Discipline

When it comes to disciplining children everyone has an opinion. I am a firm believer that spanking is part of discipline. It should not be used in the place of teaching a lesson, and it should also be used sparingly. I have two children, my daughter needed a spanking one time, my son is a whole different story. We never spanked to hurt, we don't beat our kids, but sometimes you need to get the attention when all reasoning has been tossed out of the window. Our son was extremely difficult from the age 2-4, most boys are at that age. We tried several different techniques when he would go in to his tantrums, and most did not hold up. The worst is when you are out in a store and it comes on, what do you do? Some experts say you should leave and that is punishing the child. To me that is a punishment to the parent, because now you have to make another trip. I was at Target one day when my son was three, and he started to throw a tantrum, so I gave him a swat on the butt and told him to knock it off, to which he did. When I looked up there was a lady staring at me like I  just committed a horrible crime, so I politely asked her if she wanted one next! When it comes to ignoring your child's bad behavior, please do this at home, nobody enjoys watching and hearing your kid scream and throw a fit in the store or restaurant. There are discrete ways of dealing with it so do it! If you are not going to parent your child, or teach them to respect who will? Teachers hands are tied, because they can no longer discipline without getting in trouble. There is nothing wrong with a good ol fashioned spanking, done in good taste.

The Glass Castle

Jeannette Walls, author of the book, does a great job explaining her life. Walls keeps you wanting to read more. I had a hard time putting this book down, everyone can relate to this book in some way or other. Whether you grew up poor like the Walls family, or rich, we all went to school with someone who was less fortunate then ourselves. I would like to see this book in middle schools, in hopes that it could prevent a lot of kids picking on the less fortunate. It is amazing to me that there are people out there that are still living like the Walls family. Granite we have child services, that I believe is more involved in the child's welfare then when Jeannette was growing up. I believe neighbors, schools, family, and just plain strangers are less tolerable of child neglect. Jeannette Walls is a strong and courageous woman. Not many people are willing to lay it on the line to get out what needs to be out. I would highly recommend reading this book, it will make you grateful of the roots you come from, and what you have in life.

What is fun without dysfunctional

I believe that every family has some dysfunction in it. Who says what is right and what is not when it comes to being a family and how you act. I do believe there is a healthy dysfunctional, and a destroying dysfunctional. In my opinion it is the ones that try to cover it up or cant talk about it that is the destroyer. When you are able to talk about it, and admit that you are not perfect or better then any other family, that is when it becomes a healthy dysfunction.
I have a very large family, with uncles, aunts, cousins nieces and nephews there is 87 of us. In that mix there is Hispanic, African American, Asian, white, and American Indian. I have an aunt who is a lesbian, an uncle that is gay. My Grandpa married my grandmas sister, when she died, it was her dying wish! There is blue collar people, white collar people, business owners people, stay at home people, do nothing people, we have them all. When we get together it is 5 generations of pure chaos, you find yourself screaming at some points just to carry on a conversation with the person next to you.
To me this is what a healthy dysfunctional family looks like, we don't hide it, we wear it proud. We do not judge, we invite you in when you have know where to go for holidays, or you want to go to a bar b que but you just moved to town and don't know anyone. I believe that to have any fun in this short time we have on this planet, you need to be a little dysfunctional.

Spring fever

Maybe it is because the lack of winter we are having, but spring fever has started. This weekend I had a hard time keeping myself on track and motivated. I am excited for my daughters traveling soccer to start, even though when it comes, the driving will drive me crazy. I am excited to go on long bike rides with my son, who learned how to ride a bike last year. I am excited to go for walks with my wife where she is not freezing cold the whole way and complaining about Minnesota's longest season. We bought a new house about a year and a half ago, and have not had time to build our garden. We have been doing a potted garden, which the veggies do not turn out as good. I am more then ready to not have to wear a jacket to tend to the grill or my smoker. We have two kids and three dogs, so at this point in the year we are anxious to get the windows open, and for the dogs to lay around out in the soft green grass. I am ready for mother nature to awaken the trees, the flowers, all the animals and bugs that have down for the long rest. I am still not ready for the allergies, however I will take the bad with the good.

Facebook Generation

If my parents had a facebook page, I would surely except an invitation from them. It would be another way of communicating with them. If you asked me this question back when I was in junior high, my answer would be much different. I think if I would have had facebook back then, it would have been trouble! My daughter, who is 13 has a facebook account, and we are her friends, this was part of the deal so she could have one. I feel monitoring her account is very important, just as monitoring who she hanging out with or where she is going.
I do notice that kids who have grown up with facebook, and text messaging have a hard time with caring on conversation face to face. When my daughter has a friend over they spend half the time facebooking or text messaging. Now while I find this to be rude, their generation finds this acceptable, almost mandatory. I often think I was lucky to not have this growing up, although it would have been easier to find the keggers on Friday and Saturday nights, it would not had been as challenging and you were forced to actually seek out information and talk to new people.
Technology is great, my wife and I share a facebook account, which is rarely used. It is nice to see what are old friends are up to, and pictures of their families. Facebook does play a part in my life, it just does not control it.

Super Bowl Saturday

I enjoy the Super Bowl game for one reason, it is the only game of the year that my family sits down and watches together. I have often thought that having a game of this magnitude on a Sunday is kind of silly. Why wouldn't they have it on a Saturday. I think more people would travel, more business at the local taverns, more food sold at restaurants, just plain more money to be made. Not to mention the whole not feeling all that great at work on the following Monday; if they had it on Saturday, people would have a day to recover, so they would be more productive starting out the week. Although I do recognize that it would be taking business away from establishments on the Sunday, I think more people would be out and about Saturday to more than make up for it.

Favorite quote (week 3)

"What Descartes did was a good step. You have added much several ways, and especially in taking the colours of thin plates into philosophical consideration. If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants."  Quoted by Issac Newton 1676

The part that stands out to me the most is "If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants."  I have always been a leader, and have always looked at every person around me as a giant who has made me a leader.  You can not win a war with just a captain.
It was just this past year that this quote has been inbeded in to my way of life.  My best friend Justin, wife (Karen) was diagnosed with a rare cancer.  They had a 1 year old son, when they found out.  It came as a shock, because she is a very healthy woman.  What I saw them go through, mentally, physically, and financially is enough to bring anyone down to rock bottom.  I watched day by day, week by week, month by month, as their strength as a family grew to beat this cancer.  They taught me who I want to be as a husband, a father, and a friend. "If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants."

As for Karen, she kicked the cancers Butt!!!