SillyDad.com!

It’s amazing how children think and formulate their thought patterns. It’s never something that struck me as fascinating until the day my wife and I started having kids. Kids are simple, but are really intuitive. They take complex things and can really simplify them for us. Though things seem chaotic at times, kids can really simplify your life and just make you stop and chuckle.

I have gotten to the point now that if I need a new slogan for my business or a website I am designing I will ask my kids and see what they come up with. It will surprise you. And who do you think would be better at thinking outside the box? Kids are less influenced by society than adults and can think more literally than us big people.

What really was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me and made me realize this fact was a few years ago when my oldest child and I were peeling a cucumber. She loves cucumbers and we ate cucumber after cucumber for a long time. Peel it up, slice it into circles on a large plate, and then sprinkle salt on them.

Well I was in the middle of peeling our cucumber for an afternoon snack when my daughter said, “Dad I don’t want a cucumber.” I was absolutely shocked as she had always loved them and actually were somewhat obsessed with eating them. What I didn’t realize at the time was she was setting me up. She was 4 years old at the time and I came back with, “Well too bad, this is what we are eating.” She persisted, “But Dad, I really don’t want a cucumber.”

I was so stunned by this. So I came back strongly, “Well too bad, you are eating a cucumber whether you like it or not. You have always liked cucumbers. There is no reason to stop liking them now.”

She then got this grin on her face and said, “But Dad (giggle), I don’t want a cucumber, I want a Y-cumber (giggle).”

I busted out laughing. That did it for me and I realized how kids are so simple and can really think outside the box. She was learning her letters and therefore the emphasis all along was on the letters. As an adult you begin to look past all that stuff. You begin to just accept things for what they are.

So if you need original ideas get your kids involved. It may surprise you. So think outside the Q-cumber and think more like a kid.

-sillydad

You are not gonna believe this. I took the 3 older kids to the annual Free Fishing Festival and didn’t snap one photo. I brought my camera, I had charged batteries, and everything was working fine but I spent all day untangling fishing lines, showing the kids how to cast, and putting new worms on the end of the hooks.

95 kids showed up and registered for the day and 45 parents. It was a better turn out than last year due to torrential downpours. See last years pictures and story here.

Even though I didn’t get any pictures, my dad shot a few. Here is one of Sam who is the closest casting. Elizabeth is behind him sitting on the rock waiting for a fish to bite. And you can barely see Isobel behind her watching.

Check out full story and photos of the event here.

Normally what we do is drive 3 hours to my parent’s camp where we meet them, pitch a tent, roast marshmallows, and attend the Family Fish Day only 2 miles down the road. Then we come back after the event and cook hot dogs, marshmallows, and catch up on old times and get some good visiting in while the kids run around.

The weather held off and was great up through the event and into Saturday night and then the rains came. It rained so hard it drove the kids from the tent. They were perfectly dry just the sound of the rain hitting the tent and the nearby tarps created a real loud noise it was hard to hear people just next to you. They all wanted to come in and sleep in the loft in my parent’s camp. So that’s where we all slept.

More pictures coming soon.

-sillydad

Well we have been having some fun so far this Fall. We have been apple picking twice. The first time I went my batteries in my camera died on us so we weren’t able to get any photos. But the second time we were prepared. We also took a trip over to Fort Knox, army fort… I took some photos, take a look…

First off Fort Knox….

Isobel

Isobel with Bucksport in the background. This is what you see from the fort.

Elizabeth, Sam, and Isobel posing in front of the old cannon.

Emma sitting on a pile of cannon balls.

Apple picking pics…

Sam crunching into his Cortland apple.

Yummy… Isobel eating her apple…

Crunch…

Elizabeth getting right into it… getting her hands dirty…

Mommy having some fun in the orchard…

-sillydad

Despite the torrential downpours all weekend the Family Fish Day that took place this last Saturday over in Bethel was quite fun for the family. Most people stayed in where it was warm and dry but there were still a lot of children who came out and faced the rain and wind.

