Busy-Dad-E: Fatherhood Uncensored

Financial $ponsitility

2012-01-30T09:36:00.000-08:00

This weekend, all 3 boys got to go purchase a new toy with some money they received for Chirstmas and their birthday.

Both Little Brother and Bab-E Brother found exactly what they were looking for right away at Store 1.

Big Brother, on the other hand, was on the hunt for a specific new Beyblade and initially came up empty-handed.

In days past, this could've sent him into a meltdown that would make the financial crisis look like a hangnail.

Mom-E and I could easily see him just buying a toy for the sake of buying one, rather than getting what he wanted.

In fact, this "I must spend" attitude resulted in our decision to put his allowance on the diasbled-list, because every week he wanted to spend his $1 on "junk", rather than saving his money for something desirable.

At his school, the students earn tickets for good behavior, which can be saved or "spent" at the end of the week on small items or privileges. For a long time, Big Brother had the same attitude about the tickets (i.e., "I must spend them every week.")

But this weekend, Mom-E and I were very impressed with Big Brother's maturity. Instead of "just buying something", he asked if we could look at a different store.

In between stores, we made a stop for dinner, which initially met with some resistance.

But soon enough, we were off to Store 2, to everyone's great excitement.

Store 2 didn't have the new type of Beyblade (looks like maybe they aren't in stores yet), but he found a carrying case for 10 Beyblades (and associated accotrements) that came with a new Beyblade.

And I mentioned that maybe the new Beyblade that isn't out yet might find it's way into his Easter basket.

So in the end, all of the boys ended up happy with their new toys.

And Big Brother and Little Brother also got lessons in making purchases with their own money.

At this rate, if Big Brother can do a good job with his chores, it may be time to restart his allowance.

~~And if he shows the same level of fiscal responsibility with that money, well, then we'll encourage him to run for Congress.~~

Way to go, buddy! We're proud of you!

Have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E

To Pee Or Not To Pee

2012-01-26T12:00:00.000-08:00

As noted recently, Bab-E Brother is starting to show interest in the big boy potty.

While this is wonderful, it is simultaneously exhausting to Mom-E and I, upon which I will expound in the form of Hamlet's favorite soliloquy:

To pee, or not to pee--that is the question:
Whether 'tis harder on the bladder to suffer
The pain and anguish of holding it in
Or to just let it flow henceforth
And by urinating end it. To pee, to diaper--
No more--and by a pee to say we end
The bladder distention, and the thousand cc's
That lie inside there. 'Tis a scary thing
That Mom-E and Dad-E wish for. To pee, to diaper--
To diaper--perchance to pee in the tub: ay, there's the out,
For in that pee-pee potty what (big boy) dreams may come
When we pee in this diaper no more,
Must give us big boy underwear. There's the respect
That makes a boy proud life long.
For who would bear the whips and scorns of incontinence,
The oops-I-peed-my-pants wrong, the proud boy's tantrum
The pangs of diaper changes, the storytime delay,
The insolence of toddlerhood, and the spurns
of older brothers who do this all the time,
When Bab-E Brother himself might his urinatus make
(Standing) With a bare behind? Who would be a big boy,
To scream and cry in a weary tub that you have to go
But that the dread of falling in and flushing
The undiscovered sewer pipe, from whose hollows
No pee returns, puzzles the urinator
And makes us rather bear the pain of not peeing
Than letting it fly into places we have not peed?
Thus normal childhood fears does make cowards of us all,
And thus the native hue of clear water resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale straw yellow cast from within,
And enterprise of great stream and relief
With this regard his urinary current turns awry
And lose the name of urinary retention. -- Soft you now,
The fair Bab-E Brother! -- Toddler, in thy orisons
PLEASE JUST PEE IN THE POTTY ALREADY!

Until then, I gotta go!
Busy-Dad-E

Seventh Heaven

2012-01-25T07:36:00.000-08:00

Dear Big Brother,

Happy 7th birthday, Big Brother! (Man how the time has flown.)

You had an awesome "boys only" party at the bowling alley. It was the perfect place for hyperactive 7 year-old boys on a rainy day ~~who would've otherwise destroyed our house~~. Mom-E made some rich, delicious bowling ball cake pops. You got a very cool bowling pin water bottle. And a good time was had by all, including Bab-E Brother, who at one point went running down one of the lanes, only to be "rescued" by Mom-E half way to the pins. Whew!

You're having a wonderful year in first grade, although I know you're already looking forward to second grade.

You're skills have grown by leaps and bounds this year. You're reading books now that would've seemed impossible at the beginning of the year. We read books together every night. This affords an important life lesson - to get good at anything, you have to practice regularly. And even small amounts of practice, 15-20 minutes a night, really add up over time. I hope you can apply that wisdom to many other aspects of your life.

As your reading has progressed, you're particularly proud about reading "chapter books". In addition to the chapter books from school, we've started reading some Hardy Boys and a little Harry Potter, too.

You've been taking piano lessons for about a year now, too, and have shown some real talent here. Like many things for you, there's always a little fear of the unknown, but once you get started your ability and poise shines through. You've just recently started playing some jazz and popular pieces. I really treasure the time we share together at the piano. And while it involves some work, it's also fun, too. ~~We won't tell Mom-E or your teacher that sometimes we make up silly songs about farts while we're playing.~~

You're learning to ride a 2-wheel Spider-Man bike. And while we still have to work on some "finer points", like mastering turns, you're able to balance and ride quite a good distance. No doubt, the warmer spring and summer weather will mean lots of bike riding.

You love to play with Legos and Kreo, and we build stuff all of the time. We also play a lot with Transformers and Beyblades. Oh, the Beyblades - all of them - regular, electro battlers, tornado battlers, IR spin control, rippers, launchers, string launchers. But sometimes it's hard to share with Little Brother and Bab-E Brother.

Your favorite TV shows include Beyblades (of course), Spider-Man, Phineas & Ferb, Johnny Test, and Scooby-Doo, although we do pretty well at watching a modest amount of tv. You also like going to the movies. You, Big Brother, and I have some special dates at the movie, complete with a kid's pack of snacks and 1 turn at a racing video game afterwards. I treasure these special trips together to the movies.

Oh, and GAMES. LOTS AND LOTS OF BOARDGAMES. You're a very logical guy, and hence really into games. We play a game at breakfast at least 5 days a week. Most recently it has been Stratego, but we play Gopher It, Candy Land, Busy Town, and Word Play (amongst others) quite a bit soon. I've told you before, but when we play games together I do not "take it easy" on you. You're a sharp guy and that's not fair to you. Sometimes you win and sometimes I do. We're working on being a good sport about losing. We've talked about what lessons we learn when we lose, including 1. No one wins every time, 2. Having fun and spending time together is more important than who wins, and 3. When we lose, we ask ourselves why we lost, and how can we improve upon that the next time. On a related note, you've been fascinated about how Thomas Edison first found out 2,000 ways how NOT to make a light bulb, before he got it right.

There's so much more I could say, but I'm glad that I've said much of it in other posts throughout the past year. You're a very sweet boy. You pray for others who are sick that you have never meant. You ask very thoughtful questions. Your younger brothers very much look up to you. And while sometimes your patients with them runs thin, many other times you are extremely patient and kind with them.

Mom-E and I love you very much. You make us proud - every day. And we look forward to continuing to help guide you on this journey, to help you become the best version of yourself.

Happy 7th Birthday to my favorite "oldest boy"!
I love you,
Dad-E

Frog, by Big Brother

2012-01-22T19:24:00.000-08:00

Big Brother recently got a new journal, and his first effort was to write and illustrate the story below.

He did a great job, and I like how it captures many of his school-related efforts.

Have a Hoppy Week!
Busy-Dad-E

Potty, Interrupted

2012-01-19T18:30:00.001-08:00

A light begins to shine at the end of the ~~diaper~~ tunnel.

Bab-E Brother has begun to show some interest in the "big boy potty".

Oh, the thought of having no children in diapers again makes the hearts of Mom-E and I go ... well ... ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching.

A few times now, Bab-E Brother has been in the bathroom and exclaimed, "Poo-poo! Poo-poo!"

(The only problem for us is that he refers to both #1 and #2 ~~and anyone with whom he is displeased, for that matter,~~ as poo-poo.)

He does like the Elmo potty seat. And he's willing to de-diaper and sit on it ~~for 0.01 milliseconds~~ briefly before getting uncomfortable and wanting off the throne.

But the other day yielded our most interesting attempt to date.

We were in the bathroom brushing teeth before bed, and again Bab-E Brother exclaimed "Poo-poo!"

But he didn't want to sit on the Elmo potty seat. No, he had to pee and wanted to stand like his brothers.

Problem #1 - Too short to reach above the lip of the potty.

Solution - Step-stool! Check!

Problem #2 - Does not want to lift the lid. Instead would prefer to try to aim through both the regular and Elmo potty seats. Hey, whaddya expect, he's a boy. It's hard enough to get Big and Little Brother to lift the lid.

Solution - Big and Little Brother, who fortunately both had to go right then, demonstrate the lid lift. Check!

This elicited MAJOR curiosity from Bab-E Brother, who literally bent his head down between the two of them, almost kissing the potty, to inspect the resulting "streams". Fortunately, he was not sprayed. But it was still pretty funny.

Problem #3 - Not sure how to make the pipes flow once standing on step-stool with lid lifted.

Solution - Turn the faucet on gently. Put some water in a cup and pour it into the potty.

Unfortunately, this one back-fired, as Bab-E Brother found this to be a fun game, and became more interested in dumping water into the potty.

But at least he did stand there for a bit ... and then proceeded to sneak off into the corner and pee on the bathtub.

Nonetheless, a victory in the right direction (other than the direction of his pee) worthy of praise and high 5's.

That said, experience has taught me that while this newfound interest certainly is exciting and bodes well for future prospects, I know we still have some time to go (PUN INTENDED!)

I hope the same "holds" true for Bab-E Brother ~~and his bladder~~.

Have a good weekend, GO FOR IT!
Busy-Dad-E

The W-word

2012-01-17T07:03:00.000-08:00

Hello there! I hope you had a nice holiday on Monday. I was struggling for inspiration, and my sentiments on MLK Day are best described by the linked post.

Fortunately, in the land of 3 small boys, inspiration is always waiting in the wings.

For some time now, Bab-E Brother has been proficient in his use of the 2 important words for 2 year-olds: "No!" and "Mine!"

But having two older brothers also means that he's more likely to pick up other key words.

Most recently, this has been, of all things, the W-word: Why?

It baffles me to think that he's using this word correctly at times, but in emulating his brothers, he seems to have it right. He's figured out that if Mom-E or Dad-E answer some questions with "No", that sometimes you ask "Why?"

And fortunately, it has not been an antagonistic "Why? ~~Why can't I stay up an hour past my bedtime playing with choo-choos and refusing to bathe?~~"

As an example, on the MLK holiday on Monday morning, Bab-E Brother heard a truck and asked "School bus coming?"

"No."

"Why?"

"No school for Big Brother today."

***
"Read truck again."

"No."

"Why?"

"We just read it 85 times, and it's bedtime now."

Methinks we're in trouble.

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

Happy 99th Birthday Great-Grandpa

2012-01-13T09:28:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week, I made a whirlwind trip home (up one day, back the next) to surprise my Grandpa on his 99th (yes, ninety-ninth) birthday.

He's a truly wonderful man, and you can read more about him and his now 75+ year marriage to my Grandma if you'd like.

The stars definitely aligned for this trip. I was able to get a round trip ticket for $160 (can't remember the last time I booked a flight for under $200). Granted, I had to get up at 4 am two days in a row, but Grandpa is one of those guys you'd do that for without thinking. Especially because you only turn 99 once. And amazingly, I made it there (and back) without flight delays.

Everyone did a good job keeping this one secret (though my dad almost blew it he covered well with a colorful fib). My dad was able to take the day off, too.

I had planned to phone Grandpa from just outside his apartment to say, "I wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday", and then step inside and say "but I'd rather do it in person", but when I called they didn't answer the phone.

My grandma (97) has limited mobility and didn't have a phone nearby. Turns out Grandpa was about to get in the shower.
So I first wished him Happy Birthday through a door while he was in his "Birthday Suit".

Needless to say, he was completely taken by surprise.

We had a nice day of visiting, capped off by a "catered" dinner from Grandpa's favorite pizza place, and chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. The folks at their assisted living facility had another cake for him, and they all sang Happy Birthday (that was his only request besides the pizza, to have everyone sing.)

When we left the dining room to go back to their apartment, someone told him, "Happy Birthday - I wish you many more!"

In his true fashion, my Grandpa looked over at me as we were walking back and said, "Many more. I'm 99 years old. I don't have a hell of a lot of birthdays left."

This coming from the guy who still does about 15 minutes of morning calesthenics, including push-ups and sit-ups (no joke). He's done that pretty much his entire natural life.

In 99 years, my Grandpa has certainly witnessed a lot - World Wars, the Great Depression, automobiles (he's bought and sold about 8,000 in his lifetime), television, space program.

I asked him about some of the most amazing events in his lifetime. Interestingly, in contrast to saying something like assassination of President Kennedy or 9/11, without much hesitation he started talking about the 1918 influenza pandemic. His father (my great-grandfather) was affected and the entire family was quarantined, my Grandpa being unable to go to school for a whole month. At the end of the quarantine, the doctor came to their house, and my Grandpa was instructed to go to the pharmacy to get something (couldn't imagine sending Big Brother to walk from home to go run and errand). On the way back, the sirens went off announcing Armistice Day, the end of WWI. Fascinating.

Let's face it, we're all really busy, myself included. But it's particularly important that we need to take a break from that bus-e-ness and "do the right thing" when certain situations present themselves. Being there for his 99th birthday was definitely the right thing for me to do. I wouldn't have missed it.

I pray that my Grandpa makes it to his 100th birthday (and a brief appearance on national television)! If so, we'll figure out a way to get my entire family there to celebrate. But no matter what, I will always carry the memories of this trip with me, and I know he will, too.

Love you, Grandpa.

Have a good weekend,
Busy-Dad-E

Big Brother's Christmas Watch

2012-01-10T11:17:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay, so it's mid-January and I'm still posting about Christmas.

But hey, lots to write, and not a huge amount of time to write it, so please bear with me.

Nowadays, Big Brother does pretty well with telling time. Which means he likes to tell time all day long, and ask accompanying questions.

"Is it 7:37?"

"Yes."

"How long until my bus gets here?"

"23 minutes."

"Wow, that's like 100 years."

"Not exactly."

120 seconds pass.

"Is it 7:39"

"Yes."

"How long until my bus gets here now?"

You get the idea.

And so, to prevent small men from making a huge racket at 4:30am and waking up the house, we asked the boys - namely Big Brother as the ringleader - to please wait until the clock said 7:__am before waking up Mom-E and Dad-E on Christmas.

Big Brother has a watch that was a kid's meal prize that he loves to wear, so of course he put it on right away.

(He likes to wear it in the tightest notch, even though I would swear that it turns his hand purpule, or at least leaves a mark on his wrist like when Belzig burns the impression of the headpiece to the Staff of Ra in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'.)

And so from about 8 - 8:30pm, Big Brother asked me what time it was and when Santa was coming.

"After you've been asleep for a long time!"

Finally, I was able to escape further questioning (so I thought).

But low and behold at about 9pm, Big Brother comes out of his room and said,

"Dad-E, it's 9 o'clock! How come Santa hasn't been here yet?"

"It's too early," I explained.

Admittedly, I was worried that the pattern would continue, but Big Brother fell asleep (perhaps exhausted with excitement), and all 3 boys stayed asleep all night. Even when I took his watch off to keep it from amputating his arm!

And amazingly, our "wake-up call" did not come until after 7am!

Sleep is a good thing.

I need some.

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

P.S. Oh yeah, and Happy Bloggiversary to me. Just remembered that this site is now 3. (I'm glad the terrible 2's are over.) Cheers!

Santa Needs Some New Regional Helpers

2012-01-09T07:04:00.001-08:00

Dear Santa Claus,

First of all, thank you very much for contributing to a wonderful Christmas for our boys.

We are also greatly appreciative that you took Little Brother's slippers back to the North Pole to exchange them for the proper size.

However, since then, the resulting chaos has, on several occasions, brought Busy-Mom-E close to rupturing an aneurysm.

And while she could provide more precise details regarding the details of this monstrosity, suffice it to say that in the interest of her health her doctor has advised her against doing so.

So I will try.

We were pleased to receive an email that you had outsourced the slipper exchange to your Regional Retail Elves at Target.com.

We were even more pleased to receive a package in the mail with the replacement slippers.

Until we opened them...to find another pair of slippers in the WRONG size.

Mom-E checked our email records, and confirmed that you had indeed ordered size 9-10, however the Regional Retail Elves at Target.com shipped size 7-8.

We tried to help your busy workload by calling Target.com on your behalf, which met with great frustration.

At least one elf spoke an ancient form of elvish that Mom-E did not understand, leaving Mom-E to just hang up and call back, hoping she'd reach a different elf.

Another elf was mostly pleasant but had a hard time understanding the nature of the problem, and instead focused too much on "Did you have a nice Christmas? Are you traveling anywhere soon?"

Umm, the right size slippers would've made things nicer, and if you don't get this fixed, we might have to come visit you and we won't be happy.

We did speak to an assistant manager elf who put in a new order.

However, when we received a confirmation email, despite the assistant manager elf clearly voicing back "size 9-10", the message stated they would ship "size 7-8".

This resulted in another series of phone calls, including another elf who who spoke the same elvish uttered in the depths of Mordor. We were not able to reach the same assistant manager elf. But another elf explained that there appeared to be a computer glitch where it was shipping the "next size down". We have assurances that the THIRD order was placed correctly.

Of course, we have now received 2 pairs of the wrong size slippers - that we must take back to the store. Although we did appreciate the small gift card for all of the hassel.

But if this third order does not have the correct size, Mom-E is either going to go gray, bald, or rupture that aneurysm.

We strongly suggest that you outsource elsewhere next year.

Signed, two concerned parents,
Sincerely,
Busy-Dad-E and Busy-Mom-E

How to Say the Word "Girl"

2012-01-06T06:52:00.001-08:00

Happy Fatherhood Friday!

