Christmas is over..

Another Christmas has come and gone.  Another month of Christmas stuff that all people go through.

Drives you crazy sometimes, but when it comes down to it, spending time with family folks is a great thing.  Especially when you have a new baby that everyone wants to see.

My 15 Gift Ideas for Dad this Xmas has been great use to a lot of people.  Too bad a lot of things I didn't get to cross off my wish list.

I got the Hardware Store vouchers, which is awesome. I also got the novelty t-shirts.  But that was it :-(

So, coming from a recent post of mine about Why Don't You Like Dad Blogs But Love Mum Blogs, I'm going to try and set some things straight about my list and dad blogs.

I'm going to try and gain these products via being a promoting arse monkey (nicest way I could put it) via this blog over the next year.  How am I going to do that?

Hmmm.. that's a bloody good question.

You're help would be greatly appreciated in flogging how great a blogger I am (wink wink, nudge nudge) hehehe.. but I will be searching around for some contacts perhaps over the next few months.

Lets see how I go.  Any help you might care to share on how I could go about these would be great.

- tork

Guest Post from Santa Claus

Ho Ho Ho...  Merry Christmas everyone!

Every christmas is a magical night for me. I love bringing joy to children of all ages all around the world.

I've been checking my list twice to see who's been naughty or nice.  And that's why I am guest posting at Tork's blog.

I see a new addition to my list.  Looks like Tork has had a baby boy and it's going to be his first Christmas!

Ooh.. how exciting! He's on the nice list, such a good boy.

Tork on the other hand, he's on the naughty list...

Tsk tsk tsk, such a naughty young man.

You can't fool Santa you know Tork!  I've seen all the tricks over the years.

Just because you're a big boy now and you're allowed to stay up all night, doesn't mean you can do it tonight to try and spot me!

Ho Ho!  You're not naughty Tork, just a cheeky boy in grown-up's clothes.  Go to sleep early tonight and wake up to your son's first Christmas.  That's the best present that Santa can give you.


I'm must be away now, for I have lots of work to do.  So, merry Christmas to all!

And have a good nights sleep Tork!

- Santa

Merry Xmas - I Love Your Guts - Happy Holidays!

As the title says!

To all my followers/readers, a safe and merry christmas!

I love your guts!!!!!!


- tork

All I Want For Christmas Is Sleep

I know just the present I want for Xmas..

Sleep!

Who's with me?

- tork

ps. like my sketch?

How Do Parents Celebrate New Years?

How do parents with one or more kids celebrate the new years?

Do they not go out at all?

Do they try organising parties at home?

Do they just find a baby sitter?

Does one go out and get party-faced whilst the other leaves early to take the kids home?



As my wife and I are having our first new years as parents, we'd love to know how everyone handles it...

Would love some ideas!!!

Plants vs Zombies - Last Minute Gift Idea for Dad or Kids

Struggling to find that last minute gift idea for Christmas (or for birthdays) for dad or the kids? Well, I've got a fantastic game that they'll fricken love.

Plants Vs Zombies

This game is the bees nees.  Fun for the whole family, from the occasional game player to the elite gamer (that's l33t for those playing at home).

It is a tower defence game and it's addictive like no other.  I've actually started playing it again after finishing it.

Its game play is smooth and also hilarious.  It is fantastic for all ages, as opposed to the bang-bang shoot-em ups.

When the second one comes out, it may well break the top purchased games of the year.  This is how highly regarded this game is amongst gamers.

Haven't heard of it?  Want to give it a shot?  You can grab it on many consoles.  The PC, your mobile phone or iPad. I even think there are Xbox versions.

Or, try an online trial version and play for free! You can purchase the game from this site if you like it, or you can also grab it via Steam, the iTunes store and Android Market as well.

Here's a video of it:

Now, if you purchase this game, no kick backs come to me.. This is not a paid ad or an affiliate link.  This is just one of the all time best games I've ever played. I love it so much I want you to love it too, hehehe!

And if you grab it for the kids or hubby (or even yourself), trust me, they'll love you for it!

Tell us what you think about it if you give it a test run :-)

- tork

Dear SAHMs, send picture messages to dads!

As a father who goes to work everyday, it sucks being away from my boy.  I'd rather be a stay at home mum, looking after kid and making millions of dollars from home.

But, alas, it's not to be.  It's not like I've got a terrible job.  It's a good job, I enjoy it.  I'm just like every other person though who'd love to LIVE THE DREAM! It's just... missing the little things, like a giggle from my little one or a cuddle when his teeth hurt.  That's what I miss and I am sure other dads with babies miss it too as they go to work.

So how do I get by?

Having photos on my desk is great. Thanks go to the wife when she gets that done for me.  I've currently got a wee photo of my boy sitting on Santa's knee (who he absolutely loved by the way).  But sometimes it's good to go that extra mile than the photo on the desk.

Everyone has got camera phones.  My wife and I sure as hell do!  They're the latest and greatest. We are set up to send and recieve pictures via MMS, and pretty much every day I will get a photo of what my little one is doing.

A snapshot playing on the ground with a massive grin gives me the same grin. Being away earning the dollars makes it a little bit easier.

So if you're a stay at home mum or dad, do the same for your husband or wife.  If it doesn't put a dent in your monthly phone bill, I highly recommend it.  It helps makes the day faster!!

Have you got any other tips for those away from their kids daily or for longer time periods?

- tork

What Dads Don't Want To Hear

Let's see how much shit this is going to get me in with the wife/mums, but here are a few things Dads or Husbands or Partners (whatever you want to call us) hate to hear from their other half...

My husband has got Man Flu

Every time I get sick, it's always the man flu.  Apparently all us dads over-react when we are sick and that women never whinge when they are sick.

Pfft.. balls to that! Gals say the same thing as guys when sick.  It's just not noticed as much cos fella's aren't as often crook.

Don't get me wrong, I always lend a hand when the wife is sick, I just don't like that saying wives have!

So, to the guys.  I say, if women are always going to use the phrase "It's just man flu", then men are allowed to say "It's just her period"...

..and there go all my women followers.

Going a bit grey there honey

Grey hairs?  Nope.. We're holding on to our wasted youth and pretending we didn't hear that.  The grey hair is probably just caused by the bright light in the room, causing a reflection and catching dust particles that are there-in causing the hair to appear a grey colour.  If the wife says I've got a grey hair and we're in a dark room, I still hold onto my youth and respond with:

"Nahh it's not mine.  Must've got stuck there whilst I was snogging your granny"

Makes her stop pointing out the greys quick smart!

