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Wellness Clan
The Wellness Clan is an organization for women in the middle years of life who are striving for wellness in every area of their lives. Learn more at WellnessClan.com.
There Are a Lot of Wednesdays in Marriage
Wednesday: it doesn’t suck. But it’s not awesome either. It’s neither noteworthy, nor forgettable. It’s neither energizing nor draining. Wednesday is just, I don’t know, “there” in the week. It’s not Monday, so at least it has that going for it. But it’s also not...
The Temper Tantrum Rating Scale
Temper tantrums can actually be hilarious. Especially when broken down into a series of sequential moves. I provide my son and daughter feedback on the elements of their temper tantrums and how well they fit in together. Think of it less like mocking criticism and...
Apathy: the Marriage Killer
"What kills most marriages is not frustration, or sadness, or even anger--it is apathy." -My Mother The greatest gifts my parents ever gave to their three sons: 1. Unconditional, limitless love 2. Encouragement to chase our wildest dreams 3. Work ethic and the value...
Naming My Children: No, I Actually Don’t Care What you Think
Here's a true story on the subject of baby names. There is a Starbucks by my house at which I work on a regular basis. Since I am there so often there is a group of regulars that I see there almost every time. It is really "Cheers" with coffee. As I was discussing...
Sonograms Never Get Old
Men do not actually get the opportunity to experience a pregnancy, first hand, we come to know it only second hand. That was the smartest comment of the century, huh? I know it is simple. I realize everyone understands it already. I also think it is a fundamental...
Cartoon Parenting
Television is an amazing invention. It really works. They say it makes your kids zone out... Yep. I heard it's not good because it slows the development of brain cells and cognitive functions. Sounds about right. When your kids are watching TV, you could probably...
The Terrible Twos: Uh, Why are we Calling Our Own Kids Terrible?
I have no idea who came up with the phrase: the terrible twos. I do not know if it was just a marketing ploy or perhaps some old wives tale that caught steam and became a somewhat standard label to place on our children. Regardless of how it came into being I do not...
Nesting: Not Just for the Birds
I am a big fan of the nesting phase of marriage. I am, of course, not the first person to introduce the concept of nesting. I define it as taking time to actually just "be married" to one another and the norming phase of your lives as a married couple--BEFORE you have...
What Men Really Want is a Woman with Balls
What men really want is a woman with balls. Ok, I said it. This is what men really want, but almost never say out loud. Deep down it might be the most important characteristic we are looking for in the woman we marry. It was for me anyway… Of course I'm using the word...
Super Mutant Sleeping Ability
I developed this super mutant sleeping ability. I am not sure exactly where it came from. Maybe it's something that gets created in the endorphins released from the excitement of being a parent. Perhaps it's the lack of energy and slower recovery associated with...
A Leap of Faith and a Test of Faith
My wife and I made two promises to each other when we decided to try having children: Ultimately it was the greatest leap of faith in our entire lives The process would change us, fundamentally, forever, but we did not know exactly how We intentionally did not promise...
Childbirth is Really Politics
If we look at the political spectrum we have Liberal Democrats to one side and Conservative Republicans to the other. Liberals generally believe in the effective role of government in what we do. Added government support and increased government involvement in...
Wedding Toasts: Train Wreck Anyone?
I think it is safe to say that most of us, by a certain point in our lives, have seen more than our share of Best Man and wedding toasts. Many of which, frankly, suck. This isn’t because people are bad or have bad intentions. This IS the case because the #1 fear...
The Role of the Groomsman
As a groomsman your role is really quite simple: on the days leading up to, and on the wedding day itself, do whatever you can to make it amazing for the groom. If you need to sweep the floor of the church before the wedding, then do it. If the groom needs something...
The International Fraternity of C-Section Fathers
A second group that I would like to launch as a result of this book is the International Fraternity of C-section Fathers (IFCF). We really need to pull together as men to support one another through this ridiculous experience. Let me get one thing straight: the point...
International Association of Currently or Formerly Pregnant Women (a covert group)
One concept to which I was exposed during my wife’s pregnancy is the International Association of Currently or Formerly Pregnant Women (a covert group) or IACFPW for short. Another word for it would be an honorary society or sorority. No matter where we...
We Do Not Get Practice or a Warning
With parenting, as with so many other things in life, we have to get it right the first time. We just do what we can in the moment to the best of our abilities. I never received a special phone call from heaven that said: "Hey Case, tomorrow at 9:30am, your son is...
My Response to Lance Armstrong: Thank You, Dad
The era in which I have come of age has forced me to be a cynic when in comes to my "heroes" and the successful men that serve as an inspiration. Lance Armstrong, like many of them, is the most recent example of this precipitous fall from grace. With this in mind, I...
Don’t Hassle Me When I Say “No”
I love my friends and family, I really do. I am insanely blessed, in the friends that I have from childhood, my college friends, and those from beyond. I am also really close with my brothers. In comparison to most of my friends and family, I got married pretty young....