Category: Kids

My dad and I were traveling around the northeast earlier this month – which was a great opportunity to catch up and bond – but I didn’t get back in town until Father’s Day (ironically enough, I guess). When I did, I found that my boys had created a pretty epic scavenger hunt for...

My kid had a short season of Ultimate Frisbee this past month, following his first breathless season of middle school basketball. I played some Ultimate in college so have a taste for the game and its relatively easy-going nature. Still, seeing that at the end every game all the kids get in a circle...

The “worst year” has officially passed. Though there’s another one ahead soon for his brother. There were definitely ups and downs this past year: times of indignation, sarcasm, defiance, distraction and–my favorite–plain, outright lying. But all things considered, it could have been a lot worse. I find this period both...

This is a sad, kind of personal post, but I wanted to jot it down somewhere. One of my kids’ preschool teachers, known as Mr. Richard, passed away over the weekend, and it’s really hit me hard. He was one of the sweetest, kindest-hearted and generous men I’ve known. The whole class loved following...

I’ve been playing racquetball with my son the last few weeks, and there’s something about the experience I find so entertaining. First off, I just don’t think you see anyone that small playing the game very often, if ever. I mean… you don’t usually see anyone under 60 playing it, honestly. Something about those...

I was at a dinner party last week in south Austin, and the host has a five-year-old son who ended up going to bed about an hour into the event. When he was all ready for bed, he came into the living room, grabbed my hand, looked up at me with his big eyes...

My older son has been accepted to a month-long program at an out-of-town University this summer, which I guess I’m excited, anxious and curious about. Excited for him to do it and to stretch his independent legs; anxious about how he’ll do and about any struggles he’ll run into; and just generally curious about...

HIM: This book is stupid. ME: Why? HIM: Because the main character basically just kills himself in a stupid way, and we’re supposed to care. ME: He doesn’t kill himself. HIM: He might as well. He goes into a dangerous situation with limited supplies with a high probability of death, and then he dies....

The day has finally come. So far so… good-ish. I can sort of see what my mother was saying. The willful defiance is occasionally off the charts, and we’re getting into what he’s termed “alpha male battles” from time to time, which I guess means we’re fighting for control of red meat? Or tofu?...