Tag Archives: hospital

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G5 Football (Coach and Player)

A while back I stopped coaching Jax and while I missed it, he seemed to thrive with other coaches giving him feedback. I started to enjoy JUST being able to be a dad on the sideline again. Although I’m sure most parents would disagree… I was calmer being just a dad and not a coach-dad.

Then earlier this summer Jax asked if I would coach him again during this football season on the G5 (fifth grade) team. Tackle football is one of the toughest sports to play. The commitment, learning curve, physicality and effort it takes to be part of a tackle team is not for everyone. Jax and I talked through what coaching him again would mean and entail for both of us. This wasn’t just about learning football, it was about the trust between a father and his son. I knew he needed me and I knew from the look in his eyes when we spoke that I needed to consider it.

The problem is that’s not just something you can “join up” for. The tackle teams here in town are coached by a group of coaches that work hard and have been together for a while. However, coincidently, later this summer I’d receive a text from the team’s head coach asking if I’d be willing to join the coaching staff, and as they say, it was fate.

I’ve been locked in to coaching Oliver’s flag- football team the last three years and have really enjoyed helping the program grow. It is a lot of hard work and I had been committed to coaching Oliver, a commitment I would not abandon and I wasn’t sure that adding on coaching a second team that competes vs towns across the state in full pads and helmets was feasible for me. We would be talking six-to-seven days of week of coaching football between both teams…

…. Yet, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

SEASON RUNNING SUMMARY:

Pre Season Jamboree vs Madison, North Haven and Glastonbury:

2 Wins – 1 Loss

I had an absolute blast today coaching Jax in football for the first time along with 29 other kids who love to compete. Jax had a PHENOMENAL day… springing two touchdown runs with two pancake blocks at WR. He played a ton at middle linebacker a new position, but he just keeps learning! There are some big time players on this team! Every one of his teammates are phenomenal and I am so stoked to be coaching this team!

The block that sprung a touchdown

_____________________________

Game 1: @ North Haven

L: 28-14 (0-1)

After a great training camp and a fantastic preseason jamboree, Jax was named team captain before the first game! To be named captain of any sports team is an honor and a privilege. Being a captain is about leadership, work ethic and respect. To be named a captain is the ultimate sign of respect from your teammates and coaches. I am so incredibly proud and humbled to be this guy’s dad AND coach!

Captains on the field for the coin toss

Opening day was full of emotions for both of us. But to be coaching this football player and leader is an honor! Yes he was a captain, yes he retuned a kick for one yard (lol)… but more importantly, he is a teammate who has everyone’s back! I LOVE coaching this kid and I LOVE coaching this team! Big things coming for #G5

_____________________________

Game 2 @ Pomperaug

L: 7-44 (0-2)

I hated Pomperaug when I was in school playing sports and I still hate them today! Jax did have a devastating hit on a kick off which resulted in an opposing player having to be helped off the field, but it was too little too late. We took a tough loss. The boys got hit hard, but they picked themselves up every play. That’s the mark of a champion.“It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!”

_____________________________

Game 3 @ Bristol:

W: 28-0 (1-2)

There’s nothing like a win at Lambeau

While our G5 team was taking care of business in Bristol, Jax and I were busy enjoying another win this weekend while in Green Bay watching the Packers beat the Colts at Lambeau Field! It was awesome getting updates via text from the coaches and other parents who wanted to keep us in the loop! The kids played well and represented Jax in the city where he was born to capture our first win on the season (also the Packers first win of the season too)!

_____________________________

Game 4 vs. Monroe

L: 19-0 (1-3)

Facing an undefeated team who dismantled a team that blew us out a few weeks ago seemed a daunting task. Yet, my goal for this team and these games is not just about winning or losing, it is also about building character and character is built on the foundation of effort, perseverance and integrity.

These boys showed what it takes to make the character of a champion. Down 19-0 at halftime the team rallied around each other to not allow a point in the second half… to a team that was undefeated and no one had been able stop offensively all season. There are bad wins and there are good loses. We can take something positive from this loss… and continue to build character as the boys continue to grow and learn the game. I am very proud of this team.

