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Mistakes Happen—What You Do Next Matters

Jun 29 2020

You might have the best of intentions, but you can be accidentally offensive or innocently insensitive without meaning to be. We’ve all done it. It’s what we do next, after the mistake or misstep, that shows who we really are. I saw this image on Instagram and wanted to share it. So I traced it back to the original source—because we should always do that if we can, right? Giving credit where credit is due is worth a little sleuthing because creating beautiful pictures and thoughtful graphics takes work. I found the artist’s page and read what she wrote to accompany the graphic she created. I nodded in agreement with her sentiments about treating people with love and respect, and about checking our privilege and biases and just being better. Amen girl. *Posted with permission from @ARTBYBIANCAGA If I hadn’t looked for the original content, I wouldn’t have seen the author’s EDIT. In this simple addition to her post she demonstrated her commitment to listening and learning. Isn’t this what we’ve all be vowing to do? To listen and learn and change by accepting feedback with an open mind and a gracious heart? When we admit that we didn’t know[…]

Jun 21 2020

Dads are funny. At least they think they are. My husband believes he’s hysterical. The kids and I don’t have the heart to tell him otherwise. He usually butchers the punchline by mixing it up with the ending of a completely different joke or by losing the plot altogether. Or he laughs so hard at himself that he can’t even get to the end. And THAT my friends, is hilarious. Speaking of hilarious, here are some hilarious “dad jokes” for you to share this FATHER’S Day. Warning: The word ‘hilarious’ has been used loosely. Consider these groaners as a little payback for being subjected to awful dad jokes over the years. Not to mention being exposed to those hideous black socks and sandals. TWELVE COMPLETELY CORNY DAD JOKES: 1. What did the daddy buffalo say to his boy when he dropped him off at school? Bison. 2. How do you make your dad’s handkerchief dance? Put your boogie in it. 3. Mom: “How do I look?” Dad: “With your eyes.” 4. My dad walked into a bar with a chunk of asphalt under his arm and said, “I’ll have a drink and take one for the road.” 5. Dad:[…]

May 29 2020

I’m on my way out to buy ingredients for a full-on Christmas dinner. In May. And I need Christmasy cookies and eggnog if I can find it. I realize this is weird and probably impossible, but when you screw up royally and nearly ruin future Christmases, AGAIN, you do whatcha gotta do. *Updated… you won’t find Christmas desserts in May, so your husband will have to bake gingersnaps. They’ll taste awful because he’ll use buckwheat flour and half the sugar to make them healthier. Ew. You’ll eat one and fake fawn over it to make your daughter happy, but you’ll stifle a gag. We’re celebrating Christmas in May because of the penguin. Let me explain… We have a stuffed penguin named Quacky. He’s our family’s version of the “Elf on the Shelf.” I’ll spare you the ridiculous story. Let’s just say we misinterpreted the concept and made up our own version. This morning, Avery put on her Elf movie t-shirt, just because she loves it. This inspired her to search for her dad’s Christmas sweater. Upon digging through his sweater drawer she discovered Quacky, hiding in the back. Oh holy night. With a quivering chin she brought him to us and asked why[…]

May 26 2020

My daughter is literally the most literal person I know. Her brain is just wired that way. If she asks for an extra big scoop of pasta and I say, “I hope your eyes aren’t bigger than your stomach,” she’ll say, “Nope. My eyes are normal size.” Or if you tell her, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” she’ll ask, “Which bridge? Are we driving or walking over it? Can I pack a snack?” Until recently, if I snuggled her and said, “You’re so delicious, I could just eat you up,” she’d wriggle away in protest and exclaim, “I’m not food!” She understands now that it’s an expression of affection, and that I won’t actually come at her with a fork. I love a witty figure of speech, a pun, or clever turn-of-phrase, and use them often. As a rule, I think this is the best practise. How else will a child learn to communicate effectively if we don’t introduce modern vernacular and push the language bar? This morning I inadvertently pushed the bar too high. The horrified expression on my sweet girl’s face is burned on my brain; because her literal brain mistook my “tech specific” language for something alarmingly[…]

May 08 2020

Two months into this Covid-19 quarantine and we’re running out of things to talk about and “Chat App Fatigue” has become an actual thing. With each day blending into the next, there isn’t really anything new to discuss. An outing to the grocery store or the latest new release on Netflix aren’t the most riveting topics. But, as much as I struggle to keep the virtual conversation going, it’s become even more challenging for my kids. The older one isn’t chatty to begin with. He’d choose folding laundry or unloading the dishwasher over participating in a Facetime any day. He’s the strong silent type. My youngest on the other hand is the chattiest Cathy Avery you ever did meet. However, she’s struggling to find the words. Five minutes of a Google Meet, Zoom hangout, or Messenger Kids chat leaves her mentally exhausted. This particular case of Chat App Fatigue has reached its peak. She still enjoys an “actionist” chat —the kind where she’s actively doing something like playing BINGO or playing pretend camping under blankets with ipads and flashlights, or singing along with a Disney princess from Frozen in a group Zoom call. She’s happy when there’s something to do.[…]

Mistakes Happen—What You Do Next Matters

Fatherly Funnies: The Corniest Dad Jokes Ever

Why We Celebrated Christmas In May

Mind What You Say To A Highly Literal Child

Chat App Fatigue