Squarespace Blog / "fathers"
Mentoring Mondays: Who I Am
Post 2 from the amazing Adam Thurston... LOVING this new segment :) And I know the followers are too!! Thanks, Adam, for sharing with my readers and I... even though we're so far away... it will be like we've been there all along... :) p.s. you can find his blog here... follow him :)
Mentoring MondaysTeaching you to be a lady while you teach me to be a dad.
Who I am.
Well, as stated previously, I’m your dad. The only one you’re gonna get. That is, unless the mailman and your mom come clean. So I figured it’d be a good idea for you to know a little about me. My name is Adam but you can call me “dad.” I’m an Aquarius and I like cars, music, and penning the occasional word to paper. What this means to you is that you can count on having a large wealth of music and instruments at your disposal. You understand, of course, that I’ll have to wait until you’re a bit older before I hand over my guitars but until then, plan on having your old man play and sing for you all the time. I can’t wait to show you some of my favorite songs. Even more fun will be when you discover some favorites of your own and show them to me. In time, I think you’ll find that music (along with writing literature) can be an ultimate form of expression and impression. It was so powerful it grabbed me and shook me dry when I was eleven and I’ve never since looked back. I think you’ll see much of the same. The great thing about music is that there is a tune for every mood you’re feeling. I could list some of mine but then I wouldn’t be letting you find your own. Oh, okay! Twist my arm, why don’t ya?! Here are some good starters: For the sunshines: Beatles (anything ‘63-’67) Their whole era was (and remains) utterly phenomenal but all of your basic rock and pop moods can be found there. For the blues: Hmm. So much to choose from. Let’s start with Otis Redding. The man could make a statue cry and he didn’t go out by OD’ing, shooting himself, or stabbing himself in the heart. We have plenty of times to go over the “tortured artist” arena. For the “I just want to rock out and go nuts!” Look no further than The Who. They’ll cover all the bases for you. If you’re ever in the mood of “I just want to rock out and go nuts but with a political bent,” then steer your attention to The Clash or Fugazi. Both are great but you’ll need a pair of Doc Martens to pull off the look. Come find me and I’ll buy you a pair. Cars. I’m not going to hold my breath but maybe you’ll be the next Danica Patrick and will want to help me drop a K20A into my car. If not, that’s cool too. Just know that you’re always invited to my wrenching sessions. Which brings us to our first Mentoring Moment: You’re never to not be allowed somewhere because you’re a girl. There are a few noticeable exceptions to this statement. I.e. men’s bathrooms/locker rooms, and Klan meetings. That said, if you want to wrench on the car with me, just say the word. Wanna throw the ball around? Just grab my glove. “But dad! That’s not girl-stuff,“ you exclaim. No problem, sweetie. One of the great things about our western, modern society is that you can be pretty much be whomever you want to be and still be a woman. Pretty cool eh?! Now there are some things I’d rather you NOT be. These include, but are not limited to, Nazi, racist, bigot, white trash, drug addict, stinking drunk, prostitute, stripper or cheer leader (which is really just an underage stripper without the pole). Alright, your mom just read that and said “Every girl wants to be a cheerleader!” Just heads-up, kid; your mom is crazy. Remember it’s just you and me. The only sane ones in the room. Moving on to reading and writing. These are two biggies for me, Maddie. Your Pop is not the smartest tool in the shed but these are so important in so many ways. When you start reading and what you read will become stepping stools for the rest of your life. Simply, the earlier you start reading, the smarter you’re going to be. You’re going to have that much more comprehension towards everything from books to conversations. Your reading level will be off the chart and your conversational and oratory skills will be unmatched. And all because we were reading Charlotte’s Web when you were six months old and crapping your pants. Pretty cool, right?! All you have to do is lie in my arms and drool and I’ll do the rest. As you get older, you’ll find that you like the art of stories and reading. The satisfaction of getting through a story without a television or a movie screen force feeding it down your eyes and throat. A book is always going to be your ultimate friend. Besides me, of course. You can take a book anywhere. You can read it anywhere. Except funerals. For whatever reason, that tends to piss people off. You can always fall asleep to a book and it’s always right where you left off in the morning. They’re great ice breakers for conversing with new people. (and you’ll always seem smart! Madeline FTW!) Also, the more you read, the more you know. The more you know, the better equipped for life you are! Look at your mother. She doesn’t read books and up until last year, she thought her car had two gas tanks. One main tank, and another for when that one was empty. “My car needs gas. It’s on it’s second tank.” “Second tank of what?” “It’s on it’s second tank. My gas gauge is on ‘R’ meaning it’s on the reserve tank.” “…Are you serious?” “What else would it mean?!” “Uh…maybe ‘Refuel.’” So, Maddie, that’s your mother. She’s really sweet and kind and can’t wait to meet you too. So hurry up and get here, will ya?! We have so much to show you.