Jax started the game at tight end (a position I’d love to see him get more looks at). We ran four straight plays down the throat of Monroe with Jax leading the way bulldozing the opposing linebacker and cornerback, highlighted by a block that he sustained for about 20 yards downfield until the whistle blew! He is starting to put things together and like many of the boys on this team, I feel like a full-on steam train is coming and once it gets going it’s going to be hard to stop!

—————————————-

Game 5 @ Shelton

W: 24-0 (2-3)

What could better than getting on a bus for a road trip with your teammates for a game? (At 45 years old I can think of many things), but for a group of ten year olds you’d have thought they were in heaven! Very cool experience for the team and an opportunity for team bonding (and a lot of smelly people in a small area)!

The game started off slow with multiple turnovers by both teams and a huge touchdown run called back by a penalty that would have given us the early lead. However, G5 broke off huge chunk plays, (I thought Oliver was fast, but man can Hunter fly), recovered two fumbles and had an interception as well to highlight a very good defensive day. We even punted (and a good one at that) for the first time all season, and completed two big pass plays (Charney!!!!)

Jax played two new positions. For the first time all season he played at right tackle and middle linebacker, both very tough positions and be looked raw, but showed some potential at both. I was impressed with his ability to just go find someone to hit/suplex on the offensive line (at least it was before the whistle this time) and to find a gap and get into the backfield at MLB.

I hope he can get some more reps here in practice and before the season is over in games, because if we can harness the “JaxPlex” into a legal, aggressive style of play, I do think he’s going to be a very valuable piece to the team at these two new positions. Also, sprinkle in a few nice blocks as our best blocking wide receiver and add in a win and it was a very successful day for G5!

___________________________

Game 6 vs Cheshire

W: 19-36 (3-3)

We put together a dominate home victory over Cheshire by the score of 36-19 to even our season record at 3-3 with two regular season games remaining. The playoff push has begun.

At one point in the game we were up 30-6, but needed to pump the brakes a bit to ensure we did not go up more than that (league rules). But after some complaints by the other coaches and a few quick scores by Cheshire it was “all gas, no brakes.” The boys responded to playing multiple new positions during quick substitutions and played hard on every single play!

Jax played the most he has all season. He bulldozed some defenders off the offensive line and at one point was growling at defenders from his three point stance. Something his teammates got a kick out of. He was disruptive in the backfield from the middle linebacker position and also made his first tackle of the season.

________________________

Game 7 vs Glastonbury

W: 30-6 (4-3)

Last year’s Glastonbury game came down to a last minute game winning pick six… this year we decided to make sure we didn’t need a score at the buzzer to win.

With playoff seeding on the line and a new offensive scheme coming together, the G5 Grizzlies had a statement game against a pretty good team. Glastonbury relies on teams to play undisciplined and hopes to eat the clock to prevent teams from running up the score.

With a defense that refused to fall for any tricky cadence, or hard counts and an offense that scored fast and often we took them out of their own game plan by the second quarter.

I was impressed with Jax at the middle linebacker spot again as we put in a new package that called for the MLB to creep to the line and blitz from his position. This play was called from the sideline and did not allow our linebackers much time to think about what to do. It called for discipline at the line of scrimmage to not jump offsides as they were about to rush the quarterback, all three of our middle linebackers (Oden, Jax and Theo) executed flawlessly and were able to get pressure on the QB, disrupt the play in the backfield and not be called for any neutral zone infractions.

Overall great game played and a great job by Jax being a leader, hyping up the team before the game and at halftime as well! I have enjoyed coaching him and watching him grow!

________________________

Game 7 vs Newtown

L: 24-0 (4-4)

We ended the year with a tough loss to one of the best teams in the league. The really schemed well both offensively and defensively and we had little answer to anything they did.

At halftime the team looked downtrodden and had little life until a young man took the team on his back and gave a halftime speech for the ages. It was like Vince Lombardi and Al Pacino (from Any Given Sunday) wrote the speech in tandem for Jax to read. The team came to life and only let up 6 points in the entire second half and we sustained a few big drives. This gave us some life going into next week’s first round of the playoffs against… Newtown!

