This article appears in the August edition of Capital District ParentPages. Check it out, it's a great resource for parents.
If you can take an hourslong road trip with your family, you can stand together through just about anything.
Jess, the kids and I managed to take a few trips so far this summer, and so far we’ve all come back.
Sometimes it’s been in spite of other drivers’ best efforts, as was the case on our drive to Connecticut last week.
About an hour into our trip, we’re joined on the highway by the driver of this little sports car that I first notice when he is approximately 2 inches from my rear bumper...
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 Aug 19 That's how we roll in my familywdevoe, Pop Culture CATEGORY: General Society
Aug 02 Connor, just look at the ladybugwdevoe, Pop Culture  Every summer my parents go to Atlantic City for a few days and take all four of their grandchildren with them. My wife, Jess, and I go every other year with my brother and sister-in-law going on our off years, so that on any given trip there are four adults and four kids. Considering the grandchildren consist of a 2, 7, 13 and 15-year-old, I am not afraid to tell you that sometimes this one-to-one ratio of adults to children is not nearly enough. This summer it was our turn to go. One of the more exciting aspects of our trip is the drive down. We usually travel in two cars — my brother’s kids with my parents and, unfortunately, ours with us... Continue Reading CATEGORY: General Society
TAGS: Connor, pop culture, ladybug, devoe, atlantic city Jul 20 BP and me — a story about friendshipwdevoe, Pop Culture  I have 22. And while I could lament the fact that the company responsible for one of the biggest ecological disasters in my lifetime has nearly 100 times the “friends” that I have, I have to focus on the positive — something that inspires me to go on in spite of the fact that I am less popular than the company that blew millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico over the course of three months. You see, BP and I have something in common: We’re both in trouble with The Man. Last week, my father-in-law pulled into my driveway at around 3:30 in the afternoon, as he does every day, to get my son, Kevin, off the bus from school... Continue Reading CATEGORY: General Society
TAGS: BP, encon, epa, devoe, bill Jun 22 A day no toys would diewdevoe, Pop Culture
My dog, Sophie, a very rambunctious Golden Retriever/ Labrador mix, is confined to her crate for the next 30 days.
We found out a few months ago that she had heartworms and has probably had them since we adopted her. The course we chose for treatment involves giving her two very deep shots of a medicine that is supposed to kill the worms, followed by at least a month of crating and inactivity so she doesn’t throw a blood clot and die. The treatment was very expensive by my standards, and the kids seem to be attached to her, so I’m trying to avoid her dying at all costs... Continue Reading CATEGORY: General Society
TAGS: Spotlight, pop culture, DeVoe, sophie, dog, toys Jun 18 Spoiler alert: Here comes Father's Daywdevoe, Pop Culture
There is a saying that to little children, Father’s Day is very much like Mother’s Day — only you don’t have to spend as much money.
My wife usually thumbs the scale of the kids’ generosity with some gentle prodding, though. I recently overheard the following conversation between my wife and kids: My wife, Jess: “Have you guys given any thought to what you want to get your father?” Kevin, our 7-year-old: “For what? Is he sick?” “No, Father’s Day is a couple of weeks away. I don’t want to have to rush out that morning and get something at the gas station.” “Why? That’s what we did for Mother’s Day.” At this point my 2-year-old, Nathan pipes up... Continue Reading CATEGORY: General Society
Jun 09 He ain’t headless, he’s my brotherwdevoe, Pop Culture
I have a bit of a vindictive streak in me that is owed, in part, to the fact that I have an older brother and am nearly a full foot shorter than he is.
My brother Dan is an imposing person. He is 6-foot-2-inches tall, and as wide as a compact car. His head is completely shaven and most days he sports a rather sinister looking goatee. In short, if he had some ink on his arms, he’d look like an extra on the show “Sons of Anarchy.” And though he now has the demeanor of a kitten (most people call him Mr. Tibbles), it wasn’t always that way. We had some pretty good dust-ups when we were kids, and I can see a lot of my brother and me in my own sons... Continue Reading CATEGORY: General Society
TAGS: headless, horseman, cheese, brother, devoe May 06 In the interest of full disclosure...wdevoe, Pop Culture  Now, that’s not to say that I come from white trash or that any of my relatives, living or dead, are or have been white trash. In fact, it’s just the opposite. My family is mostly well behaved, hard working, clothed at all the right times and fiercely trustworthy and conscientious. I have an Aunt Patty who is able to remember every relative’s birthday and wedding anniversary, and has such an intricate knowledge of the U.S. Postal Service that she arranges for cards and letters to appear in people’s mailboxes on the day of the event — not one day prior and not one day after. She is the only person I know to have had mail successfully delivered on Christmas Day... Continue Reading CATEGORY: General Society
TAGS: Pop culture, william devoe, rockford files, white trash  |
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