why i encourage my children to be the best cover

Why I Encourage My Children to Be the Best

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link to these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

I have done the math. I have crunched the numbers. I know the chances are slim.

 

You’re probably wondering what I am talking about. Let me share.

I have written a few times on The Dad Tax about my son Isaiah and his baseball skills.

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Isaiah is 8 years old. He has above average skills on the diamond…for an 8-year-old. This isn’t a dad bragging about his son. This is feedback I have received from other coaches, including one coach who has worked with players like Charlie Morton.

Typically, he plays middle infield unless I feel he is lacking focus and then I move him to the outfield. Focus is one thing I stress but one thing he often lacks.  And yes I am one of his coaches.  I am also probably harder on him than any of the other kids on my team.

He prefers Shortstop. One of his favorite players (now retired) is Derek Jeter.

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Other trainers and coaches have said the following about him:

• Very athletic
• Great range (needed at shortstop)
• Positive attitude
• Good teammate
• Always gives 100%
• Works hard
• Loves the game
• Competitive

Most of these are requirements in my book. I often award the game ball to the player who has the best attitude and best effort for a given game. That’s exactly what I did during the first game of Fall Ball.

What I Want for Isaiah

He loves baseball almost as much as me at this point. He is light-years ahead of where I was at the age of 8. When I was 8 there were no real organized baseball leagues where I lived.

I would absolutely love for him to make it to Major League Baseball.

The Reality

I know it is a big long shot to make it to MLB. A High School senior has a .5 percent chance of being drafted. That’s 1 in 200.

Being drafted does not mean you make it to the bigs either. That just means a team is interested and you will play in their minor league system.

Your odds improve slightly if you play college ball. 11 in 100 are drafted, just over 10%.

What I would ultimately like is for Isaiah to receive a scholarship to play baseball, get his college degree and be drafted. The first part of this sentence is a lot more likely, especially given his academic abilities so far.

 

 

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Waiting for Judge to throw one to him. #NYY #JediJudge

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The Next Level

I learned not to long ago that to make it to the next level of your baseball career you must be one of the best.

Let me explain.

Isaiah currently plays little league. This year was the first year he played at a level that had pitching required. They used a machine (fewer kids get hit by a pitch this way).

He’s been hitting pitching for a few years, so this was not a big jump for him.

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Next year he must move up again. He will face live pitching next year. To this point, I have been the only person to pitch to him.

He also must try out for the first time next year. I have seen some of the kids that play at this level. I don’t believe trying out will be an issue but there’s always that nagging feeling.

What I learned is to move up from level to level you must be one of the best 2 players on a team.

Cybermetrics?  Or Just the Odds?

There are 3 baseball leagues in my town. Each league probably has approximately 60 kids playing baseball in the different age brackets.

For Isaiah’s age bracket that would mean there are approximately 180 kids playing baseball in my town.

There are also 3 high schools in my town (sensing a theme here). Each high school team can have 20 players on the varsity team. If there is a junior varsity team then that’s another 20 players.

Let’s focus on just varsity because these are the kids most likely to get college scholarships.

That means in Meriden there will be 60 varsity players. This is 1/3 of the total number of kids playing at Isaiah’s level now.

We are not sure what we are doing for high school yet, he’s only in 3rd grade right now. We would like him to go to a private school. Baseball may help with this but that only highlights my point further.

One of the 3 high schools in my town is a technical school. He probably won’t go to this school but again we don’t know for sure. That means the number is now cut to 40.

He will be assigned a school based on where we live. That means the number is now 20.

20 out of 180 kids. That means 1 in 9 kids makes it to the varsity team.

The same is true of college-level baseball. 1 or 2 kids on a high school varsity team might make it to college level baseball.

As I said earlier just over 10% of college players get drafted.

Of those that are drafted 1 or 2 on a minor league team might get called up on average.

Do you see where I am going with this?

It’s a long, tough road filled with hard work, dedication, pain, sacrifice, and skill.

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Drive it Home (Pun Intended)

I tell Isaiah to be able to progress to the next level he must be one of the 2 best players on the field for that given game, every game. He must be one of the two best in training, in practice and in every aspect of the game.

I remind him all the time.

Most of the time he is not. He’s 8 and just wants to have fun. I completely understand. I am an adult and just want to have fun.

