“Who can tell me how to be a good teammate?” I asked as we huddled at the end of practice. Little dirt covered hands shot up everywhere. They could barely contain themselves for they knew a correct answer would win them one of those prized baseball cards that filled my sweatpant pockets. “Don’t beat anyone up!” yelled one t-baller. I couldn’t help but crack up laughing at this response even though he wasn’t wrong. “Cheer for your teammate!” said another….
We watched as the little Lego man circled the sink drain. He plummeted to his demise just as I reached out my hand to grab him. Eli’s lip curled as his silent face scrunched together and turned red. He then belted out, “No! My man! My man go down the sink!” I glanced over at Knox who was also brushing his teeth. He too witnessed the tragedy of Eli dropping him into the sink. A splendid balance of sadness and…
“Daddy, can you play outside with me?” he said as I got ready for a quick run one beautiful Sunday afternoon. “I promise buddy, as soon as I get back from my run we can play outside. Whatever you want to do,” I responded. He plopped down in a folding chair positioned in the driveway facing the lake and I finished lacing up my shoes. I gave Knox a quick wave and took off for my run. ( FYI –…
On September 18, 2003, Brian Hudson set a mind blowing world record in the United Kingdom by somersaulting 3,333 consecutive times on a trampoline. That’s amazing! I imagine that I’d be tired and dizzy after such an accomplishment. My sons and I get sweaty after only 33 seconds on the new trampoline they received for Christmas. Of all the things they do, I haven’t seen anything make them drip sweat like jumping on that trampoline. One night the kids asked…
Can you remember your favorite game as a kid? Some of us may think of family game nights with classics like Monopoly or Clue while others remember heated card games such as rummy, poker or canasta. Maybe your mind even takes you back to playing sharks and minnows with your neighbors in the community pool. If someone were to ask our boys Knox and Eli this question in 10 or 15 years, I’d bet they’d give you a less traditional…
“Why did God make popcorn, penguins, Moses, giraffes and everyone?” asked my four year old son, Knox. I thought, well that really covers the full extent of His creation doesn’t it? I responded with a terribly long pause. I was fortunate that he asked another question before I could respond to the first. “How can Jesus be in heaven and my heart at the same time?” Excited that I had a quick answer I replied, “because God is omnipresent buddy!”…
Have you ever struggled to find the right words to tell a story or express your feelings? Communicating effectively seems to be something we struggle with at home, work, and just about in every relationship. Everyone can relate with some form of miscommunication but parents of young children tend to constantly question what their baby or toddler wants as they work on their language skills. Luckily for us, we’ve had a surprising advocate that loves to help us figure out…
That old familiar sound of plastic wheels rolling on the asphalt echoed down our driveway as squirrels and frogs scurried out of the way to avoid a collision. However, the John Deere Gator carried an extra crunching noise this particular day that seemed to be in perfect rhythm with the rotation of the back tires. I asked my oldest son, Knox, to stop so I could investigate the problem. We slightly rotated the back tires only to find that they…
Life outdoors for a young boy is filled with adventure and enjoyment. Even as infants, both of our boys (Knox and Eli) seemed to always be more content when we brought them outside. I can remember both crying uncontrollably for mysterious reasons until we simply just walked outside on the back porch. It worked to calm them down nearly every time. Sending everyone outside remains a go to tactic for us when breaking up fights and calming chaos that ensues…
It was a beautiful Sunday morning. My wife, Erin and I, were sipping some coffee in the kitchen while the boys slept in until the final minutes before we needed to leave for church. This was one of the rare quiet moments in our home these days; our boys can even manage to sleep loudly some nights. We were enjoying our slow start and nice conversation when I felt another presence enter the kitchen. Out of the corner of my…