Social Media Newbie

  Social media is incredible.  It brings together people from around the world, allowing us to voice our opinions, comments, questions or whatever we can think of.  All we need to do is get a following, which is not all that easy, but once we have it our voice can be reverberated throughout the world. 
  At the start of the year I had an old cell phone and zero social media experience.  In fact I made fun of everyone with their Blackberry phones, Facebook accounts and so on.  And than my wife suggested writing a blog, in place of a journal for my kids, to tell stories about every day events in our lives.  In the beginning I resisted this suggestion from my wife, which did not surprise her, but after much thought and many days forgetting to write in my journals I gave in and started my blog.  Who knew she would be right, again.  Once I had started the blog my wife offered up a couple more great ideas, Twitter and Facebook, as these would allow me to share my blog with family and friends.  So in a matter of two weeks I went from social media critic to social media newbie.  Here I am 4 months after getting involved in all of this and last week I was tweeting with people from all over the U.S., pretty cool stuff, and my blog is read overseas, really cool stuff.


Seriously, when do I sleep?

  One problem, I could be on my computer, phone or Ipad 24-7 and still feel like I am missing out on something.  And when I go a week without doing a blog I feel like I am letting other people down, like there is this cult following that is wandering aimlessly until I complete my next blog, lead by my mother in law.  This was meant to be a way to write down my thoughts and share them with whoever wanted to listen and now it feels like a job.  Mind you it's a a job that actually excites me, creating a desire to do more with it and get more people involved.  A job that if utilized correctly could one day bring back greater rewards then just the joy of writing.

  With four kids, a wife with a successful career, and a house that needs some sort of maintaining, I can't find the time I need to take this to the next level.  I tried leaving dry cereal out for the kids, along with crackers for lunch, so that I could work uninterrupted, but they keep asking for more food.  For showers, I turned on the sprinkler out back and let them run through, but that was too cold for them back in March.  Recently, with all the rain we have had I just send them out back in their rubber boots, but they still complain.  Next week I am increasing their household chores leaving me the time to follow my addiction, I mean passion. 

  As I try to find balance between Twitter, Facebook, and my blog, not to mention my website that I am currently working on, (oh and the house and kids, can't forget them, god knows I have tried, only once or twice), I want to get back to why I started this in the first place, money, sorry, family.  My tweets, which I don't show to just anyone, will be about my life and the events surrounding it.  My blog will be the same and if I have nothing to say for a little while then I will let my wife chime in, after all, she always has something, wonderful, to say.  As for Facebook, I will use it to let people know about my blog and anything else I feel important.  I will leave the quirky quotes to my brother in law as he is very witty, and has the book.  My website, if it ever takes off will be the place to visit in the future as it will have everything on display.  Well, maybe not everything, as I need some secrets for myself.  As for social media, I am enjoying it, having trouble keeping up, but will continue forward and learn it's benefits.  Finally, I would like to thank my wife for all her support such as "are you going to be on that computer all night?" or "should I make you and your computer a bed to sleep together in?"  Truthfully, she has been great, after all it's her fault I am doing all of this.  Love you sweetie.  She's going to hate me.

"Let's Get Ready To Rumble"

  What do you do when you realize that John Cena and The Rock, wrestlers, have come home with you from school.  Personally I would set up a ring and let them beat the snot out of each other in hopes that there would never be a rematch.  Unfortunately, we have two other kids that are still the same people we met in the morning and I don't want them thinking this is okay.  So I must change my tactics and find a better resolution.


  How about a ring with both wearing big helmets and boxing gloves or maybe those big Sumo wrestling outfits, and than let them go at it.  I could see my daughter wanting in on this and ultimately all four of them, which I think would be great to video and use as a wordless blog for another day, stay tuned, you never know.  My wife on the other hand believes that there is a better way to handle it and maybe they just need a new referee.  Huh, who is she kidding, I have approached this from all angles and currently I feel like the ref in the WWE that gets his butt kick by the wrestlers.  Either that or I feel guilty for taking away one of their favorite things.   Tonight I spoke to all kids about best behaviour, listening, chores, and blah, blah, blah.  At least I think that's what they heard.  Best behaviour with four under 7 is;

no fighting (yeah right), no hitting (good luck), no screaming (there's four, who am I kidding), no biting (still happens with daughter), listen when spoken to (not just looking at person speaking) and if we are really lucky, manners used at all times (no exceptions).  We get a pretty good outcome from the last one, still working on the rest.