I first arrived at my parent’s camp the night before with my 2 older children, Elizabeth and Sam. The following shows them roasting marshmallows over the campfire. This picture was taken about 10pm.

The next morning we woke up to rain coming down in buckets. As you can see from the next picture we were all dressed from head to toe in rain gear.

Not too long after standing around the stocked pond Kiley Walker from the Bethel Area reeled in one of the only 2 fish (trout) caught all day. The following are the 3 pictures I took.

After an hour or two of fishing we all sat under the outdoor tent trying to remain warm and dry. The following is a picture of my 2 kids sitting at one of the picnic tables.

Then it was time to do our give aways. There were a ton of prizes to be given out and many kids walked away with a smile. My daughter Elizabeth walked away with a nice fishing pole:

Though it rained all weekend, we had a great time and it was a great experience for those kids who came out and made it happen. Next year let’s hope the sun is shining and more kids come out and have fun. Maybe I can bring Isobel next time.

-sillydad

My 2 1/2 year old daughter is still in diapers. It depends on the day whether or not the potty is included in her life. Some days she does real well and other times she is just not interested. I remind her quite often and ask her if she needs to go potty, but still it really depends on how she feels.

So, I thought I would give her some incentive. On April 3rd there is a free family fish day I am taking my 2 oldest kids to and grampa is coming along. The drive to get there would be about 3 hours over where grampa’s camp is. The incentive is if she can potty train and be out of diapers by then I would bring her fishing with us.

From that point on she has been making a little more of an effort to potty train. The thing now is when she fails and lets it go in her diaper she becomes upset and sad because she can’t go fishing. It is always on her mind. Maybe the pressure is too much for her even when she decides to go on the potty?

This is where you guys come in. Any ideas or thoughts on this? Should I not have given her this incentive? I think encouraging her and letting her be in control of whether or not she wants to potty train is good and healthy but my only concern is has it hindered her performance through discouragement as it is always on her mind? If I look back at before she was told about the fishing trip and compare it to where she is now, there is a lot of improvement so maybe it has helped.

Whatcha all think??

-sillydad

Well folks I am back from my mini-vacation.. Hope all is well. Here is my little back from vacation rant. I am good at ranting as we all will soon learn.

Maine had a few weeks in March that was quite nice where the temps were up and the sun was out. What a beautiful month we were having. Some of you may recall I still live in the dark ages and burn wood. Well, let me tell you I thought we were home free. uh uh - noway!

On March 21st I called to order more wood. I ordered 2 cords and so I have been spending time stacking it for next season and unfortunately I have been burning some of it.

Now to turn your heart all mushy I have a cute story about little Sam. The other kids were napping and Sam and I went outside to stack wood. Sam was still intrigued about the wood and where it came from so he asked me several questions to reassure him that wood came from trees and were split into little pieces which were eventually delivered to people’s homes in big trucks.

Finally he jumped in and would pick up the real tiny peices and place them on the pile, patting them as he went along as if to get my attention that he was helping and doing a good job. Finally he says, “Dad I love helping you stack wood, we need to all help each other more often..”

Now what 5 year old kid do you know who thinks about other people. Then he told me he heard it on Sesame Street!

-sillydad

Elizabeth turned six years old on Saturday. One of the things she has been wanting to do for her birthday for the last couple months was for me to take her out to the Texas Roadhouse for lunch. Well, I decided to take her out for a special dad and daughter lunch. As some of you may be aware, a lot of these restaurants these days sing to you on your birthday. Well, we were sitting there minding our own business when a lady who was seated just a few tables from us appeared to have a 21st birthday.

Elizabeth, being the sharp little girl she is says, “Dad it is my birthday today too.” So I asked her if she wanted everybody to give her the “Texas yee-haw”.. and of course she nodded up and down with an obvious yes.