-I love you, Madeline. -Your Dad
Mentoring Mondays: Im Your Dad
Hey guys! Welcome to a new segment called Mentoring Mondays... I was talking to one of my best buds adam the other night... thinking about how he MUST do a Swinger Sunday for me since he is such a great writer... but that turned into more and next thing we knew we were planning a weekly segment on my wide open Monday... ALLL about Adam's journey through fatherhood. And who knows, maybe we will even get Aymee to share a week or two! I love you both SO much and little Maddie too... thanks for sharing with my readers and I... even though we're so far away... it will be like we've been there all along... :) p.s. you can find his blog here... follow him :)Mentoring Mondays Teaching you to be a lady while you teach me to be a dad.
I’m your dad. Hi Madeline. You don’t know me. Hell, you don’t even know your own name. (BTW it’s Madeline.) But I’m your dad and by rights, in four and a half months I’ll be one of the two biggest influences in your life. While I may just be “daddy” to you, that title means I’ll be engaged in a 24/7 job of raising you and somehow having to make it look seamless and effortless. Don’t get me wrong; I welcome the challenge and the most rewarding part will be watching you grow from a helpless baby into an intelligent and confident woman. There’s so many things I want to show you and tell you. I suppose I have all of your life and the rest of mine to show and tell but let’s get two biggies up front. These aren’t rules for you. Those will come plenty soon enough. Rather, these are constant variables. Just like a science experiment. I know you don’t know what science is yet but just bear with your old man for a sec.
Constant One: I’ll always love you.The unconditional love between a parent and their child is the most pure emotion in the world. The reason why is that both parent and child start with clean slates towards each other. I haven’t wronged you and, until your first loaded diaper, you haven’t wronged me. And even the whole diaper thing isn’t really your fault. I, along with your mother…and I suppose by proxy, the doctor, will be the first people you meet. And essentially for your early years, I and your mother will be the only people you’ll know. I’ll feed you and read you books and make funny faces just to make you laugh. I’ll rock you to sleep and sing you songs. As you get bigger I’ll buy you a bike and teach you to ride it. When you get even older I’ll teach you to drive. As these events unfold, you’re bound to make mistakes. And that’s okay, Maddie. Everyone makes mistakes. My job as a parent is to help you learn from them. You’ll leave your bike out and I’ll tell you to bring it in. And if you take after your mother’s driving habits, you’re probably going to get in a car accident or three and I’ll tell you to pay more attention. And you’re likely to think ill of me during these moments but they only exist because I love you and know that you can learn from what happened. Through it all, I’ll always love you and I’ll always be your dad.
Constant Two: You can come to me for anything.And when I say “anything,” I mean ANYTHING. I will always listen to you. While you’re a baby I’ll happily listen to you babble. When you get older, feel free to come to me so we can converse about Big Bird or Yo Gabba Gabba or anything at all that your beautiful mind wants to talk about. I’m always your ear. Full disclosure: the secondary reasoning for this whole “come talk to me” stuff is for when you’re a teenager. Things can get pretty hairy in your teens, and I’m not just talking about your body. (Any excess body hair you might experience is all my fault. Sorry kiddo.) You and your friends/boyfriends/girlfriends are going to be turning into adults. Your hormones and emotions will be going bat-shit and you’re going to often feel like a pinball bouncing around all corners of a pinball machine. Sucky as it is, it’s all normal. “What,” you ask? “This is normal?! This sucks!” Yeah Maddie I know it sucks. That’s why I’m here. To help keep BS to a minimum and to help you stay your course. And I’ll never ever tell you “Because I said so.”
