DIYFather will be Celebrating Children's Day tomorrow at Government House.
Every Child Counts Childrens Day Event 2008
Every Child Counts is organising a public event at Government House on Sunday 2 March 10am-3pm. The day will provide an opportunity for children, families, and organisations working with children to join together for a new experience and celebration of Childrens Day.
The event will be hosted by His Excellency the Governor General Anand Satynand and Mrs Satynand and is free to all children, their families, carers and special friends. Live music, face painting, dancing and much more. Click here to read more about Childrens Day
CRABBYDAD'S HEINOUS EXPERIENCES WITH INSANE, MEDIEVAL DOCTOR-IMPERSONATORS!
Today's story finds our hero at some random surgeon's office -- for what he was told was supposed to be a "consultation." We were supposed to be consulting about the "sucking a fat sample from my stomach" test prescribed by Count Von Bloodula.
The surgeon looked like a paler Jim Gaffigan with a Moe Howard haircut and Coke-bottle glasses. I know. He had the kind of glasses that, if you look at him through said glasses, his head looks about 10 inches thinner than if you look at his real head. So he's basically blind, which is really what you want from a surgeon. He comes in the room and says, "So, you're here for a hernia?"
Exsqueeze me?!
I told him, "Um... no?" and then did my best to explain what I was there for. He replied that he'd never actually heard of this procedure before, which further bolstered my "zero confidence in this clown" factor. He actually excused himself to "go look it up for a sec."
Yobbita-yobbita-WHUH?!
Anywhich, he finally comes back in, giving me the whole, "Oh yeah... I know what they want. Yeah, I was just kidding back there with the 'never heard of it' thing. Heh..." Of course, he goes on to criticize the whole "aspirating with a thin needle" method -- the method that's apparently really quick and doesn't hurt. Instead, he wants to do a few "core needle biopsies," just to make sure they get enough to send to the lab. I'm like, "Dude, I weigh like 98 pounds -- three core needle biopsies is a third of my fucking body weight!"
Then he says, "Hey, we can do it right now, if you'd like." Shit, why the fuck not, Dr. Magoo. Bring it!
So, we go into this mini surgery room and he instructs me to lie on this skinny table. The nurse comes in and he tells her what he wants to do and, get this, she opens this li'l recipe box and pulls out a soiled, weathered index card, that apparently has the fucking directions for the procedure written on it. I'm just lying there, alternating between thinking, "I am SO going to be dead in about eight minutes," and "I sure as fuck hope that's the procedure card and not the process for preparing a goddamn brisket."
What happens next is a blur. First the dude shaves half of my fucking stomach -- DRY -- and then wipes alcohol over the freshly, DRYLY shaved patch. Excuse me but OW, MOTHERFUCKER! Then he spreads a surgery sheet thing over it and tells me he's going to numb the area. Needle. Hey! Stings! STINGS! Then he says, "Okay, first I'm gonna punch out a hole..." WHAT?! I'll punch out YOUR hole! Actually, I didn't feel that part, so his hole was saved... momentarily. Then he gets out this fucking mongo needle thing, like two feet long, and tells me he's gonna stick it in that fresh hole and grab some samples. At this point, I'm convinced he's making this shit up just to fuck with me. He says there's going to be a loud "Click!" which there was, but I didn't feel it, so again, his hole was spared.
Then, as quickly as it started, it was over. He bandaged me up, told me not to swim for a coupla days and that was it. At that point, I finally had the nerve to look down at my stomach -- my bandaged, half-hairless stomach. Great. That'll go over really well at the pool. What is more repulsive to an early 20-something lifeguard -- a skinny, middle-aged man covered in way-too-much body hair OR a skinny, middle-aged man covered in way-too-much body hair with a giant patch of said hair shaved off on one side of his abdomen? Oh, and with a band-aid covering a fresh hole on said bald patch. It's quite a toss-up... and I'm thinking people will be "tossing up" either way.
