Strollerderby : bloggers

Penith and Bagina: When Daddy Potty-Trains

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:52:00 GMT

Like many parents, I wasn't overly focused on potty-training my daughters until I noticed that they didn't mind soiling themselves. I started paying more attention when my 4 year old twins were still very very comfortable wearing big girl pants, and when the older of the two shrugged after her regularly occurring accidents and explained, "It's ok, mama." Something had to be done.

So I admire our very own Strollerderby daddy's potty-training saga about encouraging his 2 year old daughter to get comfortable with the little altars everywhere...

MIke's ability to relate his trip to the zoo, with potty-training, and his long-standing fear of grocery checkout lines is brilliant.

When his daughter explains to the nosey checker how Daddy wears big girl pants with monkeys on them, the moment is priceless. And if this isn't a great reason to have kids, I don't know what is.

"Sleep Is for the Weak" -- Wake Up, Parents!

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:35:00 GMT

And get another book!

In our ever watchful eye for the best parental books from the blogosphere and beyond, we discovered this little treat this morning, and can't begin to tell you how excited we are.

Some of the best parenting bloggers came together under Surrender Dorothy's Rita Arens to create, "Sleep Is for the Weak: The Best of the Mommy Bloggers."

Filled with parenting stories from some of my favorites, including SD alum Stefania (Citymama) Pomponi-Butler, Izzymom, WouldaShouldaCoulda's awesome Mir, and many, many more, this is one books I am anxiously waiting for.

It's great to see another compendium of the web's best writers make it to the shelves of the bookstore. As always, details on parties to come.

Crayola Intros Kid-Named Colors

Kelly Mills — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:31:00 GMT

In case you hadn't heard, Crayola has slid in eight newly-named colors to the big box of crayons. Now if I were them, I'd spend my development money adding some structural reinforcement the black crayon, since its frequent use means it's the first one to break in half and force you to do outlines with that annoying little stubby crayon. Ahem. Anyhow, the new color names aren't as descriptive as you might hope, and I think the whole kid-named thing is a sham.

So, what kind of monikers do we have in the box now? "Super Happy (yellow), Fun in the Sun (orange), Giving Tree (green), Bear Hug (brown), Awesome (dusty pink), Happy Ever After (blue), Famous (hot pink) and Best Friends (purple)." Uh, yeah. Naturally some bloggers have had fun coming up with alternatives. But my beef is this: While Crayola says they developed the names with online input from kids, you know these aren't the names kids would actually develop if they had the chance. Yellow would be "Pee Pee Head", green would be "Troll Booger", brown would be "Pants Crap"...and so on. Just call me a realist.

Your Birth Story in 6 Words

Madeline Holler — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:56:00 GMT

You know that book Not What I Was Planning, the collection of memoirs that are six words long? Well, a blogger/doula is riffing on that idea and asking people to writer their birth stories in just six words. (I believe "ouch" counts as a word.)

Can you do it?

Here are a few so far:

Front seat, 60mph, early morning, WOW!

Nurse insists it's worth it. Correct.

On all fours, laughing him out.

Unplanned cesarean. Stillbirth avoided. Overwhelmed...overjoyed.

thank god i'm not pregnant anymore.

Don't push, can't not, he's here!

Come on, Babble readers, give us your birth and adoption stories in six words.

Strollerderby Playdate: The Inexpensive, Cheap Parent Edition

Madeline Holler — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:36:00 GMT

You know what? I'm cheap. I don't even use the term "frugal" because that's just a needlessly expensive word that sounds defensive. Not that cheap is my badge of honor, but I'm not trying to hide anything either.

Don't worry, I'm not so cheap that it's embarassing. I am not tempted to call supermarket sampling "lunch." But I am just cheap enough that my family will manage this coming recession without much drama. We won't have to adjust and cut back too much since we ride it pretty close to the line anyway.

Still, miserly-ness loves company, so I've invited some along to today's playdate (via Susan Flynn's article in the January L.A. Parent magazine). Whether you need some new ideas on how to cutback or save more. Or if you prefer the more salacious side of money matters (this article on how to tell if your financial partner is cheating. Yow!). Oh, most of these websites aren't terribly fancy -- naturally, they cut corners and didn't go the professional design route. So tacky! The savings!

