to spend some quality time together and the boys were able to get out to the country for some much needed family time.

The trip was so great, that we are scheduling our next trip the country this week. It is important to plan trips ahead so that it gives you something to look forward to.

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When your children are not sleeping through the night, it can really have a major affect on you. Recently, I even slept downstairs in the play area with one of our sons because he woke up at 11:30 again. Needless to say, I didn’t sleep very well that night.  I have noticed too, that when he does not sleep, my wife and I are usually shorter with others and do not have the patience with the other. But we are trying really hard, to instead of getting short with each other, stop, think, then respond. When you are both tired, especially when your kids are not sleeping, you have to remember that you are working together to raise your children.

I really believe that once when you think that you have figured out your children, like them not sleeping, they change it up on you and throw you off your game.

So tonight, skip the not sleeping and try something new, like actually sleeping through the night again.

 

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MoneyEven though we are years away from having to even think about a weekly allowance for our boys, I was recently asked what I thought about and more importantly, what we were going to do for our boys?  So, I asked my mom how when I was a kid, what she and my father did with me for an allowance. I honestly don’t remember getting an allowance when I was a child, I am a firm believer of paying kids for work that they do, not just give money away every week, just because.

When the boys are of age, I am guessing 8 or so, we will sit them, give them a list of chores and once they are completed, at the end of the week we will give them a set amount of money. The chores will probably range from taking out the trash, clearing the dinner table, keeping their rooms cleaned, etc. I want their allowance to be not about the money, but about learning to take responsibility.

Dave Ramsey has a great article on this same topic, that also follows this same thought process.

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BasketballMarch Madness has come and gone. We have moved on from college basketball and the thrills of March Madness to Major League Baseball. But in a recent conversation with my brother, we came to one conclusion, the game as we once knew it, is gone. March Madness will rarely have the same impact as it once did. The game of college basketball has changed and not in a good way.

The players today are being recruited with the intention of only stays 1, maybe 2 years, whereas players would stay all 4 years. UNC lost 3 of their starters to the NBA this year: Harrison Barnes, Kendall Marshall and John Henson. All deserve to go and make the money. All deserve to fulfill their dreams and taking their careers to the next level. But as a college basketball fan, I hate it. College coaches are rebuilding each year, not to get better, but to replace the starters that are leaving as sophomores.

Gone are the rivalries. Gone are the players that play because they love the game, not because of their career changes in the NBA. Gone is the game.

So, as I reflect on March Madness, the best team won this year. Kentucky. Granted I would have loved to have seen a rematch between Kentucky and UNC but it was not meant to be. But this offseason, UNC will replace 3 players and Kentucky, well Kentucky will have to replace their entire starting 5 players.

The game has changed and March Madness will never be the same again.  But for those of us that have loved the game and followed the game of college basketball for years, I will get to share stories with my sons about the game use to be.

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CrossWhen I was in Texas, the small group that I was a part of that meet every Sunday morning would start each class with a simple question: “Seen God this week?” And it was a simple question, but one that was really powerful for me.  It really made me more aware of what was going on during the week, to stop and look around for how God was working not only in my life but others. And when I started really focusing on this, I saw things differently.

Years later, I move to the east coast. I still attend church, just not as involved as I was out in Texas. This is for my reasons, but it dawned on my a few weeks ago how much I missed answering that question every week. So it got me thinking, have I seen God this week? And it was a simple yes! I saw him when I woke up this morning and got to see my sons smiling at me. I will see him again tonight when I go home from work and my boys start jumping up and down waiting for me to play with them.

And every night, before I go to sleep, I thank God for having another day with my little boys and hope that he gives me tomorrow with them as well.  But now that I am more aware of this need/desire, it has renewed my energy about God. I might not be involved with my current church as I was with the church in Texas and that is for many reasons, but I will be reading the bible more. I just purchased two books by Adam Hamilton “24 Hours That Changed The World” & “Final Words at the Cross ” and hope to start reading them this weekend. I hope that these book continue to help me seek a deeper relationship with God, which will ultimately make me a better father.

So, as you go about your week and daily activities, stop and ask yourself if you have seen God this week?

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Growing up as a child, I remember sitting around an open room with friends and trading cards that we had duplicates of, all to build the complete set Topps Baseball Cards. There was a sense of accomplishment when the set was completed and then you could help your friends complete there sets as well. Hours, countless number of hours were spent look through, at, talking about, baseball cards.  Because I have not looked at baseball cards since I was much younger, I contacted a good friend who runs a great blog dedicated to collecting baseball cards: Stats On The Back. He suggested to go with the 2011 Complete Set that included Series 1 & 2, which lost me, because growing up, we just collected cards, there were not all of the different series. But we did have the options of collecting Topps, Upper Deck, Fleer, Score and Donruss, but now, my buddy said to just stick with Topps.

So this year, I decided that I would buy each of the boys their first Topps Baseball Cards sets, so that when they are older, their collection would have already been started. And my hope, is that as they grow up, we start building the sets together, in stead of me just purchasing a completed set for them. I hope that they too enjoy the hours that we will spend together, talking about the different players, helping each other build their sets, and just having a lot of fun doing it together.

2011 Topps Baseball Card Set

2011 Topps Baseball Card Set

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The boys are a little over a year old now, but I wanted to share with everyone something that I found to be very helpful for our 1 year checkup for the boys: Doctor visit worksheet: The 1 year checkup  – From the BabyCenter.com

My wife hates it when the boys have to get shots. I do as well, but I am usually the one that gets to hold the boys down when they get their shots. I don’t really physically hold them, I really just keep their arms close to their sides so that they do not hit the nurse. I don’t really enjoy the job, seeing my children cry, but I know that it will make them better or protect them in the long run. And sometimes, the Dad just has to do certain things.

Another important thing to do for a Doctor visit, research, see what other parents are saying or questions that they are asking their Doctor. You are a parent, not a Doctor that knows all of the answers to medical questions. We have even asked our Pediatrician, tell us what we are not asking or thinking about? Again, we are parents, we only know what we know. And our Pediatrician does a great job in giving each boy 30 minutes of his time for their checkup and really sits down and explains everything that is going on.  And he often times, tells us things that we have not really thought about. Trying to prepare us for the coming milestones in the boys lives.

There are no stupid questions, remember you only know what you know. But for your next Doctor visit, I challenge you to really ask a lot of questions and even ask your Pediatrician what you are not asking that you should be.

 

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In 2008, my wife’s mother was killed in an automobile accident. After a few months, my wife and I decided to seek help in dealing with our loss by seeking help from a Grief Counselor. We got a lot out of the counseling, but one thing that has really stuck with us and that has been really important in our marriage, planning trips.

Whenever my wife and take a trip, whether it is with or without the boys, before we leave for the trip we plan our next trips. It is pretty basic actually, this gives us something to look forward when we return home. It gives us something to look forward to, something to start thinking about and planning. Looking for attractions to visit, restaurants, places to take the boys, etc.

Taking trips can be a wonderful thing, either as a family or just as a couple. It allows you to get away, clear your head and most importantly, reconnect as a couple. So before your next trip, start planning and even booking the next place that you want to visit.

Here are a few photos from a trip that brought me a little comfort:

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