___________________________

Playoffs:

Round One: @ Newtown

L: 34-6

We held one of the best teams in the league to 12 points in the first half and we played without our starting quarterback/running back. In less than one week we installed a completely new offense and completely new defense. Talk about learning a lot in a very short period of time… our players took on the challenge and worked very hard to study their assignments. Players were playing brand new positions for the first time all season and for the first time in two years learned to play cover 2 zone defense. While those changes did not result in the outcome we wanted it showed our team has the ability to face challenges when faced with them.

At half time we, again we needed someone to step up and inspire our team to do more, we needed someone to put the team on their back…

Again, the same two players stepped up. Carter got the team up and going… and Jax finished the half time speech off like our team was going back out on the field for the second half of the Superbowl. I’ll take a LEADER over a follower all day long. Down by two touchdowns at halftime with heads hanging… this is the guy I want firing my team up!  Fraggle is a winner in my book today and everyday.

Jax played on kick off and kick return and put a shoulder into someone when he had the chance, he led one of our longest runs the of the game with a seal block from the wide receiver position and he was able to get in on defense at the linebacker position. He wanted to play more, he wanted to get in with 58 seconds left, he did not want the game to end… he did not want the season to end. That is what this season was about. The desire to play, to improve and want to work hard everyday to better himself. That is what this year became. While our season ended in a loss (as it always does for all but one team in sports), the season was a success. Jackson learned that it is he alone who can control who he becomes. It is not a teammate, a coaching staff, or one coach. It is him alone. 

I am beyond proud of what my son and my player did this season. I was not just a dad this season and I was not just a coach this season, I was both. Thank you Jackson and the entire G5 Team for inspiring me to be better this season too!

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A Pollen Death Sentence

Poor Oliver. This kid is (as the kids call it) a hot mess. Claritin, Inhalers, Benadryl and Nebulizers… ohh my.

The pollen covers the earth like a warm blanket. Oliver’s allergies cover him like a goddamn plastic garbage bag.

I don’t get how we can land people on the moon, clone humans and gather sediment from lakes on Mars, but someone can’t figure out how to keep my sons eyes from turning purple every night.

Damn You Pollen. Damn YOU!

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CoronaVirus: The Second Month (May)

Day 45: Friday, May 1:

Everyone’s snuggling in bed after a long day watching a movie. I finally go to lay down, but Buster is in my spot. Oliver says, “no, Buster stay.”

I moved Buster, lay down and Oliver started kicking me off the bed and says, “No, go back and do work.”

Insert eye roll here

Day 46: Saturday, May 2:

“The marvelous thing about a good question is that it shapes our identity as much by the asking as it does by the answering.” – David Whytetq

Oliver today, “dad can I poop on the grass like Buster and Max?” 🙄

Day 47: Sunday, May 3:

There has to be a time where we can just go do stuff, right? like there’s no way people can just sit inside all day, seven days a week. It’s Sunday, so we should all be gathering as a family around the kitchen table or out by the pool with friends.

Day 48: Monday, May 4:

A friend sent this to me today, “I get a scratchy throat sometimes and think, ‘crap! I’m getting the virus!’ Then I remember it’s scratchy because I was just screaming at my kids with everything I have, because they are driving me crazy.”

That’s what this virus is doing to everyone. Parents can’t even tell if they’ve been infected or been yelling too much at their kids! And no I won’t admit who made the above statement (snitches get stitches).

Day 49: Tuesday, May 5

Me: Quarantine is going well right?

Wife:

Day 50: Wednesday, May 6

Fifty days of quarantine, of distance learning and homeschooling and these two are closer than ever. Today I found them sitting together and Jax was teaching Oliver about number bonds on his math program.

… and by night they wanted to sleep in the same bed.

Tomorrow they will probably be slap fighting and pushing each other down the stairs, but for now they are best friends.

Day 51: Thursday, May 7:

One of the beat parts of a global pandemic is how everyone is a little more lax with their dress code. Case in point… you can wear your six month old Third Birthday Blaze TShirt for the eighteenth day in a row, or just go as the Naked Cowboy from Time Square.

Day 52: Friday, May 8:

My six year old used the phrase “a long time ago today” to describe the morning and it’s probably the most accurate description I’ve ever heard.

