#dopedad

Being a father is challenging because I expect my kids to behave how I CURRENTLY behave. It’s easy to forget how long it took me to appreciate certain aspects of life. It’s easy to forget how many coaches I frustrated due to a lack of work ethic off the court. My daughter told me yesterday that her and my son love all my trophies from the Coast Guard that I have upstairs. She wanted to know how she could have her own trophies. When I told her that sports was the easiest way she frowned. She likes soccer but looked stressed when she told me how tired she gets while playing. I insisted that hard work would ensure she could play longer without being tired. Trophies aren't always given to those that are best at what they do but for those who are willing to work harder than others. In my opinion that was so powerful it should be quoted in movies but instead she looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. She said, “yeah but I just don't like being tired.” I wanted to call her a baby bum but figured that would not be helpful. How do you motivate your kids to work harder? 

What an epic photo! A proud dad sitting next to his son, Mars, with a Jordan Brand “Son of Mar’s” shirt on. What you don’t know is the story of when those shoes and shirt almost caused me to be hospitalized. Mars is my second born but when my wife was pregnant with my daughter I was pretty convinced she was going to be a boy. So much so that when we went to find out the gender I wore my “Son of Mars” shoes to the hospital. Allegedly, when the nurse announced it was a girl my face went blank with disappointment. I would argue that the magnitude of the moment froze me but either way I do recall the awkward silence in the room. I remember seeing the nurse’s face and wondering if she found a way to disappear if she could take me with her. I could feel Ellen’s cold stare out the side of my eye. I’m not sure if pregnancy strength is a myth but I was very close to finding out that day. Be on the lookout for a post explaining the origin of my son’s name. I promise it’s not completely to pay homage to Michael Jordan. That would be my daughter, Myla Jordan, or “MJ” as we sometimes call her. 

The beautiful thing about parenting is constantly finding ways to show my kids new experiences. My parents moved a lot during my childhood which afforded me the opportunity to experience living in different parts of the country. I loved it and try to expand upon that with my children. The Coast Guard has allowed me to live in some of the coolest cities in America and we try to see and do as much as possible in the time we have in each city. I’ve taken an interest in trail running since moving to California and today wanted to share that experience with the kids. We went to Will Rogers State Park and after a few miles of running I joined the kids and my wife on a walk. They loved the views and were amazed to see the horses running back and forth. With Mars’ seeming to take my height he might have found his calling as a horse jockey. We all know he has no fear so that wouldn’t be an issue. Even Myla was intrigued enough to put her iPad down and run around the trail. There is nothing like witnessing your kids see new things and simply enjoying life. What fun things do you love doing with your kids? 

I took a gamble with today’s content and let my two year old daughter choose what I would write about. However, to my surprise she gave me a pretty solid story to share. I asked what she thinks is the most fun part about being a kid and she immediately responded, “kitties!” I HATE CATS! It must be the universe’s punishment by giving me a first child who desperately wants a pet cat. My good friend Lathan got it right when he suggested she be allowed to get a cat once she’s moved out. That’s been added to the same time she’s allowed to begin dating. That brings me to a recent conversation I had with my wife. She randomly text me a picture of a creepy looking kitten. I think I was supposed to find it cute ( I didn’t). She told me that MJ’s love for cats is starting to make her want one. I was having none of this Tom foolery. My dear wife trying to use my daughter’s cuteness to dupe me into getting a vicious pet cat?! MJ is cute but she’s not that damn cute. We all know husbands have to pick their battles in a relationship though. Now it’s even worse because it’s them against me. Mars has a vocabulary of about five words so he can’t have my back yet. I’ll goto war for this one though!

Since this conversation with my wife, MJ has began saying she’s a cat and says meow close to 50 times a day. I’m still standing my ground though....

Are you really a dope dad if you can’t do EVERYTHING when your better half is away? NOPE! That was put to the test for me when Elz attended a training in Jacksonville, FL recently. She takes both children to work with her everyday since they attend the same school she teaches at. With her out of town, that responsibility was now mine. I had to wake them up, change diapers, get them dressed, feed them, and then drop them off at school. It all sounds so routine but just not part of my normal routine. Either way, I’m a dope dad so i was up for more quality time with my two twins. It was all going fairly smooth and we were just minutes from walking out the door. I was so proud of how easily this was going that I did a Steph Curry shimmy in celebration and then terror struck. Life comes at us fast doesn't it? In slow motion my eyes shifted to my beautiful daughter and I realized her hair was a complete disaster. I hadn’t taken into account that it was up to me to ensure her amazing curls didn’t look like a rat’s nest. What hurt even more is that I was literally on my way out there door and now had minimal time to figure this out. I grabbed the same hair product and brush Elz would typically grab and had no idea what to do next. Did she put product in all of her hair or just some? How do you part hair evenly and how does she get those tiny rubber bands on? I had so many questions and i just decided to go with my gut and make it work. I think I pulled it off but I’ll be asking more questions and next thing you know I’ll be doing her hair even when Elz is around!