Daddy Boot Camp THIS SATURDAY 9-1pm! February 9th

Foothills Hospital, Boulder, CO. This class just this date is on the THIRD FLOOR OB ED room.

9am. Thanks!, Barney


Remaining 2008 Boulder Daddy Boot Camp Dates are:

Mar 8
Apr 12
May 10
Jun 14
July12
Aug 9
Sep 13
Oct 11
Nov 8
Dec 13

Note we skip July, so just don't have a baby then!


If the first class you request is full, please check on our Monthly (Except July) 2008 Class openings and register (Required), contact:

Coreen Schmidt

Executive Director

St. Vrain Family Center
P.O. Box 2174
Longmont, CO 80502-2174
Phone: (303) 776-5348

www.stvrainfamilycenter.org

If you are a Veteran Dad with a baby under 1 year old, PLEASE COME ANYTIME DURING THE CLASS For Free Coffee, Pastries, and a NICE CIGAR. If you know a dad with a child under 1 year old and bring him with his child to the class, your class fee will be REFUNDED.

Use Lijit Search to find info on Daddy Boot Camp and other Parenting Issues!

My Breath Stinks

I'm in a strange place with my 9 year old and math homework.

I get all excited about it, she just wants to get it done. I run around grabbing 'scrap' paper and showing her how fun to figure out the close multiples of 5 or 10 to work backwards towards the real answer, which is a multiple of 8, and she just says, "Your breath stinks."

This is one of the blessings of having children, this pronouncement. I know my breath stinks of course. I walk around and have long stretches of stinky breath. I mean I brush after meals, but this old cracker is not going to suck sugar all day to have fresh on the spot breath. Hey, I prep when needed, thats enough. For homework with the kids, I skip the Altoid.

Still its refreshing to be told. Its not like I can tell my boss, while they are asking me how a project is going, "Yes, they are very interested Bob, but your breath stinks." And they don't tell me. Adults just leisurely back head first away and try to keep their eyeballs from rolling. Kids shoot from the hip mouth .

2 Blue

I got to play the Game of Life last night with my 7 year old. As we started out, and I got to the STOP: GET MARRIED space, I went for the pink peg to add to my car, and STOPPED.

Why not use this little space in this Game of Life to bridge a discussion on homosexual lifestyle? "Can I be two men?" I asked her. "Sure" she replied, "My friend at school has two moms. One is 'Mom'. and one is 'Momma.'

It seems I was bridging to myself, my seven year old had been down this life course. "What will you pick?" I asked her. "Hmmm", she said, initially going for another pink for her car, but then considering. "I will close my eyes and pick", she said, and got a blue peg to join her pink one, totally at random. "I like that", she said, "You know I have Nedda." Nedda is a boy from the Netherlands she is friends with.

That was it for this topic that game. We had lots of other Life issues to deal with, car accidents, insurance, buying a home. 'How', I wondered as our two cars inched farther down the game of life, 'Do other parents, if they do, bridge the issue of sexuality to their kids?' Some I fear may with disdain for same sex couples, and how sad for the next generation if they are exposed to old hatred and fears. Not discussing does not seem a healthy alternative either, its here, as it ever has been, as long as we have been human. Unless your pegged in Iran, where they have no Homosexuals.

Watching the Superbowl? Will your daughter be around?

I'm a Jet/Met fan, but now living in the middle of America lean to any NY team, even the Yankees if just for their classy coach Joe Torre. Doh! The NY Giants are doing a Met's underdog run, on a tear like the Rockies finale winning all away games, and maybe, just maybe the 'David' Giants can beat 'Goliath' Patriots this Superbowl. Sure it would take a miracle, but why are you watching it then? Because it COULD happen. Patriots have won their last games by a single score. Lady Luck may have moved on.

