On the 19th Anniversary of 9/11, in the midst of a global pandemic. Many times in the past, these blogs were inspired by the climate of the day, dramatic happenings in our society and around the globe. They would cause me to reflect on how these events impact my parenting, and they might trigger memories …
My four year old son Valentino is quite articulate – we have never spoken to him in “baby talk” or “simple talk” – we speak to him as a thinking individual, and he responds to us in the same manner. It doesn’t mean that he does not say the darndest things – in fact the …
A moment that nearly caused me to fall flat on my ass and gasp, was when my four and a half year old asked me, “Daddy, what is my purpose in life?” The conversation that followed went something like this; Daddy: What do you mean Valentino? Tino: Well you help all those children, and you …
One of my clearest early childhood memories was the first time I performed on stage in front of an audience. I am sure it was the same experience for many children, and the cast of children I was with shared this first experience with me as well. I was a bumble bee in my …
The first words I heard this morning were “Happy Birthday Daddy!” The first thought that went through my mind was “Oh for Crap’s Sake!” however my outside voices responded appropriately with “thank you sweetheart, give me a big kiss.” For as long as I can remember looking back I have loathed and resented celebrating my …
It occurred to me that not a day goes by when I don’t pull out my phone and snap a photo of my son. Sometimes it’s because he is doing something that boggles my mind, something I didn’t expect, or something profoundly moving for me. Often I am simply trying to capture a moment in …
Now that our son is four he was well aware of Halloween. He had determined early on what kind of costume he wanted and which super hero he felt possessed most of the same qualities as he. As it turned out he decided very much on his own that he would be Dash Incredible and …
Around the age of 5 I remember my first trip to Hong Kong. My father took me to see the motheland specifically to attend a big Chinese wedding. I can only assume that it was someone close to him or we would not have made such a big trip. I have very vivid memories from …
Valentino is soon to be four years old. Looking back, age three had common themes. One of the themes centered on play. For the most part when we would play, I allowed him to direct the activity. He was the happiest when we would sit down on the floor together and start to engage in …
“In deciding Friday that marriage equality is the law of the land, the Supreme Court justices not only made history, they also showed their respect for it. This weekend marks the anniversary of three major events in the fight for gay rights: the Stonewall Riots, the court battle against discriminatory sodomy laws and the fight against …