Party Evolution

Open bar gets you every time

***UPDATE***

I am Buzz-ed Lightyear

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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New Beginnings

Some days can just be great and crappy all rolled into one.

Such is the first day of school.  

He's a second grader

My little guy Tyler is getting to be such a big kid.  No longer does he rely on me to read and write for him. He still doesn't know how to tie shoes, but he doesn't need me to get him dressed in the mornings. Sure I help him pick his clothes out, but he is fully capable of doing most things all by himself.  This is a child that has been putting together 1000 piece lego sets since age three, the boy is a genius.

Milestones always get to me.

I've written about these things in the past - things like losing a tooth and learning how to pump yourself on the swing - while they show just how much a child is growing up, they tell me just how old I am getting.  I am not a 30 year old man anymore with a newborn son.  My 38th birthday, is right around the corner - September 28th to be exact.  After that 40, 50, 60 and next thing you know you are bouncing grandkids on your knee.  Everyone tells me that it is wonderful being a grandparent, mainly because you can give the kids back to the parents when you are done.

I don't want to give my kids back.

He's an awesome BIG kid

I want them to stay just the way they are, full of innocence with an eagerness to explore new things. I might complain about it a lot, but I want to be there to tie their shoes, pack up a lunch for them, or wipe away their tears when they fall down.  I know there will be different stages of life and the boys will always need me to be their father.  There will be different things they need my help with later in life - driving a car, tying a tie, and girls.  I don't know how much help I will be with them on the last thing though, I am still trying to figure out my wife sometimes.

The first day.  

Sometimes I feel it's just a step closer to the last.  I need to keep reminding myself I have a full life ahead of me with the boys.  If I don't stop focusing so much on the future, I am going to miss everything in the now.  There will be a lot of nows - weddings, births, holidays - and if I keep looking ahead so much, I'm going to miss all of it.   I can't wake up 50 years from now and wonder where my life went.  I need to wake up tomorrow and figure where my life is going.

New beginnings.

The first day of school will be crappy no more.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Growing Up... Starring Legos

The start of the school years brings a reminder to all of us just how big our kids are getting.  We all wish they would stay young forever, at least I do anyway, but alas they have to grow up sometime.  Part of growing up is getting taller and we know the problems that causes.  No one wants to be that seven year old kid that is still wearing 5T pants.  It's time that our clothes get bigger too.  

The Movie

I think I will still keep him the size that he is.  I am not ready for him to be the same height as me.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Wednesday's Window... Bermuda

This week we take you to the beautiful island of Bermuda.  We were fortunate this past week to take a cruise to this tiny island nation.  My wife and I had never been to the island before but we were told many wonderful things about it.  Needless to say everything that everyone said was true.  The place is absolutely beautiful.  From its lush greenery to its beautiful pink sand beaches where the crystal clear ocean crashed with the rocky coast, Bermuda left us wanting more.  Perhaps a destination all to its own for another vacation.  I hope you enjoy this weeks Wednesday's Window.  

Tugboat leads our Cruise Ship into port

The boys on the windiest of days

From inside an old fort

No comments please

Horseshoe Bay

Horseshoe Bay from the ground

One of the many little coves

Offering a calm place to swim in the ocean water

We even found a kiddie pool

The waves crash over the rocks

We all have our happy places in life.  I can't think of too many places that can equal what Bermuda has to offer.  Safe, clean, and friendly with some of the nicest beaches you will ever see.  I have my favorite photo what is yours?

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Taking Back My Life

I've been yelling a lot lately, too much for my own good, and I don't like it.

STOP!
ENOUGH!
AHHHH!


Those are just three of my most spoken phrases nowadays. I am getting really annoyed at the kids, but moreso I am getting annoyed with myself and who I have become. I never thought that I would be one of those parents that yelled at their kids. I would see people at the mall or the grocery store screaming at their kids and always judge them as awful parents.

How could they scream at an innocent little angel like that?

That was before I became a stay at home dad. Now I am THAT guy at Walmart yelling at his kids to keep their hands off of everything and that they can't have a drink or a new Lego set everytime we walk into a store. I have fed into this monster in the past, and I am here today to say that I am taking my life back.

I know what you are thinking, my life is not my own now, I have two kids to think about, and that is true, but I can't go on the with way things are. In the past I would give into their every want and need, not because I wanted to spoil them, but because it was easier to say yes, than it ever was to say no. If my kids made a mess, instead of having to fight them to clean it up, it was easier to live with it and watch them destroy something else in the house. Now my house is a mess, and it's become embarrassing.

I wouldn't call the past a series of mistakes on my part, more a learning experience.

Things have snowballed recently and there are times I have become enraged to the point that I can't stand myself. I was recently filming my kids for a video that I was putting together and I noticed between their cuteness I was yelling... A lot.

There are times that I completely lose control, and while I would never hit my kids to the point of abuse I can see how parents get to that point. I scare my self sometimes.