So, now I'm just sitting here, feeling slightly nauseated, waiting for the sepsis to set in. Should be any minute now... like a black death-cloak.
Oh, and Count Von Fuckula's office called this afternoon and scheduled my bone marrow biopsy for Tuesday. Can't wait for that pig-fuck. The Old Lady's going with me, so she'll be able to identify the body quicker when it's all over.
Hey, maybe the Count can use the same hole that Dr. Magoo made!
In the beginning of the year News hit the country of a little left behind in a Melbourne railway station, we were clearly disgusted with what happened read past Article "Hi my name is… Pumpkin"
Qian Xun Xue, a little Asian girl nick named "Pumpkin" because of the Pumpkin Patch vest that she was wearing was picked up at a Melbourne railway station after being found wondering around by herself.
As it turns out, it was no accident and the mother was found dead in their home.
The latest News today, is that Nai Yin Xue, the Auckland fugitive accused of murdering his wife and abandoning his toddler at a Melbourne railway station, has been captured in the United States. read more…
If you're a parent of a toddler, then dealing with temper tantrums or meltdowns are probably a daily occurrence. Young kids who are still learning how to talk and express themselves are easily frustrated. They want something, but they don't know how to say (or get) it. As a result, they resort to screaming, crying, throwing themselves on the floor, whining, pitching a hissy fit, or worse yet, having a complete meltdown.
Getting your kids to listen during these episodes is not an easy task, so it may also be common for you as a parent or caregiver to get frustrated at the same time. As a Dad, I have a particularly hard time dealing with meltdowns. I hate whining, and I would rather ignore bad behavior than validate it with a sympathetic response. Toddlers require a little more patience and understanding though, so I have forced myself to try and help my young son get past these episodes and learn how to express himself more clearly up front. ... read more >>
A special HAPPY BIRTHDAY wish goes out to all babies who are born today or were born on the 29th of February. Today is your birthday FOR REAL - YAY!!! Extra special celebrations are called for I think.
And if you're one of those stingy dads who only gives your children presents every 4 years - get a life! :-)
Hi, my name is Dennis Swanson. I am the father of a beautiful almost 8 year old son.
Gabriel has just started the 2nd grade. I have watched him grow from a bouncing toddler to his now active self. He has always been a very energetic child.
I first started noticing that he was a little different when he was close to 2. He seemed like he had a mind of his own. When we would go visit my folks it would where me out keeping him from grabbing his Grandmas nick knack's. I tried to resist slapping his little hands but finally out of frustration, began. The sad thing was that he never seemed he would learn to stop. ... read more >>
That's a strange service you might be thinking – When Pyper was around 2 months old we took her to the "osteo" as referred to in slang, she was delivered forceps and my wife was told by some tribal witch doctor (im sure of it) to take Pyper to the osteo, hmm great idea at the time, and although the lady was experienced with babies it was an experience to say none the less, i went away feeling a little bit confused.
Now remember Im going there to see if my little girl has anything wrong with her, and the "osteopath" didn't pick up anything so then why did I have to go 3 times?? Did someone's Porsche need new tyres or was it a fact of making sure that nothing was there so I had to come back 2 more times for reassurance! ... read more >>
This post is the second one in a set of two. To read Alleke's birth story from the beginning, click here.
The next thing I knew another nurse came and loaded up my bed for transfer. We rolled down the hallway, and he tried to make small talk with us as I moaned and made loud noises through each contraction (I think the noises I had been making since my water broke were what scared Kelly the most). By now I definitely felt like pushing, but realized it wasn't the time. Off the elevator, Kelly was pulled aside to put scrubs on, and a midwife walked up and grabbed my hand. She was in process of asking me if it was my first baby when she glanced up and yelled, "Oh, April!". It was Carmen, our midwife from prenatal classes. I'm not sure who was more happy that she was on duty - me or her. ... read more >>
I just found a great way to combine two of my passions in life - hanging out with my son and roller blading. He's not quite ready to blade himself yet but certainly enjoys the ride. Check it out!
