Stories for Dads and Moms who Need a Laugh

photo:  gogofunlearning.com I have been reading to my children for years. It started simple, with a short book that had more illustrations than text. As my children got older, the books would become longer. The Boy has moved on to chapter books. We have read "Treasure Island" and are in the middle of "Robinson Crusoe" . As much as he likes it, he is looking forward to wrapping that up so we can move on the latest "Dog Man" installment. Reading to my children is something I've always enjoyed, first with The Oppressed and now with The Boy. The Boy and I don't always agree on what our next selection will be, but it's still nice for me to spend a little time with him at night before we go to bed and prep for the next day. As both of them grew up, I would try to get them to read a little to me. It was my own way of teaching them to read and get some practice for when they would be reading on their own. Go Go can Teach your Child Every parent has ...

I like music. I never learned to play a musical instrument, but I like to listen to it. My youngest children are playing instruments in school, and I like going to their concerts. It's fun seeing how they have progressed since they started back in elementary school. I Like Music Music is with me when I drive, cook, write, ride my bike. If I am doing something, chances are I'm listening to music while I'm doing it. The type of music I listen to depends on what I'm doing at the moment. If I'm reading or writing, I'm usually listening to classical music, although right now, it's Led Zeppelin IV that's gracing my ears as I construct this week's masterpiece. My children are with me in the car a lot. My job description includes chauffeur, so there's normally a passenger with me when I'm on the road. Children have heard my CD's or the catalog I have on my phone. I don't listen to the radio much, but that's a story for another time. On M...

Watching your kids grow up is something. For people like me, who were (are) stay-at-home parents, we watch our children change and grow every day. These changes are subtle because we are with them all of the time. It's not like when we see someone for the first time in months or years and the changes in people are that much more noticeable. Reading with my Children One thing I remember doing with my children is reading. The Oppressed and The Boy had different books that they liked to read. Some of the books we read together stand out in my mind for different reasons. Sometimes there would be books that didn't have much of a storyline but had words you would match to the different pictures. Sometimes it would feature body parts. When I read this book, I would read the word and ask the kids to point these parts out on their own bodies. Sometimes the books would contain an actual story, and we would read the story together. It would be a simple enough plot about some character who...

instagram.com “Don’t work for your money. Let your money work for you,” is one of the things I remember my grandfather telling me. It was certainly an attractive notion. The idea that my money could make me more money was something that appealed to me.  I’ve always looked at the stock market as fantasy sports. Putting your money into a company that people are always buying and not only raising the price of your shares but also the chance of an occasional dividend is something that certainly appeals to many people for obvious reasons. Investing in the Stock Market Years ago, I put some money into the stock market. I looked at some companies that looked interesting to me, and with a little research I was certain these were sound investments. I bought shares and reinvested the dividends. It was something I had always wanted to do since learning about the stock market in a high school math class. The more I learned about shares, dividends, and potential stock splits, the more my curios...

I was minding my own business when I got a text from a friend I hadn't seen in 20 years. Chris told me he was in town for a few days, and he thought it would be a great idea if we were able to meet up for a beer or two. Great minds thinking alike, I naturally agreed with him. The New Kid in Class I met Chris one day in religion class at my alma mater, Bishop Fenwick High School . He was "the new kid". I don't know how he ended up being transferred to my class. It was winter, months into the school year, but here he was. I still remember that day. I got to class and sat down. I exchanged greetings with someone who sat near me. That was when I noticed him sitting in the back of the room. The guy I asked shrugged his shoulders, and we agreed he was probably someone who was making up a test in another class. My teacher, Ms. Bertrand, came into the class. She saw Chris and was surprised. "Oh," Ms. Bertrand said. "You're here today." "Yes,"...