Doing Drugs and Kissin' with Tongue...

I think that one of the biggest responsibility of a dad is being able to teach. My father was and is a great provider, but let's just say he was a little light in the teaching department. Oh sure he had his ways, you know like slappin' the shit out of you when you messed up. But that was after the fact. He didn't exactly teach as we went along.

I try to make it a point to teach my kids. To talk to them about life and the decisions we make along the way. 

Growing up and doing drugs

This past weekend I had to run out to get gas for the lawnmower so the oldest clown went with me. It's about a 15 minute drive into town, and I figured it was a perfect opportunity to talk.  No not The Talk, God No. I just mean a time to talk just the two of us.

She's finishing up the fifth grade, and knows way more than I did at her age. She's smart, and beautiful, and it won't be much longer before the pressures of school start to creep into her daily life.

We talked about the pressures kids face in school. Mostly about doing drugs and trying to be popular, things like that. My biggest fear in life, along with spiders, is for one of my clowns to get caught up in drugs. It happens. It happens to good kids with great parents, and great childhoods. And it scares me to death. So we talked about it. Then we took the long way home so we could rock out to some J.T on the radio. Hey, I like a little Suite & Tie, every now and then.

Kissin' with Tongue

We took the clowns out to hunt some mushrooms this past weekend. It was nice out, and while we didn't have much luck with the mushrooms we did have a nice day as a family doing something together. No ipods, no earbuds, and nothing plugged in. Just us and the woods. At one point while the  boy and I were waiting on the ladies to finish in the bathroom he looks over at me and says, Dad, that would be really gross if while you were kissin' somebody, they put their tongue in your mouth.

Father Knows Best

 I love being a dad. I love having conversations, real conversations with my clowns.

With my oldest I told her the truth. How it won't be long until her friends are trying drugs to impress people; boys. And how she would be faced with hard decisions. How I trusted her to make the right choices. How proud of her I was for who she already was, and I knew there was so much more to come. I told her how her mom and I would always be there to help guide her and she could always talk and count on us.

To the boy. I simply told him yes, yes it would be.

Sticks and Stones...

So apparently an Asian lady Hyun Lee, was picking up some pictures at a CVS in southern New Jersey, and whoever was running the register identified her like this on her receipt:

In case you didn't catch it, they identified her as Ching Chong Lee, get it; because she's Asian. OK so apparently Mrs. Lee was so tore up about this "intolerable discrimination" that she is now suing CVS for 1 Miilllion dollars *** Dr. Evil voice

Are you kidding me? A million bucks because somebody put Ching Chong Lee on your receipt? I gotta say, I'm offended that this lady was offended. What ever happen to Sticks and Stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me?

This is exactly what's wrong with society today. Everybody is to sensitive. And seriously a million dollars because Beavis or Butthead called her a name.

Well, I for one say thank you Ching Chong Lee for the rising prices at CVS. Enjoy your Yen or whatever.

Boston

As I watched the events unfold in Boston, obviously my heart hurt. I was reminded yet again of how quickly things can change. People tell us all the time to keep you're loved ones close and safe, and never miss an opportunity to tell them how much you love them. This always holds true.
After seeing the explosions, my thoughts immediately turned to Sandy Hooke Elementary and that horrific act back on December 14, 2012. I didn't blog about that day because I think sometimes words just get in the way in situations like this.

Today I'm saddened and angered by the bombings in Boston. And the shootings last December in Connecticut, 9/11 and the Oklahoma City bombing in '95 and so on and so on. I'm saddened because I know lives were lost and changed forever because of these events. For those of us on the outside looking in the hurt eventually fades away, but for those directly affected I'm sure that hurt never stops. With each new tragedy the memories are rekindled.

I'm angered because I know that all too soon the smoke will clear and America will once again become a divided nation. You see after an event like this we come together like no other country in the world. We stand beside and care for one another in times of tragedy; for about 10 minutes. Oh sure everybody says the right things afterwards. Our thoughts and Prayers are with Boston. But soon our political views take over. We argue about gun control, gay marriage, and the way or where those very prayers should be shared. We argue over wars and who should be the next president. The political agendas of our politicians get in the way, and the fact of the matter is, we're a reactive nation, not a proactive one. It's only after something like this that this nation remembers the last tragedy.

I hope it's not the next event that brings us together and reminds us of Boston.

It's not me, It's you...

I'd be as skinny as a super model; I'd be rail thin.

These are the words that came out of my 10 year old daughters mouth the other day while we were eating lunch. I don't remember exactly what led up to her saying this, but it had to do with eating, or maybe not eating.

My guess is this is not the first time my daughter has thought of herself as less than skinny. Or saw herself as less than perfect. Now of course the DW jumped right on it and explained to her that she was skinny as a rail, and that she was perfect just the way she was.

For years I've read or heard women complaining about the Barbie image that men want. They say it's us men who expect the size zero with the large breast. It's us men who drive the image of what a woman should look like. It's us men creating an unattainable figure.

But the truth is ladies. It's not us, its you.

That's right. It's you women constantly talking about being fat that our young ladies hear. It's you mothers, and wives who I hear weekly if not daily complaining about this or that being to big. It's you who paint the picture of what makes a women. My guess is my daughter hears it too.

Look ladies, I get that you want to eat better or loose a few pounds, or just want to be healthier in general. That's great.  

But you're a guy it's different.

Sure it's different. The difference is I don't let it bother me. I don't have this imaginary figure in my head of what I should look like. It doesn't determine who I am. I don't feel like I have to achieve this perfect image.

But you're skinny.

You're right. I am skinny by most standards. But I don't look the way I did when I was 25 either. Things change. Life changes. Having six pack abs doesn't make me a better man any more than being a size smaller makes you a better woman.  
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But I've gained 20 pounds since the baby.

Big deal. Unless you have health risks, big deal. Your husband still loves you, your child loves you, your parents love you. Now you start loving you.

My point is this. It's hard to be a father of two girls in this day and age. Two girls who are no doubt going to have their fair share of insecurities along they way. All I'm saying is, I could sure use your help.