Omigod, I can't believe you just did that in front of me

Whether it is breaking wind or dropping trousers for laughs, it's my house too, and it's happening.

This should be taken as a massive show of love towards our partner, that we are that comfortable with them, that there are no barriers.  Nope.  Apparently it's disgusting.

Around a group of guys, the love is there.  A fart is greeted with "Someone farted in here! You got me man!  It went into my mouth.." And a moon or a fruit basket is pointed and laughed at for at least the duration of three seconds.

Don't make us hold our farts in wives. Love us! Like we love you!

:-)


What is your most favourite/annoying wife quote?

- tork

Why Don't You Like Dad Blogs But Love Mum Blogs?

*sob*

A Daddy blogger is a much unloved creature.


Recent twitter-twatter on Twitter brought up some interesting points thanks to Resevoir Dad's latest Great Aussie Dad Blogs, of which I am lucky enough to be listed as one (thanks dude!).

Here's a couple of points that dad bloggers would love to know the answer to...

1. Dad blogs don't get approached for product reviews.

For this dad blog of mine, I've never been asked to talk about any cool products, Australian or overseas.

Nothing. Not one product that would interest kids, mums or dads.

Why?

Is it because no one wants to be told about what a man thinks about products for kids and families?  In Australia at least, the overloaded majority of bloggers are mums.  You'd think the dad bloggers would stick out?  You'd think a guy's perspective, something different, would be of value..

Perhaps I am doing something wrong.

Well, The Reservoir Dad tends to agree with me. Now, here's an aussie dad blogger agreeing that us Dads don't get the opportunity to review products.  This guy has appeared on Australia's The Today Show, The Circle and numerous other formats of media to do with his website.

That's just crazy.  Sure he's had some pretty rad sponsors, but still..

2. Dad blogs don't get anywhere near as many comments as a mum blog.

Let's do a blog hop to a few fave mum bloggers of mine.

Veronica at Some Day We Will Sleep. She's great. Writes from the heart.  Puts herself out there daily.  Heaps of comments.

Kirri at Happy Mums At Home. A top gal. She came to me for help with Twitter and we've been bloggy buds ever since. Crap loads of comments!

Mrs M at Mums Word and Donna at Nappy Daze. Always visiting me, and love I it. They've got comments on every single post.

So why don't I get loads of comments? Am I not putting myself out there enough?

Maybe not.  You won't see a photo of me or my family on this blog, but you'll read everything that's on my mind (so far, just like this post!).

A recent post of mine, Celebrating My First Year of Blogging got me three comments from my regulars, of whom I love as much as a dog loves licking himself.  This post is a celebration! I offer to help others with blogging in it! I add an article which never got accepted on another site, of which I spent hours/days/week putting a lot of time into. I guess though, sometimes you put so much work into things, that doesn't always mean they are going to be read.

Anyway, Colin of SuperParents and Associate Woman has noticed the same thing too.  As a Perth dad blogger, I had difficulty locating comments at least on his last few posts (sorry dude, i'm the same hehehehe).

But with Colin putting himself out there and having great connections with loads of parents/mummy bloggers via blogging conferences, he still isn't being rewarded with the same that mum blogs get.

3. Dad blogs will never be as popular as mum blogs.

Search Aussie Dad blog on Google.com. (not .com.au)  There is my blog at the very top of the list.  Not once have I ever got a hit with that search term.

Now, search for Aussie Mum blog.

You'll find sites dedicated to aussie mums, as well as an award for the Aussie Mummy Bloggers with the X-Factor. Who, by the way was another of my faves, Glowless, who won an Apple iPad 2. (fyi, grats!)  :-)

Ooh.. An interesting point is that another daddy blogger said to me on Twitter that he was talking with staff from Nuffnang, a popular advertising tool for Aussie bloggers.  He was being ignored by the person, who was eyeing off the Mum bloggers.

This tweet was then followed up by one of my cool mum blog tweeters saying "she has never made any noises about being approached for product reviews, but is being approached often anyway".

Man...

Why am I whinging like a baby?

Well, hopefully I'm not having too much of a whine. Hopefully I'm just talking about something that is wrong in the Aussie Blogging World!

So, don't forget us guys out there.  Whether we're talking about our nasty wives (hehehehehe), our kids getting sick, our terrible Dad Jokes, add us to your blogroll and keep in touch with the dads!  We want that same level of support that mums have between other mums.

We also want to make extra money for our growing families via blogging.  Any extra support for my family that I can get like the mums would be fricken great.


Well, that's about all I have to say about that now.  So what do you think about all that I've said so far?  Why do you think there aren't many Aussie Dad bloggers?

Looking forward to seeing what you think.


I'll leave you with this...


Love your local dad blog!

Get your husband blogging!

Get your own dad blogging!


Visit Reservoir Dad's site and check out a few dads if you are in search for some!

;-)

- tork

My Greatest Post, In My First Year of Blogging

Well, it's officially one year ago that I started this blogging caper.

Sure, I sucked hard for a good number of months.  I am still learning the tricks of the trade whilst being shy as hell and fighting for a voice as a dad blog amongst a sea of mums.  It's terribly tricky!!

I've totalled up a measly $103 dollars in a year thanks to blogging.  Working so hard really gets you down for such a low amount.  An amount I was hoping to feed my family with. Failing is a pain in the arse.  I hope I don't give up.

But, I've produced greatness, at least, what I think is great.  Hopefully it will serve as a memory some stage down the track for me.

My favourite post.  My greatest one yet.  Finally, I am a Dad.  I hope you enjoy it if you haven't yet read it.

In the mean time, I'm trying my hardest on reviving old bloggy projects.  Finding the time is an S.O.B. though :-)

- tork

Celebrating the Songs of my First Year

Music is a love of mine, as every other person on the face of this planet.

It soothes you.

It moves you.

It inspires you.

I was running a songs to inspire series that only a handful of people got into on my blog.  So I stopped and took it onto twitter (under #SongsToInspire).

In celebrating my first year of blogging, here are some of my faves that I've done over the year.

Top 5 Sax Solos in Songs

Songs To Inspire - Song 1

Songs to Inspire - Song 5

Best of Eurovision 2011 Germany

Enjoy!

- tork

My First Ever Blog Post

Celebrating my one year blogging, here is the very first post I ever made.

Awe-inspiring!

Hello from me

- tork

Celebrating My First Year of Blogging

It was December last year that I started blogging. This means my blog is ONE YEAR OLD.

