Of Fatherhood
cy would be a huge hit
around my house.
mando" at all times. He
rarely likes to wear any
clothes and questions if
can't spend the day that way. For
the record, he doesn't go to bed in
the nude typically, but he has
demonstrated a penchant for
shedding clothes during the night
even though he says he doesn't
remember doing it.
old unfamiliar with what's accept-
able and what's not. That's why
the discussion over why he can't
leave the house naked often ends
with someone answering the ques-
tion of "but, why?" with a simple
"just because" out of exhaustion.
does have specific issues with
shirts and has been throwing tem-
per tantrums lately when it comes
to getting dressed. It's to the point
now that he is almost always shirt-
less at home and he even ventur-
ed into the grocery store the other
night without a shirt on. He turned
some heads with his curvy phy-
sique.
aisles rubbing his bowling ball-like
belly and pointing to items on the
shelves that he seemingly wanted
to put in that round mound.
needed at home, but it was worth
it.
ing a 5-year-old how to
open crabs the other
night, and it was a loud
experience.
given picking crabs much of a
chance and we have not pushed it
just not enjoyable at their present
ages. We usually end up doing all
the picking while they do all the
eating, and that's not a lot of fun
for anyone. That's why getting
crabs out is one of our favorite
date night dining options.
and the mallet is why. Now he's all
about it and wants to smash all
parts of the crab no matter if
there's meat inside or not. If
there's no crab around, the table,
or his little brother, will do just fine
as well, as far as he is concerned.
promised we would save all our
claws for him if he left us alone for
a little bit so we could eat in peace.
He listened well and we had about
30 crab claws lined up for him by
the time he returned. When we
called him over to start cracking,
he could barely contain his excite-
ment.
ble with both hands around the
mallet, which he held high over his
head like a sledgehammer ready
to ring a bell at the carnival for an
oversized stuffed animal.
about it the way a carney would at
the traveling fair, but we were able
to convince him otherwise with the
help of some incentives.
two or three into smithereens. Af-
ter all the banging was complete,
we asked him if he wanted any of
the meat and he gave us one of his
"oh yeah, I do."
chewing gum."
one of the best times of
the day.
when it's time for the kids to go
down for the evening, neither Pam
nor me are worried about going
through withdrawal from our boys.
Usually, by the time bedtime rolls
around, the boys are both in need
of some sleep and their parents
are seeking rest, but that's not the
point here.
us at all when it's time for bed and
the actual process of getting them
down for the night is quite enjoy-
able, albeit different experiences.
cept prayer time, with Beckett
quick to say his favorite version;
while Carson will never left you
leave his room without a folded-
hand session.
about 30 minutes on average, but
it's treasured time.
at least four or five superhero ref-
erences to capture and sustain his
attention.
guy thinking he has won and then
the superhero shockingly staging a
comeback. That's how my stories
usually go at least.
books were good enough. Now it's
five at a minimum and oftentimes
more.
all the stuffed animals in his room
a goodnight kiss, but it must be an
Eskimo kiss. Therefore, there's
lots of love to spread around to
Winnie the Pooh, Tigger the Tiger,
Elmo, Donald Duck and the like.
ela, are proud parents of two boys. This
weekly column examines their transition
into parenthood and all that goes along
with it. E-mail any thoughts to editor@-
mdcoastdispatch.com.)
-SLEEPS SIX
-INDOOR/OUTDOOR POOLS
-FITNESS ROOM
-TENNIS COURT
-YEAR-ROUND ICE SKATING RINK
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