I Blame YouTube

I blame YouTube. YouTube is the parenting equivalent of performance enhancing drugs for athletes. It allows us to think that we can do ANYTHING. Because of YouTube, I have fixed my dryer (okay, mostly fixed my dryer – I still needed help), my air conditioner (okay, mostly fixed my air conditioner – I still needed … Read more

A Lesson from Langston

Better Parenting through Fiction:  Langston Hughes is one of my favorite writers. I could tell you why, but that is another post. Recently, I read Thank You Ma’am with my students and saw it with fresh eyes. If you are unfamiliar with the story, I highly recommend it. It is a short read. Read it. Or listen … Read more

A Brilliant Smile Part 1

I have partnered with Smile Brilliant Ventures for this post. While I have received product and compensation, my thoughts, words, and smile are my own. Please note that I am not a medical expert. Though I am sharing my experience with this product, you should seek the advice of your own dentist before beginning any … Read more

Ordinary People 

The ordinary people didn’t make it on my wall.  Like so many other kids, my walls were coated with posters and clippings of stars. Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson, Mark McGwire, Jennifer Capriatti (one of my first pro crushes), Mark Price, Nolan Ryan, Charles Barkley. The list could go on and on.  I wrote phrases on … Read more

Think: A Lovely Beard

I think have discovered a secret. I think I have.  I think I know where thoughts come from.  Have you ever watched someone have a think or develop one?  They usually are touching their chin or their forehead when they do. Now, I realize that some will say this is a nervous habit, a sign … Read more

A Charmed Life

Everyone has their own set of traditions that they follow. Some are to celebrate history. Some are to honor the past. And some are just fun – like ours. Each New Year’s Day, my wife’s family has a tradition that involves charms and pound cake. My mother-in-law painstakingly bakes a pound cake, often times two … Read more