Today our favorite rising kindergartner turns 5 years old. Josiah is an extremely intelligent and charismatic little boy. Even though he has carried the nickname Tinker since shortly after birth I have recently added the nicknamed him Kool-aide. I got the idea from a co-worker who caries the same nickname. JJ and my co-worker both seem to command attention when they enter the room simply by being there. It’s sort of like the character from the old Kool-Aide commercials where the guy burst through the wall and days “Oh Yea!” JJ also seems to have the right thing to say at the right time. He is especially aware of his surroundings and often compliments people on their clothing or accessories…that he genuinely likes. He is a great story teller and an all around fun kid. Please join me in wishing JJ and very Happy Birthday.
Happy Birthday JJ
Pneumonia Fighting Machine
It appears that Caden is wearing some sort of NASA space suite or maybe part of one fo those G-Suits that fighter pilots wear. No. Caden is not going to be the next person to walk on the moon. At least not at this point in his life. The machine that Caden is attached to is called The VEST® by Hill-Rom. Caden was diagnosed with Bronchiectasis a while back and The VEST was prescribed to help Caden keep his airway clear. Bronchiectasis is one of the conditions that The VEST.
This machine sends pulses of air into the inflatable vest and that creates a vibration on Caden’s torso to help break up potentially infectious mucus in his airway and lungs. Caden uses The VEST about 40 minutes per day when he is well and even more on days when he is battling a diagnosis of pneumonia like he has had this past week.
Caden is doing better in recent days but the fevers and need for oxygen seems to come and go. Caden takes it all in stride. He has got accustom to the pain that his little body has to endure on a regular basis as a result of medical complications caused by 22q11.2 (DiGeorge Syndrome).
This is just one of many pieces of medical equipment that Caden uses regularly. When we travel and stay over night somewhere we have a special additional list for Caden. In addition to clothes, shoes, toiletries, and The Skunk, Caden’s list of medical gear includes:
– Feeding Pump
– Feeding Pump Bags (1 new bag per day plus a few spares)
– Formula (6 – 8 oz cans per day)
– Syringes for giving water and medication
– The actual medication (some require refrigeration)
– Suction Machine
– Oxygen Tanks and/or Oxygen concentrator/generator machine
– Oxygen canula and mask
– Pulse Oximeter
– Thermometer
– Spare G-Tube button
– Braces for his feet
– Bed pads
– Chargers for everything electrical
If we fly then things get even more complicated. We have a trip planned in a couple of months and we are going to have to arrange for empty oxygen tanks to be replaced with full ones while we are on the road. We can only take so many in the car and still have room for our family of six and all the luggage that goes with a crew that size plus the list above.
Do you have a special need child? what unique equipment does your child require?
Daddy Life is a Winner
The vision behind Daddy Life has won a contest. DaddyLife.net is more than a blog and a podcast. It is a business tool for me that will help fullfil my goals. I have shared my long-term goals with close friends and family, but I have not aired it all out here on DaddyLife.net. You see, even with a very healthy salary and a Cadillac health care plan form the federal government, I am still not doing full-time what I love most. What I love most is helping people while spending time with my family. Specifically I like helping parents to strengthen their marriages and raise biblically responsible and God honoring children.
Late last week I read an email from Sandi Krakowski. Sandi creates million dollar businesses. She is an Internet marking guru who has built a business around helping other people refine and execute their plans for online business. I follow a handful of successful online business people who have turned their passion into a full-time career. Sandi’s email newsletter came to me dangling a carrot last week. She offered a 12 hour window for her community members to submit answers to three questions on her Facebook Page.
1: WHY? 2: WHY now? 3: What will your business do in the world in 3 years?
Now I had no problem answering the first question right off the top of my head. I am a big fan of the elevator pitch. That is what I would say if I had to explain the what/why of my business in 15 seconds or less. The other questions were easy also, but required a little more thought to come up with just the right words. Below is how I responded and the bold portion of the response is my 15 second elevator pitch:
Hi Sandi,
Thanks for all your wisdom and encouragement. I appreciate the opportunity to win some valuable resources from you that will help me on my journey.
I am building a business as a speaker, writer, and coach for parents (Dads in particular) to rise above the level of mediocrity in marriage and parenting. I am doing this so that I can get paid to do what I love while I share more time with my family in the process.
I am building my business now because I have been inspired over the past year by people like you and Dan Miller (Author of 48 Days to the Work You Love). Why put off until tomorrow what I can do today?
There is no greater calling for a man than that of being a husband and then a father. Dad has a responsibility to love, protect, and provide for the family. I will help dads fulfill those responsibilities and more. The choices a dad makes directly affects the future of the family, the community, the nation, and the world. Over the next three years dads will be encouraged, equipped, and challenged to be the leaders of their families, lovers of their wives, and examples to their children. Parents around the world will rise above the level of mediocrity in the marriage and parenting. “Encourage one another and build each other up.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Thanks again for this awesome giveaway and opportunity to share my story!
