Category Archives: Uncategorized

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No Training Potty Training 

talk about problem solving…


I am in awe of my son. He continues to navigate through this world with limited expressive vocabulary. However, he is creative and comes up with innovative ways of communicating his wants and needs (and complaints as well). He signs, points, and has some words to help let us know what he is trying to say. He is persistent and comes up with new ways when his old ways aren’t working.

Jackson reminds me a lot of myself. Not necessarily the person with the most book smarts in the room and maybe not even the one who takes the most common path to the finish line, but what i have noticed is that no matter what route he takes he gets where he needs to be in the end. What I want him to be able to to on his own is figure out the ways around hurdles (no pun intended), I want him to be able to figure out how to look at a problem from someone else’s perspective along with his own. This is what 21st Century thinking is all about. It is not about who has the “best answer” or who comes up with the answer the quickest… It is about taking all the possible answers on the table and putting them together to come up with an ever better answer.  

That brings me to today’s BLOG topic… How impressed I am with my son… how his problem solving skills are so advanced for his age. My son… a few months past two years old… and he’s literally smarter than most adults… not because he ranks high on some early childhood developmental rating scale… but because his problem solving skills are off the chart!

Case in point… The kid is barely two years old and decided it was time to potty train himself. I literally mean potty train “HIMSELF.” Yesterday he rips his diaper off and leans over his potty…today he decides after finding that his little potty is missing, he’s no longer in need of a training potty and goes full-out on the regular toilet… 

You have got to love this kid’s effort and determination… 

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The Value of Student Work 

Entering a new school is something so extremely challenging. “Students First” is a motto that has been at the forefront of my career in education. Effective educators are dedicated individuals, dedicated to one thing first and foremost… their students. Excellent educators are able to effectively build a positive and safe school environment; however, the main goal is to create a learning environment of effective teaching that meets individual students’ needs in order to help them become lifelong learners that are self-motivated and value the effort it takes to be successful.

I have worked tirelessly throughout my entire career to create a positive school culture. I know that entering a new building the first task will be to make sure that I can contribute to that positive culture and climate. As a school leader I know that I will face many challenges in a new building, but supporting a welcoming and positive school culture goes a long way in helping to bridging the gap between the already established school community and myself, “the new guy.”

It will be imperative for me to help create an environment where the entire school community shares the same set of norms, values, and expectations in order to support the emotional, physical and academic well-being of our students.For me this starts with making sure that our students feel that “this is their school.” The best way to foster that belief is by creating an environment where students’ work is valued, appreciated and rewarded through display in the school itself. When I walk through my son’s daycare it feels like a place for kids, by kids (and not just because there are numerous toddlers running a muck). There is art work, (scribbles and master-pieces, writings and photos of children working and having fun posted everywhere). The work depicts the students effort, not just something that shows that they are “smart,” but shows that their hard work, effort and process is valued as well.

This is the type of environment I want to be part of as an educator. An environment that values effort and process, not just the product that is being created by our students. I am excited to begin my new journey as a school principal tomorrow. A journey that will start with a model of what we will value… The work of our children. I’m excited to display some beautiful paintings done by my son.

That is until my new students create their own…

 

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Cue the Disney Music


Yesterday something magical happened. It wasn’t something tangible, it wasn’t even something quantitative. It was a real moment that can and will never be rightfully explained by words on paper (or in this case words on a screen). It was definitely a moment out of a Disney movie. (And I’m not talking about today’s Disney… Im talking early Michael Eisner Disney movie type. The Classic Disney music was quietly playing in the background. It was a long day. A day that father and son spent together doing father and son things. We went to the gym together (in matching Yankees shirts… I know, I know… But we did so just deal with it and keep reading). We stopped for a slice of pizza together (as an aside, there needs to be some work done around the pizza making where I live… I grew up on amazing NY pizza, Bethel Pizza and now where I work… But where I live? We need to step it up around here).   

But, I digress… So here I am a so called “daddy blogger” trying to enjoy the day with my son. We played together and ate lunch together and as he went down for a nap I gave me a kiss and passed out. Nothing out of the ordinary for our day. 


