What Baseball Does to the Soul by Colum McCannWords I Wish I Wrote

In the heat of the pennant race, 2011

This piece beautifully ties together fatherhood, the hopefulness that makes us love sports, a bit of Ireland and a glorious moment in Yankee history. Every word sings.

What Baseball Does to the Soul by Colum McCann

Clark Kent Takes a Back Seat.

Most parents would freak out about stuff like this. Not me.

The other day we went for O's one year old checkup. I don’t know how I spaced out that she was due for some vaccinations that day, and she could have gotten five (!), but we decided to do two and the the other three in a few months. Instead of seeing Dr. F, we got shuttled back to Dr. H,  which is fine but funny because we switched to Dr. F because Dr. H never had any openings. But whatever, we are easy, and I’m not too demanding. I’m not one of those overly protective dads where everything has to be super safe and perfect and my way. I am flexible. I don’t yell at waiters, and I always thank people when they assist me in any way, even if they are getting paid for it. What I’m trying to say is I am not one of those embarrassing overprotective parents who makes a major deal out of everything concerning their baby. At least I thought I was. But then I met Nurse Sally.

A Mind-Blowing First Birthday and a Quick Little Two-Step

No, the birthday wasn't mind-blowing because I hired Hanson to come play in my backyard (although I saw them at a parents' expo in Brooklyn this past summer and let me say, those dudes really rocked). It wasn't mind-blowing for O. at all, besides maybe the cupcake. It was mind-blowing for me. I hate to reenforce cliches and tired sayings but man, that first year went by fast.

Snow Day

About a foot and still falling. It started yesterday afternoon and Olive and I got to have a bit of fun before the sun went down. She loves that sled, and this was the first time she really got a good look at a snowstorm. She was completely fascinated by it. We stared out the window all afternoon, when we weren't outside.

This morning she was right back at the window, and since the house was at about eighty degrees from the wood stove, I figured why not open the window and let her get her hands wet. She ate and ate and ate. This video is just a brief glimpse and you can tell from her burp that she has been at it awhile.