Sometimes, in the evenings and as Niko is preparing for bed, he will read thedadspeaks.com (hey, that is me!). He reads them silently, I read them to him, or we have the AI voice read them and he laughs a a lot. Last month, he told me I should I write a new The Dad…
Tag: The Dad Speaks
The Dad Does…
I don’t consider myself handy, but this weekend, I fixed a slow draining sink in one of the bathrooms, I built an an IKEA wardrobe for Nina (she helped), and I figured out where an annoying beeping from the garage was coming from (it was the backup battery in the garage door ceiling mount). For…
Funny Things Happen On The Way To Bed
School has been out for almost a month, and Niko’s bedtime has changed from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. However, since we visited San Antonio on June 9th through June 12th, that bedtime hasn’t been achieved yet (well, I think once, he was able to do it). We get him in bed at 7:30 and…
Father’s Day
Niko turned double-digits last month, and with that came independence for himself. By that, I mean, he enjoys relaxing in his bedroom during the day with his iPad and/or Switch 2 and most times he has a few drinks on his night-table! Every hour, Nina and I either text him, FaceTime him, or just yell…
OUR Summer Vacation
Last Tuesday, we went home to San Antonio to visit my parents (and to eat at some food places that we have missed). We arrived back to our Minnesota house yesterday. We had originally thought of visiting in April, as Niko had a few days off from school, and we would take him out for…
Not Impressed
On Wednesday and Friday, I watched the Spurs play the New York Knicks in the 2026 NBA Finals. Before Niko was born in 2016, I was a huge fan of the NBA, and especially the San Antonio Spurs. I also worked for the franchise from 1999 to 2002 in Marketing and Guest Services. My tenure…
End Of School (Goodbye 4th Grade)
Last Thursday was the last day of the 4th grade for Niko, and to celebrate that and also the fact that he did awesome (despite several absences due to being sick or being tired), we got him a Nintendo Switch 2. He wanted it earlier, but were adamantly saying not till after school on Thursday….
Niko’s 2nd Birthday Celebration
Yesterday, Niko had a birthday celebration at the local community center pool with some of his classmates. Easy setup for Nina and me, as we reserved a room with a door to the pool (they had over an hour to swim) and the community center supplied food and drinks for all. I picked up a…
Kentucky Fried Chicken
Yesterday, Niko and I went swimming at the local community center pool. I am always happy to take him as he really enjoys it. We haven’t been in several weeks because he was sick. Last summer, he took swim lessons at the high school and he became a much better swimmer because of it. This…
The San Antonio Spurs
I have been a Spurs fans for my whole life. Remember the late 80’s and early 90’s when they were bad? Then, we had dudes named David, Sean, Tim, Avery, Mario, Robert, Tony, Tim, Manu, Boris, Patty, and many more who rescued the franchise and bought the team and the community 5 championship trophy’s! I…
IKEA
I like the ideas that IKEA showcases for various rooms and how their furniture can complement that space no matter how small or big it is. I also like that you can customize and design your own room online. I don’t like how when you grab something in the “self-pull” warehouse, it’s always heavy and…
Mother’s Day
Today, and only today, Niko and I will spoil Nina. Whatever she wants, she gets! Wait, this isn’t right. In our life, it’s not a day, it a year for us and Nina. Two things I have done on a consistent basis to help Nina for the past several years is: A few weeks ago,…
I am 10
Note: This was written by me, in the voice of Niko! Niko did read it, and added a few things. He does read them when they are published. He does wish he could write like this every week like I do, but he gets distracted easily. I did tell him, I can help you and…
The Dad’s Birthday
On Thursday, I celebrated my birthday. Food is always a big part of my celebrations, and I like that! It started on Monday, as I was in Minneapolis for an appointment with a new Speech Language Pathologist and a new doctor for Botox injections. The hospital is affiliated with the University of Minnesota, so I…
The Birds
It’s very nice seeing the birds come back home to Minnesota, and frolicking in the leafless trees and wading in the non frozen lakes nearby. I love the sounds they make and the cat and I can easily watch them all day long. Nina was joking around that maybe we should buy a bird book…
Target Dad
I should never go to Target alone when I am hungry because I will raid it for a Boars Head deli sandwich and chicken noodle soup from Panera – both are readily available in the store! My Target has Krispy Kreme donuts, does yours? I will also go to the chip isle and get three…
Ridgedale Center
On March 8th, and on the way home from dropping Nina off at the airport, Niko and I were going to dine at The Cheesecake Factory. But, due to construction and the way the GPS was guiding us, The Cheesecake Factory was not conveniently on the way home. So, we bypassed that idea of eating….
Chef Niko
It’s funny, because usually, I know several days prior what I will be writing about, but for this one, I had nothing. I had a few ideas brewing and they were more about me (Dad, what were you like in the 90’s, March Walking, and something else called Just Do It). It wasn’t until Friday…
Washing Machine
As a dad, with a 9-year-old and a wife, we are constantly running our washing machine. If a day goes by where we don’t use the washing machine, we are behind! I find dirty clothes (thanks Niko) in very awkward places! How many times have I told him to throw his socks in the laundry?…
FIRST MN Winter Survived
Well, we survived our first Minnesota winter. I enjoyed our fireplace and I enjoyed our heat, but mostly, I enjoyed watching the snow fall (light and hard) and seeing it shine brightly on the grass, driveway, and walking path behind our house. The weather predictions for snow was pretty accurate for when it would happen,…