I have moved my parenting blog. My new location is http://www.waltmussell.blogspot.com/. Please click here to be taken there.
Thanks to everyone who has visited me at this location.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Moving Day
There’s an old saying that “A good friend helps you move. A great friend helps you move a body.”
I thought about that as I contemplated what I’m doing today.
For the longest time, I’ve managed two blogs on my own. One, a blog on my activities as a parent. The other, a blog on the activities of the football team of my alma mater, Auburn University.
However, as life gets busy and my kids continue to get even smarter than they were the day before, I’ve decided to focus on the parenting one.
However, in deciding on the parenting one, I realize that the blog that has my name on it is the one that has football.
And I want to keep both.
So I’ve decided to move my parenting blog to my football blog.
And for those of you that read my blog, I hope you’ll move with me and sign up as a follower on that one.
I do have some nervousness. The last time I gave up writing about football, Auburn ripped off fifteen straight wins (AU vs. Georgia 2003 through AU vs. Virginia Tech 2005). After Auburn’s previous perfect season, I started writing about football again and Auburn opened the 2005 fall season with a loss to Georgia Tech. I felt responsible for that.
Given that Auburn is now on a 15-game winning streak, I worry what effect any writing change I make might have. In order to alleviate any karma backlash, I may occasionally pen a football post from time-to-time. However, unless it relates to parenting, it will be in addition to instead of in lieu of a parenting post.
Again, I hope you’ll help me move to the new location. Please click here to be taken there. Please sign up to be a follower. Thanks.
I thought about that as I contemplated what I’m doing today.
For the longest time, I’ve managed two blogs on my own. One, a blog on my activities as a parent. The other, a blog on the activities of the football team of my alma mater, Auburn University.
However, as life gets busy and my kids continue to get even smarter than they were the day before, I’ve decided to focus on the parenting one.
However, in deciding on the parenting one, I realize that the blog that has my name on it is the one that has football.
And I want to keep both.
So I’ve decided to move my parenting blog to my football blog.
And for those of you that read my blog, I hope you’ll move with me and sign up as a follower on that one.
I do have some nervousness. The last time I gave up writing about football, Auburn ripped off fifteen straight wins (AU vs. Georgia 2003 through AU vs. Virginia Tech 2005). After Auburn’s previous perfect season, I started writing about football again and Auburn opened the 2005 fall season with a loss to Georgia Tech. I felt responsible for that.
Given that Auburn is now on a 15-game winning streak, I worry what effect any writing change I make might have. In order to alleviate any karma backlash, I may occasionally pen a football post from time-to-time. However, unless it relates to parenting, it will be in addition to instead of in lieu of a parenting post.
Again, I hope you’ll help me move to the new location. Please click here to be taken there. Please sign up to be a follower. Thanks.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
The First Snow of the Year
My sons are happy.
It snowed in Atlanta and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Like their Dad, they’re Auburn fans. My wife would say it was forced upon them. But with school out today and also tomorrow, my boys got to spend Monday during the day playing in the snow.
They got to spend the night staying up late and watching Auburn play football.
And they spent the evening staying up late and watching Auburn football.
I’m posting this prior to the game kickoff. Hopefully, I’ll be celebrating an Auburn victory.
Either way, I’m celebrating a wonderful season…and some happy kids.
Yes, that is an igloo.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Santa in a Box
“Daddy, I don’t think Santa Claus is real anymore.”
I was in our basement, assembling one of those indoor basketball shooting games. It requires three people to assemble, one to screw things in and two to hold things in place, so my boys were helping. There were times when I didn’t need their help, so they played with some of the other toys in the basement.
And then my eight-year old found a box.
My wife and I had hidden his gift from Santa, an electrically-powered dirt bike, in a section of the basement he wouldn’t check. It was behind some things and under a blanket. He hadn’t seen it prior to Christmas. I’d assembled it sometime after midnight on December 23rd (technically Christmas Eve), got it charging (it takes 18 hours), and just kept him out of the basement on Christmas Eve. Sometime about 12:30 a.m. Christmas Day, I brought it up. He woke up about 1:00 a.m. and found it.
I knew, though, when I assembled the dirt bike, that getting the box outside was going to be a challenge. We were traveling after Christmas to visit family and would miss garbage day. I would have to hide it until I could dispose of it. I chose the same place I hid the gift.
It wasn’t good enough.
“What do you mean you don’t think he’s ‘real anymore?’”
“I found the box for my Christmas gift.”
My heart skipped a beat. I’d expected that this would be the last year of him believing, though I’d hoped for one more year. My wife and I had discussed this. We knew from discussions with other parents that the kids were getting older. (Actually, my wife was talking with the other moms about whether or not their kids still believed and then telling me.)
Like the Grinch, I thought of a lie and thought it up quick.
“Of course,” I said. “Santa can’t carry the boxes everywhere. He assembled it in the basement, so that he wouldn’t get any oil or grease on the carpet. Can you imagine what Mom would say if he had?”
My son nodded his head. “Yeah, Mom would be mad.” He went back to helping me put together his latest gift.
Until next year.
Have you had years where you didn't get rid of the evidence quickly enough? What did you do?
I was in our basement, assembling one of those indoor basketball shooting games. It requires three people to assemble, one to screw things in and two to hold things in place, so my boys were helping. There were times when I didn’t need their help, so they played with some of the other toys in the basement.
And then my eight-year old found a box.
My wife and I had hidden his gift from Santa, an electrically-powered dirt bike, in a section of the basement he wouldn’t check. It was behind some things and under a blanket. He hadn’t seen it prior to Christmas. I’d assembled it sometime after midnight on December 23rd (technically Christmas Eve), got it charging (it takes 18 hours), and just kept him out of the basement on Christmas Eve. Sometime about 12:30 a.m. Christmas Day, I brought it up. He woke up about 1:00 a.m. and found it.
I knew, though, when I assembled the dirt bike, that getting the box outside was going to be a challenge. We were traveling after Christmas to visit family and would miss garbage day. I would have to hide it until I could dispose of it. I chose the same place I hid the gift.
It wasn’t good enough.
“What do you mean you don’t think he’s ‘real anymore?’”
“I found the box for my Christmas gift.”
My heart skipped a beat. I’d expected that this would be the last year of him believing, though I’d hoped for one more year. My wife and I had discussed this. We knew from discussions with other parents that the kids were getting older. (Actually, my wife was talking with the other moms about whether or not their kids still believed and then telling me.)
Like the Grinch, I thought of a lie and thought it up quick.
“Of course,” I said. “Santa can’t carry the boxes everywhere. He assembled it in the basement, so that he wouldn’t get any oil or grease on the carpet. Can you imagine what Mom would say if he had?”
My son nodded his head. “Yeah, Mom would be mad.” He went back to helping me put together his latest gift.
Until next year.
Have you had years where you didn't get rid of the evidence quickly enough? What did you do?
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