Day 53: Saturday, May 9:

We ventured out a bit today. Just being able to drive down the road to go to the beach was a blessing. The boys were so happy, their eyes were wide and they had giant smiles on their faces. They built sandcastles, filled buckets with sand and threw shells and rocks into the water. It was nice to “get out” for a bit.

Day 54: Sunday, May 10:

This quarantine nonsense is effecting every aspect of life. At bedtime both of my children turn into dehydrated philosophers who need a hug.

Day 55: Monday, May 11:

Today was like no other day. I know I’ve touched on it before, but that was when we had Jackson only. To accomplish what we accomplished today is reminiscent of the “Jordan Shrug” Game. Everything we did hit today, every shot we took, every attempt we put out there… all of them hit.

Everyone’s work was completed without complaining, no one fought viscously over the remote control, lunches and dinners were eaten including fruits and veggies. Baths were taken and every body part was washed without any begging Just like MJ against the Trail Blazers in the 1992 NBA Finals , we couldn’t miss.

Day 56: Tuesday May 13:

Finally got Oliver under the clippers! I couldn’t take the Lloyd Christmas look anymore! (PS, my bad on trying to cut his bangs the day before!)

Before and After

Day 57: Wednesday May 13:

Jax and Oliver want to know when they don’t have to wash their hands every time they come inside after playing. These kids apparently think that general hygiene will be a thing of the past once the pandemic is over. Even when this coronavirus nonsense is over we are going to have to reiterate that those things aren’t optional.

Day 58: Thursday May 14:

I had to get out of the house. While I appreciate having so much time with my family (even the tough times are still time spent with them), I had to get some fresh air! After all the zoom meetings and the last Google Meet of the day… the golf course, on a late sunny afternoon provided just that.

Day 59: Friday May 15:

Today I had a few very important PPTs to chair and Stephanie was sorting through budget cuts and balancing a school district account during the unprecedented Covid-19 shutdown.

We asked the boys to sit calmly and be quiet. What our children heard: “Battle Royal. Everyman for himself. Run, fight, scream!!!!”

Day 60: Saturday May 16:

It’s always great when you get a surprise visit from family! Today, the newest little family member came to say hello! Mima also surprised us with an appearance!

Day 61: Sunday, May 17:

Now that we’ve all been cooped up in our houses for days, or weeks, or months, the days just seem to…blend together. Weekdays and weekends no longer have any separation. After all, where are we going to go?

“Is today Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday?!??”

…. “Yes.”

Day 62: Monday, May 18:

Oliver and I got up early as we usually do. It was 5:30am, my coffee was hot and Oliver’s apple juice was cold. We both settled in for a calm and quiet morning and all of a sudden Oliver starts cheering. Like, yelling, whooping and was just so excited. I had no idea why, but I just joined in. It was marvelous!

Day 63: Tuesday, May 19:

Netflix needs to get it together and stop asking us if we’re “still watching”. Of COURSE we’re still watching! It’s a pandemic home lockdown! Just keep it rolling the shows out there.

Day 64: Wednesday, May 20:

So today the shark IQ robot special was on TV… Jackson had been waiting for this day like it was Christmas morning. He had it ready to DVR and was hoping to stay up all night to watch it. It’s a three hour long show… He binged watch it like it was a special on Netflix. By the time everyone reads this I guarantee you he’s probably seen it 15 times.

If anybody needs to know the specs of the shark IQ robot… Or even just how its sensors keep it from toppling down the stairs just let us know and we will have Jackson give you a call.

Day 65: Thursday, May 21:

Jax just ripped the door off the hinges again I fixed it it took me an hour and as he was trying to close it because the keys scared bugs are going to come in the house he literally ripped off the hinges

Day 66: Friday, May 22:

Social distancing in the mind of children:

Day 67: Saturday, May 23:

Rain, rain??? We haven’t seen a cloud in weeks. I forgot how insane children are when they are stuck in the house on a rainy day paired with CoronaQuarantine.

There’s only so many crayons, construction paper and Disney movies one family can go through in one day. Is there a Guinness Book of World Record for that? Someone look it up. I’m pretty sure we’ve got that one locked up.

