As I dropped my youngest off at daycare this morning, the teachers’ in the 18 month old ro… more
Posts Tagged ‘summer’
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100 Faces of Fall
By Daddy Brad Friday, October 9th, 2009
Transition is always difficult, but none more so than the transition from summer vacation to the start of school. Indeed, this autumnal change over was no cakewalk for our family given the exciting summer we experienced. A brand new baby joined our family! With the new little dude around Walker and Ella’s end of summer adjustment wasn’t solely an earlier wake up and go to bed time, but more importantly learning to share Mom and Dad’s time with their new little brother.
Thanks to the lazy summer schedule, Mom and I were able to spend quite a bit of one on one time with each of the older siblings in between diaper changes and colic soothing. In fact, an entire evening each week was dedicated to pursuing an activity of their choosing. Walker and I played lots of putt-putt, pitched washers and visited costume stores, while Ella’s sole request was to grab a Churro at Costco and then feed the ducks at the park.
But now that school has begun, our time is tight. The lazy exploits of summer seem like a distant memory. The long days at the pool, vacations to interesting places and stay up late movie watching/ice cream parties, have given way to homework, soccer practice and early bedtimes. Even though we try to take several interesting family outings during the school year, like a quick muddy trip to the Austin City Limits Music fest, most of our time together as a family is spent at practices, carpool and around the dinner table. My question is, given this frantic pace will we remember any of the details of these hectic, yet precious years? We won.
Never Leave a Man Behind: When Dad Stays Home
By Daddy Clay Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
We’re in the chute.
The kids are back from sleepover camp. We have a brief layover here in Austin, a time marked by a bit of boredom and mild anxiety as we prepare for The Cape.
But then comes our annual extended vacation to the home of Tutu and Sir and points beyond. It is an iron-clad and beloved family tradition, one enabled by fortuitous employment at a private school and then a parenting company (that can hardly begrudge a guy some time with the kids). That we somehow manage to pull this off in a two-career family amazes me. There are an endless number of factors that have to come together for this trip to work; the kid’s willingness and interest, health, finances, to say nothing of the demands of work and career. But, at the risk of jinxing it, all systems are go for one more summer all together on Cape Cod.
For the last couple of years, the trip has launched in two phases. My wife and the kids pack and go, then I follow about a week later. This creates an interesting gap time for me. I think that dads find themselves away from the family when *they* travel, not vice versa.
When I mention this time home alone to friends, I usually get a smirk and a “dude.” The general assumption is that I will light up cigars to smoke while I guzzle whisky and watch porn until it’s time for breakfast. Rinse and repeat.
And I get it. But I also resent it. I think there is a general assumption that dads are constantly longing for “freedom” that will allow them to return to bachelorhood, or maybe high school. “Mom’s out of town, everybody party at my house!” What kind of pissed me off about this assumption is that it implies that we’re not really on board with this whole parenting thing. That we’re just pretending to want to be husbands and fathers.
The fact is, my week without my family is pretty miserable. I think of it as a week or mortification before heading out the Cape. I work longer hours. I don’t drink. I exercise a lot. Do a fair share of reading, thinking and writing. Generally, mope around the house.
I do have one huge indulgence that I’m looking forward to unabashedly: movies. I usually try to get out of the house every night (it’s too quiet) to get to the local megaplex. On my list: Star Trek, Taking of Pelham 123, The Hangover. (I welcome your suggestions.)
So when I tell you that my family is leaving for a week, and you make a joke about me joining Steve Jobs in the liver transplant ward, I’ll laugh. But you will have missed your mark. By a mile.
A Bowl Of Independence Post Camp Activities
By Daddy Clay Sunday, June 22nd, 2008
We picked up Bubba at the conclusion of his two-week stay at sleepover camp. As has been the case in the past, he was happy to see us, but in mourning about leaving camp. This sends his mother and me into a fit of competitiveness. We pull out all the stops to make sure that our family is every bit as fun as summer camp. Which is not really possible, and certainly not sustainable.
Nevertheless, over the weekend we gave it our best shot. We went to the grandparents’ house, swam in a waterfall pool, went out on their boat, then came home to a big bash at our place with a huge inflatable water slide. Maybe it was no “blob” but still pretty cool.
(We didn’t actually throw the party — just donated the yard as a venue, and manned the grill for the fajitas. This is by far the best way to have a party at your house, btw.)
Camp is tough. I really miss the big guy. My wife asserts that it’s a good way for us to learn some “letting go,” and I know this to be true. I know that the independence — freedom from us is essential. And I think we are generally pretty good at giving him room to be his own person. But I definitely have got to give him some more room to grow up.
I realize this as I take the huge spill-prone bag of cereal out of his hands and pour it for him. “Let me give you a hand with that,” I say and I watch his shoulders sag. He’s been so in change of himself, and with that gesture, I took away a big chunk of his stand-alone-ness and reminded him that he was the kid in this house. Bad call on my part. He’s big enough to take care of himself, and, if he makes messes, to clean them up himself.
So, from now on, I have a strict hands-off policy when it comes to breakfast cereal.
Did Don address this issue in his Lab today?
Welcome To Camp Collapse
By Daddy Clay Monday, June 2nd, 2008
Ah, the Lies of Summer.
Lies like: school’s out; time to relax.
What crap. Time to scramble around in a panic trying to find good activities for the kids, pay out the nose for them, then patch together some half-ass transportation scheme to get the kids where they’re supposed to be.
I pine for the schoolbus. This morning it’s my turn to haul the carpool of the neighborhood kids to soccer camp. Doesn’t matter if they like soccer or not, or even if they can play, frankly. They are going to soccer camp. I don’t care that it is going to be 100 today in Austin. Soccer camp.
Big drawback of soccer camp — half day only. This creates a bit of a problem.
Cue the grandmothers.
So summer calls not only for cruise directing/cash flow/logistical expertise, but also extended family management. We’re vectoring grandmother in from out of town to get to the pickup point, pasting together afternoon supervision, communicating with soccer coaches.
What I’m not really doing is working.
Little help, here. Somebody mind cooking up 400K views for DadLabs while I work this summer camp deal?
