Category: Fatherhood

Tonight we took the babies to the beach after their naps. This is my first new favorite thing about our location. We haven’t really had the chance to urban hike Golden Gate park, and that would be next I think. Biking as a family third, but I digress.

When we were in the UK winter of 2012, we ended up at this awesome hotel outside Bath whose name I forget. It was targeted at families, and had kids stuff, menus, a daycare area, and indoor pool. It was amazing.

The best part was that everyone else had kids. So when your kids were screaming at dinner, you were just one in a crowd. It was incredibly liberating.

After the beach, we went to the Park Chalet. Kids played outside as we waited. We sat down, ordered and ate. They were amazing. We all played silly games. They ate their dinner. We all had dessert. They were genuinely easy, and the evening was fantastically wonderful. Amelia even threw down a rendition of “Say Something” for all to enjoy.

From that hotel outside Bath to the Park Chalet we went from being in the screaming masses to a lovely family dinner for 4.

We’re on our way to swimming today, when Amelia decides to drop a big first – her first song request. When she asked for it, I was really surprised, and didn’t actually believe her at first. Then… she started singing the lyrics, and I had no choice.

What was you ask?

None other than:

It’s a really pretty song, and Miss Amelia can belt it like no other. She got her dad’s voice 🙂 and love for top 40 music.

I feel like I’m applying for colleges all over again…

Amelia went to her first preschool interview today. I’m sure it went as well as it could. But it’s a really unnerving experience. One school (who took a $90 application fee) didn’t even invite us to an interview. This school today spent an hour getting to know the kids (which I think is really awesome), but I don’t know how they compare Amelia (2.5 years old) with kids who are older (some who just missed the cut-off, and so are almost 3.5 years old). I know they know, but the fact that I don’t is unnerving.

There are a few other schools in the hopper as well. One of them is blind admission, and so it’s 100% based on the essay we wrote.

If my college admissions rate is an indicator there, then poor Amelia 🙁

It’s hard too because wherever she ends up, there’s almost a certainty that Luka is there as well. I don’t love that scenario because I do think he’d be better off at his own school, but the logistics of it are awful.

So fingers crossed today went well. I really like this school, and if it worked out, then we’d be ecstatic.

Micky was out of town for business (I can’t say why because it’s still a secret), and so a lot of posts this week have been about the kids. It’s been an awesome week of being loved by them, and I’m ending the week in a place of real zen.

I’ll close the week out with the video below of Amelia doing a forward somersault. The pride in her face. The insanity of the fall. It’s a good moment from a good week of being in parent mode full time.

The babies came to the office today since Genevieve was out sick. It’s usually a lost day when that happens, but this time around they were really fantastic. I got a bunch of help from Lauren and KFox which epically made the day better. Without them, it would have been a totally lost day, but they came to my rescue big time.

We got to the office a bit on the later side since organizing and getting them out the door is difficult.

First meeting was with Betsy, and the kids had a fat section of the whiteboard. There was a section that said “Do Not Erase”. Of course they both wanted to draw and erase there. Sorry Badri…

I pulled off two interviews, a partner meeting, and a 1:1 (thankfully Byrne was good with going to the park). The kids woke up from their nap in the middle of the partner meeting, and there was a mad dash to turn on Finding Nemo before we reached full meltdown.

We ended with grilled cheese sandwiches, a quick bath, and a really easy bed time. They were really heroes. One of those days where I realize how lucky I really am.

The nanny got sick today. We don’t have a back up plan. Burned…

Parenthood teaches you very quickly to expect that your back up needs a back up. It’s not enough to expect the kid to get dirty. They’re going to get dirty, and then pee through their diaper. One set of back up clothes is never enough.

Same with snacks (you’ll get stuck in traffic, and need a back up plan). Same with diapers

The hard part is that when people are involved it gets harder and harder to have a back up plan. Without having some infinite cash flow to hold folks on retainer, how the hell do you build up a network of nannies and babysitters that make this problem go away?

The real answer is… live close to family. Especially family who are keen to help out with the kids.

But in that we’ve made a pretty big commitment that doesn’t make that easy… we need a back up plan.

The hard part of the back up plan is the kids. They have a routine. They have patterns, favorites, likes, and dislikes. Getting someone caught up on all of this part time feels impossible. Interviewing for nannies is hard. I just don’t know how we pull it off…

I guess we just get them into school 🙂

I keep missing posts. Right when I’d like to write my post, Amelia wakes up. After getting her back to sleep, it’s 1am. Then I’m too tired to put it together.

Then she wakes up again at 5am, 6am (and if she makes it back to sleep at 7am again).

It’s been really brutal, and I have no idea how to beat it. Micky’s back is out, and so it’s been a very solo affair as well (which only makes it worse). It’s tough to get excited about waking up so many times in the night 🙁

Anyway, I’ll get back to daily posts this week, but I’ll continue to catch up tonight 🙂

So it’s finally happening…

My baby boy Luka has started pre-preschool. He gets to the door, waves at the greyhounds, and proceeds to the toys. He doesn’t even look back to kiss us good-bye.

He’s just too brave, and too excited to grow up. He’s so desperate to be where Amelia is, and not get left behind. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him happier than this last week (and that’s saying a lot for Luka).

I guess the time has come for another baby…

Amelia wanted to do it herself. I wasn’t ready to let her.

Key ingredients – a scooter, a helmet, and a rapidly beating heart. Mixed together, it’s a cocktail from hell. And I don’t drink to begin with.

So there we were, heading to see the Sloan’s new house. Amelia, wanting to copy everything that Lindy was up to, was on her scooter. I couldn’t let go. She kept asking me to let her do it herself. After some tussling, I let her go to see what would happen… and she road her scooter.

She went downhill expertly. She was able to adjust direction (not very well, but she did it). And she knew the speed she was comfortable with, and stopped the scooter if it went too fast. It’s as if she grew 10 years in front of my eyes.

I know exactly what’s going on, but I don’t know how to fix.

You see, Amelia and Luka are at school (Luka starts Monday), or with Genevieve, for a huge chunk of their week. Micky and I get to be with them for a few hours every morning, and a few hours in the evening. So when it comes to the weekend, and I get to be in full on parent mode, it’s hard for me to realize that they’re not frozen in time.

That where I left them last weekend isn’t where they are today.

It’s somehow conceivable that they would have learned, grown, become more capable, or simply just changed.

It’s a really hard reality check, and it’s proven impossible to pull off.

And so, I’m pro-actively making sure I back off. Letting them run around the playground themselves. Giving them the marker, and watching the chaos ensue. Letting the scooter run down hill. It’s so, so hard, but the smile on their faces is also so, so gratifying.