Hudson River Hero

What does it take to be a hero? Does it really take steering a US Airways passenger plane to a safe landing in the Hudson River saving all 155 lives on board? Superman could have lifted the plane safely to shore without even letting it hit the water. Of course, Hancock might have tossed the plane in a nearby parking lot smashing all cars and small animals in their place. I guess all heroes have their own unique style. But what are heroes made of? I know we'd like to believe that a hero is invincible to everything except perhaps kryptonite, or can "flame on" in the face of danger. But heroes are made of the same stuff you and I are made of ... and maybe something a little extra inside. A person becomes a hero when, in the face of disaster, he places others before himself. A person becomes a hero when the choice to do what is right and noble overcomes the desire to do what is self-serving or apathetic. A hero often lays down his life for someone else. What makes Chesley Sullenberger a hero? Clearly, his actions speak volumes. But as I have read what others say about Mr. Sullenberger, I have found that he might have been the perfect man for this hero role. Mr. Sullenberger is a former fighter pilot with the US Air Force and he runs a safety consulting firm in addition to flying commercial aircraft. He has even been studying how to handle a crisis while in flight. You might say Chesley Sullenberger was prepared for Flight 1549 heading to Charlotte, North Carolina. He was the perfect man for this hero role.

As a dad, I can't help but wonder what I can learn from Mr. Sullenberger today. I think my role as DAD has just as much of an impact as his. Perhaps not in the same volume, but certainly with the same importance. As our culture has changed over the years, how have we grown our responsibilities as dads? Are we still leading our homes by example. Do we still exhibit strength and love. Are we the heroes that our children see? Mr. Sullenberger became a hero not because he happened to be piloting Flight 1549. He became a hero because he found himself in a place where his character, preparedness, and resolve could be seen. He was not caught of guard. Are we just as prepared? When we find ourselves in that place where our character, preparedness, and resolve is exposed...what will our children see?

The Kissing Hand

I took some time off from our featured book of the week, but now am back ready for more fun in reading. The timing of this return could not be better suited as we just finished our first week of Kindergarten. What a rush of emotions it has been leading up to this week. I couldn't be more pleased with her school and am excited to take part in all the adventures this year holds. When I picked her up from school and probed for all the great details, she stated with enthusiasm, "Dad, I didn't know Kindergarten would be this much fun!" What a relief! Even more exciting was how she told me they read the very same book we had read a few nights before, The Kissing Hand. What a comfort to know that in every new adventure Mommy, or Daddy, would be right there with her the whole time. This book is a great way to ease those back-to-school worries. Thank you, Cara, for the recommendation!

You Have What it Takes

I am taking the liberty this week to depart from my usual post about our favorite children's story to recommend a book just for you, Dads. My good friend, Brian, lent me a book by John Eldredge entitled You Have What it Takes. It is a short read and only took me 30 minutes to devour this treasure chest full of super-dad principles. This book will force you into the corner of self-examination and I promise that when you emerge, you will find yourself better prepared to face the responsibilities of fatherhood. As men, we are driven to leave our mark on the world. How empowering it is to know that we have what it takes to leave the most important mark we could possibly leave - the mark of identity on our children. This booklet has reminded me of the adage that less is more. I hope you will get a copy and keep it close to you throughout your life.

Care Bears Plant a Garden

In her second hand-picked book, my daughter chose this Care Bear favorite to share. With the passing of Spring, we have watched flowers bloom and fill our neighborhood with delightful colors and fragrances. I wasn't surprised when she chose this book, one that we have read two nights in a row. In this book, the Care Bears teach us about teamwork and the fruits of its labor.

Puppy Love

These next two featured books are hand picked by my little girl herself. As I thought about why she chose this book, it became increasingly clear to me that my little girl was growing up before my eyes. You've heard me talk about her interest in boys, so it seems fitting that she would be asking herself what this word 'love' is all about. I am amazed to watch her process these feelings and begin to express them to me and to the people she cares about. Follow along as Clifford explores the emotion of love and how he finds joy in discovering how wonderful it can be.

Garfield turns 30!

I thought I would release the inner nerd in me a little today to let you all know some very important news. Today, Garfield the cat turns the big
30!
In 1978 Garfield stepped into syndication and into our hearts as America's favorite fat, lazy, and most times obnoxious feline. I think if we allow ourselves to admit it, we will find a little taste of Garfield in all of us.

A Bad Case of Stripes

My daughter went through a phase of coloring in stripes. Everything she colored got a splash of rainbow. I don't know if it was her indecision or if she really just liked all the colors, but it was her trademark for several months. I remember my mother telling me one time about all of the cute little trademarks each of her children had growing up. My brother Mark was known for giving everything a belly button. Perhaps her interest in stripes drew her to this book. A Bad Case of Stripes is a cute story of a little girl who likes lima beans and goes through all types of headache before realizing that liking lima beans is not the worst thing in the world. While lima beans may never make my list of favorite foods, this book has made our list of favorite books. We hope you enjoy it too!

