What kids find and don’t find entertaining always amazes me. There we were on the beach Sunday and the US Navy’s Blue Angels were flying overhead. No matter how many times I see it, I love watching the performers in the OC Air Show from the beach and ocean. My kids don’t share my amazement… Read more »

The close of the school year always comes with mixed emotions. There’s the finality of it all and the fact the kids will essentially say goodbye to the teachers they have been with on a daily basis for the last nine months. There’s sadness because these folks become family members. After all, they are talked… Read more »

Rarely do I brag on my kids here, but in this case I can’t help it after an amazing week for Beckett. More often than not this space contains the things that drive us up a wall with ourchildren. While those things certainly exist on a daily basis, over the course of the last week,… Read more »

Sleepovers are like clouds — no two are the same. We have hosted about a dozen sleepovers at this point. Each one has been different with a commonality being the next day everyone is exhausted in the house from less sleep than usual. I don’t have any crazy sleepover stories. For the most part, all… Read more »

It’s fun watching the evolution of my sons’ relationship. I say it’s evolving because the rapport between them is always changing at their ages. After noticing that he seemed to be resentful toward Carson, 7, Pam and I had some long talks with Beckett, 9, about how important he is and will always be to… Read more »

Beckett turns 9 today. How’s that possible? I assume that’s a question we will ask ourselves every year for the rest of his life. I presume all parents question how time has flown over the years and Pam and I are always amazed at the pace of how our kids are growing up. This period… Read more »

At their young age, the boys don’t seem to be big city folks. That’s their conclusion after spending the weekend in Philadelphia for a family wedding. There were certain elements of city life that were eye-opening for both kids. There were times when both were rattled by the sights of many homeless people sleeping on… Read more »

Seeing your child struggle is never easy, but ultimately I like to think it’s a good thing over the long term. Beckett is fortunate that most things in his life — school and athletics, for example — come fairly easy to him. That’s not to say he doesn’t need to study for tests and practice… Read more »

Like most households I assume, Easter baskets were opened at my house early in the morning on Sunday. By the end of the day on Easter, I was convinced the kids should not get to open their baskets until the end of the day. I was not thinking along the lines of using it as… Read more »

Parenting sure takes a mental toll. With infants, there’s a physical grind, as new parents live in a haze longing for sleep. Later, toddlers are into everything, resulting in a lot of defense with stalking required to keep him or her safe. As the kids get older, it turns mental and oftentimes it’s psychological warfare…. Read more »