Hank Osborne
http://DaddyLife.net
This response landed me in one of six winning spots out of over 500 entries. And the winners were hand picked by Sandi and her crew. I think it is important to add that I have never paid Sandi a single dime for anything. I have been a quite observer of her awesome free resources that are available through her blog, newsletter, and Facebook timeline. The loot from winning this contest gets me a 1 hr CD containing business coaching, a one month membership to Sandi’s Inner Circle Membership, and an autographed copy of her book Read Their Mind: How To Hear What The Marketplace Wants And Build A Huge Business
As for how I will execute my plan, I am already producing podcast to help encourage, equip, and challenge me to rise above mediocrity in marriage and parenting. I do plan on offering free presentations on the subject of Internet and Technology safety for parents in the Charleston, SC area over the next six months. Local audiences will be my guinea pigs and resume builders as I prepare to get into parenting and home school conferences in 2013. I am alos working on some products that I plan to make available for sale on this site, at conferences, and via other methods.
Do you like my vision? If so then click one of the “Share the Love” icons below to help spread the word to your friends on your favorite social media site.
Babywise Friendly – Vegan Mint Chocolate Chip
NO! I have not gone vegan on you. I like the taste of most all animals I’ve tried and will continue to eat them. Regardless of the fact that this is a vegan dish, you have to admit that it does look good.
The post I am linking to over at Happy Healthy Mama is written by a food blogger who happens to be a Babywise fan. As part of the Babywise Networked-Blog week we all decided to give a little link love to a blogger who is a fan of Babywise, but does not necessarily bog about parenting. My blogging friend Valerie over at Chronicles of a Babywise Mom contacted Maryea over at Happy Healthy Mama and this is what she shared with us.
Date Your Children
Building relationships with your children requires an investment of time on your part as a parent. We also must be intentional about scheduling time with each child and making this time special to the child. Bethany over at The Graceful Mom tells us how she and her husband meet the relational needs of their children through dates.
Bethany’s post is part of the Babywise Networked-Blog week for July 2012. Members of this network of blogs include:
Valerie Plowman, Chronicles of a Babywise Mom
Hank Osborne, Daddy Life
Maureen Monfore, Childwise Chat
Bethany Lynch, The Graceful Mom
Tips for reading aloud to your kids
Last week was Babywise Networked-Blog week. Each member of the team posted on a subject of their choosing. You can visit the member blogs by visiting the following links:
Today’s featured Babywise Networked Blog post is by Maureen Monfore of at Childwise Chat. Maureen shares her recent experiences with reading aloud to her son. My wife Sherry recently began reading aloud to our boys at bedtime on a regular basis. They have been going through a series by Jenny L. Cote that begings with The Ark, The Reed, and The Fire Cloud.
Maureen learned some valuable lessons and shared her tips for being more successful when reading books aloud to your little ones. Check out Maureen’s post titled Savor Books by Reading Slowly.
What Dads Want Moms to Know
Some moms may have this figured out, but for others this may be a news flash. Most men are not multi taskers. Most men have a one track mind. We men do not intend to be unloving toward you our wives by not taking a load off and stepping in where it is needed. It’s just that we are not wired up to see things the way a woman sees things.
We truly do not realize it is bedtime, dinner time, homework time, chore time, time to stop wrestling on the living room floor, etc, etc. Wives seem to think it is so obvious in terms of what needs to be done and you often see our non response as unloving. Most often once it is too late…We can see that this frustrates you when we do not see what is so blatantly obvious to you. Maybe there is not a place in our brains for us to store the experiences from these situations so that we can remember them the next time. I can’t explain why these lessons are not remembered, I just know that they are so often not remembered.
So what can Moms do to help Dads?
– We do need to be asked for help. Honey will you _____? (fill in the blank with whatever task needs to be done that you think we should have already realized, but haven’t.)
– Offer encouraging words. For men, even the most gently constructive criticism can cut deep. We strive to provide and protect and love to be recognized for that. Look for things we do right and tell us about it.
– And last but certainly not least, please think the best of us. We are not trying to get up on your last nerve. We love you and want to help. We just need things spelled out in many colors of crayon sometimes.
Being a dad often brings out the kid in a man. We get so absorbed in the pretend games with the little ones or the rough-housing with the older ones that we forget that life must go on. So be gentle, respectful, and to the point with your concerns for what needs to be done. We don’t realize it is approaching 9pm and the toddler is still in his jeans and shoes. It does not even register that he needs to have been changed into his pajamas and put in bed an hour ago. All you have to do is walk over and hand us the pajamas and say…with a genuine smile, “would you mind getting Levi ready for bed? It is almost 9pm.” You may be surprised to learn that your husband is as shocked at the time as you are that he does not realize it on his own. Love, Gentleness, Patience, and Respect will go a long way in these situations. I promise.
So Moms, What do you want dads to know?
Is There Enough Love To Go Around?
Valerie over at Chronicles of a Babywise Mom has shared how she struggles with the guilt that comes with pregnancy. The guilt comes from her concern that she will miss out on things with her other children because she can’t be as active during pregnancy.