So I told her she had to tell the lady next time she came by to check on us. And sure enough when the waitress came she let her know it was her birthday and that she was now 6 years old. Oh boy… Well, she got to ride on the saddle while everybody in the joint gave her a big Texas yeee-haaaawww…

She loved it!!!

But the next day we spent over at her grammie and grampas house. Had a cake and opened gifts. As you can see in the photos the cake was chocolate and holding up her bear which was a big hit.

-sillydad

What gave me the idea to write about this was reading a Tooth Brushing Hint over at Dadventure. Are you having trouble getting your kids to learn about brushing their teeth? My daughter came home from school one day with a new toothbrush, floss, and some toothpaste. Also in the little packet was a little plastic hour glass. What a cool idea. You tip it over and the sand falls through the contraption for 3 minutes. That is how long you need to brush your teeth for.

Well, let me tell ya, that hour glass was quite the hit in this family. All the kids lined right up to take turns flipping that hour glass.

My oldest daughter would wake up in the middle of the night to go brush her teeth. While she was away at school my younger ones would go into the bathroom and brush their teeth together. It wasn’t about the teeth though, it was about watching the sand fall for 3 minutes.

So if you are having trouble getting your kids to brush their teeth, try a 3 minute hour glass that is roughly 2 inches tall. Works like a charm!

-sillydad

I can always tell when Sam has been in the fridge. When I open the door to it there lay his toys. In a lot of cases he hears me coming and drops everything, slams the refrigerator door, and b-lines it to the living room. Other times he may actually think Mr. Dinosaur needs some food. Who really knows?

I always tell him to ask me first before pawing through all the food with his grubby hands, yet I am always finding his toys scattered about. Some days Spiderman could very well be resting up against a block of Monterey Jack cheese. Other days the Hulk has climbed half way up the jug of milk.

-sillydad

Just recently I wrote an article at dadbloggers.com about my experience driving long distances with my 4 children. It is somewhat comical but extremely true. If you haven’t yet experienced such a trip or would like to compare your own car trips with mine please jump over and read it. At the end of the article I actually put together a list of 10 real basic things that you should bring with you to make your life a little easier, and to make your car ride slightly more enjoyable.

And please, take the article for what it is worth. I will post that list below but make sure to go read the entire article. Funny!

1) Plenty of diapers and baby wipes (This should be obvious but just checking)
2) For each child over 4 years old, bring one extra outfit. For each child under 4, bring two.
3) Bring several large water bottles full of juice. Dilute the juice. It is better for their tummies.
4) Bring snacks. Make sure the snacks do not have jelly or chocolate in them.
5) Bring about 12 plastic bags from the grocery store. This is for trash and unexpected diaper changes and vomiting.
6) Blankets. Each child should have a blanket whether or not it is cold or hot out. When they get tired they will resort back to how they normally sleep. If a blanket is missing, they may not sleep well on the way home which leads to crying.
7) One toy for each child.
For adults, one change of socks. Just prior to driving home, actually put on new socks and put the dirty ones in a plastic bag, tie it up and put in trunk. Trust me, you may not even think of it but if you do this your ride home will be more enjoyable.
9) Roll of Bounty paper towels.
10) A half dozen washclothes and roughly 3 large bath towels.

-sillydad

Finally the kids got out to play in the snow again. Though Maine hasn’t gotten hit with rain like out West we did have some rain and mild weather.

Do you remember being a child and finding fun things to do with your sled? Well, do you remember sliding down your back steps? I caught a few pictures of Sam and Elizabeth out back coming down the back steps.

Elizabeth waits anxiously at the top preparing for one of her most daring moments:

Here is Elizabeth half way down wondering if she made the right decision:

Sammy sees Elizabeth has made it alive. He will be the next hero to attempt this brutal challenge:

Sammy goes so fast he escapes any camera from witnessing his defeat:

Here is Sam wondering how he got down so fast:

And of course here is Isobel all cute in her snow outfit:

Well, I am going to brag about my kids here for a minute, so hold on to your seats. My wife and I went out to eat last night and brought all 4 of the kids. My wife’s co-workers were there and it was like that annual/Christmas dinner they have every year.