Miserly Moms -- budget calculators, which are fun, and tips from readers (also recipes, but, well, yuck. We're more serious than casseroles, here.)

Dollar Stretcher -- the best since it's loaded with specific topics on budgeting, stuff for new moms and also easing into investing and lots of calculators -- retirement, city vs. country living, etc. -- links to forums and also a few blogs. All free!

If you've got a lot of different debt, there's the Debt Snowball method of paying it off. And, in any case, a calculator that's great fun to play with because it tells you how long you'll be paying off the debt and, after interest, what the total amount you'll have paid.

Warning: cheap people can get pretty holier-than-thou, so you'll have to ignore that if you think that might bug you. Just remember, people who write about it must be really into it. Anyway, they've got so little else going on (what with the price of ...)

Strollerderby Playdate: The Awful Blog I Can't Stop Reading

Madeline Holler — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 12:32:00 GMT

How can it be that I am a regular reader of this blog? I mean, you could hardly call it a blog -- she posts only once or twice a month, it's not terribly interesting, it's surrounded by ads for gentle yet overpriced baby laundry detergent that you don't even need.

And it's her! Her! I don't even like her! I am not interested in her! I do nothing but criticize and disagree with her. I didn't watch her on TV before and, now that she's back, I still don't. I won't! Yet, I read her blog. I check it for updates, feel let down when there are none. I find myself identifying with her truly mundane stories and smiling at -- and I mean this in the rudest ways -- the very unfunny funny things she strains to write. Please, what is wrong with me?

Somehow, I have let Elisabeth Hasselbeck get under my skin and into the heart of my web browser. Bafflingly, I don't consider the three minutes I put in each month checking out her posts -- she doesn't even have links or games or a photo album to look through! -- wasted time. How could I? I love reading it! But shouldn't I hate myself a little more for loving it? Shouldn't I want to soak in a tub of scalding hot water and gentle Dreft soap bubbles?

It's like the playgroup I go to again and again. The membership is dwindling, the only mom who shows up is the one you have nothing in common with. Nothing! But I keep going -- once or twice a month -- to not connect, to not agree, to not enjoy. Why go? Why not.

The High-Pressure World of Blogging

Adrienne Martini — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 20:34:00 GMT

A warning to those who either are in the glamorous world of blogging or aspire to join it*, make sure you have your will up to date because blogging might kill you.

Self-defined high power blogger Om Malik had a heart attack just before the new year and points his finger towards his vocation as a possible cause. Which brings up a couple of questions:

1) Who is Om Malik?

2) After the nine billion PSAs by everyone from the American Heart Association to the droids of Star Wars, doesn't Malik know that smoking and sitting around aren't the best choices heart-wise?

3) How does this news warrant coverage in the New York Times?

I have no good answers -- but would like to remind my fellow bloggers to walk around and eat a carrot or something.

* Why in the name of all that is held dear in the world would you want to do such a thing? Why? Do you love sitting around in your jammies that much?

Strollerderby Finishline: Every Parent Needs a Wiener

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 20:02:00 GMT

The odd holiday week has finally come to an end. Odd, I say, because who takes only Wednesday off? It's like a cruel trick played on parents -- yeah, it's the weekend! Wait a minute, no it's not. Get back to work! It hurts my brain to think about it.

Thankfully, there's the wonderful, mahvalous SD to ponder instead -- and there's lots to ponder. Cheery frogs. Evil magnets. Knit iPhones. Long, hot, delicious wieners. I may just like holiday weeks after all.

Patti nixes the idea that appearance and self esteem go hand in hand.

Karen takes your vacation tip and raises you three vacation tips. Any takers?

Stefania is back this week and working from home, which can only mean one thing: lots of alcohol.

Sarah drinks the Apple Kool-Aid and surfs the Inter-knit (ahem) highway.

Jessica's parenting style is a lot like my own ... lots of keg standing.

Melissa doles out the common sense; let's hope it sticks.

He raises a good point in the end, but I still wish Pierre would have given the smack down to Fred Rogers haters.

Kelly plays Debbie Downer on Independence Day with some bad news for moms: no more wieners. The eating kind. I mean the food kind. (Geez, you have a dirty mind.)

I completely agree with Alisyn -- dress up is fun.

Chag has the right idea -- get your kids to do their own laundry very, very early.