Happy first birthday Tork's blog!!  Oh, what an interesting time it's been.

To celebrate my first year, I want to give back to you guys, my readers.  The only thing I can give you is the stuff in my brain.  My blogging knowledge.

I've been reading and learning loads about blogging over the past year.  A lot of it I wish I knew when I first started.  I would've done so much very differently.

So, in celebration of making a year, I'm offering you my services FOR FREE to help improve your blog.

Contact me today and ask me anything you like about blogging, especially if you are new to blogging. I'd really love to help.

Over the next few days I'll be looking back over my bloggy year.

You'll have to deal with my boring nostalga :-)

In the mean time, here is a guest post I did for a well known Aussie site that never got accepted. :-(  I put a lot into this post, so it's time it saw the light of day.

Enjoy!

- tork


A Father amongst the Mums

What is a dad doing writing a blog? You don’t see very many
of us. We are a rare species amongst a flock of mums.

I stick out like a thorn amongst a bed of roses, but hopefully I
give a father’s perspective of parenting amongst the mums.

In Australia, a majority of blogs are Mummy blogs. That’s not a
bad thing, its great! I love mums because they are the majority
of my followers, so thank god for the mums!

It’s great seeing mums writing and being creative. It’s better
than sitting on Facebook building up a farm on Farmville like so
many mums do.

So, why do I write?

I’ve said this previously on my blog:

Times are not kept in Facebook updates nor Twitter hashtags
Stories are held for our future.

I like to think that one day, someone can easily pick up and read my thoughts and stories from the
past. You think someone down the track will read all your tweets or updates? I don’t think so.

That is why I write. But! That’s not just why I blog.

Let me take you back to the start..

A Blog is Born

Ahh, I remember the day clearly. My wife is pregnant with our first child. I am sitting in my study
freaking my face out.

I ask myself “Am I going to be able to afford to feed and clothe both my wife and my first born on a
single salary?”. So it’s off to the internet!

I jump onto Google and type ‘How to make a million dollars whilst sitting on your big fat arse eating chips all day’.

Nah, I didn’t actually do this. It wouldn’t make any sense anyway as ones backside is fantastic and not fat, although I does enjoy me chips!

*ahem* But I digress.

I was actually on YouTube and I type in something along the lines of ‘make money on the internet’.
I was just intrigued at how folks are running websites and making a great living from them. I was
also extremely jealous, having tried to create a website myself years earlier without success.

So I find a video of some dude jibber-jabbering away about making dollars on the net. Blah-blah
this and blah-blah that. Then he stops and says “GET A BLOG. I cannot emphasise this enough!”

Yeah, okay. Let’s do that.

I had heard about these blog things and didn’t get the whole appeal about them. I do enjoy writing,
so, why not?! Onwards I go! Over to a little place called blogger and I set up an Aussie Dad Blog.

What to write about

I wasn’t exactly sure what my blog would be about. I knew that I’d be writing about being a father,
but what else could I do? So I basically did whatever popped into my mind. The moment I had the
blank text box in front of me to write something, I just wrote. I still do the same to this day, so you
never can be sure what you get with me.

The first few weeks were the pits. No one wanted to read my ramblings. Occasionally I got
someone to accidentally click a link, but they didn’t stay. *boohoo*

Nobody came because I wasn’t telling the right people to come visit.

So, I learnt from the best on how to blog, on how to tell the right people what I’ve done. I’ve learnt
tips on how to set out a blog, on how to write posts, how to use social media, as well as learning
from my own mistakes.

Now, I still make mistakes, but I’m sharing what I’ve learnt with blog tips of my own. I also post
inspiring songs every weekend, have my own blogger award I love running, but my favourite thing
to do is just write.

So, who is Torkona?

That is a good question, a question that I still ask myself. I am often asked more about myself, of
what makes me tick. The best way I can answer that is, I am just me.

I’m a country born Aussie living in the big sticks. I’m into every sport you can think of. I am
also quite clever at the art of ‘hand fart noises’, a technique I aim to pass down to my future
generations.

But, I’m just some guy who likes to talk about the things I love.

And finally, I am a Dad.

My world revolves around my son, so the majority of my posts are about my boy and the realisations that I am now a Dad and have to be a grown up.

Pfft, nuts to that! Grown ups are people like my parents or my school teachers. But, we’ll see how long I can get away being a clown. I’m sure when the young fella starts acting up like I did growing up, I’ll have to be one of them nasty grown ups!

But I love my new little family. I can’t wait for what is going to happen over the next few months and years in my household. And I’m sure to be blogging through every step of it.

Writing is in my blood

So, after about a month of learning the basics on blogging I realised I’ve found back my passion
with a new way to express it.

Writing. I’ve loved it always. I can’t say I am a big reader, well, reader of books at least. I have
read about as many books as I have fingers. And no, I’m not some freaky side show act with more fingers than Tiger Woods has girlfriends. About ten books would be the total amount of books I’ve read.

So I’m not sure why I love to write, I just do. I grew up writing poetry, which I am trying to find more time to do so. I’ve always wanted to write a book, I just don’t have the time or patience to nut one
out. I’ve always said, I’ve never had much patience. I guess I’d never make a good Doctor.

*Boom-boom tish!*

So even though my blog was solely created to gain the second wage that I wanted for my new
family, it no longer has that sole purpose.

My passion for writing is back.

I want to make people laugh. I want to make people cry. Joyful crying of course, as in “ohh, that’s
beautiful!”, not “I’M-A gonna make-a you cry!!” Hmm, not sure why I did the Super Mario brothers
accent there.

Anyway, whatever my posts may be, I write for my family. That is what my blog Tork’s Blog is for.

But hopefully one day, you’ll type into Google ‘How to make a million dollars’ and you’ll land on my
blog to see a picture of me sitting on my fat arse eating a bag of chips.

Ahh, it is to dream.

In the mean time, I hope you’ll come over and visit. Thanks for reading.

- tork

If Shakespeare Was Australian

I love poetry and writing.

A great inspiration to me (and many) is William Shakespeare.

Imagine if Shakespeare was an Australian.  A true blue, fair dinkum Aussie.

Hmmmm.. this is how I'd imagine he'd write like:


Oi! What bloody light through that window there breaks!  It is the east!  And Juliet is a great sheila!




---------------

What's in a name? That we call Bruce.. By any other name would smell as bonza bewdy.



---------------

Hamlet:
G'day chicky babe, how'd you like this play?
Queenie:
The lady does bloody protest too much, I reckon.




