Scott Nagele's Blog, page 41

You’re wasting everbody’s time, Daddy

When you turn four, life picks up the pace on you. Suddenly, you have a preschool commitment. All the clothes you wore when you were three are now too small or too unfit for your level of sophistication. You’ve got to run around town to find the right blue jeans, a backpack, and even a [...]

Football, putting the kids to bed, and other rough sports

My boys are too young to know much about sports, but they do have an eerie sense for knowing when my interest in what’s on TV has intensified. Something in their childhood instincts alerts them that Daddy wants to watch the game, and they know it’s time to go feral. My sports season runs from [...]

I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t know everything

My son has come to the conclusion that I know the answer to every question. I have mixed feelings about this development. It is much better than having him conclude that I am ignorant in all things and not worth the time of his curious mind. Yet, it is a tad disheartening to know that [...]

You are my sunshine, but not necessarily my only sunshine

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine (along with your brother, who is also my sunshine). You (in concert with your brother) make me happy when skies are gray . . .” Since we’ve had our second child, we have been careful about the words to the little songs of endearment we sing to the [...]

Conversations with my wife: Battlefields

My wife and I were trying to decide what attractions in Northern Virginia we would like to visit. ME: We could always go to Manassas. That’s not too far away. WIFE: What’s that? ME: It’s a battlefield. In fact there were two battles fought there, so it’s kind of a two-fer. WIFE: Oh. Another battlefield. [...]

Our friend, Mr. Lincoln

About a year ago, someone gave us a book about Abraham Lincoln. The book is for a much older child, but I read some of it to my son anyway. Since then, every time we see Lincoln’s image somewhere, the boy shouts, “Look! It’s Mr. Lincoln!” My son never refers to the man as Abe [...]

Who’s the weirdo with the stroller?

I am a periodic sufferer of a condition. Since I can find no official name for this complaint, I am going to name it myself. My problem is called Empty Stroller Syndrome. Empty Stroller Syndrome (ESS) occurs almost exclusively in fathers of young children. It manifests itself in well-populated areas, including public transportation. A bout [...]

History, trains, dinosaurs, trains, airplanes, and mostly trains

My three-year-old son likes our local historical museum quite a lot, but it is nothing that can prepare a boy for a visit to the various museums of the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. Nor is it anything that can prepare the dad of a three-year-old boy for the adventure of taking his son to those [...]

Faulty nipples, puke, and war paint (just another day at home)

Recently, we boys in the family got one of our periodic chances to spend some quality time together without any womenfolk around. Mommy was out for the evening, so we got to play in an estrogen-free zone for several hours. The night got off to a good start when the baby decided he didn’t want [...]

From the mouths of babes: new medical terms

One expects a certain amount of nighttime tumult from an infant, but a three-year-old can supply you with a considerable amount of sleep deprivation as well. The difference is that the older child should be able to explain his trouble to you. He should be able to, but he can’t. Your three-year-old is half asleep [...]