All my life, my father has regaled me with stories about moments during my childhood where his role as a father truly hit home.
One of the stories I remember most vividly (which means he remembers it most vividly) involves a hot dog, an upset belly, puke in a new car, and dad catching all of [...]

At some point over the last few weeks, I discovered that a great way to distract L while I putting on her socks and shoes was to let her play with my wallet.
Time and time again, she’d sit quietly and investigate the thing, pulling out all of my plastic (only two credit cards, thank you [...]

As a work-at-home dad, I’m always battling a multitude of distractions. Some days, it’s baseball. Other days, it’s “Hellcats.” Still other days, it might be a fresh batch of Powergirl’s famous chocolate chip cookies.
One distraction that’s always here: my baby girl.
It feels strange referring to L as a “distraction,” but from an impartial, professional perspective, [...]

In the olden days, back when L was nothing more than a cute little sedentary lump of carbon, days on the town were pretty easy. Because she didn’t actually do much, Powergirl and I didn’t have to deviate from our usual strategy of schlepping all over the place (hey, I’m a travel writer, what do [...]

Just a few days shy of her 16-month birthday, L’s vocabulary continues to grow at breakneck speed. Today, for instance, while out at our favorite restaurant, she looked up at a wreath on the wall and said, “Wreath.” How the kid learned that one, I have no clue.
Interestingly, though, one of the problems she’s having [...]

L’s first experience with the toddler reading group at one of our local public libraries ended almost as quickly as it began today; after ten awkward minutes, the kid bolted for the playground and the front door.
She wasn’t the only Villano who had had enough. As the only dad in a crowd of, oh, 20 [...]

It was with great joy that Powergirl and I welcomed Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain Goldfish into L’s diet this weekend.
Then we remembered why we banned fish from this house long ago: the things are addicting.
I can’t actually estimate how many of them I’ve eaten since we introduced them with L’s lunch on Saturday. Suffice it [...]

As parents, we could spend thousands of dollars on toys to keep our kids happy and occupied every year.
We also could simply let them make their own fun.
I’ve learned this lesson the hard way over the last two weeks. A plastic pig and tiny basketball from the local toy store are collecting dust in L’s [...]

At the ripe old age of 34, I’m starting to feel like a curmudgeon.
Today’s target: Another one of those parents who are such wild sloths that they simply can’t be bothered reining in their kids when the kids are invading others’ space.
Case in point: The scene this morning at our favorite local greasy spoon.
L and [...]

A flier from Babies ‘R’ Us today informed me that September is Child Safety Month. Fitting, then, that I spent Wednesday night in an emotional tailspin over the notion that I’m occasionally the one who puts little L in the greatest danger.
No, there were no calls to the Kaiser advice nurse. Nobody fell off any [...]