---------------

All the world's a stadium,
And all the blokes and sheilas are merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
They call him Gary Ablett Jnr.




---------------

To beer or not to beer, that is the question.
Whether it's no beer in the hand, you'd suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous pub prices.




---------------

Fartin' is such sweet sorrow




---------------

Oi Robbo, Robbo.. where the bloody hell are you Robbo!?



---------------

Alas poor Bazza, I knew him well.




---------------

A plague on both your houses!  Oi mate!  You're fucked!




---------------

I really should put my time to better use :-)

What do you think?  Have you got your own Shakespeare quote turned Aussie?

- tork

15 Gift Ideas For Dad This Xmas

Stuck for ideas on what gifts to get dad for Christmas this year? Don't know what to get your father, your kid's father, or husband and you're stressing out about it?

Well, I'm a dad. Who better to give you gift ideas for your own dad or husband this Xmas than me?

Dads love their crappy dad jokes. Therefore, one of the number one things that dads would love is joke books.

Click "Add to bag" below to grab yourself a great ebook copy today!

The Very Best Dad Jokes

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Here are 15 more ideas of what this Dad would be wishing for under his Xmas tree:

1. Golf Clubs

At some stage in their life, a dad will want to golf.  A set of new golf clubs will get daddy or hubby out of the house and away with their annoying dad jokes.  It will also get dad fitter and healthier, unless it is a bad mother set of clubs that comes with an inbuilt esky.  That would be awesome.

2. Expensive Alcohol

Don't skimp, it's Christmas. A well aged scotch, a fine port or an imported carton of fancy beer will put a smile on dad's face from ear to ear.

3. Hardware Store Voucher

Dad's don't care about whether you give them a voucher as a present, especially if it is for his local hardware store! Don't even bother buying something there for him because even strolling through the aisles will make him happy.  Guys like to window shop too (especially with that massive outdoor BBQ setting that he never is going to afford).

4. Condiments

Find something out there, something different.  One of my favourite finds was fish spices that included Eucalyptus.  Dad's enjoy cooking too, and a fancy spicy sauce for a BBQ Steak, or seasoning you'd never heard of before, is often a good idea.

5. Stupid Hats

Dad's love them.  My dad once wore his captains hat we got him for ages. As embarrassing as it may be, it's Xmas, and you'll laugh about it for years to come.

6. Novelty T-Shirts

If there is a t-shirt out there that says "No, I am the Batman", then I must have it. A cool t-shirt with something clever like that can be a great idea. Create your own even. Another suggestion: "My eyes are up here".  I'm giggling already.

7. Poker Set

Ohh yeah, us guys love to play poker.  You can get an el cheapo set for $10, but go a bit flashier.  Get a set with plenty of chips. Only one deck of cards is needed.  Then dad can invite the boys over for a night in of cards, whilst wifey goes out on the town for her own fun!

8. Board Game

Growing up, there were these things before computer games called board games. Remember those? Dads will love playing classics like Pop-up Pirate or Hungry Hungry Hippos, so even the old ones or second hand (in great condition) is a great idea.  What I would really love one day is a chess table.  It's a table for two with a chess board top. You can then buy elaborant pieces, but this gets kind of pricey. Teaching my boy one day will not only be educational, but great fun.

9. Fart Putty

For the dad or husband who's got everything. Don't judge me, it's great :-)

10. Sock and Jocks

As much as we might groan at underwear as a present for every gifting occasion, we realise down the track how lucky that present was when holes start to appear in things.

11. Domain Hosting

Dad or hubby like to blog? Get them a domain! Little Hero Hosting is a local Australian business run by a mum.  They register and host for cheap. Consult with Dad on this before purchase of course, but go for it! Need more of us dad bloggers!!

12. Photograph on Canvas

Has dad or hubby taken a photo that he loves?  Turn it into a portrait! Services exist online to upload a photograph, select portrait size and have it arrive on your doorstep in a week.  Favourite memories will then always be on your wall to remember.

13. Something Homemade

Dad's love anything homemade from the kids, especially in the first couple of years of birthdays and Christmases. Artwork is usually the way to go, otherwise be inventive!  It's also a cheap option for the penny pinchers.

14. Coffee

Keep the instant coffee for when guests arrive. Give dad the good stuff. Look around to find the best coffee beans and give him a big bag. Will also be worthwhile getting a coffee machine and all them do-whackies that go with it.

15. Solar Powered Water Fountain

Sounds a bit of a weird gift? Well, this is what I've been after for a while now. They're sold at hardware stores and likely at plant nurseries, but eBay have loads as well. Dads like to potter around the garden. We love digging holes :-) A small fountain can be very cheap and can also keep kids/mums in the garden as well. 


But don't forget, Dad's love their jokes.  Get Dad their own copy of "The Very Best Dad Jokes" and you will have his Christmas present finished today with one swift download!

The Very Best Dad Jokes

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AU$4.99

AU$2.99

Save

40%

Click to find out more about The Very Best Dad Jokes eBook

So there you have it. 15 ideas for dad this Xmas. Please link to this page on your own blogs if you liked it!

Good luck shopping!

- tork

Ps. If you have ideas for what to get mums, you gotta help me out :-)

Here We Go Again

I wrote this last week beside my son's hospital bed.

The other night it happened again.  We thought he's just got a cough.  We put the baby boy down to sleep like we always do.

Half an hour into his sleep, he can't breathe.  He's coughing and sucking in deep breaths.  This sniffy nose of his is turning out to be what they always told us when he catches a cold, an immediate trip to hospital.

After the wife manages to bring up the phlegm that was annoying him, we're in the car with a boy that is breathing better.  I'm telling the wife to slow down through the speed camera light intersections whilst I'm in the back checking on him.

We get to emergency and bypass a filled waiting room of sick babies.  Glad for that, but the scorn faces of others that we push past burns as if we were the worst people on earth.

We soon are told our boy has croup.  If you know our story with our baby not breathing properly, you'd know he has tracheomalacia. This plus croup is not a great combination unfortunately, as croop narrows his breathing passages and his condition already has it narrow enough.

On to the meds, which give him an allergic reaction.  Out come the hives.  There is now concerns he might swell up.  On to an oxygen mask that sprays adrenalin in his face.  This helps open his airways.

It works like magic.

So he has an OK night's sleep after all this.  He still has his cough though, but he still has his smile.  All his stats look good. 

As I write this beside his hospital bed, I am hoping we'll go home today, but I don't want to go home and go through all that again.  Enough with the freak out moments.  This part of life we can all do without.
So I am staying close in his room.  I'd hate to walk the corridors and bump in to parents we've met on previous stays. I want them all to be home. I don't want them to still be here.

