Words of the Week

Emma Lazarus was born 161 years ago on July 22, 1849. She wrote the poem - words often forgotten today - inscribed on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Sleepytime

Sleep is like a drug - or at least like Coca-Cola. I need more sleep than ever, and I get less sleep than ever. I never liked to nap, but now I must take a nap, usually taking one every day. Sleep has become a necessary weapon to take on work, kids and life. It's a deterrent - like nuclear missiles in the Cold War - keeping the dark side at bay.

Do Good Parents Matter?

Of course, good parents matter, and of course, I try my best every day, realizing that every day I need to work at being a better dad. But a recent article in The New York Times suggests that good parents may not lead to good children. Here's the final paragraph:

For better or worse, parents have limited power to influence their children. That is why they should not be so fast to take all the blame — or credit — for everything that their children become. 

Certainly, there are large parts of this that make sense. I cringe every time I see or hear a person lose patience at someone else's parenting skills (or lack thereof). It's not easy, and each child presents unique challenges, some much tougher than others.
Can parents influence their children's behavior? Yes and no. That's a sobering thought.

Days Like This

Mama told me they'd be days like this.

Celebrity Parents

Generally, Old Wahoo has no problem with celebrities. If people want to look at pictures of celebrities or read stories about celebrities or hear raging phone calls from celebrities, no problem. Sometimes I check out those stories, too. It's a great way to kill time while it takes 45 minutes to buy a bottle of Tylenol at CVS.
But I don't check out stories about celebrity parents. Thanks, but I don't  care what Shiloh (who names their kid after a bloody Civil War battle, anyway?) wears or what TomCat are (is?) making little Suri do between Scientology meetings or how Tom and Gisele divvy up parenting duties. (Though I think Gisele is up against Marisa Miller in the bikini bracket in the previous link).
Besides, I need to get back to reading about the latest Bachelor scandal. And, yes, I know I never will get back the five minutes I used in writing this post.

Words of the Week

Bo knows priorities. It's scary that he sounds like a voice of reason.

"My No. 1 goal is to keep my train on the track, and not worry about anybody else's. That's the way I've always lived my life. (But) if you're stupid enough to go out and do some stupid (stuff), then be a man and suffer the consequences. I have no sympathy for you."
- Bo Jackson, in an article in USA Today

The Big Money Question

Lately, the older boys have asked more and more about money. Important questions, too, such as "When will you give me more money?" or "When can I get more money to buy toys?" or "Will you buy me this?" They're not particularly bad about it, but they do act like acquiring more money and more things is a birthright. There are plenty of tips on this topic, such as in this reasonable article by Ron Lieber in The New York Times. While honesty, straightforwardness and logic are laudable goals, I would prefer advice on how to avoid talking about difficult topics with your kids and still make them better. Where's the story on brainwashing? Or just perfect passive parenting? Or how 'bout this one: "Watching Sports on TV with Your Kids Will Make Them Smarter, Healthier, Happier and Easier to Manipulate"? I think there's grant money available for that one. I know just how to ask for it, too.

The Real Farmville

On the family's trip to Iowa for my grandmother's 90th birthday celebration, Old Wahoo and family visited Uncle Gary's farm just outside Muscatine, Iowa. The trip was great for the usual reasons: boys get to ride John Deere tractor, boys get to ride the Gator and boys get to ride the tractor some more. (And by boys, I mean the grown-up boys, too.) Mostly, though, the visit to the farm brought back memories of old family trips to Iowa, when I went with my grandfather for trips to the relatives' farms, for excursions to Wildcat Den (a state park east of Muscatine) and checking out the zoo at Weed Park. Though much has changed - my grandfather, sadly, died nearly 25 years ago - it meant a lot to share those experiences, however different, with my children and my family. It was a chance to reconnect with family, and that's what matters more than anything.

Words of the Week

The Moose learns "playing" (also known as harassing) with his pet can prove dangerous.

A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.

- Mark Twain