(Editor’s Note: The following is a reprint from March 18, 2011.)Elephants scare the daylights out of Beckett, and we have no idea why.This fear surfaced when Beckett, 2, was a baby and does not appear to be something that’s fading away as he gets older.We learned of this extreme trepidation when he was just a… Read more »

The daily memories are my favorite part of Facebook these days.These memories pop up each day and some cause me to stop for a few minutes and truly remember that day in my life. In fact, I find myself at times now posting personal things to Facebook solely so I can remember each year moving… Read more »

After a solid streak of good days at school, Carson had a challenging day last Friday.As luck would have it, it happened to be the same day as my long-time coworker Shawn Soper’s services. The first call I got from school was at 8:20 a.m., less than an hour after drop off. I was informed… Read more »

Life at home with 14- and 13-year-old sons is a lot of things, the least of which is dull.Maybe your house is the same, depending on the age of the kids. The younger the kids are the more chaotic and busy the household. As the kids get older, it remains hectic, but the cerebral concerns… Read more »

(Editor’s Note: The following is a reprint from a March of 2016 column.) Before we left on our first Disney cruise last week, I was warned by friends who had gone previously be prepared for your kids not wanting to hang out with you.Nonetheless, I was still surprised when after one day that turned out… Read more »

It’s amazing when life comes full circle, especially so when the swings are unexpected.It’s how we pivot and handle the abrupt winds of change that defines us. It’s a message we repeated to Beckett, 14, over the last month.One year ago, I would have never imagined my teenage son attending boarding school 200 miles from… Read more »

Throughout my almost 15 years of being a parent, I have accepted some days are just doozies and the game of life wins.I am never more at a loss than when our non-verbal, Autistic 13-year-old has a rough day for seemingly no reason. By and large when Carson is with us, his parents, everything is… Read more »

Another installment of some “I see you …” thoughts over the last few weeks. I intend this as more of a “I see you and I feel you” type of observations. We are all in this parenting journey together and a bit of recognition and appreciation goes a long way.• I see you … tired… Read more »

For the second consecutive year, Beckett and I did the AGH Penguin Swim together on New Year’s Day.The word “together” should really be used in the loosest fashion possible. It was more like we attended the event and along with more than 900 people jumped in the same ocean.After driving to Ocean City, my 14-year-old… Read more »

Over the course of my parenting life, there have been moments of anguish and dare to admit, embarrassment as a result of actions and decisions by my kids.If you have never had any of these as a parent, it’s either one of two things – you live in the clouds of denial or you are… Read more »