Trip to the Library!

This is how our trip to the library went.

As soon as we crossed the threshold of the computer lab... Frankie shit his pants.

I can only imagine how the other lab patron felt. If I had known how our trip to the library was going to turn out like this, we wouldn't have gone. But I thought... (famous last words right?) thought I had a plan. Everyone has a plan until your toddler shits his pants.

Planning

You know, if you google “Planning activities to keep toddlers busy,” all that comes up is ideas for highly interactive and dirty activities. Anything from making your own play dough to something called a paper explosion. And there's next to nothing in way of tips to help me get work done.

When I planned our day, I took this into account. I also took into account that a trip to the library to watch dad work at what is normally dinner time... was way out of our normal routine. And kids love routines. Especially mine. So I hatched a plan. I tried to bring things that would create a safe and still exciting space for the kiddos. Crayons, activity books, DVDs, two toys each... The perfect plan.

I even took the environment into account. The night before our excursion, I checked to see if we'd be alone in the lab. The librarian said we would. So, I had hoped TJ and Frankie could draw, color or watch a DVD on my lap top, while I edited on the community Mac station.

Unfortunately, when we entered the library, I noticed someone else was using the room. “Great,” I thought. And for a moment I thought about just walking out. But, I had to get some stuff done. So we pressed on. We should have just left. You see I never planned for someone else to be in the lab with us. The activities I could have used to temper my children's energy were rendered invalid. Because I am often loud and distracting, every trick in my dad handbook goes out the window.

What you are left with is me working with one eye on the computer and the other on the kids. I was passing out shushing and “ looks” like Magic Johnson dished out basketballs in his prime.

So naturally, after 45 minutes... I realized I wasn't going to win. Kids are kids. They aren't supposed to worry about other people working in a library. Maybe next time they will have a higher level of understanding...

 Until then, I'll be going solo.  

Chocolate Graham Crackers

They're chocolate graham crackers...

for Pete's sake!

I will never understand other people. And by other people, I not only mean the jimmy's and the joe's we work with... I mean my own children.

Just today, I offered my oldest TJ some chocolate Teddy Grahams. He politely declined.

What?

If the offer had been for M&M's, Oreo's or anything with the word “cookie” in it, best believe the answer would have been yes.

So why does he not want these tasty Chocolate Teddy Graham crackers?

The child's mind is a fickle thing.

Frank Martin - Portfolio Reel

Go here for some tasty treats

Martin and Sons Media

Isht Just Got Real

My Diary

04-11-15

S#$t Just Got Real

My name is Robert Frank Martin. My friends call me Frankie.

I am 38 years old. Married with 2 kids. Both boys. College Graduate. Member of the work force since 1993.

Yesterday I did something stupid. I quit my job. (Yes, but that's not important right now. I'll go into the particulars of that in a later blog.)

If this was a movie about my midlife crisis. You'd be in the front row.

So... yeah..., as of today I am 38 years old. Married with 2 kids. College graduate. Un-employed.

Why did I do it? As I said earlier we can go into the particulars some other time. The only thing that is important, is that I made the decision because I was extremely un-happy. With every aspect of my life. When I take stock, nothing in my life made me happy. It's all on the wrong side of the ledger...

My health, Money, Debt, Fitness, Our Home, My Marriage, My Kids, and anything I can't think of right now. Nothing makes me happy.

The last two are what worried me though. Here's the deal, I love my wife and children more than anything in this world. That's not hyperbole. They are the reason I live where I live, (used to) work where I work, and do pretty much anything else. But lately, I have grown to resent that I give up so much for them. It's not their fault. This is the bed I made. The truth is, if I had had this epiphany twenty years ago I might not have been in this situation. But I was young and dumb then.

Now I am just old and dumb.

I can't get up in the morning without feeling exhausted. I get up early because either the kids are up and yelling at my wife or me or, I have to be at work extremely early.

While I try to get ready for work, I make breakfast for the kids, (just coffee for me) help the kids get dressed and ready for their day. Normal stuff right? Well, not if my wife is sleeping at the time, then I just get plain mad. Even though I know she's just as tired, from working late the night before until 11pm, I resent the fact I am not lying in bed.

By the time my running around is done, the kids are in front of a TV, My wife is dragging herself out of bed, and I am somehow dressed and ready to leave for work.

Quality time spent with children = approximately 5 minutes.

That's just the first hour of my day. I know everyone goes through something similar. It just makes me miserable.

So I decided to write about it. I am not a good writer. I just have been doing it in some form or another since my freshman year of college. It's always been therapeutic for me. So, I am hoping it can help me now.

This blog won't be about “the right way to raise kids, have a career and babies, or cultivate a marriage.

Like I learned most of the lessons in my life... It will be about a way “not to do things.”

Use these passages to judge what is right or wrong for yourself. But no matter what you are going through. Know you re never alone. There are others who are just as miserable.

Pac-12 Networks

Some of my work form the Pac-12 Network

Dish Network

Dish let me have some fun with this one...

It's our take on a training video.

Have fun

TJ Awesome