No Off Season...for dads

As you may know, I teach. I have seen the peace of a school as well as the chaos.  Today, I saw the chaos! That chaos is called a bomb threat! Yes, you read it correctly.  Let's paint the picture. I had just taken my very lively 7th grade students downstairs for lunch.  We were having hamburgers. Just as my students got in line, the fire alarm goes off. All the teachers were looking around. Why? Because usually we get a heads up as to when a fire alarm drill is to happen.  Guess what? No alert. We race all the kids out the building as quickly as possible.  The students found it as another drill, but teachers found it as a call for heightened awareness. It's about 40 degrees outside.  The wind is blowing around 20 miles an hour. The air was dry. And all of the students were outside...with no coats...for close to an hour. I felt so bad for them, especially the little ones. We were out so long that we actually had to walk to another school and wait...

     It was the night. The night of all nights. It was the night we had anticipated for quite some time. It was the night...of the Pinewood Derby. Our car was ready. It was named the Cool Man Lamborghini. Cars from all over the land (well, the local Cub Scout troop) came to compete. Great designs, fast designs, and some silly designs.      The track was ready. It looked sleek and very fast tonight. The judges placed the cars on the track and the excitement intensified. Cool Man Lambourgini was the #19 car. Red. Aerodynamic. Ready. The judge yelled, "Ready!" And they were off. The #19 car got off to a fast start. Oh snap! The car in lane one slid off the track! And so we can in 3rd on the first heat. Drivers (Cub Scouts) made adjustments to their cars and we were readied for the 2nd heat. They raced down the track. The smell of tires burning and engine exhaust (work with me here) was everywhere. Yet, we got 4th place. My son's eyes ...

It was nothing fancy. Nothing awe inspiring or even fascinating. I was sitting with my two boys, 13 & 9, eating breakfast dinner (a family favorite) at the breakfast, dinner, work table. And the two of them were...just talking together.  It was if I wasn't even there. I didn't utter a word. I loved it. I know there are many siblings that don't always get along.  For that reason, mine don't always get along. But moments like his are...priceless.  I should have recorded it. I have NOS.

Our family loves to watch  'Shark Tank'.  Its an incredible show that entrepreneurs get the chance to pitch their ideas to business owners for financial backing.  We love it for the cut-throat negotiations and the brilliant ideas of those needing business help.  Well, those business ideas have streamed down to our intuitive boys.  They are always thinking of ideas to build a business and make money.  Well, the youngest came up with this fantastic idea. For real, it was outright ingenious!   So the conversation on this great concept came to the breakfast/ dinner/ work/ office/ idea...table.  "Dijon, did your son tell you about his business idea?", my wife says.  His face lit up at the opportunity to tell. "Okay son.  Well, you have to pitch this as if you are presenting to the Sharks.  Think your idea through and be ready to present.", I said. "Okay." And so he began to think it through.  A silence s...

I think my boys have lost it! They have been jumping around the house like Ausrtalian kangaroos in the quest to find out 'who they are'. 'I'm part Cherokee. I'm part German! I'm part Scottish..."    It's actually somewhat interesting to watch their building enthusiasm on the topic. A conversation ensued at the breakfast/dinner/work/homework...table about who they are and their family origin.   So here's the deal. So we called their grandparents and put them on speaker.  We found out that my wife's family is West Indian with a couple of nationalities behind that. My side of the family stems from the great state of South Carolina.  Yet there are hints of German and Cherokee Indian.    But let's face it:  who isn't mixed up with a whole lot of everybody? Our family trees have so many branches and limbs that it could be overwhelming to decipher, yet, a blast to figure and find out. And seeing the family tree at the famil...

Parent Teacher Conferences.  Let me first say that I have always been very proud of my boys' academic achievements.  They are very bright and often times (I stress those words) make wise decisions.  The conferences proved very beneficial to hear.  Everything was not all rosy.  They both have essential things need work (some organization, a little silliness -- you know, they things WE have to work on). But in the scheme of things, this is part of their development.  All that being said, I am ridiculously proud to be their dad right now.  They still need to take out the trash.   They are learning and being challenged so much in school. I hope they start washing the dishes without me asking them to .  The teachers had a lot of great things to say about them.  Can you please clean your room, though -- like for real?!?   No real points...I am just very proud and honored to be their dad. And I'm gonna let them know it. ...

I wonder at times if I am doing this right.  This parenting thing. Have you ever thought this?  Actually, you may not have...but I have. Tasks I would consider easy seem to become scientific problems for NASA here.  As I was writing this, one of my boys became so frustrated with one of the chores he was doing because...just because.  My fingers left the keyboard and went to help him.  I took some time and showed him how to do it.  And he got it.  And he was grateful.  And that was it.  I have to remember this.  I have to take the time to demonstrate my expectations.  I have to take the time.  I have to. I am twenty years old (+++) and my boys are still in elementary and middle school.  I've had a wealth of life changing experiences, where they have had a max of 13 years of simple life.  The reminders, given over and over and over and...(whew) and over again are necessary for them.  As a matter of fact,...