The kids were amazing and acted so well behaved. I think I acted out more than they did. A couple times waiting for the food they got a little bored and started fiddling with the silverware. But, considering the atmosphere we were all sitting around a big table with adults my kids hardly ever see and were well behaved.

We got many comments from Jess’s co-workers and even from the restaurant staff of how well behaved our kids were.

So yes… brag brag brag!

I have to admit, I have avoided some of the common Stay at Home Dad questions that people ask me. Some may be due to the recent cold weather and, especially here in Maine, there are less people out and about, or playing at the park. I very rarely take the 4 kids with me places I used to in the summer time just because what’s involved in the entire process in the Winter time.

For those who have never had kids or who don’t have 4 of them, let’s do a quick rundown of what to expect during a simple trip to the store to get milk in the winter time with 4 children.

- Go start up the minivan so that the car will be warm by the time you get the kids ready. Where are the keys? I hung them on the hook I was sure of it. The oldest one tells me Isobel was playing with them not too long ago. After asking Isobel where she placed the keys and her telling me she doesn’t know the search begins.

- While I search for the keys to warm the van, the older kids need to start getting their boots, jackets, hats, and mittens on.

- I look under the couch, tables, chairs for keys and hear crying and fussing in the kitchen. I roll my eyes and head back into the kitchen. Sammy has stolen Isobels boots and won’t give them back.

- I settle the situation and run upstairs to see if my keys are up there and find them in the toilet. Yes, Isobel is potty training I should have looked there first.

- I fetch them, clean them, and place them safely in my pocket as I descend down the back steps. Sammy is watching Spider Man and does not have his boots on nor his jacket and gloves, but has his hat on. Elizabeth is actually all ready but can’t tie her boots. Isobel is still wandering around looking for her boots.

- I get Sam’s attention and I turn off the TV. I tell him to go get his boots on and his jacket. On the way out the door I tie Elizabeth’s shoes and tell her to help the other kids get ready.

- I go out to the van and start it.

- When I walk back in Isobel is mad at something and has thrown her boots across the kitchen and is sitting in the corner pouting. Sam is in the front room playing with his Batman action figure with only his hat on.

- I rush over and grab Isobel’s boots and put them on and tie them. I place her jacket, hat, and gloves on her in no time at all.

- I head for the front room and grab Sammy. I bring him to the kitchen and get his boots on and his jacket. I go to find his gloves and Isobel has taken her jacket off and is playing with the baby. I go back to Isobel and put her jacket back on telling her she needs to keep that on if she wants to go with me.

- I spot Sam’s gloves in the other room so I go get them. When I get back they are all ready to go except for the baby. I get her jacket on and place her in the seat, buckle her up, and am now preparing a diaper bag in case of the unexpected. Elizabeth asks if they can go outside and wait. Sure go ahead!!!

- I get everything ready and out the door I go. I shut the door and Isobel is crying because Sammy pushed her into the snow and now she is freezing cold. I scold Sammy and bring Isobel inside to get her dry mittens. Finally get them on her and got her to stop crying. We go outside only to find Sammy making snow angels without his snow pants on.

- I tell him he needs to get in the van but he starts crying because he is wet and cold. So I get everybody back inside while I get new pants, socks, and mittens for Sam. Now we are all read to go. I take them outside to the van.

- I buckle them all in. Things seem to be going well.

End of Part 1

And all I need is milk!!

This is the first real snow where I live this year. We are predicted to get a few inches. Nothing big but enough to make things look pretty. So of course, the good ol’ dad takes a few pics. This first picture was taken this morning before Elizabeth jumped onto the bus to go to school. Take a look at the nice stockade fence in the background. That was what I put up this summer.

These are a couple of pictures of Center Street from my porch…

House across street:

And last but not least is my attempt at a snowy bush across the street.

I normally don’t post pictures so enjoy them while they last…