tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22794254249402154592012-01-31T09:14:44.305-08:00A father's survival guide for other parents. An account of the challenges that both my teenage sons and I encounter living together. Oh, and a few other things too.Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.comBlogger1681100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-55840599336697671852012-01-23T12:19:00.000-08:002012-01-31T09:14:44.328-08:00

If you feel up to it and are ready to tackle one of the most difficult to understand concepts tied to human consciousness, I recommend that you dig into the written literature and read all about the various definitions of "what is time?"  Go ahead and start with the basic summary contained within the Wikipedia explanation and if after reading it you are still motivated you are most welcome to

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-33345408846765896392012-01-19T13:19:00.000-08:002012-01-19T14:18:27.176-08:00

We've all heard stories from our parents describing why it is that we should not expose ourselves to bad weather without the proper attire to avoid becoming ill.  "Don't walk barefoot around the cold floor of the house...cover your head from the rain...wear a sweater when going in and out of the house at nights...don't stand in front of that fan...take off those wet clothes..." are all among the

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-73587804260300238112011-12-15T09:13:00.000-08:002011-12-19T10:28:23.060-08:00

I would find it hard to count the number of times when I have shared a story with regards to something hurtful in my life in which the listener's ultimate advice is to allow time to transpire in order for the wound caused by the painful event to heal.  We've all heard it before, "time heals all wounds."  Truth be told, time does seem to make things better but is it because of healing, or is it

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-25176845484192992522011-12-08T10:05:00.000-08:002011-12-08T10:09:38.957-08:00

As I walked into work early in the morning I noticed that the previous day's strong Santa Ana winds had managed to drag into the walkway and path towards my building several huge tumbleweeds.  When I am driving and see one of these dried out bushes rushing towards my car, I already know from previous experience that it is not worth trying to avoid hitting them since the mass of the vehicle is so

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-88968890687890258162011-11-30T16:07:00.000-08:002011-12-07T10:52:21.909-08:00

I sat at my office desk today during my lunch break writing a short note to a dear friend that is currently going through a bit of a rough time.  In the midst of reading her previous message I could easily sense much of her emotional state mostly because we have both been served some exquisite wine out of the same bottle which we have reluctantly sipped during our lives.  Just as love has no

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-36674462244077773622011-07-12T10:12:00.000-07:002011-07-12T10:12:22.934-07:00

Writing to you is a double edge sword which with one side cuts through time and space to bring the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of my life while with the other it opens deep wounds that might of already been closed or healed by time.  It has been over seven months since I have written anything in these pages.  On several occasions I have logged in and written entire posts with the full

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-34898392797067919192010-11-26T12:29:00.000-08:002010-11-26T12:29:45.729-08:00

In the midst of my daily routine, I have suddenly found myself reconsidering the true value of the commodity of patience.  Patience is not something that I can go shopping and acquire a booster, reload, or cart full at any local establishment.  In fact, to me, just learning how to access this behavior from within the ocean of other types of responses stored in my habitual personality is a

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-89241676400771354912010-11-01T21:27:00.000-07:002010-11-01T21:41:21.836-07:00

Once again, as so many other times in the past 25 years, I was unfortunately not home for Halloween.  Many of you might think and even say "what's the big deal...it's not like Halloween is a holiday."  The statement holds true to just about anyone that does not have a child.  However, for most of us that have kids we understand that the gory night of ghosts and ghouls is much more than just a

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-40951615703144443172010-10-07T09:13:00.000-07:002010-10-07T21:18:29.753-07:00

"God, I understand that my job is not to worry, but to dream about all the blessings you have in store for me in my life.  It is obvious that my limited eyes are not able to always see the answers, yet in my heart I truly believe that you are doing everything that needs to be done for everything to be not just ok, but truly great.  Nobody understands this path I have walked with my children

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-31534684547493283882010-10-05T11:51:00.000-07:002010-10-06T08:40:31.593-07:00

It took my brain less than a faction of a second to realize that the words leaving my lips would haunt me for the rest of my life.  In anger, sometimes I have said things that I have come to deeply regret.  Being a nerd at heart, I envision a time in the future where moments like this can be avoided by implanting in my brain a "don't be a dumb ass" filter that is automatically activated when my

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-67072423230232715702010-09-26T17:25:00.000-07:002012-01-22T11:14:18.258-08:00

It takes being a parent to totally grasp what parenting is all about.  In fact, I have learned that one has to be at this selfless job for more than just a few years to totally come to grips with how incredibly ignorant we were about parenting in the first place.  To those who play golf I would give them the analogy of how simple the game seemed before they ever played a game.  Come on, how hard

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-60347276967858772392010-09-23T11:23:00.000-07:002010-09-23T11:23:16.715-07:00

My mom keeps reminding me to buy her one of those cat scratch pads or posts.  Somehow I just keep forgetting every time I am out doing any shopping.  Probably because my head is full of other stuff and the needs of this fuzzy friend just rank one notch below the available "Post-It" space in my brain.  A bit over two years ago one of my son's was walking back from school when this little ball of

