Maintain Perspective

- - - | written by Kim on 7/14/2010 | - - -

How to Avoid the Dark Side of Metamorphosis

Have you ever gone through a major metamorphosis? Are you in the middle of one right now? Metamorphosis was the "word of the week" on Sesame Street this week. [Side note: I love how Sesame Street talks UP to kids, challenging them to not only say a five syllable word, but also to understand the meaning. Very cool!] As Elmo explained to Abby in his screechy, glass-shattering voice, "It's a B--I--G change!" Tadpoles transforming into frogs and caterpillars turning into a butterflies were given as examples. As I heard this theme echoed over and over throughout the episode, I couldn't …

- - - | written by Jason on 7/2/2010 | - - -

Key West Wisdom #1: Look Up

We recently celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary in Key West, Florida. With the little one in excellent hands back home, we had a chance for some good old-fashioned doin' nothing. While soaking up some rays and enjoying the surf, we were hit with some bits of wisdom regarding stressing less and having more fun. So we decided to create a six-part video series sharing some of the thoughts we had while we were in a Key West state of mind. In this first tip, Kim discusses the importance (and benefits) of taking time to "look up" from the busyness of life once in a while. Sign up to …

- - - | written by Kim on 5/18/2010 | - - -

Chuck’s Investment (What Would You Do?)

There once was a man named Chuck who had a few years left 'till retirement -- the final stretch. The previous forty years of his life had been truly awesome. He felt blessed being the dad to four amazing kids, now all grown. He enjoyed challenging and rewarding work. He took opportunities to coach some of the kids' sports teams and to travel to memorable places. He and his bride of 41 years were best friends and partners on the crazy journey (and crazy it often had been.) Chuck was now the big 6-0 and was in good health, as opposed to many of his peers. Good or bad, his life had been filled …

- - - | written by Jason on 5/16/2010 | - - -

Life Will Be Easier When…

Ever find yourself saying, “Life will be easier when...”? If you’re a parent, you can fill in the blank mighty easily. Life will be easier when... ...he can sleep through the night. ...she can feed herself. ...he can tell us where it hurts. ...she goes to school. ...he makes it to the NBA and buys me a ginormous house in Hawaii. This is a diabolical game that Adultitis likes us to play, because it gets us wishing away time, distracts us from the present, and keeps us focused on the negative. …

- - - | written by Jason on 5/9/2010 | - - -

Connect Four and the Game of Life

I remember playing Connect Four when I was a kid. It’s like Tic-Tac-Toe on steroids (of the Barry Bonds head-enlarging variety.) It takes a while for a kid to get the hang of it. Early attempts are marked by a series of regular beatings (especially if you’re playing with an aunt three years your senior who never lets you win). But it really gets exciting when you start to figure it out and things get competitive. It’s a simple game, but there’s a lot of strategy and critical thinking involved. …

- - - | written by Kim on 5/5/2010 | - - -

The Amazingly Stupendous Do-Over

Remember the "do-over" in childhood? Often applied to a "too close to call" play in a childhood game, do-overs were often used liberally by kids who hated to lose. Lucy called for a do-over this morning. She woke up early and crabby (or as I like to call her, "sensitive.") She was touch-and-go about everything. The day ahead was looking like it was going to be an inevitably rough series of battles. I decided to take her out with me to run a few quick errands, just to get her out and change the scenery. On the way home from our short adventures, I looked in my rearview mirror to find a …

- - - | written by Jason on 4/11/2010 | - - -

Life Balance Is A Beach

It’s early in the morning, but the day already promises to be a spectacular one. The sun beams its bright rays through the windows and the fluffy cloud-studded sky is already a perfect shade of blue. Spring break is definitely here, but there’s no break about it. Jenny is rushing around the kitchen trying to simultaneously pack her briefcase and the backpack the girls will take to daycare, trying not to mix items between the two. The last thing she needs is a set of finger paints for her client meeting today. Hannah and Sarah are buzzing around the kitchen table, playing a new game with two …

- - - | written by Kim on 3/18/2010 | - - -

Lessons from a Screaming Teether

Last night, Lucy screamed and cried for 90 minutes straight. Jason and I are convinced that every baby has a "thing." We escaped colic, gassiness, and sleeping problems, but teething has proven to be Lucy's archnemesis. Those 90 minutes last night definitely ranked up there as some of the worst minutes of my life. Screaming "mama" over and over again, Lucy was in pain and she wanted me to take the pain away. I tried everything... Walking her around the house. (Check.) Singing. (Check.) Talking softly. (Check.) Tylenol. (Check.) Playing her favorite song on the iPod. …

- - - | written by Jason on 3/14/2010 | - - -

Why You Might NOT Want To Be Like Gary Vee

[This article was originally published over at Dumb Little Man. There is a great discussion to be found in the comments, including one from Gary himself!] I am a huge fan of Gary Vaynerchuk. If you've never heard of him, he became famous for his online TV show, Wine Library TV, in which he brings wine tasting to the masses. Rather than being uppity and condescending, Gary's everyman style is down-to-earth, passionate, and fun. (He's been known to compare wine to various breakfast cereals.) 2009 was a breakout year of sorts, with the publishing and promotion of his best-selling book Crush …

- - - | written by Jason on 2/28/2010 | - - -

Our Half-Lived Moments

Are too many of your moments half-lived? As a dad, I often find myself fighting the battle between enjoying a moment with Lucy and capturing it on film. One truth that I think slips by most dads and grandpas is this: As nice as it is to record memories to look back on later, photographing a moment is not the same as experiencing it. While in upstate New York for a speaking engagement, we made some time to visit the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester. Kim and I had been there before, but this was our first time with Lucy. She enjoyed it -- as much as a one-year-old can enjoy …

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Maintain Perspective

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