Tag: The Dad Speaks

Niko has, I hope, officially, graduated from the easy reading book phase to more complex books. Several weeks ago, we read some of the Roald Dahl books and for the past few weeks, we have been reading the Wayside School books by Louis Sachar. A few nights ago, I read a few chapters of the…

Niko found the balloon stash in the kitchen and because of that, I had to fill some up with water and let him throw them in the front driveway. I know Niko likes it because his squeaks are very loud and happy. I also know that he would love to throw one at me, and…

Since February 8th, I have been in the office on Monday’s, Tuesday’s, and Wednesdays and home on Thursday’s and Friday’s. A lot of preparation has to happen on the days before I go to the office as I just want to get up, freshen up, get dressed, and grab my snacks and drinks without having…

I pay bills. I have a mortgage. I have retirement accounts. I make sure our bank accounts are balanced so we know how much money we don’t have. I call people to fix things. I have an electric lawnmower and edger and enjoy making my lawn look and smell good. I cook, I clean, and…

So, right now, the only clothes Niko will wear to sleep and to go out is Mario. To help this phase, we have four Mario long-sleeved shirts and one pair of Mario pants. Nina purchased some iron on Mario sights so she could put them on other long-sleeved shirts and pants – so, soon, we…

One year ago, I finished my MBA at Western Governors University and a few weeks ago, I published my 2nd e-book called THE DAD GETS EDUMACATED. It’s about my experiences as a dad, husband, student, and fulltime employee of a large corporation. Of course, I struggled as I wanted to quit twice, but I didn’t…

Sometimes, after I read a book, I will find other books related to it and these are the last six books I have read. The Big East: Inside the Most Entertaining and Influential Conference in College Basketball History – by Dana O’Neil Blood in the Garden: The Flagrant History of the 1990s New York Knicks…

Last week, I returned to the office on a hybrid schedule; three days at the office and two days at home. It is louder at the office as a lot of zoom training is happening amongst people at the office and people at home. To compensate for that, I put my headphones on and jam…

We booked a trip in December of 2021 for February 3rd through the 7th to Ohio to visit Nina’s dad and stepmom. Well, a week before the trip was supposed to happen, we got several flight cancelations. We rebooked them all. Then, a day before, we got more flight cancelations. We rebooked them again. Then,…

Niko likes to take my things and hide them. A few days ago, I was looking for my belt and I looked at Niko and asked him if he hid it? His reply was No! So, I told him, ok, then while we are out, we will buy me a new belt. Then, a few…

I wrote two books and self-published them through Kindle Direct Publishing and it was actually very easy. One of them was just published last week. It’s called THE DAD GETS EDUMACATED. In a few weeks, I will work on number three, which I have already started. And, I already have an idea for number four….

Did you know on March 1, 2021, I completed my MBA from Western Governors University? Well, now you do! I kept an online journal about all of my school experiences and have edited them so they appear as unblemished and grammatical as I could get them, and it was published on January 26th as an…

You know something, Best Buy is a fun place to take Niko because it’s close to home, close to food, he can’t really break any fridges, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, stoves, microwaves, printers, and alexa and google products, they have big televisions, they have video games, and it’s clean and safe (as the majority of…

Lately and after I ask Niko a very simple question, he replies WHAT DO YOU MEAN? My reply back is WHAT DO YOU MEAN? Yeah, mean dad! He asks me a lot of WHAT IFS. Most of them I can make something fun up, but sometimes, I am like it won’t happen so there is…

I hope nobody from the Dr. Seuss empire sues me for using this title! Actually, I do hope they read it. Hey, more publicity for me. Since the three of us are vaccinated, we have started to go out in the world and do mask up when public places require it. Not a big deal…

Did you know that I am a published author? In 2018, I published my first e-book on Amazon about my first year as a first-time dad. Go ahead and buy it and leave a review. This month, I am planning on publishing my second e-book on Amazon about my experiences at Western Governors University throughout…

The biggest thing that happened to me in 2021 was that I graduated from Western Governors University in March with an MBA. I am super proud of myself of this accomplishment and am about to publish an Amazon E-book about the experience. It will be my 2nd E-book; my first was about my first year…

Even though we don’t believe in the religious aspects of the holidays, Niko thoroughly enjoyed opening up his yesterday. Nina and Niko picked a real pine tree and they decorated it together. On Thursday, Nina baked a cake and together, they decorated it. I observed and was glad to eat some later that evening. It…

Hey, that is me and yes, I am going to brag about how awesome I am and all the things I do as a dad. I know, in the past, I have written a lot of Odes to my wife, but this will be the first Ode to me. I am basically doing this because…

Nina and I haven’t had a “real” vacation since we cruised the Western Caribbean in November of 2015. We had a cruise scheduled for October of 2020 to celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary, but it got canceled due to the pandemic. We did get a future cruise credit and will use that for a cruise…