Center On Media and Child Health's Brandy King knows from their November post about my family and the media I have 'issues' when great sports are on vs. our kids and media exposure. Knowing this, she tipped me off about dad's and daughters.org's SuperBowl Tips for Dads and Daughters watching the SuperBowl together.. Here are their first 3 of their 9 tips, please check this out, its easy, makes the game more fun for everyone, and makes your daughter lucky to have you for a father!:

Excerpt of Tips for Dads and Daughters Watching the Super Bowl Together

Read them all at:[ http://www.dadsanddaughters.org/PDFs/SuperBowlTips.pdf ]

Dads & Daughters watching TV sports together—one of life’s pleasures. But what about those

moments (like during some commercials) when you want to cover her eyes with your hands?

Here are a few simple tips from the national nonprofit Dads & Daughters for fathers and

stepfathers watching the Super Bowl (and other TV sporting events) with their daughters:

1. First, spend part of the pre-game afternoon tossing a football around with her! A Dad who plays sports with

his Daughter increases the odds that she’ll grow up healthy and strong!

2. If she doesn't like to play catch, take a walk or bike ride together. Let her know that you enjoy being with her.

The time together may give her an opportunity to share what is going on in her life. Daughters may see our

enthusiasm for sports and think we’re more interested in our favorite team than in her. Making time for her on

Super Bowl Sunday (and every other day) can counter that perception.

3. When watching the game, be aware that what your daughter or stepdaughter sees and what you see may

be entirely different. She may be struck by the cheerleaders, whose partially clothed bodies look so “perfect.”

Instead of enjoying the game, your daughter may be comparing her body to theirs and feeling inadequate.

Read ALL 9 Superbowl tips at Dads and Daughters.org

2008 Boulder Daddy Boot Camp Dates

The remaining 2008 Boulder Daddy Boot Camp Dates are:

Jan 12
Feb 9
Mar 8
Apr 12
May 10
Jun 14
July12
Aug 9
Sep 13
Oct 11
Nov 8
Dec 13

Note we skip July, so just don't have a baby then!


If the first class you request is full, please check on our Monthly (Except July) 2008 Class openings and register (Required), contact:

Coreen Schmidt

Executive Director

St. Vrain Family Center
P.O. Box 2174
Longmont, CO 80502-2174
Phone: (303) 776-5348

www.stvrainfamilycenter.org

If you are a Veteran Dad with a baby under 1 year old, PLEASE COME ANYTIME DURING THE CLASS For Free Coffee, Pastries, and a NICE CIGAR. If you know a dad with a child under 1 year old and bring him with his child to the class, your class fee will be REFUNDED.

Use Lijit Search to find info on Daddy Boot Camp and other Parenting Issues!

I will change your life

Peter, publisher of I Will Change Your Life, mixes both striking images and personal experience to confront what may be the most important issue facing us our entire lives: How we live it.

Peter uses his direct personal experience moving from depression to happiness and staying in a happiness groove with the most basic yet available tools right in front of us, from eating right, to watching our media intake, to going for early morning walks when the world is our own. Peter shares other's ideas he finds along his way that also point us in this direction.

Peters first example of how his life has moved into happiness is becoming a Dad. This option is not available to all men in our time on this planet. But when it is and the lucky ones can have and raise a life from inception, there is no greater peace or joy from the gift of having a child and being father to them. I Will Change Your Life is about much more then the gift of fatherhood. I post Peter's wonderful blog for my expectant dads at daddy boot camp to see how one man's adventure here changed so much when he took the step into fatherhood. To Excerpt Peter:

"Basically I am just a regular guy who over the past 5 years has changed his life from one filled with sadness and depression to one filled with happiness and joy. The following are just a few of the ways in which my life changed for the better:

• I became a Dad: when I saw my newborn son for the first time it was the single greatest moment of my life. It really has made me view the world in a different way.
• I made peace with myself: I have laid to rest the insecurities and depression of my teenage years and am happy with the person I am.
• I traveled the world: the city in which I was born and raised, Perth, is the most isolated city in the world. Traveling overseas for a year opened my eyes to the big wide world in which we live.
• I began to wake early: for me waking at 5am each day has come to signify my personal development journey. When you wake each day excited about the day ahead its a sure sign that you are a happy person.
• I found my soulmate: if you’re reading this, hi Kathryn .

Despite these wonderful things, my life is still very much a work-in-progress. I don’t have all the answers, and there are still many things I struggle with.

