candy is the root of all evil

My son has determined that the only item of sustenance that man needs for survival is candy. All other food - healthy or otherwise - is unnecessary. Admittedly, my wife and I have let him slide down this path unchecked for too long, but we both swear that 2010 represents a new day. The little guy and his sister have wretched eating habits, and that needs to change. Do we start by just removing the bad stuff? Do we focus on introducing new things? Do we merely emphasize the good things that they're already - partially - eating? I'm not sure what the best course of action should be, but 2010 promises to be the year where we at least begin to find out!

my son, the ceo

My son can be a little tyrant from time to time. He has these grandiose visions of what he wants, and he just assumes the rest of the world will go along with him. This has led my wife to conclude that he will run day have his own company, inflicting his wishes upon his unsuspecting staff. This is not a evil thought, mind you - she just assumes he won't settle for anything less. I can't say I dispute this notion - he is nothing if not his own man, and he's only three feet tall!

a little slice of daddy

It's an incredibly nice feeling to see some of your traits or habits at work in your kids. Now, this isn't always a good thing, but, in this case, I don't mind at all. Almost every day, I wake up to a bowl of Cheerios, and, now, my boy does, too. He's been sitting at his little table eating Cheerios since before he was two, and he still likes the drill. Granted, now it's just about the only thing he'll eat for breakfast, but at least it's something!

playing together nicely

The little ones - and I say this when referring to a three-year-old and a five-year-old - have been playing together nicely all day. They enjoyed their little walks outside, the fort construction efforts, and tiny games. For two folks who tend to squabble from time to time, it's refreshing to see them just getting along. Who knows how long this will last - it may not last hours, let along days, weeks, or months - but I always enjoy it when it is here. It makes me appreciate them all the more...

little, but getting bigger

I couldn't be more proud of my little guy. He's been speech-delayed for some time now, but he goes to a special class three days a week to work with his teacher. She said he did a great job today with his 'k' sound, and we can tell that he's really making progress (although he has a long journey ahead). Most of all, I am proud that he never complains, that he goes happily with his teacher, and that he generally seems to enjoy what he's doing. It makes me love him all the more...

tiny terrors

The little guy, who has been mostly potty-trained for some time, has the occasional lapse. Let it be known, however, that attempts to remind him of these lapses will be met with swift denials. The little guy believes he has a handle on when he needs to go, so no adult supervision is needed. As you can imagine, this is not always the case. I guess it comes with having such an independent little fella - you take the good with the bad. For all that, we love him. Now go pee!

my little businesswoman

Wittles has decided that what she needs today is open a lemonade stand. Actually, she decided that she needed to do this around nine o'clock this morning, but, as we near dinnertime, I'm impressed that I've been able to hold her off this long. (She seemed to believe that people would wake up early on Sunday with an itch for lemonade!) I don't think she has any desire to charge anything for this - then again, what do kids charge for lemonade these days?! - but she does want to have the little stand. My little girl is growing up right before my eyes...

breaking the habit

Little Man has decided that going to bed is, in actuality, a ten-step process. He needs his drink, a snack, a trip to the bathroom, some form of entertainment, snuggling with his mother, and so on. He also needs this at 20-minute intervals until he's good & ready toactually go to sleep! Needless to say, I feel he needs to be reminded that he does not rule the roost, lest none of us will ever get a good night's sleep. Little Man, you're three years old now - time for some of life's harsh lessons!

big deal for little people

I've never been a huge fan of places like Five Below, but I have come to appreciate it for what it is. My littlest ones, who think that $5 is a ton of money, were so excited this morning to make a trip to our local store. They kept swapping items throughout the store whenever they found something better, always careful to stay within their $5 limit. (Wittles handled all the tricky math.) They ended up with a Cars lunchbox (for Wee Man) and some plastic jewelry (for Wittles). They were thrilled, including the fact that they were allowed to hold the money, and they've already "reserved" some things for the next trip. So little, yet so big...

the great storyteller

Our little guy's been a little speech-delayed from the start, which, as you can imagine, brings with it some challenges. Nevertheless, the little guy has always worked hard to use his words and convey things to us. It occurred to me, though, that, once he progresses to a certain level - and he makes strides every day - there will be one thing I'll miss. Since he can't always get his ideas across to us, he's become a very visual storyteller, using his hands and adding sound effects to get his point across. Listening to my little man tell us about his bad dream, complete with the horrible accident involving two of his toy trains, was both sad and oddly sweet. He's so little, yet the drama is so big to him. My little guy...

apple of her father's eye

My entire soccer career is confined to a few intramural games in college. I didn't play when I was a little boy, I didn't play in school, and I don't play now. Nevertheless, when the chance to coach a team of four-year-olds, I jumped at the chance! I've always wanted to be an involved dad, and I want my kids to participate in - and enjoy! - sports. Less than a month into our first endeavor, I couldn't be happier with how Wittles has taken to it! She's happy to go to practice every week, she's excited for her games, and she's thrilled with her little pink cleats! Am I qualified to guide her and her little teammates?! Certainly not, but I'm glad to be a part of the experience!

apple of her father's eye

My entire soccer career is confined to a few intramural games in college. I didn't play when I was a little boy, I didn't play in school, and I don't play now. Nevertheless, when the chance to coach a team of four-year-olds, I jumped at the chance! I've always wanted to be an involved dad, and I want my kids to participate in - and enjoy! - sports. Less than a month into our first endeavor, I couldn't be happier with how Wittles has taken to it! She's happy to go to practice every week, she's excited for her games, and she's thrilled with her little pink cleats! Am I qualified to guide her and her little teammates?! Certainly not, but I'm glad to be a part of the experience!

up for anything?!

One of the coolest realizations about my son, mere days before he turns three, is that the little guy is up for just about anything. Sure, he occasionally has his enthusiasm dulled by Wittles, who loves her days at home, but, generally speaking, Wee Man just likes doing. Today, the little guy was all about running off with his Dad to get donuts, sprinting through the rain for groceries (?!), and riding up & down an elevator. He's such a happy little man, and it's great to see him so full of smiles & excitement. That's my boy!

an independent little man

Recently, the Wee Man has taken to correcting us whenever we call him anything but his given name. As I am reluctant to call him the same name twice, I run through everything from Wee Man to Little Man to Tiny Avenger in a typical day. If he's within earshot, look out - he'll yelp his disapproval from the get-go! Who knew such a little thing could be such a big deal to someone so small?

both sides of the story

Wee Man is two very different people - the one we get to see at home every day, running around like a wild man and terrorizing Wittles, and the one the rest of the world sees, angelic, well-behaved, and occasionally attached to his mother's leg. Both are utterly cute and adorable - must be those crazy blue eyes, which folks can't help but notice - and both are very much a part of Wee Man. He's full of life, full of zest, and a wonderful little guy. I'm just glad we have a video camera to tape some of this wildness to show him later!

priceless moments

t's amazing watching your little ones grow up, watching as they come to conclusions that only they could. They're getting so much information every day, and they have no idea what to do with it. Listening to Wittles spout her latest theory about why her little brother is acting the way he is or why I am or am not doing well enough on a Wii game is incredibly entertaining. She's only four years old, but she's sure she has things figured out! Then again, maybe she knows more than I do, so who am I to talk?!