Enjoy the story that Peter wrote about being a Dad. You’re going to love it!!!

As fathers, we lay the foundations for our children’s lives. It is up to our kids to build their own houses upon these foundations. Therefore, each generation builds upon the success of the previous generation, and being a good dad has a lot to do with being a good son.

My daughter, Kia, is 14 years old. She is one of the smartest people I know of any age. My son, Nikolai, is 12. He has a huge heart and enthusiasm rivaling that of a fisherman describing his latest catch.

We always try to spend dinnertime together as a family. The conversation starts with each of the kids sharing three things they learned at school that day. I ask if anyone–including them–got in trouble in class, what bad things happened, and what good things happened. The kids then rank their day on a scale of 1 to 10. Sometimes, depending on the timing and mood of the meal, I make up a story over dinner as well.

My wife and I are each involved in our children’s scouting programs. In addition to the trips we take with his Boy Scout troop, Nikolai and I also enjoy taking backpacking trips together in the beautiful California mountains. Other than the cell phone we bring for emergency use only, these trips are “no electronics allowed.” We experiment with different freeze-dried foods, noting which ones we like–and which ones we will never eat again. We fish in the streams, build campfires, look at the stars, share a tent, and spend a lot of time laughing and learning together.

My daughter and I enjoy time together on our “date nights.” She and I go out and have a nice dinner, or do some other activity in which we can get away for a while and talk. One of my favorite outings with her was an impromptu date in which we simply sat together in a donut shop and talked about school. We ended up discussing the labels kids use to define their different social groups: Jocks, Freaks, EMO (EMO?!?)–I shared memories from when I was in school of not wanting to be labeled and of trying to fit-in.
Sharing memories from my own childhood helps strengthen our bond and the communication between generations. It is part of the foundation-building process. The conversations, routines, and activities I share with my children give them the tools they need to build strong houses upon their father’s firm foundation.

I recently had the opportunity to be a guest speaker at El Morro Elementary School in Laguna. The week’s theme was “Character Counts,” and the particular focus of that day was… caring.

Certain kids were rewarded for having demonstrated caring toward other students throughout the week. It was fun to hear the children cheering when someone in their own room was nominated.
I was able to share with the kids that it was caring for my sons that inspired me to create my book project, American Daddy, A Father’s Heart Revealed.
I want to thank my friend John Isaza for giving me the opportunity to speak at El Morro. John is a single father of a lovely daughter, and I plan to have him as one of our Dads of the Month in the near future–so keep your eyes out for him.

I can’t believe that my baby boy just turned two years old. It’s amazing to me how time has flown. My little Ezrah is growing up so fast! It seems as though he was just born… and so tiny. Now he is a little daredevil: jumping off of couches– which must be mountainous to him–and climbing up to the tops of the railings every chance he gets. He has no fear, and I love that about him. I love when I come home and he runs to me yelling, “Daddy!” That sweet burbled word that he works so hard to blurt out. He is my boy, and I love him!