And yes - we are submitting this as a test sport for the 2014 Olympics.
We are at the age now where my 1 year-old son is really watching everything we do. If we are sitting on the couch, he wants to sit on his couch. We eat with a fork, he wants a fork. My drink has a straw ... well you get the idea. This is great and all when it comes to things that can be replaced easily enough. Straws, silverware, etc... can be wiped off or replaced if dropped. What about the TV remote though? The Phone? Car Keys? What do you do when the object of his desire is something you can't afford to have broken or lost? ... read more >>
Clearly the early experiences of children have a profound impact on their future learning.
Parents and teachers have to walk a very fine line making sure what they place value on is achievable and relevant at that time for the learner. Boys for example, can take longer than girls to get mastery over the early language links and their fine motor coordination which impacts on their presentation skills. However with appropriate support and advice, these skills can be steadily built without shutting down their thinking, risk taking and all round self belief. ... read more >>
I want to share a letter with you that Focus on the Family recently received …
Hi my name is Emily,
The other night I awoke at 2 in the morning after hearing a noise downstairs. Nervously, I slipped quietly toward the mysterious sound. Anxiety turned into anger as I approached the faint but distinct music of my sons' favourite video game—the same game that I'd told him to stop playing hours earlier in order to go to bed.
At that moment, I couldn't decide whether to scream or cry. Anyway, I unplugged the video-game system, walked onto my second-story deck and threw hundreds of dollars worth of equipment over the railing. With a great sense of relief, I listened for the sweet sound of crashing electronics below.... read more >>
In the first part of this series we decided that there are a lot of good reasons to include your child on your family health insurance plan. So, in this part we're going to take a look at what kind of plan to get, what to avoid, and a couple of tips for saving money.
In short, when choosing a health insurance plan your main focus should be getting quality, 100% cover for the things that really count – surgery and hospital care. ... read more >>
I remember the first time Zoë read Go, Dog. Go! by P.D. Eastman on her own. It seemed to take an eternity, each turn of the page leaving her stumbling over and phonetically attempting to sound out words. I would start a word giving her the sounds and she would finish it. We repeated the process page after page my frustration level rising though not in proportion to her excitement level as the end of the book neared. "Look how much I've read, Daddy," she would exclaim after every couple of pages. She refused every offer and attempt of mine to take over the reading and let her just listen to the story. She was on a mission. By the time she had finished I was completely spent. She was totally stoked. "How many pages was that? Did you see me? Daddy, look. I just read this whole book!" Pride transformed my weariness and my frustration dissipated. ... read more >>
Not sure whether others have the same problem but we found that over time our living room ended up looking like a toy store. Since we hang out there a lot and we want our little man to be part of life in the living room we had to take lots of his toys from his nursery to our lounge. Over time we got more and more, and finally it became a real struggle to keep them somewhat tidy - especially as we couldn't be asked taking them back to the nursery every night.
After several near mid-floor collissions and acrobatic acts to avoid tripping over or falling onto toys (some of which are surprisingly painful when wedged between your ribs) my mym came up with a simple solution. She got one of her fruit baskets, put all the toys in there and shoved it under the table. TAH DAH!
Unlike other father blogs, journalist Matthew LaPlante chose to address his daughter directly in his articles. The result is the very personal and beautiful blog "Dear Spike, Love Dad".
Stefan talks to Matthew about the adventures of being a stay-home-dad, sleep deprivation and trusting your fatherly instincts.
Gather up your children and head down to Waitakere City's annual Toddler Day Out and Great Parenting Fair at Waitakere Trusts Stadium on Sunday March 2nd.
More than 11,000 people attended our previous event and this, the fifth of our annual events, promises to be bigger and better than ever before. There will be something for everyone at this fun event for families.
