tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36904729457308520362010-03-25T13:08:44.978ZMeet Ed. Everyone always thinks Ed has the day off. Why else would he be out and about with three small children? But Ed has a wife with a paying job and a belief that parents should screw up their own children rather than leaving it to strangers. Most importantly, he also has a penpal...DadsDinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00409820799442134743noreply@blogger.comBlogger299125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690472945730852036.post-57597242374579038662010-03-25T13:08:00.001Z2010-03-25T13:08:38.108Z

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DadsDinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00409820799442134743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690472945730852036.post-11457247677440738792010-03-24T14:15:00.002Z2010-03-25T10:16:11.017Z

Dear Dave,Being a housedad doesn't bring fame, fortune or exotic trips. It's not really something to enter into for the pension plan or the lengthy holidays. It's mainly an efficient way to combine receiving hugs and playing with cool toys while catching a cold.Adulation and praise from my children is always a bonus, however. It was wonderful yesterday when Marie came out of school full of smiles

DadsDinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00409820799442134743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690472945730852036.post-6669299730402602002010-03-24T14:00:00.000Z2010-03-24T14:11:15.026Z

Dear Dave,Jen over at Following the Road tagged me with a meme. I don't normally bother with these things but since she's my Official Internet Friend, I thought I'd give it a shot. It's about writing. Actual, on paper, writing.How does this pen thing work again?The Rules:write the following1) Your name/blog name.2) Right-handed, left-handed, or ambidextrous?3) Favorite letters to write.4) Least

DadsDinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00409820799442134743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690472945730852036.post-3735170839219888782010-03-19T09:00:00.000Z2010-03-19T09:12:24.940Z

Dear Dave,When dealing with my children, I learnt long ago to pick my battles. Sometimes it's worth letting bedtime slide by five minutes in order to avoid twenty minutes of tantrums and screaming. On the other hand, when it's time for school, it's time for school - anyone dawdling is going to get an earful.I'm sure this comes across as inconsistent and capricious on occasion but in general it

DadsDinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00409820799442134743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690472945730852036.post-69203413608364648602010-03-16T14:45:00.000Z2010-03-16T14:57:02.384Z

Dear Dave,I picked up a secondhand Nintendo DSi the other day. We had two DSs already but Marie has suddenly taken quite an interest in Mario and the investment was worth it in order to ensure peace on our next long train journey. Four hundred miles of my three children taking it in turns to whine, 'Is it my turn yet?' doesn't sound like fun. Now they can all play Mario Party together wirelessly

DadsDinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00409820799442134743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690472945730852036.post-40461283187841438622010-03-12T09:10:00.000Z2010-03-12T09:12:27.864Z

Dear Dave,When, despite the busy schedule of clubs, baths, school and homework, one of the children does somehow manage to have a friend round, life is often easier for me. Rather than being extra work, having another child in the house is enough to keep all the others occupied. Older children find a quiet corner to hide from young visitors; younger children sit and gaze in awe at bigger guests.

DadsDinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00409820799442134743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690472945730852036.post-6335329964967430002010-03-10T12:20:00.000Z2010-03-10T12:28:25.972Z

Dear Dave,I need to start carrying a diary.It's not that I have any social engagements of my own to record, it's just that coordinating all the kids' clubs and activities is becoming more than my brain can handle. One of the children asks if they can have a friend round after school and I end up running through the following mental checklist: What day is it? By this, I mean which day of the week

DadsDinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00409820799442134743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690472945730852036.post-79641022658109048142010-03-05T09:00:00.003Z2010-03-05T09:14:07.835Z

Dear Dave,Several years ago, at one of the first parent and toddler sessions I went to, I found myself sitting around discussing housework with a group of mums. Once they were past the usual shock and awe at being in the presence of a man who knew one end of a hoover from another, we had a comradely chat about how none of us was being quite as thorough with the household cleaning as we had been

DadsDinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00409820799442134743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690472945730852036.post-38543834415385715182010-03-01T11:00:00.002Z2010-03-01T11:12:38.108Z