I reminded him again on Tuesday (our first Fall Ball game) that he had to be one of the two best on the field, for both teams.

Tuesday he clearly was.

He played shortstop as usual. He hustled his, well you know what, off. He fielded great. He made a few decision-making mistakes but that comes with learning the game.

His offense was good. He still needs to work on keeping his eye on the ball, but he was 2 for 4 and showed a little power for the first time in 2018.

Isaiah is small for his age. A proud moment this summer was being told he had finally crossed the 50-pound mark (barely). He’s not a big eater. So, any sign of power is a bonus.

He was focused. Intensely focused.

Every time he came up to bat the other team coaches warned their players.

“He’s a good hitter” “Watch Out” “Be Ready”

Some of the coaches have seen him before. They know what to expect.

He was clearly one of the two best players on the field Tuesday.

I did not award him the game ball. I have my reasons which I explained to him. He completely understands.

I did tell him that he was one of the two best players on the field for both teams that day.

Why Do You Care?

You’re probably thinking to yourself by now why is he sharing this with me? Why do I care that his son has above average baseball skills?

I don’t expect you to care. Here’s why I am sharing.

First, I am proud of his effort and dedication. So naturally, I want to share.

More importantly, the point I want to make is as parents we need to encourage our children to strive for excellence.

Izzy is my 4-year-old daughter. She started gymnastics last year. She was so good that they moved her up to the next level (5-8-year-old group, she was 3 at the time). She left other kids in her age group who have been taking gymnastics even longer behind. There were 5-year old’s in her original group. She surpassed them in a few short months.

 

 

 

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I’ve been trying to tell you it’s a way of life in the Gombar household. #baseballislife #BASEBALL #HappyMonday

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Isaiah excels at reading. He has been reading at a 6-8 grade level for over a year now. He is at or above grade level in every subject. We continue to push him.

When he started swimming lessons we switched him from one school to another because they did not challenge him enough. He was swimming on his own within a few weeks after the switch.

Children learn fast.

Children don’t comprehend limitations. Their limitations are put in place by parents and by their own ability.

Encourage them to be one of the two best on the field, in the gymnasium, in the swimming pool, in the classroom.

Encourage your children to strive for excellence.

Your child is not going to be good at everything. Isaiah also plays the piano. He’s OK at best. We continue to have him go to lessons because playing an instrument helps children with focus. Not just on the instrument but on everything.

We continue to encourage him to get better.

Now, before you tell me that my children have too many activities….

They also have plenty of downtime. Playtime is also learning time. We know that.

We balance it out so that they don’t crash and burn.

They get plenty of sleep as well. We understand the importance of rest and recovery.

We will continue to encourage our children’s pursuit of excellence. We will continue to encourage our children to be one of the two best no matter what they do.  They may excel.  The may fail.  They will try.

why i encourage my children to be the best

why dads love autumn blog post on the dad tax

Why Autumn is Awesome for Dads. [No, It’s Not Because of Pumpkins]

Why Dads Love Autumn. [No, It’s Not Because of Pumpkins]

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link o these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

Today my kids went back to school.  Sort of.

I have mentioned in previous blogs that I am not a parent who enjoys back to school.  I love having the kids home, planning day trips or things to do with them.  I love the impromptu nerf war, the extra baseball practice time, the quality time that is harder to have during the school year.

why dads love autumn blog post on the dad tax

Check out the Nerf Rival Guns that Isaiah and I use>>>

Having to get 2 little humans ready as part of the morning routine just compounds the morning chaos.  The rigid schedule of going to bed is a necessary evil but I don’t enjoy it almost as much as they don’t.

The first 4 days of Isaiah’s school are half days and Izzy only has 2 days of school this week.  They may as well have started after Labor Day but oh well.

Back to school and cooler mornings (until this mini heat wave that arrived today) can only mean one thing.

Autumn is approaching, and fast.

I love Autumn (Fall).  It’s a reprieve from the hot weather but no blizzards usually and no extreme cold either.

It’s inevitable that end of August, early September we begin to see Halloween stuff, Apple Cider Donuts, and Pumpkin everything.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Apple Cider donuts and Pumpkin pie, but we’ve gone overboard now.

Some stores even begin pushing Christmas stuff around this time.  That’s just insane.  Yet some people love it.