Rachael wonders why TV kids are just so dang ... horrid?

God I love putting this song in people's heads. It's my new favorite thing. Enjoy! And have a great week!

Strollerderby Playdate: Blogs By the Man

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 11:02:00 GMT

Most of the time I go to newspaper web sites to read about the events of the day or to find out whether Dick Cheney has officially taken over yet. But there a few newspapers I go to largely for the blogs -- the parenting blogs.

Sure, they're brought to you by The Man -- corporate honchos who just wanted to show they, too, can find their way around the intertubes. But, thankfully, the blogs themselves are written by dedicated, whip smart reporter parents who tackle everything from work-home balances to nostalgia for their own childhood.

Here are the best of the web:

Of course, I have to lead with the San Francisco Chronicle's The Poop -- not because I'm biased in any way, but because Peter Hartlaub really knows what he's doing.

The Wall Street Journal's The Juggle is never afraid from tackling tough issues.

And neither is the Washington Post's On Balance, where Rebel Dad also chimes in every week.

The Seattle Post Intelligencer's "Working Dad" covers everything from fun contests to parenting crises.

Any more?

Strollerderby Finishline: Vacation, All I Ever Wanted

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 21:07:00 GMT

I'm posting this at 2:07 p.m. pacific time -- the exact moment Dana and I are getting in the car and ~~never looking back~~ going on our first weekend trip sans the baby. So you'll have to forgive me if I'm a little distracted. There's been a lot of things to check off my list before leaving.

Such as ice cream. I'm packing a lot of it. Patti lets me know the best kind.

And movies -- Karen fills me in on the deeper side of "Knocked Up."

And then, of course, reading material. Fantastic parenting reading material that only the SD can provide.

Rachael is keeping the kids out of the fast lane. For now.

Alisyn lets her kids learn on their own that she's not watching them. But don't we all?

Jessica performs a personal competi-mommy intervention. And she can see all the way to space. (And good luck with potty training this weekend -- what a Father's Day treat!)

Melissa feels for dads with ripped vaginas. I think. Or maybe that was sarcasm? It hurts my uterus to think too hard.

Sarah sticks up for adopters, no matter their orientation. Let's hope Arkansas does the same.

Kelly knows that the best way to find a great gift for a guy is to read Women's Day Magazine. And also to stack up on bathrobes. And pimp fedoras.

And, of course, I'm bringing drinks. The Car Seat seems appropriate.

Happy Father's Day! (But not you. You know who I'm talking about. In the third row.)

Strollerderby Finishline: Broken Dad Edition

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 16:01:00 GMT

I broke my nose at the playground today. I also gave myself a concussion. The hardest thing to take, sitting there atop the annoyingly cheerful red and yellow play structure that did me in, was the image of my daughter -- laughing. She then clapped for "more." Lesson learned: Bloody daddy is funny daddy.

(Seriously, should I be worried that it took me a half hour to write the above two sentences? Three sentences. No, four. Shit. Five. Holy crap, I cannot count at all. I think I need to go to the doctor.)

Five hours later ...

OK, so I'm back from the ER, where my wife forced me to go because of my unsightly whining and complaining and carrying on. "Jesus Christ, man -- Emmeline gets over injuries faster than you do," she said. "Why don't you go to the ER ... or somewhere."

The doctor told me to rest -- the perfect opportunity to peruse the Derby and, thanks to our fine collection of writers, give my brain a much needed break. (Ouch. When my cohorts call me on that one, and I know they will, I'm totally blaming the medication.)

So here we go -- the week in Stroller Derby as medication, the best medication ever because it's always like a spoonful of sugar. (Oh dear god. That's bad. Again, it's the meds.)

As always, Kelly offers the best advice -- telling Katie Holmes it's OK to be bitter, so long as there's a bottle of JD involved.

Rachael delves into a new and very odd trend -- persecution of red heads. Seriously, this family moved three times because of it. WTF?

Patti eats like a Sicilian family of four, but craves the sweet, sweet nectar of Mexican Coke. Who doesn't?

And speaking of powder, Alisyn discovers the secret to parenting: powdered booze. (In reality, she says teenagers will be the real beneficiaries, but I say why waste it on them?)

And again, speaking of alcohol, because that's how we parent, Sarah is my new best friend. Beer for Father's Day? Genius.