Stupid croup.

My whining on Twitter about not being able to afford my old lifestyle of computer gaming doesn't matter so much anymore.  All my time is focused on my boy to care.

Silly things aren't they?

- tork

Our Baby's Health: The Story Continues

We don't have it nearly as bad as other parents I've met during our times in baby hospital. It was the most depressing time of my life and I still feel so bad for all those parents with sick kids

But our boy is on the mend and this post is all about the exciting news I've been keeping from you. Too bad it hasn't come to fruition.

Here's the story so far:


My Baby Boy Can't Breathe Properly
Oh Boy, Will You Ever Speak?
Don't You Love a Misdiagnosis?
Why Doctors Can Sit on it and Rotate
The Oxygen Test: Do We Finally Disconnect My Son?
My Son Needs Oxygen Every Day. Or Does He..
When Baby Leaves Their Bassinet and Upgrades Rooms


So my little boy has been off his dependency to oxygen tanks during the day for a month or so. It has been great. He's still on it during the night though. This is the news that I want to tell you, that he is off it for good.. but I can't.


During my all nighter of watching him during his oxygen test, he apparently didn't do so well without the oxygen connection. He had a bad night, a restless one. He's teething.  He also has a Cough/Cold.  That doesn't help his sleep and also my persistant coughing during because of my flu didn't help, but that was taken into consideration (apparently). He dropped below levels when he shouldn't have, but I'm pretty sure I didn't do the test right.


It's hard doing it by yourself! It's hard staying awake and sane for 24 hours just staring at a sleeping baby. As cute and as interesting he may be, sleep needs to be chucked in somewhere.


Oh well, another 2 months of oxygen at night for my poor little boy, and another 2 months of us watching over him at night in case the oxygen cord is wrapped around him by accident. We have to wait until next year of course because it's Christmas and the doctors are busy.


Yay.


But we'll take it in our stride and remember all those kids we met in hospital that are still in hospital today. My little tacker was only in there for two to three weeks of his life, some haven't left after two years. My thoughts are often with those parents and I realise how lucky we are.

But it's not all bad news. I have fantastic news too.

Remember how my boy is supposed to have vocal cord palsy and we weren't sure if he is supposed to be able to speak?


In the last few days he has been talking!  Guess what his first word is?


"Da-da"!


You can stick vocal cord palsy up your ass you stupid doctors!!  :-)


I win the race to be the first word. Yes!




So we're currently seeing around five different doctors (including a speech therapist). Four have categorically said he does not have vocal cord palsy. The last one is the team that said he had it in the first place. They say he probably hasn't got it, but you think they'll ever admit to their mistake?


Pigs might fly out of Kim Kardashian's big fat ass when they do.


I guess talking isn't a good enough sign that he will ever be able to talk.  Go figure.


Thanks for all your support with your comments and tweets.  I love seeing them all and try to respond to each one.  Hopefully next time I am talking about it we'll be all disconnected for good.


- tork

Here's Who I Look Like

You wouldn't know what I look like.  That's because I've never really shown you.

My internet alias keeps me hidden, and I know that annoys a lot of people.

So to tease you even further, here are my dopplegangers, AKA people that I am told look just like me.

Enjoy wondering!

Daniel Vittori - New Zealand Cricket Captain

Chord Overstreet - That guy on Glee

Sebastian Vettel - Formula One guy.. this one annoys me.. grrrr!

Prince William - Maybe more when we were both younger

The unknowing still annoying you? ;-)

- tork

Questions From My Wife

Questions From My Wife is a series on this dad blog to give moms/mums a perspective on what their husbands actually think, answering those annoying questions that every wife wants to know.

Q. Why Don't I Do Anything?

A. Anything?  That would mean I would be dead, wouldn't it? Breathing is something, so I do do something (hehehehe doo-doo).

If you mean, why don't I clean more, I do clean!  I clean up the food off my plate after I cook for the both of us. And, err, ooh, the outside.  I clean up outside.

Yes yes, I'm not a big cleaner.  You remember the state of my batchelor pad, don't you?  I think I've come a long way from there!  Building Mt Everest out of plates and cutlery is a thing of the past.

The weekend gives me more time in the day to do things.  I don't want to clean at night! Coming home from work is time spent for me to play with the little boy, as well as rock him to sleep.  So give me the weekends for the odd clean up.

House looks great as it is anyway.  You do a good job considering our boy is starting to crawl and teethe!

I Haven't Blogged In a While, Have I?

I haven't been around for a bit have I?

Yeah, I've been down with the flu, as well as a few other things going on in the extended family.  Seems having a baby doesn't give you much spare time.  Who would have thought?

To tell you the truth as well, I've started so many posts but just haven't finished them.  Dunno.  Just sometimes, any spare moment that you get as a parent, you are so tired and can't be bothered doing anything.  That dreaded wall.. blergh...

We all hit the wall and it's really hard to climb over.  Let's see if I can get over the top, as I've spent so much time so far on my blogs.  The Blog Plan is a passion to improve and teach, as well as my list of blog topics and this dad blog of mine.

I've also been waiting for a certain day to arrive.  A day where I can tell you some hopefully great news.

I also think if I ever give up blogging, then I'll never find myself completing a life goal of mine. A goal on my bucket list.

Writing. Other than blogging, I really want to write some stories.  I've so many stuck in this brain of mine.

Writers block is not something I get.  It's my use of time that often sets me back.

Also, my stat-watching on my blog isn't helping. Hard to stick out as a dad blog in this crazy world of ours hehehehe. I just want thousand of folks reading my bollocks on the screen, just like any other blogger. Must stop doing that.

So I'm sorry I haven't been around for a bit.  I'll do better.  Keep me on my toes about it :-) and stay tuned for my good news that I can't wait to tell you about!

- tork

Remember To Give Her A Break

If you're a dad that works during the day, you probably already know it's hard to leave for work and say bye to your baby child every day.  I know it is.

I am a recently new father and I hate leaving for work to leave behind my wife and our little chap. You miss out on new things your kid does.  Little things like new noises, their first crawl or first step.  But don't just think about the things that you are missing, think about all the work your wife or partner is doing whilst you are away.

It's all good having a babysitter or day care service, but why not take a whole day off work?  Take a day and let your other half have a day to themselves! A happy wife is a happy life, plus you get a day spending with your kid, not letting any chance that you'll miss one of their firsts!