It wasn’t until later that night when I pressed play on the DVR and Elsa and Anna appeared that my son ran to me, climbed on my lap… Leaned over kissed me on the cheek and laid his head on my shoulder to watch Frozen. My son doesn’t sit still for more than ten seconds at a time and then all of a sudden plops himself down on my lap, snuggles closely, and leans his head onto my shoulder? He looks up me you with a sparkle in his eye and a sweet smile and I instantly fell under his spell again, honestly it was an even stronger feeling of love than when I had first held him. I felt like at that moment he was telling me that he knows I am always going to be there to provide him comfort and protect him as much as I can. I felt like this was “his” way of saying “I love you.” He might not be talking, but he got his message across loud and clear…

I love you too little man! 

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Mini Monet Makes Me Money

I’ve heard that #SaturdaysAreForTheBoys, but last week it was a (Tuesday) that was about the boys. Or at least it was supposed to be. A nice quiet dinner with my dad and brother. No Jackson. Just the older boys. A night to talk shop and catch up on things.  

I love my son more than life itself, but last night wasn’t about him and I think that’s ok. Of course he was going to come up and I’d show pictures and videos of him and we would laugh and talk about how cute and funny he is. We would laugh and smile, but get back to adult guy things like sports and finances and our jobs.

That was until I made a huge error in judgement. I brought Uncle Vinny a present from his godson. Jax has been painting for a while now, however only a few JCF originals were created and as of now there are currently none in circulation (only in private collections). Literally… With in seconds two different woman were at the table asking about the painting. One made reference to blue and purple being her favorite colors and the other how amazing it would look in her living room. I felt like I was at an art auction. They got up to a final offer of $350 cash on the spot.  

Insane… But all in all, owning a JCF original meant more to Uncle Vinny than some cash.  

(Guaranteed that picture is hanging in that woman’s living room by now). 💰💵💵

Check out Jackson’s other works of art below:

Mini Monet I https://newdadchronicles.wordpress.com/2015/07/23/mini-monet/

Mini Monet II https://newdadchronicles.wordpress.com/2015/10/28/mini-monet-at-it-again/

Mini Monet III https://newdadchronicles.wordpress.com/2016/05/25/mini-money-part-iii/

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“My Dinosaur”


Two words: MIND.BLOWN. 

“My Dinosaur” possibly the single greatest piece of art created since the Sistine Chapel. Where does he get this from?  No one I know in my family has any visual art talent. Yes there some musical DNA in a few of the family members. But nothing pales in comparison to what I laid my eyes on today.  

“My.Freaking.Dinosaur.”  It’s just not something the simpleminded person like myself can even fully appreciate. I could never sit down with a box of crayons and wind up with anything close to “My Dinosuar.”  And even if I could… There’s not a chance I could come up with a title as deep and meaningful as “My Dinosaur.”  

I guess some people have the “it factor” and some people don’t.  Clearly Jax is a creative genius.  


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Bed Time Struggles

So recently I’ve been pretty excited about how great Jackson has been about going down for bed. There was a time where it was a bit of a flight to say the least. There was kicking and screaming and yelling… there was a lot of crying… And that was just Stephanie and I and I. Jax has never really given us major problems going to bed but he was never totally excited when it was time for night nights.  

But I think that’s a good thing. Two year olds aren’t supposed to want to go to sleep. Two-year-olds are supposed to fight tooth and nail to stay up to run around and play until they literally pass out where they’re standing. I want my son to hide underneath the dining room table and and think that I can’t see him when he’s standing behind the living room couch trying to be invisible when it’s time for bed. I want him to think that if he hides long enough then it becomes “out of sight out of mind,” and I’ll forget he’s there and then he can stay up all night.  

I just don’t get why parents think their child should willingly March themselves to their bedroom get changed brush their teeth and quietly lay down. If there ever comes a day where Jax looks us in the eyes and says, “mother… father… I do believe it is time for me turn in for the night.” Or he willingly tucks himself in without at least a sigh or complaint of some sort then I’m taking him to the doctor to have a battery of tests done.  

He’s two… He’s supposed to want to stay up and wreak havoc. I did it when I was two… It’s only right he does as well.  

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Hard to Find Good Help

It’s so hard to find good help these days. One minute you have things under control. You can prep for dinner and get it in the over, start the laundry and vacuum the carpets all in quick motion. The house was so immaculate 24 hours a day that chores and housework could be done during commercials.  