Long-time readers may remember that Little Brother has a very peculiar way of mispronouncing the word "girl" that admittedly makes Mom-E and I smile and chuckle.

For quite some time, I've typed his pronounciation as "grirl".

But recently I decided that this doesn't quite do justice to the number of syllables he seems to work into this word (think Annie Lennox singing "Sweet Dreams Are Made of This", where This comes out something like Thy - e - e - is)

And so with quite a bit of practice (and lip contortion) I figured out what I believe to be the best attempt to replicate him.

Just say these words - out loud, quickly - in order, and by the end you'll have it.

SQUARE

SQUIRREL

BARREL

GWARREL ("girl")

Ta-da!

*****
Speaking of "gwarrels", Big Brother treated us to this instant classic comment the other day.

His music teacher played some songs and asked the students to listen and guess if the singer was male or female, adult or child.

He said, "There was one I thought was a girl, but the teacher said it was Justin Bieber."

Have a good weekend,
Be good boys and gwarrels,
Busy-Dad-E

Christmas Eve Church 500

2012-01-03T19:53:00.000-08:00

So I know that Christmas was "ages ago", but this is a funny story I wanted to be sure to write about.

One of the challenges about going to church on Christmas Eve, especially with young kids, is that you have to get there about 5 hours beforehand in order to secure seats, otherwise you're trapped by a sea of hats, coats, programs, and annoying people who say, "Sorry, that seat is saved."

~~Not unless it's got yo name on it~~

Which pretty much guarantees that regardless of start time, it's going to "conflict" with at least one child's nap/sleep schedule, or children will have to sit through a long service without a nap.

The voices in my head are saying, "Heads I win, tails you lose."

Such was our predicament again this year.

And because nature loves irony, we couldn't get Bab-E Brother to go down for his nap until about 30 minutes before we needed to leave.

The other voice in my head is saying something about, "Never wake a sleeping Bab-E."

So we opted for "Plan B", which was Mom-E goes to church by herself first and morphs into one of the "annoying seat-saving people", and Dad-E lets Bab-E Brother sleep until the very last minute, and then brings all 3 boys.

Actually, this part worked out better than expected. Bab-E Brother did much better with an hour versus a 7 minute nap. The boys cooperated (maybe that had to do with the fact that I loaded up a bag with fruit snacks, granola bars, and goldfish for each of them), and we left more or less on time.

When we were just a few miles from church, Mom-E called to tell me that they made an announcement to the effect of, "Move inward away from the aisles. If the people you're saving seats for don't show up soon, you're about to lose them."

~~Mild panic attack over the thought of standing for 2 hours with the boys.~~

"Don't worry, Mom-E, we'll be there in 3 minutes."

I explained the predicament to the boys, and I needed them to get out of the minivan quickly when we parked.

We're traveling down a 2 lane road (at the speed limit). The car in front of us is going to make a left turn, at which point there is also an extra turn lane to the right that goes into a residential neighborhood.

As there was no other traffic, I did a "dinky" and passed the car ahead of me by going around him on the right, so I didn't have to slow down.

At which point, Little Brother casually asks me, "Dad-E, are you going to drive like a maniac now?"

Thanks for the vote of confidence, little buddy.

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

Happy Birthday Bab-E Brother

2012-01-02T03:28:00.000-08:00

Dear Bab-E Brother,

We're about to celebrate your 2nd birthday! And while the "terrible 2's" are officially upon us ~~you've been hurling stuff from the dinner table for a while now~~ the past 2 years have been anything but terrible.

Many people say that you look more like me than either of your brothers ~~good luck with that~~, although at least in pictures your hair has a reddish tint. Coupled with your blue eyes, neither Mom-E nor I are sure where your good looks came from. It also looks like you have a better than average shot at being left-handed, which will please Big Brother to no end. Recessive traits, we guess.

You bring unsurpassed joy and wonder to our lives (albeit equal to Big Brother and Little Brother). And that's been the theme this past year. We have 3 boys now, not 2 boys and a baby boy. We might as well go ahead and buy 3 of EVERYTHING!

And man are Mom-E and I tired. I think this year has been even bus-e-er than last.

You've mastered walking and running this year, and Mom-E and I have been chasing small men like decapitated chickens ever since. (By the way, we LOVE your little run - one arm at your side while the other swings madly as you pound those feet along.) More "running hugs", please.

Despite the many highlights of the past year - your shoe-throwing, voice-immodulating, chants of "Pupp-E Guy" among my favorites - perhaps my favorite highlight in recent weeks has been the explosion in your vocabulary.

The excitement of Christmas helped you learn "open" and "track (track-a)" and "build", and while Santa does say "Ho Ho Ho!" he also says "Santa cookies!"

I guess it must be all of the playing with (and lining up of) trains and race cars (which you would play with for hours on end, even if left alone in the dark), and this cute little way you have of pointing at something and saying "what's my name?", but you're picking up names and words left and right. "Percy. Henry. Emily. Duck. James. Cranky." Oh, and "blue Thomas choo-choo."

And "bag". We can't go anywhere now without you requesting to load up a bag with your favorite trains and cars. Pardon me, while I experience some "Car Bag" deja-vu.

"Trains and Race cars" are to "Inside" as "Bikes" (specifically a Lightning McQueen tricycle you 'claimed' as your own) are to "Outside". Again, if left to your own devices, you would ride that bike all day and night.

Oh, and by the way, you're a daredevil. I hope I'm wrong, but according to Las Vegas, you're the odds-on favorite amongst your siblings to break a bone during childhood. You were an easy pick, as evidence by standing up and jumping on your booster seat, head-first dives on the kitchen table, and coasting backwards on the tricycle down a decline while exclaiming "whee".

You're a sweet loving boy, Bab-E Brother. Big Brother and Little Brother adore you, and you certainly look up to them. (Most) mornings you pop up out of your crib with a happiness and zest for life that's contagious. I'll admit that I love it when you cling to me (I'm sure Mom-E feels the same), and I certainly love your tired whispers of "nite-nite" (aka stop holding me and put me to bed).

No doubt it will be an exciting year with many new milestones. Thank you for being you, and thank you for all of the love that you bring to our famil-e.

I love you,
Dad-E

Homemade Speed Racer

2011-12-29T20:00:00.000-08:00

Big Brother is obsessed with Speed Racer, in part thanks to:
1) Cheerios, who inspired him with a prize of Speed Racer cars and a mail-in offer for a bowl a while back.

2) Netflix, who carries the complete episodes of Speed Racer: Next Generation (aka Big Brother's morning ~~crack~~ coffee).

Since he inherited two copies of the "crafty" gene from Mom-E, Big Brother has grown a bit weary of drawing and making cutouts of the Mach 5, Mach 6, Mach 60, Racer X, Virtual Track, and crafting the Mach 6 and Racer X cars out of Legos and Trio blocks, and opted for a more complicated project.

Give a 6 year old an empty Amazon.com box, construction paper, and crayons, and voila: you have your own personal Mach 5 and Speed Racer helmet.

(And thanks to Mom-E for installing a seat-belt, because even with Fred Flintstone-style foot power, Big Brother can zoom around pretty fast.)

Big Brother, in a word, you're awesome. You have a vivid imagination, are very crafty, and have a real skill for building stuff.

You can be whatever you want when you grow up, but methinks you might make a fine engineer.

Have a good weekend,
Busy-Dad-E

Santa Slips Up

2011-12-28T07:02:00.000-08:00

Well, almost.

We had some Christmas "near misses" for Little Brother.

It became apparent this year that he was extremely sensitive about presents. Our dear friends got each of the boys a present. Little Brother's present was a cool Melissa and Doug firetruck floor puzzle.

The only problem was that Little Brother believed it to be a "firetruck costume". (Don't ask, just know that we have one costume-obsessed 4 year-old.)

Fortunately, the ensuing tantrum and crying fit lasted only about 2 minutes until Big Brother opened the box for him and Little Brother decided that the puzzle was quite cool. (They've been assembling it over and over ever since.)

This primed our sensitivities for the following 2 incidents:
1. Every year, Santa leaves the boys a small gift while we're at church. This is usually some jammies or slippers and a new book to read.

This year, Big Brother got a pair of thick Batman Socks, Bab-E Brother some Lightning McQueen slippers, and Little Brother Spiderman slippers.

Despite them being the same length as his regular shoes, the slippers didn't quite fit.

Oops.

Based on the "firetruck present incident" described above, you can imagine Little Brother's response.

After some tears, Mom-E craftily explained that we would leave a note for Santa informing him the slippers didn't fit, and could he please have the elves make a new pair in the next size up. And importantly, Mom-E also explained that Santa wouldn't be able to come back the next night, but that he would be able to "fix it."

Whew! (Thank you, Target.com. No doubt Little Brother will be very pleased to have a package delivered to him with the new slippers.)

2. Since Halloween, our superhero-obsessed 4 year-old had yet another costume on his wish-list: The Flash.

However, it wasn't until about a week before Christmas that Little Brother asked Santa at the mall for this costume as his "#1 present."

And while said Flash costume had already been obtained, it was already in Gramm-E and Grampap's hands for delivery.

With a "Flash" of quick thinking, we gave the grandparents the 4-1-1 on this situation, and in Santa's "thank you letter" informed Little Brother that a. he would get him a new pair of slippers, and b. that his Flash costume had fallen out of his bag at Gramm-E and Grampap's house, and they would bring it to him later in the day.

Fortunately, all tears were averted and Little Brother was content with the arrangements, excepting that he asked "Are Gramm-E and Grampap here?" or "Can we call them (after just calling them to verify that they had the Flash costume)?" every 2 minutes for about 5 hours.

My ears are still tired.

When the costume arrived, he was thrilled, and insisted on trying it on immediately.

In contrast to the slippers, the Flash costume was a bit long, despite being the smallest size available (Little Brother doesn't set the world on fire, height-wise.)

Cue crocodile tears and please to Mom-E to "fix i"t (aka alter it with her sewing machine) immediately.

Of course, even after Mom-E did shorten the legs, he still complained that they were too long (they weren't).

Fortunately, by the next day, Little Brother "gave in" and is now wearing and enjoying the costume.

Here's to the Christmas exploits of 4 year-olds!

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

Big Brother's Favorite Present

2011-12-26T05:44:00.000-08:00

"Dark Helmet, you ain't got nothin on Iron Man ~~so long as my head doesn't make me tip over~~!"

Thanks, Aunt E!

Have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E

Merry Christmas (Eve Eve)

2011-12-23T14:38:00.000-08:00

Thank you, dear readers, for visiting my site.

Oh how life with 3 boys is hectic all day and night.

Right now we're having lots of fun (and material for future postings).

Enjoying time off, I must make the most(ings).

The boys decked this gingerbread house with red, orange, yellow, green, and blue.

Merry Christmas, from our family to YOU!

Merry Christmas,
Busy-Dad-E, Busy-Mom-E, Big Brother, Little Brother, and Bab-E Brother

“Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my servant shall be healed."
Matthew 8:8

Vegetables in Heaven

2011-12-20T19:03:00.000-08:00

Recently, Little Brother informed us that he planned on staying 4 years old (in an attempt to stave off death).

As such, he made it clear that he was no longer going to eat vegetables (he does really well eating raw carrots, cucumber, and green pepper), because "vegetables make you grow, and then I'll get older."

(Only if the secret to the fountain of youth was so simple [or involved eating pizza and drinking Coke]).

But then, out of the ~~green~~ blue, in the van the other day, Little Brother asked me, "Dad-E, are there vegetables in heaven?"

(I just assumed the answer to that question is NOT in the "Parenting Instruction Manual" and opted not to look.)

"That's a good question, buddy. I don't think anyone on Earth knows the answer to that one."

"There are (vegetables) Dad-E. I'm very serious about this."

"Okay."

"Dad-E. I'm really very right."

"Okay, my man."

"Dad-E, some day you will REALIZE that there are vegetables in heaven," he uttered with prophet-like authority.

"I hope so dude."

And I have certainly REALIZED that the questions are only going to get harder from here.

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Eat your veggies,
Busy-Dad-E

Outdoor Piano Recital

2011-12-19T06:18:00.000-08:00

Yes, outside in December.

***
So Big Brother had his holiday piano recital this past weekend.

There were 2 recitals: 1pm and 4pm.

We opted for the 4pm, to allow Bab-E Brother sufficient time to nap.

Little Brother didn't nap beforehand, but at least had some quiet time.

We also made sure that the boys were tanked up with snacks beforehand, so that they could survive the hour-long recital until refreshments (aka cookies) were served.

We found our way to seats along the side, directly facing the performers.

In short, it didn't work.

Although Bab-E Brother quietly finished off his goldfish and raisins, Little Brother was quite contrary.

As soon as Big Brother's teacher started introductions, Little Brother put his hands over his ears.

(That's not good, especially since no one had started playing yet.)

And then he rearranged himself in his chair such that his chest was where his bottom should've been, and his hind end was pointing directly at the rest of the audience.

As discreetly as possible (aka not very), I hoisted Little Brother onto my lap.

He then started mumbling "hungry" ad nauseum, interspersed with making raspberry sounds with his lips.

In case you're wondering, this was not a good prognostic indicator for his ability to get through the recital, given that at this point ZERO of about 15 children had performed.

Big Brother was fourth on the program.

I had the opportunity to accompany him, which meant Little Brother threw a small hissy fit when I helped him off of my lap.

Mom-E then had to escort Little Brother amongst the other students while carrying Bab-E Brother, obstructing her view of the piano.

Big Brother played quite nicely, and then we were all able to return to our seats.

Briefly.

Within 2 minutes of finishing, Big Brother had to go potty (and BAD/NOW, as evidenced by the fact that, despite his appearance, this was not a DANCE recital, if you get my jift).

All small children started to fuss and we again had to escort ourselves amongst the students again.

But at this point, we were making enough commotion/noise that the recital was paused for about 30 seconds while Big Brother was assisted to the bathroom and Mom-E and I escorted Little Brother and Bab-E Brother outside.

This was not an ACTING recital, despite our uncanny ability to make a SCENE.

If you're not laughing yet ~~there's something wrong with you~~ then certainly you'll laugh when I tell you that Big Brother's piano teacher is MY BOSS'S WIFE and the recital was AT THEIR HOUSE.

Bazinga!

So Mom-E and I are now outside in the cold with the Brothers' Little and Bab-E, while Gramm-E and Grampap remain inside for moral support for Big Brother (and in case he has to pee again, which is totally in the realm of possibility) - God bless them for being there and providing 4 extra hands.

We enjoy the most of the rest of the recital outside in their driveway ~~while I prepare for a pink slip on Monday, j/k~~. Little Brother finally calms down enough that he is able to go in with Mom-E and sit in the back.

But by this point, Bab-E Brother is quite loud, running around the driveway, falling into the mud, and exclaiming every time he hears a puppy bark, sees a tree, or a "big ruck" (big truck) drives by.

We escort ourselves back in at the conclusion so the boys can get sugared up on refreshments.

Admittedly, we did have a nice dinner with Gramm-E and Grampap afterwards.

Big Brother, Mom-E and I were very proud of you. You gave an excellent performance at the recital. It means a lot and is very special for me to have the chance to play with you in this early phase of your musical career.

But if you wonder about the lack (or maybe even absence) of photo/video footage of the recital, this post will serve as our explanation.

Have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E

Cub Scuts

2011-12-16T06:13:00.000-08:00

The spelling is intentional...

and my sucker tattoo from my coaching days is making my forehead burn like Harry Potter.

***
Earlier this school year, Big Brother decided he no longer wanted to do gymnastics.

Mom-E and I were cool with this, because it meant no longer having to be a in a hot place that smells like feet right when small children start to melt down with hunger.

Instead, Big brother decided to do Cub Scouts (which we both thought was probably up his alley moreso than gymnastics).

And there was a Pack at his school, which is close to home, and does not smell like feet.

Score!

It only took one pack meeting, during which they showed the foam rocket gun that was yours if you sold $1,000,000 in Trail's End popcorn, for Big Brother to get hooked.

And at the parents' meeting, the Cub Master for the Pack said that he likes to be the leader for the Tiger Cubs (first year cub scouts).

It took a little while for things to get started. They had 2 informational meetings at the school in September, because of a relatively small number of first-graders signed up.

So about the time we started wondering "are the Tiger Cubs going to have any meetings?" the Cub Master announced their first meeting.

***
And then the wheels fell off (or at least tried to).

They did have the first meeting, with a grand total of 4 boys, but suddenly the story changed.

Umm ... well ... *cough, cough* ... umm ... we're going to need one of you to be the den leader.

(Vacant stares. Shuffling of feet. My forehead starts burning.)

All parents mumble excuses about why they can't do it.

So, we decide to take turns leading the meetings at first, to share the responsibility. The Cub Master's Assistant says he'll come to our next meeting to help.

Of course, everyone turns green when it comes to decide who will lead the next meeting.

"I'll do it." (just get me some salve to make this pain on my forehead go away.)

***
So we have the next meeting (we have to find our own meeting place), and 4 boys show up, but not Assistant Cub Master, and everything goes okay (aka we "wing it" according to the Tiger Cub Den Meeting guide they gave me.)

The third meeting is called a "Go and See". Where you take the boys to a Fire Station, or a historical site, etc. The parents brainstorm an idea, and another parent agrees to make contact.

(But somehow, I'm left holding the master instruction manual for "How to be a Tiger Cub Den Leader.)

So another month goes by, and at the Thanksgiving Pack meeting, I talk to one of the other parents.

"Umm, that place we talked about is closed for the winter."

I'm thinking to myself, "Okay, were you going to tell anyone? Are we going to figure something out?"

At this point, it's become abundantly clear that if I don't grab the reigns, nobody else will (and my forehead is never going to stop throbbing).

And while I'd prefer to have Big Brother join the Cub Scout pack at our church, the year is almost half over, and it sounds like the other boys don't really have any other options, and it's not really fair to anyone.

So I make some arrangements for the boys to get a 20 minute guided tour of a local historical site. I speak directly to the person who will show us around, and confirm the arrangements with a follow-up call. I email everyone in the den to announce the meeting.

