Showing posts with label parent of the year. Show all posts
Showing posts with label parent of the year. Show all posts
May 23, 2013
Mother Daughter Bonding
As I was washing dishes I overheard Emily reading a book to Charlotte. It took me awhile to figure out which book because I had the radio on. But when I figured it out, I knew I had to film this beautiful, tender moment.
May 11, 2013
Conversations with Charlotte #267--Parenting Fail
It's a task with built-in excuses, but I am not going to use them. This parenting fail is 100% on my shoulders and the guilt runs through my veins. Apologies after a failure like this are meaningless, yet to me, feel necessary. But I won't apologize. I won't make excuses. I will instead accept my failure as a father and will resolve to try harder. That is all I can do.
But it is just so hard to raise a Texan in Minnesota.
Last night Charlotte and I were drawing on the sidewalk in the front yard as we are wont to do. I have this vision of using the front porch and cold beer as a way to make our block one giant Kumbayah community. But the specifics behind that vision is for another discussion or blog entry. I will say this: I just rolled out my plan for "National Night Out Every Night" last week and Emily agrees that the early returns of this soft opening have exceeded expectations. The hard opening won't be for another month or so.
So anyway, Charlotte and I were drawing on the sidewalk. Typically she will ask me to draw something. And then when I draw it, she will color it in. So far, so good. But here is where it got ugly. She asked me to draw a Boe Boe Head (a bunch of characters I made up when I was a kid... in Texas), a zebra (a horse with stripes, so it's kind of Texan), a baby in a crib (they have those in Texas) and then the unspeakable happened.
Charlotte: Draw a bridge over the Mississippi River.
Me: How about the I-35 bridge over the Red River?
Charlotte: No. I want a Lake Street Bridge.
Me: Or maybe I could draw a star or a spur. Or the Olmos Dam. It's like a bridge. Or not like one.
Charlotte: No. Daddy draw a Lake Street Bridge.
No apologies. No excuses. But this girl is sure acting like a Minnesotan.
But it is just so hard to raise a Texan in Minnesota.
Last night Charlotte and I were drawing on the sidewalk in the front yard as we are wont to do. I have this vision of using the front porch and cold beer as a way to make our block one giant Kumbayah community. But the specifics behind that vision is for another discussion or blog entry. I will say this: I just rolled out my plan for "National Night Out Every Night" last week and Emily agrees that the early returns of this soft opening have exceeded expectations. The hard opening won't be for another month or so.
So anyway, Charlotte and I were drawing on the sidewalk. Typically she will ask me to draw something. And then when I draw it, she will color it in. So far, so good. But here is where it got ugly. She asked me to draw a Boe Boe Head (a bunch of characters I made up when I was a kid... in Texas), a zebra (a horse with stripes, so it's kind of Texan), a baby in a crib (they have those in Texas) and then the unspeakable happened.
Charlotte: Draw a bridge over the Mississippi River.
Me: How about the I-35 bridge over the Red River?
Charlotte: No. I want a Lake Street Bridge.
Me: Or maybe I could draw a star or a spur. Or the Olmos Dam. It's like a bridge. Or not like one.
Charlotte: No. Daddy draw a Lake Street Bridge.
No apologies. No excuses. But this girl is sure acting like a Minnesotan.
March 04, 2013
Like, Ooops
Saturday afternoon Charlotte found a bag of dried apricots and kept on calling them her vitamins. They are round, and they do have the same translucent quality of her gummy vitamins. She walked around with them in her possession the rest of the afternoon and evening. At bedtime she insisted on taking them with her into her crib. I agreed, as the apricots were closed with a twist tie and she had shown zero interest in eating them. I thought it was funny that most kids want their teddy bear for bedtime, but Charlotte wants a bag of dried apricots.
Fast-forward to Sunday morning. I was out running with some friends when Charlotte woke up. So, fortunately for me, I was not first responder. Emily walked in when she heard Charlotte blabbering away. When she opened the door, Charlotte was standing up in her crib, held out an opened baggie, half-full of dried apricots, and said, "Vitamins!"
Emily said, "Did you eat some of those?" and Charlotte matter-of-factly said "yeah."
We have no idea when she ate the apriocots but it must have closer to bedtime than wake up time. Let's just say that when Emily was done changing Charlotte's diaper and cleaning Charlotte up, an orange hue remained on her bum.
