Confessions of a Dadman!

Hi Bay-Bee!

Pretty exciting 24 hours: Had a flashback, had Daddy's Toolbox for Baby Class last night, nearly wrapped the Boxster around a concrete column, started a new car search, and found out one of the family is normal... that would be YOU.

I had a flashback to the old teaching days last night. I remember coaching and doing substitute teaching while I was getting my BSE-Mathematics degree. I went with my instincts and the kids learned and I spoke with passion and conviction. Then I started my education classes. Every teacher had an opinion and every advisor was looking for different characteristics or traits from you. Many of those opinions were philosophically opposed!

Don't use the word "mankind". It's sexist.

I remember getting graded down by a feminist teacher who berated me for my use of "mankind" in my paper. She saw it as sexist. I told her "mankind" was short for "humankind" and not a derogatory remark to women. She disagreed and gave me the B. I was so mad I went out and drank a beer. Okay, if I got an A I probably would have been so happy, I would have celebrated by drinking a beer. But hey, I'm only one man among mankind and this was college. :)

It's not about techniques or tactics. It's about caring and learning.

Then, I started student teaching. Instead of relying on my instincts and teaching so that the kids were learning, I was trying to implement Primack's Principle, using proximity for discipline, and making sure my lesson plans were outlined and structured. What a joke! I wasn't teaching and the kids sure weren't learning. It was all about technique and tactics versus instincts and LEARNING! It's pretty amazing that I knew less about learning and teaching AFTER taking education classes. Thank goodness for Pat Sullivan at DeSoto High School. He advised me to quit listening to the advisors, to quit thinking about techniques, and to quit trying to manipulate the students and focus on one thing - the student's learning. Great advice as I went on to be the USD 204 District Teacher of the Year in my first year (nominated by Trish Naylor) and nominated for Sallie Mae National Teacher of the Year (Honorable Mention).

Dad's Toolbox for Baby Class

Which gets me to my point and my Dad's Toolbox for Baby class I was in last night. At first, I was like most of the fathers or soon-to-be fathers in the room. Scared witless. If I took everything the instructor stated to heart, I wouldn't ever touch a baby, feed the baby, or let the baby sleep! I harkened back to my teaching days and re-assured myself that I need to trust my instincts and not take it too seriously (after all, my parents didn't have any of these classes and I turned out okay, turned out okay, turned out okay. :)

It was interesting sitting in class looking at all the 20-somethings with their wide-open eyes and baggy pants. Okay, I don't have a clue, but come on, I felt like I had a little more clue than they did. Overall, the class was good though. I had another chance to change a diaper (getting through the three layers of defense including the onesie which is the coolest word ever). I learned how to pick up the baby, the three ways to burp a baby, and how to spank a baby so that they never do anything wrong again ever. Okay, maybe not the last one. :)

I did learn that there are speech-therapist approved binkies. We got a couple. Yes, we are first time parents aka suckers. :)

NO WAY!

Are you ready for the kicker? At first, we introduced ourselves, our due date, and the sex of the baby. There were three out of 15 that had Nov. 12 as a due date. The only repeated date. It was pretty cool. Then we had our first break. One of the ladies who had the same date as us came out of the rest room in a panic. Her water broke. She was going to have a baby! Sheri and I looked at each other and I think reality set in... Holy Cow, this could be happening any minute!

I'm ALIVE!

On another note, I am wearing my seat belt daily. That came in very handy today. I drive a little Porsche Boxster. I'm a Porsche fanatic. Do the research on the company and the hand-built cars and you'll be a fan also. They pour passion into every car. Some day I'll go to Germany to pick up a car right out of the plant. The only problem with my car is that it doesn't like snow and it doesn't like heavy rains. It rained heavily today. Torrential rains pounded Kansas City all day today. I was driving to the gym at a little after 5 p.m. I was heading south from Shawnee Mission Parkway on 435.

Sit and Spin

Just south of Midland, I hydroplaned from the slow lane (I had felt a little slippage before so slowed down into that lane). I hydroplaned from the slow land to the fast lane (across four lanes of highway) in about half a second. As I was sliding, I was also spinning. As I spun around I looked through my back window to try to guide myself. The first thing I saw was the three concrete columns that hold the bridge for Renner Rd. I thought, I could hit that and this is going to hurt. A flash went through my mind that I could die right here and now. As I slid from the fast lane across the shoulder toward the columns a minor miracle occurred. As soon as my right rear (remember I'm sliding backwards) tire hit the grass my car spun to the left and careened into the grass median. I spun at least 6 times throwing mud and water all over the place. In what seemed like an eternity, but was only a few seconds, my car stopped spinning. I was halfway across the grass median facing south. I gathered myself. Started the car. It had stalled while spinning. I drove slowly, very slowly so I wouldn't get stuck. I crawled back onto the shoulder only to see about 20 cars parked along the side of the road, getting ready to assist me! The Channel 4 (Fox4) helicopter was doing traffic and I'm hoping they got coverage (we'll know tonight). How I didn't hit a car, anything metal, anything concrete, or do any damage to my car at all I'll never know. Just lucky I guess.

We're looking at new cars.

Something I noticed after I had quit spinning was that somehow I had dialed Sheri on my phone. I have speed dial so I may have hit that by accident. But it finished dialing so I left a message for her. Something like - "I'm alive. Everything is good. Look for me on the news tonight. I'm okay. By the way, let's look at cars (like an SUV or something like that) because my car doesn't handle so well in heavy rains and snow." So now we're looking for new cars. Maybe an Edge, maybe a Cayenne, maybe a Hybrid, maybe nothing... I'll keep you updated. :)

Average is Acceptable... For Now

Bay-Bee you came out at the sonogram at 6 pounds 8 ounces today and you are right on for November 12. You are the perfect baby. Average weight, heart beat, timing, and position in the belly. Sheri is a great baby-maker. :)

More later... Thank you for reading.

To Your Success,

Bay-Bee's Papa (Michael)