Catholic Dads

While Mrs. Nod and I worked on shoveling out 30 inches of snow from the driveway, I sent Wynken and Blynken out back to clear away the heat pump. After warning them to be careful of the nearby outside basement steps, I returned to my grueling task. Not five minutes go by when Wynken comes [...]

Kids usually say whatever is on their minds; the trouble is understanding what they are really thinking. Case in point: Wynken came home from school and asked for the umpteenth time for us to buy him his own Nintendo DS game console. Rather than rehash our reasons for why we haven’t done so, Mrs. Nod [...]

If a bike could have bling, then Blynken would definitely be in love with it. The girl loves things that sparkle, things that have ribbons, and things that are pink. Well, that’s what her new bicycle looks like: Peppermint Swirl. It’s got pom poms on the handle, white wall tires with a blue stripe and [...]

Just about every kid out there loves the pool. Today, our pool opened and the day was hot. Perfect combination. After getting a bunch of chores and errands done, Mrs. Nod headed off to the pool with Wynken, Blynken, and Nod-girl while I stayed home with the toddlers and their naps. So why didn’t I [...]

Ever think to yourself, I’ve heard better sermons from a three year old? Now you can have a point of reference. Nub climbed up into the chair and started expounding with fire and brimstone. I’m pretty sure he told a joke at one point, but see for yourself. Cross-posted at: Wynken, Blynken, and Nod

Blynken had her second piano lesson today. She seems excited about the opportunity, but the catch has been to get her to calm down and pay attention so that she can learn. Everyone wants to get right to it, to be able to play immediately, but we must walk before we can run. So with [...]

That’s what my mother would tell me. That is what amounted to a threat coming from her: “If you don’t do X, then your name is going to be mud.” The thing is, I believed her. (She always told me that I knew what side my bread was buttered on.) Names are powerful things. We [...]

Blynken is my questioner; always she is the one who will ask the far-flung questions … What if I died? What if I did that thing you said not to do? What if you won the lottery? I wonder what would happen if I took this bag of marbles and knocked it on the floor? [...]

The terrible toddlers, Nib and Nub, have taken to screaming and crying. This is to say: they won’t nap, and they won’t go to bed anymore. Whether they are not getting enough exercise or stimulation during the day, or whether it’s been the perennial cough and cold this season brings, or something else completely is [...]

On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me … an Easy Bake oven and some sugar cookies. In a North American rite of passage for little girls, Blynken got her first Easy Bake oven. She patiently waited until after all the day’s activities and until after dinner. Then dear old Dad [...]