Halloween is serious business around these parts for many, particularly in Berlin, and my house is no exception, but you wouldn’t know it from my kids.All they care about is the candy.They don’t notice the hours of work their mom put into decorating the interior and exterior of the house. They don’t seem interested in… Read more »

At 3 ½ years old, soccer is not my kid’s thing.After spending the couple months playing in the county’s outdoor soccer league for 3- and 4-year-olds, he has made it abundantly clear kicking and chasing around a soccer ball is not important to him.In varying levels, his disinterest has been made clear during every outing… Read more »

A family vacation is a memorable experience for a number of reasons, including the fact it’s absolutely exhausting.When we left for our favorite little piece of paradise on the Bogue Banks in North Carolina last weekend, I was desperately in need of some rest and relaxation. When we returned, I was even more exhausted and… Read more »

After three-plus years, I’m taking one week off from this daddy column, as my family heads south for a vacation. Therefore, here’s a look back at one of the early columns from 2008 when only Beckett was in the picture. My apologies for the repeat. I am constantly amazed these days at how our little boy… Read more »

Twice a week my son plays soccer. Therefore, twice a week I laugh a lot for about an hour.The 3- and 4-year-old soccer program, offered through the county’s Recreation and Parks Department, provides some hilarious moments to us parents.The best part of all is no score is kept, but there’s a general sense of who… Read more »

There has been a major transition taking place of late within my family.Carson, who turns 2 in November, has assumed top billing as the more challenging child, knocking Beckett, 3, from the spot he has comfortably held for the last 40 months.In sports terms, this is like the Orioles, a perennial cellar dweller, unseating the… Read more »

Checking in on my kids before calling it a day is a nightly ritual for me.In my opinion, a kid is never more beautiful than when he or she is asleep because that’s when they are completely at peace.That’s why I think I love them the most when they are asleep in their beds for… Read more »

I don’t know how people without a sense of humor get through this parenting adventure.While we admit that we are far from perfect parents (sometimes my kids’ behavior actually makes me wonder if I am any good at this at all), Pam and I have found laughing at some of the absolutely ridiculous things that… Read more »

Both kids are a handful, just for different reasons.Indeed, Beckett, 3, and Carson, 22 months, each pose their own unique set of challenges with the end result being the same — they are simply a lot to handle (I say that lovingly, mind you).Most of the arduous handling these days involves protecting them from themselves,… Read more »

It was a long couple of days, but we survived.The best part was I didn’t have a major meltdown, just a few small emotional breakdowns here and there.In the days leading up to Hurricane Irene, a lot of mental and physical preparations were made.Sure, all the standard outdoor measures were taken to secure our belongings… Read more »