For the second installment of this series, we will be admiring the needlepoint skills of granny B. My mom gifted our little guy the above pictured quilt featuring various portraits of the late great Lola. Lola was a very integral part of our life for many years.Continue reading
Enjoying Some Family Time in Cathedral Glen | Photo: Courtesy B. Maschal Private Collection
Early last summer when it was becoming clear that our little bun in the oven was a viable mini-human, I did my best to temper my imagination from running wild with ideas of what he might be like. One recurring daydream I encountered was bringing the little guy to enjoy nature with me. Some of my fondest childhood memories are those of spending days and nights with my dad hiking/fishing/camping in the woods, at the lake, in the desert, etc..
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The Author and Infant Son With Matching Headgear | Courtesy B. Maschal Private Collection
Growing up, I was fortunate enough to have spent a lot of quality time with both of my grandfathers during the formative years of my youth. My paternal grandfather was brick mason who never fully retired. In almost every memory that I have of him, he is either building something or fixing something (when we weren’t fishing or camping together). Continue reading
The Author and Son Spending Some Quality Time Outdoors | Courtesy B. Maschal Private Collection
Guys, karma comes back to bite (hard). This is a lesson I have repeatedly been dealt throughout my life. In this post, I will recount the most recent example. Continue reading
The Author Delivers a Liquid Meal to His Topponcino Clad Infant Son | Courtesy B. Maschal Private Collection
One inescapable fact of becoming a new parent in this day and age, is that people are going to try to sell you stuff. Like, tons and tons of stuff. “Must haves” vs. “not worth the cash” recommendations for baby gear on the internet as well as that from friends who have children are contradictory at best. Paraphrasing one piece of advice received: “Trust me bro, if you don’t get that warmer for the butt wipes, you will regret it.” Meanwhile, another parent opined: “Can you believe they make warmers for the butt wipes? And people wonder why children are so coddled and helpless to do anything on their own these days!” I’m sure that both parties were 100% correct with respect to their personal experiences in child care.Continue reading
The Author Enjoying a Spring Nature Walk With Son | Courtesy B. Maschal Private Collection
It is difficult for me to wrap my head around the fact that over a month’s time has passed since our bundle of joy arrived. 30 days ago, I thought that for sure we would have things so much more dialed in by now. If nothing else, this has been a steadily delivered lesson in humility and patience.Continue reading
The Author Doing Some Dirty Work | Courtesy B. Maschal Private Collection
An amazing quality that we have in our 20s and 30s (at least until mid-30s) is the ability to get minimal sleep and function at a very high level regardless. This is something that I did not fully appreciate until I was no longer capable of pulling off.Continue reading