Storytelling

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Boo the Pomeranian Reminds Me of My Son

October 25, 2011 at 10:54 pm , by 

Eleven months.

Having a son means that there is always a part of me floating out there in the universe. Whether he’s simply just asleep down the hall or away at day care while I’m at work, part of my brain is constantly thinking about him.

He is in everything I see. He’s in every random thought I have; from Gummy Bears to a Pomeranian with a buzz cut.

A few days ago on Facebook I saw a picture of two Pomeranians posted by one of my former students in Bangkok atGlobal English School. So inevitably, the following conversation followed:

    • 4 people like this.

      • Nick Shell What kind of dog is the one on the right? It’s look unreal!

        October 20 at 12:32am · Like

      • A-ngoon its look unreal because its smile right ?? they both are pomeranian but the right one have a shorter hair ka nick:)

        October 20 at 2:46pm · Like

      • Nick Shell The right one reminds me of my son :)I am probably going to use this picture on my website about him.

        October 20 at 7:09pm · Like

      • A-ngoon
        ‎:)

        October 21 at 11:38am · Like

It turns out that this Pomeranian happens to be famous; his name is Boo and his Facebook page has well over 2 million “likes!”

I can’t look at Boo and not see my son Jack; the way Boo is smiling, the shape of Boo’s face- that is my son as a Pomeranian! 

Granted, a Dadabase post like this one will never show up in the Top 5 Most Popular Posts section on the right side of the screen. It’s so out there, I know. But I just couldn’t keep this enchanting and bizarre photo from the world; simply because I love to talk about my son- even in the form of a yappy little dog.

Maybe it’s just me that somehow sees the abstract resemblance. But I’m sure I’m not the only parent out there who thought their child looked like something just as weird. When you look at the world through my eyes, you see Jack-Man in the strangest of places.

Passing the Mic:

Do you think Jack looks like Boo?

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Bullying Prevention Month: Teaching My Infant Self-Defense

October 25, 2011 at 10:19 pm , by 

Eleven months.

It’s a proud moment in a dad’s life to learn that while under the care of another adult, your son elbow jabbed another kid who was hitting him on the head. And that is exactly what happened.  My eleven month old son defended himself against a bully’s repeated attacks. Interestingly enough, he and “the bully” are now friends.

My son taught the bully to respect him by putting him in his place. That’s my boy.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. What better way for me to celebrate as a dad than to know my daily wrestling routines with my son have paid off? I play the big scary monster who hides behind the couch and charges towards him to give him a big “daddy hug.” It’s a way for him to test his strength against mine, as he knows I’m no real danger to him. I’m simply his training coach.

Why do men love sports? Playing sports is like “playing war.”

At the end of the day, no one really gets hurt too badly but the players get to engage their masculine strength (and strategies) against other “warriors.” Another thing it reminds me of is the way that dogs “play fight.” It’s their natural way of preparing for an attack by a larger dog or some kind of other serious physical threat.

So why should things be any different with my (not-so) little man? It’s simply an instinct for me to want to wrestle him and that, accordingly, he enjoys the challenge. I’m preparing for him to defend himself from another kid trying to pick on him. What I am not doing is simply teaching him violence for the sake of violence.

Preventing bullying means a lot of things. But ultimately, I’ve yet to talk to one father out there who is okay with his son not defending himself against being physically attacked by a peer.

Bullies attack those who they perceive as weak because they themselves are weak in some way; also because they have a lack of respect for others. I vow to teach my son that he is strong, both in spirit and in body. That may mean that he has to teach the bully to respect him by fighting back.

Sometimes words (and corporate policies) prevent bullying. Other times, a good ole fashioned elbow jab does the trick.

Passing the Mic:

Do you encourage your son to fight the bully in the name of self-defense? Or is my approach a perfect example of “bad parenting?”

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7 Things This Dad Stopped Caring About

October 24, 2011 at 11:45 pm , by 

Eleven months.

After becoming a dad last year, I quickly learned that certain things in my life which were previously important had become nearly irrelevant. The funny thing is, I’m so used to my new state of normalcy that I actually forgot that at one point these things even mattered at all. So to celebrate my recent maturity as a dad and as a human being, I now share the top seven things I stopped caring about when I became a dad.

1. Drool: Today at work I looked down at my jacket and saw what appeared to be dried slobber. It’s amazing how much I didn’t care. Maybe there’s something about changing so many diapers in those first couple months that caused me to not even think twice about something as harmless as a little bit of baby drool- whether it’s wet on my hand or dried on my clothing.

2. Sleep: At this point, my son sleeps from 7PM until 6:30 AM every day; but I’m so accustomed to those days of so little sleep for my family of three, that six solid hours each night is plenty good for me. You would think I would crash slightly after he does each night, but I guess I have to feel like I have some kind of life outside of being a dad- like staying up until midnight to publish this blog post.