If you would like to get to know me even better, you can read an interview I did here.

About This Site

The core message of this site is this:

You can change your life.

If you are unhappy, you can be happy. If you are in debt, you can find financial freedom. If you are lazy, you can get motivated. If you are inactive, you can become fit. If you are lost, you can find purpose.

How do I know these things? Over the past few years, and in particular the last year, I have positively changed my life in countless ways. I have come to see that anything is possible in life."

CMCH Tackles Internet Safety for Facebook and MySpace

The Center On Media and Children's Health tackles the issue of Kids and Social Networks MySpace and FaceBook. Critical reading for any parent raising kids today. Here is an excerpt from their January email they sent me:

You've heard of MySpace and Facebook from your teens, but what exactly are they? What can they do on these websites and how can you make sure they're safe? We have some tips for you and we'd like to hear how you keep your family safe online.

Internet Safety for Facebook and MySpace

In light of the announcement that MySpace is committing to keep kids safe online , we have some Internet safety tips to pass on. If kids are using social networking websites like Facebook or MySpace, parents should take an active interest in learning more about their online worlds. These sites allow people to create profiles of themselves including pictures as well as information such as their names, ages, favorite music and TV shows, and favorite activities.

Each person can then connect themselves to others by finding friends who are also online or by searching for people with similar interests. If this ability to display personal information and connect to others concerns you, here are some tips on how to help your family practice Internet safety:

• Keep computers in common areas of the house and out of bedrooms
  
• Suggest that your teens make their profiles private so that only people they approves can connect with them.
  
• Sign up for your own account and connect with your teen online.
  

More info:

• Video tutorial about social networking sites
• Privacy settings
  
• MySpace safety tips

CMCH is a great resource, and its free.

http://www.cmch.net/

Oh just be a kid again and bulldoze the world.

Cooking Gadgets turned me on to Construction Utensils, a 3 piece dinnerware set consisting of Bulldozer pusher, forklift fork, and front loader spoon. I emailed Cooking Gadgets Arieanna:

As a father, husband and teamplayer at home-making, I was referred to Cooking Gadgets and wanted say I have not found a SINGLE recommendation I don’t like, and many I did not know existed. A gadget is all alone until it finds that special someone who, when finding the gadget thinks, 'That’s what I always wanted not knowing it existed!'

For me it’s the Constructive Eating Utensil Set. Sure for my kids, but really for me. If only I had a Constructive Eating Utensil Set growing up, I would have truly pushed my green peas into a pile against the mashed potatoes, forklifted them onto my front loader spoon, and yes Eaten them! "

One downfall of living long enough is they make neater stuff for the next generation’s childhood. I think I will have a short breakdown and just get them for myself anyway J

Barney Moran, Grateful Dad.

Testosterone: What Every Man Should Know

ASK A MAN his cholesterol level, and you’re going to get an answer. That’s a good thing. The incidence of heart disease has fallen sharply in recent years precisely because so many of us, especially men over 40, have become hyperaware of hypercholesterolemia and the danger it poses.

It’s different with testosterone. Ask a man his testosterone level, and he’s apt to give you a funny look. You know the fish-eyed expression guys on the TV news have upon hearing that the nice chap down the block was caught with kiddie porn on his laptop? That kind of look. Most guys, even smart guys, are in the dark about their hormone levels—and a bit uncomfortable talking about the matter. Ditto for doctors. When was the last time your internist said anything about testosterone?

Some in the medical profession believe that this situation may soon change. In part, this is due to recent studies, including one from Cambridge University that is the largest-ever study of testosterone. The study, which involved more than 11,600 men between the ages of 40 and 79, found that guys with testosterone levels on the low side die younger than men with higher levels.

Intrigued, I got in touch with one of the country’s leading authorities on testosterone, Houston-based endocrinologist Steven M. Petak, M.D., who is the immediate past president of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. I was full of questions: How is a guy to know if his testosterone level is low? What are the symptoms? Should he be tested? If the level is low, what then?

Read David Freeman's full Article at Smart Man Daily

Daddy Boot Camp THIS January 12th at Foothills Hospital in Boulder, CO.

