When your son asks you to wear a tie “just because,” you put on that tie. Like a boss.

She loves her biggest brother. (Taken at Mass—a rare exception to my no phone policy at church.)

Kids soccer, yet again.

It was a warmer start to our weekend soccer games than last week when the reported 55 degrees was warmer than it felt. This week is quintessential Arizona winter. Highs in the 60s, sunny. Little brother had the first game. He loves it more and more each week. I didn’t get any shots of the big …

I’m not ready for her to be a beautiful toddler. But she runs ahead to her future anyway. 📷: the inestimable Mrs. Perez

Back at it for another season ⚽️ First practice for the kiddos today.

Afternoon walk with the kids at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum

First Steps

While talking with my wife about yesterday’s awful day for the kindergartner, the baby decided to join the world of bipedalism. Two steps between mom and I. Then stumbled—a lot. A lunge and fall toward dad. Then more crawling back and forth. Two steps to mom. Three steps to dad. At first she …

Venting

My kindergartner was denied an opportunity to sing at his school’s winter recital today. He’s been struggling with anxiety since school began to the point that we’ve even had some assessments done by the school. We have a behavior plan in place for him. He does well some days, not …

A fasle start on post-pandemic date night.

So last Saturday we got a date night, courtesy of my wife’s sister who was in town. It was our first since the before times. But less than hour into it, my sister in law called and gave us some bad news! My oldest was doing a “trick” on the monkey bars for his uncle and fell. To be honest, it was …

Reading with grandpa. 📷 My dad drove out to visit us; it’s been two years since we’ve seen him. The big kids were stoked to share their books with him. Dad was more stoked to read the books with them.

Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed, The dear repose for limbs with travel tired, But then begins a journey in my head, To work my mind when body’s work’s expired. —Shakespeare, Sonnet 27 I recently started reading the sonnets to the big kids as they fall asleep.

Starting Soccer, pt 3

We conclude our three part story on the boys starting soccer this spring. Paco had his first practice. Other than missing the first half of the NCAA Men’s basketball final (and let’s be honest, after how bad Baylor dominated, I didn’t miss much), I was glad the start time was a …

Spring Soccer, pt. 1

Today Nacho had his first soccer practice. He wanted to do a sport for more than a year and just as we began to look at youth sports last spring, the world shut down. So he was, to put it lightly, more than thrilled to start soccer. He struggled a few times. Thrice he came running back to me …