Spent all day yesterday measuring and planning. It's going to be a bigger project than I thought but I'm pumped. Thinking about doing most of the work myself with help from a buddy who knows what he's doing. Anyone done a full deck rebuild? Timeline and budget reality check appreciated before I get ...
Rain on the second night, the tent had a leak we didn't know about, and my 4 year old got sick. But somehow we all still had fun? Made some memories that'll stick with them forever. Yeah I'm exhausted and some camping gear needs replacing but I'm already planning the next trip. Anyone else find camp...
My 15 year old is playing Valorant like 5-6 hours a day when he's not at school. Grades haven't totally tanked but he's ditched soccer and barely leaves his room. Says it's just what his friends do. Feels different than my gaming as a kid but I also don't want to be the overbearing parent. Anyone de...
My deck is 12 years old and showing its age. Some boards are soft, railings need stain, couple planks have splinters. Was quoted 3k from a contractor which is insane. Thinking of tackling it myself over the next month or two. I can replace boards, definitely can stain. Never done railing repair thou...
Got offered a senior manager role with a significant raise. Problem is it's going to require a lot more hours, probably 60+ week territory. My kids are 4 and 7. I've been pretty present so far and they know my schedule. The money would be great for college savings and security. But I feel like I'd m...
My kids are 5, 8, and 11 and I want to raise them with strong faith but honestly I feel like a hypocrite sometimes. I lose my patience in traffic, I say things I shouldn't, I scroll my phone instead of spending time with them. How can I be the spiritual leader my family needs when I mess up constant...
Started doing 10 minute devotions every night after dinner about 6 months ago with the kids and wife. Nothing fancy, just reading a passage, talking about what it means, and praying together. It's become the thing I look forward to most each day. The kids actually engage and ask real questions about...
I've been working remote for 2 years now since the kids were born and I thought it would be the perfect setup. Reality is I'm either distracted during work calls because the kids need something, or I'm so stressed about hitting deadlines that I can't actually be present with them. My wife works outs...
Used to be that guy who went out with friends every weekend, stayed up till 2 AM, didn't care what time I woke up. Now I'm excited about a 8 PM bedtime and I'm googling how to get grass stains out of soccer uniforms at 11 PM. Do I miss the freedom sometimes? Yeah. But last week my son told me I was ...
Been working with my 12 year old on handshake technique and eye contact when meeting adults. My dad taught me this when I was young and honestly it's served me well in business and life. Started with him practicing on me, then had him shake hands with some of my buddies at the gym. You should've see...
For the last month we've been doing 10 minutes of prayer together before breakfast before the kids head to school. Nothing fancy, just me, my wife, and the three kids sitting at the table. We pray for each other, for protection, for wisdom in their day. My oldest was resistant at first but now he's ...
Wanted to post something positive since most of these threads are about problems. We've been using Apple Screen Time limits for 3 months now and it's legit working for our family. Set it so gaming cuts off at 8pm, YouTube limited to 1.5 hours on school days, no social media apps until 13. My 10 year...
There's this new BBQ spot like 15 minutes from my house and holy crap their pulled pork is incredible. Been there twice this week already. Taking my family there for dinner this weekend. If you're in the metro area and want a recommendation DM me.
Started letting them help me cook dinner and suddenly they're way more interested in what's on their plates. Last night my 8yo asked for seconds of broccoli. SECONDS. My wife thinks I'm a wizard but honestly I just handed them a knife and told them to chop. Game changer.
Making it sound easier than it probably is. I've got the recipes and a pasta maker attachment for my stand mixer. Planning to do a simple egg pasta tomorrow and maybe try some pappardelle. The wife wants me to make lasagna eventually so I figured I'd start here. Any common mistakes I should know abo...