Day 68: Sunday, May 24:

Happy birthday to the best Mima in the world…

Day 69: Monday, May 25:

Today begins “Quarantine Homeschool Spirit Week!” See below for the weekly schedule. Join in, we’d love to have you!

Monday: Pajama Day!
Tuesday: Pajama Day!
Wednesday: Pajama Day!
Thursday: Pajama Day!
Friday: Pajama Day!

Day 70: Tuesday, May 26:

Day 71: Wednesday, May 27:

I’ve had it. This house is a prison. It’s like we are living in a small shed and the walls keep closing in on us. No matter how much I clean up… No matter how many times I asked the kids to clean up after themselves… No matter how much organizing I do… There’s still stuff everywhere.

Recently I’ve been binge watching Hell on Wheels, a story of the building of the Trans-Continental Railroad that connected the United States following the Civil War. The show centers on the men and women who helped forge those tracks. Black, White, Asian, or Native, the people who lived in the mobile town of Hell on Wheels came from around the globe to be a part of history.

Things around here have been mimicking what we watch. Meet the main character of Hell on Wheels:

Day 72: Thursday, May 28:

Today I clamped a 2×4 to my weight bench in my basement and used an extension cord I found in the ceiling to power my circular saw. I’m not sure why I though this was a good idea, but then again… COVID don’t care.

By the way, it worked and I still have all my fingers and limbs.

Day 73: Friday, May 29:

Today I watched my boys get along. I heard Jax tell Oliver he was his best friend. I heard Oliver tell Jax he was his best friend. I watched them share.

Day 74: Saturday, May 30:

Today was the perfect day to sit by the fire.

Day 75: Sunday, May 31:

We had a nice little surprise visit today from the family. I finally got to hold my nephew!!!

Another month of Coronavirus Quarantine has passed… bring on June!

Day 46: Thursday, April 30:
With mom in budget meetings and me participating in Columbia Teacher’s College (virtual) workshops all day, the boys were set up for a rough day.
But, today the end of the month, 46 days since we went into this crazy state of quarantine, they were phenomenal. They read, worked together on math problems, and sat next to each other (arms around each other) watching a movie as the sun set on another long day of coronavirus life.
 
CHECK OUT THE TOTALITY OF THE CORONAVIRUS CHRONICLES MONTH BY MONTH:
Month 1.5: 

CoronaVirus: The First Month+ (March/April)

Month 2:

CoronaVirus: The Second Month (May)

Month 3:

Coronavirus: The Third Month (June)

Month 4:

Coronavirus: The Fourth Month (July)

Month 5:

Coronavirus: The Fifth Month (August)
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Happy 6th Birthday Jackson

Dear Jackson,

As I sit here and contemplate the words that are needed to wish you the happiest of happy birthdays during this unbelievably unprecedented time we are living in right now, I am struggling to even come up with a way to start. How do we explain to a six year old that he can’t be with his friends, or go somewhere for a birthday party? That’s what 2020 is for you at this point… an everlasting, unexplainable time that you have somehow become accustomed to.

So I guess this is where we start. During a time that even grown ups can’t understand or handle. Yet, you, a six year old, have handled it with humor and confidence. You ask questions and want to learn what is going on. That’s who you are. That’s who you’ve become these last six years. From the little boy who brought joy and happiness to everyone around him to the six year old… not so little boy who brings joy and happiness to everyone around him even in the darkest of times.

I enjoy being around you more than you know (yes you drive me insane sometimes but then again I had a hand in creating you! I never realized how annoying I could be until I created a miniature version of myself and started arguing with it daily). Yet, even in those times I never stop loving you. Your mom and I will never stop loving you.

Tonight, as we readied you for bed as a five year old one more time, you called us back to your room fourteen-million times. You just wanted is to lay with you and talk. You apologized for keeping us up so late, but wanted us to know you were just being a “chatterbox” tonight. How do we stay mad at you when you come up with things like that?!??