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-72648341189968701872010-09-17T09:05:00.000-07:002010-09-19T17:11:27.467-07:00

As I entered his office I noticed a picture of a beautiful Gretsch White Falcon electric guitar on the top portion of his wall calendar.  I have always had a secret fascination with musical instruments which typically forces me to hold on to music store catalogs that come in the mail until I have had an opportunity to calmly drool over its pages before I am able to throw them in the trash.  I

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-65309175274735167262010-08-30T14:20:00.000-07:002010-08-31T08:41:04.694-07:00

As I travel back in time in my mind I am always fascinated by how complimentary my mom and dad's relationship seemed at any given moment.  For example, my dad used to love to drive, while my mom was extremely content to be sitting on the passenger side for hours on end.  At any given instant I can close my eyes and visualize in my head the image of my mom's left had reaching over my dad's right

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-50661324661501931992010-08-26T13:06:00.000-07:002010-08-31T08:41:04.697-07:00

It always feels so good when I finally make it home after being gone on work related travel.  My longest absence in my 25 years of working for the Department of Defense was 6 weeks.  At the time I was still single and without any parenting responsibilities, so even though it felt like a really long time to be gone, it was not as bad as it might seem.  Now days, when I am gone anywhere from one to

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-75480021766381742512010-08-10T00:01:00.000-07:002010-08-17T13:05:34.648-07:00

The 10 most important things I have learned in the past 12 months...(Part 10). Today I celebrate an entire year of an incredible journey of sharing my parenting life with all of you.  I now look back at over 150 posts that one by one gave birth to an amazing relationship between us all.  To be honest it never occurred to me in the beginning that so many of you would take the time to read these

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-12295989393324502102010-08-09T16:04:00.000-07:002010-08-09T16:04:34.337-07:00

The top 10 most important things that I have learned in the past 12 months...(Part 9). Just as there is a season for everything under the sun, there is also the right moment for taking action or taking pause with the growth of your children.  The mere fact that you want them to understand something makes absolutely no difference when they are not ready to consume your wisdom.  Every child is a

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-27670982010196353332010-08-09T09:42:00.000-07:002010-08-09T09:42:12.517-07:00

The 10 most important things that I have learned in the past 12 months...(Part 8). One of the biggest mistakes that I have found myself doing in the past is allowing my own anger and frustration to cloud my vision of the rest of the things that important in my life.  As impossible as it might seem at times, the task of prioritizing and separating issues is actually more important than the issues

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-47122976046295912352010-08-08T14:02:00.000-07:002010-08-08T14:17:26.182-07:00

The top 10 most important things I have learned in the past 12 months...(Part 7). There is nothing more important in any successful quest than knowledge.  The more you know, the simpler it is to be successful at almost anything you set your mind to.  However, there is always the matter of the difference between book smart and street smart.  In other words, you could read every book ever written 

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-9600093978514399762010-08-07T11:15:00.000-07:002010-08-07T14:26:33.524-07:00

The top 10 most important things I have learned in the past 12 months (Part 6). The WIKIPEDIA defines empathy as "the capability to share another being's emotions and feelings."  According to theorists and their definitions, "empathy is an ability with many different definitions.  They cover a broad spectrum, ranging from feeling a concern for other people that creates a desire to help them,

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-64356103779176449532010-08-06T16:43:00.000-07:002010-08-07T09:45:05.994-07:00

The top 10 most important things I have learned in the past 12 months...(Part 5). In today's fast paced world we have become so accustomed to getting everything so fast, that it takes us time to realize that not everything in life works that way too.  The instant gratification of so many technological advances has the disadvantage of muddling our mind's perspective of what and how quickly things

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-91731267087061808432010-08-05T11:53:00.000-07:002010-08-05T16:41:39.761-07:00

The top 10 most important things I have learned in the past 12 months...(Part 4). The greatest challenge I have encountered with my son in the past 12 months is on how to bridge the gap of communication between us.  Our generations not only varies in how we express ourselves verbally, but also how we think and act.  With such a large disparity in our processing of information, it is no wonder we

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-67163701652317056202010-08-03T12:59:00.000-07:002010-08-03T14:07:43.648-07:00

The top 10 most important things I have learned in the past 12 months...(Part 3). Day in and day out of exchanging emotional blows with my oldest son is an exhausting task to say the least.  At times I have felt that in his mind I am his greatest enemy, while many other times I have come to realize that I am his only true friend.  How an individual deals with this emotional roller coaster is

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-10523523361030844962010-08-02T10:36:00.000-07:002010-08-03T14:07:43.650-07:00

The top 10 most important things I have learned in the past 12 months...(Part 2). For the last 12 months I have been in a constant struggle to keep myself from trying to change my son.  Ironically, the best example I have of this being an impossible task is right in front of me every morning as I look at myself in the mirror.  I am living proof that nobody can change who you are inside.  True