***
Last night we had the "Go and See". We get there, and I tell them who we are and why we're there. They go behind closed doors to tell my contact (let's call him Ted) we've arrived.

The nice lady comes out and says, "Ted's computer just crashed and he's on the phone with Tech Support. He'll be with you in a few minutes."

Not only is my forehead searing, but I'm hoping my insurance is good enough to cover the potential damages of a troop of impatient 6 year-old Cub Scouts at a "historical site".

We wait 45 minutes, passing the time by going potty en masse and attempting to play checkers.

I also tell the parents of the other 2 boys there that I'm willing to be the point person for the Tiger Cub den, because everyone feels so "out of the loop", in part because they're EXTREMELY disorganized.

You can imagine their relief. One parent was nice enough to say, "Yeah, I'm booked for work a month in advance. And Billy starts basketball in January and I'm coaching his team."

Thanks. Great to know you don't have time for the things you don't want to do.

Losing patience, I go talk to the lady again to request an update.

She comes back. "Can you wait 15 more minutes?"

"No, It's 7:30. These kids need to go home and get ready for bed."

So they give us a pamphelet and we wander aimlessly for about 10 minutes (the kids loved it because they got to ride an elevator), and then leave.

Wow, that was fun. Can we do that every night, please?

***
And so on the drive home we have to stop at the store for a few things, particularly because we're out of milk.

Little Brother falls asleep on the way there (yes, he came to Cub Scouts, too. Both he and Bab-E Brother screamed their heads off at the dinner table for about 30 minutes before we left, so Mom-E and I each took one cranky child), so I carried him throughout the store.

As we're shopping, Big Brother suddenly notices a 1/2 inch scrape on his hand that's barely bleeding. The world starts to come to an end.

Of course, the store doesn't carry the one kind of battery we need (for Pupp-E, who earned a reinstatement of his training collar after chewing a hole in Little Brother's comforter.)

So we get to make another stop at CVS to pick this up, all the while Big Brother screaming about his horrible pain from his miniature wound and how his hand is going to fall off.

(We'll at least we're in a pharmacy. Maybe the pharmacy can throw in a sedative or two for Mom-E and I, in addition to a narcotic painkiller for Big Brother?)

At least we got the batteries.

****
Man, Cub Scouts is sure neat, neat, neat. Good times.

At least we have the Pinewood Derby to look forward to.

Boys, when you're older an read this, know that the reason I do this stuff is because I love you and want the best for you, and I wouldn't do it for anyone else.

Have a good weekend, from your friendly neighborhood Den Leader,
Busy-Dad-E

Assigned Color

2011-12-13T19:25:00.000-08:00

Big Brother and Little Brother each have a favorite color. Big Brother's is blue, and Little Brother, green.

And I'm willing to admit that sometimes we (including myself) get carried away with their color fixations.

For example, Little Brother usually drinks from a green cup (with a green lid) and Big Brother a blue cup and lid. And if we have a color coordinating bendy straw, they like that, too.

We did go through a brief period where the boys refused to drink if the color of the cup or straw was "wrong", but we worked on "flexibility", and fortunately it worked, so that either boy would be willing to drink from a red cup with a yellow straw instead of dying of dehydration.

Their color preference has extended to things like toys, clothes, scarves, and balloons.

So much so that the other day, Bab-E Brother was playing at his musical table in his room.

The toy has a mini-piano with four colored keys.

Without hesitation, he points to the blue key and says "Big Brother", followed by the green key and "Little Brother".

(Okay, he can't say brother yet. I'm just substituting for what he actually calls them.)

Oh my, maybe we have taken this favorite color thing a bit to far if an almost 2 year-old spontaneously picks that out.

Sorry, Bab-E Brother, your choices are down to red, orange, or or yellow?

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

The Meaning of Christmas

2011-12-12T06:46:00.000-08:00

The other day, Mom-E and Little Brother were chatting.

Little Brother told her that God talks to him and tells him to do "good stuff." He said he can hear God talking to him in his heart. Later, he told me that God makes him happy.

Blown away, upon further questioning, it sounds like this is something they've been discussing in his pre-K class at our church.

But the boy is "spot-on."

Being a parent is an awesome responsibility. And yet, it is amazing how we can be inspired and humbled from the faith of a 4 year-old boy.

I assure you, however, that this is not meant as a "holier-than-thou" comment.

One moment, I'm learning about faith from my 4 year old, and shortly thereafter Bab-E Brother is screaming about playing "Dice" (Yahtzee, Jr.), the dog has eaten a package of Swiss Miss and is now sporting a chocolatey marshmallow beard, and the two older boys need assistance in the bathroom, all while I'm spotting Mom-E on the ladder as she attempts to put the bow atop the Christmas tree.

Parenthood truly is a series of priceless moments, with a whole lotta chaos in between.

Have a good week and a Merry Christmas,
Busy-Dad-E

Use Your Senses

2011-12-09T06:02:00.000-08:00

Hi There!

Big Brother has certainly been using his senses lately.

No doubt his taste has been affected with the departure of his front tooth's next door neighbor.

"All I want for Christmas is..." well, you know.

And apparently he has been doing a lot of looking. His weekly homework includes writing 5 sentences with his spelling words. This week there were a number of number words. He wrote the sentences below completely on his own.

I'll admit that they made Mom-E and I chuckle, because, well, he was a bit "repetitively redundant." You know, where you "repeat yourself and say the same thing over again." Kind of like the "annual holiday party that's held every year." You get the idea and concept.

We were also chuckling because at the time he showed us we were trying to eat in a rush before going to church, Bab-E Brother had abdicated "Little Brother's" seat at the table, and Little Brother was throwing a hissy about said seat (while simultaneously screaming that he had to go potty). Oh yeah, and I think the dog wanted to go out, too.

So I wrote some sentences, too.
1. I see one boy screaming at the table.
2. I see two boys screaming at the table.
3. I see three boys screaming at the table.
4. I see three boys screaming and running away from the table without eating.
5. I see Mom-E screaming at the dinner table (but quietly, inside her head only).

Might as well laugh. Sometimes that's your only defense. Still, I love those ~~little turd balls~~ boys.

Have a good weekend,
Busy-Dad-E

Christmas Un-Surprise

2011-12-07T10:49:00.000-08:00

If there's a gene for not being able to keep presents a secret, Big Brother has it.

And it got it from me.

Last night at dinner, Big Brother proudly announced that he was making a surprise Christmas present for Mom-E and I.

His only hints:
1. It is made (in part) with ribbon.
2. It begins with the letter R.

Hardly able to contain himself, Little Brother started a "challenge MacCauley Caulkin from Uncle Buck for the greatest number of consecutive questions"-style interrogation.

Is it a toy?
Is it food?
Is it a diaper?
Is it a staple?
Is it a staple on the table?
Is it a staple on the floor?
(Did Little Brother do some speed at the dinner table unbeknownst to to us?)
And on and on and on

(Mom-E and I took full advantage of this time to actually eat a few bites of WARM food. Amazing, Big Brother did not have a conniption over the questions. Probably because he didn't have a chance to talk.)

Sorry, dude, but all of you answers are wrong based on the letter R hint.

Unable to contain himself, Big Brother had to whisper the surprise to Little Brother.

(At which point, Mom-E and I were thinking, "T-minus 10 seconds until WE find out what it is.")

Amazingly, that didn't happen.

****
Fast forward to the next morning.

I'm waiting with Big Brother before he gets on the bus for school.

Out of the blue, he asks me, "Dad-E, how can you make a wreath in 1 day?"

"Um, buddy, is that the present for Mom-E and I?"

"Oops. Yeah. Don't tell Mom-E, okay."

"Okay."

"Hey, buddy,"

"Yeah, Dad-E."

"By the way wreath actually starts with a W."

"Oh."

1st graders' spelling is AWESOME.

(Either that, or he was using some kind of counter-intelligence strategy to throw us off by telling us it started with R.)

Nah, I've seen his homework papers. Just a lot of bad, phonetic spelling. :)

C U L8R on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

Tah-Tee or Hah-Tee

2011-12-04T20:06:00.000-08:00

Mom-E and I are not a case of "opposite's attract"...

...with the exception of our choice of warm, caffeinated, morning beverage.

I'm a hot tea kinda guy.

And she's a coffee lady.

And while Mom-E also likes hot tea, the same can not be said about my sentiments for ~~that nasty stuff~~ coffee.

Bab-E Brother has heard both of us comment on our morning wake-up.

He calls coffee, "Tah-tee."

And hot tea, "Hah-tee."

In other words, it's pretty hard to tell one from the other.

So being a stinker, this morning I asked Bab-E Brother if what he liked better: Tah-Tee or Hah-Tee better?

His answer came out "Ah-Tee", which I interpreted as tea, and Mom-E coffee.

Of course we all know that he was trying to say "hot tea." What else would one drink in the morning?

(Sorry, Mom-E :)

Although Mom-E and I both STRONGLY AGREE that giving any of our children caffeine would be a REALLY BAD IDEA (unless we add on a padded room to the house.)

Those 3 boys have enough energy as-is.

Give them coffee and you'd have a bunch of monkeys jumping up and down on our bed at 5am saying, "I'm hungry. I'm hungry. Breakfast. Breakfast. Let's play Yahtzee. I've gotta go potty. What's your favorite color?"

You get the idea.

Wake up! It's Monday!

Have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E

Rolling in the Blankets

2011-12-01T06:55:00.000-08:00

Happy Fatherhood Friday!

Bab-E Brother definitely has a fondness for very plush blankets.

Many times in the store Mom-E has witnessed Bab-E Brother try to pretty much dive out of the cart head-first to cuddle with a plush blanket.

Or, if he's ambulating, Bab-E Brother will grab the blanket, squeeze it tightly like a treasured stuffed animal, then throw it on the floor and jump head-first on top of it.

So Mom-E decided that for a fraction of the cost, she could just make/sew Bab-E Brother his own plush blanket.
(She's got mad skills/a black belt in grandma arts like that.)

And so she did. An amazing plush blanket, with Lightning McQueen prints on one side to boot! It is SOFT! (I want one.)

And consistent with his brothers and other hand-made items, Bab-E Brother pretty much TOTALLY IGNORED the blanket.

What what what what? Even his brothers like it.

And so, Mom-E and I were left to scratch our heads as to the reason for his diametrically opposed reactions to plush blankets at home versus the store.

Inspired by the words of Tom Petty, I figured it out the other night.

"So get to the point...let's roll another....BLANKET!"

(Okay, so the Tom Petty lyrics came afterwords, but it seemed like a good fit."

That's right, we figured out that Bab-E Brother likes his blankets only one way...ROLLED. That's how they're packaged at the store.

Fortunately, this theory was very amenable to scientific experimentation.

And so I took the plush Lightning McQueen blanket, rolled it up, and said "Hey, Bab-E Brother, LOOK HERE!"

BOOM!

Like moths to a flame, he INSTANTLY ran over to hug and jump on the blanket.

Ah, such is parenthood with the little ones. The moment you figure out what your kids are trying to communicate, BAM! pure bliss.

Have a good weekend,
Snuggle with your blankie,
Busy-Dad-E

All I Want For Christmas

2011-11-30T06:09:00.000-08:00

Well, we're half way there!

(But the other one is pretty lose and destined to come out soon!)

Here's to being able to drink through a straw without opening your mouth!

Cheers, Big Brother! You were a very brave patient, and very patient with your amateur dentist!

(Mom-E is very squeamish about loose teeth, so Dad-E is the default tooth puller.)

And LOOK! The Tooth Fairy knows how to write in cursive!

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

Cursive

2011-11-27T18:34:00.001-08:00

Big Brother's Thanksgiving Break might be summarized in the words of Johnny 5, "Need input!"

In an attempt to empty our brains of knowledge, he asked Mom-E to show him how to write in cursive.

And write cursive he did.

He wrote his name in cursive, over, and over, and over, and over again.

I think every piece of paper in our house has Big Brother's name written in cursive on it. Enough to cover every square inch of wall space in our house.

And he was SOOO proud of this, showing anyone who would (or wouldn't) look at his handiwork. Again, and again, and again.

"Look, Little Brother, it's my name in cursive," said Big Brother.

"Stop it! I'm not looking! I'm tired of you showing me your name in cursive!", he retorted.

I did manage to get Big Brother to write/copy my name in cursive for the blog. Enjoy!

Have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E

A Better World

2011-11-25T10:53:00.001-08:00

I recently had a tremendous experience, and it made me think how much better the world would be if we could all do this for each other at least once in our lives.

Have a dinner (or lunch), formal or informal, with friends, family, and other colleagues and loved ones.

Before the meal, the “guest of honor” stand up and gives a toast (you can just say a few nice comments) to every other guest in attendance.

Then, in turn, each guest then gives their own toast to the “guest of honor.”

And then sit down and enjoy the meal and conversation.

A much needed change from the frenetic, unrelenting pace of our American way of life.

Have a good weekend,
Busy-Dad-E

Thankful

2011-11-23T07:40:00.001-08:00

I’m thankful this holiday to be home with family.

But another thing I’m thankful for this year is technology.

(Of course, the includes the opportunity to write this blog.)

I’m really thankful this year for Skype.

Recently, I traveled internationally for.

And while it’s always hard on everyone to be halfway across the globe, Skype made it much more bearable, amidst the chaos.

It’s amazing to think that with Skype and a wi-fi connection, I was able to talk to and see my family and home from thousands of miles away in real time, for free, all on a device that fits in the palm of my hand.

Incredible.

And, of course, my boys’ favorite Skype activity is to virtually “pick my boogers.”

“Simple things for simple minds,” my mother would say.

Thank you, Skype, for bringing me closer to my booger-picking family when I wasn’t so close.

And thanks to you, dear readers.

Happy Thanksgiving,
Busy-Dad-E

Happy 4th Birthday!

2011-11-20T19:34:00.000-08:00

Dear Little Brother,

It seems so recently that, according to Big Brother, we went to the “baby store” to “pick you out” when you were born.

And now you’re 4!

Wow!

And though I call you Little Brother, your entire life you’ve never been little on personality and charisma.

You have a spirit that elicits the admiration of others around you.

Lately, your pastime has been superheroes and wearing costumes. You wear them ALL the time, and the word “all” includes sleeping.

And you change your costumes ALL the time, multiple times a day.

We had a wonderful time at your birthday party – a costume-themed party at a local park/playground. You and many (child) guests came dressed as a favorite superhero.

There were ~6 finalists, but ultimately you chose your Batman costume (you were wearing Captain America in the invitation photo).

Until you got a new superhero costume as a present, which you put on immediately.

And your presents from Mom-E and I were all superhero-themed: a Captain America mask and (disk-shooting) shield and a Spiderman web shooter (that really shoots webs! Sweet!)

This year has brought exciting changes for you. Most notably, you’ve started 2 days a week of pre-K.

Your teachers now say that you’re opening up at school – singing, talking, and interacting well.

This is funny o me because you’re ANYTHING but reserved at home.

But I’m excited to see you starting to draw people/figures, an increased interest in letters and numbers (you often refer to both of them as numbers), and a love of reading.

You’ve been invited to several birthday parties for classmates, which have been fun.

And so, some comments to try to capture your personality, interests, likes, and other amusing anecdotes. When you’re an adult, I hope you enjoy reading this.

As a “middle child”, you do very well relating to others. You certainly look up to an want to do the same things as Big Brother, but you also play well with Bab-E Brothers. In fact, you appear to love babies in general. You like to get down on “their level” to interact.

I can see you as a pediatrician, but of course you are/will be encouraged to pursue a career of your own choosing. (Maybe arguing against being a pediatrician is your distaste for “ouchies”. You insist on a band-aid for most every hangnail.)

You are stubborn (we know which parents that comes from) and at times illogical. If we ask you to do something, and your response begins with a slow “Well … “, Mom-E and I know to expect a 5-minute BS answer.

Sometimes you will spend 5 minutes explaining why:
-You can’t pick up the napkin you dropped that’s right to you.
-You’re too tired to walk (or suddenly claim that you CAN’T walk)
-You’re too tired to sleep (or lie down)

I’ve carried you A LOT in the past 4 years. I love carrying you, but soon you’ll have to do more walking. When I get old and need back surgery, I will be asking you for help.

And your answer will NOT begin with “Well …”

I gave you the picky eater gene and you certainly express high levels of it. I’m sorry. We REALLY need to work on this one. If left to your own devices, you would have a liquid diet of chocolate milk and yogurt smoothie drinks.

You LOVE ropes. Or anything that can be remotely construed as a rope. A lot. You tie ropes around your waist like a belt. You tie ropes around stuffed animals/toys, and suspend them from other objects. Balloon strings are among your favorite ropes.

You like to store a variety of objects in your shorts. Some of the more amusing things we’ve found recently include balloons, Halloween candy, and a pair of latex gloves that Big Brother brought home from school (?)

You like to dance with me to loud music. And by dance I mean I carry you around and twirl.

Ouch, my back again.

It takes you a while to become “human” when you wake-up from sleep or a nap. In the morning, you need your morning cartoon fix before we can think about engaging you to get dressed (or just talk in non-grunts). In the afternoon, you often fuss mostly inconsolably for 20-30 minutes after your nap, and insist on being carried during that time.

(My back hurts just writing this.)

You still NEED a nap. Some days you’re willing, and some days not. It’s very clear to Mom-E and I when you don’t nap. We’ve had to resort to veiled threats to get you to nap (or letting you clean the toilet, which strangely is a motivator.)

But when you are fully awak, you ar ea jovial and very sweet and loving boy.

I’m very proud of you.

And I wish you a very happy 4th birthday.

I love you,
Dad-E

Bab-E Brother's Reading List

2011-11-14T19:45:00.000-08:00

The boy who couldn't sit still for more than 0.12 seconds has literally transformed into a total book worm.

If he sees any of these titles laying around, you will be asked to read it.

Multiple times.

And then read it some more.

And then read them all again before nap time.

And once more before bed.

You get the idea.

So without further ado, here's his best-seller list, with his title in ()

(Book or Doggie, depending on his mood)

(La La La, his personal favorite)

(Book or Doggie, again)

(Choo-Choo)

(DOGGIES!)

