Stories for Dads and Moms who Need a Laugh

2023 It's been a fun and interesting year for me and my family. Wife, the children, and me did a lot of things. We went to a lot of places, and we were able to share some new experiences. There were also new things I got to do and learn by myself. With my family or by myself, destinations and activities provided memories and plenty of stories. Being a Foster Parent We decided to end our tenure as foster parents this year. It was a memorable and interesting six-year run that none of us will forget. Fostering duties meant additional parent-teacher conferences and doctor's visits. Monthly visits with social workers allowed us to address numerous issues and share stories. Some were funny, some weren't so funny. We will be sure to remember some children better than others as each placement came with unique challenges and experiences. One of the most memorable experiences Wife and I had was adopting two children who were placed with us. Living without Electricity A fire in the f

We recently finished our road trip into the Midwest. We saw a lot of great things and ate a lot of great food. After returning home, emptying our bags, and contributing to the never-ending pile of laundry, it was time for me and Slugger to pack our bags again and get back on the road. Slugger had signed up for Job Corps, an alternative education program. This program would allow students to earn a G.E.D. and learn a trade. Job Corps has locations all over the country, including New England. When Slugger and I went to sign up for the program, we knew we could find a location that would be relatively close to us. The campus for Slugger was going to be in Vergennes, Vermont. Population: 2,559. The smallest town in the Green Mountain State. Making Preparations for Vermont Unfortunately, this would not be a project tackled by me and Wife, as she needs to go to work. The task  A slice of life in Vergennes. of keeping a child alive overnight through multiple states fell squarely on my shou

 Chicago. The Windy City. The setting of "Chicago Fire", "The Fugitive", "The Blues Brothers", and the ultimate destination of our road trip. A view of Chicago from Lake Michigan. We pulled into the Windy City and checked into our hotel. We dropped our bags and then we dropped down on our beds. It had been a long trip from Massachusetts to New York to Ohio and into the Land of Lincoln. Wife and I couldn't wait to see what Chicago had in store for us. It's a city she had always wanted to visit. Our first experience was at a gas station. There was a little bit of sticker shock when we filled our gas tank. Gas prices are tough wherever you go, but we weren't expecting it to be this tough. We were too tired to give the price at the pump too much thought, though. It was 9:00 and it had been another day on the road. The Boy wanted to see the pool and make sure it passed muster. While checking in, he and The Oppressed went to check things out. It l

School is over and we needed a vacation. We travel as often as we can. Wife and I love to do it, but children tend to make it a little more challenging. School tends to do that. Vacation time is limited to certain times of the year. Planning our trip at the end of the school year seemed like the perfect time to do it. The Oppressed and The Boy would be going to camp soon. Lovie has work. Traveling in June would allow us to hit the road and celebrate the academic accomplishments and spend some time together as a family, much to the delight of our teenage cherubs. As usual, nothing here really happens as planned. Wife and I were hoping to be out the door and on the road by 5 a.m. It was more like 7:00 when we finally got going. Wife and I got coffee for us and some breakfast for the children. Soon, we were on Interstate 90 heading west. We were on the road for a while. Massachusetts isn't the biggest state in the Union, but the kids didn't realize how big it was going from east