Articles

Be positive! Be optimistic! Everything is unicorns and rainbows and sunshine and lollipops, yadda, yadda, yadda. 🦄🌈☀️🍭 I am very suspicious of people who are always positive. I know this may sound weird coming from me, Mr. Anti-Adultitis, whose own father wears a “Bee Optimistic” pin every single day. Yes, I believe in the power of Read more

The Penguin Who Flew is an inspiring book about a persistent little penguin. It’s the kind of book that brings light to a world that seems darker than ever. And it offers up encouragement that we all need to hear, no matter how many birthdays we’ve celebrated. Maybe you have an extra copy (or four) on Read more

This past week was…not great. It was already slated to be a busy week during a very busy month. Then, in 72 hours, we went from a simple wellness visit to the emergency room to a training session at Milwaukee Children’s Hospital to learn how to check blood sugar and inject insulin into our kid. Read more

I would like to tell you the story of the greatest milkshake ever made. Although it happened in Wisconsin, the land of dairy cows, it could have been anywhere, and it could have been concocted by anyone. It was made in January, a month not particularly ideal for milkshakes, at least in Wisconsin. The hourglass Read more

I recently spent time tracing the footsteps of Orville and Wilbur Wright. I had two speaking engagements in North Carolina, less than a week apart. Rather than fly back and forth, Kim and I decided to have me stay down there. She found me a cool place on the Outer Banks, near Kitty Hawk, where Read more

What’s she up to today? We’ve homeschooled our kids since day one. Our style is closer to “unschooling” than the “schooling at home” version that was predominant during the pandemic. As such, there is no set curriculum, no set times, and no set workspaces. I love seeing where my youngest daughter Ginny sets up shop Read more

Candyland is the worst game ever. It’s generous to even call it a game, for there is no strategy involved. I still cringe thinking about the times my kids begged to play it. Of course, although it may feel like a modern-day torture device to torment adults, it was designed for children. It introduces the Read more

The grass in our yard is the faded yellow of a brittle old newspaper.  Had I not experienced it happen every year for nearly a half-century, I’d think it ludicrous to suggest that it would somehow come back to life. But soon it will be a vibrant green, and I will be paying some teenager Read more

My dad tells a story from his childhood when he received a report card with less than stellar marks. He didn’t want to show his mom but knew she’d have to sign it before he returned it to his teacher. So he had the bright idea of placing gold foil stars over the offending grades, Read more

Teaching is overrated. Oh, did that get your attention? Good. Now let me tell you what I mean. As parents who homeschool, Kim and I have thought a lot about our role as teachers. And I’ve been fortunate to speak to thousands of educators over the years, encouraging them in a job that’s become more Read more