  Someone told me that they are just kids and kids do crazy things, that's how they learn.  Clearly these people don't have four kids that are doing all of these things at the same time.  Now don't get me wrong, I love my kids to pieces and I am as much the problem as the solution.  For example, throwing my sons cereal in the sink from 10' away, milk and all, because he complained that he wanted to pour the milk and started crying.  Probably not my best moment as a dad, after all I had to clean it up and he still ended up with cereal.  I can just see him at school, "my dad is not the brightest, he threw my cereal and made a mess, but still gave me a new bowl and had to clean up the mess.  I am going to try this with dinner tonight and video it".  Or the time I put one of the kids in the shower clothes and all.  After all the tears, my son asked if he could wear the same shirt the next day now that it was clean.  I am still learning what works with them, but more importantly I am still learning what works for me.  Maybe I should put the Sumo suit on and let them beat on me for a bit, except that they would poke a hole in the suit so that I felt the pain.  Oh well, the beat goes on and tomorrow is a new day, and no it's not "the first day of the rest of my life", but it might be my last if they ever learn to gang up on me.

  Dad's can do it too, it just may take us more time to figure out what works best, but that is what makes everyday exciting.    

Happy Birthday Grammie

  Oh no, here we go again.  It`s almost time to go visit Grammie, my mother in law, and I have to go.  The kids are thrilled and my wife, of course, is always excited to spend time with her mom.  For me, well it brings to mind a recent joke I heard.  Two guys talking at the bar and one says "my mother in law is such an angel" and the other guy responds with "you are so lucky, mine is still alive".

  When I married my wife, we had already been dating for a few years so I had a pretty good idea of what I was getting into with her family and her mom in particular.  At least I thought I knew until the day I heard her curse, "oh shoot" was what she said.  All of a sudden this sweet, church going woman showed me a side that shocked me, and I kinda liked it.  Who knew that a young 60 year old woman with four grown kids, 10 grandkids, 1 great granddaughter, and one new son in law could be so versatile.  One day talking about the Catholic religion, the next, sending me a joke about Walmart shoppers.  To think this was going to be my future kids grammie and I had yet to see any candies or cookies sitting around her house.

  Here we are, almost 13 years later, the day of her birthday and my four kids think the world of her.  I would say the same about the relationship between the two of us, although there is still the time that she hemmed some pants for me and left a pin in the crotch.  This was discovered while talking with a customer, which you can imagine the rest.  She has warmed up to me over the years and there have been no more pins, but there was still the wasp nest in the canopy that she asked me to put up for her.  Did she know it was there?  Truthfully, I would do anything for my mother in law, after all, I have to live with her daughter and the alternative is sleepless nights on the couch.
  My kids have a special relationship with Grammie that we have yet to figure out.  It`s not very often you walk into a room and see your 73 year old mother in law sitting on the floor playing dolls with your kids, even when you know she will pay for it later.  Or how about the sleepovers at Grammies where the kids get to stay up late, eat what they like and watch whatever is on the television.  All of this and once again someone has to pay later, which of course would be us, the parents.  I guess this is the role of a grandparent and my mother in law plays it to perfection.  

 I have heard it said that when a guy dates a girl he should take a look at her mother as that will be her one day.  Well, I took a look, but I was to young for her, so I settled for her daughter and have been married now for more then twelve years, so if what they say is true then I am one lucky man.  As for my kids, their grammie will say she is the lucky one, although I disagree and years from now the kids will feel the same.  She is a special lady in our life and we would all like to say we love you and wish her a Happy Birthday.   