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-44715467049667896652010-08-01T20:21:00.000-07:002010-08-03T14:07:43.651-07:00

The top 10 most important things I have learned in the past 12 months...(Part 1). Almost one year ago I began writing on this blog and sharing my life experiences with you.  Over 3,600 visits have logged on to these pages either by chance or on purpose, motivating me to stay true to some simple rules I wrote on my first post of August 10, 2009.  These digital pages have served me well as a place

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-64539725783591324902010-07-31T14:12:00.000-07:002010-08-03T14:07:43.653-07:00

I'm a bit surprised that I am able to log into my blog page in order to write this note while I am out at sea doing my job.  It is typical that these type of websites are blocked for use and in many ways I am usually incommunicado with the outside world.  Somehow, this time, I tried logging into the site that hosts my blog and was able to get in.  It would not surprise me that it is mostly a

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-59809852273241100102010-07-22T11:00:00.000-07:002010-08-03T14:07:43.654-07:00

Hearing news about something terrible happening at a distance has a completely different impact on me than when it happens in my backyard and close to home.  I imagine that it is probably very much the same when I post here some of the things that happen in my life.  As a reader, the farther you are to me physically or relationshipwise, the less it impacts you too.  Don't worry, I won't hold this

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-74254868941673713962010-07-20T15:10:00.000-07:002010-08-03T14:07:43.656-07:00

I have but one request as I write this post for you to read...be patient with me today, I am all over the place with what seems to be an emotional roller coaster that I cannot jump off in mid ride.  As I struggle to reconcile what my mind is telling me with what my heart is yelling at me, I tread light on this difficult path of trying to be a good father without losing myself at the same time. 

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-65023562375944965582010-07-14T11:10:00.000-07:002010-08-03T14:07:43.658-07:00

It is more often than not that in my life I have encountered goodness versus evil.  In fact, I have a hard time remembering past moments that could be defined by somebody that was actually in my life that had the intent of harming me on purpose.  Of course there are the sad moments in which I made mistakes that caused sadness in the heart of someone close to me, and vice-versa.  However, my

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-84197707463367398182010-07-06T13:09:00.000-07:002010-08-03T14:07:43.659-07:00

Last week was hectic, to say the least.  I got out of bed everyday at 5:00 a.m. and was already in my office by 6:00 a.m. supporting work with folks out of Japan.  It might not be a big deal if after putting in my 9 usual daily work hours I could just head home and chill, but the work I was doing kept me busy for almost 12 hours every day instead.  Add to it the typical 90 minutes total commute

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-50452045684963841162010-06-23T15:33:00.000-07:002010-08-03T14:07:43.661-07:00

A little bit over three years ago the Washington Post conducted a perception, taste, and people's priority experiment.  In a busy corner of the Washington D.C. Metro Station a man whom would appear to most as a common street performer opened the case of his violin, took out the instrument, and played for the cold morning passing by folks on their way through to board their train.  For 45 minutes

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-2550392476171459492010-06-18T11:01:00.000-07:002010-08-03T14:07:43.663-07:00

There is a world that surrounds us that so very few individuals are aware even exists.  The price of admission to this other dimension is much steeper than anyone can imagine.  In order to experience this world a set of prerequisites must be met which most individuals typically avoid in the first place.  Interestingly though, there is a bitter sweet effect in the lives of the select ones that

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-87640813741060502172010-06-08T14:28:00.000-07:002010-08-03T14:07:43.664-07:00

There is an unusual side effect that comes from parenting a child that is wired differently.  When the waters get rough I get the almost recognizable motion sickness symptoms where it is hard to focus on anything other than the exact moment in time that I am experiencing.  Eventually, when the waters calm down though, there is a peculiar lingering sense of chaos that stays with me for days to

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-8279389889591351302010-06-01T20:36:00.000-07:002010-08-03T14:07:43.666-07:00

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you already know that it is typical for me to avoid writing about my challenging moments with my oldest teenage son until I have had an opportunity to process the moment. I think that if I was able to find a moment in the middle of a crisis to document the event I would probably miss a great deal of the "reality" behind it all because of my heightened

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-85717429517307508802010-05-26T10:21:00.000-07:002010-08-03T14:07:43.667-07:00

To date, scientists have been able to identify four fundamental invisible forces that hold everything together in our Universe.  Scientists all over the world have accepted the concept of these various interactions within the physical world based on pure observation and a certain degree of experimentation.  The simple fact that they are able to measure the influence that these forces have on our

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-10432961109496045702010-05-21T11:15:00.001-07:002010-08-03T14:07:43.669-07:00

I am really glad that warmer days are finally here.  Last night I decided to turn on the Jacuzzi heater a few hours before sunset to have the water just right for a relaxing moment later in the night.  As usual I mentioned my intent to my younger son as an enticing offer to come and chillax for a little while later in the evening.  At the moment he had been feeling a little under the weather

