Eat the Crust First

Are we a cut-the-crust-off-your-bread type of family?

I’m sure there is great reasoning on both sides of this discussion, but regardless of the decision, this seems like a choice that helps define a family.

Life lessons from bread crust?

I want to make sure my kids have what they need, but I don’t want to be cutting their crust throughout life.  Working through a tough crust – nice metaphor for life experiences – can help build character.

I was going to try to make the, crust has more nutrients argument, but the magic of Yahoo Answers demonstrated that this is most likely a myth.  So, I think I’ll fall back on the true crux of the issue.

From the Dude’s perspective, cutting the crust off a sandwich adds an extra step for busy parents, and throws the child/parent balance off.

There’s nothing wrong with the crust.  A little tough?  Sure.  But it’s part of the bread.  Why would we cut it off?

It seems frivolous, and to meet frivolous desires encourages more frivolous desires.  Ok, that sounds a bit extreme.

But the premise seems to fit.  We don’t need to create extra work for an everyday event that is unnecessary.

I suggest the complete opposite approach.  I can admit the crust is a bit harder to chew, so instead of stressing about it, tackle it first and save the best part for last.  That makes the last bite that much better…ah, the soft middle bite that offers the most gooey part of the fluffernutter.

Do we want our kids chasing every frivolous desire, or do we want them tough enough to tackle the tough challenges first so they can enjoy life’s finer points that much more?

Seems like an easy decision to me.

We are a crust-on type of family.

That’s what I thought until I walked into the kitchen this morning.

Mrs. Dude, we need to talk…

Eat the Crust First

Eat the Crust First

Daily Pixels: Please Keep Head and Arms Inside Ride

I’m generally a “we don’t need know stinkin’ straps” kind of guy.  What can I say?…I like to fly by the seat of my pants.

That’s Right Ice…Man; I am dangerous.”

Luckily, Mrs. Dude likes to enforce the rules.

Eyes off him for a minute, and I turn around to see him watching The Wiggles upside down.  (Am I the only one that finds those men a bit creepy?)   I guess we’ve reached the wiggle-worm stage.

Lesson learned, straps are a must.

Please Keep Head & Arms in Ride

Please Keep Head & Arms in Ride

Daily Pixels: Eat It

The development just keeps on rollin’.  Kid won’t stop growing.

Sweet potatoes and bananas so far, but we have all sorts of goodies on the ready.

Cliché? Definitely.  Even at five months the thought crosses your mind: “They grow too fast.”   As much as I look forward to the next stage, I already miss where we just came from.

I guess it’s the now that matters most anyway.

PS – As you read the title of the post, I’d like to suggest that you have Weird Al singing in your head.

Have some more yogurt.  Have some more spam.  It doesn’t matter if it’s fresh or if it’s canned.” Lyrical genius.

Eat It

Eat It

Daily Pixels: Fantastic Voyage

The Dude has been on hiatus.  A fantastic voyage to San Antonio, TX this week set the posting back a bit.  Time to catchup.  Little Dude developments, the end of Princess’ soccer season, Halloween, a new Dude Knows Best installment, “Princess Pixels”…lots in store to makeup for the time off.

The journey was actually a business trip full of, well, business.  While San Antonio is a nice city, given the workload and lack of free time, I wouldn’t really qualify the trip as a fantastic voyage , but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to reference Coolio.  (Although I did ride a mechanical bull…including a cowboy hat, sit on a 2k pound bull named Oreo, and visit the Alamo!…sort of fantastic, I guess.)

While I was off gallivanting around the Lone Star state, Mrs. Dude was left on her own for four days to hold down Casa de Dude, manage the dogs, and regulate the rug-rats.  Quite the task.  Thanks Mrs. Dude.  I’m happy to report that everyone survived in one piece.

However, while I may have been on hiatus, Little Dude was not.  Gone for four days, and L.D. decides to start feeding himself?!  Really Little Dude?  You’re going to go and grow up while I’m not here to watch it?!  You need to slow your roll.  Daddy needs to see this kind of stuff in person.

As much as I can’t wait for him to be older so we can do all sorts of Dude/Little Dude stuff, it’s tough to see this little guy getting so big so quick.  I guess life is full of great paradoxes.

Keep on keepin’ on Little Dude.

Fantastic Voyage

Fantastic Voyage

I Totally Redeemed Myself

Little Dude - Brooke Mayo

Little Dude - Brooke Mayo

An interesting Dude Family fact:  The Dude’s Mom, Dad, and Grandma (Mom’s Mom) all share the same birthday.  Today.

Bizarre.

Happy Birthday Mom, Dad, & Gram!

As a birthday gift (kind of), here’s a picture of your grand-baby taken by a rad photographer, Brooke Mayo.

My dad graduated with a master’s degree in math.  Old school math degree too.  They only had a calculator in the library that they all shared to break down ridiculous master’s degree math problems.  Nuts.  Clearly the man must know some math.

