Our trip Up to Travers City

This week we went to Travers City, Michigan to see Amy’s parents and grandfather. We were up there from Thursday to Saturday. We could have stayed there until Sunday but we needed a day at home after a long trip. We all had a good trip and really enjoyed our selves. We stayed at Amy’s grandfather’s farm house in Empire just 30 minutes out side of Travers City. The boys really looked forward to going there and love playing out side. The only problem was in was a little cold and there was 6 inches of snow.

Wile there I started to teach Rodney and David how to play pool and we played my new board game, Carcassonne. We went to a great restaurant in Empire for lunch on Friday with Amy’s Grandpa, and it was really good. They had some vegetarian meals for us witch were very good. That night we went to the city to eat dinner with Amy’s parents. Wile we were there the boys got to play video games and I played Carcassonne and Dreamblade with Shane, Amy’s 11 year old brother. We slept one more night at the farm house and the boys got to spend time talking to great grandpa.

On Saturday we went to have lunch again at Amy’s parents then we came home. The new van made the trip quite nice, and the boy’s colored and read comics most of the trip. We all enjoyed our selves.

Also I did not put back on any of the weight I lost wile on the trip. I’m now at 285lbs! the diet is working

Playing Pool with mom

Amy, David, And Amy's Mom
We're Watching Sponge bob with great Grandpa!!


Amy and her Dad
Someone took this wile I was taking a nap
This is a good one of the boys
Rodney reading Calvin and Hobbs
David Coloring

Don’t call me Mr. Mom/a year of Blogging as a stay at home dad.

I have been an at home dad for a little more than a year and a half now, and what a ride it has been. The 1st six months were the hardest. I had to get use to not going to a job every day and not having adult contact. After six months I found an outlet, this blog. Along the way I found I was not alone in the world of at home dads. There are many other fathers who are at home and have there own blogs. And I also found that we all agreed on a few things. One; this is the hardest job we have ever had. Two; we love being with our kids more often. Three; our wifes are happier and so are we. Four; don’t call us Mr. Mom!!

We are fathers who love our kids not Mr. Mom. That implies we are taking over the role of the mother. Not true, yes I do more of the house work than my wife, yes it is my job to get the kids to school, and yes I do all the cooking. But I both want and love to do these things. The other thing is, the house work that “traditionally” done by the man, are still done by me. This has one big bonus, I can do them at any time of the day. I don’t come home from work all exhausted form working all day and then have to mow the law in the heat. I can do it in the morning before it gets to hot. I can do home improvements at any time (I love to do this when the boys are in school and the wife is at work)

So what to call us? You can call us Stay at home dads (SAHD), but that is too bland. You could call me a dedicated father, but that would affect my ego. How about a demostic engineer? Nope that is taken by at home moms. I think of my self as just a dad doing what he must for the kids who need him the most. But if you need something to call me, call me a Honey-do Engineer… “Honey will you do this today?”

If you look to the right there are some links to other at home dads' blogs

Teaching Rodney and David how to Skateboard

Easter Sunday afternoon Rodney and David wanted to get outside and try out their new skateboards. Since I had a skateboard when I was a teen I went with them to show them how. It was a little cold out and there was snow on the ground (much to this gardeners dismay) but the roads were clean enough to go out. Both boys have much to work on before they can ride them longer but they did ok for their first time. I even showed them a few tricks or two that I could still do. It has been a long time since I was on a skateboard, I think I was 17. It looks like we all need some practice.

Ok boys, you do it like this...


Yep, thats how you do it!!

Happy Bunny Day!

Happy Easter every one! Today we were woken up at 6 am by David finding some eggs and his New Skateboard. Rodney after hearing he had gotten a skateboard too jumped right out of bed. The Easter bunny brought lots of Easter eggs with candies in them. Both boys got new beach buckets full of Jelly bellies, candy, a chocolate and peanut butter bunny, and a jump rope. The other things they got were a lacrosse set and a Sky ball toss set. There favorite by far was their new skateboards. The new skateboards are what both boys have been wanting for a long time.

Making Easter Eggs

On Saturday, April 7, the day before Easter we decorated Easter eggs. Rodney and David each got 3 eggs and Amy and I each got one. Just about all of the eggs got put in numerous colors with some interesting results.

Martin Sexton

This week one of me and Amy's favorite musicians, Martin Sexton, released Seeds. This is his first new set of songs in seven years (not counting 2005's holiday-themed Camp Holiday) folkie extraordinaire is amazing, full of soul, original, and inspirational! We are very excited to be listening to this new album. Martin Sexton is in my opinion one of the greatest performers, singers, and song writers I have herd. His music soothes the soul. Sexton is committed to translating many American music forms into guitar-based folk; his influences include jazz, blues, rock, soul, gospel, doo-wop, and traditional country. His songs showcase his talents not only as a writer but also as a guitarist and vocalist

On the new album there is a little tribute to Tom Waits (Keep It Simple, the closing track) that breaks some new musical ground, without sounding to "experimental". Of course, for a renowned road warrior like Sexton recorded work isn't really the point, as this release like all the others is just more fodder for his famously blistering live sets (memorably captured on 2000's Live Wide Open). Still, it's a welcome dose of the man's music--a mix of broadly appealing jams, Van Morrison-esque drama and Sexton's earthy pipes, reminiscent of R&B greats like Otis Redding. "Happy" opens it up with a cheery, gospel-tinged vibe, with organs and guitars. A later vocal track is a hop-a-long tune "Marry Me" while guest Nils Lofgren's juke joint guitar vibe livens up "How Far I've Come." It's not always subtle but the guy has an absolute knack for classic roots music. With the energy of a true believer, Sexton manages to infuse a timeless appeal into every track. We have been hungry for a new studio CD from Martin for some years, and this is no disappointment. He may even expand the fan base a bit!

