http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/?cxntfid=blogs_fatherhood Trib staffer Nathan Wade shares his experiences as a single father of an adopted child.If you you use an RSS reader, here is the feed for Fatherhood: XML. en-us pending replacement 2008-08-08T07:49:49-06:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Trib staffer Nathan Wade shares his experiences as a single father of an adopted child.If you you use an RSS reader, here is the feed for Fatherhood: XML. Today is my last day working at the Tribune-Herald, and so this will be my final blog post. For the last month I’ve been applying and interviewing for teaching positions around Central Texas. Yesterday, I was offered a position in... http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/entries/2008/08/08/hail_and_farewell.html?cxntfid=blogs_fatherhood Today is my last day working at the Tribune-Herald, and so this will be my final blog post. For the last month I’ve been applying and interviewing for teaching positions around Central Texas. Yesterday, I was offered a position in... 5863603@http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/ 2008-08-08T07:49:49-06:00 http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/entries/2008/08/07/a_smile_to_brighten_a_cloudy_d.html?cxntfid=blogs_fatherhood I can usually count on Sam to brighten my mood when I pick him up from daycare after a tough day at work. When I arrive at his classroom door and call his name, he usually turns around and his... 5831703@http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/ 2008-08-07T07:51:56-06:00 http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/entries/2008/08/06/making_the_move_to_swipe_a_wip.html?cxntfid=blogs_fatherhood More on the continuing saga of when will Sam be ready for toilet training: Lately, I have a new way of knowing when Sam has dirtied a diaper. After making the deposit, he finds a piece of paper, a tissue,... 5798803@http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/ 2008-08-06T07:44:19-06:00 http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/entries/2008/08/05/suddenly_crayons.html?cxntfid=blogs_fatherhood Suddenly Sam is very interested in crayons. He likes to open his coloring book and lay all of his crayons out on a page, in nice rows. Then he puts the crayons back in the box. You may notice that... 5764003@http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/ 2008-08-05T07:45:55-06:00 http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/entries/2008/08/04/does_it_sparkle_does_it_jingle.html?cxntfid=blogs_fatherhood Sam had a very entertaining weekend, all without playing with “real” toys. It all started Friday evening when I unearthed an old “treasure chest” in a closet. This was a lunch box, painted gold with fake gemstones glued on it,... 5733403@http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/ 2008-08-04T08:07:58-06:00 http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/entries/2008/08/01/preparing_for_a_birthday.html?cxntfid=blogs_fatherhood Sam’s birthday is fast approaching. It comes in less than two weeks. He turns 2 on Aug. 14. Since the concept of age and birthdays is pretty meaningless to him now, I’m planning for a small affair. I don’t see... 5677003@http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/ 2008-08-01T07:54:13-06:00 http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/entries/2008/07/31/cleaning_up_messes_as_long_as.html?cxntfid=blogs_fatherhood Sam hates a mess. I should categorize that by saying he hates a liquid mess. He’s perfectly content to have toys strewn all over our living room. But spill liquid and the boy turns into a dedicated cleaner. Last night... 5647903@http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/ 2008-07-31T07:55:59-06:00 http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/entries/2008/07/30/getting_down_to_business.html?cxntfid=blogs_fatherhood One of Sam’s favorite phrases right now is “Get down.” At first it was hard to understand, because it doesn’t sound quite right, but as I’ve gotten used to it, I hear it more and more. He says it when... 5615603@http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/ 2008-07-30T08:14:45-06:00 http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/entries/2008/07/29/hangers_are_happenin.html?cxntfid=blogs_fatherhood I have a system for laundry that has worked well for me for more than 15 years now: I do it every other weekend. I have more than two weeks of options for every layer of clothing I wear, and... 5552703@http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/ 2008-07-29T08:00:45-06:00 http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/entries/2008/07/28/memories_and_anniversaries.html?cxntfid=blogs_fatherhood Today is my first anniversary with Sam. It was one year ago today that Elena, his foster mother, brought him to the Marriott in Guatemala City for my weekend visit. He stayed with me for two precious days, and then... 5551003@http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/ 2008-07-28T08:00:06-06:00 http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/entries/2008/07/25/pink_highlighter_in_hand_ready.html?cxntfid=blogs_fatherhood My father introduced Sam to the wonders of a pink highlighter last weekend. They used it to mark on paper and on balloons. Up until that point, I don’t think Sam knew it had a cap, that the cap came... 5507603@http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/ 2008-07-25T07:57:59-06:00 http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/entries/2008/07/24/cry_cry_cry.html?cxntfid=blogs_fatherhood For some unknown reason, Sam’s mood changed to tears just as I was about to put supper on the table last night. He was laughing and playing with his riding bulldozer while I was finishing up our meal of hot... 5480603@http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/ 2008-07-24T08:19:27-06:00 http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/entries/2008/07/23/the_tower_of_babble.html?cxntfid=blogs_fatherhood Like the people in the Old Testament story of Babel, my son is now very interested in building towers. His, however, have little hope of reaching the heavens. I got out an old set of wooden blocks of various shapes... 5451903@http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/ 2008-07-23T08:03:03-06:00 http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/entries/2008/07/22/watching_mickey_mouse_clubhous.html?cxntfid=blogs_fatherhood In the world of little kids cartoons, I can stand Mickey Mouse. I can’t stand Barney. And so I’ve begun changing the channel to the “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” when I know Barney is about to come on PBS. Mickey, of... 5398503@http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/ 2008-07-22T08:00:00-06:00 http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/entries/2008/07/21/a_warm_bath_with_the_cat.html?cxntfid=blogs_fatherhood Saturday night, Sam had an unexpected guest in the bathtub: Socks the kitten. I think it all started because my parents were visiting. Because they wanted to spend as much time as possible with Sam, they gathered around the tub... 5383603@http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/fatherhood/ 2008-07-21T07:58:07-06:00