Valerie stuck a cord with me because Sherry and I have had lengthy conversations concerning how our son Caden’s medical care affects our family. We try our best to have a “normal” life, but sometimes issues arise without warning. Our entire family has to turn on a dime so ensure Caden gets the care he needs. In recent years Caden has been hospitalized nearly a dozen times due to illness that was sudden. I remember in 2009 we failed to have a single birthday party where all of our children and both Sherry and I were present. This was all cause by Caden’s hospitalizations. A year like that really makes you feel like you have let your other kids down.
Moms seem to get an extra dose of concern for issues like this and Valerie shares her heart concerning the guilt that arises as a result of this concern. Valerie’s husband steps in to provide some wise advice from his unique perspective. He sets a great example for what we all need to do as dads and husbands when our wives face legitimate feelings that can’t be avoided. Check out Valerie’s article at Babywisemom.com.
It is Babywise Networked-Blog week. Each member of the team will be blogging on a subject of their choosing this week. I will provide you with a summary of the post and link to each blog. Please visit the original post via the link provided.
Teaching Sons to Fire Guns
9 year old Riley firing a rifle for the first time
Firing a rifle for the first time is one of the most treasured memories that many men carry for the rest of their lives. Water cooler or camping conversations between men often revolve around the subject of first experiences with a gun. It is one of the early steps in teaching young boys how to literally kill it and drag it home. Men in the USA provide for their families today primarily by earning a direct deposit paycheck that goes into a joint account that their spouse uses to gather meat, bread, fruits, and vegetables from the local super market or grocery warehouse. Even still, many boys and men long for the hunt. And the hunt begins with learning some skills.
Today I was able to give my son that first gun shot experience as he became the fourth generation to fire this rifle. I don’t know for sure if anyone in my family fired this rifle before my Papa (i.e., grandfather). But we do know that this model of Winchester 67 Rifle began being manufactured in the early thirties so it is possible that Riley could be the fifth or sixth generation in our family to fire this same weapon. I also know that I used this rifle to kill my first wild animal (Raccoon) as a young boy when I was near Riley’s current age of nine.
Fear of Gun Sounds
While this event did plant a lasting memory in my son’s mind, and he thoroughly enjoyed it, I also had a ulterior motive. You see, Riley has a fear of loud sounds. He is not afraid of guns, but the loud noises that some guns make. I plan to take Riley to his first NASCAR race later this year as a birthday present and I want to make sure that his fear of noise does not prevent him from enjoying the race. I mentioned Riley’s fear of noises in a guest post I did on Childwise Chat about Childhood Fears. I explained how my wife and I dealt with what seemed to be an irrational fear with one of our other boys. Today allowed me to work on understanding more about Riley’s fear while also desensitizing him to loud sounds. The day was a success because on this front because Riley did not complain about the noise and he clarified that his fear is more of sudden loud noises and not so much the loud sound itself.
We went to a public firing range in the Francis Marion National Forest about an hour from our home. We joined some of my Navy co-workers and their family members. At the range there were folks firing everything from .22 rifles, to .45 caliber model 1911 mil spec handguns (my personal favorite concealable cary handgun), to shotguns, to high powered hunting rifles. As you can see Riley did pretty well on his first day at the firing range as you can see below. The green circles are his hits with a little assitance from me with the aiming on a couple of them.
Riley had fired a BB Gun before at a Cub Scout day camp, but this was a whole different deal. Riley said he liked shooting the rifle, but he would rather do it somewhere that does not have all the loud handguns and rifles next time. I am going to work on finding a friend who has a little land in the country that we can use the next time we go to target practice.
As I was completing this post I ran across a news story about a 14 year old boy who shoot an intruder during a home invasion. The 14 year old was home watching over his three younger siblings. Given the way this young man handled himself I am inclined to believe he must have had plenty of exposure to guns and training on their proper use. Some adults would have had a hard time handling that situation. I am also glad the intruder was not fatally injured. Taking the life of another human being is tough no matter how old you are and regardless of the circumstances.
What is you opinion of kids learning to use fire arms safely?
Matt Rutherford – A Dad with Cerebral Palsy
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This podcast episode contains an interview with Matt
Due to complications at birth, Matt was afflicted with cerebral palsy, which resulted in his permanently crippled condition. Surprisingly, a disability resulting from Cerebral Palsy (CP) has never stood between him and his life goals with his career, marriage, or in his parenting. From the moment he was born, Matt demonstrated his ability to overcome the odds. During the birthing process, he was deprived of oxygen for more than 20 minutes. This lack of oxygen resulted in damage to the cerebral cortex. While the lack of oxygen did not affect Matt’s cognitive ability, it significantly impacted his muscle control and movement.
Matt’s Web Site: SOAR1.net
More from this episode:
Happy Father’s Day
Happy Anniversary to my wonderful wife Sherry.
Also mentioned in this episode:
Understand Childhood Fears on Childwise Chat
Riley’s review of The Ark, the Reed, and the Fire Cloud on The Home School Support Network
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