Just kidding, I got this under control… I hope.

Mar is doing great at swimming…. holing her breath, going under water, paddling and kicking… but still sinking.  I’m hoping she’ll be closer to swimming on her own by the end of the summer (hey, it could happen).

Teach you kids to swim.

Just a Fun Photo

For the last week or so, the kids have been doing some really crazy stuff.  I don’t know what happened, but the kids don’t seem to be themselves lately.  Marley, who loves swimming and the pool, has decided to change her mind.  She has had swim lessons every day this week, and loved them.  Now, she throws a shit fit every time I try to get her into the pool.  Today, she was not going in, so I did what I thought was best… and tossed her in and vanished out of sight so she couldn’t see me (usually this makes her forget that I am there, and she goes back to having fun swimming).  Apparently, that was a bad idea because she went crazy… screaming, crying, yelling in some kind of demon voice from beyond.  All the moms at the pool just looked at me like, is that your kid? But some of them said, they would have done the same thing.   A few minutes later, one of the swim teachers came and told me Marley was not having it today, and then we went home.  No swimming tomorrow.  I guess it probably didn’t help that I was raining outside, and the pool is outdoors.  But all the other kids were enjoing it… I dont know whats going on with her.

Wyatt, on the other hand is great.  He’s now getting all over the place.  I was really looking forward to the time when you can just set them in the middle of the room and they don’t go anywhere… he skipped right past that.  He can army crawl (scoot and pull) all over the house.  But when it comes to getting on his knees and crawling… he just goes backwards.

Sleeping for these two is crazy at best.  The girl sleeps all night, but getting her to go down takes the better part of an hour.  Constantly getting up, demanding more books, and milk.  Sometimes, she sneaks into the room and just stands there next to the bed, like some crazed milk zombie.  And the boy goes nuts in his sleep.  We sit and watch him do circles around his crib on the video baby monitor.  This boy is the bottomless pit too,  he wants to be fed every three or four hours still (luckily he is boob fed, so I get to sleep… most of the time), and my wife is only getting about three to four hours of sleep a night… then gets up and goes to work.(Yikes)  Thanks Babe.

Every Tuesday and Friday night at 9:00 at Cal Anderson Park, awaits an army of rubber ball wielding roughens of the likes you have never seen.  People of all types are there, ready to fight to the death… or at least until the ball crushes your face.  These kids are relentless.  This is not the dodgeball that I remember… this was nuts.  There were about fourty of fifty people all cramed onto one half of a tennis court, and about 20 balls flying at supersonic speeds.

I have to say, that I couldnt get the smile off my face the entire time (even after a ball hit it), and after one hour of play… I was done.  Super fun, and it made me feel like a kid again.   If you want some fun in your life, get out there and play.

Then Sunday I played in my first outdoor soccer match since 1997.  I play goalie so conditioning and stamina were not what I was really worried about.  It was the fact that I have about 40 pounds on my former self, and haven’t dove on the ground on purpose in a really long time.  I must say, that I still got it… a little slower, but I can still get in front of a ball when it counts.  The game ended 2-5.

Today I woke up feeling really, really old.  my entire body is bruised and beaten.  I could barely raise my head to get out of bed, and even my fingers hurt.  The strapping young man that used be at the peak of physical performance, has turned into a soft pile of mush.  The years have not been kind to my body, and its time get it back.

I am not the kid that I used to be… and it hurts.  Ouch

Montlake Kiddie Corral

The Montlake Ale House is a pub where you can go and watch your favorite Word Cup match, have a pint of beer… and bring your kid!  This place looks great, and I was going to wait until I personally check it out to do this, but I didn’t want anyone to miss out.  I will do a better review after I check it out.

Montlake Ale House

2307 24th Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98112-2606
(206) 726-5968

View Larger Map

Anyway, I searched for some games I really like.  Dodgeball, and soccer.  I found both.  I found a bunch of dudes that play dodgeball every Tuesday and Friday night up in Seattle.  It’s a little far, but I feel like it will be fun.  I had to miss the Tuesday match, because of the ping pong.  Bur Friday night at Cal Anderson Park, it’s on.  And then I found a outdoor, Soccer Team that needs a goalie, they play on Sundays… I played last in high school in 97.  But I have played off and on, indoor style.  It should be an adventure… God I hope that my keeper skills haven’t deteriorated as much as my body has.  I will let ya know how things go.