- tork

ps. Short but sweet post today, but thanks to asking how I am via my Twitter @Torkona3.  I've been feeling like crap beaten up lately, but yes I'm slowly getting there, and getting around to my neglected blog :-)

Sometimes the Tooth Hurts

Oh yes. Ham and salad wrap my wife has made me for lunch. 

Mmm, too much mayonnaise.  Ahh well, I dont mind really.

Ooch!  My tooth... Aaaaaargh!  It hurties!

Man pain.  Us dudes seem to suffer from it.  Our wives will say "stop being a baby".  What? Sleep all day, cry when we don't get our way and poo ourselves?  Yeah, ok.  I'll stop that.

But seriously, my tooth freakin' hurts.  I take a break from work to have a lay on the grass.  Have a bit of a rest to wait until the throbbing stops.  Then, the sudden waft of dog crap smell.

Crap!

It's ok, I am pretty sure I'm not laying in it (phew!)

But having my wisdom teeth taken out was a bitch.  I've been putting off going to the dentist for ages for this stupid tooth.  Now the time has come.  The tooth hurts and it probably needs to go.

I'm fearing the costs involved now.  Having a baby on one wage is not cheap.  Thinking about pimping out my services and get paid to write.  Hmmm...

Do you currently have stupid teeth that annoy you? Do you also have high powered, over the counter pain killers willing to give over? :-)

- tork

When Baby Leaves Their Bassinet and Upgrades Rooms

We're going on around five months now with baby boy still sleeping in his bassinet in our bedroom.  He's yet to sleep at nights in his own cot.

He hasn't even used his own cot yet!  Maybe a couple of times during the day, but we really are taking our time before he's moved into the big boy room. His own room.

Why We're Taking Our Time

We're taking our time to move rooms with him basically because of his breathing problems.  We like being in closer reach at nights.  Well. My wife does at least.

"Can you check him too see if he's alright?"

"Can you get up and settle him?"

..boy do I regret sleeping on the side of the bed closest to the bassinet.

Anyway, the little tacker is getting too big now. Around the 8kg mark now, which is great. But it's getting time to cut the cord, pack his bags and send him out in this big world of ours.

That's what it's going to feel like, sending him far away. We'll be worried about whether he's sleeping on his face, we'll be worried about not hearing him crying. I'm also worried about how much sleep we'll get. Will he be restless in a new room? Will he sleep at all? I am dreading the half asleep/half awake zombie like walks we'll be doing down to his room to settle him. But, the time has come soon. He's got to go, even though he really isn't a trouble in our room. He's just too big to stay!

- tork

What were you like shifting your baby into their room?  How old were they?

Best Dad Jokes

The definition of a dad joke.

• One that is embarrassingly bad
• One that only the dad finds funny

Here are my best dad jokes.

Click to purchase The Very Best Dad Jokes eBook for $2.99!!!

I was once a pantomime cow.  I mooved the audience to tears.

---

I've just been diagnosed as colorblind.

I know, it certainly has come out of the purple!

---

Want to hear a cat joke?

No?

Ohh, you gotta be kitten me!

---

6 out of 7 dwarves aren't happy.

---

Last night I dreamt I was a muffler.

I woke up exhausted.

---

Why don't you play any games with the God of Thunder?

Because he's a Thor loser.

---

I just watched a program about beavers.

It was the best dam program I've ever seen.

---

What do you call a deer with no eyes? No idea.

What do you call a deer with no eyes and no legs? Still no idea..

---

Son: "I feel Hungry"

Dad: "As long as you're not feeling Jordan too then that's ok with me"

Click to purchase The Very Best Dad Jokes eBook for $2.99!!!

I've told you a million times, stop over exaggerating!

---

Man, my memory isn't as sharp as it used to be.

Also, my memory isn't as sharp as it used to be.

---

Why is it always in the last place you look?

---

I'd never have more than one wife.  But if I did, that would be big of me.

---

You know why they call it Rhinoplasty?

Well, have you ever seen a sexy Rhino?

---

What does a pirate say when he's having a heart attack?

Argh me arteries!!

---

I've got a dentist appointment.

It's at 2.30

---

Son: "Back shortly"

Dad: "Ok, but don't call me shortly"

---

Mum: "Ohh look, free baby samples"

Dad: "No thanks, already like the one we got"

These jokes are just the tip of the dad jokes iceberg! :-)

Click to purchase The Very Best Dad Jokes eBook for $2.99!!!

Have you got a dad joke?  What is your favorite?

- tork

My Son Needs Oxygen Every Day. Or Does He?

My son needs oxygen everyday.  This is what my wife and I were dealing with a few months ago when my boy would stop breathing or make a very loud bird like noise called striding.

His striding would keep us up at night. Well, it kept my wfe up at least. I sleep through anything!

But this has slowly started to get better.  Through oxygen oximetry tests, his oxygen rates that we were providing have gone down dramatically. He sleeps right through the night and so quietly now that you sometimes wonder if he's still there.

We were also told he has vocal cord palsy on both his vocal cords.  A symptom that leaves people unable to speak or with a husky voice. This is a symptom that appears mainly when there is trauma to the cord during pregnancy or birth.  He did have the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck (poor little guy) but this is common and is not yet a proven cause of the symptom. We had scans on his brain to see why he would have this condition, but that came back as normal.

So, he just had it. He had vocal cord palsy. Couldn't say yes definitely, but the doctors did anyway.

As my lovely return readers will know, he hasn't shut up for months.  Every morning me and him have a chat before I go to work.  We've since come to realise that he was simply inflamed during his camera down the throat procedure, but the hospital was too rushed for time with a back log of patient procedures.  So they came to a conclusion quickly to save time that it wasn't inflamation but the palsy.

They sent him back to his room too fast and due to his inflammation, his breathing was constricted and he almost stopped for good.  That was our scariest day, where we almost lost him.

But, thats all a nasty memory.  A time we'll look back on to see how lucky we are to have our little boy.

But this post isn't about a whinge fest.  It's about something more important.

I am happy to say that after all these months..

HE'S FINALLY OFF HIS OXYGEN!!

And aren't we two happy parents!  We finally have our son back.  His face is no longer covered by plastic tubing specs. We no longer will trip over annoying cords or worry about snagging him or hurting his neck when the cord gets stuck.

He's been a trooper through it all though.  Hardly cries with it on his face.  Loved playing with it, loved sticking it in his mouth.  He's been a really good boy and never stops smiling or laughing.  I don't think it ever really bothered him..