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-40155560075130421492010-05-20T15:05:00.000-07:002010-08-03T14:07:43.676-07:00

I really thought that two weeks after the incident my left thumb would be completely back to normal.  Originally it felt the same as when I’ve sprained it playing basketball or volleyball, something I’ve done many times in my life.  Typically, a few days afterwards the pain is gone and I have totally forgotten how I hurt myself in the first place.  Apparently this is not the same since after two

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-70791598020660881852010-05-10T11:33:00.000-07:002010-05-11T13:45:53.405-07:00

When I look at the various flowers in my garden, I see so much variety that it amazes me how beauty can come in so many flavors.  The smells are wondrous and the colors are bright seeking the attention of birds and bees to easily find their way from far away in order to pollinate and spread their seeds at distances that otherwise would be impossible.  Nature has found a way to make things happen

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-246367422359479062010-05-03T16:02:00.000-07:002010-05-04T10:20:37.276-07:00

There is a really good reason for which entertainment parks like Disneyland have all those safety features built into all of their rides. For example, the boarding gates will only open after the ride has come to a complete stop and the previous passengers have gotten off the ride. Also, there is a pretty safe distance between any fun seeking attendees and the moving vehicle to avoid anyone from

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-1211866154163479842010-04-25T21:21:00.001-07:002010-05-04T10:20:37.277-07:00

I would like to ask a dear favor from all of the believers that read my blog, if too much time goes by and I have not posted anything in here please do a little prayer for me. It could be that the only reason that I have not written anything is because I suddenly had to depart of business travel, in which case I can always use your prayers for the simple request to make it back home safely.

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-3010386742847916152010-04-15T11:20:00.001-07:002010-04-15T13:13:55.631-07:00

I walked into the coffee mess this morning at work, did my café mocha routine, and as I was almost walking out of the break room I heard one of the other guys in the area reply to the typical “How’s it going?” query from someone else in the room with an “I haven’t gotten fired yet, so all is well!...” reply. I know this individual’s answer was an intent to humor the inquiry with a clever answer,

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-46660335154024303612010-04-13T14:45:00.000-07:002010-04-15T13:11:43.607-07:00

On October 6, 2009 I wrote a post titled “The Eye of the Storm.”   At the end of this post I wrote… “I do want to leave you with a motive for my late night posting to share what I discovered tonight. In the middle of every hurricane there is a place of calm called the eye of the storm. The very nature of this tropical weather event creates a beautiful sense of calm filled with blue skies and calm

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-34114342329873634432010-04-09T09:38:00.000-07:002010-04-15T13:09:01.369-07:00

10. What else would you do with your free time?   9. What else would you do with all your money?   8. What else would you do with all your extra gas?   7. Who would be left to challenge your never ending patience?   6. It would take weeks to get used to being able to sleep all night straight again.   5. Shopping at Costco or Sam's Club wouldn't make any sense.   4. It would take forever to have a

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-63122868544003087062010-04-07T21:02:00.000-07:002010-04-09T08:57:32.058-07:00

Given the choice between sailing in smooth or rough waters, I am sure that most of us would pick the kinder and gentler option.  Yet every once in a while we all crave the adventure that comes from getting into a small boat and paddling down a river in which eventually the white water rapids will pump up our adrenaline levels and make us feel excited and alive.  This does not change the fact that

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-37131701445109994652010-04-05T11:23:00.000-07:002010-04-07T10:06:42.277-07:00

How could I get myself into any real trouble if my mind was typically full of ideas that required long hours of planning and later executing?  Somehow, at the age of 16, I had been able to convince my high school principal to give me money to go on my own to the hardware store and purchase six electric light dimmer switches, four regular light switches, twelve color flood lights, 9 spot lights,

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-48593164880428868222010-04-01T14:20:00.000-07:002010-04-07T10:06:42.279-07:00

I admit to being one of those people that gets hooked on a TV show when its content is to my liking.  In my younger years science fiction appealed to me the most with a tendency to not want to miss any episodes of the Lost in Space, and Star Trek television series. Eventually my taste buds grew and I learned to enjoy other genres which planted me in front of the boob tube watching endless hours

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-52269995015301448202010-03-27T18:30:00.000-07:002010-03-27T18:38:07.038-07:00

There are mental exercises that are given to people for many purposes, such as relaxation, meditation, hypnosis and self-hypnosis, for which I have an incredible inability to complete successfully. As hard as I try to clear my mind when I am asked to do so, images keep appearing regardless of my efforts. If I am asked to pick and animal and then be the animal in my mind, I am just not any good at

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-59641908382066770552010-03-25T22:02:00.000-07:002010-03-27T18:33:43.831-07:00

What are the memories that you hold precious in your life? Which moments of your past seem to feed the emotional needs that are constantly begging to be nourished? We all have special moments that we like to remember in order to get that sweet emotional fix that makes us smile all over inside and out. Finding someone in your life that is able to constantly fulfill all of your emotional hunger is