(??????? Pretty much like Eddie Murphy in Buckwheat Sings, so maybe we should tell him it's Betty Davis Eyes)

What are your kiddos reading?

Cheers,
Busy-Dad-E

Freedom Isn't Free

2011-11-10T18:55:00.000-08:00

My mother told me once in my adolescent years that "you're happier when you're busy."

While that's true to a large extent, it's also important to take time to pause, reflect, enjoy, and pay respects.

(Those of you who know may be scratching your heads because you didn't know I actually have a "pause button", probably because it's usually broken.)

But on Veteran's Day, we pause to show respect and to remember all those who have fought/are fighting for our freedom, at home and abroad.

Thank you for giving me the freedom to enjoy my family.

May God Bless America,
Busy-Dad-E

I Like #2

2011-11-08T20:38:00.000-08:00

Sorry Big Brother, but #3 is completely OFF THE TABLE! (NO idea where that came from.)

Feel free to get started washing anytime. And two coats of wax, please.

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

We Got Skills

2011-11-07T05:39:00.001-08:00

So in true school boy fashion, Big Brother appears to be on to the next fad.

We've had so many, sometimes it's hard to keep track of all the Beyblades, Bakugan, Thundercats, Transformers, Spiderman, Batman, Wubbzy stuff.

This one is different however: Cup Stacking.

You may have seen one of the cool videos on Youtube of kids stacking and unstacking cups at Ludicrous Speed.

Apparently, Big Brother's PE class does some Cup Stacking on cold or rainy days.

But it was actually just before bedtime the other evening that he started talking about Cup Stacking.

Next thing you know I'm trekking downstairs to find 6 matching cups, so he can show off his skills.

I was impressed by his unstacking speed. Stacking the pyramid, however, was much harder because the cups kept sticking together.

But perhaps Santa can help with that.

One of the things I try to emphasize and talk to Big Brother about is how everyone has different talents, and how it's important to work hard to develop them and use them for good.

It pleases my heart to hear Big Brother to spontaneously start talking about how he's talented and cup stacking, and how he can't wait to show other family members.

And, of course, not to be outdone by his older brother, within about 5 minutes of the cup stacking exposee, Little Brother has spontaneously discovered a new talent, too: yo-yo swinging.

No, not yo-yo'ing (like up and down and walk the dog, etc.) I just mean swinging a yo-yo around and around in a big circle (such that it'd really hurt if he hit you with it.) (Fortunately, it's not a big heavy Duncan, just a cheap plastic yo-yo that he got as a birthday party favor (it broke instantly and he cried uncontrollaby until I fixed it with black electrical tape.)

You can't use it as a yo-yo anymore, but it still works great for spinning it in a big circle.

Hey, Dad-E, look at me! Look at this!

I love it! Couldn't ask for better entertainment. Keep stacking and swinging.

Just don't hit anyone.

Have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E

Did You Ever Have One of Those Dinners?

2011-11-03T13:11:00.000-07:00

Where, after a long, trying day, you sit down to the dinner table as a family, say the blessing, and start to take that first bite, when, in rapid-fire succession, the following happens:

The cell phone rings.

Then the house phone rings.

Then the dryer buzzes that it's done (and it's filled with a load of delicates that if not folded in the next 15 seconds will be wrinkled forever).

Then the doorbell rings with a kid in the neighborhood selling the same stuff your kid is selling.
Then Little Brother screams that he has to go potty.

Then the dog starts barking and scratching at the door (to go potty).

Then Little Brother returns from going potty, only to "tag out" with Big Brother who now also has to go potty.

Then Bab-E Brother throws his milk, which looks like he went potty on the floor.

Then you have to remind small men to flush and wash hands.

Then Big Brother decides he doesn't want to wear clothes, and runs upstairs to change into jammies.

Then Little Brother decides he should be wearing jammies too, and screams until you carry him upstairs to change.

Then the boys chug their "choky-juice" in one gulp.

Then they decide that suddenly they're cold (from the liter of fluid they just consumed) and need a blanket.

Then both boys have to go upstairs again to get blankets.

Then Big Brother brings a toy downstairs with him.

Then Little Brother is mad that he doesn't have a toy.

Then the dog whines to come back inside.

Then the dog whines to go back outside.

Then the boys are hangry to the point that they refuse to eat while simultaneously screaming that they're hungry.

And then we finally eat our cold meal.

Yeah, that's pretty much just a typical evening for us. :)

Have a good weekend,
Busy-Dad-E

Wheel of Costumes

2011-11-02T07:39:00.000-07:00

Welcome to

WHEEL...

OF....

COSTUMES!

(cue theme song.)

We're your hosts Busy-Dad-E and Busy-Mom-E.

We hope you had a Happy Halloween!

Those of you who have tuned in to the show know that the entire month of October was costume month on Wheel of Costumes, what with 2 of our 3 contestants wearing at least 1 (and sometimes 2 simultaneously) costume(s) an average of 18 hours per day.

And so coming down to our final show of the month, the big question in everyone's mind was "Which costume would the boys wear for the big Trick or Treat episode?"

The list was "narrowed" down to the following possibilities:
1. Captain America - Little Brother's original first choice and new costume for this year.

2. Ryuga (the main "bad guy" on the Beyblades tv show - Big Brother's original first choice and new costume for this year, which he did wear for Trick or Treat Night at the Zoo, as well as a Halloween Picture of the 3 boys.

3. Superman - Bab-E Brother's costume - NOT picked by him, but chosen based on cuteness by your loyal hosts. In fact, if left to his own devices, Bab-E Brother would probably be content with tennis shoes and a diaper (and nothing else). The only way to successfully put a costume on his person is to be actively feeding him chocolate as a distraction while doing so.

4. Red/Original Spiderman - Birthday present from Gramm-E and Grampap-E for Little Brother's 3rd birthday.

5. Black Spiderman - In true Black Spiderman, this costume was a late entry, a personality changing "dark horse" poised to topple Captain America from the pole position. About a week before Halloween, Little Brother suddenly decided he NEEDED this costume. Discussions were initiated with Pa-Pa about a potential early birthday present. And in true 3 year-old fashion, Little Brother expected the costume to be delivered to his front doorstep a mere 12 hours after he made his wishes known. When this did not happen, much chagrin and anguished was experienced by Little Brother and his parents alike. Fortunately, the ability to track packages on the map via UPS helped to slightly diffuse the tension. When the costume did arrive, as is the way of the virus known as Black Spiderman, it became an immediate source of conflict between Big Brother and Little Brother, who fought incessantly over who got to wear it, complete with repeated attempts (some successful) by Big Brother to pull the mask off and reveal Black Spiderman's true identity. Within 3 days, the costume had more runs than your mother's pantyhose, although still wearable. I found it funny that Little Brother actually thought the costume was the character Venom (who's costume is midnight blue). When challenged on this fact, Little Brother was ADAMANT that Black Spiderman was NOT Peter Parker.

6. Batman - Last year's Halloween costume.

7. Dale Jr.

8. Wolverine

9. Buzz Lightyear

(7-9 were passed to the boys a while back as gifts from one of Gramm-E's coworkers.)

10. Wubbzy (from Nickelodeon's "Wow Wow Wubbzy" - Big Brother's "(Not so) Dark Horse". Both Big Brother and Little Brother have a Wubbzy costume that was hand-made by Mom-E, during a phase in which our house was all Wubbzy all the time. In true child fashion, after multiple late night efforts from Mom-E to make these costumes, the boys wore them a grand total of about twice. When they started asking Mom-E recently to make them Black Spiderman pj's, I reminded them about how they pretty much never wore their Wubbzy costumes. This passive guilt trip attempt worked for Big Brother, who started wearing his Wubbzy costume around the house in the days leading up to Trick or Treat.

On the day of the big show, the boys could literally not make up their minds, changing costumes at least 6(7,000) times.
But finally the clock ran out and when forced with "pick a costume or miss part of Trick or Treat", they picked.

And so, without further ado, this year's costumes were:

Big Brother - Wubbzy

Little Brother - Captain America

Bab-E Brother - Superman (following a chocolate bribe)

In contrast to all of the stress leading up to it, Trick or Treat was actually wonderful no-stress family fun. Everyone behaved (chocolate is a powerful motivator). The weather was crisp and beautiful. Little Brother and Bab-E Brother enjoyed being pushed around in a stroller. (I'd love to have someone push me from house to house, and I just hold out a bucket and rack up a bunch of candy). Their excitement was contagious (a neighbor had a large inflatable Scooby Doo, and Little Brother started busting out a song about Scooby - to the tune of Caillou). The boys loaded up their buckets, but didn't complain about being limited to two pieces of candy that evening (which was still enough to send Bab-E Brother into a sugar-induced locomotion frenzy in the bathtub, not unlike the scene in Corky Romano when Chris Kattan speaks to a group of children visiting the FBI after being engulfed in a dust storm of cocaine - "Question. Question. Yes. No. Yes. Question. Question.") Big Brother even voluntarily practiced piano afterwards, while still in costume.

What fun! Love you boys!

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

Figure Drawing

2011-10-31T06:15:00.000-07:00

Little Brother likes to scribble on paper, usually when Big Brother is working on his 1,987,654th revision of Batman.

But most of the time, it's been just that - scribbles.

Recently, he started drawing Tornadoes, which basically consisted of making spirals on the paper.

Then, out of the blue last week, he drew his first figure! Completely with hair, eyes, nose, mouth, and legs. Drawn, of course, in his favorite color, green!

Doesn't it put you in the mind of a McDonald's Fry Guy?

Or maybe I'm just hungry.

Way to go Little Brother! Can't wait to see more of these!

Have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E

Pancake Poochie

2011-10-28T05:40:00.000-07:00

Bab-E Brother is obsessed with dogs right now.

Just about every other word out of his mouth these days is either "doggie", "puppy", or "ruff ruff".

Even the word "waffle" almost comes out "ruff ruff".

And every animal - from dogs to cats to elephants to zebras to brothers - are all doggies.

And so is the box of Aunt Jemima mix.

Say WHAT?

Every time he sees that box in the pantry, he points at it and blurts out, "Doggie! Doggie!"

Yeah, it puzzled us, too, for awhile.

My best guess is that our ~~vulture~~ Pupp-E, who literally stalks Bab-E Brother for scraps (or snatches food directly from his hands, them being at the same level), has gotten waffle pieces (or whole waffles) from Bab-E Brother enough times that Bab-E Brother associates the two.

Thanks a lot, you little pancake poochie theif.

At least Bab-E Brother is happy and excited about the idea.

Happy Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

Mismatch Day

2011-10-26T06:00:00.001-07:00

(Also known sometimes as "When Big Brother Chooses His Own Outfit" Day - although today really is Mismatch Day at school).

Happy Wordless Wednesday!
Busy-Dad-E

Mathnastics

2011-10-24T06:20:00.000-07:00

As a first-grader, you'd expect that Big Brother's weekends would be all about fun and all about being a kid - toys, games, playing outstide, cartoons (although he's currently lost TV privileges for a few weeks, but that's for another post) - but lately he's willingly turned to learning for fun.

Big Brother really likes math.

So much so, that a while back, I showed him how to "carry the 1" when adding numbers.

He loved it! You'd think I'd just bought him a Nintendo DS.

So much so, that one of his favorite new pastimes is to keep adding numbers to get bigger and bigger numbers.

He starts with 2+2=4, then 4+4=8, 8+8=16, and so on, until he gets to about 4 quadrillion.

He'll sit at the table for literally an HOUR doing this.

Our kitchen table is now often covered in papers like this:

Gramm-E and Grampap-E got to see this firsthand the other weekend, and Gramm-E appropriately called it his "Mathnastics".

Well said.

Way to go Big Brother. Mom-E and I are proud and delighted at your love for learning (and math), and we're happy to help you fill your "blender" with the biggest "math smoothie" possible.

You are definitely our child. We love you.

Have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E

I Am Responsible

2011-10-21T06:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Fatherhood Friday!

Big Brother brought home the following essay from school the other day, which Mom-E and I both enjoyed very much.

Several thoughts ran through my head while reading this:
1) Unbeknownst to us, is he attending a bilingual school that teaches English and German in the 1st grade (Vee have vays to make you responsible, zat is true).
2) He has secretly been listening to the Georgia Satellites (Keep Your Hands to Yourself).
3) He was secretly entering an essay contest where the rules were "Fewest vowels used wins."

Fortunately, I've seen that pretty much everyone in his class writes very phonetically.

Have a good weekend,
Be responsbile!
Busy-Dad-E

I Have Writer's Block

2011-10-19T08:11:00.000-07:00

Stuffed Animal Love Triangle

2011-10-16T18:45:00.000-07:00

Bab-E Brother has created the makings for his very own Jerry Springer episode.

You may remember the stuffed animal love of his life, B, who must never leave his side.

Well, the other weekend, Bab-E Brother cheated on B with Little Brother's Pumpkin Bear (a Build-A-Bear Bear whose only clothes are a Santa suit and a pumpkin suit.

We were driving home from a mini-vacation trip and Little Brother was passed out in the middle of the mini-van. Bab-E Brother was screaming his head off, until he snuggled up with the overstuffed bear who is almost his size.

Suddenly, B found himself relegated to the floor of the mini-van, against the droppings of dirt, tissues, and granola bars.

(Pumpkin Bear found himself stage diving into the same mess, as he's so bulky that Bab-E Brother couldn't hold onto him.)

But apparently, Pumpkin Bear was pretty much a "one mini-van ride stand", because after we got home Bab-E Brother started giving him the cold shoulder, not returning his phone calls, etc.

Instead, Bab-E Brother set his sights on Big Brother's inappropriately named triceratops, Mr. Donkey, who Bab-E Brother sometimes calls "Donkey" and sometimes "Doggy".

Of course, having both a nap time and a bed time allows him to snuggle with each of his sweathearts without the other knowing.

And it also helps that neither animal can talk, lest they find out about each other.

Because if they ever did, the stuffing might start flying.

And then we might need to call Jerry.

Have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E

Work Incentives

2011-10-14T07:01:00.000-07:00

How would you respond if someone proposed you, "Hey, if I let you unclog the hair from the drain in my bathroom sink, then you have to rub my bunions for an hour."

You'd probably be all "Yeah right!", "Uh...NO!", etc. (to put it politely.)

Little Brother apparently didn't get this memo.

You see, Little Brother loves "blue potty". "Blue potty" is the Lysol stuff that we use to clean our toilets. I'm not sure why he has so much fun squirting this into the toilet and swirling it around with a brush, but he does.

(Okay, I'll at least admit that "blue potty" smells STRANGELY MINTY GOOD. Good enough that if guys ever got weird cravings to eat non-food stuff like what happens to pregnant ladies, I'd probably have me some "blue potty".)

So the other day, it was Little Brother's nap time, and he didn't want to stay in his room by himself. "I'm scared. Will you sleep with me?" (This is a recipe for a disaster with domino-like effects.)

Instead, Mom-E proposed to him, "I'll let you use blue potty, but if you do, you have to nap by yourself."

Amazingly, he agreed! And with ENTHUSIASM!

Little does he know that Mom-E suckered him into cleaning his own toilet, and taking a nap by himself, meaning that Mom-E got some precious alone time during the day while both boys slept.

Go Mom-E, FTW!!

Have a good weekend,
Busy-Dad-E

Danimalism

2011-10-12T08:11:00.000-07:00

In addition to voice immodulation, Bab-E Brother also appears to suffer from Danimalism.

What, might you ask, is Danimalism?

It's the compulsion to drink Dannon Danimals yogurt smoothie drinks.

If given unrestricted access, the boy would drink them by the keg.

It's at the point where if the refridgerator is open, he expects to get one, and fusses in protest if he doesn't get one.

If given 3 minutes alone with an open fridge and a straw, he could probably down the entire contents of the package you see pictured above.

Such is the diet of our (almost) 2 year-old, which pretty can be broken down as follows:
52% Danimals, milk, and yogurt
47% Condiments (no joke)
1% Actual food

Okay, not quite that bad, but still...

So Mom-E and I have resorted to deception to deal with Bab-E Brother's Danimalism.

We hide them in our small fridge in our closet, and ration them out accordingly.

Lord help us if he finds their new hiding place.

Perhaps he's just self-medicating for his voice immodulation, to keep his throat from getting dry?
(I know mine would get dry if I sang that loud all the time.)

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

Caged Spider-Men

2011-10-09T21:19:00.000-07:00

Below is what happens when you put 2 parents and 3 boys under the age of 7 in one room at the Holiday Inn all weekend, and the oldest two boys self-restrict their diets to pretty much Fruit Loops.

Have a good week,
I want my bed back,
Busy-Dad-E

Voice Immodulation

2011-10-06T19:08:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite SNL sketches is Will Ferrell's character with Voice Immodulation (VI).

"And a little bit softer now. And a little bit softner now."

Although he's not yet 2, it appears that Bab-E Brother may be showing signs of VI, and specifically the LOUD subtype.

He only has one volume: fortissimo!!

When Mom_E comes to pick him up at the gym, EVERYONE knows it from the blaring "Hi, Mom-E!"

When I get home from work, I can hear "Dad-E" before I even get out of the car, not to mention the garage.

(You can just imagine how much fun we have in church.

And of course, in the car, it's trumpets-blaring most of the time.

Here's Bab-E Brother "winding down" in his crib before bed, and by "winding down" I mean that this is a muted version of his usual.

Enjoy.

Have a quiet weekend,
Busy-Dad-E

Lego Bey Blades

2011-10-04T18:17:00.001-07:00

As you may know, we're all about Bey Blades at our house.

Even Bab-E Brother likes to play, and by play I mean sit with his brother's while holding a Bey Blade. (Just don't even think about trying to pry it from his death grip, lest you desire deafness from his screams.

"Bee-Bee" (Bey Blade) wasn't his first word, but ranks up there pretty high.

And while I love my childrens' imaginations, sometimes they ~~ask~~ demand you do things that require a PhD in MacGyver.

"Dad-E, make us a treehouse out of toothpicks!?"

"Okay...Sure."

If you're not familiar with Bey Blades, they're small metal tops that spin and "battle" against other tops.