The worst time I've ever had was being in the children's hospital around sick babies with tubes down their throats or with heart conditions.

It's terrible, but eventually it will be ok.

If you know a parent going through a similar time in their life, let them know you're there for them and it will be ok too.


So, my little lion cub is off his oxygen.  We love it.  But FYI, he still has it on during the night, only on the extreme lowest setting.  That doesn't annoy us or him though.  He sleeps, we put it on his face.  He wakes in the morning, we take it off.  It's like it was never there.

Look out world, here comes my boy!

- tork

10 Things You'd Hate About Me

I was tagged over at Tattoo Mummy to share 10 things about me that you'd hate.  I don't often get so personal, but I know you really want to know!

1.  I have smooth hands. Women are jealous. I don't why. They hate that too.

2. I can serve a tennis ball at around 200kph.

3. I have a vertical leap of 64cm. I once jumped over a small car.

4. My fastest time for the 100m sprint was 11.75, about 2 seconds slower than the world record. (showoff)

5. My first car was given to me, and no, it wasn't a shitbox.

6. I've been to Paris and seen the Mona Lisa.

7. I've been to London, travelled to Stonehenge and stood in the middle of it.

8. I often win "In 25 words or less" competitions, but am too lazy to enter them.

9. I never pay for a professional massage.

10. My son is cutest thing you will actually ever see.

:-)

Now to pass the buck! Here are some people that I'd like to know about:

Finding Ones Way
Raising Amelie
Tbaoo
Nappy Daze
Sweepy Jean

They Grow Up So Fast

It's amazing.

Already my little tacker is on his belly, looking around, rolling around. Each day he looks different. Each day he laughs just that little harder.  Man, he is growing up so fast.

He's at a great age.  Old enough to react to you but not old enough to answer back.

And cute as hell.

But I am looking forward to so many more things.

I'm looking forward to showing him things that I didn't have growing up.  Movies like Star Wars (shown in the order god intended), The Matrix, Lord of the Rings.  Other things like online gaming, cars for toddlers, talking Alf doll (I really wanted one, eventually bought one for $1, but it didn't work :( hehehe).

This is a problem I've found though.  A lot of parents that can't wait until they grow up.  Yeah, I am one of them, but I also can't wait until I get home each day.  Can't wait until I get to do with him all the things he's doing now.
His latest tricks is to lay on his belly, lift his head and turn it to look at you behind him.

It's these little things that people sometimes forget.  It's great to look forward to things, but it's better enjoying him being a baby.

:-)

Lord knows he won't be this adorable for the rest of his life!

- tork

Snip The Tip - An Emergency at Home of sorts

The trouble with going to work and leaving baby at home with mum is that you aren't around if anything bad happens.  As dad, you think every now and then about how far away you are from home in an emergency.


"Ring-Ring" goes my phone.

"Yep, what's wrong" I say to my wife, a usual answer I give other than hello, especially when I'm busy and stressed with work.

"Argh!  I cut off his thumb" cries my wife.

"What the crap?!  What happened"

"Well," starts my wife "I was cutting his finger nails and there's blood.."

"Good God! Is he ok?  Do we need to go to hospital?  Is it his thumb you've actually cut off?"

"No, not his thumb" she sobs "It's just the skin off the top.  He's just crying and there's blood"

"Phew!" I say with relief "I thought his whole thumb was hurt"

"I'm a bad mum, I hurt my boy" cries my wife.

"No, don't be silly.  Every mum has probably done it by now.  I'm surprised you've lasted this long!"


This is what I dealt with, being away from home and thinking for about 5 seconds he was hurt badly. Wish I could always be around, but money has to be made. This is what dad's have to go through.

I thought it was gone!  Thought he'd never be able to do any gaming against his old man!  (Yes this was actually one of my thoughts)

It's all good though, no damage done.

But remember mums, when there is the teeniest tiniest bit of blood that appears on the top of any of the phalanges (aka. fingers), settle down, remember you aren't a bad mum, then call your husband and laugh about what has happened.

:-)

She makes me laugh that wife of mine sometimes hehehehe

- tork

The Oxygen Test. Do We Finally Disconnect My Son?

My boy has had his oxygen test to see whether it is time to come off it or not.

My wife and I sat by his bedside throughout the night, with him attached to a device called an Oximetry machine.  This Oximetry device sounds daunting, but it is simply a electronic strap to his foot that measures his heart rate and oxygen levels in his blood.

So, we sat through the night, watching him sleep and recording any time he moves.  This is because movement affects readings. Whenever he moves, the number would drop and give a false reading, hence why we stayed up all night.

My wife took the first few hours whilst I slept. I had the second shift.

Time for my shift and I was dreading staying awake. I had our portable DVD player good to go and watched quality shows like Little Britain LIVE and then Zombie Strippers. Both fantastic films and highly recommended for other fathers.

Got through the night fine with one feed for baby and one large mug of coffee.  Ten hour test done, and he did really well.

Our next important day was our visit to his doctors regarding the test. We were both looking forward to getting him off his oxygen.

However..

:-(

He is still on his oxygen.

Mother bleep.

He has, however, confirmed by the doctor, had a fantastic test and now looks and sounds like a normal baby!

Awesome!

He still is on his oxygen but at a rate of release that is more than half less of what it originally was. They're just taking baby steps, just in case.

Meanwhile, the wee whipper-snapper is doing fantastic.  All he wants to do is stand on your lap and roll over in his cot.  Not bad for under 5 months.

He did however turn over on his belly in his sleep.  Our latest and more normal problem to worry about! Hehehe.

Now we have hopefully just one more Oximetry test left and we can take the tubes off his face.

But until then we are doing a test that is more fun. Solids.

I love watching the expression he makes on his face whilst eating it. I think the scientific name for it is "What the fuck is THAT?"

:-)

- tork

My Surprise on Fathers Day

It's my first fathers day.

:-)

I am excited.

Not sure why, perhaps it is because it cements the fact that I am actually a father.  I know I am a dad, but things really do take a while to sink in.

After months of nappy changes and dealing with the usual wife nagging (hehehe), it kind of slips your mind that you're now a father and responsible for a little human person for the rest of his life.

Anyway, its my first official fathers day and I'm looking forward to a day of BBQing just because I can, watching as much sport as possible and installing curtains in the house.

Food, sport, handyman work.  Looking forward to it.

Happy Fathers day to all the dads.  Make sure you tell your own dad to have a great day.

So what was my surprise for father's day?  I got the usual socks and jocks that I assume to keep getting over the years, but I also received this gem.  I love it with my whole heart!