Some dads may disagree with me on some of these things.  I am not a big fan of Halloween and I know some dads are.

Let’s Start with What I Do Not Like About Autumn

This list is probably going to be short.

First, I am not a fan of pushing the holidays so early.  Christmas is at the end of December.  We have to get through Thanksgiving first.  Let’s be honest.  Most dads are last-minute shoppers anyway so you’re not going to hook a dad on buying Christmas gifts in October.

I don’t get the Pumpkin craze.  I like Pumpkin pie but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it.  I am not going to go out of my way for a Pumpkin Triple Mocha Latte Super Espresso (I just made that up but you get my point).

I enjoy an Apple Cider donut but the amount of sugar in a donut is unreal, so I usually avoid them.  If someone has an alternative that is worthy of being named an Apple Cider donut, by all means, please do share.

I don’t like raking.  I just don’t. If you like it more power to you. Swing by my house anytime between October and November.

I do not.  I like cutting the grass (I did it today, on the first day of the mini heatwave).  I don’t mind shoveling snow so long as it’s not measured in feet.  I do not like raking.

I do enjoy playing with the kids in the piles of leaves, but then you have to rake again.

That’s pretty much the whole list of Autumn dislikes.

What I Love About Autumn

Let’s start with the most important one.

September is filled with hope and endless possibilities.  Football season has arrived, and the Yankees are annual playoff contenders.  The Jets are usually a disappointment by the end of October, but I still have hope every season.  This year looks promising so far.

It’s an exciting time in the sports world.  And if you’re a Fantasy Football fan/participant then it’s even more exciting.

Draft day was yesterday.  I think I have a good team.  I tend to be in the top 25% of my leagues but have yet to win it all.  I did make it to the final once.

I also play on FanDuel.  I deposited money on FanDuel years ago and I am still playing with house money.  I only do Football at this point because I did terrible with Basketball and Baseball

I am coaching Fall Ball..more fun!  Coaching baseball is something I really enjoy, and the baseball field is my sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of my life.  We have two months of decent weather to play games.  And it keeps my son warm for the next season.

My favorite holiday of the year is Thanksgiving.  There’s no pressure to find the perfect gift and it’s all about family.  It’s the 3 F’s.  Family, Food, and Football.  How can you not love Thanksgiving?

It’s hoodie season.  I love my hoodies.  So much comfort all in one article of clothing.  I prefer UA Hoodies but also have a few custom hoodies.  It might be time to create a Dad Tax Hoodie.

Check out the UA Hoodies on Amazon>>>

There are lots of fairs and carnivals in early Autumn.  The fairs are great in my area, as I imagine they are everywhere.

And finally, as I mentioned earlier it’s cooler weather.  I have lived in Connecticut all my life.  Winters a brutal.  Summers are brutal.  There can be a 125-degree difference between February and July on any given year.  They are extremes of each other.  As I write this on August 27th it was 94 degrees today.  It’s currently 7:30 pm and it’s still 86 degrees.  Uncalled for.  Tomorrow and Wednesday are supposed to be worse.

The last 5 or 6 Winters have also been brutal.  One was the coldest on record.  We had a record-breaking blizzard in 2013.  Last year was the mildest it’s been in a while.

Fall and Spring are really the best weather.  I love Fall weather.  So long as there are no freak Halloween blizzards.  We have had a few of those in recent years too.

Stop the Pumpkin Madness

I get it.  Pumpkin is tasty.  Now there’s pumpkin beer, pumpkin coffee, pumpkin cookies, and muffins.  I think I saw pumpkin spaghetti.  What?  Is there a pumpkin pizza yet?

You’re ruining pumpkin for everyone. And if there is a pumpkin pizza then you’re ruining pizza.

The truth is without four seasons you can’t really appreciate Autumn.  If we didn’t have the extremes of Winter and Summer, then Autumn wouldn’t seem like such a great season.  I imagine people who have lived in Florida all their lives probably don’t get it.

But no matter where you live most dads will agree that the other reasons I love Autumn are indeed great reasons to love the season.  The sports world is buzzing.  Thanksgiving is coming.  And my sanctuary..the baseball field with my team, who like the Jets are full of hope and promise.  Somehow I believe they will outperform the Jets.