Well, it took a little while, but we actually figured out how to get Legos to spin.

And, of course, my reward for making one Lego Bey Blade was to make more.

So below are the fruits of our labor the past few Saturday mornings as well as a short video of one in action.

Let 'em rip,
Busy-Dad-E

Junior Art Critic

2011-10-02T18:32:00.000-07:00

So the other evening ~~we forgot to get anything out for dinner out of sheer fatigue~~ we decided to goout to eat.

At the end of the meal, as the boys were running to the bathroom and around the restaurant, Bab-E Brother suddenly developed a very concerned look on his face and an almost vacant stare.

"Uh-Oh" he uttered. (One of his new favorite phrases.)

"Did he poop? No."

"Did he drop something? No."

"Did his mild fall over and is now soaking the table and our belongings? No."

Suddenly it became clear that he was looking at this picture on the wall.

He keeps staring intently, with a concerned look, repeating "Uh-Oh."

I asked him a bunch of questions, which mostly resulted in more "Uh-Oh's."

But eventually he said "B". (Gar-E Bear).

"Where's B?"

And he proceeded to point to what I would call the "suitcase" in the man's hand in the picture.

And he continued to say "Uh-Oh." and "B." with a nervous expression.

Mom-E and I are still a bit perplexed.

Did it look to him like the man was going to drop "B"?

Did he think the man took his "B" (even though he was holding him)?

Either way (or some other way), it was a most curious sight to behold.

I'd really like to know what was going on in his mind.

Perhaps it's time to go to an art museum.

Have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E

Wal in the Oshin

2011-09-29T18:21:00.000-07:00

Dear Big Brother,

Yu ar our favite first grader in the wurld.

Yur writin is so cut, and the picksher is just grate.

We ar so prowd of you.

Keep up the good wurk.

Luv,
Dad-E and Mom-E

Captain America

2011-09-27T19:32:00.001-07:00

"Pretty much...I'm a super hero now."

Yes you are.

And for what the costume costs, Mom-E and I are glad to know that we'll get at least 40 days of wear out of it before Halloween.

(So far this wear includes 1) around the house all day, 2) playing outside on the swingset, 3) going out to eat, and 4) sleeping.)

Cheers,
Busy-Dad-E

Bikes Are Neat Neat Neat Good Times

2011-09-25T18:45:00.001-07:00

There's no spell check with pencil.

Well, Big Brother, we're glad that you think your bike is "nete". (Yeah, that's really neat. Good times.)

But we highly suggest that you don't get "rid" of it. It's really still pretty new, and you'll have much more fun if you ride it instead.

Have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E

3 Year-Old Friendships

2011-09-22T19:54:00.000-07:00

No, not people who've been your friend for 3 years.

I'm talking about the fun ways in which 3 year-olds ~~attempt to~~ interact with each other.

This past weekend, we were swinging on the swings, and I was asking Little Brother about pre-K.

"Are you having fun learning?'

"Yeah."

"Do you like your teacher?"

"Yeah."

"Do you have friends at school?"

"Yeah."

"Who's your friend?"

"M" (to protect the innocent).

"Cool. What do you and M like to play?

"Well, I can't talk to him in the hallway, or I'll get in trouble."

"Well, do you talk to him outside on the playground."

"Yeah."

"What do you say?"

"Hi, M!"

"What does he say?"

"He doesn't know my name."

"Why?"

"Because he's running really fast, and I'm chasing him, pretending to be a dinosaur."

Nice.

They say you can pick your friends but you can't pick your friend's nose.

I agree, especially if your friend doesn't know he's your friend, and he's running too fast for you to have any chance of getting your finger in his nose.

Happy FF!
Cheers and have a good weekend,
Busy-Dad-E

midnight road trippER

2011-09-21T05:52:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I think we either:
1. Own stock in the local ER
2. Are working on a "frequent flyer" punch card towards a free visit.

(I think if you have a boy, they should give you an ER coupon at birth.)

So far we've had the following ER visits
1. Vomiting after hitting head on concrete
2. Laceration all the way through the border of the lip.
3. Boy versus Corner of nightstand, requiring staples in head.
4. Two boys with croup in need of steroids on Christmas Eve Eve.

And now on our list:
5. Allergic reaction!

The other day, Little Brother got pink eye.

We were fortunate to have some antibiotic eye drops (both older boys have had them before).

(I'm convinced the manufacturer thought it'd be fun that you have to give them four times a day.)

So we dosed Little brother up.

He went to bed that evening, but was restless.

At 11:30 he woke up for the second time screaming.

His eye was matted shut.

But his eyelid was so swollen that he looked like Rocky (in any Rocky film)

At which time, I wondered if it was an allergic reaction, injury from rubbing his eye, or something else bad.

And when it comes to my child's vision, I didn't want to wait 8-10 hours to see the pediatrician to find out.

So he and I made a midnight trip to the ER to find out.

Of course, by the time we get there and wait over an hour, he's calm and largely passed out on my shoulder.

Fortunately, by the time we were seen, he could open his eye a little, which made the exam easier.

More fortunately, he diagnosis was an allergic reaction, and a dose of Benadryl, new antibiotic prescription, and a cherry popsicle later, Little Brother was ready to go home.

But not before having to pee.

And in true Little Brother form, having been very quiet for ~2 hours, he became much more animated while going potty.

"Dad-E, my pee looks like a rop.

Classic.

Even at 2am, that boy is completely hysterical. Lord knows what he might say.

We stopped at a 24-hour pharmacy to pick up the new eye drops, and I let him munch on a bag of M&M's while we waited.

He was such a chatty Cathy that I started wondering if he was going to have one of those "opposite reactions" to Benadryl. But fortunately he got drowsy again on the way home.

But not before 1more classic comment.

He hands me back the bag of M&M's.

"Dad-E, I can't eat anymore I'm full."

(I look and there's 1 (one) M&M left in the bag.)

Nice.

Although it's never fun to go to the ER and we were REALLY tired, it was a road trip that I'll certainly remember.

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

Breakfast of Chaos Champions

2011-09-18T19:10:00.001-07:00

So it's been quite some time since I've written one of THESE posts.

You know, the one where I tell you about how otherwise fun or simple things become not fun or all-day ordeals.

Well, just because I haven't written about them doesn't mean they haven't happened.

The other weekend we made plans to go out for breakfast.

The restaurant was running an online special for a free breakfast entree for adults.

We thought the boys would have fun.

They thought otherwise.

The evening before,we'd had a family gathering with friends and their kids, and the boys were up WAY TOO LATE.
This made for the perfect day to get up early and go out for breakfast.

NOT.

They woke up hungry, cranky, and wanted a "pre-breakfast" of cereal and toaster waffles as an 'appetizer'.

Then there was the massive screaming fit about not wanting to get dressed and wanting to watch 5 hours of cartoons before leaving.

And so we loaded the boys up in the van (in white coats) and everyone was quite "cheerful", and by cheerful I mean ticked at the world.

We arrive at the restaurant, put Bab-E Brother's shoes back on as usual, and ~~drag~~ bring the boys inside.

Of course, the only thing they'll eat is chocolate milk. Attempting to offer other food risks more screaming.

We sit down.

Little Brother proceeds to drop the coin he was holding and has a very loud, frantic spell over it's whereabouts.

Big Brother invades Little Brother's personal space, which results in another "loud exchange."

Meanwhile, Mom-E and I are trying to put straws into milk.

But they don't have any kids bendy straws. COMPLETELY OUT.

This isn't an issue for the older boys, but Bab-E Brother can't handle a regular straw.

With one glance away, Bab-E Brother proceeds to tip up the milk, spilling it all over himself.

Then somebody has to pee.

Mom-E and I are beginning to get mortified by all of the commotion that we're making. We seem to be repelling other customers away from our table like Dementors with a Patronus Charm.

"Dad-E, can we..."

"No."

"go to..."

"No."

"the..."

"No."

"playground."

"NO!"

"I think we've had enough fun already this morning."

Sometimes Mom-E and I wish we could just take pills and not have to eat.

First Grade

2011-09-15T19:08:00.000-07:00

So Big Brother has made jump from Kindergarten to 1st grade this year.

And what a jump it's been.

It's not quite like going from addition to calculus, but it's close.

Last year's Kindergarten weekly homework schedule looked like this:
Monday Recover from the weekend
Tuesday Print your first name (once)
Wednesday Hold a crayon for 5 seconds
Thursday Eat a popsicle
Friday Play all weekend

By contrast, this year is more like:
Monday 20-page report on the History of Dirt
Tuesday Science fair grant application due
Wednesday Spelling test over Webster's dictionary tomorrow
Thursday Proof of Pythagorean Theorem due
Friday Read the complete works of Chaucer, in Middle English

Okay, so not quite that bad, but there are weekly tests on spelling and sight words, and independent reading books, math worksheets, writing sentences, and extracurricular piano practice, scouts, ...

AAAHHH!!!

Can't imagine what it'll be like when we have 3 boys doing homework.

Nor do I want to.

I'll take the multiple choice test: E. Spontaneously Combust.

Here's hoping we all have a Kindergarten Homework weekend,
Busy-Dad-E

Gar-E Bear

2011-09-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

Neither Big Brother nor Little Brother were huge stuffed animal fans.

Big Brother would much prefer to sleep with a Transformer over a teddy bear (although he does have a rhino named Mr. Donkey.)

And Little Brother would scream if you gave him a lion instead of a Ziploc bag full of pennies and a bouncy ball (although he has an otter named Skunk Otter.)

The boys have a few lonely stuffed animals, most of which I named.

Not Bab-E Brother.

Little Brother recently gave him a small bear, that has since been named (by me) Gar-E Bear, although Bab-E Brother calls him "Bee".

He’s almost as attached to that bear as he is his shoes.

Well, actually more attached.

You can’t take a nap WITHOUT him. And the first thing he does when you wake him up is to proudly show him to you.

"Bee! ~~Look at him, $tupid!~~" he cheers.

And unfortunately you can't take a bath WITH him. When you put him in the tub, he screams, continuously, "Bee! Bee! Bee!" Until the sweet release of rinsing and drying off.

When you hand the bear back to Bab-E Brother, he exclaims, "Ah! My Bee!", while cuddling and snuggling.

It's too cute.

The problem is that "Bee" really needs a bath.

You see, after rubbing him all over the bathroom floor, and then smothering "Bee" with his own concoction of snot and drool, Bab-E Brother wants to have Mom-E and I give "Bee" kisses.

Pardon me while I go gargle with Listerine and dump some hydrogen peroxide on my lips.

Frequently.

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

College

2011-09-11T21:27:00.001-07:00

Out of the blue, in a very worried voice, Little Brother asked me,

“Dad-E, am I going to go to college?”

“Yes, eventually. But not until you get older.”

“But I’ll be scared if you’re not there.”

Too sweet. (This coming from a boy who at a recent gathering of friends with small children, was running around like a helicopter wearing pj's, a vest, and a cone-shaped Batman birthday hat. College is going to LOVE you.)

“Don’t worry pal. You have plenty of time before you go to college, and when you do, you’ll be ready.”

“I’m going to be a builder.”

“Sure, buddy. That sounds great.”

“But I don’t know how to climb onto the roof of the house,” he says, fretfully.

“Don’t worry buddy. They’ll teach you in college.”

(Please don’t learn how to climb onto the roof for a long time.)

“And where am I going to buy the wood?” he retorts, with ever-increasing anxiety.

“Lowe’s.” (This seemed to reassure him.)

And next thing you know, we’re back to talking about typical boy stuff.

Oh the musings of a 3 year-old. I wonder what’s going on in his hamster wheel that we’re not hearing about.

Have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E

Shoe-tastic

2011-09-08T20:08:00.000-07:00

Bab-E Brother is NOT a baby when it comes to shoes. He’s a big fan.

Recently he scored a pair of new kicks. The same style of Spider-Man shoes once donned by both of his older brothers.

He’s VERY attached to them.

And by attached, I mean the past two nights he’s screamed bloody murder when you take

them off and put him in the tub. “Mine! Mine! Mine!” he exclaims, all the way from suds to rinse.

Handing him back his shoes is like pressing the mute button.

(Great. He’s learned the word ‘Mine’. Toddler-hood has arrived.)

And the first night he had them, he INSISTED on wearing them to bed, and he managed to sleep in them.

It’s like Little Brother and his costumes – they’re permanently attached.

Unless you make Bab-E Brother mad, in which case you’d better duck, because he’s going to kick off his right shoe (only).

Have a good weekend,
Kick off your shoe (singular),
Busy-Dad-E

Sing Like No One's Listening

2011-09-06T20:29:00.000-07:00

Hi there. I’m still here. Apologies for my recent absence. I’ve been laboring a lot lately, including laboring on Labor Day, and blog posts have remained inside my head.

Little Brother recently started a 3 year-old pre-K two days a week.

He seems to be enjoying going to school, just like his Big Brother.

Mom-E and I are very excited for him.

And admittedly slightly nervous.

Little Brother is definitely the biggest talker of the boys, thus far.

Who knows what he might say to the teacher (out of context)…

…or if he might spontaneously take off his pants.

So far, though, his behavior has been pretty good.

He’s only been corrected once.

Apparently the teacher told him he can’t yell in the bathroom.

“But, Mom-E. I wasn’t yelling. I was SINGING.”

Mom-E has since independently verified that we have a “Stall Singer.”

Apparently the boy loves to belt it out when he’s on the can. But only in a bathroom stall. Never at home.

And he really doesn’t sing a song, it’s more like he’s scatting.

This is a new thing for him. This is the same child who often REFUSES to sing in the van.

So now we have the “Van Singer” and the “Stall Singer”.

Okay, Big Brother. It’s your turn.

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

Happy Car Singer

2011-08-31T19:17:00.000-07:00

Almost a day late, but not a $1 short.

Back by popular demand, more from the Happy Car Singer himself...Bab-E Brother!

We're treated by his "pipes" all the time now. Just put him in his car seat, start driving, and he turns into a juke box.

Splendid!

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

10 Years

2011-08-28T19:07:00.000-07:00

This past weekend marks the 10th anniversary of my mother's death.

It's still hard for me to fathom that she's been gone now for almost a third of my life.

I misse her sage advice over late-night nachos and Coke.

I admire how she so often put the needs of others before here own.

I love you and I miss you.

I hope you are proud,

Busy-Dad-E

Below is a re-post from March of 2009. The original post is here.

*****

I was 23 when my mother died. Not a day goes by that I don't miss her. After these many years that she's been gone, my memories of her that "stuck"--the ones I think about most often--make me chuckle. They include:
1. Staying up late eating homemade nachos and drinking Coke while "shooting the breeze."
2. Going to see the John Travolta movie "A Civil Action", just the two of us--the last movie we saw together in the theater.
3. Teaching me a "special" method for making golden-brown pancakes (it's all about the bubbles).
4. Driving to Wal-Mart after midnight to loiter and shop for absolutely nothing.

The summer after she died, my father and I took a month long coast-to-coast road trip together. By the trip's end, we'd gone about 8000 miles, covered 20 states, and put our feet in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. I was very fortunate that my life circumstances at the time allowed me to make this trip. (Certainly couldn't--and wouldn't--want to do it now with Big Brother and Little Brother. Thank you to Busy-Mom-E for being so understanding--we were engaged at the time). That said, it was some of the best times I'd ever had with my dad.

By now, you're probably wondering why I'm dusting off these skeletons, and more importantly, what the heck they have to do with outdoor playsets and digital cameras?

The answer is this:
My parents did so much for me over the years. They fostered opportunities, encouraged me to be involved in activities, sat through or helped coach all of those activities, drove my friends and I all over tarnation, paid for years of education, etc. In short, they did everything in their power to give me opportunities, some of which they didn't have.

And while I am thankful and grateful for all of the above, in the end, what I remember most is the "quality time" we spent together.

In short, it doesn't matter so much what we did, but rather that we did things together. During those late night conversations or 1000's of miles on the road with only fields to look at, we talked. We talked about dreams, goals, frustrations, fears. We laughed, we cried, we philosophized. Nothing was off limits.

I want the same thing for my relationship with my boys. When I'm playing with Legos or Thomas the Train or PlayDoh with Big Brother, for example, sure we're having fun, but I'm also laying the groundwork for that open communication with him. The same holds for Little Brother, but we're earlier in the process with him.

Right now we talk about Blues Clues, or that the PlayDoh is sick, or what kind of bridge we're going to build, or what shape track we'll make. But someday soon (that day is coming too soon), we'll talk about "big stuff."

"Dad-E, I think this girl in my class is cute." "Dad-E, some of my (soon not-to-be) friends talk about smoking and drinking." "Dad-E, I want to be an architect when I grow up." "Dad-E, it scares me when..." You get the idea. The key is that we'll talk.

If I'm so lucky as to win the contest, Big Brother (and Little Brother) and I will build the playset together, even if it takes 3 times as long as if I built it myself. Mom-E will supervise. We'll have fun spending time outside. We'll learn about tools and safety. We'll share a lemonade to cool off. We'll make about 8,000 trips to the potty while building it because of the lemonade. And when it's built, we'll play on it until it's too dark and it falls apart (though it sounds like Kid's Creations builds such high-quality products that the boys will head off to college before that happens).

More than anything, however, we'll just enjoy spending that quality time together. I'll (try) to forget about my job and yardwork and dishes and laundry and soccer practice (can I PLEASE forget soccer practice-I need an Arnold "Total Recall" memory wipe for that trauma) and all of the other hustles and bustles of daily life.

Instead, I'll concentrate on listening to my boys, and what they think and feel. And the boys, well at least Big Brother, will remember it forever, as the pictures of their facial expressions will reveal.

There's not a particularly special reason that I should win this playset above any other devoted dad. Father's want the best for their children. Even if I don't win, I'll still find ways to spend that time with my boys.

The opportunity is one that is too important to miss.

Busy-Dad-E

Busy-Dad-E Theater

2011-08-25T13:11:00.001-07:00

Happy Fatherhood Friday!

Welcome to the inaugural performance of "Busy-Dad-E Theater".

And without further adieu, the "play"

*****

Time: 4:00 am

Place: My room (where else would I be at 4am?)