It is also National Children's Day on this date, and with its theme of giving our children new experiences, what better way could there be to start the year off?? ... read more >>
I just got one of these viral emails about an amazing discovery by the Canadian Research Council. Apparently Vicks Vaporub, stops night-time coughing in children when applied on the bottom of their feet and then cover with socks. Is this a hoax, has anyone tried it?
Here is the body of the email I received:
It works 100 percent of the time, although the scientists at the Canada Research Council (who discovered it) aren't sure why. To stop night-time coughing in a child, put Vicks Vaporub generously on the bottom of the feet at bedtime and then cover with socks.
Even persistent, heavy, deep coughing will stop in about five minutes, and stay stopped for many, many hours of relief. This works 100 percent of the time and is more effective in children than even very strong prescription cough medicines. In addition, it is extremely soothing and comforting and they will sleep soundly. I heard the head of The Canada Research Council describe these findings by their scientists when they were investigating the effectiveness and usage of prescription cough medicines in children as compared to alternative therapies like acupressure. ... read more >>
As a writer, I love a good story, and I couldn't think of a better gift for my little girl than her mom telling the story of how she was born in her own words. So, without further adieu, here's April...
On October 2, we had our regular prenatal classes that evening. After doing our normal stretches and meditation, Carmen, the midwife told me and the other woman who was at 38 weeks that it was time to practice pushing. Knowing that our baby girl was due in two days, I figured it was a good idea. After class, we talked with Carmen rehearsing all the things we needed to do if I went into labour. She mentioned to Kelly that she was going to be on-duty in the hospital on Tuesday night and Thursday morning, so if we wanted her to be there, try to plan accordingly. ... read more >>
Recently, the Pew Research Center asked 18 – 25 year olds what their most important goal was in life. 81% answered "to get rich." Wonder where they get that value from?
It might not be a bad time to ask your kids what their most important goal in life is. Based on the answer, you can help "direct" them towards creating a life that's meaningful. As the awful news in the world around us mounts, we can help by parenting kids to be loving, kind, and responsible citizens. And if we can, it might not be too late.
Here is another device which I think I am in love with at this stage! I believe that it's great for a couple of reasons –
1) My mother brought it so it didnt cost me a cent!
2) Its blue and she is a girl and we are a little over everything being damn pink!
Now its called Bumbo and its a South African seat for feeding your baby to 4 years old in.
It is a lot more stable and seems to fit on all/most surfaces. My mother paid around $60 AUD for it so its a good buy and not a goodbye to your money!!
We have another one which has a table and can be velcroed onto the fronts of chairs and the like – different concept but I understand the appeal of both formats.
It allows for Pyper to sit in it when being fed and therefore she isnt able to get out of it so easily – well at this stage but I have found a couple of things that I will review;
First of all, if you have health insurance, is it a good idea to extend your cover to your child? In a word - yes. While many health services for kids are great (and no one disputes the skill and care of the medical practitioners involved), the fact is that children sometimes face waiting lists, just like adults do. Whether this happens depends on staffing and funding levels in your local health area. These can be unpredictable, as a number of people in Wanganui found recently (MidCentral to the rescue of Whanganui). Health insurance means that waiting lists are no longer a problem – you can choose the time, place, and health provider for your child. This means that treatment can be organized quickly and smoothly, without the uncertainty that a waiting list can bring. ... read more >>
20-year review finds children have fewer psychological and behavioral problems
STOCKHOLM, Sweden, February 13, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Active father figures play a key role in reducing behaviour problems in boys and psychological problems in young women, according to a review published in the February issue of the peer-reviewed journal Acta Paediatrica.
Swedish researchers also found that regular positive contact reduces criminal behaviour among children in low-income families and enhances cognitive skills like intelligence, reasoning and language development. Children who lived with both a mother and father figure also had less behavioural problems than those who just lived with their mother. ... read more >>
Following my post about the upbringing of children in a multilingual environment I thought it would be quite useful to list a few sites with resources (in no particular order):
Last week's initial offering of Story Time with Zoë was a resounding success. Dr. Seuss is an all-time favorite of mine and Green Eggs and Ham still ranks as one of my top choices. All of my kids seem to like his works and I find that the rhyming and meter of his stories lends itself to not only an engaging active listen but also encouraging early reading. It helps that the stories are fun, timeless and bring to mind some of my most fond childhood memories. We could read a Seuss book every day and scarcely grow tired of the story. It is pure joy to be able to pass that on to my children.