Karen takes relief in knowing her kids aren't the only ones without friends. It's a thing.

Jessica hasn't had to kill a friendship over differing parenting styles just yet, but her best friend hasn't decided to co-sleep yet.

Pierre finally admits he's a fuddy old geezer -- just because he doesn't like the idea of kids going to camp. On private jets. OK, so maybe he's not so fuddy after all.

Melissa gives in to childhood obesity, because really, you can only craft for so long over the summer.

I'd really like to link to something from Stefania -- but she totally phoned it in this week, only bringing two entirely new blogs to Babble. Slacker.

And finally, I'm still fed up with the push prize for new dads. Formula? Hospitals can't send you off with a new kid and an HDTV or something? I was just there. There were tons of them. TVs, I mean.

Strollerderby Playdate: From Huggies to Depends; Who Needs Potty Training Anyway?

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 11:03:00 GMT

I've been thinking more and more about potty training recently, and it's starting to freak me out. Emmeline turns 14 months in a few days, and I remember another dad telling me there's a certain window on the near horizon -- a golden window, if you will -- that allows you to potty train earlier than most.

"Miss it," he told me, "And who knows how long you'll have to wait. Forever maybe. Some kids just don't get it. Ever."

Though this was his first child and though he admitted he couldn't change a diaper, I took his words to heart -- my mind filled with images of walking my daughter down the aisle and seeing the bulge of Depends through her white dress. I began to worry.

Dana takes a more nonchalant approach to these things, but she won't be the one on the floor with a bottle of Formula 409 and a roll of Bounty -- or whatever the hell you use to clean poop off the carpet. See? I'm woefully unprepared.

Thankfully, there's a few brave bloggers leading the way, giving us an inside glimpse into the process and making me wonder whether Huggies on a beaming bride is really such a bad thing after all.

Munchkin Pie has more evidence of potty training than you'll ever want to see. Seriously. It's hilarious, but only if you have a poop fetish. Be warned.

Booby Juice over at The Parenting Post is breaking out the supplies, getting ready, and holding her breath.

Whine and Roses is at least getting her little one on the potty, when she's not getting handed poop-filled presents. Oh joy.

Forbidden Pluto takes the prize for not only pooping in the shower, a favorite around these parts, but also for naming his daughter Lorelai. I will love him forever.

Strollerderby Finishline: Hell in a Handbasket Edition

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 20:46:00 GMT

And god looked down and saw upon the land a derby of strollers, and he said it was good. And just. And wise. And slightly alcoholic. And then the derby started questioning things, and it all pretty much went down hill from there.

Mom strippers. Zoloft snorters. Creation Museums? What the hell has become of us this week? We're all going to hell, but thankfully a few of you fine commenters are coming with us. And offering rides. So, so kind.

First, I go and open my big mouth and say that a "museum" dedicated to Creationism is full of more than just audio guides.

Alisyn tries her best to take the heat from the inferno of hell off my shoulders, but, alas, I think she'll just make more enemies. Oh well, at least Harry Potter will be close to Disneyworld -- the other heathen bastion.

Jessica should really know better. Those anonymous moms really know what they're talking about. And they've always got the best sense of humor.

Kelly proves that when your mom-stripper name is Cuddles, and even Ann Curry thinks you're a moron, you're just trying too damn hard.

Stefania writes about Tom Brady's impending fatherhood ~~just so she can google all his pictures~~ so we can all see that even football players care about children. (And she can do math. Thankfully.)

Pierre finds a family with six generations of girls. Ain't that sweet. Except for the idea it must feel odd to be a 37-year-old grandma. Maybe not. Catherine Keener worked it.

Patti wants us to dig through the trash to find used wine corks for this cool crafty stamp idea, and I'm thinking -- trash? Try the crib.

Rachael breaks the bad news to all: Moms aren't happy all the time. But thank god for Zoloft! Fuggin' A sister.

Sarah gets mad, mad props (is that even a phrase anymore or have I finally become a parent?) for hauling out the "Vacation" theme song in this Stroller Derby Playdate.

And to end it all, I think I'm in love with Karen. She redeems us all. Not only does she break out the wicked delicious Hitting the Bottle of the week, she consistently breaks out the best of Stroller Derby prose. If you don't do anything else this weekend, read this. And this is pretty friggin funny.