So I asked today what are the odds of all the same b-days.  Seems like he should be able to rattle this fact off.  He’s known Mama Dukes and Gram from like forty years.  Wouldn’t you think that crazy math mind would have to know the answer to this?

All I got in return was:   “If there are 20 people in a room the odds that 2 have the same birthday is over 50%.”

Huh?

Did he just give me his math homework?  My head hurt trying to figure it out, so I left it alone.

Anyway, of course I got the cards in the mail on time, and I gave each a birthday message today, but I totally redeemed myself on a Skype message with my Dad.

Dude: Happy b-day old man.  🙂 [10:40:11 AM]

Dude’s Padre: Thank you.  Mom and I will step out for a nice dinner at Bonefish Grille tonight.

Do you think you know how old mom and I are? [10:40:35 AM]

Dude: How old?  Hmmm.  I’ve been blessed with a memory like your’s (Dude’s Padre can’t recall where he was an hour ago.), so I’m not sure, but I’ll take a stab.

Mom = 61

Dad = 64

Bingo? [10:48:17 AM]

Dude’s Padre: right on Bucko. [10:48:33 AM]

It’s kind of funny that my Dad and I Skype like we’re stuck in the 1950’s. “Old man?”  “Step out?”  “Bingo?”  “Bucko?”  Sounds like a Leave it to Beaver episode.

Anyway, did you see how I totally redeemed myself there?  There’s no way he thought I knew their age.  And neither did I.

But bingo, I pulled it out.  Nice work Dude.

Not sure how I knew that.

Sort of reminds me of…

Week 17: Occupational Hazards

Occupational Hazards

Occupational Hazards

“Does he smell?” As she holds his ass in the air.

And the Dude’s first reaction is to lean over for  a sniff!?  “Nope.”

Later the same day, as I dozed off on the couch for an afternoon siesta, Mrs. Dude asked if a sleeping Little Dude could lay with me.  Of course the answer was yes.  As she laid him on my chest, we realized the turd had definitely escaped.

But he’s sleeping.  We knew we were safer if we let him sleep.  So The Boy and his dirty diaper dozed with me for a half hour.

Occupational hazards I guess.

Make no mistake about it, parenting is an occupation.  But an occupation unlike any other.  I’m still new at this game; I’m sure Mr. Huxtable could drop some parenting knowledge on me, but from what I gather, there is a lot of hard work and a lot of sacrifice.

Can you think of any other job you would volunteer to be on call 24/7 for zero pay (actually pay them to work…I think the average kid costs like a bazillion dollars these days.)?  And sniff butts and nap with a dirty diaper?  I think not.

Some jobs run the risk of carpal tunnel.  Parenting runs the risk of no sleep and stank butts.

On the flip side, the obvious response is that the rewards of watching your kids grow up are priceless.  No argument there.

But the effort involved is somewhat priceless too.  It’s tough to find the same dedication a parent is willing offer.

Week 17 brought on a battle with the Hands, Foot, and Mouth virus.  7+ days of cranking.

Since Little Dude is already fighting through reflux, we didn’t realize the cranking could be HFM until some hives arrived.  We confirmed it at the doctor the next day.

Reflux and HFM lead to a worn out Little Guy.  He handled it all pretty well, but the true champion is Mrs. Dude.  A worn out kid leads to a worn out parent…someone needs to pick up the slack.

Parenting in general is an occupation full of hazards, but an at-home mom is like pulling double-shifts every day…for years.  No time off, no personal space, 100% attention on someone else’s well-being.

Thanks for all of the hard work Mrs. Dude.  You’re an amazing Mom.

Daily Pixels: Kids are Awesome!

30 seconds!  Of Spinning!  And I missed 20 seconds before this.

When was the last time you spun yourself in circles for 30 seconds?  Right, not since you were five.

Kids are down with the purest forms of fun. 

PS – Two references to Ratt in less than a week?!  Strange. 

The Dude will freely admit being a fan of some 80’s hair metal.  Motley Crue’s Home Sweet Home?…classic!  However, I can honestly say that I’ve never owned any Ratt albums.  Ok, I did have a Ratt pin for my jean jacket in 3rd grade, but that was only because it was a sweet 80’s guitar, and it provided the perfect compliment for the Def Leppard patch on the back. 

But spinning and Round and Round just seemed to be a natural fit.  Plus all of my loyal readers who double as metal-heads loved their daily dose of hair last week, so why not an encore?

Daily Pixels: Tree Hugging Weather

In a previous post I mentioned that a rainy Sunday can be a blessing.  It’s safe to say a Sunday with bright sun, blue skies, no wind, and 75 degree temps is a blessing too.

Thanks Mama Nature.  The perfect weather to head outside for some time soaking up fall…tree hugging weather.  No actual trees were hugged, but we did consider it.

Tree Hugging

L.D. slightly over-dressed

Tree Hugging

I need a tree to hug

Tree Hugging

Sea Turtle Boil

Tiny Turtle Tracks

Tiny Turtle Tracks

Surprise!

Surprise!

Tree Hugger in the Making

Tree Hugger in the Making