Well Hello There Terrible Twos

I have heard about it but never experienced it. The Internet says it is real, but can you believe what you read?

Today, I got a very slight glimpse of what many have spoken of.

The terrible twos they call it.

Our youngest, turned two on Friday and over the last few days, it is like he did some research on how he is supposed to wield this new age at us.

Small things like disagreements, not wanting to sit at the table, not wanting to go a certain way or even wanting to sleep.

Then today, his first day back at work let’s say (Monday), our boy went to work on being two.

Terrible is harsh. Maybe let’s call it tiring twos.

Me being the one who is tired.

A Month To Remember

indiantrail

Hello October, how’s it hanging?

Hard to believe that fall is here, which means of course that one of the busiest months for this family is over.

September was a big change for us. We moved, we started school, there was a birthday, we went on a kid-free vacation, there were job interviews and we got to try out our wonderful and new neighbourhood.

I don’t think there were many days that did not involve something bug and busy.

It feels like two months ago that we moved, hard to believe it has only been four weeks. I am tired just thinking about it.

But at the end of the day, we are all happy, healthy and  loving our new life on the west side of Toronto.

High Five! We Reached A Parenting Milestone

Halifax Mooseheads

Sept. 19th 2014 is a big day in our house. Yes it is our son’s 5th birthday. He will and should get all the attention. But the day marks another important parenting milestone. My wife and I will be celebrating being parents for five years.

We made it! We survived. We are tired.

While Harry enjoys cake, presents and a lot of attention, my wife and I will be silently high-fiving each other on all of our accomplishments or maybe a better way to put it, on our survival.

Harrison was our first. He broke us is. He got us ready for kid 2 and we want to thank him. Charlie should be thanking him as well. I think for kid 2, we have been much more together. Much more ready for whatever would happen.

Parenting has been a wild ride that I would not want to miss out on.

The previous part of my life was great, don’t get me wrong. But ever since that 30 plus hour labour finally ended, our lives changed forever and for the better.

My Conversation With Amir Johnson Of The Toronto Raptors

Amir tests out the Swiffer WetJet

Yes, that’s right, this everyday dad got to talk on the phone with one of the stars of the Toronto Raptors.

Amir Johnson is known for his hard work on the court. Taking charges, rebounding the ball and never quitting. He has even hit some impressive three pointers in his day.

But my chance to talk with the NBA star, was not about hoops. It was about a movement he is leading that is going to put the spotlight on men who clean.

Johnson is the ambassador for the #ManClean movement.

Status Check: Top 10 Questions On Us

boysoncouch

The last few weeks have passed so fast, that I am realizing that there are many of you out there wondering how we are doing? I have not been sharing a lot on Facebook or keeping up with emails.

Moving is a process. Moving while your oldest starts school for the first time is a huge process. So instead of calling, emailing, IMing and sky writing to you all, I figured a blog post would suffice.

Overall, we are a happy bunch making our way through the start of this new chapter. At this point, my biggest complaint is finding time to shower.

So here are the Top 10 questions that have been asked lately from you.

The Morning School Drop Off

Greetings, guess who is back in the world of blogging. Yep, it’s me. After a few weeks of moving, getting school started and doing the job hunt thing, I am finally starting to have time to write again. Granted, I may have to stop in a few minutes if Charlie stops being so calm.

Harrison started SK (senior kindergarten for the non parents) and with Nova Scotia not having the junior version, this is Harry’s first taste of real school.

We had no doubts he was ready. He is a smart kid who is ready to sponge up so much information. We have gotten used to new routines, making lunches, buying supplies and dealing with a very tired kid at the end of the day.

But the one topic I want to touch on is the most chaotic of all. The morning school drop off.

Job Hunting While Home With Kids Is The Real Job

kids-looking-at-construction

We have all had to look for work. Some more than others. Some with more success than others. Job hunting is a true grind. The highs and lows of getting phone calls for good news and phone calls with bad news. These days, just a confirmation that someone looked at your Linkedin profile can feel like win.

It’s tough. All the resume and cover letter writing, sifting through postings and trying to determine which ones are worth the effort. This is not even including the stress of in person interviews.

It is a lot of work, time and energy to hunt down work no matter what level you are looking for.

Since moving from Halifax in May, I knew my day would come where I had to get back into the working world. My summer of being a stay-at-home-dad would come to an end.

With our oldest son starting school next week, the time has come to hit the virtual pavement.

What I am finding as I have slowly begun the job hunt, is the hardest part of it all, is job hunting while home with kids.