Table Manners, Toddlers, and A Tale Of Two Cities

An old childhood trauma resurfaced when I read an article in The Sunday Times today. The author, India Knight, talked about Etiquette vs. Manners. I’ve always found etiquette intimidating; a feeling that has recently returned since the birth of my son. Anyone with a toddler who can spin in circles faster the Tasmanian devil would know what I’m talking about. When I was younger, my parents…
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Oprah’s Got Nothing On Me

I feel a lot like Oprah this week. And the movers get a thousand dollars! The auto-hauler gets a thousand dollars! Whoops there goes another thousand just for funsies! As I spend my meager fortune far faster than I ever made it, I'm starting to wonder why we have so much crap. When I moved to California almost a decade ago, I had three boxes and an iPod packed into the back of my SUV. That was…
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Choose Your Own Adventure

For me, there is nothing more stressful than finishing a chapter of a Choose Your Own Adventure novel. Two-Face has Robin dangling over a vat of acid. You only have time to save Boy Wonder or catch the crook. Do you: a) Throw your batarang to slice through Robin's ropes, or b) Tackle Two-Face and deliver him to Commissioner Gordon. Uh...can't I do both? Why isn't that an option? Won't Robin be…
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Translating For Boy Wonder

Boy Wonder's vocabulary is expanding every day. It seems like just yesterday he said his first words, Da-da. Of course he did say that yesterday and this morning too. Basically whenever he wants something I get summoned with a hearty "Da-da!". These days he says plenty of words clearly "Car!", "Trucko!", "Ice Cream Man!", and "No!". I find myself marveling at the idea that I can communicate with…
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Simple Distractions

IncreiMom and I like to treat Boy Wonder to the fine dining experiences of Red Robin, IHOP, and occasionally Arby's. It's really a great deal. He shares off of my plate, which cuts calories for me. Then I burn off whatever I am able to shovel in my mouth (inside ten seconds) by chasing him around the restaurant after he declares "All done!". I don’t even feel guilty because it's dinner and a…
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Spending Time With Your Sidekick Even When Life Is Busy.

Parents are spending more time with their children than parents of any other generation since the 1960s. According to a recent study, modern parents spend close to an hour more taking care of their kids than parents did in 1965. But is that quantity of time really adding up to more quality time? Spending time with your little sidekick is how you are going to show that you love them. But…
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Dance Class With IncrediDad and Boy Wonder

Up until a month ago, I thought a pirouette was a kind of cookie. Turns out, it is a dance move. You see, Boy Wonder has been taking Ballet Class once a week and we are both learning so much. For example, you wouldn’t believe how many ballet terms sound food related: Sauté (so-Tay): please sauté that chicken with peppers and onions! Battement (Bot-Mah): I know I’ve ordered this from my…
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I’m Alfred, Not Batman

As a father, and as a human being, I've learned to take the good with the bad. For example, it's a good thing that Boy Wonder has learned the word please. He knows it's proper use; "Peanut Butter peeze.", "Binky please.", "Money please." Wait a second, what was that? The flip side is that he knows how to weaponize the word too. "Phone please! Pleeeeeeease. PLEASE!" But he's just so damn cute, how…
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Top 3 Unexpected Ways That Fatherhood Changed My Life

When we first found out we were going to be parents it seemed like everyone kept repeating the same thing to us. "It will change your life forever." Okay, yeah, sure it will. You dont even have a human kid. You're a dog mom! It seemed reasonable that something like creating new life would turn ours upside down but no one ever explained how. There were obvious changes like lack of sleep, more toys…
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Incrdedible Leadership Lessons: Love and Patience

Lessons in Incredible Leadership are back! This week I'll be doing a series on leadership and how it relates to parenthood. Today's topic is love and patience. Patience has a calming effect on everyone under its influence. IncrediDads, Super-Sidekicks, and IncrediMoms alike can be soothed when we all practice patience. Cranky people aren't always super- villains, sometimes they just need us to…
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