Thanks wife! Surprised he sat still long enough to do this! :-)

Ahhh technology, this post was created sitting in bed on this lovely man day hehehe.  Think I better get up and cook me some eggs!

- tork

6 Blogs That Interest Me

Is it only bloggers that read other blogs?  I hope not.  We may be leaning towards a way of blogging life that all our readers are bloggers themselves.

I hope not.  I hope that there is enough interest and entertainment to be found by those that don't blog.  So, it got me thinking.

Why not make a list of blogs that I find the most intriguing.  That I find inspiring.

I am putting myself in the eyes of a non-blogger and making a list.  I'm sure to upset a few bloggy friends with this, so I hope you understand of you're one of them!

In no particular order, here are a few blogs that inspire me to visit:

Random Ramblings of a Stay at Home Mum

It takes great strength to lose the love of your life.  When Lori lost her husband, she kept on writing.  She writes and you want to read.  Although I don't often visit, I know her story.  I know her story through all her friends that posted well wishes for her.

If I were a non-blogger, I would keep coming back to catch up, to read and to feed from her amazing strength and heartfelt story.  I wish her all the best for her and her family..

Extra Large as Life

Natalie is a sweetheart.  She puts herself out there via her blog.

Now, I'm not into fashion and all that jazz, but some of the photos she puts up are great. Certainly she makes you think about image.  She's empowering to put herself out there and give you confidence.  I wish I could put my self out for the world to see as she does.

If I weren't a blogger, I'd still pop in and see she's got going on.  Always got something interesting going on.

Living with Food Allergies and Celiac Disease

Mary has a blog all about her daughter, diagnosed with food allergies and Celiac disease.  This is a site that wouldn't necessarily interest me, as it discusses preparing foods for those with allergies.  But, she's much more than that.

She lets you into her family's life, her daughter's life.  The good times and the bad.  I can relate with my boy's health issues.  If I weren't a blogger, I'd still go and visit.  She's just too nice not to say hey to every once and a while. :-)  And I wish her and her family all the best.

One day I might even try making one of her dishes...!

Concept Ships

Are you kidding me?  These are some of the most amazing sci-fi pictures I have ever seen.  Simply amazing.

I stumbled across this site even before I was a blogger.  It is fantastic seeing all these original pictures of spacecraft.  It inspires me to live for thousands of years so I might one day see some of them.  Now to just find that dang fountain of youth.

Today I Found Out

Today I Found Out that the popsicle was invented by an 11 year old!  This blog teaches you odd things that you otherwise might not have known.  Strange things.  I love this sort of crap :-)

Recently I learnt that around 400 years ago there was a weapon that appeared between the invention of the cannon and the firearm.  It was a hand cannon.  How awesome is that!  Well, I think it is.  Learning little trinkets of info like this is something I find exciting.  Not so much an inspiring blog, but my thirst for these trinkets every now and then gets me going!

Worth1000

I want to try and be more creative.  Worth1000 is all about creativity.  A place I really should visit more often whenever I think I am out of ideas for anything, blogging or not blogging.  Awesome photos, awesome ideas, awesome site.


Well, there you have it.  A list of blogs, all different in their own ways.  All inspiring in their own ways.  Perhaps a few new ones that you never even heard of!

- tork

My First Official Fathers Day Draws Near

(c) Torkona

My boy isn't one year old yet, so I am yet to have experienced an official Father's day.  I have already celebrated it once though.

Before I finally became a Dad, my wife was around a month or so pregnant.

After around a year of trying to get pregnant, I was sitting on my couch at home.  Let me rephrase that, laying on my couch (trying for a year or longer is like going into the desert without water, it drains you if you don't rest and replenish with fliuds).

But enough of the disturbing images, it was Fathers day last year when my wife finally had a pregnancy test that returned a positive result.

Best Fathers day ever.

But, that was an unofficial one, so I am looking forward to my real one.  Am I looking forward to perhaps a day off?  Going down the local golf course for a hit of golf with the lads perhaps?  Off to a local unnamed monopolistic hardware store to purchase some new toys maybe?

Pfft..  I'm spending it with my boy.  I don't want presents, I don't want any gifts.  Well, they would be fantastic actually, I would like some more plants for my gardening, but thats not what I want Father's day to be all about.

I want Father's day to be all about the BBQ

Maybe not for this Father's day, as my wife and I are completely exhausted after the last few weeks.  But eventually, I want just BBQs either at home or out and about.  Gifts & hugs are what the chicks do.

Men!  We cook meat!  Red meat.  And we burn it.

Yes!

Then we kick the footy or play some cricket.  Perhaps turn on the computers and fight mighty online battles against each other.

I really am looking towards the future too much though.  I think I am just a wee bit excited.

Until he grows older, for now, I guess I am just looking forward to sitting on that couch again and remembering my last Father's day and realizing how far we've come.  From sitting on my couch exhausted, but relieved to sitting on my couch a year later exhausted...

..but watching my boy talking and rolling over all round our lounge room floor.

Yep, can't wait for that.  But if the wife really wants to get me that Bunnings voucher, I wouldn't turn a blind eye to it ;-)

- tork

Remember Those Days

Dad Poem - from the words of a Father

It has been tough, life, sometimes.
You look back on days past and remember days that were care free.
Days where you could take the long walk home, away from the beaten path.
Days where you smelt the air without a waft of car fumes.
I remember those days well.

Now, as time goes by, as the days age to where you age,
Bills mount high and nappies rise higher.
Stress exists where it should not.
You realise you need to let go.
You realise you need to remember those days that were care free.

Where days were lost in adventures amongst the hillside.
And nights were toasted until the morning ended them.
Where heart to hearts were talked if days like these would ever exist.
Whether you'd have those that love you around you.
With a family that is yours around you.

When stress gets you down, remember those days.
That is who you were and who you still are.
You forget where you've been when you lose where you are.
Remember to turn around and look at where you've been.
But remember to turn back around to where you are going.

- Torkona


This was inspired by Jessica at Finding One's Way, where she amazed me with her Thursday Dedication to me in March this year. (no, I hadn't forgotten)

I turned around and looked at where I've been with this blog of mine. Whenever I want to stop blogging, I remember Jess's post.  It reminds me that I may not have the worlds largest amount of followers, but I sure do have some of the best.  Just like you, right now, that managed to get themselves all the way down to this sentence in the post.  You're awesome and you're one of the reasons why I keep blogging.

Now I can turn back around and face forwards and see where this strange dad blog is going to take us :-)

- tork