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-20055897055934161142010-03-22T08:42:00.000-07:002010-03-22T13:25:36.762-07:00

The beauty in the landscape is in its full content, and not just part of it. If you take a beautiful picture of a waterfall, it will somehow contain part of its surroundings. To the naked eye and from a distance, the image will probably take your breath away, yet if you took the time to look closely you would definitely find imperfections, flaws, and many things that you would not consider

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-3074726339517592742010-03-18T08:11:00.000-07:002010-03-25T14:59:00.076-07:00

His eagerness to learn how to read began at the young age of three. By the time his brother was born he had already discovered computer and video games, many of which had screen messages that needed to be read in order to know how to proceed in the game. The thirst for reading did not originate with the intent of acquiring literal enlightenment, instead it was as for any other typical child just

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-6030935989349804572010-03-17T07:41:00.000-07:002010-03-19T08:20:41.517-07:00

In the world of physics, scientists have spent years trying to figure out how it is that we've come to be in our present state of existence. No other true science is able to delve as far back in time with some of the most astonishing discoveries, predictions, and revelations. In fact, all other fields of science, when looked at in their most elemental form are fundamentally rooted in physics too.

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-49762572359796863762010-03-16T08:53:00.000-07:002010-03-19T08:25:10.150-07:00

I have always prided myself that contrary to my ex-wife, I do not hide the fact that life with my oldest son is challenging, to say the least. It is not that I am constantly complaining about his personality or behavior, although I know I have gone down that road in moments of frustration, but in order to find help I have had to put the cards on the table when sharing my experiences with others.

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-64503179662091349792010-03-11T18:22:00.001-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.518-07:00

I sometimes take pleasure in some of the simplest things you can imagine. It is a good thing that I have this attitude, since as a working father of two teenage boys I barely have time for anything fancy in my life. I won't bore you with the details of all the little things that make me smile, but I will share the latest one that happened over the weekend. It is very common that before my

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-88074589749754582082010-03-11T10:06:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.519-07:00

I'm at that age that once I get into the habit of waking up at a certain time every morning, even if I don't necessarily have to and without the alarm going off my internal clock wakes me up and refuses to allow me to rest anymore. I've learned that if I want to sleep in, one of the few things I can do to get those extra hours past my normal get-out-of-bed time is to take a sleeping pill when

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-74930166860969259752010-03-10T18:15:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:25:10.150-07:00

We all have moments in which we wish that there was some kind of medicine we could take that would heal our broken hearts. Not the medicine that is taken for physical illnesses, but the kind that we desperately need when we are not doing so well emotionally. A hug, a kiss, a tender gesture from someone that when we look into their eyes our emotional well being finds comfort and relief. It is

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-9186934824295223192010-03-02T06:59:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.520-07:00

Parenting has been the most challenging task I have ever encountered. In contrast, high school was relatively easy and unchallenging, yet I do not believe that I was intellectually special in any way. If I studied I got good grades, if I didn't I failed like everybody else failed, so I studied. College was much more of a challenge even though to be fair I have to admit that personal and social

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-81193413604092149342010-02-28T19:09:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:26:00.038-07:00

Why does tragedy inflict its pain on so many innocent people in the world? To an atheist, the answer is simple, that is just the way life is, no more, no less. To those of us that believe in a Higher Power, natural disasters, illnesses, hunger, and so much more play a role that contradicts our strong belief that our God is a god of love. If the foundation of our belief system can so easily be

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-49411908221319705322010-02-26T17:19:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:26:14.350-07:00

Oh Lord, You need to know that I am nothing without You. All I am it is because of You. You have always been inside of me...always! Today I kneel to You and raise my arms asking for You to take care of all of my needs. Please God, today I pray that:When I am lost...guide me.When I am hurt...heal my heart.When I am sad...bring joy into my life.When I am lost...show me the way.When I am sick...heal

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-23596029623342560272010-02-23T12:55:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:26:44.189-07:00

The streets were wet from a recent downpour that had managed to at least wipe them clean from the otherwise dirty aspect that they typically have during this time of year. Somehow though, all the smells had managed to remain intact as if hovering just under my nose. An odor mix of dirt, wet animal hair, and something else remained attached to every step I took. Well, at least it's not cold, I

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-13043216537189465742010-02-17T06:48:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.523-07:00

I live on the northwest side of a hill that is part of a geographical landmark in Southern California that has been named Blue Mountain. At 1,200 feet above sea level my home sits quietly with an unobstructed backyard view of both the beautiful San Bernardino National Forest and the Angeles National Forest. On clear days this ridge of almost continuous mountains paints a majestic landscape that

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-13256300240223628682010-02-16T07:01:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.524-07:00

I treasure my memories because contained in my mind I have buried an endless source of events that I find myself digging out from time to time to help me see, relive, and enjoy so many beautiful and wonderful moments. Inside the biochemical reactions in my brain, neurons have found a way to store just about everything that is important to me. Childhood faces rush to the surface making me smile,

