Archive for October, 2008

Halloween is Here

The leaves have changed color and are falling from the trees. The air is crisp and cool and we have our jack-o-lanterns carved and ready for Halloween. This is a great time of year in my opinion, sports fans have no shortage of action. Football, baseball world series, NBA basketball, hockey and the list goes on. The kids are pumped up for Halloween night and with school back in swing there is a sense of urgency added to everyone’s schedules. The long lazy days of summer have passed and we are heading into the holiday season.

Halloween is a time to express ourselves and change our appearance.  All of this coming at the same time of year when Mother nature is expressing herslf by changing the landscape. Whether you are getting dressed up and going  to a party or just taking your kids out for a night of trick or treating TadTheDad asks you to be safe and dress warm, and not to let the elements send you home early!

I will be posting pictures of the kid’s Halloween costumes when everything is done.  Pierece will be a Frog, my niece will be Dorothy and I am going to be TadTheDad :)  I actually had some T-Shirts made as well as Hoodies with the TadTheDad.com logo.   Check it out…
TadTheDad.com shirt - Front TadTheDad.com shirt - Back 

Have a Happy and Safe Halloween!

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Friday, October 31st, 2008 fatherhood, parenting, photos, son No Comments

People and Animals Are Great We Should Respect All of Them

I have three dogs in my care, Brownie, Austin and Rex. They are all large dogs and can be quite cumbersome at times. Walking the three of them and doing just about anything can be a real challenge. However they are my good friends and I am willing to go out of my way. Animals in general are an important and valuable part of a family. I introduced my son to Brownie, (a Chesapeake Bay Retriever), at a young age. He liked the feel of her soft fur and would put his bare feet on her back and smile. He  is now old enough to pet and get kisses from the dogs which he loves and the dogs enjoy the young spirit of a boy who is fascinated with their every move. They have become as good of friends as anyone can and I feel that the presence of animals, dogs in my case, enriches ones life to an extent which is hard to match.

Brownie, Austin and Pierce

We enjoy taking the dogs with us when we leave the house. Sometimes to just run errands but a good trip to the dog park or a hike is what we are really all about. The Portland metro area offers some wonderful parks including some dog parks. Great places to take the family or the dogs or both. I live in Beaverton and get to take advantage of Tualatin Parks and Rec. department and the great job they do of providing an array of different park settings at a variety of locations.

I try to live a positive life and have been working at projecting my positive out look to others. Whether it be a stranger at the park or a friend who i see often. The attitude we carry around rubs off on others. This works with a negative or positive attitude, but the positive can overcome the negative. By not letting that negative comment or vibe effect us we reduce that instant of negativity to a second or two out of the day. Now it is easy to let something small balloon into a, “Bad Day”, but stay positive and dont let that negativity get past you. We all have  the choice to brush things off and I would encourage everyone to be conscious of how positive or negative their attitude really is.

In a time where there is economic and financial uncertainty it is easy to think,” woe is me what are we ever going to do?” Focus on the reason we do the things we do. We go to work to support the things we embrace. Maybe the money isn’t as good and its easy to worry and be negative, the media along with others in the community are telling us how bad things are. I am focusing on the things that really matter, my best friend/girlfriend, my son, my dogs, my family and friends. Those other things are important but not so important that they are going to rock my core. Stay positive and keep your focus, the things that matter haven’t changed!

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Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008 fatherhood, lifestyle No Comments

Visiting Sauvie Island Farms Pumpkin Patch

As you pull up to Sauvie Island Farms you see the field of corn sprawling out and then the patch of pumpkins beyond that. The rock climbing wall towers over the parking lot and the super slide is bright and colorful. To a kid a dream come true, and as it turned out the parents had fun too. The corn field doubles as a maze and there were hay rides to the pumpkin patch and back. They even maintain their own Sauvie Island Farms blog with up to date farm news on whats ripe, going on etc.. cool.  The caramel corn was excellent and the kids had a great time. We spent a couple of hours playing before we set out in search of the perfect pumpkin and believe it or not everyone found their perfect pumpkin!

The drive to Sauvie Island is between 30 and 40 minutes from Portland and is well worth it. I love our city of Portland but it is nice to leave the city. I enjoy driving through the country side and once you are on Sauvie Island I encourage you to explore. There are more than a hand full of small family owned farms and great hideaway beaches. The drive is great and even if you aren’t in search of a pumpkin there is still plenty to see and do on the Island.

The kids got the pumpkins they wanted and complimentary cocoa and cider were a nice added bonus. We got some great photos, the hay bail pyramid was my favorite, and there was no shortage of things to do. The kids were asleep halfway home and a good time was had by all, young and old alike. pumpkin carving

Check out the Photos page for all the pics…

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Saturday, October 18th, 2008 fatherhood, photos, trips No Comments

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