dad blogging

4 days with 3 children in Chicago

The impetus for a trip to Chicago was the National Organization of Veterans Advocates semi-annual conference, but really I wanted to bring my family to see one of my favorite cities and to return to where my bride and I went more than ten years ago to my friend Jesse’s […]

The Boy is 7

I surprised him and picked him up from “Legos club” after school; he’s never seen my car waiting in the carpool lane at his school before, so I had to get out and wave at him before he’d walk my way.  He talked all about something he built that spun […]

the Emerald Coast, Florida

“The Emerald Coast” is how self-proclaimed sophisticated people (or local travel agents) refer to the area of land in the Florida panhandle that touches the Gulf of Mexico.  Part of it–Panama City–is often labeled the “Redneck Riviera,” but really all of the area could pretty much earn this moniker.  It’s […]

our first family camping experience

One of our family’s favorite weekend activities is visiting estate or moving sales in our neighborhood.  Last summer, we got a barely used tent for like $20, and it’s bothered me ever since then that we haven’t used it, so when we loaded up to visit my parents in north […]