All tagged fatherhood

Hey dad, been a while. I hope you are well wherever you are. It's been nearly four months since you passed and it's not getting any easier. In fact, with each day, the pain is pretty unbearable at times. The loss is equal to a thousand yard, gaping hole in the earth caused by an unexpected meteor.

We celebrated your birthday. We had a First Communion. We had preschool graduation. We've celebrated some many things since you've passed and with each occasion, there was a sense of loss that was heavy on everyone's hearts.

Well, tomorrow is Father's Day. It's the first without you and to be brutally honest, it fucking sucks. Sorry for the crass words, but there's really no other way to describe it.

Old Revere Beach, Revere, MABeing a father of two young daughters, every day during the summer is a blessing because it takes you away from the daily musings of the office as well as the typical stuff us dads tend to worry about — beer, food, football, etc. Kidding…we really think having a good home life for our family; ensuring that the finances are in order (current and future); spending time with other family and friends; and, enjoying every minute of life.

The summer is tee’d up for parents, i.e. an open invitation to do whatever you want with the kids — day trips, vacations, pool time, beach fun, backyard grilling sessions, bike riding, etc. It’s the time of the year that you really get to enjoy your family because it’s an active time.

My girls: Kayla and JordanToday is my seventh Father's Day and it doesn't get old. Hearing my wife and kids say, "Happy Father's Day!" with gusto is probably the coolest thing next to seeing my kids get excited on Christmas morning, the day I got married and the birth of my kids. Nothing tops those moments and nothing will. Ever.

We typically celebrate the day with a BBQ with family and friends and that's just fine with me. I like to keep things low key and relaxing. Basically, the day is the Superbowl of being a Dad. The best part is, there are no losers.

With that said, here is why it is and how to be, an awesome dad.

The newest first graderMy oldest had her kindergarten spring concert this week, which brings her first year of school to a close (well, nine days short of the actually closing). 

She's grown so much over the past year. She's reading on her own. Writing things without copying the letters. She's asking a lot of questions. Overall, she's getting so big, so fast. 

We're lucky that she loves school and has gone when she wasn't feeling well. She didn't want to miss anything. I hope that attitude keeps up, especially as the school-work gets harder.

If you know me in any sort of way (follow me on Twitter, work with me, read my blogs, etc.) you know that I have tech issues. Big time. I always need the latest gadget (next purchase will be the iPad).

I'm constantly blogging, Tweeting, taking video, shooting pictures, etc. Basically, I'm a content machine and I like it that way. I consume and produce content 18 hours out of each day, give or take 30 mins or so.

Six things I've learned in six years of parentingSince my oldest daughter was born six years ago, there have been six key things I've learned as a parent that still hold true today. And as time goes by, I imagine that these six things will hold true as my kids get older. 

Patience

As Axl Rose sang, patience is a virtue. Kids are going to have their cranky days and those days where they are bouncing off the walls. Match those days with moments when you're trying to do something (work, maintenance around the house, paying bills, relaxing, etc) and it's like oil and water. They just don't mix. Kids don't have an off switch so you need patience to get you through those situations where you want to explode.