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Teachers, Saving Lives, and Baseball Cards

07 May
Photo courtesy of Brienna McWade. Special thanks to Burien/Normandy Park FD.

Photo courtesy of Brienna McWade. Special thanks to Burien/Normandy Park FD.

I wish we lived in a society that celebrated doctors, police officers, firemen, and teachers much like we do our professional athletes.  Simply put – I want them on baseball cards.

These men and women have ridiculously impressive stats just like athletes, but as a culture, we tend to celebrate our escapes, not our realities.

We definitely value those who answer these callings in life, selfless calls that put others ahead of their own needs and their own lives, but celebrate and talk about them as if they are the true role models in this world?  That which they deserve to be…

I’m afraid not.

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Posted by on May 7, 2013 in Brad the Dad, Dads Round Table

 

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Of Taste and Family: Glad You Came

03 May

LemonThe sun goes down.

Spices1The stars come out.

tabletmAAnd all that counts.

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Posted by on May 3, 2013 in Brad the Dad, Dads Round Table, Of Taste and Family

 

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Of Taste and Family: Food is Healing

19 Apr

CuttingBoard3-e1365912796185It started with the knife.

Parm3fave4d-e1366161503864 It continued with another knife.

App1-e1365912246836Afterwards, from layers deep within, came a new beginning. 

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Posted by on April 19, 2013 in Brad the Dad, Dads Round Table

 

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Umass Lowell River Hawks: Role Models for my Boys

11 Apr
Photo courtesy of boston.com

Photo courtesy of boston.com

It all started out innocent enough.

Local elementary school hosts a student night at a neighboring city’s college hockey game.  Local family decides to attend.

As it turns out, this was a playoff game.  The Hockey East Quarterfinals to be exact, and potentially, a series clinching game at that.  One that would send the local boys onto the semifinals being held at the TD Garden in Boston, MA — home of the Boston Bruins.  The point is that this was a huge game for the home team, the Umass Lowell River Hawks.

The team in blue whose fans rally behind the phrase “code blue,” and show it as much in team apparel and social media alike.  A code representative of team whose work ethic and resiliency are arguably second to none.  A team of role models for my boys.

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Posted by on April 11, 2013 in Brad the Dad, Dads Round Table

 

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Raising Great Sleepers

02 Apr

Sleeping-Child“Put them down awake.”

Our mission of raising great sleepers started with those words from our favorite post-delivery nurse, Michelle.

We had more than a few lengthy conversations with Michelle during our hospital stay, but this one about fostering strong sleeping habits in babies always stuck out.  She wasn’t talking specifically about my son or saying do this every time, she meant kids in general and to mix it in so that they aren’t completely foreign to the concept of falling asleep on their own.

So that’s how we did it.

In the beginning and with both of our boys, most of the time they fell asleep on a loved one’s chest, but at least once or twice in the cycle, we would put them down awake.  Not screaming and kicking and crying awake, just awake.

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Posted by on April 2, 2013 in Brad the Dad, Dads Round Table

 

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Taste of Chelmsford Inspires Our Children

28 Mar

TasteBag1A night of taste.  Of individual pallets and community spirit.

The Taste of Chelmsford really holds double meaning.  It speaks not only to the outstanding flavor put forth by local restaurants and caterers, but also the generosity and character of local residents.

With all proceeds directly benefiting the PTO enrichment programs at Center Elementary School, supporting this night is all taste.

Enrichment programs built to further the growth and horizons of our children.

Programs like a rousing musical presentation to launch the school year by John Kelleher, who performs as Johnny the K.  An all-out theatrical performance about character building, as I hear it told.

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Posted by on March 28, 2013 in Brad the Dad, Chelmsford Patch

 

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My Son Introduced Me to College Hockey

22 Mar
UML1

Photo courtesy of goriverhawks.com

“That was the awesomest game ever!” exclaimed my 5-year-old son.

A quote and a moment in time I will remember forever.

Walking through the parking garage after a thrilling, series clinching victory in overtime by the Umass Lowell River Hawks over the Maine Black Bears to advance in the Hockey East Championship Tournament, my son dropped this line on me just as we were approaching our car.  As I opened the door to let him in, watching him skip up to his seat with an enormous smile on his face as he clutched the game-night poster in his hands, his “awesomest game ever” line playing over again in my head, I had the sudden urge to lift the car over my head and begin running home while chanting, “U-M-L!”

Truth be told, those few minutes probably crack my Top 10 Dad Moments list.

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Posted by on March 22, 2013 in Brad the Dad, Dads Round Table

 

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