stay at home dad
Trick or Treat! Halloween Party! New Friend Jack
Well, Halloween has always been a big holiday with me and I am pleased to say that I think it will be for Emma too. This year she got into it and enjoyed it very much. Emma was Tinkerbell and boy did she look cute! For the last 7 years I have put a fog machine in the bushes in front of our house so that I can scare/entertain the kids who come here trick-or-treating. This year we had unbelievable weather–it was 70 degrees and completely still. The fog that I made just lingered in front of our house and eventually the entire culdesac. It looked like a movie set. The kids who came here loved …Read more […..]
Brushing Teeth/Washing Hands, “Loved Ones†Too Busy for Emma?! Halloween & Leaves!
Emma has been brushing her teeth by herself for quite a while now. It started out with her just eating the toothpaste because it tastes so good. It has evolved to where she really scrubs the bottom teeth–hasn’t perfected the top teeth yet. She has been encouraged by me stating that she needs to “get the germs off her teeth.” It seems that even though she doesn’t really know what germs are and hasn’t seen them she doesn’t want them on her. This works for her letting us wash her face and hands too. During the last month or so–after observing her cousins Chrissy & Megan– she has been standing …Read more […..]
“My Feet are Dancing!”, “Don’t be Silly”, “The Baby is Older”, “Let me Touch Your Hair”, Friends!
We have exposed Emma to music since she was a little baby. Hmmmm, wonder if she will like ’80s music when she is older–ha….. I like to dance with her as often as possible. not only will she see her Daddy having fun dancing at his old age but she will get more practice and enjoy it even more. Sometimes, when the music is on and Emma is listening to it, she will say, “Look, my feet are dancing” and show me how her feet are bouncing to the beat. She loves to dance as it is lots of fun! Another funny saying that she has is “Don’t be silly.” She says this to both Mommy and I and just shows …Read more […..]
More Opinions of Stay at Home Dads,I Love You, Temper Temper, Hi, Smarty Pants
Recently I came across some differing opinions/reactions to my status as a stay at home dad. As I have explained before, many men have funny, negative, or weird reactions when they hear that I stay at home with Emma. The older guys think it is pretty strange as they grew up in a different time. That is understandable but still a bit aggravating. The younger guys are a mixed bag. The majority of the ones that have children tell me that I am extremely lucky to stay home with her–I totally agree– and they wish that they could do the same. The younger guys without kids, in general, haven’t …Read more […..]
TV Commercial Filming Trip, You’re Not Going Away, Emma’s 1st Sleepover
A week after getting back from Disney World we went to Los Angeles. It was something we could not pass up–at least I couldn’t. Since my days as a child model for Spiegel, Sears, and others, I have had an itch to do something like that again. Last year, both Melissa and I were in a Sleep Number Bed commercial. A few weeks ago they contacted us and said that everyone remembers us and that they would like to fly us to California to shoot an infomercial. Well, we jumped at the chance… Emma & Walter (Foo-Foo) To be treated like a celebrity for a day was quite the experience. When we …Read more […..]
Hook, I Want to Be Safe, Let’s Talk for Awhile, Maybe I’m Little & Maybe I’m Big, Zoo
Funny how Emma has changed regarding what she likes to watch on TV. Gone are the days when she would watch Wonderpets, The Wiggles, The Doodlebops, and Jay Jay the Jet Plane. In are the days of Monsters Inc., Cars, Shrek, Nemo, Ariel, and for the last week or so Peter Pan. Emma has had a fascination with Captain Hook(Hook) since she saw him at the Disney World live show last April. She was afraid to go by the statue that is at Navy Pier. She just started watching Peter Pan and I have to say that it brings back memories for me. I had forgotten what it was all about but watching it again brought …Read more […..]
Megan & Chrissy! The Witch! Tigger & Pooh! My Name!
So, we just returned from our 2nd trip to Orlando and Disney World. We got to stay with Emma’s uncle Mark, aunt Tina, and her cousins Chrissy and Megan. It was a very fun time watching Emma with her 2 cousins. They played well together, in general. There were some pushing incidents throughout the trip with a sort of power struggle going on. Nothing serious but we got to see a “bully” side of Emma that I have never seen before. When we got home, Emma kept talking about them and how she wants to go back to “Mark’s house.” We had lots of fun at Disney World…again. Emma got to see “The Witch” …Read more […..]
You Do What??
Funny how many men react to me when I tell them I stay at home with Emma….. The older men are especially puzzled. I guess I would have felt the same way some years ago. It seems like the old way of thinking, that the man was the provider and the woman reared the children, is alive and well today. Over the last couple of years, when I have been introduced to someone new I have been greeted with mixed reactions. It seems that virtually every woman who I have met that was told that I stay at home with my daughter has reacted overwhelmingly in a positive manner. They all say that it is a great …Read more […..]
Health Club, Comments on Kids’ Amazement
I have always worked out and exercised but the last couple years have brought a change to my workouts. Instead of lifting weights and playing basketball I find myself walking a lot, riding my bike with Emma on board, and generally chasing her around, etc…. I recently brought her to the health club and had her stay in the child care area. The first time I stayed with her for a while then snuck out for 20 minutes as she played with all the new toys. The second time I brought her I left her while I worked out. I made the mistake of trying to peek in on her before taking a shower to make sure …Read more […..]
“I’m Happy†“I’m Talking to You†“I Love Youâ€
So, Emma’s vocabulary is exploding now. She is forming sentences and has her own favorite phrases that are just cracking us up! She tells us her feelings now and even tells us our own….. When she is happy she says, “I’m happy.” When she is mad she says,”I’m mad.” She tells us that we are happy and mad too! “Momma’s happy” and “Dada’s happy” are commonly heard around here. One of her favorite phrases to say to me is, “I’m talking to you.” She knows it gets a laugh from me and says it quite often, especially when I am not really paying attention to her! I respond by saying, …Read more […..]