Newfangled Dad

It seems like these days, when Kelly comes home from work, I can't even keep up with the number of stories to tell about the kids. Both of them are nonstop new things and I frequently forget major milestones or funny behaviors. It usually goes like this...Kelly: "did you know Leda can now go to the fridge, get a plate, make herself a peanut butter sandwich, pour herself a juice, and then wash the dishes afterwards?" (I wish!) Me: "oops, forgot to tell you because Cole is busy practicing Hamlet and juggling torches." Ok, maybe the kids would impress nobody but me. I think it's because I see them everyday so I see in real time the major leaps forward. But it's everything from Cole coming to me and telling me to "take her" about his sister to his perfectly pronouncing a word like "raspberry" despite still calling a caboose a "boose." Leda has her own set of amazing tricks--shaking her head no, grabbing you to take you to th...

We're a little ashamed to say it. But NASCAR has been sneaking into our lives. We blame the boy. It starts innocently enough with a movie he enjoys. Then it progresses to watching the M&Ms car on YouTube. Then you know the driver's name of said car. Pretty soon, you find yourself having a weekend discussion--even though neither of you cares at all--about rules and design updates over the last decade. Then you know phrases like Car of Tomorrow. We still don't get it. How is it fun? A sport? Interesting? Aren't the cars really all the same with minor variance? How is there skill involved beyond just random chance of winning? So we watched the first half of the Daytona 500 yesterday to get some of the curiosity out of our systems. It was cool to watch Danica Patrick become the first woman to lead a lap under green flag. But then Cole woke up from his nap, watched 15 minutes, then wanted "Cars!" The movie, sorry. Lightning McQueen is bigger than life. ...

Not a topic I cover frequently here on the blog despite my background of holding a college minor in Religion.  But, as some of you may know, recently the world marked the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council--a landmark moment in modern religious history you should look up if you don't know about it--and today I stumbled across  this column by Chicago's Francis Cardinal George about secularism.  Recently, I've read several blogs and articles from especially parents who are struggling with religious drama in their family. And I have friends on both sides of the aisle on this issue...I know many dedicated atheists and many dedicated churchgoers. So I wanted to weigh in on a few things the Cardinal has to say...not because I frequently have responses to specific things a Catholic leader has to say...because the subject and the current political/cultural climate we live in is important enough to bring it up. At the risk of alienating a few readers, I'll say upfr...