I started writing down my life goals and it turned out to be a list of places where I want to nap, but haven’t yet
— Andrew Knott (@aknott21) February 12, 2018
I certainly expected that first drop-off to be more dramatic and emotional. So, after the first day was successfully in the books, I figured we were out of the woods. I was wrong.
Read MoreMy five-year-old, Jacob, is a master of sleight of hand and deception. There is nothing he enjoys more than savaging an unsuspecting mark with a brutal practical joke. Well, as long as the target is okay with it. And, even then, it’s good to take precautions to avoid any unnecessary mess or inconvenience. It’s important to take a paper towel or two along just in case there’s a mess that requires immediate cleaning up.
Read MoreOver the weekend my wife and I took a one-night trip to West Palm Beach to take in a Green Day concert and get one night of uninterrupted sleep. As we were walking into the amphitheater, I couldn't help but notice that I was the only one who had printed my tickets on card stock. Pretty embarrassing for everyone else. As it turns out, though, while card stock is undeniably classy, it is a bit hard to fold up and store after entry. Luckily, my shirt had a handy breast pocket that was perfect for the job!
Read More“Daddy! Daddy! DADDY!!” my 5-year-old exclaims from his perch in the back seat of our car.
“Yes, bud. What?” I finally reply. We are in the middle of a one-sided conversation about our impromptu trip to the fruit and vegetable stand and I am a little annoyed I have to respond since I have been listening to an uninterrupted monologue for several minutes.
“Is it going to be beautiful there?”
Read MoreIn retrospect, perhaps I should have known that this particular morning was going to be different.
Read MoreI came across a story on Twitter in the aftermath of Charlottesville. I took screen grabs of it so you can read the thread in full. As you'll see, it starts out with "Hey everyone I'm a clown." Of course, after reading the first phrase I was completely in on the story no matter what it was going to be. The fact that she followed it up with "and here's my take on male violence in America" was icing on the cake.
Read MoreAn interview with author James Breakwell (aka Exploding Unicorn) about his forthcoming book...and zombies.
Read MoreOur oldest child, Jacob, recently started kindergarten. As you might expect, it has been the main event in our household and the driving force behind our daily schedule. Where our mornings used to be a slow, often unpredictable and messy morass of waking, dozing, eating, and sometimes returning to bed or falling back to sleep on various pieces of furniture between the hours of five and eight, we now operate with military-like precision. Well, maybe military-like precision is overstating it a little, but we have made it to school on time for the first seven days!
Read MoreMy wife and I met for the first time in person on this day nine years ago. However, we met online several months before that on Facebook (thanks Mark Zuckerber).
Read MoreIn addition to fishing and boating, another of my passions as a child was busting signs. What? You know, busting signs! Those big paper banners that high school cheerleaders paint “Go Team” or whatever on that the football team charges through as they enter the field. Busting signs.
Read MoreMy oldest child starts kindergarten this week. As you might imagine, I'm pretty conflicted. I'm excited for him and I know that he's ready. And to be honest, the summer has been long and hot and demoralizing at times and I know a little bit of space and time apart will be good for all of us. Three kids under age six stewing together under one roof for months on end is a volatile recipe. But still, I'm apprehensive.
Read MoreI finally got the chance to share two of my greatest passions, fishing and boating, with my boys. And, even better, we knocked both activities out in the span of a couple hours. A father's dream fulfilled!
Read MoreIt was an ordinary evening in small-town Americana when the car arrived. The pre-twilight air was damp and heavy after the rains. The sun was just dropping below the trees in the west when the truck, carrying a resplendent blue Buick sedan, pulled up in front of the house.
Read MoreThere’s this game my two sons love to play every time they get out of the shower or bath. And, to be clear, I am using “game” in the loosest most 3- and 5-year-old sense of the word. Parental torture activity is another term I could use. I’m not sure when or how it started exactly, but as is often the case with kids, it quickly became an indispensable ritual.
Read MoreOur oldest child, Jacob, starts kindergarten next month. The public elementary school he will be attending has a Spanish immersion program in which roughly half of the school day is taught in Spanish and half in English. I was very excited when I found out about this program because I’ve always wanted my kids to master a second language. Besides having a bilingual parent, which he doesn’t, what better way to accomplish that goal than to start young? And to have it right there at his public school. Perfect.
Read MoreSummer vacation is here and you know what that means: Time to get crafty with the kids! If you’re looking for a fun and easy activity to keep your little scientist entertained during those long summer days, we have just the thing.
You will not believe how easy it is to make a fully-functional camera out of a few items you definitely have lying around your house right now. And yes, it takes real pictures! Can you say unbelievable?
Read MoreThis weekend marks my sixth Father’s Day and I can’t think of a better time to reflect on fatherhood than an arbitrary holiday created because men felt slighted that there was an arbitrary holiday created to honor mothers.
Read MoreWow. Time has flown, hasn’t it? It’s hard to believe that it’s already been a year since you joined our family. Just kidding! When you have three kids under six, every day can feel like a lifetime. I believe you’ve met your brothers, no? Right, yes. The ones that make a lot of noise. Like all the time. So yeah, you totally understand where I’m coming from.
Read MoreYou will notice that this post is a bit different than most for a couple of reasons. First, rather than sharing a story here, I am sharing a link to a story I wrote that was published last week on another site. Second, the story in question isn't all that funny and most of you won't even have access to it anyway because it's behind a paywall (bummer!).
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