Hey Daddy

Coming Back!

2007-10-06T20:35:00.001-05:00

Hey ya'll, I'm back!!!

Sweets for a sweetheart

2007-02-12T08:57:00.000-06:00

Valentine's Day is literally down the street, and if you're a veteran like me, you have finished your planning for that day, and simply need to execute your plan.

We know that your significant other is likely to spend less than you will. Somewhere along the way Valentine's day became a holiday for females instead of a celebration of relationships, but I digress.

I digress and implore you to add your kids to your valentine's list. You're taking care of your wife, fiancee, or girlfriend, why not your kids who are guaranteed to be your kids forever?

Sweets for the sweetest sweethearts in your life, who make life worth living.

Father's Other Day Weekend

2007-02-05T20:04:00.000-06:00

is or should I say, was, Super Bowl sunday. Sitting around the big screen eating hot wings, drinking beer(in my case, root since I no longer drink alcohol), and watching men act like men, and grind out a victory!

Can I get a hoo-hah sargeant! (Quote from Basic)

There is nothing like a Tim Allen grunt!

On that day, we were afforded the opportunity to be young again. Reminisce on the days of old whether debating about Montana vs Elway, whether Gale Sayers was better than Jim Brown, or if the merger of the leagues has really been worth it.

I hope each and every father who reads this had a wonderful Other Father's Day. Congrats to the Colts, Tony Dungy, and Peyton Manning.

Daddy's little girl

2007-01-29T20:21:00.000-06:00

My daughter doesn't have any special days coming up like a birthday, or some sort of anniversary. She is not old enough to start school which means she is far from being ready to get married.

Oh the horror!

She is just two years old, but she is the joy of my life. I don't know if my wife is supposed to be my joy, or if my sons are supposed to be, but she definitely is.

Stevie Wonder sang a song with the lyrics, "You are the sunshine of my life . . .", and she truly is.

Cherish and love your daughter all the days of her life so that she can recognize it to be what love is supposed to look like.

Sure, what do I know? I'm not dealing with a teenager, or even an adult daughter who is making it hard for me to look the other way, but if I ever encounter such a time, at least I will be able to reflect on the now, and say that I showed my daughter love.

Isn't that a goal in life? Living with no regrets? I think so.

Pursuit of Happyness

2007-01-22T13:33:00.000-06:00

I finally saw the movie and it was awesome. A real tear jerker. I am so glad to finally see a good father movie. I watched it with my 7 year old son, who, had plenty of questions. It only had a few cuss words which I didn't want my son top hear, but I'm glad he watched it with me. He appears to be more grateful for what he has. I talked to him about the reality that not everyone has parents, or are rich. I think we had one of the longest, and most meaningful conversations ever. Smith's character is what a father is all about: Doing what it takes to take care of your family, and keeping the spirit of hope alive. Some fathers don't realize that it is our responsibility to instill hope in our children. Even when danger is all around, we have to keep a smile on our face so that our kids won't have to worry. Its a very tough and heavy burden, but lighter than childbirth. Be thankful for that fathers.

Bill Cowher resigns to spend time with family

2007-01-05T13:38:00.000-06:00

Click me for story

This will probably be reported as a story about a great coach who is leaving the game instead of a father who is taking some time away from his passion to give it to his family. Who says that fathers' don't put their family first. He should be commended.

New Year, New Beginnings

2007-01-04T15:54:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the delay. My internet has been down.

Its a new year, which means its a new season. A chance to start over again. Of course you can start on any day that you'd like, but the new year can be symbolic for some. Here is your chance to be the best dad that you can be.

I still need people to submit some stories. Most people that I know personally have mostly bad things to say about fathers. I know that there is someone out there who has a good story. Just submit them to my email: Datbury@Yahoo.com

Movie for Fathers

2006-12-15T07:52:00.000-06:00

The Pursuit of Happyness is supposed to be an excellent movie about a father who takes care of business. I plan on taking my oldest son, who is 7, to see this movie. It sounds like a great plot, and Will Smith has evolved into an excellent actor. You should ckeck it out.