Now let me go tweak my Fantasy line up and see who didn’t get drafted that might be a sleeper.

why dads love autumn

 

No! Your Kid Does Not Deserve a Trophy [Go Ahead, Get Mad]

Stop Awarding Trophies to Everyone [Let Them Lose]

No!  Your Kid Does Not Deserve a Trophy [Go Ahead, Get Mad]

This will probably piss off some parents, but it needs to be said.  You might not like me much after this.  You may not have even liked me before.

I don’t really care.  Well, I do a little.

A recent poll was taken in a dad only Facebook group. It revealed that an overwhelming 87% of dads are not in favor of awarding trophies to everyone participating in a team or individual sport.

It’s not exactly a Quinnipiac poll but I believe it might be more honest.  Some of the comments were a lot more colorful than my blog post will be.

Let’s Start with an Example

Stop Awarding Trophies to Everyone

I have been coaching my son in baseball for 4 years.  He is now 8.  We started in t-ball.  He is now ready to move up to kid pitch.  In fact, he’s more than ready.

He’s had extra training thanks to Ultimate Sports and the Hartford Yard Goats, and he almost always excels at the game.  He tends to play middle infield and is pretty good at it.  He’s an even better hitter.

When He Focuses!  Now pay attention…

I usually have 12-13 kids on a team.  At this age, they all play.  They all get to hit.  They all play in the field.

After every game, I award a game ball.  The game ball is not necessarily the best player that day.  It might be the one who played the hardest, had the best attitude, improved the most or made a key play.  These things usually tie together so it’s usually not hard to determine who will get the game ball by the end of the game.

I confer with my coaches and we decide.  We are almost always in agreement.

My son tends to lack focus.  I get it.  He’s 8 and he’s a boy.  I completely understand. That does not mean he’s going to be awarded a game ball just because he’s 8 and he’s a boy.  He must earn it like anyone else does.

Side note:  This is from experience.  Girls at this age are much more focused when playing baseball.

This past season he was skipped over for almost 2/3 of the season before he finally earned it.  Unlike a lot of other coaches who have their kids on their team I tend to be tougher on him.  He earned it because he played his best game as far as focus and effort.

What’s the Lesson?

He knows how my mind works.  Most games he will tell me ahead of time he did not earn the game ball.  He gets it.

Most of the time he knows who earned it.  He’s also very observant.

I don’t want to brag but my son is really a great kid.  He has his moments but overall, he’s a great kid.

I know a lot of parents probably say that, and I am probably a little biased but let me give you a few examples.

He does not get upset when he does not get the game ball.  Other kids do (not all of them).

He knows what he did wrong in most cases.

He is a great teammate and tries to pick up others when they need it.  He also sticks up for other kids, and he’s far from the biggest kid on the field.

He knows if he didn’t earn it he doesn’t get it.

Isaiah at Yard Goat Stadium

Here’s what I want him to learn from not getting an award for mediocrity, or even losing.

  • It’s OK to lose sometimes. Everyone loses.  Michael Jordan was cut from his High School Basketball team.  The best baseball players in the world do not get a hit 70% of the time.  Everyone loses.  If you reward loss with a trophy then you are saying it’s OK to be mediocre.
  • Losing builds character. It makes you a tougher person in life.  Adversity will come.  Giving everyone a trophy does not prepare them for adversity.
  • Losing the right way (meaning not throwing a tantrum or being a poor sport) teaches children how to be better adults. They learn how to interact with their peers even when things are not going their way.
  • By not allowing children to learn how to lose you are teaching them that they should get every job and promotion they want, even if they’re not qualified, or didn’t earn it. You’re teaching them that they don’t have to put the effort into their school work because everyone should get an A.  You’re teaching them that mediocrity is OK when they should be taught to find their strengths and excel.
  • Awarding a trophy to everyone diminishes the accomplishments of the children who earned the trophy.
  • The children know that they did not earn the trophy. By awarding a trophy to everyone you may inadvertently create a rift between children.  Children are far more observant than most believe.

I do not want my children growing up with that sense of entitlement.  I want them to EARN everything they get.

My son gets it at 8 years old.  I don’t understand why that’s a hard concept for adults to comprehend.

My son has also played basketball and soccer.  He was terrible at basketball and was average at soccer.  He’s going back to basketball this winter after not playing for 2 years.

