Author: Guest

Response to Fatherfolk and the challenge to be more

On Sunday night Aaron over at Father Folk wrote an open letter to the dads over at Dad Revolution, a letter challenging us to be more. Please take five minutes and go over and read the letter before we continue…. You read it right? Good stuff huh. That letter went up late Sunday night, was taken down and then went back up Monday night. You see Aaron took a little heat for posting that, it seems some still don Read More...

I’m leaving on a jet plane…

I will be back in NYC by the time this is read. We are preparing our bags on a breezy and sunny morning about a hundred kilometers south of Rome. My inspiration this morning is the slightly choppy sea right in front of my in-laws’ house. They have already kidnapped my son to spend every minute of the last day we are here in Italy with him. It is always a melancholy dawn – the day before our departure. I Read More...

Tricycle to Bicycle

Originally published on CuteMonster.com As he raced down the sidewalk furiously pedaling away on his two wheeled steed, the adjacent grass rippled in his wake. He beamed with confidence evident by a smile that seemed to light up the path outstretched before him. Intoxicated by speed, the boy seemed determined to take flight. Little did he realize he’d get his wish. As he leaned into a sharp curve, the mo Read More...

Ever Dreamed Of Being A Dad? I Did.

I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing it is for me to be writing this post today. You see? I’m not your average dad. By average I mean your typical guy who eventually winds up settling down, having kids, and doing the work thing. Nope, not me. Ever since I was very young I dreamed of having children. I grew up babysitting neighborhood kids and was a camp counselor for a period of time as well. I’ve Read More...

Behind Every Revolutionary Dad

“Buddy, I said come out of there.” I repeated for the second time, my voice getting a bit louder. “You need to listen to Daddy!” We were both tired, my three year old son and I,  as well as a bit cranky stemming from the very recent transition we were making. No longer was he staying home all day with Mom, but rather I was getting him up early each morning to take him to preschool. I Read More...

Viva La Revolucion!

First, I’d like to say that it is an honor to have been asked to join a group of men who are also passionate about being great fathers and sharing their journey. I think that this “Dad Revolution” is a long time coming and feel blessed to live in an age where technology can connect dads from all over the world. When I started my family at the age of 20, I was often alone because I wanted to do  Read More...

Dad Memories

I visited the town I grew up on this past weekend. It’s a small town in NEPA that North East PA. It’s funny how small and old things seem compared to when I was a child. I drove by my old house and I drove by my dad’s old office. It turns out my dad lives three blocks from where he practiced medicine for fifteen years before he sold his practice. He moved back to the area after fifteen years in the so Read More...

Fathers and sons

Last March, on the day that my father retired, I was laid off from what I thought was a secure job in the civil service. Picture the both of us in a little wooden boat pushing away from shore, except that I forgot to bring my oar. And I’m actually in the water, kicking in a panic to catch up. Up until that day I’d never paid much attention to the future, except as an ill-defined blob of possible disaste Read More...

Not funny, not today.

This post isn’t going to be funny or cute.  I thought about ways I could make it amusing (Quippy dialogue with the 8-year-old!  Playfully snarky remarks from the wife!  Stories where I’m an idiot!  Pictures of puppies wearing hats!) but that’s not happening today.  And I need to tread carefully, because I’m about to talk about a situation that’s currently under scrutiny where I li Read More...

Play Dates and Dads

I have done a lot of dating lately and my wife is starting to get jealous. Some of it has been with her but mostly it is the boys and I heading out to spend some time with other kids and their parents. Coffee shops, the zoo, parks, when it isn’t raining, and living rooms have taken the place of movies, happy hours, and candle light dinners. The kids get to play with new toys and get some creative play in with Read More...

A big city kid in the middle of nowhere…

I grew up a big city kid. I loved it because you had access to everyone and everything. Multi-lingual and multi-cultural. There was always something different to try and to choose from each and everyday. Even Rome where I spent most of my time away from New York is a big city and although not as cosmopolitan it retains a great deal of the big city vibe. I am happy my son is growing up in a big city despite the sacr Read More...

Comic Book Literacy

Originally published on CuteMonster.com My Spidey Sense had been tingling all night. Suddenly I leapt backward completing a humanly impossible acrobatic feat while landing hard against the wall. The floor where I last stood had been crushed to rubble. Slightly stunned from the impact, my eyes burned from the dust filled smoke as I attempted to get a glance at my attacker. “Focus Spidey.” I could bar Read More...

Almost forgot!! So here are some stats.

I’m glad that I just remembered it’s my day to post. I’ve been working on stats for The DADvocate project all weekend and it completely slipped my mind that today is my day to post. I would love to provide a full summary report to any reader right now but that unfortunatly won’t be ready until later tonight so for now ya’ll will have to be satisfied with a few interesting stats.  47% Read More...

A Girl and her Dog. (Not.)

My daughter the Mini-Pirate came into my office the other day while I was working.  She stood in the doorway, watching me while I typed.  I sensed she was gauging me for… something. “Did you spill something?” I asked without looking up from my monitor. “No.” “Break something?  Mark up something?  Burn something?” “No.” “Then what’s up?” She stepped into the room and laid her hand, like a Read More...

A little whining from the token SAHD

Juggling three kids is not an easy task and I want some respect for it damit. Now this isn’t going to be one of those “nobody respects the stay at home dad” whining sessions but I’m getting a little cranky with the judgements. Last night we were at the library for story time. They have this time where kids can come in their jammies and have a story, sing some songs, and play a game or two. I Read More...

Yoda and Heartburn

I cannot for the life of me remember the last time I felt in complete control of my life. Actually, it has been a little over two years that I fall asleep with the uneasy sensation that I have forgotten to do something very important each and every night. Given that parenting years feel much longer than dog years that’s quite a bit of worrying. Maybe after years of practice I will have perfected some sort of brea Read More...

Happy Birthday to Me

Happy Birthday to me. Another year officially logged into the history of my existence on planet earth. I awoke to a sense of disbelief that I’ve completed yet another full 365 day journey around the Sun. My sense of time, you see, became disjointed once I became a parent. Since that fateful day, I’ve lived each moment without concern for any regimented adherence to the calendar. Instead, I became aw Read More...

Martial Art of Sibling Rivalry

About a year before my daughter was born, I wrote a book called Bro-Jitsu: The Martial Art of Sibling Rivalry. The book is basically a chronicle of all the different ways that my brother and I used to torture each other growing up. Everything from the good old noogie to the pink belly to chasing each other with dog poop on the end of a stick. Okay, so it’s not the most sophisticated thing I’ve ever written. Read More...

Music: To Kid or Not to Kid

I have never been a big fan of the idea of kid music.  Of course that was mostly before I had a kid myself and thus was exposed to the genre.  But like most aspect of my life after procreation, the times they are a changin.   For instance, yesterday, on my blog Luke, I am Your Father, I posted a review and giveaway of the latest studio album release by the legendary folk artist Pete Seeger. Pete, who earned a Read More...

Ode to children’s programming

Never in my life did I ever think I would watch Dora the Explora or Olivia or Little Bear. These are shows that I knew little about. There is hype on Dora, so I had heard about it, but I’ll be damned if I ever watched it. These shows are now a mainstay in my household, and I’m slightly horrified by it. There is value in these shows, to my children. I admit that they learn from these shows, and the side affec Read More...