Like I said, glad I wasn't the first responder.
Fast-forward to Sunday morning. I was out running with some friends when Charlotte woke up. So, fortunately for me, I was not first responder. Emily walked in when she heard Charlotte blabbering away. When she opened the door, Charlotte was standing up in her crib, held out an opened baggie, half-full of dried apricots, and said, "Vitamins!"
Emily said, "Did you eat some of those?" and Charlotte matter-of-factly said "yeah."
We have no idea when she ate the apriocots but it must have closer to bedtime than wake up time. Let's just say that when Emily was done changing Charlotte's diaper and cleaning Charlotte up, an orange hue remained on her bum.
Like I said, glad I wasn't the first responder.
January 21, 2013
Charlotte Is Unimpressed...
...with winter.
Charlotte and I ran a few errands today, ate at Smashburger, and baked a cake to reflect on Martin Luther King's legacy. On the way in from our errands and Smashburger, I looked back and saw Charlotte had decided today was a great day to play in the backyard.
Ten below zero? Dog poop and dog toys frozen to the ground? Big deal. She wanted to play in the backyard. I let this nonsense go on for a few minutes before going out to get her. She protested mildly but then when we got inside she said, "Brrrrrr! Cold outside!" I think she saw the logic of coming inside.
Charlotte and I ran a few errands today, ate at Smashburger, and baked a cake to reflect on Martin Luther King's legacy. On the way in from our errands and Smashburger, I looked back and saw Charlotte had decided today was a great day to play in the backyard.
Ten below zero? Dog poop and dog toys frozen to the ground? Big deal. She wanted to play in the backyard. I let this nonsense go on for a few minutes before going out to get her. She protested mildly but then when we got inside she said, "Brrrrrr! Cold outside!" I think she saw the logic of coming inside.
October 13, 2012
Wanted: Edward Scissorshands
In college there was a scrub on the cross country team we called the Barber Starver. It was not a flattering term. Some people can pull off shaggy hair and a beard. Barber Starver could not. I fear Charlotte is on her way to being a beardless barber starver. She is getting a haircut today. It's a win-win-win. We won't have a Barber Starver for a child, Charlotte will be able to see, and the barber will get some money from us so he can buy some food.
February 18, 2012
Overheard
Emily, while holding Charlotte, "You smell like beer and poop."
I'll take responsibility for my daughter smelling like beer at 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning, but she is going to have to take personal responsibility for the poop smell; that one's on her. Literally.
I'll take responsibility for my daughter smelling like beer at 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning, but she is going to have to take personal responsibility for the poop smell; that one's on her. Literally.
January 01, 2012
Good Times
Things you can play with that are not toys.
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| The cat door. |
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| Lids! |
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| This funky bag from Bubbe's house. |
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| 1.... 2.... 3! |
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| Weee!!! |
November 30, 2011
Likes and Dislikes
Haven't done likes and dislikes for a while!
Likes:
Dislikes:
* Charlotte's dislike of the changing station may have something to do with an unfortunate accident a couple weeks ago. I was getting her dressed and digging in the drawer for some socks and in a flash she rolled right off and landed in the drawer! I shrieked! And Mike came running up the stairs. Charlotte was unharmed, thanks to the soft landing in the clothes drawer, but she was rightfully scared. I was traumatized. It kept flashing before my eyes the rest of the weekend. Now I change her on the floor.
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| Like |
Likes:
- saying hi
- saying hi again
- scooting around on her butt like this (but she's much faster now!)
- looking at books
- taking books off the bookshelf
- fruit
- beans
- singing
- music
- feeding herself
- outside
Dislikes:
- green vegetables
- having her diaper changed, especially on the changing station*
- when it is time to put away the musical instruments at music class
- having her hands messed with
- drinking from a cup
* Charlotte's dislike of the changing station may have something to do with an unfortunate accident a couple weeks ago. I was getting her dressed and digging in the drawer for some socks and in a flash she rolled right off and landed in the drawer! I shrieked! And Mike came running up the stairs. Charlotte was unharmed, thanks to the soft landing in the clothes drawer, but she was rightfully scared. I was traumatized. It kept flashing before my eyes the rest of the weekend. Now I change her on the floor.
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