This week's story also reminds me of my youth, of times when what was going on in the world around me didn't matter because there was a little place nothing short of utopia deep within the heart of the city. A place where I could lose myself and become a part of someone else's wonderful world learning to read, count and bang a drum like an animal. Wait, animal was a Muppet. Anyway, I'm talking about Sesame Street. Good times! ... read more >>
At our end of year prize giving we celebrate the boys' achievements. Our leavers (Year 8s) are individually acknowledged. On these occasions, I am particularly conscious of personal best performances. In schools and in life in general, our top achievers are often in the spot light. Recognising this is important as we want people to excel in their area of passion.
However, society's aim must be to keep all children in schools achieving their personal best and this is the challenge. To do this teachers and parents have to ensure that they connect with the individual on a regular and real level where there is integrity in the relationship. Individual goal setting is crucial in this process. It may be an academic, social, cultural or sporting goal(s). Follow up guidance, structure and encouragement exponentially enhances the likelihood of success. Children need to have moments when they are made to feel special and their efforts are celebrated. ... read more >>
I had a day at home to myself last week and took the opportunity to get my foot-long lawn mowed.
The truth is that with 3 very mobile little kids, the lawn mowing process is usually an affair that involves the whole family and most of the afternoon – the boys out there with their toy mowers, and me meandering around, making sure I stay well out of their way … which is easier said than done.
So, here I was, enjoying the alone-time when the mower from Noah putts out its last puff of smoke, and I spend the next hour and a half doing what every other handy Kiwi bloke would do … pulling the string thing to try and make it work.
Frustration got the better of me and I took it to the local mower doctor, who said it was dead as a doe doe … but the beauty of it was he could replace the engine with some new wiz-bang thing that, and I quote, "even the Missus could start … you could get her out there mowing the grass…" ... read more >>
Well, the new bathing suit was delivered today (the "Spiffy") -- unfortunately for the members of the YMCA, it showed up a coupla days late. The other night, I realized that my old suit hadn't been washed in a while and was starting to smell a tad ballsacky, so I rummaged around for one of my other suits. I found this red pair of board shorts that I forgot I had, and thought I'd go with those. Problem was, they were a little loose around the waist and I worried that they might whisk off suddenly in the churning, brackish waters of the pool.
I asked the Old Lady what she thought and she said, "Don't worry about it. It's not like you're going to be diving in or splashing around or anything. They'll be fine." And, of course, if you're familiar with the Old Lady's uncanny jinxing ability, you'd realize that I should have incinerated those board shorts right then and there. For some bizarre reason, however, I trusted her.
Cut to the Y -- I enter the swimming area and, wouldn't you know it, it's all women in there. Every lane but one is taken -- the center lane. I put my towel down, pull my goggles on and slip into the water. Instantly, the suit balloons out like a grade school, gym class parachute, soaks up a couple gallons of water, and then starts feeling really heavy. I figured, "C'mon... there's a drawstring. They're not going to fall off."
So, I started my first lap. Before I take my first breath, the top of the suit slips down to about plumber level and, with each additional stroke, threatens to slip down even further... like to Chris Farley level. I managed to finish the first length, but had to pause at the opposite end of the pool to figure out some sort of suit-bondo that would at least allow me to get back to the other side without flashing a "full crabby."
I rolled the waistband over a couple of times and it seemed to tighten things up a bit. Just to play it safe, I did the breast stroke on the way back. I went really slowly to keep the friction to a minimum, but about halfway across I could feel the waistband unrolling and my junk unpouching. I stopped at that point and just walked back to the wall, dragging my deflated circus tent along with me.