Lessons from a Frog

I am used to being the cool dad, having things go my way. But last night, all of that changed...and I think everything is going to be just fine.

About a month ago my child came home with a frog. The scene was straight out of a children's book. She had a shoebox poked full of holes. Inside was a stick, a few rocks, a handful of grass, and what we later determined was Fairy Frog. As soon as we got home we outfitted Fairy Frog in a brand new king-sized box, freshly stocked with natural surroundings. She even got her own pool! The habitat was fit for a queen, and I even pondered for a moment that if only I would kiss the frog, perhaps she'd turn into that beautiful princess I had been looking for. Alas, the thought was fleeting and there we sat with the frog.

For four weeks we catered to this frog, occassionally heading out to the front yard to turn over a stone or two in search for a few worms. I learned that rollie pollies are not only a tastely treat but are also no where near extinction. Blame it on my bad mood or maybe my sensibility, but one day I finally had enough. "The frog has got to go," I declared! Who wants to live a life stuffed up in a box anyway? You would think that this line of reasoning would appeal to her better nature, but my little girl wanted nothing to do with it.

Needless to say, I went from super dad to super dud in about three seconds. Despite her pleading efforts, I held my ground and we found a nicely shaded area in the flower bed. For the next several hours, the world might as well have come to an end. We even had to call one of her friends so she could tell her how horrible life was (she's only 5 for crying out loud...is she really pouring her heart out on the phone already?). I got a good scolding from the other 5-yr-old on the other end of the line.

We quickly found another distraction (Disney's Enchanted) and life seemed to be back to normal. Believe it or not, the frog was still there the next morning, huddled under the same little plant. Maybe that was its way of letting us know that change sometimes comes slowly. When we got back home that afternoon, the frog was gone and my daughter seemed to be pacified by the thought that the frog was out looking for worms.

We've all but forgotten about Fairy Frog and my daughter is back to chasing boys. Maybe the frog wasn't that bad afterall. I've learned a lot from Fairy Frog. I've learned to hunt worms; make a cardboard box into a rain forest; and I've learned that sometimes we have to let things go. It might be hard at first, but eventually...life goes on.

Swallowed a Fly

There was an old lady who swallowed a fly...I don't know why she swallowed a fly.
Perhaps she'll die.

This favorite children's song has such a playful adaptation in a book by Simms Taback. You'll find yourself tapping your foot as the old lady grows more and more adventurous in what she swallows. Will she die? I know I would if I swallowed a cat. Despite its lunacy, my daughter has fun with this book and I know you will too.

Oliver & Company

I guess it is only fair to talk about Disney Princess this week since we gave our props last week to a non-Disney princess. Disney's Princess Collection is filled with short story versions of our favorite Disney ladies. Hidden between the pages of mermaid fun and glass slippers is one of our favorites - Oliver & Company. To say that my little girl loves kittens is an understatement, so it is no surprise that she has been choosing this one over and over. Fittingly, in Walt's way, there is a happy ending to the story and our hero saves the day. We highly recommend this story for a little feline fun!

Teach your children well

The best advice I can offer today can be heard in the words of Crosby Stills & Nash in their song, Teach Your Children Well. A recent performance on American Idol reminded me that being a dad is so much more than just being present. In more ways than one, they are our shadows - little images our ourselves following closely behind. What do they see and what image do we cast down on them? If there is anything we do well in life, let it be to teach our children well.

On a side note, I think Brooke White is going to be a star and I cannot wait for her first album to come out.

The best day of my life

Lately it seems my daughter has been using the phrase,
"this is the best day of my life!" A few weeks ago we spent a Saturday doing all kinds of imaginable fun. We spent time with friends, we played soccer, we had a picnic, played in the park, and ended it all by going for ice cream (frozen custard actually). I think it was as we were sitting there eating our frozen custard when she declared that this was the best day ever. I couldn't help but smile and a warm tingling sensation swept across my body. Score! I thought to myself. After all, that is the way we want it, right? A few of these days have happened and the savored mark of success has been declared, "Dad, this is the best day of my life!" I found myself smiling as I thought about this the other day. You know the feeling when you are reminded of something cute your child has done or said. That is one of the joys of parenthood. But as I sat there reminiscing, I caught myself thinking about the meaning of it all. Every day really cannot be the best ever. Eventually, the processes of life will get in the way. I mean, who really has the best day ever when they are cleaning their room or taking out the trash? I remember quite clearly a day when I was about four. I was at the babysitters and supposed to be taking a nap. The other boy there with me decided to instigate a game of tickling. He got up, tickled, then ran back and laid down. Then it was my turn. Well I was the one who got caught in mid-tickle and I am the one who got the spanking! Can you believe it? People used to spank children for misbehaving, whether it was at the sitter, at school, or at home. That memory has stuck with me all these years and was certainly NOT the best best day of my life! So while I recognize that every day is not going to be the best ever, I treasure the ones that are. And I am hopeful that these will be the ones she remembers years from now. Even if they are not, I know that these are the days that build that relationship between me and my daughter.