What has stood out to me the most in this past year is how you have taken your little brother under your wing. I’ve written about how you love him, but recently you have become a mentor, the way an older brother should. Today I listened in as you taught him how to play bingo and smiled as he just threw the balls across the table, not once did you lose your patience with him. That’s a lie, you lost it a few times, but never gave up hope that he’d get it in the end (he didn’t).

While we have been distance learning/ homeschooling you have been teaching Oliver how to hold a pencil, how to do reading centers and most importantly have been a shoulder for him to cry on when he is upset. You share with him and always tell him you love him.

The last month and a half has defined the year 2020 so far. The CoronaVirus will forever be tied to your kindergarten school year and your sixth birthday, but it will never define you. You are creative, passionate and caring. You want to do things for others and recognize that something as simple as making a heart out of red construction paper to hang on our window makes other people smile. You are stronger than any virus, hell you’re stronger than me in many ways too.

I love the big boy you have become, but wish you could slow down growing up so fast. This family is lucky to have such a loving little boy, who’s smile lights up a room and who’s laugh can brighten even the darkest of days.

Happy QUARENTINED Birthday, Jackson. We all love you very much!

Love Always,

Dad

April 27, 2014
April 27, 2015
April 27, 2016
April 27, 2017
April 27, 2018
April 27, 2019
April 27, 2020

“It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be.” -Albus Dumbledore

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“TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE DISTANCE LEARNING”

T’was the night before Distance Learning, students asleep, their lunches set out.

Then there were teachers who were ready although with some doubt.

Their outfits were hung by the closet with care.

In hopes that the Zoom App was ready when they were there;

The students were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of Google Classroom danced in their heads;

And teachers in ‘PJs, and I in my shorts,

Just settled down after finishing reports,

When out in the yard there arose such a clatter,

Everyone sprang from the bed to see what’s the matter.

Away to the window we flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon shown a shadow on the still of the yards

We yawned and we shuttered over ethernet cards .

When what to our wondering eyes should appear,

But a memory of a normal school day so distant and clear.

We cried and we sobbed as we packed up our laptop bags

We were exhausted and beat, time to wave the white flags.

We spoke not a word, but went straight to sleep,

We laid down with questions, but spoke not a peep.

Yes, we were sad that distance learning was coming so fast,

But we knew it was time to move on from the past.

While we wanted to take time and move on real slow,

We realized our students were ready to go.

So now as we sleep, we wish them the best.

And all we can hope is all these students and parents can get some real rest.

Dear Students, and my own two boys…
I’M READY IF YOU ARE!!!
-Mr. Fragola/Dad

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A New Normal

Everyone’s normal life has quickly grinded to a halt as governments across the globe and here in America set new guidelines and restrictions in order to try to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. Stores are selling out of everything, toilet paper is worth more than gold and silver and for the most part people are getting ready to stay at home for a long time. Everything is different and life has been disrupted and altered. If you cough in public (and you shouldn’t even be out in public), but if you are and you sneeze you might as well be wearing a scarlet letter!

I’m a glutton for punishment in all this mess. After all the conference calls, ZOOM Meeting and emails, the homeschooling, the questions, the concerns and the news briefings… I had little of any time to just try and be mindful of what is in my control and what is not. I tried to take a few moments and breath. I tried to fit in 13 seconds on me time. “And on the seventh day he rested.” Even the Lord took a day to himself. Now I’m not comparing myself to God, but if anyone deserves a rest you’d have to vote working from home parents with two little boys as a top candidate.

I’m tired. I’m really tired. My back is causing excruciating pain and my brain is spinning in circles trying to figure out how to balance our new (for now) lives. All I needed was some quiet time. Do some yard work, fix a few squeaky doors and watch a movie or two.

Problem being so far during this I’ve chosen… Shawn of the Dead, Deep Impact and always a fantastic choice while facing a global pandemic… Outbreak. Even the voice of Morgan Freeman can’t undo the damage done from those three movies. The damage is done and there’s no coming back from it.

Its scary. I know that I have never been part of anything like this before. I guess the only thing we can compare it to was the weeks and months after 9/11. People were scared of further attacks, there were schools and businesses scared to open and people looked at each other differently. I cant figure out how to deal with this, because I can not figure out what is even going on.