AND SCENE

*****

Big Brother: Dad-E, my sniffer keeps sniffing and sniffing

Busy-Dad-E: zzzz....

Big Brother: Dad-E! Wake up!

[Actors both pause and remain silent for ~2 minutes.]

Busy-Dad-E: (Slowly coming to consciousness) What's up, buddy?

Big Brother: I keep sniffing.

[Busy-Dad-E stumbles like a drunk to the bathroom to retreive toilet tissue]

Busy-Dad-E: Better?

Big Brother: (Blowing nose). Yeah.

Busy-Dad-E: Let's go back to bed.

[Busy-Dad-E continues to stumble down the hall.]

Big Brother: (Sitting up in bed now with a HUGE scowl). Dad-E, I'm BORED!

Busy-Dad-E: It's 4am. God wants you to be bored.

Big Brother: I'm SOOO bored!

Busy-Dad-E: If you go back to sleep, you won't be bored anymore

Big Brother: (Pouts. Birds attempt to poop on his lip.)

Busy-Dad-E: (A single neuron in his brain starts to fire. He remembers that dinner was quite rushed to get Big Brother to an after-school activity. And Big Brother focused on going to the bathroom and playing with toys at dinner - consuming a grand total of about 3 grapes and 2 swigs of chocolate milk before we had to leave. Wake up, stupid! The boy is HUNGRY!) Do you need a snack?

Big Brother: Yes

Busy-Dad-E: (Retrieves some grapes and a granola bar.) Here you go.

Big Brother: Thanks. Dad-E...

Busy-Dad-E: Yeah?

Big Brother: You can go back to bed now.

Busy-Dad-E: Amen.

END SCENE

*****

Have a good (non-dramatic) weekend,

Busy-Dad-E

Pupp-E Guy

2011-08-23T16:45:00.000-07:00

Every family has an unabashed car/minivan singer.

Ours is Bab-E Brother.

Not even 2, the boy is not afraid to just belt out ~~mostly rambling nonsense~~ sweet Bab-E speak while we're rolling down the road.

His favorite "tune" is a rendition of Bob The Builder (which he's never seen) ~~that makes Eddie Murphy's Buckwheat Sings sound like a professional~~.

But the other day, Bab-E Brother started belting out a different tune.

Our best translation was "Puppy Guy". And whether or not that's what he was trying to say, it started off a volley of small children yelling "Puppy Guy", until Bab-E Brother really was singing "Pupp-E Guy!"

Enjoy the audio clip. Nothing better than uncontrollable laughter from children.

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

Parenthood In a Nutshell Part 2

2011-08-21T19:44:00.001-07:00

Part 1 here

And now the follow-up:

1. Little Brother actually did start wearing his hand-made Robin costume...for about a week.

2. He's now decided he's Batman...and he's usurped Big Brother's (now) old Batman costume, to be worn EVERYWHERE, ALL DAY LONG.

3. The Batman costume poses the same bathroom-going difficulties as did the original Robin costume.

4. The other night we're rushing to the ~~Batcave~~ Little Brother's room to prevent a Bat flood, while he's screaming for his mask (right behind him).

5. Little Brother actually has Batman jammies, but will only agree to wearing the costume.

6. While making me re-tie the belt of his Batman costume, he's screaming at me that he's tired.

"Yep, buddy. I'm tired, too."

Have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E

"Traitor. :)"

Words for YouTube

2011-08-18T04:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Fatherhood Friday Everyone!

For a little while now, Big Brother has been asking to make his own YouTube video.

Most of the time, he wants to make a video where he explains how to transform some of his Transformers.

(He saw a video or two to this effect.)

But we've been restrictive with him looking at YouTube, because even some videos of transforming Transformers have inappropriate language.

As we explained, "Sometimes the videos use bad words."

So the other day, Big Brother and I were building Bey Blades out of legos. (I get frequent requests to make all kinds of toys out of legos, which should earn me an honorary Master's degree in Legos).

After some finagling, we were actually able to make some Bey Blades that spin for awhile.

I blurted out to Big Brother, "That's so cool. We should make a YouTube video with our lego Bey Blades."

"ARE WE GONNA SAY BAD WORDS?" he asked, with a genuine look of concern.

Nice.

I'll admit that my initial thought was "@#$% no!", but I opted for the G-rated "Of course not, silly!", lest I defeat my own purpose.

It's always good to know that sometimes he's actually listening to me.

Have a good weekend,
Busy-Dad-E

Bab-E Potter

2011-08-16T18:02:00.001-07:00

Apparently Bab-E Brother was so distraught we didn't take him to Harry Potter 7 Part 2, that he opted to give himself a lightening bolt scar by doing battle with a door frame (and losing).

DISCLAIMER: No spells were cast in the making of this injury. Trust me, if we could cast spells, the first one we'd use would be "Accio House Elf!"

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

Quotent Quotables

2011-08-14T19:22:00.000-07:00

Hi There,

Just a few quotes for you from this past weekend. Two apiece from Bab-E Brother and Little Brother.

Bab-E Brother
1. "No." We have a budding 2 year-old. He's been saying "No", but it's clear that this weekend he fell in love with the word, saying it no less than 97,000 times.

2. "Buy." We were out shopping, and Bab-E Brother grabbed a huge thing of Play-Doh, brought it over to me and said, "Buy." "Buy that." Oh my, already a consumer. It's my punishment for repeating telling his older brothers "No, we're not going to BUY THAT."

Little Brother
1. He was going potty when he randomly asks me, "Dad-E, what would happen if my pee-pee went flying out the window?" (Gosh, would I love - and be scared - to know the other thoughts that must run through his head.) My first thought was "Criminal charges against Dad-E", but opted for, "That'd be a big, yucky mess."

2. Little Brother is getting ready to start a couple days a week of pre-K. Mom-E recently took him to an open house. Big Brother informed him, "You know, when you go back to school, Mom-E won't be with you."

Without hesitation he replied, "I'm so happy about that." To which Mom-E wonders "Does he hate me" versus "We have a child with good self-confidence."

Have a good week,
What are your kids saying?
Busy-Dad-E

Parenthood In a Nutshell

2011-08-11T21:04:00.000-07:00

1. 3 year-old wears Robin costume day and night for weeks.

2. 3 year-old gets very upset about difficulties taking off Robin costume to go potty in the middle of the night.

3. Mom-E burns the midnight (and sometimes even the 1am) oil for several nights, hand-making Robin jammies--complete with cape and pants that pull down separate from the rest of the "costume" for said 3 year-old.

4. 3 year-old decides to sleep in regular jammies and Robin jammies are relegated to sleeping by themselves on the couch.

Happy Fatherhood Friday!
Little Brother, this one may cost you a bit,
Busy-Dad-E

Midday Popcorn

2011-08-09T19:08:00.001-07:00

Sometimes in the midst of being incredibly bus-e (I feel like I could pretty much work 24/7 for the next month and still have stuff to do) the most important thing is to give yourself a break during the day to reenergize and rejuvenate.

Such a planned opportunity came yesterday.

While Mom-E was at an appointment, I was able to leave work for a lunch hour and hang out with Bab-E Brother and Little Brother.

I needed to run an errand at the bank, and so they came with me.

It may sound strange, but going to the bank with them was the highlight of my day.

One Bab-E on my shoulder and one Little holding my hand, their eyes were instantly drawn to the free popcorn.

So after a brief (5-minute) meeting ~~which is pretty much an eternity in kid-dom~~ during which Bab-E Brother patted my head and poked my eyes and ears, while Little Brother did gymnastics in the chair, they politely asked if they could have some popcorn.

And with some help from the banker - who bonded with Little Brother over being middle children - we picked up two popcorns in tow and headed back to the mini-van.

We enjoyed a few quiet moments munching together the air-conditioned van...

...before meeting up with Mom-E at her appointment, where they ran and giggled and made strange noises and ground in bits of food crumbs into the carpet in the waiting area, coming within a few hairs of a permanent ban.

But those moments of peacefully munching popcorn together were ones of salty bliss.

What fun boys! I love you!

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

Yes, No, or Cry

2011-08-08T06:42:00.001-07:00

Lately, we’ve been enjoying Bab-E Brother’s ever-expanding verbalizations.

Not long ago, he said his name for the first time, and we were excited to catch it on video about the third time he said it.

We’re also working on naming body parts. He is not the least interested in ‘nose’.

Let’s not forget repeating things uttered by his older brothers.

This includes things like “Bumble” (short for the Transformer Bumblebee) and “Battle”.

And, of course, like any good toddler, his other favorite word, “No.”

And when it comes to Bab-E Brother, the word “No” can have any one of several meanings.

This includes “No”, of course.

But also “Yes.” Despite the fact that he sometimes says “Yes.”

And occasionally, “No” can mean a screaming fit of crocodile tears (as was the case when I recently returned from a work trip. I brought the boys each small (non-edible) souvenir. And when Bab-E Brother started to try to eat his, I blurted out an anxious “No”, which triggered the above-mentioned river of tears. Hopefully no permanent damage.

So Mom-E and I are left to interpret the various meanings of “No.”

Easy task, no?

Have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E

Doodie Pie

2011-08-04T17:51:00.000-07:00

Happy Fatherhood Friday everyone!

Don’t let the title fool you. This post has nothing whatsoever to do with cow chips, I promise. Trust me, we’ve been reading a children’s book lately that stars, in the cast of characters, a talking cow patty. No joke. And no need to go there.

Nope, today we’re going to talk about song lyrics.

At least what we think the lyrics are.

You know what I’m talking about.

You swear up and down you know the lyrics, only to be crushed to find out that “Sweet Dreams are NOT made of THE YEARS”, but rather just “THIS”.

(As an aside, can anyone explain to me how Annie Lennox can make “this” into a four syllable word?)

What can I say? “Love lift us up WHEN WE WERE WRONG.”

Big Brother has found his botched lyrics song, and it’s Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face”.

The other evening, he asked me, “Dad-E, what’s a ‘doodie pie’?”

Oh no, here we go. Another request for the talking cow patty book.

Not wanting to go there, I stalled with my answer.

“You know, the song where the girl sings ‘doodie pie, doodie pie’?”

Oh, nowIknowwhatyou’retalkingabout.

Uh, Dad-E, how’d you get Poker Face out of “doodie pie”, you’re thinking.

Only because I’ll admit to once thinking that she’s singing “cutie, pie, cutie pie…” instead of CAN’T READ MY (poker face).

And indeed, I play the song, and “that’s the one” and now nobody is confused.

My job here is done.

Have a good weekend,
Don’t step in a “doodie pie”,
We’ll be playing “War” (without Poker Faces),
Busy-Dad-E

Even Superheroes Go Potty

2011-08-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

On some level it's always bothered me that superheroes never seem to have to go to the bathroom.

I mean, I'm sure they do go potty, but wouldn't it be more realistic if the Bat Symbol went off while the Dark Knight was in the throne room.

Or if Superman was about to fight a bad guy, when suddenly he says "Hold that thought for a minute. I gotta go pee."

Well, here at Busy-Dad-E, we've gained some interesting insights into the potty habits of Superheroes.

After all, you may remember that the Boy Wonder himself, Robin, lives at our house.

And Robin prefers to sleep IN his costume, just in case there's an emergency.

In most cases, the emergency is waking up in the middle of the night, and having to pee.

The main problem is that ~~Big Brother~~ Mr. Freeze pulled Robin's cape off so many times, that ~~Mom-E~~ Alfred resorted to pinning it in place with a safety pin.

This works great for keeping the cape on, but not so well when you need to take a costume off to pee urgently, which requires extensive un-pinning and de-velcro-ing.

Doors popping open and the tearful screams and dance of "I gotta go potty" are common heard from Robin's hallway.

When help arrives, there is usually another tearful request for, "Can I put my costume back on when I'm done?"

"Yes, if it helps you fall back asleep. Absolutely."

But whatever you do, don't forget the "max" (aka mask).

Robin HAS to put his max back on (not even beside him) before falling back asleep, lest he wake up the other superheroes in the household.

You know, as I'm writing this, I think I've figured out why superheroes don't go potty. With all of their costumes and gear, it's really quite a bit of work.

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

Fit To Be Tied

2011-07-31T18:30:00.000-07:00

I'm "fit to be tied."

But don't worry. I'm not angry. I'm speakin' literal here.

The boys have a new favorite game to play outside.

It's called "Dad-E, tie us to the stop sign with a jump rope so we can pretend to be Harry Houdini.”

I’m not sure where they got this idea. An old Road Runner cartoon where he gets tied down to the railroad track, only to escape at the last minute?

Either way, seems like we hardly step outside and there are cries for “Dad-E, tie us with the jump rope?”

I prefer to call it an exercise in futility.

Because let’s face it, you can spend 20 minutes trying to tie with a jump rope, and boys can escape in under 20 seconds.

And what makes the game even more fun is that while I’m trying to tie two boys to a stop sign with a jump rope, Bab-E Brother is playing his own game of “roll the ball down the driveway and make Dad-E go chase after it.”

Dad-E then throws the ball as far as he can, so that he has more time to tie the older boys with the jump rope, while Bab-E Brother plays fetch.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

I’m sure the neighbors enjoyed the show.

But don’t worry, we figured out how to make the game more interesting.

It’s called, “Watch the cop car drive by while you’re tying your children to a stop sign with a jump rope.”

Now that was fun.

Fortunately, he didn’t notice us, or he realized the innocence of our game in broad daylight.

So much for a simple game of jump rope.

Have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E

Life Lessons Sinking In

2011-07-29T06:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Fatherhood Friday! Be sure to visit dadexchange.com, a great forum for dad (and mom) bloggers.

I feel like I'm eyeballs deep in work these days.

And when things get more hectic, I try to do a few things to offset the craz-e-ness.

I continue to exercise, even if it means ~~wanting to smash the alarm clock~~ getting up earlier than I'd like.

I look forward to the moments at the end of the day when Mom-E and I can sit down and laugh together ~~even if we fall asleep on the couch 30 seconds after sitting down~~ about the wild jungle that is our household.

I write this blog.

I leave for work a hair later than I should, if that means an opportunity to sit down and have breakfast with the boys, and maybe even play a round or two of War before I head out.

And such was the case this morning that I enjoyed breakfast with the boys.

As I was getting their food together while they sat around the table, I heard the following conversation:

"Big Brother, what do you want to be when you grow up?" started Little Brother.

"An artist," he replied. "What about you?"

"A builder."

"That's great. You know, you can be anything you want."

"Yeah."

Little Brother then turns to me and asks, "Dad-E, how was your day yesterday?"

I love it when the boys asks that - and sitting down at the table for dinner has become synonymous with that question.

It's also synonymous with yelling ("That's gross!"), screaming, playing with toys, running away from the table, going potty, and feeding Pupp-E.

But those two phrases - "You can be anything you want." and asking "How was your day?" - are some of the core ideals that Mom-E and I have tried to instill in the boys.

And apparently they've been listening ~~to those phrases at least, can't say that about everything~~.

So now matter how bus-e and craz-e it gets, today is a good day.

Have a good weekend,
Busy-Dad-E

Too Much TV

2011-07-27T02:58:00.001-07:00

The other night we were reading stories before bed with Big Brother and Little Brother.

After finishing the first one, Little Brother blurts out:

"BUT I WANT TO READ ANOTHER MOVIE*!"

Yes, he used the exact words "read another movie".

Too much TV, a budding interest in foreign films with subtitles, or one very tired 3 year-old ~~who'd gone the entire day without a nap~~?

You decide...but I promise you he was tired to the point of slurring some words.

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

* In Little Brother speak any show appearing on the TV - whether actual television or a full-length feature film - is referred to as a "movie*

The Bab-E With One Left Shoe

2011-07-25T04:30:00.001-07:00

I'm sure glad that I'm writing down all these little details as I think about them, because no doubt if I didn’t, I’d forget them.

*****
After a long, hard day ~~of chasing small men around~~, it’s always quite relaxing to take your shoes off, and prop up your feet. Same goes for long trips in the car.

Apparently Bab-E Brother only got half of the message.

It’s pointless to put shoes on the boy if he’s getting into the car.

Because almost instantly he takes them off.

But only the right one.

Yep, the boy will ride in the car for miles wearing only his left shoe.

We have no idea what gives.

It just doesn’t sound right to say, “Yep, I love to kick back, take my right shoe off, and prop up that right foot.”

Perhaps he’s confusing this with part of the Hokey-Pokey?

And what makes it even funnier is that he does the same thing when he gets angry – that right shoe (only) is taken off and thrown on the floor in disgust.

I can’t wait until he can talk well enough that we can figure out what’s going on.

Have a good week,
Keep you shoes on (or off, or both),
Busy-Dad-E

One More Thing Before I Go To Bed

2011-07-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Fatherhood Friday! Be sure to visit dadexchange.com, a great forum for dad (and mom) bloggers.

It seems like lately I've been writing a lot about some of my boys' indelible little behaviors.

And today is no different (mostly because I'm tired and couldn't think of anything else).

In contrast to times past, I'm thankful that overall the boys are pretty easy to put to bed.

Every now again, about 10 minutes after we've said our last "goodnight", just when we think everyone's asleep, Little Brother will calmly walk out of his room, say something absolutely hysterically random, turn around, close his door, and go straight back to bed, never to be heard from again until morning.

He doesn't even wait for you to respond before he heads back into his room.

The other day I told Mom-E we need to write these down before we forget them.

Here are ~~the only two I can remember~~ my two favorites.

Again, remember, picture a tired toddler coming out of his room and blurting out:

1. "Dad-E, I want to have my birthday party at home."

(Thanks, buddy, I'll try to remember that 8 months from now when it's actually your birthday.)

2. "Mom-E, wouldn't it be silly if we had a trash can in our minivan."

(That's funny coming from a 3 year-old who otherwise appears to think that the entire floor of the minivan is his personal trash can.)

Have a good weekend,

I don't know what I want for Christmas yet.

Busy-Dad-E

Comfort Water

2011-07-19T18:51:00.001-07:00

This is a post about charming quirks.

I certain have some. Quirks that it. "Charming" is in the eye of the beholder.

Each of my boys has 'em.