Constant Three: I’ll never ever say “Because I told you so!”I mean, let’s face it. It’s a weak come-back. It says “I don’t have a good reason for saying ‘no.’ I just don’t want you to do whatever it is you‘re about to do.” If I do or don’t want you to do something, I will always give you a valid reason why or why not. This is so I can always treat you as someone who has the ability to make their own decision about something. Now I may not always agree with your decision and may try to direct you to more harmonious endeavors, as I stated above, part of parenting is helping you learn from mistakes. That said, I’m not going to let you play a game of Russian Roulette. Why? Not because I told you so. Because I would’ve already told you that Russian Roulette is a very dangerous game where the best you can hope for is to still be alive afterwards and the worst that can happen is that you’ll share a death amongst all Arkansas rednecks; one that starts with the sentence “Hey y’all! Watch this!” Bottom line is: I’ll always give you a reason for my decision.
Well Madeline, that about does it for your dad. We have plenty of time to go over this stuff again and this isn’t a test. This is your life. I’m committed to seeing it be a great one. I’ll always be here for you. I haven’t even met you yet and you’re the love of my life. I love you Maddie.
-Your Dad
We Found You Some Fathers Day Freebies!!
Check it out guys!
Another awesome review this week...
Sorry I missed you last week, I was out of town.
But Im here, now... no more tears...
only smiles and laughter...
cuz, this weeks review is TOTALLY worth a few :)
www.gramkinpaperstudio.etsy.com
You HAVE to check them out...
Yes I know, the last review was stationary too...
and amazing, right?
Naughty... silly... etc...
But Gramkin Paper Studio is just straight up...
on the rocks... no sugar rim... funny...
To tell you my favorite would be impossible...
I just can't... This shop is genius...
Lets start with their line of Courtesy Cards...
Ya know when you FINALLY get a break from the kids...
and you sit down at Caribou to sip a coffee...
or maybe at the local Market to pick up a few things...
and just when you start to appreciate the quiet...
there they are... someone elses kids...
screaming, yelling... throwing stuff...
*You think... I COULD HAVE StAYED HOME TO HEAR THIS!!*
I have your solution... ;)
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25685129
A wonderful way to ask for peace and quiet...
from one mommy to another... haha
Now... for you "all occasion" type needs...
when your not quite sure what to say...
you totally need the Lil' Bitch Box...
You can do a mix pack of 5 each of your favorite 2 designs...
OR - my choice... would totally be the random grab bag of 10...
because they're all amazing... you can't go wrong with that...
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24725002
I could go on and on and on about all my favorite stuff from her shop.
And, when she aggreed to do a review/giveaway I was thrilled...
Why? Because its all so awesome...
Lucky me, I got to try out their Fathers Day Card...
and lucky you... you might get one too!
Its perfect... Zaq and I are always so silly with each other...
we have 2 boys, 11 months apart... and things here...
well, sometimes they are just pure insanity...
so this card is TOTALLY the perfect fathers day card for him.
I can't wait until he sees it!
There is no better way than this... to say... Daddy We love you...
Thanks for not leaving :) hahahahahahaha
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25292852
Perfect, right? Well, I have GREAT news...
They gave us a set for you JUST in time for fathers day...
An awesome father day set...
The "perfect" Fathers Day card...
A rad pack of 10 "Cut That Shit Out" note cards...
And a 10 pack of "NO" courtesy cards...
Any daddy would be lucky to get these...
OR... any mommy would be lucky to give daddy the card, and snag the rest... haha
You know the drill!
Lots and lots of comment love to win!
First and most important...
Go check out her shop...
http://www.gramkinpaperstudio.etsy.com
Leave us a comment with your FAVORITES...
and why YOU want... need... should win the goodies :)
As always - ways to gain some extra entries!!
