The other day, my parents came over to watch the kids while I went to a meeting for school. I had just finished making a smoothie for Hudson and put the berry-coated blender jar in the sink and filled it halfway with water to make cleaning it easier later. My dad’s first move, as he […]
Right Now
I hate the dentist. Last time I went I followed some counterintuitive advice: Instead of thinking about what is about to happen or what could happen, fix your focus on what is happening right now. The idea is that we tend to make a bigger deal about things that haven’t happened yet and ignore what […]
Make New Mistakes
As dads, husbands, and professionals, we make mistakes every day. They’re inevitable. No one has a handbook for how to raise kids because every child is different and every day presents new challenges. The goal is to stop making the same mistakes. As we learn and grow, we correct the mistakes we used to make […]
Smoothie Water
The other day, my parents came over to watch the kids while I went to a meeting for school. I had just finished making a smoothie for Hudson and put the berry-coated blender jar in the sink and filled it halfway with water to make cleaning it easier later. My dad’s first move, as he […]
Fresh Starts
Today across the state, thousands of student-athletes are gathering on fields and in gyms as their fall seasons kick off. For most kids, the start of school is still three weeks away and the athletic field provides a different opportunity than what will be awaiting them on the day after Labor Day. An opportunity for […]
Summer is Over
Every year around this time, my wife and I begin mourning the loss of a season. It’s raining? Summer is over. The school supplies are out at Target? Summer is over. The Vikings are playing their first preseason game? Summer is over. Along with the weather change, when I go back to school life picks […]
Listen Better
Husbands, we’ve got a reputation for being bad listeners. Whether it’s deserved or not is not important, but rather if we as individuals are going to fit the stereotype. I recently went to a conference on leadership that listens and I came away with three things to focus on when it comes to communication in […]
Playtime is Productive
As a teacher, I get to play stay-at-home-dad during the summer. I absolutely love this about my job and I relish the full days I get to spend with my kids not having to worry about school. The other day, as I finished cleaning up lunch messes and putting kids down for naps, I couldn’t […]
Ducks in a Row
I’m a “ducks in a row” kind of person. When I sit down to write, I make sure my computer and notebook are organized and neat on my desk, I have the right music in my headphones for optimal productivity, and then I feel resistance. Is this a good enough topic to write about? Can […]
My “Me Time” is Gone, How Do I Get it Back?
You can’t. Well, at least not as much as you had before kids. Disappointed by that? Don’t be! Being a dad is an incredible calling and an amazing gift. However, that doesn’t mean that ALL of your time to yourself is gone. When my son was born, I quickly realized that large chunks of time […]
A Letter to My One-Year-Old Daughters
Georgia and Wynnie, Early in the morning on March 14, 2018, your mom and I set off for the hospital having no idea that we would be meeting you that same day. Sure enough, by 8:00 am you were both in this world and fighting! Your mom was an absolute warrior and that is no […]
December 31, 2019
New Year’s resolutions don’t work. At least that’s what the research says. Eat healthier? Read more books? Start exercising more regularly? These are all things that no doubt would add value to your life and lead to more fulfillment, so why do they fail? I bet Google will tell us: I’m writing this on New […]