This One Goes Out To The Fans

IMG_20130812_112523

Well the blog has certainly seen better days. The last few weeks of transitioning back to work has left me tired and uninspired.

This covers all the bases. Cooking, cleaning and of course blogging.

Who knew two boys would be so much work. (Ha, says all the people with at least two kids.)

Before the blog had a hook. I was a dad on parental leave. I was doing something very different and worth reading about.

Now? I am just a dad who goes to work in the morning and comes home in the evening and tries his best to spend time with the family.

That is pretty boring.

What I Miss About Parental Leave

IMG_20130822_102625

Well I have been back to work for one week now and it seems like just a distant memory since I was home with the kids on parental leave.

Obviously I miss the quality time with Charlie and I really enjoyed being a temporary stay at home dad. I think I run a good house.

But work came calling and we need two incomes to get back to the comfortable life we enjoy.

Finding time to blog has also been hard to come by. Sure, there is actual time to do it, but when those moments happen, I am pretty content just to sit on the couch and do nothing.

Working and parenting again has taken a toll on me and most likely my family for this first week. We crave routine and it will happen soon enough.

Trips, birthdays, holidays, colds and all the other outside variables are gone, now we can just settle into a new normal (whether we like it or not).

While I have this 10 minutes before catching the bus, I wanted to make a quick list of a few things I really miss about my parental leave.

I also just wanted to check in and make sure you were still there.

Here goes.

Video: Deep Fried Turkey For Thanksgiving

This video is from four years ago when I deep fried my first turkey. I have done it many times since and each time the bird turns out perfect.

The meat is juicy and you would never even guess it was fried. The best part? It takes only 45 minutes to cook and there is not a lot of prep work to do.

So that means more time to sit around and watch TV or play with your kids.

Here is the video. The deep frying came from Butterball.

 

[embedplusvideo height=”281″ width=”450″ editlink=”http://bit.ly/1g9HL5H” standard=”http://www.youtube.com/v/vBMVrz-fe44?fs=1″ vars=”ytid=vBMVrz-fe44&width=450&height=281&start=&stop=&rs=w&hd=0&autoplay=0&react=0&chapters=&notes=” id=”ep2700″ /]

 

Day 132: That’s It Folks, Show Is Over

pl-daily

Parental leave is over. My life returns to normal. Back to work I go tomorrow. Hope I remember how it all goes.

Everyone has been asking if I was going to do some epic finale post to wrap it all up? Well of course I am. But not yet. I want to let it sink in. I want to reflect on what the last six months were to me. I want to talk to grown ups again.

So, yes, I will do a concluding post at some point, but for now you will have to wait.

With all the sickness running through our house, my last few days have flown by. I have been too busy caring for the baby and running back and forth to daycare to notice it all slipping away.

Recapping #nomomweek – We Survived

momweek

Well in a few hours it will be around the time that #nomomweek started in our house. Yep, on Saturday night, my wife returned home and it was greeted with great excitement by all the men at Like A Dad.

Looking back, it went by pretty quick, which is good, but it is only over the last few days that I am fully realizing just how tiring it was.

How do the single parents do it all the time?

Anyways.

Ask A lot Of Questions When You Rent Car Seats

It is a decision that I don’t think we will ever find an enjoyable solution.

When it comes to flying with young children, do you bring your own car seats or rent car seats with your car at the other end?

Bringing your own does provide the comfort of knowing how to install them and that they are perfectly fitted for your kids. Plus, there is no cost.

But, they could get lost by the airlines and you have to carry them around as part of your luggage.

With renting, you don’t have to worry about the extra baggage and you know that they are there waiting for you. The cost however is a little steep (we paid I think $30/day for each seat).

But, they are foreign to you in every way. You have to install and adjust them to fit your kids. Plus, they tend to look like they were purchased at Value Village. No offense to Value Village, we love going there.

Twice, we have flown with the kids and rented a car at the other end. Twice we have rented car seats for our boys. Twice we have run into problems.

On our latest trip to Manitoba, the issue was something we could not of predicted and was so avoidable, if only the car rental company asked a few more questions.

Happy 1st Birthday Charlie Boy

null

October 3rd. What a great day to turn 1.

Last year on this day, we were at the hospital for your speedy entry into the world. It only took a few hours and we were so excited to meet you.

Thanks Charlie boy for everything you have given us over the last 365 days.

Day 128: Batteries Everywhere Were Running Low

pl-daily

 

Well, it has been a week since I last checked in from the PL. Time is flying and as my time on parental leave runs out, I have been blogging less and really trying to soak up all the moments and experiences.

Today was one that I will try to avoid soaking up. More like ring it out and hope it never happens again.