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-31864474081898565432010-02-12T07:06:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.524-07:00

Many, many, many years ago (maybe not so "many"), when I was in high school, tomatoes made their first impression in my life when a classmate decided to do the "Grow your Plants with Music" science fair experiment. I am sure that by now this project has been done a gazillion times and most likely never been proven a success. The young man created two acrylic boxes to enclose a tomato plant in

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-8291847524933532522010-02-09T14:11:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.525-07:00

My flood and rain saga has not ended. Even though the amount of flooding was minimal this time, over the weekend some of the rain still found its way inside my home. As a consequence I had to take a day to work to create more drainage on the other side of my house in an effort to keep the water level in the soil below the footing of my living room space when the ground is saturated. I started at

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-78957264832665235282010-02-04T08:56:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.526-07:00

As you read this blog, you might think that I am a very public individual that is willing to pour his heart out upon request. It certainly might seem that way from so many personal stories that I have shared with you so far. However, I want you to know that nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, this is probably the greatest challenge I have forced myself to face in my entire life.

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-42670805295957396182010-02-03T09:39:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.527-07:00

When our planet takes its seasonal turn and the hot summer months arrive in California, nothing can be more enticing than the beautiful cool and crystal clear water of a well cared swimming pool. It is almost as if my skin feels drawn towards an oasis and is begging to be tempered by its wonderful cooling effects. A few years back before I bought my home and while I was living in Redlands,

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-25756045831480238292010-01-28T08:45:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.527-07:00

In an effort to support my migraine avoidance, every morning as I walk into my office I turn on my desktop computer, grab my USS Carl Vinson 16 ounce coffee mug and head upstairs to the second floor break area to make myself a 2 single serve tubs of Nestle's Coffee-Mate Creamy Chocolate, 2 tablespoons of the Original Non-Dairy Powder Creamer, 3 single packets of Splenda, and approximately 14

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-60794778721771756952010-01-27T09:17:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.528-07:00

On our first trip to Nogales Mexico one of the first gifts my parents gave me was a Pancho Villa marionette. The jumping Mexican beans in the clear plastic pill case stopped their little rattle sooner than expected, but the puppet on strings kept dancing away for many years afterwards. I was only seven years old, and little did I know that the funny looking toy would stick to my mind as one of

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-57588150066025461162010-01-26T10:18:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.529-07:00

It helps to keep things in perspective. Every time I get frustrated with my inability to make a connection with my oldest son, I then think about how much worse things can always turn out to be in my life. This really applies to everything that surrounds me. For example, here I've been totally consumed with my home flooding problem, yet I do have a home. Yesterday, as I opened my Internet

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-22183469546939631212010-01-25T10:00:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.529-07:00

36 gallons of water per hour. That is the rate at which I found myself removing water from my living room during last week's rain storms. After two and a half days of almost continuous rain, by Wednesday night the ground around my home was so saturated that water started to creep in through a small crack in the corner of my sunken living room. Sealing the crack was not an option while it was

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-28186594303715157812010-01-19T12:45:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.530-07:00

There is something almost mystical to the sounds of heavy drops of water falling from the sky for us to hear when they bounce against the otherwise undisturbed surroundings of our lives. They trigger all of our senses in strange ways that can only be described uniquely and individually. For some, the sounds, feel, smell, view, and even the taste of it carries memories that transport us to

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-88244785280004321032010-01-14T10:02:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:31:13.266-07:00

Over 30 years have passed since my early college days when I was attending what was then a small annex to the University of Puerto Rico in my home town of Arecibo. I had graduated from high school a year early by taking some of the necessary core classes during the previous summers, so as I began my higher education journey I had just turned 17 years of age, the same age my oldest son has today.

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-24726014070454284932010-01-12T11:24:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.531-07:00

It is extremely interesting to me how clear my life became the moment I decided to stop making it complicated. As a teenager and later on as a young adult, I found myself so many times in the middle of self-inflicted dilemmas that literally consumed too much of my time and effort in order to get through them all. It is almost as if I was constantly conspiring against myself to sabotage any

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-80364172469280594652010-01-02T12:58:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.532-07:00

Some years back I remember reading a headline on the main page of Yahoo News that reported something like "Puertorricans are the Happiest People in the World." The news reported that the University of Michigan's World Values Surveys had compiled data on the happiest countries in the world for over twenty years, and their results were considered the most authoritative by happiness researchers.