One of Little Brother's that amuses me has come up a few times this week.

Night water.

I'm sure it's very common that kids want a drink of water before going to bed.

Little Brother is no different.

He often pops his head out of his room to ask for water.

That part's not quirky, but what he does with it is.

Nothing.

That's right, I said nothing.

He does nothing with the water.

He doesn't drink it.

He doesn't even want it in his bed (screams if you do).

Nope, he just wants a cup of water to sit on the floor at his bedside all night long and start growing bacteria.

We haven't gone so far as to videotape this, but when you come into his room in the morning, the cup hasn't moved and the straw is unbent, so you know he hasn't touched it.

Some kids have a blankie (Little Brother has that, too), some kids have a stuffed animal or toy in bed,...

and Little Brother has his comfort water.

Whatever kids the kid to fall asleep, I guess.

What are some of your favorite quirks about your kids?

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

Family Crayola Portrait

2011-07-17T18:45:00.000-07:00

Hello there!

Thanks to me bringing home some extra scrap paper from work, Big Brother is on a drawing binge.

Below is his most recent family portrait.

In case you're wondering, I'm the small head in the bottom left corner with 3 hairs on top (hey, what can I say, the boy has an eye for detail).

Now, I'm not a child psychologist, but based on the spatial arrangement of the figures, I'd have to assume that my 6 year old's world view is still pretty egocentric, given that his head takes up about 85% of the page.

And the rest of us are just his puppets? (Again, just like my hair ~~or lack thereof~~, I'd have to say his drawing style is realism :)

But at least with all the hearts it suggests that he is happy and there's a lotta love.

Let's just hope that the fact that everything's brown means he was thinking about chocolate while drawing.

Have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E

Like Kryptonite for Robin

2011-07-14T03:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Fatherhood Friday! Be sure to visit dadexchange.com, a great forum for dad (and mom) bloggers.
We (still) need more participants!

Recently, we've chronicled Little Brother's obsession with wearing his Robin costume (part I and part II). Go ahead and catch up if you need to. We'll wait.

*****
Great. Glad you're back.

And today will be the third (and hopefully final) installment of this saga. (Because well, you know, by the time you get to the third post/film in a series, your audience is often wishing you stopped after the first.)

Mom-E and are pleased to say we serendipitously found an antidote, dare I say "kryptonite", for the Robin costume: liquid.

Just as one drop of pee in his underwear causes Little Brother to strip from below the waist, one drop of liquid causes the Robin costume to come off immediately.

(We figured this out the other evening when a little chocky juice dribbled onto his sleeve at dinner.)

Yep, who knew that Robin is more cat than bird, "afraid" of water. (At least he didn't melt like the Wicket Witch of the West.)

Now, I'm not saying that Mom-E now carries a syringe of water around in her purse (tempting though it may be).

But at least we know if we really need him to take of the costume ~~lest he melt from heat exhaustion~~, all we need is a sprinkle of liquid.

*****
And in keeping up with the theme, I now realize that we know the weaknesses of all of our superheroes.

As detailed earlier this week, Bab-E Brother's powers are zapped by dirty hands.

And Big Brother is immobilized by a smelly dog. (Makes him run away screaming like the Magic Mirror Gate in the Neverending Story.)

*****
Which leads me to think that Pupp-E is actually kryptonite for all three of our little superheroes.

In one fell swoop, he can come inside, wet, dirty, and stinky. The "stinky" knocks out Big Brother, he gets Little Brother "wet", putting him out of commission, and when Bab-E Brother pets him, his hands get "dirty" and he's immobilized, too.

I knew there was some reason we kept that dog around.

Have a good weekend,
Busy-Dad-E

Forearm Lickin' Good

2011-07-12T19:43:00.000-07:00

KFC’s slogan is “Finger-Lickin’ Good”.

When it comes to Bab-E Brother and eating, if it’s only “Finger-Lickin’ Good”, then you might as well feed it to the dog.

Because when Bab-E Brother is into his food, he licks and smears it over his ENTIRE FOREARM.

I guess to spread-out the flavor and to be able to savor it longer.

It’s quite the interesting show.

Give the boy some yogurt, or a waffle with homemade blueberry jam, or a peanut butter cracker, and after he takes a bite, he proceeds to smear the residual on his lips across his entire forearm.

And he could care less about the resultant mess on his arm.

But get ONE SINGLE drop of yogurt, blueberry, or peanut butter on his hand, and he’ll be screaming for a wipe, and he’ll exceed his 500 napkin limit in about 60 seconds.

Too funny.

And while I’m dissertating on the peculiar eating habits of one Bab-E Brother, my other favorite is that when it comes to hand-held foods, the boy finishes NOTHING.

When he gets down to about the last bite or two, right when he’s eaten down to his fingers, he’s done.

And by done I mean that he SCREAMS at you to take what’s left in his hand.

Apparently he really does not want to lick his fingers or get them dirty, in contrast to the all-out assault on his forearm.

But unlike his older brothers, the boy eats some meat (current favorite is Turkey meatballs).

So you know what, go ahead and smear it all over your arm. Paint with it on your placemat even.

We’re just glad you’re eating.

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Now go lick your forearm,
Busy-Dad-E

Fully In Character

2011-07-10T18:48:00.000-07:00

I realize you might be a little weary hearing about this, but the saga with Little Brother's Robin costume continues.

(It's either that or I start showing you pictures of the Lego Transformers and Beyblades we made this weekend.)

Like a ballplayer who keeps wearing a lucky pair of socks during a winning streak, Little Brother pretty much refuses to take off his Robin costume (except to bathe).

In the past week, he's worn the costume:
1. To play outside
2. In bed to sleep, nightly
3. To the mall
4. To the gym (with Mom-E, Little Brother doesn't workout at age 3)
5. To Big Brother's t-ball game

Okay, so he wore it for PART of Big Brother's t-ball game. But out of fear that he would start melting or pass out, I forcibly removed his costume, while he kicked and screamed. No joke.

And let me just say that I was quite worried about another such confrontation when it came time to get ready for church on Sunday.

But apparently he decided that he could go to church as Dick Grayson, because he actually put on clothes.

Granted, he changed pants a grand total of six times, but at least he was wearing pants. Around here, we consider pants a bonus.

And of course, when I ask him "Why do you like to wear your costume so much?"

"I don't know." he sheepishly giggles.

Oh to be 3 and uninhibited.

Until the next costume change...

Have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E

Halloween in July

2011-07-07T20:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Fatherhood Friday! Be sure to visit dadexchange.com, a great forum for dad (and mom) bloggers. We need more participants!

Recently, we brought you Christmas in June.

Today, I bring you Halloween in July. (Who said you have to wait until October?)

Little Brother’s summer wardrobe has been all about the extremes, consistent with his unique style and panache.

For the first half of the summer, he pretty much went around wearing only “fimming funks” (swimming trunks) and no shirt.

Recently, he’s returned to wearing his Robin costume, which has been “newly refurbished” (i.e., Mom-E stitched up all of the holes, and made him a new mask to replace the one that went missing. Thanks, Mom-E!)

And by wearing the costume, I don’t mean put in on and play Batman and Robin for an hour (or 5 minutes), depending on attention span.

I mean the boy wears the Robin costume ALL DAY LONG.

It doesn’t matter if it’s 125-degrees outside. He insists on wearing his costume.

The other day, we decided to go to the mall. I got to play with the boys on the playground, while Mom-E got to run an fun errand and an hour with no screams (or at least only the residual screams from inside her head.) ☺

You guessed it. Little Brother INSISTED on wearing his Robin costume to the mall, complete with mask.

And not only that, he was wearing pj’s underneath the costume. (Hey, in our world, Little Brother willingly sporting pants of any kind is a plus.)

You can imagine the looks we got. (Or the looks I assume we got. With 3 young boys, we can still look like a bit of a side show even when everyone is dressed in regular clothes, so I’ve become somewhat immune to stares.)

However, I did notice that Little Brother got lots of attention from the other children at the playground, who seemed to find it a cool idea.

If you happened to be a parent who’s child saw Little Brother at the mall and wants to wear their Halloween costume to the playground, I’m sorry.

Way to go, Little Brother, you have a style all your own that brings a smile and a chuckle to our hearts.

Have a good weekend,
Busy-Dad-E

A-D-H-ey Let's Ride Bikes

2011-07-05T18:31:00.001-07:00

I hope you had a Happy 4th!

My personal highlight was the "wanna-be Darwin Award nominee" who thought it'd be fun to smoke while leaning against the stack of propane tanks and intermittently light & throw firecrackers AT A GAS STATION. I was relieved to not hear any reports of a gas station going up in flames.

But I digress.

*****
Playing with small boys outside after dinner is interesting.

They pretty much have the attention span of an apple.

Yesterday we went outside to ~~enjoy the outdoor sauna~~ play a game of tag.

The game lasted all of about two minutes (which is a good thing when you have to chase a 6 and 3 year-old around while carrying a 25-pound toddler. That'll give you respect for the sport of wife carrying. <-- Look it up, it's for real.)

5 minutes later, the driveway is littered with sidewalk chalk, giant foam noodles, a bouncy ball, a basketball, 2 bikes, and a 3 year-old dressed in a Robin costume (didn't take it off all day).

And 6 minutes later, I'm chasing the basketball down the driveway to the amusement of the 18 month-old who rolled it, trying to get to a 3 year-old who's stripping naked over 2 drops of urine in his underwear, and attempting to help a 6 year-old fasten knee and elbow pads.

(Note to self, multi-tasking is not in your genes.)

*****
Which brings me to the most important part of today's post: bike riding.

Yep, Big Brother is strapping on his knee and elbow pads, and starting to learn how to ride a two-wheel bike.

It's a very exciting time. We've gently pushed the idea (and further pushed it by taking off the training wheels), but I was particularly proud that today Big Brother decided all by himself that he was going to work on riding his bike ~~and it made up for the giant tantrum he threw at the dinner table~~.

We have a favorite book about learning to ride a bike

In this book, while learning to ride, Froggy's dad says "I won't let go", and then proceeds to let go.

I made it very clear to Big Brother that I would only let go if he wanted me to.

And he did!

And I can honestly say that I think I was more scared of letting go than he was.

But, I'm pleased to say that after I let go, Big Brother was able to push on the peddles at least once and move a little bit forward before having to use his feet to balance himself.

No ouchies! Yay!

I suspect he'll be riding well by the end of the summer.

Of course, in the spirit of the evening (and post title), within about 5 minutes of riding, Big Brother declared he was getting hot and wanted to come inside to ~~make even more mess~~ do something else.

*****
Inattention of small men aside, what a defining, symbolic moment with the bike.

So much of fatherhood was encapsulated in that one brief moment: Excitement. Fear. Pride. Trust. Hope. Having to let go. Stumbling. And picking yourself up and trying again.

Way to go Big Brother. Love you, buddy.

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

July 4th 2011

2011-07-04T05:22:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th!

I hope that you are enjoying this day with family and friends, as we are here at Busy-Dad-E.

And so today, we pause to show respect and to remember all those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, at home and abroad.

"Freedom is never free."

Thank you for giving me the freedom to enjoy my family.

Today, and everyday.

Oh, and the freedom to not have to wear hats like these.

Have a great week,
May God Bless America,
Busy-Dad-E

Christmas in June

2011-06-30T19:52:00.001-07:00

Happy Fatherhood Friday everyone!

Be sure to check out all of the great dad (and mom) bloggers over at dadexchange.com - it'll be like and early Christmas present.

Speaking of which, it may be summer, but Big Brother and Little Brother are already getting in the Christmas spirit.

Although I've written about it before, I don't understand why they call it "Christmas in July". It really should be "Christmas in June", because June is 6 months away from December.

But I digress.

I blame Cars 2 for the fact that the boys are already starting a Christmas list, since they're planning to rename Target, "Cars 2".

(Mater is really funny, but I left the theater feeling like the movie could've earned a PG rating for violence, and that the whole point of the film was MERCHANDISING - let's introduce a buncha new characters that the kids will insist they need.)

"Dad-E, can I have the $50 Fizzle McMizzle with all the shoot things."

"Uh, no."

Little Brother has provided some photographic entertainment to inspire that (early) holiday spirit.

The other day, he fell asleep on the couch in FLANNEL CHRISTMAS JAMMIES.

I'm surprised (and thankful) he didn't melt.

But don't be alarmed, he followed this up the next day by falling asleep on the floor wearing swimming trucks (he insisted he was too hot in his clothes.

Man does it take some mad skillz to fall asleep with your head wrapped around a chair leg.

Have a good weekend,
Merry (Half-way to) Christmas,
Busy-Dad-E

R.I.P. Cell Phone

2011-06-29T05:49:00.000-07:00

Dear Boys,

This week marks the end of an era.

My cell phone died this week. (Snapped in half after being dropped is more accurate.)

Don't be sad and lose heart.

Instead, we celebrate the life of said phone, which was perhaps the most persistent, never-say-die phone I've ever had.

Yes, this phone had more lives than a cat.

First of all, it survived multiple "drops". And by "drops", I mean not only the times I accidentally dropped it, but the times you snatched it from me and then threw it (hard) on the floor while I chased after you.

Fortunately, this particular phone did not have to endure a trip down the interstate on the trunk deck of my car.

The phone was an LG enV2, which flips open like a book to expose the keypad. Eventually, the drops resulted in the phone beginning to pull apart at the hinge.

Believing that most everything can be fixed with tape or superglue (Mom-E loves to poke fun at me about this), I opted to fix the hinge with black electrical tape.

This, of course, was a temporary fix, meaning that about once a week I'd have to "retape" my phone.

But hey, if it still works and saves you $50 on a replacement...

Anyway, last but not least, I'll admit that the phone survived two deep-sea-diving escapades in the toilet. One of them in standing water, and one in flushing water. Both with baths in Lysol.

And the phone lived to keep making calls. Seriously. I tried both the "dry it out with a hairdryer" and the "put it in a jar of rice" methods.

Both worked! Score!

But alas, the day before a scheduled retaping, I dropped the phone again. This time it ended up in two non-super-glueable pieces.

This meant a trip to the Verizon store. And you already know how much we love the Verizon store.

This time, however, ~~I was too tired to care~~ I embraced the challenge ~~and leak in my wallet~~ that I knew was coming.

And when we were the 12th (yes twelfth) person in line, 45 minute before your bedtime, I said "BRING IT ON."

Oh, and you boys did bring it.

You wore grooves in the floor running around.

You surfed the web and played apps on an iPad.

And Bab-E Brother did headfirst slides through display stands like he was in training for an obstacle course race.

And the noise. Oh the noise, noise, noise, noise.

(I thought for sure they'd bump us up in line to get us out more quickly, but they didn’t)

And to the other people in the store, I hope you enjoyed the show.

I did. I had fun. It’s who we are. You gotta be comfy in your own skin.

I enjoyed spending time with you. I loved your laughter and excitement. I loved all of the hugs I received while we were there.

And so boys, I want you to take the following things from our experience:
1) Persistence and constancy of purpose are the secrets to success, as evidenced by my phone.
2) You can fix ANYTHING, albeit temporarily, with glue and/or tape.
3) The fun is in enjoying each others’ company during the mundane errands and tasks of life.
4) When I’m a grandfather, I’m coming with you and your children to the phone store. I’m going to sit down, not help at all, and just watch the show and laugh. ☺

And in case you were wondering, Mom-E has forbade me to bring my new phone in the bathroom.

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Love you, boys,
Busy-Dad-E

Spike That Fever Punch

2011-06-26T19:36:00.000-07:00

Dear Little Brother,

Mom-E and I have a confession.

For much of the past week, you've had a very mild virus.

It hasn't slowed you down too much, but occasionally you've had a fever, which means you're moving just slow enough that we can catch up to you ~~to try and put your pants back on~~.

But one thing's for sure, you decided that you did NOT need any medicine for said virus.

Even when we told you that your pediatrician (to whom you seem to really look up to) said that you should take some medicine, you refused.

However, Mom-E and I decided you'd be more comfortable with some Tylenol on board.

So for the past week, we've been giving you Crystal Light (which you would drink by the gallon if given unrestricted access), spiked with Tylenol as needed.

And unbeknowst to you, you've done an excellent job taking your medicine...with enthusiasm.

And it's worked, albeit Tylenol + nap = fever breaks and pillow gets a little damp and you wake up mad about that.

Mom-E and I are sorry that we had to be sneaky with you, but sometimes you can be a little bull-headed.

And so can we.

We're glad that you're feeling better, and once again running laps around us.

And we love you (no deception there)
Busy-Dad-E

Yellow River Road Trip

2011-06-23T18:52:00.001-07:00

Happy Fatherhood Friday everyone!

How glad am I that dadexchange.com, formerly dad-blogs.com is back?

So glad that, in fact, I think I wet my pants.

Which, if you could tell from the post title, was the theme from our recent mini-vacation.

Recently, Aunt-E celebrated a milestone birthday (25 again), and so Mom-E's entire family headed off for a long weekend vacation ~~stressing the word long over vacation~~.

Our destination was about 240 miles away from home, and the trip there was...well...er...eventful.

So eventful that I'm contemplating added a semi-automatic feature to my Benadryl Dart-Gun (patent pending).

In the words of Mitch Hedberg, I just want to clarify that last joke by saying, "I'm just joking. ~~That's right, fully, not semi-automatic~~"

We left about 9:30 in the morning.

Given that our mini-van would play host to several Board members of the "Small Bladder Club", I advised the Board to recite their pledge in front of the potty before we departed.

First stop was 5 minutes later at CVS for diapers for Bab-E Brother (admittedly a planned stop).

Second stop was 10 minutes later at the "Pupp-E Spa" to drop off Pupp-E (also planned).

Thereafter, it was time to motor towards our destination.

We managed to motor about 20 minutes before the Board called an emergency meeting.

"Dad-E, I have to pee."

Wanting to keep the Board meeting on land and not ~~pee~~ sea, we pulled off at the next exit.

Nature being chock-full-o the irony at the start of the weekend, the first place to go pee was McDonald's.

I pull in, knowing the scenario that's about to unfold.

