August 12, 2008
Well, maybe not the hardest thing, but one hard thing about being a dad is trying to find time to blog about being a dad. Think of that as a metaphor for “The hardest thing about being a Dad is finding the time to do the things that you get personal enjoyment from, and aren’t always about kids.”
This week was filled with several todo items for “The IT Department” which, of course, is me.
- Mac Mini ran out of HDD space, and needed an upgrade. Lots of research here about what to do and buy, but in the result, got 2GB ram and 200GB disk to breathe some new life into it. This took 2 separate trips to the parts store before getting right, and I still have to go back there to return the RAM that wasn’t recognized by the aging mini.
- The power supply of my home server (and my home desktop!) croaked, and the extent of damage is unknown. Hopefully, the disks are still ok (they, RAID, so I’m hopeful) and if not, it means restoring stuff from an aging backup.
- Figuring out what the IT infrastructure for our kitchen remodel will be — Phone? Network? Cable? Audio? To which rooms? How much are you willing to pay?
Ugh! At least we’re out of childcare limbo and Mr. Busy is back to his normal daily routine…
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Posted by slacy
August 7, 2008
I recently spent one of my daddy-afternoons driving around to various bike shops & sports shops checking out the different selection of child bike seats that are available. I don’t have a fancy bike, and didn’t want to spend a lot of money on something that would likely only last a few months, if that. So, after 3 different stores, I settled on this Bell “Cocoon” child carrier seat, which was only $50:
I got it home, and put it together, which was fairly straightforward, but took a couple hours. Like many kid-products, there seems to be a bigger emphasis on cost than on ease of assembly. It took me a while to get the whole contraption mounted to the rear of my bike, and I had several times where I was about to give up and junk the thing, and go buy the $200 version.
But, with enough wrangling, I actually got it mounted and secure, and have taken a few rides with Mr. Busy Bear. He seems to really like it, and has a big grin on his face while we’re riding. I was surprised by how different it is to ride with a 25 pound toddler on your rear. It significantly changes the way the bike handles, and getting on and off with him in it can be harrowing the first couple of times! So, if you get one of these, be careful!
We mostly just rode on Stevens Creek Trail, up to Whisman Park. I was hoping that we could make it all the way to Shoreline Park, but we ran out of steam before getting there. Maybe next time!
I’m on daddy duty 2 or 3 afternoons a week (4pm and on) so with the long summer nights, I’ve got a fair bit of time to spend with Mr. Busy Bear, which is really nice, and I’ve been trying to find more and more things to do other than just hang out at Mercy-Bush park!
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Posted by slacy
August 4, 2008
It’s yet another spectacular Saturday morning in Palo Alto – sunny, 72 degrees… The 7-year-olds are playing “bunch ball.” Some call it soccer, others “futbol,” but who are they kidding? It’s a bunch of kids bunched around a ball, coercing its motion jointly.
My friend’s daughter breaks free from the clump and makes a spectacular pass upfield. I shout “Nice pass, Sarah!” (not her real name) and turn to my friend, one lawn chair away, to share the parenting joy. Hearing me shout his daughter’s name, his head pops up from the Blackberry and he shouts “Way to go, Sarah!” in the general direction of the field. He looks at me and smiles sheepishly, as though to say “Phew! Close one. But I still get credit for being here. Thanks!”
Now I’m at Cub Scouts. The boys are building something that requires just a little more manual dexterity than a 2nd grade boy has. Most of the dads are helping, gently guiding their sons’ use of the hammer. One dad’s Blackberry buzzes. He whips it off his belt faster than a shootout in a spaghetti western. Two hands on the Blackberry, none on the bird house. His son barely notices. He must be used to it. Then the dad dials, and begins talking about the indemnity terms in section 7. I tap him on the shoulder and ask him to go outside. He returns 10 minutes later and says “Sorry… trying to close a deal” as if I would totally understand.
It’s Blackberry Parenting. Take the typical addiction to the Blackberry (or iPhone, or Sidekick…) and cross it with a driven, type-A Silicon Valley lifestyle. I can be a great parent, be there for my kids and still be at work, and do a great job at both.
Well, guess what, busy Bay Area Parents – it’s an illusion. When you are on your death bed, you will not remember the email that you replied to, nor the deal that you closed. But you will remember the excited pride your daughter had when she made that great pass and looked up to share it with you. And maybe closing the deal happened an hour or a day later than you had hoped, but your son will remember finishing the bird house with you, not showing it to you when you finished with your call.
So put the smart phones down, and enjoy the serendipitous moments with your kids. Make eye contact with your child, not with the LCD screen. Let them know that you are there for them, and them only.
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Posted by howard