3. Watching movies: Watching TV shows is different because that is so much more of a passive event. Movies require a sense of commitment- averaging from 90 minutes to two hours. Free time matters so much more to me now; movies just don’t hold their value in my new economy of time.

4. What time I eat: Dinner could be at 6PM… or maybe 7:30… 8 o’clock… it’s anybody’s guess. Coordinating my son’s own eating schedule along with putting him to bed for the night then actually cooking the meal for us parents and then sitting down to eat it; well, it’s the kind of thing that just has to be flexible. I eat when I can, not when I’m hungry.

5. Being on time, in general: I can manage to get to work on time each day despite being the one to drop him off at day care. However, making it to church on time is a whole other blog post. We used to be the people who showed up to events on time. Now the motto is “better late than never.” People seem to understand, though: We have the “parent pass.”

6. Weekend plans: Does it really matter what I’m doing this weekend? Will I be getting any more sleep than a weekday? Will it be any more relaxing than being at work all day instead? I think I just answered my own questions.

7. The perception of being in control: I feel like B.C. (before child) I actually believed I had a decent amount of control over my life. Now, controlling my own life essentially revolves around trying to control my son’s life. Ultimately, if I can keep him from chewing on the power cord to the vacuum cleaner today, then I’ll gladly count that as “being in control.”

Passing the Mic:

What would you add to your version of this list?

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My Baby on Wheels Learns to Walk

October 23, 2011 at 11:52 pm , by 

Eleven months.

Yeah, I know; that’s a pretty weird title…

My eleven month old son, Jack, is learning to walk. Up until now, he has simply been a “baby on wheels,” trampling over anything and everyone in his way. I think of how cartoons, like the Road Runner, had legs that essentially transformed into wheels once they got moving.

Jack also reminds me of a toy I had back when I was 5 (in 1986) called The Animal, a toy SUV that had tiger claws than came out of the tires when it needed to climb over a surface.

But over the past couple of weeks, Jack has been experimenting with standing and walking. He can stand on his own for close to ten seconds and can take up to six steps before he falls; not that I’m necessarily in a rush for him to gain more independence.

Of course, his further independence means my further responsibility. When I think of all the milestones of a baby’s progress, the first steps are definitely pretty high on the list. I feel like so many camera commercials capitalize on this event.

I am fascinated by the way he falls- in safe, slow-motion. It’s just funny because I know if I were falling down after walking a few steps, it would be fast and furious, possibly with a Tokyo drift. As for Jack, each time he breaks his walking stride with a fall, he’s as graceful as a cat landing on its feet.

Seeing Jack walk is almost as weird as if an animal were to start talking to me all of the sudden- it’s just thatenchanting and seemingly unnatural. My “baby on wheels” can crawl and use toys to skate around the floor with, but… walk?

Baby steps, baby steps; that is what it will take- for me to finally get used to see my infant walking instead of crawling.

Passing the Mic:

How old was your child when they finally started learning to walk? What new tricks did they start doing that sort of freaked you out?

Leave a comment Posted on parenting, Storytelling

Dad’s Drug of Choice: Starbucks’ Dirty Chai Latte

October 23, 2011 at 10:24 pm , by 

Eleven months.

Cheers to my favorite season of the year, Autumn! With what drink do I make this toast? Well, of course that would be an “off menu” item none among us inconspicuously clued in as the “Dirty Chai Latte” at Starbucks. It’s a Chai Tea Latte with an added shot of espresso.

Why am I promoting it for free? Am I getting a lifetime supply of Dirty Chai’s out of this deal? I wish.

With all the great things that emerge with the fall season, my sinus and allergy problems are among them- especially here in Nashville. Some days, like today, when I accordingly get a headache so intense I nearly get nauseous, no pain reliever will heal me other than a $4 Dirty Chai.

Will you like it? There’s a good chance you won’t. But I definitely do.

It’s made with cinnamon, anise, ginger, cloves, cardamom, milk, a little bit of sugar, and of course, a shot of espresso. So it’s earthy, spicy, malty, rich, and just sweet enough for me not to feel guilty.

By all means, the Dirty Chai is a drug; but at least it’s a legal one. If you are feeling sick, its warmth and caffeine will mask your pain. If you’re feeling stressed by the reality of parenthood, it will lift you up. If are already feeling good, it will make you feel even better.

As parents, we have our vices. This is one of mine. There’s just something about drinking a Dirty Chai amongst the company of strangers at Starbucks who are lucky enough to “work from home” on their laptops that makes me feel like all is well in the world.

Passing the Mic:

I’ve shared my favorite drinkable Autumn vice with you. What’s yours? Do you have an “off the menu” item to introduce to me?