"Superhuman"

2006-12-07T10:26:00.000-06:00

Click me for story

Christmas Time Is Here

2006-12-07T08:05:00.000-06:00

Well its been here since before Halloween!

If you have kids, you know that they ask for everything under the sun, and then ask for it as well! Unless you're Bill Gates, or even Tom Cruise, getting everything you want for your kids will be a challenge this year. As fathers, I know that I don't need to reiterate the fact that you should do everything you can within the legal spectrum to accomplish this goal.

If you are unable to get everything they want, at least get them what they need. And that is lots of love and attention. Very few people can remember each of the toys they got for Christmas, but they remember each time their parent was not there. While it may be disappointing in the short run to not get that Playstation 3, trust me when I say that they will get over it, and appreciate your efforts down the line. Be there, or be there. There is no other option.

Thankful

2006-11-27T13:35:00.000-06:00

Turkey Day has come and gone, but blessings are received everyday.

My nephew spent a night over the weekend, and played video games with my oldest son until the wee hours of the morning. They laughed, and screamed, and cheered for much of the night until they fell asleep.

These are seven year olds mind you.

The next morning, my son asked my nephew if he had a father. . . . . . .

I won't go any further because the result of the conversation was not the stickler. Although I have not had the greatest relationship with my father, I still have one. It made me think of all that I am thankful for:

I am thankful to be alive.
There are millions of people who have no idea if they are going to make it through the day. I just hope that I don't have to strangle one of my students! j/k :)

I am thankful for my family
At least I know who they are. Some kids in foster care began life being thrown or taken away. What an awful way to wake up in the morning.

I am thankful that I am not Michael Richards or OJ Simpson
Regardless of whether or not you are an idiot or a murderer, I would not like the world in all of my business.

I am thankful for caller id.
For some of the same reasons listed above. Sometimes I just feel like enjoying the sounds of home.

I am thankful for the love in my heart.
Without love, there is no hope or sense of purpose in life. Without love, there is no preservation of self. Without love, there is no you. Without love, you can't give love to someone else.

I am thankful for you.
Hopefully, you can find love through this site, and pay it forward.

This is what fathers are good at.

Being the best you can be.

2006-11-13T10:16:00.000-06:00

I found this article on MSN that provided a list of simple things that men can do to be better men.

Deep down, we all want to be better than who we are, and hopefully this list will help you start on your road to being the Superman that you are.

Mockery of men

2006-11-02T07:48:00.000-06:00

This is the first time that I have ever heard of this. National Man Make a Meal day. There are many men who do most of the cooking at home. Who does all of the cooking at the BBQs? Is there a National Woman Check The Oil Day? How about a Woman Change The Tire Day? Fact is that there are many women who are more than capable of checking their oil and changing their tires just as there are men who cook.

Each of us has different gifts and talents, and with those things come deficiencies. We each have an area in our live where we are completely clueless, or are only operating at minimum capacity. If your wife does all of the cooking, chances are that you do all of the work on the car.

Now.

If you're one of those guys who just goes to work and doesn't contribute anything other than money to the household, SHAME ON YOU!!!

Education Linked to Better Fathers

2006-10-26T13:00:00.000-05:00

Click here for story

I found this story while doing my daily browsing, and found it to be interesting. And just when you thought that fathers had no value.

Here is an excerpt:

"This is a very optimistic picture of the role of dads and fatherhood in America," said Shelley Waters Boots, vice president for policy and programs at the Washington, D.C.-based Parents Action for Children. "It is quite affirming that a lot of dads are doing a lot of the work of parenting," she added.

"In America, we don't give parents credit for how hard it is, and how hard it is to do it well," Waters Boots said. "So, if you have higher income and more flexibility, you see dads really step up to the plate. For dads who are really struggling to bring home the paycheck, they are paying a price of not doing the parenting job they want to do. We need to be giving dads more support," she said.

I added the bold print!

Poll

2006-10-23T15:03:00.000-05:00

Take My Poll

My Father-Pt. 1

2006-10-19T11:01:00.000-05:00

He bears the same name as I. He is Junior, and I am the Third, also known as the Roman numeral III.