Have you ever thought you were really good at something, then found out you were not… heart breaking isn’t it?  Hope I’m not setting myself up for a beating.

From The Seattle Times

Wow…

Last Thursday, I got a call from a reporter at the Seattle Times, telling me that they were going to be doing a story on stay at home dads for the Father’s Day edition of the paper.  She was wondering if it would be cool of she asked me some questions.  I was like “heck ya” ask away.   She did.  A few hours later, the reporter called again and asked if she and a photographer could come out to the house in the morning and hang out for few hours and take some photos.  Again, I said yes… thinking this would be perfect for getting the Seattle Area Stay at Home Dads group some more members, and some more visitors to the blog.

Well, you can read the story by clicking here!

but i must say, that the story seemed to make out to be some kind of stress case… look at the photo they chose.  When they were taking this photo, I was thinking to myself how funny it would be if they chose this time (when I was feeding a baby, with a toddler attached to my head) to use the picture.  Well they did, and wouldn’t ya know it… used the photo that made it look like was in complete disaster mode (I was not), and then put it with a headline that says “He’s Mr. Mom, at its the hardest job he has ever had”

Seriously!!! That’s what your going with.  And it’s not like job is terrible at all.  I love my job as caregiver.  And it’s not like the other jobs I have had are hard at all (car salesman and bartender), so there is really no comparison.

It was fun to be in the paper, and I got a ton of visitors to the blog.  It’s nice to see that some people are enjoying some of the stuff that I have put on the website in the last few years, and I hope that the comments keep coming.  That why I make the blog… to get out there, make some connections online, and hopefully meet some other stay at home dads to BS with about our situations.

The Normandy Park Swim Club is an outdoor pool and super awesome fun spot.  It has a full size pool and diving board, a kiddy pool with fountains, a amazing big toy and swings, pickle-ball corts, ping pong tables, a clubhouse and kitchen, tons of those outdoor heaters, for nighttime fun, and BBQs.  This place is amazing, there are tons of kids for the kids to play with, and tons of really cool family’s to make friends with.  You can bring a cooler packed with all the food and drink you want, and hang out at the pool for the day… you can even bring beer and drinks!!

My master plan was to spend every day here, and make a ton of new friends… but this weather is destroying my plan.  We have been trying to make the most of it, even going on rainy days… the pool’s heated, and there are lots of big umbrellas and covered areas.  Joining the pool, I am sure was a awesome thing to do, and I am sure that we are going to make a ton of new friends… I just hope the sun comes out sometime soon.

My  2 year old daughter starts swim lessons this week… rain or shine.  It’s supposed to rain… big surprise.  Don’t you just love living in Seattle.

Nope!

Tomorrow is Father’s Day… and again, I am going golfing with my dad followed up by some BBQ.  But this year… I am a dad too.  Times two.  I have two little ones of my own at home, and as much as I want the day to be all about me hanging out with my kids and family all day… I just want my kids to be able to hang out with their mom, my wife, and their grandpa… and let me do all the work… after golfing and drinks of course.

Everyday for me is fathers day!  Us stay at home dads, are really the luckiest guys in the world. We get to spend all day, everyday with the kids, and do whatever we want to.  We get to see the kids grow up, raise them, play all day, really take care of the house, and the wife.  We get to have the best of life.  However, the job of the stay at home dad (or mom) is grueling, and un-relentless.  Sometimes mentally exhausting (all the time), physically tiring (most of the time), and the bosses (the kids) are demanding, unforgiving, and always EXPECT and DESERVE nothing but 110% from you all the time.  There is no calling in sick, sleeping on the job, coming in late for work, taking a extra long break ( no breaks at all).   We are on the job all day, every day.

But we are LUCKY and BLESSED that we get to have the great privilege of raising a family, being there all the time for them, giving them all of our best, and truly earning the right to be called DAD!