Dear Dave,We've all been there:"Don't play on the rocks - you'll get hurt.""Don't throw your toys - they'll break.""Don't pat the dog - you don't know where it's been.""Don't write there - we'll get arrested.""Don't get sauce on your shirt - it'll never come off.""Don't eat that - you'll get sick.""Don't touch that - it'll explode!""Don't do that - your legs will fall off.""Don't throw rocks at

DadsDinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00409820799442134743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690472945730852036.post-51946605816603434622010-02-24T09:20:00.000Z2010-02-24T09:25:43.790Z

Dear Dave,The US Ski Team appear to have taken a guy with them to the Olympics whose sole purpose is to stand behind athletes at the start, encouraging them in the seconds before they launch themselves down a stupidly steep, icy slope. He's a big bloke called Huey with dubious facial hair but, boy, can he sound enthusiastic while freezing his extremities off at the top of a snowy mountain. He

DadsDinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00409820799442134743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690472945730852036.post-12168655127754781182010-02-22T10:15:00.000Z2010-02-22T10:19:49.107Z

Dear Dave,So much for a life of freedom and leisure now the kids are all at school. They're taking it in turns to have a mysterious illness which involves a day of dizziness, three days of feeling not too bad and then another week of stinking cold, sore throat and coughing. The result is that as soon as one feels better, the next is lying on the sofa, huddled under a blanket and coughing over the

DadsDinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00409820799442134743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690472945730852036.post-68670448497054931472010-02-17T09:45:00.001Z2010-02-17T09:57:38.283Z

Dear Dave,I miss owning a cage.I suppose that technically it was a play-pen but that's just marketing spin. It was a cage. When the kids were small, I could simply banish them to the cage whenever they were acting up. A few minutes of sulking or yelling in there and they soon calmed down. As a bonus, while incarcerated, they were much less of a danger to themselves, me or each other.If they

DadsDinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00409820799442134743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690472945730852036.post-52262974251670837402010-02-15T10:20:00.003Z2010-02-15T10:29:38.478Z

Dear Dave,You know you're getting old when you look through your notebook of things to write about and see something interesting but can't remember if you've written about it already......and then you think that that, in itself, is worth writing about.Yours in a woman's world,Ed.PS Looking at our wedding photos the other day, Sarah pointed out that her mum was only eight years older than I am now

DadsDinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00409820799442134743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690472945730852036.post-25128627340444873882010-02-12T09:30:00.003Z2010-02-12T09:42:09.331Z

Dear Dave,Here's one to ponder: When's a good age to have children and what's the best gap to have between them?I've never really understood parents who wait until one child starts school before having the next one. It all sounds too long and drawn out. That said, I do recall getting rather a lot of horrified looks back in the day when I told people I had three kids under the age of five. They

DadsDinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00409820799442134743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690472945730852036.post-76655765358355834412010-02-08T11:00:00.004Z2010-02-08T20:17:16.378Z

Dear Dave,We achieved a new record in my household yesterday. Fraser was playing Peggle on the Xbox, Sarah was playing on my iPod, Marie was using the old laptop to buy furniture for a virtual bear, Lewis was tending to the needs of his pet monster on the desktop machine and I was in the kitchen hiding from all the bleepy noises while surfing the web on the 'new' laptop. All five of us were

DadsDinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00409820799442134743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690472945730852036.post-54929998557010439542010-02-03T10:15:00.001Z2010-02-03T10:24:29.476Z

Dear Dave,I was away at the weekend.This isn't that unusual. The odd part was that Sarah and the kids stayed home. I had two whole days where all the children I saw belonged to someone else.My own children were somewhat bemused by the experience. Normally when I'm absent, such as when they're staying with their grandparents or taking a trip with Sarah, they know I'm not likely to get into trouble

DadsDinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00409820799442134743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690472945730852036.post-33111358481213816222010-01-29T07:50:00.000Z2010-01-29T07:59:53.008Z