I am a teacher again, I am a parent, a principal, a health care worker… I am not sure what I am from minute to minute. This world, the world as we know it has been turned upside down… actually when you think about it, upside down would be easier to deal with.

I can not, CAN NOT IMAGINE what it must be like to be a child right now. A kindergartner who needs routines and rituals, and a three year old who is used to playing with friends and looking to his preschool teachers to help him learn to navigate the social aspects of a toddler, practicing how to say please and thank you, play with others, share and how to advocate for himself. Those things are gone. Imagine being a senior in high school and not being able to finish your sports career. Imagine not being able to participate in graduation and walk across a stage with your friends.

Schools are closed across the country, people are not allowed to go outside… and daily The President comes on TV to tell us how amazing he and his staff are handing this pandemic. The thing is… who else is? I do well during crisis. I am dealing with 75+ staff who are so nervous and not sure what their careers will look like tomorrow. We have students who are trying to figure out who their teacher is, and why they are not allowed back into their classrooms.

I deal with children everyday, I have dealt with every single kind of tragedy you can imagine with my students. I know what to say when a parent dies, or a classmate has to move to a new town and wont get to see their friends anymore. I have had to talk with students about horrific events that have happened in their lives. Yet, I have no idea what to say to my own children. All I have been able to do is calm them, reassure them that their teachers love them and that we are going to do the best we can.

It’s been an interesting few weeks… it’s been an ever crazier few days. Stephanie, who runs an entire financial department for a school district during this impossible to predict financial crisis, is now a kindergarten teacher. Great teaching is something that can’t just be learned. It’s the hardest job I have ever done. This new “thing” so many of us are embarking on… teaching at home… (even for a veteran educator and current principal), is so hard. What she has done has been amazing. A mom and kindergarten/preschool teacher/ school district financial director/food service manager… she’s doing it all.

Speaking of teachers, Jax was able to participate in a ZOOM Meeting with his teacher this week. All his classmates were on and they all were talking to each other. It was so amazing. He couldn’t sit still. He was rocking back and forth. They shared about their weekend. It was good to know that I could watch him (even for a few minutes) still access his social curriculum. He can still tell jokes and tell his friends he misses them. Basically he can still be awesome. I guess social interaction with his friends VIA a computer screen are his new normal. They are everyone’s new normal.

So new normal it is… everything has changed… and we just have to deal with it.

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Educators… MOUNT UP!!!

As the reality of homeschooling, home offices and quarantines sets in it’s easy to forget what we’ve left behind. On Friday, I walked the silent halls of my Elementary School. I was alone, everyone had left for the day… maybe for the year.

There were no colorful backpacks hanging on their hooks, or any voices of students working together on a rigorous task. Students’ chairs were turned upside down on their desks and the SMART boards were dark.

However, school was in session. Teachers were hard at work. They’re preparing for a completely new way of teaching the children they love so much. They’ve had no time to prepare for this. These educators,the ones I work with everyday, took what public education has been for centuries and flipped it upside down and inside out. The school district I work in has taken on the task with determination.

Washington, DC didn’t tell us what to do. The state didn’t tell us what to do. It was the public educators. The ones in the trenches. We are going to “war” with traditional teaching and also with the “virus” that has become a world wide pandemic. And… there is no one… not one staff that I would rather go to war with than my staff at Huntington.

There’s little we can do, us educators on the front lines. The teachers, principals and central office staff members want nothing more than to be on the front lines. We want to visit our families and help serve grab and go meals. But, we know there are people on the front lines already… the nurses, doctors and medical professionals who need us to stay back and help from afar.

So that’s what we do. We do what we can from afar. I’ve been lucky enough to have the platform to do that. From this blog I’ve been able to reach out to so many of my school families. I decided last week to do a live read aloud each night to help keep some sort of connection to my students.

The funny thing is I was hoping to reach a few students, maybe even a few from my last school… but then something happened. Hundreds, thousands of people tuned in. Channel 8 News asked for an interview and Chronicles of a New Dad and Jax were lighting up the 6:00 news.

