“Pick a side – half of you line up behind Quinn, half behind Everett. Let’s go.” That’s how tee ball practice usually starts – my 5 year-olds form two lines from which they will wildly fling a baseball at each other from ten feet apart. It’s just easier to give kids a binary decision. I … [Read more…]
The NFL Draft will fulfill dreams and make millionaires tonight in Philadelphia. Images of the Roger Goodell bro-hugs and #1 jersey-holding pictures with the selected player’s family will dominate Friday’s sports headlines. The watching audience will listen as analysts pick apart the relative value of one draft pick over another – citing skills that they … [Read more…]
I didn’t have to read about the record $170 million of box office earnings to understand the impact of Disney’s new Beauty and the Beast film. Our home was abuzz with anticipation on Saturday morning – the movie provided an ample excuse for an overdue “Mommy-Daughter” day-date. And, if you’re wondering, my wife gave the … [Read more…]
There is nothing better than sitting down with my kids to watch Christmas movies. That is, until I do – and my children spoil my favorites. They ruin them with questions that interrupt the comedic timing. They ruin them with observations of holes in the plot that I otherwise choose to consciously ignore. This Christmas … [Read more…]
Bartman did not break my Chicago Cubs fan heart in 2003 – it was already broken. I could blame Steve Garvey in 1984 or Will Clark in 1989. You see, I was sucked into the Cubs-fan-misery at birth. My dad grew up on the south side of Chicago but elected to root for the lovable … [Read more…]
When I heard the news that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand during the National Anthem in an NFL preseason game on Friday night, I was immediately angry. As I watched with my kids, I called him an idiot, unpatriotic and a poor example. As true as those labels might be, as … [Read more…]
The story of Simone Biles should have reignited an open discussion about the gift of adoption. Biles was adopted by her biological grandparents. Her story, like that of so many adoptive families, is one of triumph though struggle – of meager beginnings and extraordinary accomplishments. Over the past few days, though, the shine of the … [Read more…]
There are three layers to me. I’m a doting dad, a try-to-be-helpful husband and, lastly, an un-apologetic sports junkie. It would stand to reason that on the doorstep of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio, I couldn’t be more excited. Sure, I love the competition and the fact that my television can be locked … [Read more…]
I was thankful that my infant daughter began to scream at 11:15 p.m. last night. I’d had enough of CNN. I was exhausted by the videos of the tragedies in Baton Rouge, in Minnesota and, now, in Dallas. My emotions were running high, but my energy was zapped. How ironic that a crying infant was … [Read more…]
Using the same words each time I’m asked to make sense of nonsense has me reciting the same, tired lines when my kids hear about national tragedies. Watching the evening news with young children is certainly a Good-Bad Dad experience. I love to see their reactions to the up-lifting stories of hope. I regret having … [Read more…]