Even Dad Says Mom Bloggers Rock More

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Tue, 29 May 2007 15:32:00 GMT

On the surface, this is a story about shoes. Man shoes. Really, really bad man shoes -- and how if a man doesn't have the right shoes, he's really not a man at all. Or something like that. Oh, The Joys always says it better.

In this story, she also says something that's been sticking around in my wee little brain -- which, believe me, is a feat. For the most part, I tend to shy away from male bloggers, she says. And it strikes me that so do I.

Sure, there are definitely a few daddy bloggers I check out on a regular basis, but I find myself much more interested in the mom bloggers -- and I can't figure out why. Is it because, as an at-home dad, I feel I have more in common with at-home moms than regular ol' dads? Is it because dads are often whiny? Is it because moms talk about vaginas more? I dunno.

But I'm curious -- who's winning your parenting bloggy attention? Moms or dads?

Strollerderby Playdate: Man Boobs Are the new Black

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Wed, 16 May 2007 11:01:00 GMT

Last week, Sarah wrote something or other about boobs -- and all hell broke lose. Turns out some people have a thing against seeing boobs in public -- especially when they're attached to children's mouths. I don't know who these people are, but I'm surprised they could find a keyboard and an Internet connection under that big rock.

In support of a women's right to breastfeed wherever and however they please, a bunch of bloggy moms started showing off their assets. And then something amazing happened: So did dads. For a few days, man boobs ruled the Internet. Plump, doughy, hairy man boobs. Minus the milk part, of course.

So as a tribute to the best in fatherhood, I'll offer the best in man boobs -- blog style.

Karl at Secondhand Tryptophan got it started with a shot of his own. As a reward, the parenting world is waking up the image of your boobs right. now.

OK, Karl was the only one I could find. Men are wimps. Do you know how difficult it is to find blogs with the words "man boobs" in them -- well, non-porn blogs? Still, I thought Karl deserved a few more words of praise.

So to keep this playdate rolling, I'm switching topics. Here are a few more of my favorite daily reads. Make sure to check them out. These guys, and moms, rock.

AdventureDad always has an interesting, and international, take on parenting.

Chicky Chicky Baby is too good to sum up in one sentence. Check her out. Go on.

I Hate Snaps is green. And funny. And he's got big, meaty fingers.

Strollerderby Playdate: Babies, Babies, Babies!

Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah — Thu, 03 May 2007 11:02:00 GMT

Is there a baby boom or what? It sure seems like it. Tammie at Soul Gardening just had a baby. Liz at Mom-101 thought she was going to have a baby - but not quite yet. Christina from A Mommy Story shows off her belly, which is full of a baby. Speaking of these three ladies, I hope you didn't miss the virtual baby shower that was thrown in thier honor. It's too late to win any prizes, but you can still check out the games including match the blogger's baby . (Mine are easy to match, sometimes having twins makes things a dead giveaway.)...(read more)

Another Alphabet Book from Sweet Juniper!

Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah — Wed, 02 May 2007 22:07:00 GMT

I love Sweet Juniper. I had the honor of meeting Dutch, Wood and Juniper at BlogHer last year and they as charming in real life as they are on the internet. When they put out Sweet Juniper's first alphabet book, Personae Urbana I bought it right away. It was perfect for me, my kids were still working on learning the alphabet and I love Dutch's photography.

Now there is a new one. This book is called Fabulae Urbana (spell check cannot handle Dutch and his Latin badassery, or me and my made up words, like badassery. Hell, it might not even be Latin.). This book is also a graffiti alphabet, but each letter represents a myth or a mythological person or creature. It looks beautiful, and odds are I will be buying this one too.

Keep your eye out. Dutch mentioned that he is working on more accessible alphabet books if this one seems like a little much for you. As for me, I'll just end up with a whole shelf full of these things to show my grandchildren. My kids have learned the alphabet already.

Strollerderby Playdate: Addicted to Moms

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Wed, 02 May 2007 11:05:00 GMT

Almost 28 days later, I'm still addicted. To blogs. Good blogs. Mom blogs. A few weeks ago I told you about a few great parenting blogs that I have to check out every day. Needless to say, that's not all. I promised back then that I'd give you more, so here goes:

First up, Radioactive Girl -- who I swear writes about cupcakes just to taunt me. And then runs, runs like crazy.

