No Ma'am, this IS my job

I've been keeping myself busy lately with my new hobby.
The 4th of July hat was just the tip of the iceberg.
My new alter ego, "Mr. Honkers" is a wanna-be pro balloon twister. He's been practicing and practicing lately. Keeping both of us pretty busy.
While I'm (of course) happy to have the job I have (read: my kids) I'm thinking of making a few extra bucks on the weekends by twisting balloons.
To give you an idea of what keeps me busy these hot, hot, hot afternoons....

It appears that "Melanie" from the "Goodnight Show" on PBS Sprout has been canned.
Sprout is a 24 hour channel airing only PBS kids' shows. Melanie is the nightime host.
I've always found her a bit odd.... scary at times.
Well, I have nothing left to fear.
Someone in the PBS brass obviously found a little video production Ms. Melanie was in before her latest career move. I, of course, could not go without finding this myself.
So, for your viewing pleasure, here it is...
(Warning: While this may not be visually unacceptable, its not something you want the kiddies to hear..... PBS fired her for a reason.)
The video that killed a career.

Our gracious friend "Hippie Dad" has allowed us to join him and his offspring at their pool the past few days.
I have to admit, at first I was a little apprehensive about going in "the big pool" with The Girls, but it all worked out in the end.
To start, I am not much of a swimmer myself. I'm more of what you would call "a sinker". And trust me, if Marine Corps Boot Camp couldn't teach me to swim, no one can. Not that I can't swim at all. I could do it if my life truly depended on it. But, the closest I'll ever come to crossing the English Channel is flipping past BBC America with my T.V. remote.
This, I figured, would be yet another trait my children would inherit from me.
In times past, Big One has shown the desire to swim. The only problem she seems to have is a phobia, of sorts, about getting her face wet. The slightest drip near her eye and she must dry off immediately. Not the easiest thing to do with hands so water logged they're more wrinkled than the waiting room at a Botox clinic.
Wee One on the other hand has steered clear of water (outside of the bathtub) completely since birth. She's never been one to even splash about in the kiddie pool.
Not this Summer.
They're both obsessed with this whole pool thing now. They're both pleading to start swimming lessons. Big One even went so far as to dunk herself underwater today. A feat which, in the past, would have been worse than death. Wee One, whose only contact with water other than a bath has been in a precariously filled pail in which she'd sit, was ready to jump in with no flotation device or assistance. (I didn't quite allow that.)
So, that's it...... I guess I'm in the market for swimming lessons....... for three of us (I guess its worth another try).

Happy 4th of July Everyone!

According the The Big One, your uvula (the little punching bag like thingy hanging in the back of your mouth) is the "vagina in your throat."
And, from The Wee One, I offer you this little story.
I caught her while she was running for the stairs, wondering where she was going in such a hurry.
Her response was quick and without hesitation..... "I have to go roll around on my bed. I have the hiccups and I need to get rid of them."
So there you go. The next time you are suffering with incurable hiccups, feel free to drop by and roll around on Wee One's bed. According to her, its the only cure.

The crack of the bat.
The roar of the crowd.
Its hard not to love baseball on a warm summer night. Cold beer, hot dogs, the 6, 4, 3 double play they're all things I used to love about going to a ballgame.
Now, I take my kids.
Don't get me wrong. I love introducing my offspring to a game that I love and seeing them enjoy it. I love having family time in an environment where there's something for everyone.
But baseball used to be something very different for me.
In days past my buddies and I would head to the ballpark take our seats and not move for innings on end. The beer vendors would be by soon enough, and hey, there's a game to watch.
Now, I'm lucky if I get through half an inning without someone needing a drink/ice cream/hot dog/pretzel/cotton candy/souvenir ball/giant foam finger/trip to the potty. Not to mention every thirty seconds I have to answer the question, "Daddy, are the Blue Rocks winning?"
(The Wilmington Blue Rocks (our Home Team) are a Class A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. This of course, means something to The Wife, being as that she's from New England and lived in Boston for a while. I, on the other hand, am a long time New York Mets fan with not much love for my home teams' parent organization. Happy 20th Anniversary Bill Buckner..... Red Sox fans should remember him.)
I'm not an anal baseball fan. I'm not the guy with the little stumpy pencil and scorecard marking every hit and out. Most of the time, I don't even care who wins or loses. But I do enjoy and miss the serenity I used to have at the ballpark.
Someday I hope to be watching one, if not both, of my girls take the field. And trust me, I'll be one darned proud dad that day. Until then, I'm just the lackey errand boy fetching the giant foam fingers.

Hi

Hey there faithful few.....
I know.
I swore before I'd be back.... and.... well..... I lied.
Sorry.
But I've been up to something lately.
"What?" you ask.
I've started a new Dads' Group for my area. I haven't given up on my old At Home Dads' Group. I've just decided to expand on the effort.
The new group iDAD (involved Dads Around Delaware) is set up as a forum for all involved fathers. A group in which to share stories, experience and advice. In the future we may look into playgroups or outings and possibly a few "Dads Only" events, but for now, it will be there as a place for Dads to get together and be Dads.
Whether you're a stay at home dad, a work at home dad or a dad working outside of the home, as long as your family is your first concern, it will be the group for you.
If you're in the area and you're interested, drop me a line or stop by the Yahoo Group and sign up.
Its still pretty new and there aren't many guys on the list right now, but hopefully that'll change soon.

Hope all is well with all of you and yours.
Enjoy your Summer.