Spot Quiz
I bought an iPad for my wife, and loaded it with Plants vs. Zombies. My son seems to love the game more than her. During dinner tonight, I decided to ask him a question out of the blue. “How much sun...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Our Venus Flytrap Pet
We went to Golden Gate Park on Labor Day, and visited the Conservatory of Flowers. The special exhibit was carnivorous plants, and we bought a Venus Flytrap plant for the kids. You’d think my son won...
View ArticleEmail to the Kids
Why hasn’t this nine-year-old blog been updated as frequently as it used to be? Let’s take a look at the most recent email I sent to the kids: Hi Aaron and Madison! Here’s what Notch says about the...
View ArticleIf You Want To Be in His Dreams
Aaron told us about his dream last night. His sister and I were in it, and we were all playing Minecraft in his dream, as we sometimes do in real life. He didn’t want his mother to feel left out, so he...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Identity Disc Protocol
I love that the following is an actual discussion we had today: “Daddy, can we play with your Identity Disc?” “OK, but don’t actually derez each other. Play nicely.”
View ArticleWhat Makes You Smile
I revisited an old website that asked, “What makes you smile?” This was in March of 2005. I answered, Lately, watching my 2-year-old son, squat down to pick up his stool that he’d just used to stand on...
View ArticleDavid Allen Blume
My father unexpectedly passed away a week ago. While going through his many books, a newspaper clipping with this poem fell out of one: Do not stand at my grave and weep, I am not there; I do not...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Merry Christmas
We have a tradition every Christmas Eve. The kids read “The Night Before Christmas” before heading to bed. It carries on from a tradition I had with my parents when I was a child. It makes me happy...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Pictionary
Today, Aaron and I teamed up against Maddie and Lillian for a game of Pictionary. It was Aaron’s turn to draw and my turn to guess. In a few seconds, he drew the following picture: At first, when he...
View ArticleNext time we play Minecraft
I got the following email from my nine-year-old son today: DAD DAD! Next time we play Minecraft let’s finish our enchantment room. How? I have 3 eye of ender! (They lead you to a stronghold.) Remember...
View ArticleTime Will Do Nicely
As the holiday season wraps up, I can’t help but realize what good sports the members of my family are. We each made efforts to show the others that they’re loved and appreciated. And I think it...
View ArticleBike Riding with the Kids
I went bike riding with the kids this morning. I took out my smart phone and made a short video of them biking through the neighborhood. If you’d like to compare that video to a couple of earlier...
View ArticleA Teachable Moment
Aaron showed me his new game, Clash of Clans. As he was playing, he narrated, “You send in the giants first, because they’re hard to kill. Then you send in the barbarians to finish the job while the...
View ArticleKids These Days
I dropped the kids off at home after school. The door was locked and I had to unlock it for them. They were being regular well-behaved kids, but I couldn’t help myself. I pretended to be exasperated...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Majestic Creature
I have little compunction about killing invasive bugs. As one of the heads of the household, I simply have bigger fish to fry. So when a spider threatens to crawl into one of my children’s beds, I...
View ArticleIn a minute…
Dear Son, When I say “in a minute” and you start counting off sixty seconds, I can guarantee that the wait just turned into at least two minutes. Love, Dad
View ArticleClik here to view.
Flirting
My son and I were talking about how sometimes kids try to get attention, any kind of attention, from another kid. I said that that’s why sometimes boys might yank the ponytails of the girls in front of...
View ArticleBirthday Family Excursions
For years, Lillian’s made her birthdays all about doing something new for the family. Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, we’ve had lots of different local experiences to choose from. She wants the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Happy New Year
No matter when you read this, Happy New Year! 2020 was a hard year. I hope that we all manage to do better next year. (Especially Americans, who can do so much better when they put their minds to it.)...
View Article
