1. Music to our ears

   September 30, 2026

   ONE

   Hey Dad!

   Photo by Radomir Brkovic on Unsplash

   She then took me over to her little Amazon device and asked me what sounds it should play while she falls asleep. She decided on a mix of babbling Brook and pink noise. Not my choices, but she happily fell asleep so I’m calling it a win.

   “Aaaahhhh, so relaxing” she said as she dozed off

   TWO

   She tells us she ran half a mile today in the gym. Also, It’s not called “gym class” as BW and I call it. We have been corrected: it’s “Physical Education”.

   “Geez, Dad..”

   THREE

   The child came off the Bus telling me that she wants to be a girl scout. I asked her how she learned of this and she tells me a girl on her bus told her about it - one of the bigger kids. I open her backpack and there’s the info sheet so this is not just some bus rumor.

   I ask her if she knew what girl scouts do?

   “Sell cookies”, she tells me.

   Ya..pretty much.

   Put me down for 3 boxes.

   Until Next Time,

   TH and Co.

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2. The perfect time to go to bed

   September 29, 2026

   It’s 8:50pm, if you’re wondering.

   

   Photo by Bruno Guerrero on Unsplash

   Tonight was easy.

   She came home from school happy to see me as if she hadn’t seen me at the start of the day and after a quick snack we went to the park where we went on the swings, and we were happily swinging along and all of a sudden: BUGS!

   She’s SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF HER LUNGS while also swinging 12 feet in the air and swiping at the bugs with one hand and hanging on with the other and all I can think is:

   I hope we don’t end up in the ER.

   I explained to her that bugs are nature and seeing as how we’re in nature there will be bugs. She didn’t buy it and wanted to get out of nature as fast as possible so we decided to go for a walk about the new neighborhood where they are still building new cardboard houses

   The highlight of our walk is that our neighbor has a cybertruck and the child is obsessed with them, so that was fun.

   I learned that my legs still work after all these years and a lap around the block is almost a mile and I burned 160 calories. Then I came inside and had a Coke so we’re all balanced out with the calories thing.

   Tonight I even managed to get a hairbrush through the big knot in the back of her head that’s been there for a few days without complaint. She still doesn’t like it but she might be realizing that sometimes the shit just needs to happen.

   Lastly, there’s the book of facts. If I get one more fact read to me about the lady with the longest fingernails or the fact that an ostrich egg is bigger than it’s brain....

   That’s just two of them. There’s 1001 of them in this book. I was read them while I was in the bathroom shaving tonight. I was read them at the table, and later when I put her to bed.

   She is fascinated by facts.

   Me? I’m concentrating on one fact: 8:50 P.M.

   The rest is just details. :)

   Until Next Time, TH and Co.

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3. You can't invent fun.

   September 28, 2026

   The other night when I sat down to tuck the child into bed she asked me to tell her something funny.

   

   What she meant was she wanted to sit down and laugh and laugh and laugh as we had the night before about random silliness - which was long forgotten.

   But here’s the thing: It has to come naturally. It has to be a conversation. You can’t START funny. Funny has to happen - sometimes it comes too easily and like the other night when she asked for it. It didn’t come at all.

   “I’ve got nothing”, I told her.

   Tonight though - the laughs just kept coming. We laughed about what would happen if I joined the gym and built muscle. (not happening) - we laughed about what I would look like with pierced ears (also not happening) and we laughed about why I am old and wrinkly and she’s not.

   The topics are not really the important stuff - what was important is that this little ten minutes of sitting at the edge of the bed and being silly with her is becoming the best part of my day.

   Until Next Time,

   TH and Co.

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4. ON ATHLETIC ABILITY

   September 27, 2026

   We don’t have a lot of athletic ABILITY. I’ve played a bit of tennis in the past and BW can rock the peleton but that’s as far as we go. We’re not hikers/skiers/campers etc. We have no need for any rack for the car unless you count needing more cup holders.

   So, it’s no surprise that the child follows in her family’s footsteps.

   

   We have signed her up for ninja class, I have tried to teach her to ride her bike. The only thing where we’ve had mild success is in the swimming pool, but even then we’re at might not drown vs olympic champion.

   So,this weekend the cousin who she adores came to visit from college to celebrate the birthday and this morning the ladies went out on the front lawn with the Yoga mats and practiced yoga and somersaults.

   It went as expected.

   

   This morning’s class was either the best thing ever or needs practice

   It all depends on who you asked.

   Until Next Time,

   TH and Co.

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5. TWO BIRTHDAY PARTIES IN ONE DAY

   September 26, 2026

   alternate title: sugar overload.

   contemplating if she can finish (she didn’t)

   Today was the day of parties. My Day started at 7am with her whacking me on the back with a “Get up Dad”(how come this never happens on weekdays?) and she reminded me that it was BW’s birthday today and we had stuff to do.

   First, we had to hide the birthday eggs (birthday eggs?) and then we had to deliver her morning coffee (like this is different from any other day - how?).

   Then the child got distracted and played with her Furby which we bought her almost 2 Christmass ago but is now the best thing ever.

   When she awoke from her purple fuzzy haze, we opened the presents. We were told to go light this year and we did - we bought her a makeup mirror with lights!

   “Just what I wanted” BW told us. We have no reason not to believe her.

   Done, right?

   

   OH. NO! Lunch was REAL Chinese food from Home Taste and I am pretty sure the child would eat all the dumplings if we let her.

   The plan was to have a nap and then to got the next birthday party - Eugene’s. If you remember we had we lost the invitation for and had a bit of a panic on our hands but it all got sorted.

   The birthday party was a camping theme with hotdogs and Doritos and various games but mostly it was about a dozen or so kids with a sugar high running around trying to exhaust themselves.

   

   At the third hour, Dad had had more fun than he could handle and other Dads were also laying down the law that it was time to go so we went with the crowd.

   She was handed a little tackle box for a goodie bag full of worms which was a great idea for a camping themed party.

   If you count the delicious FOOD only that happened today she had a great day. When you add up the gift giving, sack jumping, friend-making and over miles ran today you can say today was the “best day ever”

   That’s what she told me and I believe her.

   Happy Birthday BW.

   

   Until Next Time,

   TH and Co.

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