It become a family affair, a way for a community to gather (or at least I see it that way). I feel that it helps me do “my part.” While I joke about another 15 minutes of fame, the message is clear… educators are doing their part to keep their students engaged and in the end, as a society, that’s all we can ask.

Coronavirus scare: Teachers, administrators, and students turn to social media for traditions like storytime

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A Decade to Remember

As 2019 its door and the start of a new decade opens, it’s a time to reflect and look forward to the amazing things on the horizon. As far decades go… the 2010s were as Larry David would say, “pretty, pretty, pretty good.” And considering this last one was my fourth… I know a good decade when I see one. But really… four decades… that is pretty crazy. I’m now 40 – as in 40 years old.

This decade saw so many ups and downs, So many gains and so many losses. However, all of the losses make the gains so much more exuberant. I became a dad and also an uncle (which is like being a dad, except you can just send the little tyke home when you are done playing with them!!!)

This decade was pretty nuts… I “went viral” as is the popular phrase these days for my Harry Potter Cupboard Under the Stairs that i build for the boys… so that in of itself is pretty indicative of what this decade was like!

If I had to summarize the last ten years in a sentence or two it would read something like this… I fell more deeply in love with my beautiful wife then I ever imagined possible. I lost my person, my grandfather, but I gained two of the most amazing little boys anyone could ever ask for. (ohh… and I won a Super Bowl)!

The decade started out with me taking the career path I always envisioned, as I took my first administrative job as an assistant principal, which I later parlayed itself into becoming a principal, including turning that first building around from a “Tier 3 Schools” in need of improvement to a “Tier 1 School of High Distinction, High Achievement and High Growth” in under three years. I’m proud of what was accomplished and I’m proud of the amazing students that worked so hard every day.

As I said earlier, there were losses. I lost my last two grandparents. Pop, left us the day after Thanksgiving in 2016. Jackson still talks about him, and unfortunately Oliver will only know him through the stories that are still told at the dinner table like folk tales. Steph lost her father, which was one of the hardest to explain to our little ones.

I was able to walk in the footsteps of Harry, Ron and Hermione in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (four times). I caught wide receiver Jordy Nelson during a Lambeau Leap and visited Broadway a few times.

Stephanie and I moved into our dream house in an amazing community with some of the greatest neighbors anyone could ever ask for. Our children love all their new friends and we are so lucky to have amazing people around us everyday.

There is no better part of the last ten years than that of bringing into this world two of the most amazing little boys that have ever lived. Jackson and Oliver have made Stephanie’s and my life so much more than we could have ever asked for all those years ago. They have changed my life. They make every moment of my life better, more important and most of worth living.

To Stephanie,

It hasn’t always been perfect… but two decades have gone by with you and my hope is that the next many decades are spent by your side. Our boys are lucky to have you as their mother, their protector and their best friend.

2010 ➡️ 2020
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Get Well Soon Bammy

There aren’t many people in life you can count on. There are family and friends. Those are almost always constants and as parents of little ones especially, being able to have someone(s) to count on is priceless. Two working parents put pressure on everyone. Demands are high, works, family, personal time… there needs to be at least 45 hours in a day.

It’s crazy how time fast flies. There are no more naps or relaxing weekends. Don’t get me wrong I love every second of running to school events and baseball practice, every last second of it. It’s who I am now… a dad. It’s the best job in the world.

The thing you reading most when you come a parent is show important it is to have family and friends around to help. Being a working family, both Stephanie and I work what feels like 60+ hour weeks, makes it almost impossible to get in everything we want to be able to do. That’s where you lean on your support systems.

Since both Steph and I started new jobs we have been relying on family more than ever. Having amazing neighbors to rely on is more helpful than anyone realizes, but having someone who is there morning noon or night, when they are sick or tired… knowing that person treats your children probably even better than you do… that’s the ticket. That’s the support system you know you sometimes take for granted, but also appreciate more than you can put into words.

This past week has been so tough on two working parents, since Bammy has been in the hospital. I can’t even imagine how tough it’s been on Bammy. The thing I’ve come to realize is you can not take for granted the people you have in your life… because things change fast. People change fast, luckily Bammy is one of those people who no matter the circumstances you can always count on her!

Get well soon Bammy. We love you!