#2) ONE EXTRA COMMENT Follow us (blogger) - Leave a separate comment for being a follower on our blog.
#3) TWO EXTRA ENTRIES Follow/Tweet us (Twitter) - www.twitter.com/RockerByeBaby Leave TWO separate comments for being a follower and TWEETING about this giveaway on Twitter... If your already a twitter follower of ours, TWEET about it for an TWO entries anyways :)Just be sure to leave us your Twitter name so we can check up!
#4) THREE EXTRA ENTRIES!! Write a blog about this giveaway and link back to this review. (leave 3 separate comments with the link to the blog)
#5) FOUR EXTRA ENTRIES!! Buy something from her Shop - leave the link to the transaction in FOUR separate comments...
**Winners are chosen at random so, separate comments are important.
Read more →
Another awesome review this week...
Sorry I missed you last week, I was out of town.
But Im here, now... no more tears...
only smiles and laughter...
cuz, this weeks review is TOTALLY worth a few :)
www.gramkinpaperstudio.etsy.com
You HAVE to check them out...
Yes I know, the last review was stationary too...
and amazing, right?
Naughty... silly... etc...
But Gramkin Paper Studio is just straight up...
on the rocks... no sugar rim... funny...
To tell you my favorite would be impossible...
I just can't... This shop is genius...
Lets start with their line of Courtesy Cards...
Ya know when you FINALLY get a break from the kids...
and you sit down at Caribou to sip a coffee...
or maybe at the local Market to pick up a few things...
and just when you start to appreciate the quiet...
there they are... someone elses kids...
screaming, yelling... throwing stuff...
*You think... I COULD HAVE StAYED HOME TO HEAR THIS!!*
I have your solution... ;)
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25685129
A wonderful way to ask for peace and quiet...
from one mommy to another... haha
Now... for you "all occasion" type needs...
when your not quite sure what to say...
you totally need the Lil' Bitch Box...
You can do a mix pack of 5 each of your favorite 2 designs...
OR - my choice... would totally be the random grab bag of 10...
because they're all amazing... you can't go wrong with that...
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24725002
I could go on and on and on about all my favorite stuff from her shop.
And, when she aggreed to do a review/giveaway I was thrilled...
Why? Because its all so awesome...
Lucky me, I got to try out their Fathers Day Card...
and lucky you... you might get one too!
Its perfect... Zaq and I are always so silly with each other...
we have 2 boys, 11 months apart... and things here...
well, sometimes they are just pure insanity...
so this card is TOTALLY the perfect fathers day card for him.
I can't wait until he sees it!
There is no better way than this... to say... Daddy We love you...
Thanks for not leaving :) hahahahahahaha
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25292852
Perfect, right? Well, I have GREAT news...
They gave us a set for you JUST in time for fathers day...
An awesome father day set...
The "perfect" Fathers Day card...
A rad pack of 10 "Cut That Shit Out" note cards...
And a 10 pack of "NO" courtesy cards...
Any daddy would be lucky to get these...
OR... any mommy would be lucky to give daddy the card, and snag the rest... haha
You know the drill!
Lots and lots of comment love to win!
First and most important...
Go check out her shop...
http://www.gramkinpaperstudio.etsy.com
Leave us a comment with your FAVORITES...
and why YOU want... need... should win the goodies :)
As always - ways to gain some extra entries!!
#2) ONE EXTRA COMMENT Follow us (blogger) - Leave a separate comment for being a follower on our blog.
#3) TWO EXTRA ENTRIES Follow/Tweet us (Twitter) - www.twitter.com/RockerByeBaby Leave TWO separate comments for being a follower and TWEETING about this giveaway on Twitter... If your already a twitter follower of ours, TWEET about it for an TWO entries anyways :)Just be sure to leave us your Twitter name so we can check up!
#4) THREE EXTRA ENTRIES!! Write a blog about this giveaway and link back to this review. (leave 3 separate comments with the link to the blog)
#5) FOUR EXTRA ENTRIES!! Buy something from her Shop - leave the link to the transaction in FOUR separate comments...
**Winners are chosen at random so, separate comments are important.