They awarded participation medals to everyone that participated in both leagues.  I understand the concept and was proud that he went out there and tried his best.  I get that the medal was for participation only.  I don’t want the wrong message sent.

When he was playing basketball we always went a little early (we do this for baseball too) because he knew there were things he needed to work on.  Arriving early meant extra practice time.

That’s what awarding a trophy to everyone goes against.  Most pro athletes will tell you incredible stories of how they worked to get where they are.  Some have stories of being told they were not good enough or would not succeed.

Most pro athletes will tell you that they have lost or failed and that the loss or failure motivated them even more.

When Isaiah loses or fails at most things he is extra motivated to get better at it.  He took it upon himself to learn how to swing from the left side because he recognized there is more value to a switch hitter.

He wants to show up earlier to get extra practice.

He now has a goal of being one of the two best players on the field during any given game.  That’s his goal after I told him the statistics of someone making it to Major League Baseball.

No! Your Kid Does Not Deserve a Trophy [Go Ahead, Get Mad]

Stop Giving Trophies to Everyone

I know not everyone will agree with my sentiment.  I am by no means a high-level coach.  Ultimately my goal is to develop the kids into better players and teach them to have fun while doing it.

My 4 years of experience have taught me that kids know when they earn something and when they don’t.  My many more years of experience as a dad have taught me that kids will take what they can get and develop from that.

When I was in school I knew what I had to do to get by.  In most cases that’s exactly what I did.  I was a decent football and baseball player.  I did enough to get decent grades and make honors most of the time.  I did not try to excel.

As I look back at my formidable years I wish someone had taught me to not be average.  I wish someone would have said be one of the two best players on the field every game.  I wish someone would have said be one of the top 5 students in my class.

It would have made a difference in my early 20s, and it would have probably made a difference for the rest of my life.

The give everyone a trophy philosophy was not even prevalent during my High School and College years.  It’s just that no one told me to strive for excellence.

We’ve created a generation of now adults who think everyone deserves a trophy for everything.  We’re working on a second generation now.

At the end of the day, we cannot be good at everything.  Find what you’re good at and/or enjoy and excel.

Today, I strive for excellence in a few areas including preparing my children to be productive and successful members of society.

I don’t think I am a great coach, but I do think I am making a difference in some children’s lives.  When a child gets excited because I am their coach again, it means the world to me.  It means that the child understands they need to earn their trophy (among other things).

Do you want your children to put the effort into being successful?  Or do you want them to wait for everything to be handed to them?

 

 

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Dads and Granddads at a Yankee Game August 2018

My Trip to Yankee Stadium (Why It’s So Important)

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link o these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

Yankee Stadium Yankees vs Toronto August 18 2018Let me start by saying I love spending time with my kids.  I am sure a lot of fathers do.  Ask anyone that knows me, and they will tell you I am a huge proponent of fathers bonding with their children over their entire lifetime.

Let me also say I spend A LOT of time with my kids.  I work from home most days.  When they’re home they spend a lot of time hanging out in my office.

My office is pretty cool.  I have one of my Rokus set up in the office.  It has an old school Atari.  It has computers.  And they bring their toys in my office.  My somewhat well kept and organized office implodes almost daily when they are home.

They can watch TV, pretty much whatever they want on demand.  They can get on the computer.  My son is learning to code.  My daughter goes to ABCMouse to learn.

I am also one of Isaiah’s baseball coach and attend probably 80-90% of their extracurricular activities.  The truth is I don’t want to miss any of it.

So, they spend a lot of time with me.  And I love it.

Sometimes I need to adult.  Meaning I need to be around other adults without children.

You’re probably wondering why I am telling you this. Like it’s some long-lost secret that parents need time away from their children, and vice versa.

Here’s why.  Typically, if I am going to a baseball game my son is going with me.  He loves baseball almost as much as me.  When he gets older he will probably love it even more than I do.  He loves to play, watch and talk baseball with me.

He has known for a couple of weeks that I was going to a Yankee game today and was disappointed that I was going without him.  I get it.  In a way, I was disappointed too.  I do really enjoy bonding with him over baseball.

Here’s the thing.  It’s healthy to have time away from your kids.  It’s OK to have adult conversations without a child clinging to every word or interrupting you to tell you about some random toy they want.

I would go so far as to say it’s important to have that time away from your children.  For everyone’s mental health it’s a good idea to have “you” time with other adults.

