Tidy Husband

Eligible for the seniors discount and the Happy Meal deal at the same time.

  1. 6 And a Half Again

    Because dad can’t count.

    Today is her second 6-and-a-half year old celebration and we had a blast today. She was on her best behavior all day today. If only every day…

    Photo by Michal Balog on Unsplash

    Last month ~~we~~ I thought she was 6 and a half only to realize that I can’t count and today is the day that’s she’s that age. So today we celebrated by doing pretty much whatever she wanted.

    First she woke up early and I woke later the sound of YouTube Kids at full volume from the living room. I let her chill on the couch until mid morning and then we had to plan for creating the arcade.

    OMG the Arcade, you guys. This is a surprise for mommy so I don’t want to spill the beans but she’s pretty creative - she had an idea exactly how she wanted this to be and I have to say it’s pretty awesome.

    She had a sandwich for lunch and then we had to make a list for the dollar store - which she later brought to the store and checked off the items as we went down the aisles.

    We had one thing to do today and that was to go get her a haircut and she was so good. There was not a peep or complaint, just polite conversation with her hairstylist about her summer plans.

    this is six and a half.

    Up next was the dollar store and it got the same treatment as when we went to the supermarket earlier this week. But we had a list so we stuck to it. We did by a “it’s my birthday button which she wore proudly all day.

    Then we came home and built the arcade for a good hour at least to get it to her preferred state. The “arcade” is now all set up in the family room for Mommy to see.

    Then it was snacktime and even she knows when too much is too much rule breaking and she asked for a healthy snack and not cookies or something.

    A lounge on the couch was interrupted by her friends coming over to play - back to back - so when one left another showed up and she played until after six pm. She wasn’t interested in dinner so we didn’t eat until just before bed and it was just leftovers. By then she was toast.

    The plan was we were going to have a slumber party in the family room with all the glow in the dark bracelets we found at the dollar store but she ended up sleeping in her bed as she didn’t like being alone in the dark in unfamiliar territory.

    And who can blame her? A slumber party can be fun but there’s nothing like sleeping in your own bed.

    Happy Half Birthday,

    TH and Co.

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  2. Weekend Plans

    I bet yours are better.

    Plans for this weekend?

    Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

    It is almost the end of July so perhaps your plans include a beach or a cabin or even just a staycation at home?

    For me, it’s the latter.

    Except, I will be busy creating an arcade out of any empty box.

    Here’s the story:

    I was trying to get her into the bed and we were on our way when she spied the empty box from the Blue Apron service BW ordered for us so that we would not starve to death while she was away.

    The box was just minding it’s own business when she spied it in the kitchen by the back door on it’s way out the trash. I swear, she looked at it once and you could see the wheels spinning in her head with what the box could become

    “This would make a great arcade”, she told me.

    I agreed, and thought that would be the end of the conversation. Oh, how wrong I was.

    She had an idea in her head and it took all I could tonight to get her to stop coming downstairs with plans for this silly box. I knew she was excited so I helped her plan. Mostly I agreed to whatever because it’s hard to translate what is in a little girl’s mind about having a box to turn into this arcade.

    I don’t really know all the particulars about the details but I do know that it involves buying more magic markers. Oh, and we’ll need a ball.

    Beccause you can’t turn a cardboard box into an arcade without a ball, some markers and an imagintion that’s much bigger than mine.

    I was wondering what we were going to do this weeekend but it all sorted itself out and now my calendar is full with arcade making.

    See? I told you your plans for the weekend were better.

    Me? I’m in charge of the scissors.

    Until Next Time,

    TH and Co.

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  3. Diamonds are Forever

    Because that’s how long it takes to convince your kid to go to bed in the middle of summer.

    As it is most nights here - it was going well - until it wasn’t.

    Photo by Edgar Soto on Unsplash

    We did all the things: made the bed together, read a book, talked a bit and then when I went to leave her room the excuses started:

    “I’m hungry”

    “No you’re not. Go to Bed

    “I’m scared”

    “No you’re not. Go to Bed”

    “I need a Huggie”.

    No you don’t - go to Bed.

    Because she was not listening to me at all I told her I don’t deal with bad behavior and so I will be in the shower and we’ll try again when I am out. Sometimes that works and she’s asleep when I am out.

    Not tonight.

    The screaming got so loud and so vocal I wondered where I went wrong and if it would be possible to get uber eats delivered to the bathroom?

    I finally gathered up enough courage to peek my head out the door and it looked like things settled down to a few sniffles by this time. I had though the worst was over but I was wrong - we were lying in bed regaining her composure until she blurted out between tears: “I miss Diamond! I haven’t seen her all week and I miss her with my whole heart!”

