Seven Minutes To Bedtime

I try to lead by example, even when I don't make the right decision. This week I made the mistake of prejudging a guy, and we use it as a teachable moment. Then we talked about school schedules, and I tried to get Syd to try out for the girls wrestling team...She wasn't going for it. Also, we don't think mom is good at math as evidenced by the way she sleeps.

Improv, nicknames and a new scheduler.

Dad's on field trips, shaming parents, and showing people how good your relationship is.

Using your intellect, how many squares, and stupid people.

Breakfast options, leftovers, poofy hair and big heads.

The Sixth Sense, spoilers, sharing a bed and mom's math skills.

Sharing blankets, dead batteries, AAA and a changed schedule.

Working out, sociology vs.psychology, and women's sports.

Helicopter parenting, teachable moments, and who's coming home.

Grey's Anatomy spoilers, Shonda Rhimes, and starting the new semester well.

The best part, Dad questions and Con demographics.

Time and what we do with that time is what matters...This week we made a date to see Star Wars (in 2017), relive stories of Sydney's youth, and discover something spooky about Mom...

Lying to our kids, growing pains, bullying follow up and smoothies.

Assault, standing up for yourself and what is not said

Appendix location, parental lies, breakfast and talking crap about about improv.

Sharpies, final exams, improv technique, and breakfast.

Yawns, 48 hours, aching bones, finals and remote controlled bb-8.

Oreos and rice for dinner, getting sick, double speak and spreading germs.

Pants on the stairs, falling asleep anywhere, improv games and stress.

Star Wars, catholic church, praying for cooks, bad driving and a dash cam.

Parking location, sleeping on your back, R-rated movies and vandalism.

Finding a blanket, making fins, backup plans, weird shadows and wearing makeup to bed.

Helicopters breaking up parties, a bunch of giggling and a reprimand to be quiet.

French movie soundtracks, bright red kids, pajama stuck, perfect scores and teachers who don't call back.

From milk spills and memes to weird dreams about time, understanding soccer to yet another teachable moment, we really had an interesting week...Now, can we hurry this thing up? I gotta pee...

Dad is dragging up for the Con, cross dressing, soccer, Sydney's sports knowledge, and eating hockey pucks.

Riveting talk, Dads and Daughters, step parent rules, pagoda aggressiveness and stiff necks.

No spoilers, Star Wars, prequels, and changes made with cgi.

Reflective versus absorbent surfaces, dungeons and dragons type games, and Cosplay pictures.

Frozen to the core, watching spills happen and trading cats.

Long names, waking up early, weird dreams and the birth of Jesus.

Thunder and lightning, Good Brian, and positive feedback.

This week, with putting up an almost complete single night's episode. Earlier in the evening I made a joke about Sydney being very talkative. I said the reason was because she got so much sleep the night before. That set her off for the rest of the evening, and when we started to go to bed I found out that she was still upset. The conversation that followed dug down and we found the root. I'm airing this episode in its entirety so that everyone can hear, start to finish, the sometimes difficult but necessary conversation between parents and children in an effort to fully understand what goes on in their lives and how the way we speak to them affects them.

Interrupting, apologies, and understanding and beating up high school kids.

Superficial compliments, finals schedule, soccer and Dad's schedule.

Tired, afraid of the dark, magical covers and alarm clocks.

Hormonal imbalance, haircut plans, ugly shaped heads and quality wigs.

Sketchbook drawings, remembering new years, and gunshot knowledge.

Jennifer Lawrence, meeting people at the movies, sneaking in snacks and fake new years countdowns.

Beetle facts, dyed hair, colored skin and a lesson on Google maps.

Syd's newly renovated room, room for Sayble, vanity mirrors and keeping it clean.

Bedtime, days off Parks and Recreation and Chris Pratt.

Christmas recap, makeup cabootle organization, napping and Cosplay.

Christmas stockings, forgetting to leave snacks, what Sally got, and a holiday without m&m's.

Battery life, Sayble's grades, teachers who quit, being sick and prime rib.

Kody lost a charger, Sydney gets a phone, Dad sets standards and wig styling.

Getting a tattoo, the mark of Satan and the anticipation of a new mattress.

Spoiled children, living on her own, taking what's offered and being prepared.

I try to teach my kids to stand up for those who can't. This week is a perfect example of when we do that. Even though Syd isn't offended by the behavior of one of her classmates I think it's the kind of behavior that needs to be redirected. And then I find myself in an interesting situation where my prejudice stopped me from truly enjoying somebody's joke.

Mattresses, giving kids sedatives, kidneys on the black market and going to bed early.

Moted, faced, belief in Santa, bullies in elemrntary school, and messing up in front of an audience.