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-73829321930308897932009-12-30T10:13:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.533-07:00

New Year's Eve brings back a collage of memories of fun times with friends and family during almost every phase of my life. Most of these memories are happy in nature, and then of course there is always one or two that bring back a bit of sadness for reasons I will not get into in an effort of maintaining a positive attitude on the upcoming occasion. To me, nothing can top celebrating this

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-23656764390644409482009-12-23T13:48:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.533-07:00

I spent all my morning yesterday working together with an old friend whom I had not seen in over five years. We became good friends while we were doing our jobs on board the USS Peleliu. On that particular occasion, we both suffered from the same unfortunate casualty of having to sleep in the infirmary of the ship since all other berthing quarters were occupied to capacity during our two weeks on

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-57230041021362656742009-12-21T11:20:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.534-07:00

They say that you can typically tell if someone is lying by the number of excuses they give you when you challenge them on any particular incident. If the individual being challenged gives you a simple answer and then stops, chances are that they are telling you the truth. If on the other hand the individual goes on giving you a multitude of answers to the same question, then chances are that the

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-50895404445038987462009-12-15T12:35:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.535-07:00

Inter weaved in what my mind perceives as space, another dimension is tied like a seamless fabric called time. My brain collects every event of my life and allows me to experience each one of them in the now and then, while also instantly and constantly archiving them into an enormous vault of memories for later retrieval as a record of my past. Each of my senses has the ability to somehow

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-56348768417952474252009-12-11T07:12:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.535-07:00

I am honored to be able to announce that this blog has been visited now over 2,300 times. Not once when I began typing away did I consider that what I was sharing here with you would be read by so many in such a short amount of time. I originally set my self a goal of coming in as many times as possible during the week, write my thoughts, and then save them to be published at a rate of only twice

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-83442327736276076682009-12-10T07:37:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.536-07:00

Mood, according to the dictionary it is defined as "a state or quality of feeling at a particular time." Another definition is "a distinctive emotional quality or character." Also, "a prevailing emotional tone or general attitude," and "a frame of mind disposed or receptive, as to the activity or thing," and finally, "a state of sullenness, gloom, or bad temper." My general attitude is

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-12009026618673224732009-12-07T08:50:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.537-07:00

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. In other words, make the best you can with what you've got, right? Applying this cliche is not that simple when it comes to raising my children and so many of my self imposed parental expectations. I suppose this is most likely a common denominator with many other parents too, although I have not done any kind of survey to validate my assumption. I

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-14953704649214673142009-12-02T08:32:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.537-07:00

I arrived at Oxford Mississippi in the month of August of the year 1981. A close friend of mine had already graduated with a bachelor degree in chemistry and decided to tag along to see if he could learn enough English during my first semester attending the University of Mississippi to then apply and be admitted into their chemistry graduate program. He had two friends which also decided to join

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-56506835787119150772009-12-01T09:30:00.001-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.538-07:00

It has been over a week since I caught the flu, and to any of you that have gotten this bug I send my deepest sympathy. This has been one of the most miserable weeks I have had in a long time. I hope you have not been too disappointed with me not being able to get on the computer and write, I apologize and beg for your patience as I am barely getting back to work today. I cannot really say if

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-52253362354894495922009-11-25T10:35:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.539-07:00

I've had the flu since Sunday night. This is no fun since the few pills that allow me to feel better are the same ones that make me want to curl up in bed and sleep it all away. If only that was possible maybe I would get better quicker, but so far the only day I've taken off for this dreadful illness was Monday. At midnight on Sunday I started to cough and eventually dragged myself out of bed to

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-13797747335237985972009-11-19T10:03:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.540-07:00

Over 35 years have passed since I was in 6th grade, yet still so many memories of those days are vivid in my mind as if they happened just a week ago. How does the process of archiving some memories from my life and deleting others work? What is the selection criteria that generates a special place for some faces, yet allows others to fade away almost instantly. I attended a Catholic School, and

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-12038822742825577312009-11-18T09:19:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.540-07:00

I have been blessed with so much in my life that it would be totally ignorant of me not to recognize that fact. Regardless of my present situation, when I pause to take a look back at almost any instant in time during my past, I am always able to find something very good in my life that overwhelmingly outweighs anything bad. It is as if my life in itself is fueled by amazing moments of love,

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-84989875443836689962009-11-16T09:01:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.541-07:00

Because of a comment a friend made over the phone, I am in the middle of having to think about a part of my life which I rarely take the time to think about. As many parents do, I spend a lot of time trying to figure out what is the right thing to do when it comes to my children, their lives, and my involvement in it. My parental role feels so important to me that apparently sometimes I neglect

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-55137729740970902412009-11-13T12:11:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:20:41.542-07:00

Sooner or later I think I might have to put some furniture into my living room. When I moved into my current residence I had been living in a two bedroom apartment, so all of the furniture that I own actually fit everywhere else and not in the living room. Originally I allowed my son and his friends to use the space for band practice, but once the group fell apart, I quickly made the move to

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-91130052360965598892009-11-12T08:04:00.000-08:002009-11-12T13:00:05.552-08:00

I am constantly listening to the people around me in hopes that their tales might have in some way a lesson from which I can learn something useful to apply in my own life. Every once in a while someone will reveal the tastiest recipe to not just a culinary delight, but also to the secret of being effective in a relationship. It is easy to become skeptical to certain individuals advice, but even

