Howefitz Blog

While playing at the park yesterday, Calli found a couple of girls to play with. They were a little bit older, but they quickly worked her in to their play. Their mother and I gave each other the non-committal, slightly weary hello nod customary of adults.

This park has a smaller playground for younger kids, and a larger one for big kids. As the trio of girls crossed from one playground to the other, Calli stopped in front of her playmates’ mother and said, ‘Hi! My name is Calli, and I am your friend!’

I had planned on continuing my Sunday Sermons today, but today happens to be my beautiful bride’s birthday, so I’d like to tell you a bit more about her…

Thomas Edison said that Genius is 1% inspiration, and 99% perspiration. My wife is both of these personified. Although, if you look at me and my life, she adds a lot more than 1% inspiration.

With my new three on, three off schedule at work, it gets hard to sit down and pound something out for certain days. Since I’m in the middle of the three on cycle, I’m furiously typing this just before leaving for work. I just had to give an update on Kat’s trip to Australia with People to People.

Image via Wikipedia

This Friday before Valentine’s Day, let me just join PJ Mullen in saying ‘I hate Valentine’s Day!‘ That being said, I find myself this Valentine season thinking about how I went from a nerdy kid who hated Valentine’s Day because I couldn’t get (read muster up the courage to get) a girl, to a husband and father with four Valentines that hates being told there’s one particular day to celebrate your love. Although I generally do not enjoy planning the future further out than tomorrow, I find myself looking to the future for my 4 Valentines…

This post brought to you by Dad-Blogs' FatherHood Friday. Be sure to swing by for all the other great Dads and Moms who love to share their lives online!

I’ve spent all morning working on today’s post, well, the bits of the morning where I wasn’t taking The Teenager to school. Then there were the times I was holding the baby, which is a chore, let me tell you. Every time I hold that warm little snuggly body against me I can’t help thinking that I’d much rather be in front of my glaring blank white computer screen instead of throwing the baby in to the air and hearing his sweet, genuine giggle as I tickle under his ribs with my nose. Who wants that?

Martin Luther King, Jr. via last.fm

I recently read a wonderful post by Ron Mattocks at Clark Kent’s Lunchbox about what our hopes teach our children about their futures. Using Martin Luther King‘s ‘I Have A Dream’ speech as a catalyst, Ron tells us stories of his father and the effects his father had on his life and parenting style. It’s great. I highly recommend you head over there and read it.

image from squidoo.com

OK, so maybe this post is a little late. As you continue to read, you’ll understand why…

Happy 2010!!! You geeks out there that read this blog know that this is ‘The Year We Make Contact‘!!! Start striking your timpani drums now! So, my first resolution this year is to make friends with some Russians and go to Jupiter to look for monoliths…

All geeking out aside, I have been taking a lot of time to reflect on where I am as a husband, father, employee, and of course, Daddy Blogger. Since you are reading my blog, I am going to focus first on what I will be doing here going forward in this brand-spanking new year, and why you should keep reading!

Tiger Woods: Family Man

The other night, after a very long, very hard day of work, I found myself on the half hour drive home without the radio on. My head was swimming in thoughts of a better life. There has to be a better solution, I found myself thinking. There has to be a better way…

I have fallen victim to looking for ‘get-rich-quick’ schemes before. I don’t think there’s anyone out there that hasn’t entertained the idea of a quick fix to the financial blues. Short of robbing a bank, good natured people buy lottery tickets, go to ‘network marketing’ seminars, and swear if they just blog a little longer, those Google ads will start to pay off…

I am happy to announce that Jason of The Devoted Dad is the recipient of a $20 Wal-Mart e-gift card as the winner of the Paying Forward A Random Act Of Kindness Giveaway!

Although the winner was chosen through the use of Random.org, I would like to repost his comment here:

This is a great way to keep it going! I love the pay it forward idea. I’ve waited all day to post about this because I wanted to give it some thought. The idea that I came up with was to have my 3 year old go to Walmart and look for gifts to place in the local giving tree at the hospital for a child in need of a christmas gift.

This post brought to you by Dad-Blogs' FatherHood Friday. Be sure to swing by for all the other great Dads and Moms who love to share their lives online!

I’m not going to lie. I started this blog to try to make money.

A year ago, I discovered guys like John Chow and Shoemoney. I saw sites like Problogger and thought, ‘Man, I could do that! Let me at it!’

A year ago this month I started the Howefitz blog, and I have not made one cent. In fact, I’ve lost a few. (I’m lookin at you, aweber!)