Start Time: 9am

Foothills Hospital
Boulder Community Foothills Hospital
4747 Arapahoe
Boulder, Colorado 80303
(720) 854-7000 The hospital is located at the northwest corner of Arapahoe and 48th Street, near Foothills Parkway in east Boulder. Click here for a map and directions.

Boulder's Daddy Boot Camp Saturday, THIS January 12th at Foothills Hospital in Boulder, CO!

Expectant Dads do their part to prep for the asteroid headed for their home, including the basics of changing a baby’s diaper.

As facilitator, I get to help dads prep for the final weeks of a pregnant partner, birth, and the first three months of life with a baby (and Mom!).

I never had this class for myself when my first kid was born, and I had no idea what Dr. Austin meant when he showed me the umbilical cord. Cut what? Then the placenta came out and I got dizzy. Just a little prep, people, would have saved me a lot. That's why there's Daddy Boot Camp!

If January 12th class is full, please check on our Monthly (Except July) 2008 Class openings and register (Required), contact:

Coreen Schmidt

Executive Director

St. Vrain Family Center
P.O. Box 2174
Longmont, CO 80502-2174
Phone: (303) 776-5348

www.stvrainfamilycenter.org

If you are a Veteran Dad with a baby under 1 year old, PLEASE COME ANYTIME DURING THE CLASS For Free Coffee, Pastries, and a NICE CIGAR. If you know a dad with a child under 1 year old and bring him with his child to the class, your class fee will be REFUNDED.

Use Lijit Search to find info on Daddy Boot Camp and other Parenting Issues!

The Enforcer: A Dad fighting the good fight.

I don't believe in taking sides except one: The kids. I don't fancy parents who allow personal feelings to seep into affecting how kids are raised. I am a big fan of any single parent, dad or mom, who fights for and gets custody with the sole intent of doing the best job raising kids. The Enforcer, on "The Roll Call Notebook" blog uses blogging to vent both his frustrations and joys being a single dad. I asked for and got permission to repost this excerpt concerning his personal custody battle. I repost this for single dad's who find themselves fighting for their kids, to know they are not alone. Enforcer's straight talk and openness about the strain make it a bit easier for us when we consider our own issues. We can all remain silent, but the Enforcer does not want to. Thanks for this, Enforcer.

"I have been gearing up for my hopefully last battle on the issue of custody with my ex wife, she walked out of the marrige the year I became a cop, leaving me to care for our two small kids while trying to fit into and excell at my new career. I was awarded full physical custody of the children by the court. After a handfull of years she decided it was time to stop partying and actually buckle down and try her hand at motherhood. I eventually got remarried and both me and Enforcerwife dedicated ourselves to raising the kids. Everything was in place and running smoothly and then the ex started dragging me into court each year for every little modification It has pretty much been hell. Each time she brought me into court we capitulated and she would chip away little by little, death by a thousand cuts basically. This last time she attempted to try for a change in custody, we had to go through several sets of hoops, including a guardian ad litum, a concillitator and possibly tomorrow a trial. But this last one was the final straw, we decided no capitulation, we set forth our 3 possible agreements and she refused each one out of hand.....

Until today. Today was D-day, we were set for trial prep and had to be in my lawyers office this afternoon, we went there and as we were prepping her lawyer called mine and accepted our original offer. We still have to go to court tomorrow and there always is the possibility she will assume one of her many other personalities and withdraw her acceptance. However it seems as if there is an agreement in principal on paper and signed as of late this afternoon.

This custody battle has been consuming me throuought the holiday season and I haven't been my regular joyfull self lately. Just ask the cops I work with, the criminals I deal with and the Enforcerwife, they'll all agree.

That being said I believe that the ex has accepted our last agreement proposal and all there is to do now is wait and see how it shakes out.

Below is my online tarot card reading. I began having my cards done by a friend way back when the divorce was just happening, my friend would do them for me to ease my mind and redirect my thoughts away from what I was dealing with."

--- To Read the Enforcer's Tarot reading and learn more, visit The Roll Call Notebook

Barney, a Grateful Dad