Here is a video of Martin Sexton:

To hear more of his music go to:
http://www.myspace.com/martinsexton
http://www.martinsexton.com/
Martin Sexton on NPR

Signs of Spring in Michigan

There are many signs that spring has come to Michigan once again; I could be the robins have returned, the buds on trees, to the maple sap being tapped. However the biggest sign that spring has come is the return of Bell's Oberon beer

Oberon is an American wheat ale brewed with Saaz hops. It is spicy and fruity, and is the color and scent of a summer afternoon. This is by far my favorite beer. Bell's Brewery is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan and sold its first beer in 1985. Bell's has become very much a main stay of many beer lovers in southern Michigan Hooray for Oberon for Spring is truly here.

Our New Diet

This week Amy and I are starting a new diet. It is Healthy Lifestyle Program by Dean Ornish, MD

Dr. Ornish counsels that we will find success not by restricting calories, but by watching the ones we eat. He breaks this down into foods that should be eaten all of the time, some of the time, and none of the time. The diet is a vegetarian diet, and should not be that hard for both of us to fallow. We have never been much in the way of being meat eaters, and the Atkins diet always seemed a little extreme to us

The following can be eaten whenever you are hungry, until you are full:
• Beans and legumes (lentils, split peas, beans; kidney, pinto, garbanzo, and black)
• Fruits -- anything from apples to watermelon, from raspberries to pineapples
• Grains (such as brown basmati rice, quick cooking brown rice, bulgur wheat, couscous, polenta, rolled oats, cornmeal, millet, and quinoa)
• Vegetables
• egg whites are permitted

These should be eaten in moderation:
• Nonfat dairy products -- skim milk, nonfat yogurt, nonfat cheeses, nonfat sour cream, and egg whites
• Nonfat or very low-fat commercially available products --from Life Choice frozen dinners to Haagen-Dazs frozen yogurt bars and Entenmann's fat-free desserts (but if sugar is among the first few ingredients listed, put it back on the shelf)

These should be avoided:
• Meat of all kinds -- red and white, fish and fowl (we aren’t giving up fish, however we will at least eat as low fat as possible)
• Oils and oil-containing products, such as margarine and most salad dressings
• Avocados
• Olives
• Nuts and seeds
• Dairy products (other than the nonfat ones above)
• Sugar and simple sugar derivatives -- honey, molasses, corn syrup, and high-fructose syrup
• Alcohol
• Anything commercially prepared that has more than two grams of fat per serving

That's it. If we stick to this plan, and we meet Ornish's recommendation of less than 10% of your calories from fat, without the need to count fat grams or calories. Ornish suggests eating a lot of little meals because this diet makes you feel hungry more often. You will feel full faster, and you'll eat more food without increasing the number of calories.

Our diets as Americans have become to high in fat over the past 50 years. The typical American diet is 45% fat, 25% protein and 30% carbohydrates. The Ornish diet is 10% fat, 20% protein, and 70% carbohydrates. This diet promotes complex carbohydrates (fruit, grains, etc.) and limits simple ones (sugars, honey, and alcohol.) The most controversial part of the diet is its prohibition on nuts and fish, which some researchers claim actually protect the heart.

So my starting weight for this diet is 295 lbs. My goal is to loose at least 65 lbs, but I really would like to loose about 90 lbs. Tonight Amy are taking out my parents for dinner for our last time on our old diet and starting tomorrow the diet will start.

This Aint No Soccer Mom Mobile

Today we bought a new car. We got a used 2007 Chevrolet Uplander with 24,000 miles on it and the color is Amethyest. We got a good deal on it and my dad help me look for the car. We most certainly will not call it a Soccer Mom mobile, maybe a Skater mom. We will have to get a Tony Hawk sticker for the bake widow. Both of the boys wont to get skateboards this summer.

Great Uncle Luke

It's been a little wile sence I posted a new blog here, so this is a old fun one form one of my other blogs.

For the past month or so I have been looking in to my family history. One of my favorite family members was my great uncle Luke on my mother's side. As a kid I wanted to be just like him. Even many of my friends wonted to be like him. We use to argue over who got to be him when we played on the playground. Here are some photos or this great man's life.

Here is uncle Luke at age 5 with his twin sister and their cousin

Here we see him just before he went of to fight in WWII

This is of Uncle Luke's WWII Battalion they called them self's the Big Red One. He loved that accordion and took it with him every ware. Until his Sergeant used it for target practice.

After the war Luke decided he needed to go find himself and spent some time in Mexico

After Mexico he decided to become quite a trail blazer and became Milwaukee's first male nurse. He is in the back row 2nd from the end

Years later he went on to be a teacher in a small collage in Ypsilanti Michigan.

Here he is with his great friend Martin.

At the Reading Festival 1974, he is the one playing the drums.

When Luke retired he moved up north to Yalven Michigan. He spent much of his time fishing in the worm months and blowing everyone's driveways in the winter.

great uncle Luke he was the greatest.

Fro-hawk

Today at Rodney and David’s school is crazy hair day. Rodney who never likes to change his appearance or have attention drawn to him, very much wanted a mo-hawk. So being the doting father I gave him the one thing I never would have got as a kid. Of course when one gets something the other must also get as well...

Super Bowl Sunday With My Best Buds…

On Super Bowl Sunday I got together with my best buds (Rodney and David) to watch the game. We had lots of snacks to eat and beer (root beer). We talked about the old days (last year) and how we use to ride through the hood (on our bicycles). Rodney rooted for his long time favorite the Bears (he decided that day) and David rooted for the Colts (also decided that day). We had lots of fun staying up late (8pm), tell jokes (fart and nock-nock jokes), and did much male bonding (nothing is better, for a young boy than hanging out with his dad)