Signs You Need a Break

Here are some of the warning signs that you might need a break from your children.

  • You seem to get annoyed at the smallest things.
  • You snap at them for seemingly no reason.
  • You agree to things and have no idea what you agreed to. (My youngest daughter is awesome at getting people to do this).
  • You spend time in the bathroom just to escape. (I am always amazed that with 3 bathrooms in the house they always need to use the bathroom I am in).
  • You randomly sing the theme song to My Little Pony or Paw Patrol.

There are probably more but we will leave it with these few for now.

I responded to Isaiah by telling him that sometimes parents need time with their friends the same way sometimes he just wants to play with his friends.  I know he was still disappointed, but I think he understood.

Parents need to understand that it is OK to take a break and be an adult.  Work does not count by the way.  You don’t really have a choice at work.  That’s not a break.

Take a break and go spend time with your friends when you can.  This is especially important for parents of infant children.  Infants can wear you down.  It can be very exhausting taking care of your infant child.  We are beyond that stage of life now so that does not apply to us.

Dads and Granddads at a Yankee Game August 2018

If you feel the need for a break take it.

It helps to have a support system.  Today my kids stayed with their grandparents.  They just hung out all day, sort of a lazy kids’ day.  And they were super excited to see me when I got home.

Yankees 11 Blue Jays 6

I am not superstitious by any stretch of the imagination, but the Yankees always win when I go to the stadium.  Even the time I went with my oldest daughter in 2009.

The Yankees were losing big to Cleveland that day in 2009.  We left early to beat the rush to the train.  I took the train back to Grand Central Station.  By the time we got to Grand Central Station people who saw us with our Yankee gear were asking if we saw what happened.  I did not have any idea what they were talking about.  Then I found out the Yankees rallied and ARod hit a walk-off home run.  They won the World Series that year, so I take credit for that.

I probably go to the mecca of baseball 2-3 times a year.  We (Father and Son) visit the local minor league teams a lot too.  Plus, Isaiah plays and participates in several clinics and camps.  So, we spend a lot of time around baseball.  I love watching him grow into it.  He truly has a lot of potential and even more importantly he enjoys it.

Today they beat the Blue Jays.  They have the second-best record in baseball but as of late they have not been playing that great.  It doesn’t help that two of their biggest bats are on the DL.  Judge and Sanchez (my son’s two favorite players) are BIG BATS. Today, they played like the Yankees and won like the Bronx Bombers.

More importantly, I spent time with friends, some of whom also need a break from their children.  We laughed, we joked, we talked, we ate really bad (but really good) food.  We bought souvenirs…..for our children.   We walked….a lot.

They also had a tribute for the 1998 World Series Yankees.  You might remember that team if you follow baseball.  It was one of the greatest single season teams ever, winning a total of 125 games that year.  That was also the second of 4 World Series titles in 5 years.

1998 Yankees World Series Team

That meant we also did some reminiscing.  I also got sunburned.  It was hot and steamy.  We compared it to weather in Cuba and Haiti (Countries I have been to in recent years).  It was more uncomfortable in the Bronx.

In total, I spent about 11 hours with this group of parents and grandparents, without children.  It was the break that I needed.  A break that I would probably deny needing or wanting.  And it was great getting back to my kids.

Now It’s Time to Say Goodnight

I write this as they sleep.  In a week Summer will be over for them.  It’s kind of sad to me but kids need structure.  They need to interact with other children their age.  They need to learn from other adults from different perspectives.

Soon it will be hoodie time and pumpkin everything time.  I don’t really participate in the pumpkin everything craze but I do love my hoodies.

This was a conversation we had on the way home too.  It’s not that they don’t have structure in the Summer.  My children do, but it’s a little less rigid.

Tomorrow we begin getting them back on the school schedule.  Tomorrow it will set in that Summer vacation is almost over.  It will set in for them, and for my wife and me.

I set aside a couple of days this coming week to just spend time with them.  That means by Monday I might be ready for another parent break.  They will be in school, so the house will be eerily quiet for a few hours while I work.  By the time Isaiah’s bus comes back to his stop I will be ready to hear all about his first day of school because I will have missed him and his sister tremendously.

It’s really a vicious cycle.

I am obviously terrible at taking selfies

My Trip to yankee stadium & why it's important (1)