Rapunzel

This week I'd like to draw attention to one of the stories in our Treasury book we talked about previously. Lately it seems we have been coming back to the story of Rapunzel. It contains all the things that make a story great (a hero, a villain, adventure, romance, and for my little girl - a beautiful maiden with long braids of shiny golden hair). My daughter has reached that age when she is infatuated by boys - older boys at that (yikes!). At this point it is innocent so I'll leave my shot gun in its case (truth be told, I don't own a shot gun, but I have no problem getting one when the time comes). But at the speed in which these boys are running from her, I don't think it is them that I need to worry about for now. I guess it is no wonder she loves stories where a handsome prince comes in to save the day, and he and the fair maiden live happily ever after. In a world inundated with Disney Princess, I forgot there were classics out there that are still just as much fun to read. Give it a try. I know you'll like it!

Picnic time

I have been counting down the days and eagerly watching the weather forecast for that perfect day. A day when the breeze is no longer too cool to sit outside for more than just a few minutes. A day when the sun is shining and the warmth of its rays doesn't turn you into a sun-dried tomato. A day when the mosquitoes are yet to be seen. That day was yesterday. And so, my little girl and I packed the best picnic a basket can hold, we grabbed our ever-favorite waterproof picnic blanket from Mambe blankets, and we headed to the park. My city has the perfect place to picnic and spend the day playing at the Jordan Valley Park downtown. We found the perfect shade tree for our picnic. After we finished, we headed down to the water fountain for a splash in the fun. I tried to fly a kite while my little girl had fun with the other kids running through the jets of water coming up from the paved surface below. It was a day to remember and was made perfect with a stop off at Andy's Frozen Custard on the way home. If you have never heard of Andy's Custard, then I pitty your soul and I encourage you to make the stop the next time you find yourself driving through the Ozarks in Southwest Missouri. It's worth it!

Clifford's Day with Dad

This book is one of our favorites and made it on our list today because of all the fun we had yesterday. Saturday was the perfect day with dad! It was the first truly perfect day of Spring and we had a day full of activity. We started the day off with a Family Fun Day which included BBQ, an inflatable bounce, and all our friends and family. Then we played in the final soccer game of the season. That evening we went to the park and had a picnic. And of course we ended the day with a stop off at Andy's Frozen Custard! In Clifford's Day with Dad, our big red friend spends a day with his dad and has lots of adventures of his own.

Bears on Wheels

The Berenstain bears date all the way back to my childhood and perhaps a little longer. Bears on Wheels is a simple book that illustrates the fun of counting. Even in its simplicity, the thing that impresses me most about this book is how the illusstrations exercise the imagination and let the story take on a life of its own. We come back to this book time and time again and have just as much fun today as we did when she was 3.

Britain's Got Talent

The remarkable thing about this six-year-old little girl is not how well she sings. It is the message she brings to the world. Hidden somewhere beneath the gentle surface of each child is a gift. One that is special and unique to each one. Perhaps not all will sound as angelic as Connie Talbot, but certainly each is just as special. How are you cherishing and nurturing your child today?

Behold, No Cavities

At our first visit to the dentist, I could barely get my girl to sit in the dentist chair, let alone convince her that the dental hygenist had bubble gum flavored cleaning paste. So it ended about as soon as it started. This last visit, however, was picture perfect and I owe it all to Spongebob Squarepants! We have been reading Behold, No Cavities and she has loved learning about going to the dentist and getting that perfect report of no cavities. After we were done, we had to rush home and make a tooth with her name on it so we could hang it on our own "no cavity tree".

Pinkalicious

If you are the father of a little girl then you probably know exactly why this book made our list this week. Pinkalicious gets to the heart of all that is wonderful in my little girl's life.

Pink, pink, and more pink!

Someone should create pink vegetables because I am sure that my girl would gobble them all up if it were so. I admit that it can be infectious and I encourage you to try a little pink this week.

A Treasury of Children's Literature

I am cheating a little this week because this book is really a collection of classic children's stories. I found it hard to choose just one so I decided that the entire collection was worth mentioning. I bought A Treasury of Children's Literature for my little girl when she was performing Hansel and Gretel in the children's ballet series. I wanted her to be familiar with the original story so she would enjoy it more in the ballet. It reminded me that there are scores and scores of great stories out there that she has never heard of, and that it is up to me to make sure she is exposed to them. Stories like Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, The Brementown Musicians, Rumpelstiltskin, and The Ugly Duckling have enchanted children's story books for years, and now they are a part of our storybook collection.