Dear Dave,Have a good one. You're long overdue a night out. It can't have been easy the last year or two, dealing with Daisy's poor sleep. Thank goodness she's finally settled down and Sam's over the bout of stroppiness he was having before Christmas. Life should get easier every day from here. Another few months and nappies will be behind you; another year and Daisy will be at nursery. After

DadsDinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00409820799442134743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690472945730852036.post-51485018638553942942010-01-25T09:15:00.000Z2010-01-25T09:19:23.456Z

Dear Dave,Marie has some new gloves. You probably won't be surprised to learn that they're pink.Really pink.Even better than that, they're fluffy and sparkly. They also shed. We're not talking the odd ball of fluff and an occasional thread here. Whatever she goes near looks like it got caught in a fight between Fuchsia-Fun Barbie and a My Little Pony. I swear the things have already left more

DadsDinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00409820799442134743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690472945730852036.post-44402819159585633972010-01-20T09:15:00.001Z2010-01-20T09:20:46.014Z

Dear Dave,Sorry you're under the weather. I'm not feeling too great myself. It's the usual blend of sore head, indigestion, lethargy and achiness. Could be a virus, could merely be parenthood - it's hard to tell.The last couple of years haven't been so bad for random illnesses. I thought leaving parent and toddler behind had cut down my exposure to fun and exciting diseases. This winter has been

DadsDinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00409820799442134743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690472945730852036.post-40043064073622622542010-01-15T08:30:00.000Z2010-01-15T08:34:02.358Z

Dear Dave,It sounds like your overwhelming memories of the Noughties are very similar to mine - nappies, banana porridge and Teletubbies. You at least recall a little more about the early years of the decade but I'm struggling. With my eldest born in May 2000 and my youngest turning five in September 2009, the whole thing is rather a blur. It's like I fell asleep with Clinton as President and

DadsDinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00409820799442134743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690472945730852036.post-71467878277730343122010-01-11T09:30:00.004Z2010-01-31T19:07:00.443Z

Dear Dave,I've been to plenty of seminars and discussion groups about understanding personality type. They're the kind of thing that are always used to pad out the slot before lunch on team-building courses. Many's the time I've been stuck with a whole load of Shapers as they've enthusiastically envisaged a future of cooperation while the Completer/Finisher in me has just wanted them all to agree

DadsDinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00409820799442134743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690472945730852036.post-5012470154936335292010-01-06T14:15:00.001Z2010-01-06T14:17:16.406Z

Dear Dave,Happy New Year! I hope you had a good holiday. We're finally back from visiting my parents' house in deepest, darkest Norfolk - the land of turkeys, farmers and dial-up internet. Even dial-up didn't seem to be working very well this time, though. So much as checking my email became a torturous exercise in dropped calls and lengthy load times. Renting a carrier pigeon began to feel like

DadsDinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00409820799442134743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690472945730852036.post-9425641484179316932009-12-29T22:30:00.001Z2009-12-29T22:32:44.461Z

Dear Dave,Today's letter isn't here. It's over at OurMilkMoney.com trying to act nonchalant and blend in.If you want to know what really makes me afraid, you should head over there now...Yours in a woman's world,Ed.

DadsDinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00409820799442134743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690472945730852036.post-13475700802969622422009-12-24T09:30:00.001Z2009-12-24T09:30:01.695Z

Dear Dave,The decorations are up, the mince pies are warmed, carols are playing and the weather outside is truly horrible. I guess it must be Christmas.Remember I mentioned in my last letter that after all these years, the kids might not have any tricks left up their sleeves? Turns out I was right.Well... about the sleeves anyway:Christmas seems to have got here in a panicked rush of cards and

DadsDinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00409820799442134743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690472945730852036.post-41308586726103246432009-12-21T09:30:00.003Z2009-12-21T09:41:05.790Z

Dear Dave,Well, that's another year almost over - another year of parental peril, another year of housedad adventures and another year of unsolicited parenting advice from me. Only Christmas and Hogmanay to go and we're safely into 2010. Phew!Wonder what I'll write to you about next year, though? I must have covered almost everything by now. Our kids can't have many more tricks up their sleeves,

DadsDinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00409820799442134743noreply@blogger.com0