It was at this point that I noticed the young, freshly scrubbed life guardess looking down at me from her lofty perch. She basically had a bird's eye view of the whole fi-ass-co, and, frankly, she didn't seem pleased. I decided to do everyone a favor and just call it a day. Another couple of laps and the cops would've been called and, to tell you the truth, skinny-dipping in that water, whether intentional or not, is a good way to catch a bad case of "the drip."
So, tomorrow I try out "The Spiffy." I tried it on today -- modeled it for the Old Lady. It basically makes the area from my waist down to my knees look like some sort of Lycra blood sausage. It's really quite revolting. But I think I'd definitely rather be known around the Y as "Squeezie VonPorkcasing" than "Harry McCrackandsack." I just hope I make it out of there tomorrow without getting slapped.
Surprisingly cool ad from NZ Post in the "Send and you shall receive" series. Actually what makes it good is that they chose a perfect song for a perfect little story and orchestrated it well.
This is the first of many to come of my weekly review article. Why do this you say? Well there are lots of products and services which need to be praised and lots which need to be – well slightly improved in a big way!
So what am i going to start with – The Jolly Jumper Stroller!
This has been on my mind for two reasons – 1) We have only just acquired it – purchased not stolen, and 2) We already have a Phil & Ted's buggy – so I wanted to see why the heck we would buy another!!
Pro's Well this little stroller – NOT buggy is only $129 and not the $600 + for Phil & Teds. I can fold it down nice and neatly and it doesnt take up so much room as the buggy, it fits Pyper perfectly. It has a nice look and feel about it not like the other run of the mill strollers. The seat folds back so that if she wants to sleep she can. It has the same amount of storage luggage space as the buggy – shoot me now! ... read more >>
So, the Old Lady called tonight, conveniently right before she was supposed to get home to help out with the spawnage, and informed me that she was going out to tip a few back with a couple of her fancy professor cronies. Which is fine, mind you -- I'd do the same if'n I had a crony.
But that meant that I, and I alone, had to feed the li'l rugrats, bathe them, help with the homework and the piano practicing and all that other nighttime bullshit that "parents" have to "do." So, while I was getting dinner ready, Mr. Z was finishing up his homework and Miss O was drawing at the table. I popped by to see what she was up to, and found her finishing up this so-cute-it'll-make-you-shit self portrait:
Isn't that the shit? Her new thing is making herself jump up in the air in all her pictures, and she's started drawing herself looking off to the side like that a lot. Classic. And it looks surprisingly like her, to boot. Except for the giant three-fingered hands and the club-foot.
So, I get back to fixing up the vittles, and Mr. Z comes waltzing in and, before long, the two of them are flipping their lids and yelling at each other. Miss O said, "Dad! Mr. Z drew a mean picture of me!" He replied that, in fact, it wasn't mean and that it looked exactly like her. This is what he drew:
I totally had to hold in a giant blow-snot-outta-my-nose-laugh 'cuz I think the drawing is fucking hilarious. It doesn't look anything like Miss O, of course, but it is such a perfect older brother making fun of his younger sister's drawing drawing that it was hard not give him props for it.
It all evened out in the end, though, as Miss O brought Mr. Z to the verge of tears after she jinxed him during dinner and refused to say his name.
Let's admit it, as much as we'd like our children to be treated equally, to have equal access to experiences, and to have the same opportunities for fun, learning, and growth, the lives of two siblings will be vastly different. It's not because we love one more the other or discipline unevenly, but because one was born first and the other was born second. It's as simple as that. ... read more >>
It's a good idea to remember that when your kids misbehave, they do it for a reason: Not enough attention, tired, overwhelmed, etc. When you punish them, you usually increase the chances of misbehavior again, and create a child who's "sneakier" about getting caught.
