Work with Dad

As most parents know, finding childcare for your baby can be a difficult process. Fortunately for us, though, I have job where our little one can come to work with me. It is definitely something else. 

She does everything with Daddy each weekday. She's with me so much at work you could say she has become an honorary staff member. And she seems to love every second of it. 

My little worker bee hangs in there just fine.

She sits in my lap as I write up emails. (Of which she loves slapping the keyboard as many times as possible. Sometimes even slipping unknown words into them like hkluoijlm and rdmk9oui and my personal favorite 67jdxcf2q3aw once signed at the bottom of a reply email.)

She strolls around in her walker as I research and plan. (Strolling is a slight understatement. It's more like crashing into everything in sight and squealing like a baby pig with every step taken).

She takes naps in a swing that lies next to my desk in my office. (This is, by far, the quietest time I get work done. And strangely, its the most distracting. I guess I've gotten used to the noise).

She even goes to every staff meeting. (My least favorite hour or so becomes her absolute favorite hour or so each week. Don't know why, but staff meetings are apparently the best times to get the most attention from a variety of people and the best time to be alert and awake).

If some of you are reading this and you're thinking "you're nuts" or "How do you actually get any work done?" Let me blow your mind a little bit. I actually work better now than I did before. Not sure if it's because my girl is always keeping me on my toes or what, but my brain is more alert and my willingness to get things done well and get them done right has increased. 

I now get things done with more efficiency and with hardly any procrastination as I inadvertently used to do. I'm not necessarily saying this is how it will always be, I'm just saying it's how it is now. I think the reason I've found myself working even better since I started bringing her to work comes down to one big thing.

I'm constantly reminded of a very big thing: being her dad.

Obviously, I'm reminded by the normal daddy actions, like changing her diaper in the men's restroom, having to take a break to feed her or putting her down under my desk for a nap.

But something much bigger speaks to me. It's the fact that I get to enjoy every aspect of my day because she's there with me. No issue with work seems too big, no stress seems to worrisome, no assignment seems to insane. I get to have my little smiley, joyful baby (please no aw sounds) right here with me during everything that comes with work. 

Nothing can bring me down.

Because at the end of every day, after work, and stress, and difficulties, I get from things that come with the title of my job, I still get to have a title that is one of the best I've ever had: Dad. 

Magic Treehouse

I found a treehouse in the middle of the woods on Saturday.

I was at a retreat with our students and exploring as much as I could of the 150 acre property with a few of our middle school guys. As we progressed for about a mile or so we ended up in a heavily brushed area. Within this brush we saw a ladder leaning on a tree. And above the ladder was a perfectly made treehouse.

I was instantly 7 years old again. I found that if I could, all I wanted to do was stay up there, under the bamboo roof, sitting on the built in chair and enjoy the greatness of this place and where it took my mind and heart.

It reminded me of one of my favorite book series as a kid, The Magic Treehouse. In case you don't know, the series (which is still going on) involves two kids finding a treehouse that takes them through time and going through different adventures in history. 

As a kid reading the books, the series reminded me to believe that anything is possible and it took my imagination to places it had never been before.

That's what this treehouse that we found did for me. It brought me to a point of full imagination. Like I just remembered I was living in a world of possibilities. 

The world is in front of you and it was created as a place full of endless possibilities.

May it be your Magic Treehouse, taking you to do and see the unimaginable as you keep your imagination endless.

New Book Coming This Spring!

*****Below is a snippet of an upcoming short book I'm currently writing, 'The New Dad Chronicles'. With over 30 humorous stories of my first six months as a New Dad, it has definitely been fun to write, and something I think can make people laugh while reading. Stay tuned in the coming months for release info!*****

Chronicle 12

I never felt I’ve had to document much of anything in my life through pictures and videos. In fact I’m pretty sure I even wrote a college paper on how we need to be ‘in the moment’ and need to ‘take away distractions like lenses’ and use the ‘natural camera you’ve always had’ to remember a moment. I was totally against the social media movement.

I’d like to meet my college-aged self now and smack him in the face with a book of pictures because all of those philosophies died the second our girl was born. From the moment that I first held her I felt a compulsive need build inside me like I’ve never had before. “I’ve gotta take a picture of this.”

Those words might as well be the slogan for my life. Never before have I felt the need to have physical proof of each moment than when I became a new parent. 

“Oh, she smiled! Gotta take a picture.”

“Oh she laughed! Take a video.”

“Look she’s sleeping!” Click.

“Oh man, she’s in her walker!” Click.

“Wow, she’s rolling!” Hit the red button.

“Oh look she smiled again!” Click.

“And wait...wait now she’s sleeping!” Click.

“This is just all too good to miss.”

It’s like my wife and I are in a never ending photoshoot for a 2 month old where we are desperately trying to get her attention so that she’ll look at the camera without moving her head for a good second and a half. I’m not sure why this is or what exactly is wrong with me, but I feel as though I’m going to miss any moment after this one and I’ll be in regret of it for the rest of my life. It’s like I have this subconscious fear that one day, I’ll be sitting in a cave with my wife in future post-apocalyptic world with a wardrobe full of pictures and videos and still will disappointed that I didn’t catch that ‘one’ moment on camera. Being a parent is weird.

On top of everything else, before my daughter, I never took selfies. And I do mean never. Just writing the word makes me cringe. But for reasons I still don’t quite understand, I find myself taking the camera out and focusing on both me and her, sometimes taking ten because I’m horrible at keeping my hands still. 

"Here's us on the couch." Click.

“Here’s her asleep in my arms on the couch.” Click.

“Here is me talking to her so that she’ll smile even though she’s just looking at me confused.” Record.