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-49763368825430523622009-11-11T01:00:00.000-08:002010-03-19T08:34:44.441-07:00

I remember while growing up my father sitting down in the family room of our home and asking me to play something on the piano for him. I started taking lessons from the age of seven and continued until I was almost seventeen. I also remember my piano teacher being frustrated with me because instead of practicing the lessons that she would assign to me, I would sometimes spend hours trying to

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-72761267279074248292009-11-10T01:00:00.000-08:002009-11-10T01:00:00.950-08:00

10. Always make the time...It may sound simple or it may sound terribly hard, depending on your lifestyle, but this is probably the most important advice I can give you as a father. Life has a way of getting complicated, hectic, and worse overwhelmingly busy, but nothing should ever preclude me from making time to spend with my children. I hate to admit it, but now that I am divorced I actually

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-11292462009882818582009-11-09T01:00:00.000-08:002009-11-09T01:00:02.396-08:00

9. Stay informed...I bet you can easily recognize how much different your life growing up was compared to your parent's lives. If this is true, then don't assume that your children's lives growing up will be like yours. One of my favorite things to do with my mom is to ask her to tell me stories of when she was younger. As she colorfully describes her early days I am able to see a much different

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-2917941108867057292009-11-06T01:00:00.000-08:002009-11-06T06:50:32.140-08:00

8. Allow them to be themselves...One of my biggest mistakes that I learned to correct early on as being a parent was the image of wanting any of my kids to be something or someone that they are not. It really did not take much effort to realize that this unhealthy mental attitude of imposing my dreams on my children was as much a bad idea for them as it was for me. As far as I am able to tell, we

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-87430629127295288792009-11-05T01:00:00.000-08:002009-11-05T20:41:03.625-08:00

7. Let them do it too...I am probably the most guilty party to this mistake that I know off. How did I learn as a man to fix things, do a complicated task, or for that matter the easy things that I do day in and day out? Obviously by doing them over and over again. I remember the day that I started asking my mom to buy me cotton shirts instead of the psychedelic polyester ones that were in

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-83919872970575679022009-11-04T01:00:00.000-08:002009-11-05T20:40:39.906-08:00

6. Tell them about yourself...It is easy to forget that even though they are living with me day in and day out, my kids were not with me during my younger years. Funny how we tend to tell stories to our friends in order to liven up a conversation or give them access to our past, yet sometimes we miss out on a great opportunity to share the same part of ourselves with our children. We complain

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-24304761189554136392009-11-03T13:30:00.000-08:002009-11-05T20:40:13.074-08:00

5. Laughter heals...I have noticed that sometimes as an adult I tend to take myself way to serious. There is definitely a lesson to be learned from my childhood at which time almost anything seemed funny and I was never afraid to show it. The dumbest things would make me crack up in laughter lightening the mood or some of the most boring and inconsequential moments of my life. There are moments

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-24047259954535729922009-11-02T15:30:00.000-08:002009-11-05T20:39:45.040-08:00

4. Forgiveness...As a man, I find the subject of forgiveness to be full of challenges. Pride rules high in my behavior locking doors that might typically otherwise be open for the opposite gender more easily. Of course there are always exception to the rules, so it might not be that difficult to find females behaving just as stubborn as males when it comes to forgiveness. However, I believe that

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-61262142283580149572009-10-29T13:32:00.000-07:002009-11-05T20:39:13.724-08:00

3. Earn it...don't demand it!I've heard this comment more times than I can count, "Respect is earned...not demanded." Yet with children we tend to sometimes think that there might be some exception to the rule of this statement. Somehow the fact that they are innocent, young, and immature gives us the idea that we as adults deserve their respect regardless, period! For me it is not that hard to

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-79447543991643488842009-10-28T08:15:00.000-07:002009-11-05T20:42:40.956-08:00

2. They are watching you.There is no way that anyone can be the perfect role model at all times. Every once in a while you are going to blow a fuse and say something out of line, make mistakes, and obviously teach the exact opposite lesson to your children with your actions. The truth is that as much as a child might idealize you, he or she does not expect you to be perfect all the times. It is

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-16669949641793304692009-10-27T07:28:00.000-07:002009-11-05T20:42:08.452-08:00

1. Boys are NOT made of steel.I still kick myself every time I realize how high my expectations and demands have been while raising my oldest son. What have I been thinking? Were my parents also this strict and demanding on my oldest sister? If so, I might feel a little relieved by the knowledge that most new parents eventually realize that some of the rules imposed and the overall behavioral

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2279425424940215459.post-71285259114234211022009-10-26T12:04:00.000-07:002009-11-05T20:48:26.122-08:00

I tend to work myself up into being upset about some of my oldest son's behavior even though I should by now already be used to it. I think the fact that I can't control my own frustration is unfortunately the main reason for my frustration in the first place. Pretty dumb, huh? I feel like the rain cycle chart that teachers would show us in primary school that displayed how the sun heats up the

Dad4Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352561360762139454noreply@blogger.com0