What a great way to honor your father than to establish something that may last for all eternity.

But my dad was not the inspiration for this webpage. We have not always had a great relationship.

My parents divorced before I was old enough to know that they were together. My memories start with my father living elsewhere. Anywhere but home was elsewhere, and that is where my father lived.

I don't remember being aware of his absence. I guess it was that way because I had uncles, cousins, neighbors, and friends who filled in at various points of my life.

I had a fatherly collective.

I had some fishing trips, some manly talks, some scratching in public, etc. However, I do remember feeling that something was missing.

I remember wanting the bedtime stories, the prayers, the consistent fatherly example, the somebody to keep my mother from bothering me.

I didn't have everything I wanted, but my needs were met.

I can remember spending a Christmas with my dad, but I also remember periods where I didn't see nor hear from him. And those were long periods of time.

I can remember vowing to give my kids everything that I did not have, and that was a full time father. Not part time. Not unfocused. Not impatient. Not unforgiving. Not unwilling to grow. Not unloving. Not absent.

A full time father.

Optimism

2006-10-13T14:28:00.000-05:00

My idea of life is to forget the bad and live for the good there is in it. This is my motto.

Squire Dowd

As Fathers, our sense of hope tends to be our most precious fuel. That sense can be born from our faith, our experience, and our desire to never give up.

Being a Father can mean that we have no other person to lean on. It can mean that we are figuring out this world by ourselves.

The truth is that you are never alone. You do not have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders alone.

No one has figured out how to effectively deal with life's struggles by themselves. We all need one another, and that is the source of our vice.

That is the source of our optimism.

Value of a Father

2006-10-08T15:21:00.000-05:00

Much like the Visa commercials, a good mother is priceless. Her value is worth more than any precious metal that you have ever seen, or could conceive of.

But did you know that fathers are priceless too?

According to a study done on Fathers For Life:
Children from fatherless homes are:

4.6 times more likely to commit suicide,

6.6 times to become teenaged mothers (if they are girls, of course),
24.3 times more likely to run away,
15.3 times more likely to have behavioral disorders,
6.3 times more likely to be in a state-operated institutions,
10.8 times more likely to commit rape,
6.6 times more likely to drop out of school,
15.3 times more likely to end up in prison while a teenager.
(The calculation of the relative risks shown in the preceding list is based on 27% of children being in the care of single mothers.)

and — compared to children who are in the care of two biological, married parents — children who are in the care of single mothers are:

33 times more likely to be seriously abused (so that they will require medical attention), and
73 times more likely to be killed.

This study may be appear a bit dated to some because the results were published in the 90's, but what you must realize is that the kids had to be monitored from birth to maturity in order to measure the outcome.

Mothers, for the most part, have always been there for their kids, but there is something about a present father that brings families to a higher level.

There is something about fathers that make kids want to become successful in life.

There is something about fathers who are there.

Be there for your children. Be there for your family. Your presence increases the value of your family.

Inspiration for this weblog

2006-10-06T08:58:00.000-05:00

According to Dictionary.com, the following is the definition of a father: a man who exercises paternal care over other persons; paternal protector or provider. There were other entries, but this one strikes me as the most accurate definition because it grabs the heart of the title Father.

This project has been in my brain for quite some time now, and now is the time for me to introduce it to the world.

When I watch TV shows, listen to radios, or talk to women and girls, I find that a present and reliable father has become a precious commodity. It seems to appear normal for a mother to be solely responsible for the success of a household. We see men at war, in jail, at work, or we don't see them at all. If there is a conspiracy brewing somewhere, it would be to remove the father from the family.

If such a conspiracy exists, this is my contribution to the cause against such a notion. I want to post pictures, stories, movies, etc. That celebrate fathers because there are father who are taking care of their responsibilities.

There are fathers who didn't have a father in their lives, yet they are giving their all to be the man they envisioned for themselves.

Will you help me celebrate daddies?

Will you help daddies raise their game and become more productive as fathers?

To help fathers, send in your stories, pictures, etc. to Datbury@Yahoo.com. I will not share your information with anyone. Your stories, et al may be edited for content, grammar, and appropriateness.