Instead, try natural consequences: If your kids don't pick up their room in a timely fashion at night, then there isn't time for their story that's read to them before bed. If your teenager doesn't get the car home on time, then they don't drive for a while.
The point is to connect the misbehavior with the consequence — the closer the better. If your son keeps forgetting his glove to go to baseball practice but you keep retrieving it for him, he'll keep forgetting it! ... read more >>
14 February 2008 - my first Valentine's Day as a dad. What does it feel like? IT SUCKS just like all the years before. V-Day has got to be the corniest day ever. For the last 6 weeks or so I had to put up with major obstructions in the form of red hearts and Valentine's Card stands in just about every shop in town. Worse still, I had to read, listen to or sit through constant reminders or ads that I'll be sleeping in the dog house should I DARE forget have a card/gift/special plan for my partner on V-Day.
Fortunately I am blessed with a wife who sees through all the corniness and who doesn't expect any kind of special treatment today. I'm also a firm believer of "Random Romance" and would give my wife flowers, gifts, cards or a special treat whenever I feel like it or when an opportunity presents itself. ... read more >>
Actually, St. Valentine's Day means a lot to me and my family, although maybe not for the reason you suspect. Sure, flowers and candy are nice … but for me, Valentine's Day is how my children discovered their love for Rotary. Seriously. My older daughter became committed to Rotary soon after she was my [...] RotaryDad Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:37:50 +0000 Source: http://www.rotarycsjw.org/rotarydad/?p=170 -- To unsubscribe from this feed, click here To manage other subscriptions, click here ~ Powered by RssFwd, a service of Blue Sky Factory, Inc
From the sounds of it, the spawnage have a fairly inspired art teacher at school. They come home with some pretty wacky projects that aren't usually your bullshit construction paper, yarn and Elmer's grade school slapdash-o-ramas. Mr. Z has been talking about a t-shirt that he's been working on for the last coupla weeks -- apparently, each kid created their own design and then made some sort of crude silk-screen to transfer it to the shirt. He came home wearing the finished product today:
Is that the greatest fucking t-shirt ever, or what?! Robots rule. Truer today than ever.
ME: That shirt is AWESOME, Mr. Z!
MR. Z: Yeah... it's not what I originally wanted to do, though.
ME: Really? What was the original idea?
MR. Z: It was going to say 'Robots Rule but Aliens Drool," but it wouldn't all fit on the shirt. So I just went with 'Robots Rule.'
ME: Wise choice. I mean... what else is there to say?
Maybe I should quit my job and have Mr. Z just crank out more unwittingly ironic slacker shirts that I could sell over at Urban Outfitters for like 40 bucks a pop. The boy's a marketing genius!
In the beginning of the year News hit the country of a little left behind in a Melbourne railway station, we were clearly disgusted with what happened 
If you're a parent of a toddler, then dealing with temper tantrums or meltdowns are probably a daily occurrence. Young kids who are still learning how to talk and express themselves are easily frustrated. They want something, but they don't know how to say (or get) it. As a result, they resort to screaming, crying, throwing themselves on the floor, whining, pitching a hissy fit, or worse yet, having a complete meltdown.
A special HAPPY BIRTHDAY wish goes out to all babies who are born today or were born on the 29th of February. Today is your birthday FOR REAL - YAY!!! Extra special celebrations are called for I think.
Hi, my name is Dennis Swanson. I am the father of a beautiful almost 8 year old son. 
That's a strange service you might be thinking – When Pyper was around 2 months old we took her to the "osteo" as referred to in slang, she was delivered forceps and my wife was told by some tribal witch doctor (im sure of it) to take Pyper to the osteo, hmm great idea at the time, and although the lady was experienced with babies it was an experience to say none the less, i went away feeling a little bit confused.