    To those not following the plot: Diamond (not her real name, but close) is the new friend and apparently my child has take quite the shine to Diamond 1

    It’s been said that Diamonds are a girl’s best friend 2 and in this case at summer camp 2025 this turns out to be a true statement and not only seen on TV.

    I had no idea that this missing Diamond was a thing. She mentioned that she wasn’t at camp on Monday or the next day, but I didn’t think much of it because not all kids go to camp every day of the week like ours does.

    I told her that maybe she’s on vacation because it is prime time for that, but she told me that her Mom is a counselor there and she has been there all week. Then I had to explain that maybe she’s at her grandmothers’ house for a bit and I guess she was okay with that. It could be that Diamond is living a shared custody living arrangement but that’s way too complicated to explain to an over tired six-year-old.

    She told me about playing with some other friends today so it’s not like she has a lack of friends to hang around with under the tree but I guess Diamond is the gem of a friend she didn’t know she needed until she went missing.

    Tomorrow, we will ask about Diamond and figure out the mystery of the missing Diamond.

    Until Next Time,

    TH and Co.

    1. see what I did there? ↩

    2. oh look, another Diamond joke ↩

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  4. The Magic Tree

    I thought the attraction at camp would be the swimming. I was wrong.

    At her summer camp, there’s this tree.

    Photo by Johann Siemens on Unsplash

    To you and I it’s just a tree at a park - A tree amongst trees. I can’t even tell you what type of tree it is. It’s a tree - with leaves and bark and branches.

    But if you’re between the ages of 5 and about 8 this tree is nothing but magic and has been since the day it was introduced to the campers of the season.

    At all times this magic tree has at least six little kiddos playing by it.

    It’s known as the fairy tree.

    I’m not sure why this tree has been designated this special honor but it has and the children honor it by placing and arranging stick and stones and leaves and branches around it.

    There’s never a fight around the tree. You play nice at the fairy tree. You work with others to honor this great tree of the summer camp.

    There’s other trees and they’re just not the same. Those trees are just trees where the shade gives them some reprieve from the summers sunshine and heat.

    But the fairy tree gets the red carpet treatment day in and day out..

    Today at the tree I found my child picking up rocks so that she could make the fairy tree some cakes because we all know fairy trees like baked goods. Others were busy building it a house complete with dead leaves for the roof. Others gathered up every small white rock and landscaped the area with a stone path around the tree.

    This tree has it all.

    The first thing she does when she gets to camp is to go to the tree and check things out. I find her most days at the tree when I go to pick her up as well.

    I’m unsure if there’s an actual fairy in the fairy tree as that’s never been explained to me but I would assume that comes into the story eventually - maybe when the landscaping is done? I have no idea.

    I will keep you posted on the progress of the fairy tree. We’re only 4 weeks into camp so there’s more interesting things to learn about this tree, I am sure.

    Next time you’re out for a walk and you find a bunch of kids hanging around the bottom of a tree you will know that it’s not just any tree - It’s a magic tree.

    Or so I’m told.

    Until Next Time,

    TH and Co.

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  5. The Supermarket Run

    It’s like visiting Disney world, but with food that’s cheaper.

    We have to go to the supermarket on the way home I tell her as we get into the car on the way home from camp.

    Photo by Jack Lee on Unsplash

    We needed milk.

    We came out with more than milk.

    You see, to you and I going to the supermarket is about as exciting as well - going to the supermarket to buy milk. It’s not very exciting.

    Unless, you are six.

    If you are six then you are in for a treat:

    At the supermarket you see ballooons shaped like butterflies and dragonflies.

    You see cakes, and chips and cereal and ginger ale and the list goes on and on.

    You debate with your father if you should buy freezie pops for dessert (we did)

    Trolli Frozen Gummi Ice Pops Chewy Sour Gummy Candy Frozen Dessert Snacks, Grape Strawberry, 10 Count

    You tell your Dad that you want to go and look down all the aisles. Your Dad says that if we do that the popsicles will melt. You’re okay with not going down all the aisles.

    You help get a bag and help Dad decide how many bags he needs to buy.

    You help push the cart but have a bit of trouble with the steerig.

    Your enthusiasim for the supermarket makes all the old ladies there smile at your wide eyed wonder at all the things we take for granted.

    Your Dad thanks you for a good supermarket run and rewards you with one of those delicious loookig gummy pops.

    You tell Dad that tomorrow we can go back to the supermarket to get some desert for him too.

    He’s good with that idea.

    Until Next Time,

    TH and Co.

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