It's 10:40 in the morning. Being so excited about the trip, the boys have primed bladders and tummies filled with only about 2 bites of cereal and 3 swigs of milk. Translation: they no sooner pee than they decide they're ready for lunch.

So while I ~~bang my forehead against the steering column~~ entertain Bab-E Brother, Mom-E plays assistant to the Board and gets them Happy Meals.

Meanwhile (it's now about 11:00 am), I start doing some calculations, nerd that I am.

We've been on the road 1.5 hours and travelled a "grand" total of 30 measly miles. That's 1/8th of the total trip distance, meaning what should be a 4 hour trip is on pace to be a 12 hour "just shoot me" affair.

Now peed out and fueled up, the Board votes to adjourn, and we head back on the road.

We make it LITERALLY ANOTHER 8 MILES UP THE ROAD and the Board calls ANOTHER meeting. Apparently the senior Board member wants to re-review the data presented at the last meeting.

Again, we pull off at the nearest exit, but this time there's absolutely nothing in sight.

So we pull off onto a dirt road and the Board remember reviews the data amidst the bushes and broken bottles.

But at least he was serious about "reviewing the data". He didn't just skim through it. He really had to review in detail. Amazingly. Apparently his kidneys are REALLY, REALLY efficient.

And then by the grace of God, one board member falls asleep, another junior member also falls asleep, and the senior Board member becomes engrossed with Bakugan, Transformers, and whatever else is in his briefcase.

So we make it about 90 more minutes before the administrative assistants decide we need lunch, too.

We stopped at the weirdest combination gas station-Subway-Taco Bell that you ever did see.

We try desperately to persuade the Board to have another meeting due to the convenient time, but they're adamant ~~to the point of screaming~~ that another meeting is unnecessary.

Mom-E and I start to dive into our lunch.

We DON'T EVEN MAKE IT BACK TO THE INTERSTATE before both Board members decide they do, in fact, want to have another meeting.

This time the administrative assistants step in and inform the Board that they're going to have to wait a few darn minutes to prep the meeting room (just a cover to load our Benadryl dart guns).

Seriously, we go about another 10 minutes before pulling into YET ANOTHER MCDONALD'S.

The Board again calls a recess, and we manage to limp our way to the destination (in about 6 hours total), without springing any additional leaks.

**
One of Big Brother's friend's mom recently emailed Mom-E o say they had a nice time on their recent vacation. They're kids had a great time, and the next time they go on vacation, it will be PARENTS ONLY.

Well said. Well said.

They usually say you need a vacation from your vacation when you get back.

After the trip there, I think we needed a vacation before we even STARTED our vacation.

Have a good weekend,
Busy-Dad-E

P.S. The vacation really was quite nice, and fortunately for us, the trip home was much less eventful.

Liquid Toy Box

2011-06-22T06:01:00.000-07:00

As I've alluded to this post recently, twice, in fact, it's time for this post to flow.

Literally.

There are a few phrases when uttered by a 3 year-old that can only spell ~~ginormous mess to clean up~~ trouble.

One of them is, "Mom-E, I went pee-pee in my toy box."

"Como se WHAT?!?!?"

So the other day, Mom-E arranged a play date with Mrs. Kid-Nee and their 3 girls. You may remember that their oldest might be Big Brother's betrothed.

You may also remember that Little Brother has a penchant for de-pantsing himself, whether it be in public, or in the comforts of his own bedroom.

(I assure you, we're trying really hard to get him to keep his pants on when we have company, but sometimes it's an uphill battle.)

So Mom-E and Mrs. Kid-Nee were chatting when, very matter-of-factly, Little Brother approached them to casually announce his donation to his toybox.

Fortunately for Little Brother, the presence of guests helped him be the beneficiary of a much more muted frustration response from Mom-E (i.e., he lived, j/k).

Even worse was that Little brother had one of Kid-Nee's daughters open the toy box for him so he could do his business.

Even even worse was that the toy box is not perfectly sealed, such that it started to create a yellow ring around the perimeter.

And, to boot, when asked why he peed in his toy box, he replied, "I went into the bathroom, but I couldn't find the potty."

"Yeah right."

You mean you've lived in this house for 15 months, used that potty 1,000 times, and suddenly it just disappeared? The largest and most porcelain item in the bathroom?

Apparently we have a budding politician.

On the bright ~~yellow~~ side, we were able to thin out the contents of the toy box via File 13, and what was left got a nice bath in Lysol.

And apparently I should've revised my Commandments 11-15 for boys to lead off with "Thou shalt only pee in the potty, and nowhere else!"

Have a good week,
Wash your hands after you put them in the toy box,
Busy-Dad-E

Happy Fozrs Day

2011-06-20T18:35:00.000-07:00

Hello there.

I'm late (but not pregnant).

And I also owe you a post about Little Brother peeing in his toybox.

And we just got back from an extended weekend vacation, so plenty of new blog material (the trip there is it's own post).

But for now, a belated "Happy Fozrs Day" to all my fellow fozrs out there.

And thanks to Big Brother for this impromptu card that you made for me. It's precious. And it makes up for the tantrum you threw yesterday when we had to abandon our miniature golf game early because Little Brother was utterly exhausted to the point of screaming that he didn't want to play anymore (after begging to play).

Special.

But zuch are zee challenges of fozrhood.

Have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E, Fozr of 3 Boyz

Fatherhood Cartoon

2011-06-14T08:32:00.001-07:00

I agree that they're cute, except when they pee in their (full) toy box.

More on that story on Friday.

In the meantime, I'm going to go blow up Alderaan.

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

Ft. Fort

2011-06-12T19:05:00.000-07:00

Ft. Fort

So the other Friday, as I was driving to work, I stumbled upon an idea.

After Bab-E Brother goes to bed, we can make a fort in our playroom, and Big Brother, Little Brother, Mom-E and I can play games and eat popcorn and read stories.

(We weren’t trying to exclude Bab-E Brother, it’s just that his attention span for that kinda thing is on the order of milliseconds, rather than minutes, and no doubt he’d make it his personal mission to bring down the fort.)

Mom-E liked the idea, and we agree that it’d be best not to tell the boys in advance, unless Mom-E wanted to be asked 10,000 times “Can we build the fort now?”

So after bath time, I sprung the idea, to which the boys took with great excitement and anticipation.

(We were still asked “Can we build the fort now?” no less than 100 times.)

With the “help” of small men, we rearranged furniture, pulled apart couch cushions, and assembled a make-shift roof out of blankets.

The boys took to the fort – which was the size of a breadbox and as hot as a toaster – as if it were made of ~~melted~~ chocolate.

We munched on popcorn and read stories by flashlight, and despite the intention of playing some games, the boys decided they were ready to sleep in their indoor campground.

In contrast to the usual routine of chaos and verbal protests, the boys fell asleep quite easily, packed like a pair of sardines.

“What a great idea!” Mom-E and I patted ourselves on the back.

We even had the foresight to line the floor of the tent with an absorbent pad, just in case the boys’ excitement continued in their sleep.

And what a peaceful night it was.

Until about 2:30 am.

Suddenly one child awoke SCREAMING (still not sure if due to hunger, nightmare, or confusion about current whereabouts).

This awakened the other child, who had an accident that autographed both the pad as well as a small patch of carpet.

That child started screaming at his brother (for screaming).

This, in turn, awakened Bab-E Brother, who turned the screaming duet into a screaming trio.

In an instant, our peaceful scene was erased and turned into three screaming boys, a pair of wet jammies, and a leak on the floor of the tent, all at 2:30 am.

Pardon my French, but at that moment Mom-E and I concurred that “Forts $uck!”

It didn’t take that long to get everyone calmed down, changed, and back to sleep (after spot-treating the carpet).

Amazingly, the next day, the boys both adamantly asked “Can we sleep in the fort again?”

Unamazingly, Mom-E and I both retorted, “No!”

And thus endeth the Fort.

From all of us at ~~Fort~~ Busy-Dad-E, have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E

Food Thrower

2011-06-10T06:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Fatherhood Friday everyone!

With our first two boys, we've encountered of different things, behavior-wise: picky eaters, bed jumpers, nap refusers, diaper blowout-ers, tantrum throwers, bad potty aimers, forgetful flushers, table colorers, booger picker-eaters,..., and of course two wonderful fun-loving little guys.

But with Bab-E Brother, we're up against something completely new: food thrower.

Sure, Big Brother and Little Brother would occasionally throw something, but for Bab-E Brother, it's apparently a sport and he's aiming for a gold medal.

I mean the boy loves to throw his food...

...more than he loves to eat it, methinks.

(This makes Pupp-E very happy, to the point he's been banished from the dinner table.)

I know Bab-E Brother must get some nutrition because he is growing.

But apparently he osmotically sucks the nutrients out of the food when he throws it.

Within 30 seconds of ~~wrestling him into his booster seat~~ sitting down, it's milk overboard, and the rest of the plate is soon to follow.

So we've largely resorted to taking his plate away when that happens. "Hey, you had your chance."

Eventually he'll figure it out.

Fotunately we're sometimes successful if we feed him small bites with a fork from his own plate.

Although his other favorite trick is to take one bite of something and then jam the rest into YOUR mouth, with a great big smile.

Anyone else out there battled with food flingers?

Have a good weekend ~~duck~~,
Busy-Dad-E

Summer Attire

2011-06-07T19:41:00.001-07:00

Hello There!

So now that school's out, summer's in full swing around here.

And Little Brother is definitely on board.

These days, he pretty much has one outfit: Swimming Trunks (or Fimming Funks as he calls them. You know, you put on Sum Scream when you wear them).

And nothing else. No shirt. No shoes. ~~No service~~ And no need for underwear, which you probably know by now is totally cool with him.

While this works well on the days we actually plan to go to the pool, at other times it's rather...well...inconvenient.

Last time I checked, shirtless and swimming trucks won't quite cut it for vacation bible school.

Even nap time is not immune. He insists on continuing to wear his swimming trunks, stating "they're more comfortable".

Yes, if by comfortable, you mean it's easy to ~~insist~~ be ready to go to the pool when you wake up from your nap.

At least he's cutting down on his share of the laundry.

So here's to Little Brother, and his wonderful fashion sense.

Happy summer!

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

Nightly Routine

2011-06-06T07:30:00.001-07:00

Hello there. I'm still here, albeit swamped at work and swamped with kids.

*****

When you think of night-time routines for children, does that conjure up images of cuddling up in the rocking chair, reading a bedtime story, and your child slowly drifting asleep in your arms as you rock them gently?

Maybe it was like that at first with Big Brother, but NOT ANYMORE!

No, around here, it's like herding cattle to get 3 boys into the tub; one of them always goes astray, screaming in protest, and someone is usually running around frantically (and naked), trying to find a favorite toy. Then when they're in the tub, there's usually splashing at tidal-wave levels.

And trying to get ahold of a child to wash them is like trying to catch grease-lightning.

We'd probably have better luck filling up a Super-Soaker with bubble bath, and just shooting in the direction of the tub. After emptying about three clips, everyone will be ~~mostly~~ clean.

And then you can use another water-only Super-Soaker for rinsing.

Fortunately, when everyone's out of the tub, they tend to get jammied-up pretty quick owing to being cold.

And then comes the brushing of the teeth. Big Brother and Little Brother have finally said "uncle" when it comes to this (and Little Brother will actually use non-trainer toothpaste--that was a battle of it's own), and are cooperative.

But not Bab-E Brother. It's like hog-tying cattle trying to brush the few chompers that he has.

You pretty much have to restrain all 4 limbs (I prefer a Figure-Four leg lock), and he excersizes his lungs while you brush.

And he's not a huge fan of bedtime stories. Sometimes he'll sit for 30 seconds and let you read to him (if the book has something fuzzy for him to pet).

If not, he usually throws the book (more on his throwing obsession later this week), and is off and running like a toot-in-a-skillet.

And when it comes to the rocking chair, he has absolutely no interest.

Instead, Bab-E Brother insists on going to our room for more pre-sleep play time. (Meanwhile his older brothers are usually running amok).

He "winds-down" by:
1) Jumping on the bed, to the tune of our Jump Song

2) Doing "Trust Falls" onto our bed (he starts in a standing position on the bed and then we let him fall backwards). He's even starting to try to say "Fall".

3) Smacking Mom-E or I with a decorative bed pillow, after which we pretend to fall over like a boxer who just took a sucker-punch.

All of this meets with roars of laughter that you just want to bottle-up and store.

Only after 1-3) above will he agree to be cradled, after which we dance with him to "Party Music" from the TV.

Within 5 minutes, he's calm with heavy eyelids, and makes no fuss when you put him in his crib.

Strange as it sounds (you'd think it'd hype him up like mad), this is the routine that works for him.

What do your nightly routines look like?

Have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E

Commandments 11-15 For Boys

2011-05-31T18:16:00.001-07:00

I've always been a fan of Mel Brooks films such as Space Balls and, of course, History of the World Part 1.

One of my favorite scenes in HOTWP1 is when Moses brings down three stone tablets and says something to the effect of "The Lord thy God has brought thee these 15 (drops one), I mean 10 commandments."

I've often pondered about that third tablet and its contents.

Okay, so I haven't pondered it THAT much.

But I can't help but think that those extra 5 commandments would've been very helpful for our boys and their bathroom behavior.

I'd guess they'd read something like this:

11. Thou shalt always lift BOTH lids before going potty.

12. Thou shalt WIPE thyself (BEFORE asking for help wiping) and FLUSH after going potty.

13. Thou shalt close BOTH lids after finishing going potty.

14. Thou shalt WASH THY HANDS after wiping and flushing.

15. Thou shalt clean up any dribbles on or around the potty with a disinfectant wipe.

And in case there's room to squeeze in one more:

16. Thou shalt leave the bathroom door closed when thy mother is going potty.

But until that tablet is restored, with 3 boys ages 6, 3, and 1, let's just say "We all live in a YELLOW submarine."

And Mom-E and Dad-E do a lot of nagging.

Have a good week,
See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

McBathroom

2011-05-26T05:36:00.000-07:00

So the other day, Mom-E was out of town.

I picked the boys up after work, and we headed to grab a bite to eat before going home.

Earlier in the day, we'd talked about going to a sandwich place that the boys like (for reasons other than sandwiches).

Unfortunately, we passed by "N-Donalds" (complete with outdoor playground), and within an instant I knew I was toast.

Somewhat begrudgingly, we pulled in to N-Donalds.

Actually, dinner went well. The boys ate food, and then enjoyed some time on the playground.

They didn't even complain when I gave them the 5 minute/2 more slides warning.

Then, all of a sudden, it happened.

Big Brother blurted out, "Dad-E, I have to go poop! Bad!"

Okay. Remain calm. Remain calm. Please proceed to the nearest exit.

I told Big Brother to put his shoes on. I got our stuff together, and started to gather up small children.

By contrast, Big Brother just stood there in a daze, apparently very focused on not pooping.

Eventually, we made it to the potty. Just the 4 of us, cozily crammed into the only stall in the bathroom.

Big Brother sat down to do his business, and I tried to run interference with the other boys.

This is no small task, because when Big Brother goes potty, it takes about as long as Mom-E spent in labor with him (13 hours).

2 minutes into his "labor", Little Brother was trying to climb the toilet paper roll, while Bab-E Brother was trying to swim under the door. Meanwhile, Big Brother has taken his sandals off to get more comfortable.

Nice.

5 minutes into this "project", Little Brother blurts out, "I've got to go poop, too! Bad!"

Dilemma: The slow pooper is on the can. The fast pooper's gotta go, too. And I'm holding a squirmy toddler who's now smacking me in the face and laughing about it (as my prize for holding him to keep him from commando crawling on the McDonald's bathroom floor).

Feeling like a general in battle, I "relieve Big Brother of ~~doody~~ duty", and give Little Brother a chance to play through.

I have to put Bab-E Brother down to help lift Little Brother up onto the potty.

Little Brother proceeds to take off his sandals.

Bab-E Brother proceeds to try to throw them IN the potty.

While I'm trying to help Big Brother put his sandals, Bab-E Brother is now trying to dunk his hand into the potty.

And then share with the group.

(When we get home, I'm burning everyone's clothes. Twice.)

Little Brother finishes his business, a grand total of about 3 pebbles.

I ask Big Brother to finish going potty, to which he replies "I don't have to go anymore."

Nice.

We've just spent 15 minutes in a crammed McDonald's bathroom stall, with Dad-E getting slapped around, literally and figuratively. Covered our clothes and hands with all kinds of unknown drug-resistant bacteria, all for a grand total of 3 pebbles of poop.

Bloody lovely. Just bloody lovely.

We wash hands (even though it's somewhat futile) and leave.

I've decided that I need to boycott this particular N-Donalds.

After all, this is the very same one where Bab-E Brother spewed all over me.

Apparently I have some bad karma there.

Have a good weekend,
Busy-Dad-E

Ball

2011-05-24T10:27:00.000-07:00

Bab-E Brother's development seems to have made one of those quantum jumps that kids do periodically.

You know, one day they're still crawling, and the next day they've suddenly figured out how to swing from ceiling fans while shooting Nerf darts at you.

Okay, that's more of a quantum leap than jump.

Nonetheless, in his 3+ walking months, Bab-E Brother has become quite nimble.

Don't let his short, fat little baby legs fool 'ya; the boy can motor (and make messes) like grease lightning.

And one of his most favorite things to do when he motors is ~~stand on the hearth right at the very edge~~ is to play ball.

If there's a ball to be found, he'll find it.

And even if it's not a ball, he still calls it a ball.

(Hey, when your two favorite words are ball and ma-ma, lots of things are referred to as a ball, except for Dad-E, who is also called ma-ma.)

The other day, Bab-E Brother made "the face".

You know, the "if you lose at rock-paper-scissors, you might be diving into a toxic waste dump" face.

But the cool part was that when he was done, he pointed to his diaper and said "ball". (Actually, he was correct, it was a ball.)

Mom-E and I--in a strange way--were excited, mostly because he recognized the need for a diaper change and communicated this to us.

And it hasn't been a one-hit wonder. Several times in a row now, he's communicated this to us.

Way to go, Bab-E Brother! We won't complain if you want to start potty training before you're 2.

Unless you point to your diaper and say "water".

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E