The next thing I knew another nurse came and loaded up my bed for transfer. We rolled down the hallway, and he tried to make small talk with us as I moaned and made loud noises through each contraction (I think the noises I had been making since my water broke were what scared Kelly the most). By now I definitely felt like pushing, but realized it wasn't the time. Off the elevator, Kelly was pulled aside to put scrubs on, and a midwife walked up and grabbed my hand. She was in process of asking me if it was my first baby when she glanced up and yelled, "Oh, April!". It was Carmen, our midwife from prenatal classes. I'm not sure who was more happy that she was on duty - me or her. 
I want to share a letter with you that Focus on the Family recently received …
In the first part of this series we decided that there are a lot of good reasons to include your child on your family health insurance plan. So, in this part we're going to take a look at what kind of plan to get, what to avoid, and a couple of tips for saving money.
I remember the first time Zoë read Go, Dog. Go! by P.D. Eastman on her own. It seemed to take an eternity, each turn of the page leaving her stumbling over and phonetically attempting to sound out words. I would start a word giving her the sounds and she would finish it. We repeated the process page after page my frustration level rising though not in proportion to her excitement level as the end of the book neared. "Look how much I've read, Daddy," she would exclaim after every couple of pages. She refused every offer and attempt of mine to take over the reading and let her just listen to the story. She was on a mission. By the time she had finished I was completely spent. She was totally stoked. "How many pages was that? Did you see me? Daddy, look. I just read this whole book!" Pride transformed my weariness and my frustration dissipated. 
Unlike other father blogs, journalist Matthew LaPlante chose to address his daughter directly in his articles. The result is the very personal and beautiful blog "Dear Spike, Love Dad".
I just got one of these viral emails about an amazing discovery by the Canadian Research Council. Apparently Vicks Vaporub, stops night-time coughing in children when applied on the bottom of their feet and then cover with socks. Is this a hoax, has anyone tried it?
Recently, the Pew Research Center asked 18 – 25 year olds what their most important goal was in life. 81% answered "to get rich." Wonder where they get that value from? 
Here is another device which I think I am in love with at this stage! I believe that it's great for a couple of reasons –
First of all, if you have health insurance, is it a good idea to extend your cover to your child? In a word - yes. While many health services for kids are great (and no one disputes the skill and care of the medical practitioners involved), the fact is that children sometimes face waiting lists, just like adults do. Whether this happens depends on staffing and funding levels in your local health area. These can be unpredictable, as a number of people in Wanganui found recently (
20-year review finds children have fewer psychological and behavioral problems
Last week's initial offering of Story Time with Zoë was a resounding success. Dr. Seuss is an all-time favorite of mine and Green Eggs and Ham still ranks as one of my top choices. All of my kids seem to like his works and I find that the rhyming and meter of his stories lends itself to not only an engaging active listen but also encouraging early reading. It helps that the stories are fun, timeless and bring to mind some of my most fond childhood memories. We could read a Seuss book every day and scarcely grow tired of the story. It is pure joy to be able to pass that on to my children.
At our end of year prize giving we celebrate the boys' achievements. Our leavers (Year 8s) are individually acknowledged. On these occasions, I am particularly conscious of personal best performances. In schools and in life in general, our top achievers are often in the spot light. Recognising this is important as we want people to excel in their area of passion. 
I had a day at home to myself last week and took the opportunity to get my foot-long lawn mowed.
This is the first of many to come of my weekly review article. Why do this you say? Well there are lots of products and services which need to be praised and lots which need to be – well slightly improved in a big way!
It's a good idea to remember that when your kids misbehave, they do it for a reason: Not enough attention, tired, overwhelmed, etc. When you punish them, you usually increase the chances of misbehavior again, and create a child who's "sneakier" about getting caught.
14 February 2008 - my first Valentine's Day as a dad. What does it feel like? IT SUCKS just like all the years before. V-Day has got to be the corniest day ever. For the last 6 weeks or so I had to put up with major obstructions in the form of red hearts and Valentine's Card stands in just about every shop in town. Worse still, I had to read, listen to or sit through constant reminders or ads that I'll be sleeping in the dog house should I DARE forget have a card/gift/special plan for my partner on V-Day.