First Communion "Dads Perspective"

  First communion, what does this really mean to those of us that are ignorant of the Catholic traditions, but would greatly like to understand them?  Well I did some extensive research and found out the whole meaning behind all of this.  Sit back and read (the italics are research) and you to will be better off.  "Most Catholic children receive their First Communion when they're seven or eight years of age because this is considered the age of reason."  Okay so I am not quite clear yet, as I don't know for certain the Catholic church understands reason, when it comes to kids, but let us move forward as we get closer to understanding.

Stud!

  So my son asked me "what does all of this mean, dad?"  Not being Catholic, my wife and her family are so I must be careful here, I replied "It means that you have received the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the body and blood of Jesus Christ."  Quickly my son said "but what is the Eucharist, dad?"  Being a proud parent that believes in god I was quick to respond "The elements of bread and wine, along with the intimate communications between believers and God, form the basis of the Eucharist ceremony."  At this point he said "so what exactly does all of that mean?"  Once again I was ready for his next question and I quickly responded, "go ask Grammie, she wrote the book."  Now if Grammie is reading this you know I am kidding, we all know you could not have written the book because you were to busy teaching the school children at the time.

Couple of studs!

   Now leading up to all of this these 7 year olds had to visit with the priest to make their first confessions.  What is a first confession for a 7 year old?   "At confession, the child will detail sins and misdeeds to a priest and receive a penance in exchange."  What kinds of sins could a 7 year old have?  " I wiped my booger on my brothers pants when he wasn't looking." Or "I put my dirty underwear back in my drawer because they were my Spiderman ones and I wanted to wear them again."  They are 7 years old, this is what they do.  As far as I know my son has yet to break any commandments, especially this one, “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.”  I do know he would like our neighbours PlayStation game set, so this could be bordering.
  I have digressed, at the expense of my mother in law who I love and adore very much, and my rant on confession, so let me get back to First Communion.  We, the parents, spent a small fortune on new clothes for our kids and we, my wife, were so excited about this day and the meaning it would hold for our oldest boy for the rest of his life.  I had visions of him up front with all the other kids, saying their prayers, singing along with some of the hymns, and most of all enjoying the experience.  Instead he had to sit with us and his three siblings, the whole time wondering when it was over so he could visit with his friends that were there.  He had to listen to a sermon, that went on far to long for a 7 year old, let alone sixty 7 year olds, and he was preached to about being left alone, desolate, and eventually dead.  Personally, I was lost 60 seconds into the sermon, and the word death is all that stuck with me.  And to think I thought this was a day of celebration and excepting Jesus Christ into your life.
  Okay so I am not Catholic, but what does that matter?  I believe in God and I am happy to raise my children as Catholics, but I do have a couple questions.  First, is there not a set format for First Communion throughout the Catholic Church, or at least a guideline that lays out how to relate to kids?  Secondly, is it common for a priest to say, "hello, I'm still here" because no one is listening as 60 kids are making there way back to their seats, along with the moms and dads that took pictures, and it is a little loud in the church.  If I am 7 years old, and my wife often says I act it, and you want me involved then get my attention, break the mold and liven it up.  Play some current sounding music, keep sermons short and interesting, not about dying or end of the world.  Get the kids involved somehow, and have them sitting together instead of scattered throughout the church with their parents and siblings, which is not very exciting to them.  Have a priest that can relate to the kids, and if he cannot relate then pass on whatever readings you can to those that can.

What a good looking group!

  Sorry I rant, but this was a big day for our family, and many others, and yet the service was forgettable, but the time at home with family was, thankfully, very memorable, thanks to my wife's hard work and my ability to stay out of the way.  For the worlds largest organization/religion my expectations were much higher and it is not the first time I have been let down.  In saying that I have seen some incredible priests that truly understood how important it was to engage the people, of all ages, and the benefits from doing so.  My belief is still here, which truly does not require a church for it to be strong, and I will instill strong beliefs in my kids, with the help of our family.  Congratulations to my son for a big day, you looked awesome and we were all very proud of you.