There is a new school year that starts tomorrow and with it I am going to take the time to teach my boys and myself a few new things. There are going to be some new rules and some new responsibilities FOR ALL OF US.

This is not to say in anyway that I am going to take the fun out of my kids lives, and turn them into slaves who jump at my every command. I can't have my kids grow up spoiled rotten and expect to get things when they want it all the time. They need to start learning about stuff like consequences and earning things, all stuff that I haven't stressed enough with them in the past.

They are great kids who are for the most part well behaved, but there are things though that I don't like and I need to put a stop to it, for them and for me. It's not going to be easy. It's hard to erase the previous seven years of feeding the beast. There will be growing pains as everyone gets used to the new rules. I expect a lot of crying in the coming weeks and months, maybe even years ahead, most of it will probably be from me.

If I don't put a stop to it now, I don't know if I ever will. For the sake of all of us, things will get better.

I was never THAT guy but I can slowly see him creeping up on me in the mirror. I don't want to be THAT guy.

I am taking my life back, and it all starts right now.

I am a shadow of the dad I used to be

I will be sharing updates on the progress of my Take Back my Life Project every Tuesday. I am sure their will be setbacks along the way but in the long run, everyone will be better for it. Wish me luck!

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Picking Red's Nose

You always hear the phrase, "you can pick your friends and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friends nose."


Well what about Red Auerbach's nose?

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Wednesday's Window... Europe

So we were the idiots that decided we wouldn't go to Europe until AFTER we had kids. Why we didn't go before we had them, I have no idea.  I will tell you as difficult as it sounds to travel abroad with two kids, it was well worth it.  People tell us all the time that we were crazy to bring them, that they wouldn't remember any of it.  We, we remember it, and we remember it with them.  We had trips to Germany and Belgium, Italy, and France.  Each was more beautiful than the other.  We haven't gone back in two years due to some health issues we had last time but I think we are heading back next year. Here is a glimpse of Europe in this weeks Wednesday's Window.

Dark Knight Tyler ready to storm the castle

Burg Eltz in Germany still standing for over 1100 years

The banks of the Mosel in Germany

The fountains of Rome Italy

My favorite picture EVER of Tyler outside the Colosseum 

The boys together in Tuscany

Riomaggiore Italy

Lake Como

The amazing views of Lake Como

Tyler outside Chenenceau

The boys ready to attack Chambord

This is a hotel in Normandy

Tyler placing flower at grave in American Cemetery in Normandy

Honfleur, Normandy

Eiffel Tower

Where should we go next year?  We are thinking Spain.  What do you think?

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Bon Voyage!

I hope everyone has a great week, and I hope that my house is still standing when I get home. Irene please take it easy on New Jersey. Oh and that pile of wood that I left in the backyard, if any of it flies around and hurts someone I apologize in advance. I wish everyone on the east coast well. Batten down the hatches, I know it's going to be a rough one.

I hope the seas aren't too rough for us, I am not looking for a repeat performance of The Perfect Storm. I am pretty sure that George Clooney is not driving our boat so at least we have that going for us. Take care all! BE SAFE!!!


Cheers!

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Packing for Vacation... Starring Legos

So we are headed on vacation this weekend for an entire week, actually it's more like 10 days when you add in the Labor Day Holiday.  That means we have a lot of clothes to pack for the four of us in our little suitcases.  We are going on a cruise so it's important to not overpack but you want to make sure that you have everything that you need, because where are you going to get what you need out in the Atlantic Ocean.  Packing for vacation can be hard for everyone.

The Movie

I hope you enjoyed it.  Please tell me what you think

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Wednesday's Window

We take you back to the beach this week.  We didn't get to the beach as much as we would have liked this summer, it just seems like every weekend was packed with something.  We are not complaining about at all about our fun summer, it just seems like the summers get shorter and shorter leaving less time to do all that we wanted to do.  Maybe the fall will be unusually warm and we can get to some of the stuff we wanted to, like camping.  Anyway this was most likely our last visit to the beach for the summer.  I hope you enjoy this weeks Wednesday's Window.

The skies looked ominous at the beginning

My boys love digging

Long Branch, New Jersey

Tyler

Carter

The weather held out long enough

We LOVE the beach

I have my favorite picture.  What's yours?

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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I Need Your Opinion

The summer is finally drawing to a close and we are squeezing one last family vacation in before the boys start school after labor day.  We have decided to head on a cruise to Bermuda, I know, how fancy of us.  Anyway, packing for these types of trips can be difficult, as there are formal nights, semi-formal nights, and then just casual nights at dinner.  Since I don't want to overpack, I can only bring one suit and I need your opinion as to which one I should bring.  Both are pretty spiffy, but I don't know if one is too snobby.

Formal Tuxedo

Stylish Suit

I'm thinking that the tuxedo might be a little too formal.  What do you think?

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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