I’m strangely confused and fascinated by this need.

And the thing about taking pictures and videos and documenting everything I deem as important or cute comes down to one notion I didn’t know to be true before. I can never have enough pictures of my kid. I can never have enough videos of my kid. I can never have enough pictures of my kid watching videos of themselves looking at pictures.

I never understood why my parents had boxes and boxes of pictures of myself and my siblings. I honestly thought it was pretty creepy when I was twelve. I was so dumb.

Well played, Mom and Dad. I get it now. 

Kids are the best. And I have proof. 

Lots and lots of proof.

Florida Basketball and Friendship

My family and I went to a college basketball game the other night between the University of Florida Gators and the Texas A&M Aggies.

It was a good game with a finish I wasn't particularly fond of but that wasn't the reason I was there. I was there to see my good friend, Jake, who plays for Florida in person (finally). 

It was surreal and it was awesome. In fact, let me clarify: it was PURE AWESOMENESS.

By far one of my favorite moments I've experienced. I got to see a friend I grew up with, whom I play basketball together and went to school with (though he was 5 feet 2 inches tall when we were 14 and he is now about 6 feet 6 inches) live out a dream. 

I mean I've watched close to probably 100 games since he first was on the team a few years ago on TV but seeing him in person play out something that nobody else thought possible is something I can't stop thinking about.

In talking with him after the game, I couldn't help but see in his eyes, past the disappointment of the loss, that he was loving what he was getting to do. Jake loves playing division 1 basketball at a major university.

And I think he could tell from our talk that I love what I get to do with my job (seriously, I love living a long dream I've had) and how much I'm loving life with my wife and new baby girl. 

Seeing friends reach their goals and dreams inspires me that much more to continue to love where I'm at and what I'm doing. Not just Jake, but many other friends do this for me.

Friends who are now doing things they always dreamed of. Some are teachers like they strived for. Some are working in real estate. Some are coaching. Some are traveling the world and making a huge difference in others' lives.

Look around you with the friends or family you have. It doesn't matter if they live far away or you seem them every day. Look for them. 

May you see the amazing possibilities in each other. May that make you proud to be their friend. And may that make you strive for something surreal and awesome. 

Something that is pure awesomeness.

Pam's Birthday

It's my wife's birthday today. 

She never ever ever wants anything. Seriously nothing. I've been with her for 9 years and she literally tells me she wants nothing every time. 

And although that seems easy on me it's anything but. In fact it drives me nuts. I always try to surprise her with things and gifts and dates but she'd never ask for any of it and would be fine, maybe even happier, without it.

Even though this does indeed drive me crazy on holidays and her birthdays, it really just makes me jealous.

I want to be like that for birthdays and holidays. Because quite frankly no matter how much I say it, there's still that little kid inside me that halfway wants to get blown away by some amazing gift that I didn't need. 

And I know I'm not alone in that. I want to be content with what I have and will still try to do so everyday.

I just hope I can truly rid myself of the wanting as much as my wife has because then it only makes me want what I already have that much more awesome. And what I have in her is better than awesome or any other great adjective in the English language. 

So happy birthday Pamela. Thank you for driving me crazy and thank you always making me see how incredible it is with what I have in front of me...

You.

Sick

Being sick is not fun. It's even worse when it's your own fault. 

I've had a cold the past couple of days and it's primarily because, as my wife loves to point out, I do too much sometimes. This is more than likely true.

I love what I get to do on a daily basis. I love working with students, going out my way to shine a light in whatever way I can and seeing them grow up to become awesome people of God.I love dreaming and building ideas, being the best father I can be, and spending the mornings and evenings with my best friend, my wife.

But I also love other things too. I love playing slide guitar and making up songs. I love working out and riding my bike. I love taking walks with my dog. I love shooting baskets on an hoop as long as I have a ball for hours and hours. And love reading and most definitely writing-whether that be writing books or poems or blogs. 

But the problem is, there aren't enough hours in the day. Sometimes I try to do it all. And this usually brings me to the point that I get myself sick. I do so much that I forget to take care of myself.

Which is where I have been all weekend and today. At home with a stupid cold, sick. 

What I need to learn and know is that I cannot do it all. There are times for certain things but not times for EVERYTHING. 

So if you're like me and you want to do it all or you have the aspirations to, take strides in this race of life step by step instead of sprinting all at once. 

This helps to take care of yourself. In doing this, it will help ensure that you will still have a 'self' around longer to accomplish and do what it is you feel led to accomplish and do. Those things won't get done by you if there's a healthy you isn't around in the first place.

So go for it all. But do so step by step and pace yourself so that YOU may finish the race along with what you feel led to do.

Bad Day

We all have bad days. Maybe we hardly got any sleep last night and we can't handle it. Maybe hot coffe spills on your legs or you slam your finger in the car door. Maybe it feels like people-co-workers, co-students, family or friends-are out to get you. Maybe the issues your have inside are difficult for you to deal with and you're not sure how to react outwardly.

No matter what it is the bad days still have good moments.

I realized this the other day when my day wasn't going particularly well.

As my day rolled along I was stopped when my daughter laughed. And laughed and laughed and laughed. And somewhere in there she grabbed her feet and kicked her legs excitedly.

In this one moment, so brief and short, I forgot all about my bad day due to the joy and contagious goodness from my little girl.

I have to say, found that I felt my best within this tiny instance of my rough day.

Every day-even a rough one-has bright moments. They might show up unexpectedly or you might have to look for them. Sometimes it's from sunlight piercing through the clouds, or a stranger's kindness or a baby's uncontrollable laughter, but the bad days will never outshine the good moments in the end.

Don't let them get the best of you because the best of you comes from finding the good within the bad.