http://www.paternalprose.com A journal of fatherhood Wed, 17 Jun 2009 05:15:12 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en mowing with Daddy Originally uploaded by Queen Kandis As you can see, I didn't stand a chance. Toddlers are fearless. The memory is a bit fuzzy, but I think I "chickened" first. http://www.paternalprose.com/2009/06/17/a-game-of-lawn-mower-chicken/ The notion that atheists have no morals is intriguing, so as a loving husband, father, and atheist, I thought it might be interesting to address this rather sweeping indictment. During the course of compiling my thoughts, it occurred to me that it might be helpful to have working definitions ... http://www.paternalprose.com/2009/06/01/atheists-have-no-morals/ We've recently begun getting Cooper acclimated to the toilet. The sessions haven't yet yielded any results, but what's surprised me most is how comfortable he's been during our training sessions. Mostly, he's been eager to use the toilet paper, and has even demonstrated that he knows what to do with ... http://www.paternalprose.com/2009/05/18/on-the-terlit/ Today, Cooper had a tantrum when we got home from daycare. He was ticked because a small, empty, water bottle that he was using to amuse himself in the car needed to be left in the car. Why? Because that's the way the world works sometimes. We don't always get ... http://www.paternalprose.com/2009/05/08/waiting-it-out/ Cooper's new room Originally uploaded by Queen Kandis Last night, Cooper spent his first night in his first "real" bed, and he was a trooper. After a few cries early on, he slept through the night and woke in his usual happy mood. There was also no transition period; we didn't keep ... http://www.paternalprose.com/2009/05/06/night-night-in-the-big-boy-bed/ The following conversation transpired between Mom and Cooper yesterday morning: Mom: Do you want to drink your juice? Cooper: [Grunts and begins to throw a typical two year-old tantrum.] Mom: You go ahead and throw a fit, mama's gonna eat her breakfast. That's how we roll up in here. Moral of the story: Don't mess ... http://www.paternalprose.com/2009/04/26/mom-lays-down-the-law/ Typically, when I meet Cooper at day care in the afternoon, he begins to rattle off a number of nouns and verbs related to school and the world around him. He's also quick to wave to everyone he meets as we leave, and tell them "Bye," regardless of whether or ... http://www.paternalprose.com/2009/04/16/more-than-just-that-dude-who-takes-me-home/ What follows is a basic vocabulary that's required to converse with Cooper at this stage in his development. If you should enter his territory during the day, this guide will help you decipher his language, and communicate with him. Listed below are some common words, followed by their definition and ... http://www.paternalprose.com/2009/04/14/boo-dock-a-lesson-in-coopers-language/ Daily Kos: Timothy McVeigh, the Radical Right and Glenn Beck. Political ideologies aside, this post raises a valid concern. Whether or not Beck's metaphor was directly connected to the rhetoric of the far radical right might be open to argument. Given recent rants regarding our descent into fascism, totalitarianism, socialism, though, ... http://www.paternalprose.com/2009/04/12/daily-kos-timothy-mcveigh-the-radical-right-and-glenn-beck/ It's also the post you don't want your son to read once he's entered the workforce. Today, I got to work at 6:45 AM and dozed off at about 7:00 AM for a span of about fifteen minutes. During my adult years, I've never been one to tolerate slackers in ... http://www.paternalprose.com/2009/04/08/the-post-you-dont-want-your-co-workers-to-see-but-they-inevitably-will/