I’m still thinking a lot lately about death, about what we leave behind, and how all of it weaves into this wild, beautiful thing we call dad life. Two poems keep surfacing in my mind for my own hypothetical funeral: John Donne’s Death Be Not Proud (read my reflection on it here) and Percy Bysshe… Continue reading Ozymandias: A Dad Poem, but (Again) Not Mine
Tag: teaching
Random Musings #14
The first week of school. Well, that’s about all there is to it, really. If you know any teachers or anyone who works at a school and welcomed kids back this last week, please check on them. Don’t be surprised if they don’t answer right away. They’re probably still sleeping. But in all seriousness, the… Continue reading Random Musings #14
Thirty: The Annual Back to School Rollercoaster
As summer fades like the last glow of a firefly, I’m sitting here writing this post, feeling the weight of back-to-school season settle in. The end of summer always hits me hard, with those glorious days of no alarm clock, filled with spontaneous adventures or late nights watching baseball games. Those moments of pure, unhurried… Continue reading Thirty: The Annual Back to School Rollercoaster
Twenty-Eight: Summer’s Exit Stage Left: A Teacher’s Bittersweet Farewell
Summer 2025, you’ve pulled a fast one. One day I’m lounging with my six kids, basking in the glory of no lesson plans, and now it’s practically gone. As an English teacher, I get two precious months off to soak up family time, but this first summer as a family of eight? It’s slipped through… Continue reading Twenty-Eight: Summer’s Exit Stage Left: A Teacher’s Bittersweet Farewell
Twenty-Three: Dad Strong, Part Four – Sharpening Your Intellectual Strength
A dad’s mind is a tool that needs constant sharpening. In a big family, where questions fly from “Why is the sky blue?” to “Daddy, in what situations would I need a gas mask?” (you might laugh, but that’s a real question from my eight-year-old/survivalist son), intellectual strength means staying curious and informed. By always… Continue reading Twenty-Three: Dad Strong, Part Four – Sharpening Your Intellectual Strength
Seventeen: A Mother’s Day Tribute: To My Wife and All Moms Who Make It Work
Mother’s Day is a moment to pause and honor the women who hold our families together, especially those navigating the beautiful chaos of raising kids. This year, it’s even more personal—my wife is literally a week away from giving birth to our sixth child, and her strength inspires me in ways I can’t express. But… Continue reading Seventeen: A Mother’s Day Tribute: To My Wife and All Moms Who Make It Work
Random Musings #7
“The way we talk to children becomes their inner voice.” – Peggy O’Mara I ran across this quote just today. I’m not sure how I hadn’t seen it before, but it hit me kind of hard because I realized that virtually all I do all day long is talk to kids. When I wake my… Continue reading Random Musings #7
Fifteen: Why the Slate Truck Sparks Joy for Our Big Family of (Almost!) Eight
A little something different today…. As a dad of five (soon six!) rambunctious kids, I never thought I’d be daydreaming about a two-seat electric pickup. With car seats, baseball and ballet gear, and enough snacks to feed a small army, our family’s rides usually scream “minivan or bust” (actually, our Honda Pilot isn’t a minivan, but I… Continue reading Fifteen: Why the Slate Truck Sparks Joy for Our Big Family of (Almost!) Eight
Thirteen: So Many Little Questions: A Dad’s Insight
Sometimes, my life feels like one, (very) long Q&A session. The questions, small as they may be, come hot and heavy from the first moments the kids are awake in the morning until the last moments before they go to bed. What’s for breakfast? What time is it? Why do I have to get dressed?… Continue reading Thirteen: So Many Little Questions: A Dad’s Insight
Random Musings #5
My last post was about stress and one way which my family responds to it, which got me thinking a little broader: what exactly is stress? Turns out, there’s actually a lot more to stress than I originally thought. A lot more. So, naturally, the English teacher in me took over. Time for a little… Continue reading Random Musings #5