Jenny Blackburn is Absolutely Bananas -- and I mean that in a really, reallly good way. She also blogs here.

If you haven't checked out A Child is Born, you don't know what you're missing. And you're dumb. I got hooked after reading this and feeling, somehow, like she knew my family.

It's a little difficult to write about DooDaddy in a post about moms -- but I do check him out every day and you should too. So get on it, slacker!

And if you've got a moment, stop over and see the other Radioactive Girl -- a kick-ass mom who needs more than a little support in the next few days.

And no, that's not all. Thankfully there are a ton more hot mommies out there to keep me occupied. Watch for more next week.

Parenting Mad Libs (Trust Me, You're Already Playing)

Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 15:02:00 GMT

Blogger Mom Ma'am Me has a hilarious post up about a "new game" that's sweeping the nation: Parenting Mad Libs. They're just like the Mad Libs you know and love, except with a parenting slant.

Here are some examples:

1. __(name of child)___! Put down that ___(breakable item)___ right now!
2. Stop hitting your ___(sibling's name)____ with that ___(heavy object)___!
3. I don't care if __(name of your child's precocious friend)__ has one, I am not letting you get a __(undesirable item)__.
4. Get your __(body part)__ off of __(name of pet, sibling, elderly relative, or fragile item)__ or I'll give you a __(type of punishment)__ you'll never forget!
5. You're going to ____(type of graphic injury)____ your ___(body part)__ with that __(sharp object)___ if you're not careful!

See, these are great, but it my house we cut to the chase:

Hey! ___(Name of child)____, quit acting like an ____(type of sphincter)____!

Oh, I kid. You can read Mom Ma'am Me for more Parenting Mad Libs, and be sure to check the reader comments for reader-generated 'Libs. Feel like sharing one of your own? Go for it in the comments below.

Liveblogging: St. Patrick Who? Irish, You Say?

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 02:13:00 GMT

Dana and I were out at a farmers market this morning when a woman nearby answered her cell phone and said, "Happy Drinkers Day!" Two years ago, that was us.

Before the pregnancy, before the baby, before the rigid scheduling brought on by nap times and bed times and before that sad fact that we simply can't find a babysitter who doesn't charge $98 an hour and insists on medicine cabinet priviledges, this used to be our holiday. We'd eat corned beef and cabbage. I'd suck down Guinness while Dana pretended to enjoy herself. A great time was had by all.

Now, however, it's a different story. Emmeline is sleeping in her room. Dana is finishing some work, and I am dreaming of a cool pint of Guiness. So if, like us, you're lame enough to be home. this. instant. instead of out drowning your uvula (no, silly, higher) in Guinness, please enjoy this inaugural rendition of the St. Patrick Days blues -- in which I drive the fun out of Ireland.

5pm: Emmeline wakes up. Dana wakes up from nap. Change Emme. Feed Emme. Start dinner.

6pm: Finish Guiness beef stew. Put in oven. Finish Guinness used for said stew.

6:30pm: Bed time routine. Make bottle. Open more Guinness.

7pm: Emme goes to bed. Neighbor in the flat above us begins screaming, "Yeahhhh Boy!!!" (Our landlord lives above us; otherwise we'd beat the crap out of the ceiling.)

7:10pm: Dana sits on couch to finish work. I sit at computer -- writing this and thinking of Guinness. The distant sound of revelry from North Beach bars can be heard. Upstairs landlord neighbor shouts, again, "Yeahhh something!"

7:27pm: Me: "Is the stew ready?" Dana: "No baby. It'll be another hour." Me: "An hour?! Ohhhh." Dana goes back to work.

7:37pm: We hear a noise. "Oh, no - she's coughing," Dana says. I go in to check. Emme has her lovey bear, and I linger a moment at the crib, watching as her chest rises and falls in the soft light. I touch her cheek and exit softly, trying to remember I'm supposed to be annoyed at missing the festivities but smiling quietly to myself instead.

7:53pm: Just received batch of photos from a friend, who came over on New Year's Eve. The New Year's Eve party caption says: "Out until 7 pm!" Us parents; our holidays have taken a decided turn for the worse.

8:10pm: Put water on stove to boil for potatoes. Watch pot. It boils! Potatoes in, and then read this story from Drudgereport. Ew.

