Deep Purple- July 31, 2008 When you're picking huckleberries in the wild woods of North Idaho, your fingers will quickly become stained purple.Just be careful where you sit...http://www.pkmeco.com/familyblog/2008/07/deep-purple.html Shark Attack- July 30, 2008 News of American Idol's Ryan Seacrest being bitten by a shark last weekend reminded me of a particularly horrifying memory from my youth.When I was ten years old, I witnessed a series of vicious, bloody shark attacks that left four people dead and a community in shock.Um, yeah, it was on the big-screen.Summer, 1975.Jaws.I don't know what my mom was thinking, letting me go see that.Or maybe I snuck in with a friend when we were supposed to be in theater 2 watching The Apple Dumpling Gang.Steven..http://www.pkmeco.com/familyblog/2008/07/shark-attack.html Guest Post: Discovering Dad- July 28, 2008 Today's guest post is by Jeremy Biser, from Discovering Dad, a relatively new site devoted to learning what it means to be a good dad. Which, not coincidentally, is the title of Jeremy's guest post, in which he offers up some sage advice for fathers both new and experienced.Learning What it Means to be a Good Dadby Jeremy BiserYou've probably heard it said before, "Anyone can become a father, but not everyone is really a dad." To me, the term 'father' is one of both respect and biology - it is.http://www.pkmeco.com/familyblog/2008/07/guest-post-discovering-dad.html Weekend Whatnot- July 25, 2008 My mom's homemade huckleberry cheesecake.Huckleberries are here. Or at least, that's what I've heard. It wouldn't be summer in Idaho without endless searching through the forests for those elusive little purple prizes. Huckleberries make everything taste better!Our garden is pretty much a bust. Everyone was excited about planting it, but nobody wanted to maintain it. We will get some beans out of it in another month, and two pumpkin plants look healthy. Too bad we can't eat weeds. Those..http://www.pkmeco.com/familyblog/2008/07/weekend-whatnot.html All You Need Is Ringo- July 23, 2008 I've been a Beatle fan since I was 13 and my mother took me to see Beatlemania ("Not the Beatles, But an Incredible Simulation!").The very next day I raided my brother's record collection for the two Beatles albums he owned.I was instantly hooked.Ever since then I've been a bit of a fanatic about the Fab Four, hanging posters on my wall, reading every book about them, attending Beatles conventions (in my younger years), and obsessing over the details of the band that changed popular culture...http://www.pkmeco.com/familyblog/2008/07/all-you-need-is-ringo.html Walk This Way- July 22, 2008 Eight hours after publishing the previous post about the high price of gas, what do I go and doBundle the family into the car and drive 300 miles for a weekend getaway to Seattle!But we had a very good reason, and his name was Ringo.More on that later.Right now I want to remind you that there are only four more days until Dad Walk 2008. It's this Saturday, the 26th. All you have to do is go walking with your kids on a trail, path, track, sidewalk, or whatever you can find to spend a little...http://www.pkmeco.com/familyblog/2008/07/walk-this-way.html Freedom Lost- July 18, 2008 I've been somewhat oblivious to the rising gas prices this past year.My attitude has been, "What am I going to do about it We still have to put gas in our car."Last winter, I had planned several long road trips for the spring and summer. Nothing was going to make me change those plans.Besides, every time I filled up my gas tank, the price didn't seem that bad. It was always around $40.That's because I haven't been letting the tank get less than a quarter full before filling it up again.Last..http://www.pkmeco.com/familyblog/2008/07/freedom-lost.html Ten Years After- July 16, 2008 This week I'm marking another anniversary. It's been ten years since my wife and I made the decision that I would stay home with the kids.Ten years as a stay-at-home dad.Or, as my in-laws have said, ten years of being a bum.That's a decade of being involved in every aspect of my children's lives, from diaper changes to school work. Of course, that's also a decade of folding laundry, doing the dishes, planning meals, vacuuming, picking up endless clutter, cleaning toilets, and everything else..http://www.pkmeco.com/familyblog/2008/07/ten-years-after.html A Family Bikes Through It- July 14, 2008 We're unbelievably lucky to live in a place with so much natural beauty right outside our front door. Getting around in it just became so much easier.Our city opened up a beautiful new bikingwalking trail that runs for five miles along abandoned rail lines. It allows us to safely ride from our house all the way to our favorite beach at the lake in about twenty minutes.I am so much more relaxed when I don't have to worry about the kids battling traffic.http://www.pkmeco.com/familyblog/2008/07/family-bikes-through-it.html Young Me, Now Me- July 11, 2008 Have you seen the YoungmeNowme siteIt's where people find a picture of themselves when they were young, then try to recreate the same pose, background, props, etc. to make a "Then and Now" set of photos.Some of the recreations are hilarious, especially the three brothers who donned grown-up Superman pajamas to match the ones they wore as children.My kids loved the site so much, they made me join in the fun.So, here I am, separated by a gap of 40 years...Now it's your turn.http://www.pkmeco.com/familyblog/2008/07/young-me-now-me.html |