Growing up in a large family, one of the more exciting parts of the Christmas season was Pollyanna where we would pick each others names out of a hat and secretly leave little gifts or candy for the person we picked. With the boys as young as they are, we […]
The other day, Ben and I were watching TV together when a commercial for the new Chipmunks movie came on. In it, they are singing Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance”. After a moment, Ben suddenly looked very confused and then asked me, “Daddy, why were the Chipmunks singing about the guys […]
I wrote this seven years ago…It was just after we discovered that Andrea was pregnant with Benjamin. Christmas was bittersweet. I never thought it possible have joy clash with grief in the manner that it did. We found out after Christmas Eve Mass that Andy’s grandmother had possibly suffered a […]
I’ve said it before…I love Christmas. It was always magical to me as a kid, but that magic was lost for a while. Now, as new magic is created through my children, I always think back to my own childhood (and after) memories. I wrote the below a few years […]
Last night, Benjamin and Matthew decided to make Christmas presents for Andrea and I. They disappeared into the office and proceeded to discuss and create the perfect gifts (with some arguing and lots of giggling). At one point, as I passed the office door, I heard papers quickly get shuffled […]
It’s the Christmas season, obviously, and the boys are beyond excited. They are up at least an hour earlier than normal, they run around like chickens without heads and the most popular question (it accounts for at least 50% of their questions) is “How many days until Christmas?” They ask, […]
Perhaps I should have written this a week and a day ago, but I don’t think it is ever a bad time to contemplate those things in your life that you are thankful. I can remember so many times in my life where I have wanted something more for my […]
About a year or two ago, we were visiting with friends of ours who own a house up in the Poconos. As I was walking out with Ben, I turned to my friend and asked, “Do you have any B-E-A-R-S here?” (I spelled “bears” in case that wasn’t clear.) Within […]
Last week I was driving in the car with the boys and said to them, “Do you guys know that I love you?” To this Benjamin responded, “Of course, daddy, you’ve told us that thousands of times.” “Well,” I said, “I could tell you it a million times a day […]
This past weekend was my 20th high school reunion, as well as Andrea and I’s 12th wedding anniversary. Needless to say, the weekend was dripping with sentimentality, nostalgia, flashbacks and, of course, alcohol. A lot of it (not the alcohol, thankfully) continues to stick with me. While the boys hung out […]
It's The Papa 