1st Day of Preschool, I Love You Daddy, Florida Vacation–Chaos!

We recently had Emma’s preschool open house. It was cool to go see her school and be able to check out all the things that are there. Emma really liked the cars that they have and played with the cash register–ka-ching! We met her teacher again who is very nice, I think Emma likes her! That is a relief! I still can’t help feeling nervous about her starting preschool even if it is only a couple half days a week. My philosophy is let a kid enjoy being a kid as I remember many fond memories of playing with toys and using my imagination, etc… It seems there are way too many parents–One uppers– …Read more […..]

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Ice Age 3d, Give me my Privacy, Pretty Dresses & Pretty Shoes

Well, Emma saw her first 3d movie and it was cool! For a few days before we went I drilled into her head the idea of wearing glasses so she could see the movie. Being a fan of the previous two Ice Age movies, she listened and told me she would wear the glasses. She kept her word! Melissa and I had fun too as I hadn’t been to a 3d movie for over twenty years. Emma has started to tell us “Give me my privacy” now while she is going to the bathroom. LOL She has always not been shy but after hearing Mommy & Daddy tell her to give us our privacy she has caught on…. Emma loves to try on her …Read more […..]

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Family Night at the Zoo, The Boys’ Birthday Party, Indiana @ Mary’s, Preschool Teacher Visits,1st Backpack

A recent weekend proved to be extremely busy and fun for Emma. The following is a summary.. Friday was Family Night at the Brookfield Zoo was a good time despite the rain! Emma, and Melissa and I for that matter, were entertained by the lions who were actually playing! A benefit of going to the Zoo in the evening is that the animals are wide awake and very active. The lions looked like kittens running around and playing. They actually looked like they were having fun! Emma sure had fun this year too! She was going up to all the kids, most of time they were older girls, and dancing in front of …Read more […..]

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Cosley Zoo, Pet Stores, New Words, Daddy and Mary’s Party

A short time ago I took Emma to the Cosley Zoo in Wheaton. It is a small zoo that is close and FREE! We got to look at cows, horses, lamas, sheep, ducks, owls, hawks, pigs, turtles, foxes, deer and other small animals. Emma was a good girl and really enjoyed going into the old train caboose where the inside was decorated with plants and leaves. I recommend this place for a free and enjoyable excursion. Emma has become a fond admirer of pet stores now. She loves going there–there are 2 of them close, she calls one the old one and the other the new one. She loves looking at the fish and …Read more […..]

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July 4th in Wisconsin, Talking to Poppie, The Italian Feast, 1st Penis Sighting, New Words–Good & Bad!

This 4th of July was a very nice one! We spent it at the lake house with Nonnie and poppy. Emma had a great time swimming and finding jewels in the water that the “mermaids” brought. Nonnie started the tradition of throwing little knick knack jewelry items into the water and claiming to the kids that mermaids brought them. This tradition has continued for almost 20 years now. The fireworks were very nice as usual. Emma loves watching fireworks–as long as the loud ones are far away…. We watched the town fireworks from our house across the lake and then the people around the lake started …Read more […..]

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Stay at Home Dad Video

Cute video for all Stay at Home Dads! A bit of talking at the beginning but worth waiting for the song! …Read more […..]

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Grean Beans! Ballerina Costume, Nonnie was Here, Pink Eye-Yuch

So, it has been a heck of a time trying to get Emma to eat vegetables. Ok, she has been eating carrots for quite awhile…But that is it… She has been refusing all kinds of veggies for a looong time…Until now! Woohoo! She now eats green beans! We had been offering her them for a long while and it was when we didn’t offer them to her that she actually asked for them! How is that for reverse psychology?! Emma received a ballerina costume a while back and recently tried it on. Well, once it was on….it was staying on! Watching her looking in the mirror at herself, posing and talking …Read more […..]

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Tips for Stay At Home Dads

Excellent tips that I can definitely relate to and recommend! Child-care experts – and stay-at-home dad Chuck Shepard – offer the following tips to jobless fathers who are taking care of the children: •Talk about their frustrations with family or friends, said Aaron Rochlen, a psychology professor at University of Texas at Austin. If possible, do part-time work or an occasional project to feel satisfied professionally. •Isolation “encourages the sitting-on-the-couch- and-letting-things-drift period,” said Jeremy Adam Smith, author of The Daddy Shift. At-home dads …Read more […..]

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“Just Chillin Out” “I’m Your Daughter, I’m Your Daddy” “Oh My Gosh” “That’s a Good Idea” Gella is Here!”The Pleasure Is All Mine”

Some of the more memorable phrases that Emma has been using…. When I ask Emma what she is doing she now frequently says, “I’m Chillin Out.” She cracks me up, picking up all of our phrases. When I say to Emma, “You’re my daughter and I’m your Daddy” she repeats “I’m your daughter I’m your Daddy.” We have to work on this one…LOL When she is surprised, upset, or amazed, Emma will say, “Oh my gosh!” If we make a suggestion or tell her that we are going to do something, Emma frequently responds, “That’s a good idea.” Emma was very happy to see her cousin Gella(Angelica). Gella was here …Read more […..]

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Being a Stay-at-Home Dad is Just Fine … Except for That Feeling of Isolation

I completely agree with the feeling of isolation! It is hard to explain and I am not even sure that stay at home moms would understand how strong this feeling is with men..Maybe? I have heard from Moms that they feel the same sometimes but I truly doubt that it is as intense in women as it is in men–in general…. Instead of sitting in traffic for a long drive to his office in Concord on a recent Monday, Chuck Hammond sat at his kitchen table in Roseville, cutting the rind off little pieces of orange and feeding them to his 1-year-old daughter, Reagan. These days, Hammond works full time …Read more […..]

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