8:30pm: Turn on TV. Nothing. Play Internet poker. Lose. Dana still working. Stew smells freaking good. Neighbor is stomping around.

8:55pm: Stew is ready! But a few Guinnesses on an empty stomach has left me feeling, well ...

9:50pm: Oh. dear. god. A full bowl of rich stew on an empty stomach is not a good idea. The Guinness don't help. We try to watch a movie, but I slump on the couch, begging for Dana to rub my head. "I don't feel so good," I tell her. "Some holiday," she says. But I just sit there, feeling her hands on my head and feeling her warmth beside me, and I begin to realize she's onto something. Some holiday indeed. I'm going to bed.

Dads Are Bloggers, Too

JasonAvant — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 15:39:00 GMT

When I first started blogging, shortly after the birth of my son, I was sure I’d find a legion of fellow dads, sharing their experiences with the rest of the Internet. My reasoning seemed logical; since the print publishing world pretty much ignores the other half of the parenting equation, there must be some other source of great writing on fatherhood. Well, I didn’t find anything close to the sheer volume of mommybloggers – in fact, for a while there were only a handful of blogging dads out there, the few, the proud. These days, I’m happy to say that there are quite a few of us, and many of them are producing some excellent writing. Many of them are also very well known, and while I was mulling over who I should include in this list, it seemed to me that this would be a good opportunity to put the spotlight on some of my favorite bloggers who are flying under the radar. A dad’s world is just as compelling as a mom’s; perhaps more so, as one is not likely to find our stories on the bookshelves or the magazine racks. So I give you four of my favorite sites, in no particular order. Each brings a unique take on fatherhood to the virtual table, and each is definitely worth your time.

Flailing My Arms: Jonathon Morgan is a twentysomething Austin dad; he deserves a medal for raising a toddler without a dishwasher. His posts are what you'd expect from an Austinite: down to earth, cool, with a heart as big as Texas itself. And you know you’re in good hands when Cleveland seems like a magical place.

Velcrometer: You may know him as M. Giant; in real life Televison Without Pity's master recapper is known as Jeff Alexander. He brings the same razor-sharp wit to his tales of fatherhood, and provides the occasion bit of good advice. For instance, here's his take on why you should not go see the movie Take The Lead: "Take every ballroom dancing movie and every teacher-makes-a-difference-in-the-lives-of-inner-city-kids-who-in-real-life-would-have-knifed-him-in-the-first-reel movie, scan them all into Final Draft, print it out, throw the whole thing off a freeway overpass and pay homeless guys a buck each to recover as many pages as they can, cast Antonio Banderas, and there you go."

The Blue Sloth: This one sneaks up on you, with quiet, subtle prose that pulls you in. No surprise that the author is a soccer player; the payoff here is not necessarily the goal, but the passing, the footwork, the movement off the ball. The anonymous author shows us the difference between mere blogging and honest-to-God writing.

Mother-Woman: Wait a sec, you say. That doesn't sound like a daddy blog. Ah, but it is. Mo-Wo and her husband P-Man are the co-parents; they divvy up the blogging chores. I'd say it's high time for some parity in the title - this is 2007, after all, and dads are more involved in raising their kids then ever before - but that doesn't keep me from making this very smart and very quirky site a regular stop.

So there's my Four To Watch in '07. What daddyblogs are you reading?

Kiddley, Loobylu Take A Break: Crafty Blogger on Indefinite Hiatus

Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 15:29:00 GMT

I don't craft, but sites like Kiddley and Loobylu make me wish I did. That's why I was sad to learn that Claire, the force behind Kiddley and Loobylu, has decided to take a break from blogging to focus on her family. (Well, not too sad, she has the best reason for stopping.)

From Kiddley:

Since the birth of our daughter Lily back in June we have been struggling as a family to find the right balance of life, work and blogging. Unfortunately life has been suffering more and more. It has been regularly occurring to me that it’s somewhat ironic that a website dedicated to helping parents and carers find things to do with their kids has been taking us away from ours! In one of those blinding flashes of reason I suddenly realised that something had to give, and unfortunately blogging is it.

I'll miss seeing Kiddley's and Loobylu's updates in my feed reader, but how could we not support her decision? Best of luck to you and your family, Claire! We'll be here when you're ready to inspire us again.

[image credit: Loobylu]