There was not much to do when you are as clean and detail orientated as I am. Everything has a place and if it doesn’t have a place it’s garbage!!! Organized closets and cabinets were as common as sunshine in the Caribbean.  
Then we brought home the Tasmanian Devil. He’s literally a whirlwind of disaster. Anything he can get his hands on he launches across the room. (I will say this… He’s got an excellent arm and is definitely going to be a lefty and we all know how hot the market is for a hard throwing left-handed reliever). Anyway, it’s just a lot to handle… A lot of clean up in his wake. 

I’ve tried to, at least in the most basic ways, begin to instill in him the importance of keeping a clean and tidy house. If he throws his food, he cleans it up (by “cleans it up,” I mean feeds it to Buster and Max). He puts his plate and sippy cup in the sink when he’s done and we make him clean up his toys when it’s time to. 

Unfortunately, this usually how that ends up:

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Selfish Dad at a Funeral 


The last two days were tough on our family. We lost the oldest and wisest woman that we all know. We sat at her wake quietly while some people wept and other laughed about the funny things that had happened to them since the last time they say each other. Funny how funerals bring families together at the saddest time of their lives. I know Grandma Candy wouldn’t be excited if she knew everyone gather in a room and stared at her after she passed. She was a proud women. A fashion icon of her time. She was a seamstress for the Duchess of York and she always looked like a million bucks.
But here’s the thing… Funerals aren’t about you because you’ no longer have an opinion. Funerals are about what everyone else wants. Funerals aren’t so much about remembering the one who’s passed as it is for us living friends and family to say goodbye. There’s not much in life I have control over anymore. And I guess when my time comes I won’t have any control then either.

At least for now however, I have some control over what I can and can’t allow my son to experience. And a funeral is one of those things I’m just not ready to have him take part in. But it’s not why you think… It’s not really for him. It’s more for me. Remember the above statement about funerals being a somewhat selfish experience… That’s what I mean.

Jax is two… I want to be able to say my goodbyes to my grandma with out having to entertain him. Although he will a few meaningful memories with her, there is just no reason for a two year old to be paraded around in a funeral home and at a cemetery. I just don’t want to have to play hide and seek behind a headstone.

I want to sit quietly in the back of the room and think in peace. That’s what a funeral is for me. Time to reflect on your relationship with the person who has passed on and also about my life. Is my life where I thought it would be at this moment and what is it going to look like moving forward.

I guess I’m a selfish dad sometimes. But here, after saying goodbye to my grandma for the last time… I’m happy I was selfish.

 

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The Library

The library is supposed to be a quiet peaceful spot where you can sit and enjoy a museum full of well written words and beautiful illustrations. That was until the day I walked in to a children’s section at my public library. It was like walking into a circus. Fishtanks, sensory walls, Legos, a puppet theater and apparently a “soon to arrive” PokemonGo station.   

I won’t lie… Jackson had an amazing time; he played with every activity in front of him. He even sat and shared Legos with another little boy (albeit until the other little boy snatched a Lego out of his hand). But for me it was watching him sit with a book that made me smile.  Watching a child, let alone your own child, interact with text is for me the most amazing and magical experience. Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows that we’ve been struggling with Jackson’s speech and the fact that he still has not developed many words. Yes things are definitely getting better… But I still worry. So to see him sit and read yesterday brought me to tears. 

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All in all, we a great time at the library. I’m especially grateful that the staff installed this floor mirror so Jax had something to lick. You know you’ve officially become a parent when you watch you child licking something on the ground and think to yourself, “ehhh he’s licked worse.”  

My favorite video of Jax reading:​

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The Elder Wand vs Remote Control

Listen little boy you’ve got a lot of growing up to do before you get to be in control of the remote. Learn to go potty on your own. Pour yourself your own bowl of cereal. I mean say a few more words before you become the true master of the Elder Wand, I mean remote control.  

I’m not saying I’m the true master of the remote, as a matter of fact I hate making remote control related decisions. If it’s not on ESPN, The History Channel or HBO I’d rather just flip off the TV and read a book. But here’s the thing: I’ve put in my time… I spent years watching my dad wield the remote because he was the boss. Then I got married and watched Stephanie control the remote because she was the boss, but when it’s just you and I little man… I’m the boss. I control the remote…

And by control the remote I mean put on Peppa Pig episodes that I recorded for you.