Just fired up the smoker for the first time in three months. Got a brisket on there that's gonna be perfect by dinner time. There's something about standing out here with a cold beer in 65 degree weather that just feels right. Kids are playing in the yard, wife's inside doing whatever, and I'm just ...
We hit up the local state park on Saturday with the kids (ages 5 and 8) and honestly didn't think we'd make it more than half a mile. Threw some snacks in a backpack, made a game out of finding rocks shaped like animals, and boom - we ended up doing almost 3 miles. The 5yo was practically running th...
So I had this crazy idea to build a treehouse with my son over the summer. We spent like 6 weekends scrounging for materials, borrowing tools from my neighbor who probably thinks I'm insane. Used mostly reclaimed wood and 2x4s. My kid was hammering nails and measuring boards the whole time. It's not...
My 4 year old just told me a joke: Why did the chicken go to school? To get egg-ducated. I have created a monster. He's already better at this than me and I'm not sure how to feel about it.
Trying to get ahead on meals for the week and my 8 and 10 year old have turned it into complete chaos. They want to help so I'm letting them but it's taking 3x as long and there's flour everywhere. The meatballs are huge and misshapen. The pasta sauce looks questionable. But they're having so much f...
Had depression in my 20s but this is different. Back then I could just exist in my sadness for days. Now I have a 5 year old who needs breakfast and a 7 year old with soccer practice. I can't just check out. So I get up and do the things but I'm dead inside the whole time. Mornings are the worst. I ...
Been working with him on this for like 6 months and today he just did it. Bunny ears, the whole thing. Didn't ask for help once. I may have teared up a little in the garage. Small win but man it felt huge.
Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one struggling. All my friends seem like they have it together, they're always talking about their kids being perfect or how happy they are. I'm over here dealing with depression and anxiety and it's hard to relate to them. Started going to a support group for dads...
My 10yo wants to play Minecraft with his friends online and needs a decent headset. Nothing crazy expensive but something that won't fall apart in 2 weeks. He's got a big head so needs to fit properly. Any recommendations? Also should I be concerned about him gaming online with people I don't know o...
Been a rough few months but we made it a rule that no screens during meals and honestly it's been great. My 6yo and 10yo are actually talking to each other now instead of staring at their faces. My wife was skeptical but she's on board. Took about 2 weeks before they stopped complaining. If you're t...
Spent the last two months on Elden Ring and I finally beat Malenia. Got like 45 minutes after the kids went to bed and just locked in. The satisfaction was insane. I know I'm not as good at gaming as I used to be but it feels good to not give up on something. Now I got time for a new playthrough or ...
Just brought our daughter home yesterday and I'm running on like 2 hours of sleep. Every time she makes a noise I think something's wrong. Wife is trying to get some rest so I'm on duty and I'm basically googling everything. Is it normal for babies to make those weird grunting sounds while sleeping?...
Been planning this for two years and I finally got it done. Got a solid oak top, mounted my vise, organized all my hand tools. The man cave is now officially legit. My kids came down and were actually impressed which doesn't happen often. Planning to teach my oldest how to do basic repairs on his bi...
So I used to be that guy who'd stay up until 2am gaming, sleep until 10am on weekends, the whole deal. Fast forward 3 years and I'm voluntarily waking up at 5am to hit the gym before my kids get up. I don't even recognize myself sometimes. What's wild is I don't miss it as much as I thought I would....
Just finished a 4 hour session of the new Zelda game after the kids went to bed. This is my time to decompress after dealing with bedtime routines and a crazy work day. My wife was asleep by 11 so the living room was all mine. Gotta be up at 6 though so this was probably dumb. Worth it.