Stories for Dads and Moms who Need a Laugh

When I am travelling to see friends and family, I usually take a detour through one of my old neighborhoods or past an old school or job. A simple drive home from somewhere usually becomes hours-long, much to the chagrin of my children. Certainly I'm not the only one who passes through a place that was once a routine in their previous life. Some people leave and never look back because they don't need to. They lived that part of their life and they don't need to visit that part of the past any longer. Not me. I go back and visit the ghosts every chance I get. There are times when people need to go back to an old neighborhood. Sometimes they need to pick something up from their parents or, in a worst-case-scenario, a relative has died and something needs to be picked up. Unfortunately, there may be a time when you have to go back to the old neighborhood to take care of some business, usually after the loss of a loved one. Murder at Whispering Pines Lai Holmes has written ...

You know I like to read if you are a frequent visitor here. Sometimes I like to share what I am reading on another site . If I'm not reading during the day, I'm reading at night, usually to The Boy . Books are a part of my family's life, and everyone is reading something. Christmas time means switching gears for me. As part of getting into the season, I like to read Christmas-themed stories. Some of these stories are very well known, and others are hidden gems that I have discovered over past Christmases. Some were assigned reading in school just before Christmas Break, some are stories I've read in my leisure time whilst sitting by the fire with a cup of cheer. Some of these stories have introduced me to things that I have included in my own celebrations. For instance, reading Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" introduced me to Smoking Bishop . It's a drink I enjoy making every year. Check out the recipe and try making yourself a bowl. It's warm and del...

"Harry Potter". A former obsession.  The Oppressed has moved on to other things, but she still has a place in her  heart for J.K. Rowling's creation. Parents know what it's like when their child discovers something new. It can last for a week, or a few years. Either way, your child's obsession will be something everyone at home will know about. If you're a parent, at one point your child has had an obsession with something; a movie, a book, a fictional character. It may even be a food that your child had to eat every day. Sometimes it's alright to indulge your cherub in that which gives them great joy. Other times, especially in cases of food, you need to step in and limit what they think they need every day. The World of Percy Jackson My youngest daughter is no different. Our dear little tween has discovered the world of Percy Jackson and his books. I'm not quite sure how she came across this treasury, but she did. I'm glad her obsession is rea...

Nights and evenings mean it's time to unwind from a long, hard day and rest for what the morning has in store for us. For Wife and me, it means climbing into bed and reading before closing our eyes for some well-earned slumber. One More Important Duty Before I can climb into bed for my slumber, though, I need to fulfill an important fatherly duty. This duty requires me to read to The Boy. This has been a tradition we have observed for years, and my youngest son has a stringent list of requirements that need to be religiously followed every night. The night begins with a "First Assigned Spot". This means I have to be on my bed while The Boy changes his clothes and gets ready for bed. When he is ready, he comes to my room and informs me he is ready for me to go to his room and read to him. Every night, I take a shot and ask if my intelligent child might want to read a story to me for a change. I think that would be a nice little treat if I get to listen to my child's ...