Going Dad’s Top Ten Pinterest Picks (9): Random Humor for the Systematic Life

08/11/2014 R.C. Liley 3 Comments

Sometimes, okay, a lot of times, we all need a good, hearty laugh. Really, we should all laugh more throughout the day every day. Smiling and laughing release “feel good” hormones that actually decrease stress, and even forcing a smile has been proven to lower stress levels!

To all parents, including myself, consider this news you can use and force that grin!

Me reducing stress.... — Me reducing stress….

Seriously, try it out when you’re feeling stressed; just stop and force a smile. It actually works! What also works is Pinterest and the infinite posts of memes, quotes, pictures, and more of hilarious content.

For no particular reason, I recently felt the weight of stress bearing down on me and sought refuge in Pinterest. Guess what? It worked! And then it kept on working for way too long; that site is addicting!

Anyway, figured all of us could use a little laughing medicine to start another week off on the right…..errr, emotions. Enjoy these random Pinterest posts of humor to assist in an otherwise systematic week ahead!

1. Something Going Mom and I deal with daily.

2. Maybe it’s for swim lessons? Or maybe the duck was tired of them riding her tail feathers!

3. One bad bird…

4. I could do a whole post on Grumpy Cat memes….hmmmm

5. It may not be with dinosaurs, but we’re doing this to Avery some day for sure!

6. So many good cat memes!

7. They had one job…

8. This is all I’ll ever think of when I see these stickers now.

9. Had to have some puns in here, since I obviously love them all!

10. Kinda funny, sad, and true all at once.

That only took me half the day to put these together since I kept getting sidetracked. Damn you, Pinterest!

Anyway, enjoy your Monday and this week!

Any plans for the week ahead? Avery is turning 9 months on the 15, and G-Ma will be watching her the entire weekend as Kelley and I celebrate our 7th anniversary at Embassy Suites. We’re just a little excited. I’ll fill you in soon!

Parenting

Learning to Walk: Is it Wrong to Place Bets on your Baby?

08/10/2014 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

As long as it’s just among friends and family, it’s fine, right? Not like I’m setting up an online betting site where people around the world can place wagers on when Avery will start to walk. Plus, how would they know if I rigged it or not?

I could rig it and say the above picture counts as “walking”. Or if she’s in her walker, that must count, no?

Ummm, no, dad, this doesn't count. — Ummm, no, dad, this doesn’t count.

Not that I’d actually try to make money by creating a gambling business centered around my daughter, but I’ve been making bets with myself on when she’ll actually take her first unassisted steps. I was thinking she’d do it before 9 months, but that’s only 5 days away, so now I’ll revise to before she’s 10 months.

What do you think?

Here’s several pictures of Avery showing signs of progress, please let me know your thoughts and we’ll see how close you are when it actually happens!

This is my "Spider-man" impression.... — This is my “Spider-man” impression….

I’m feeling pretty confident her crawling days are numbered. Should I be scared or excited?

Enjoy your Sunday!

Life

What Happens When Two Stay-At-Home Dads Get Out?

08/09/2014 R.C. Liley 7 Comments

Nothing much, really, we just enjoyed a couple good beers and talked about dad life.

What? Were you expecting some crazy shenanigans with lots of booze and guys running wild chasing miniature horses or something?

I hope not, that’d be weird. And very random….why did I even say that?

Anyway, let us move past that comment and come back to reality. I had the opportunity to meet up with another local stay-at-home dad and fellow blogger on Thursday night to discuss setting up a dad’s group. Just like the last time I was allowed out of the house alone to meet my brother (Uncle Preston), we met in Fort Worth at The Flying Saucer.

Thanks to my wife, yet again, for staying home with Avery on a work night! Avery was obviously not impressed with Kelley’s attempt at taking a selfie. Or maybe it was her cold….

David Kepley is co-creator of Just a Dad 247 who blogs with his long time friend, Pat Jacobs; also a stay-at-home dad. They’ve been in the blogging game for a while and have some great stuff for dads and really anyone. Go check them out, but then come back since I’m not finished here! 🙂

Kepley and I met through the Facebook Dad Bloggers group we are both members of and I have mentioned before. We were both seeking a dads group in our surrounding area and were unable to find anything, so we decided we’d try to start one ourselves.

Lucky for us, we have connected with Lance Somerfeld and Matt Schneider who formed the City Dads Group which is a national organization devoted to supporting fathers everywhere. They’ve helped dads create groups in major cities across the U.S., and we’re hoping to add Dallas to their list.

Our discussion on how we’ll get things up and running went well, and we are hoping to have our first meeting next month in September. Obviously, I’ll share the details here as we get more info and have a solid date/plan. Either way, I’m excited to be a part of something so important and hope I’ll be able to bring Avery to many future meet-ups with other dads and their kids.

Asides from the dad group talk, we shared our thoughts and stories around a multitude of topics; I even gave insight to how I view food and make it a huge priority to maintain a healthy family. Fortunately, while he may not be as ~~crazy~~ strict as I am on what to eat, he agreed with my views for the most part and didn’t just get up and walk out.

Another bonus is that Kepley knows how to pick and choose a good beer. Like me, he won’t settle for the crappy, run-of-the-mill Bud Light, Coors Light, etc., he expects good stuff if he’s going to drink, just as we all should! Plus, we both know how to pose for a picture….