There’s no doubt that reading has an outsized impact on brain development and intellectual growth. My parents are both educated, and they made a point to try to cultivate this love of reading in my life growing up. I’m not sure when they instituted “reading time,” but it was early enough that it stands out as a hallmark of my childhood.

The concept of “reading time” was simple enough. Each evening, after dinner and before bed, the house would be quiet and we’d all spend time reading a book. We normally did this in our rooms, and I think that it was usually for about half an hour.

As with most things that parents try to teach their kids, it took some time for those seeds to be ready to harvest. I did read in college, but not nearly as much as I should have. I graduated and thankfully, we don’t need to pay for classes in order to keep learning; the library is free!

I’m on my way back to integrating reading into my daily life. It’s a challenge because I have about four hours a day when I’m awake and the kids are asleep. Two of those hours are in the evening. That means that I have an hour to spend with Alison and an hour to read. I’ve found that on the nights where I read in the hour immediately before bed, I have no trouble falling asleep and have generally a good quality of sleep.

There’s something else that’s really great about reading. There’s no better way to spend your time than quietly working your way through a book. Plus, the feeling when you pass page 100 is always amazing! I never walk away from a period of reading feeling depressed or despondent. In fact, even if the book isn’t particularly uplifting, I feel satisfied with how I spent my time.

What you consume affects your wellness. By choosing to read instead of lazily surfing the internet or looking at my phone while “watching” TV, I end up in a better place emotionally and intellectually.

I love financial books, military history, and espionage stories. Read what you love and enjoy the lasting benefits of having invested your time in improving yourself.

My preferred mode of transportation used to be commercial aviation. I’m a pilot myself, and the joy of getting on an airplane and hours later arriving at my destination was thrilling. I loved every bit of it.

I’m not sure what changed, perhaps simply getting older, but traveling by air is now a huge inconvenience. It’s fast, but cumbersome. Before even leaving for the airport, you have to pack your bags and hope that they don’t cross the 50 pound threshold for added fees. Then there’s the logistical planning of getting to the airport on time to clear security, the inevitable flight delays, and the uncomfortable seats. Sure, there are more expensive seats available for purchase, but at the end of the day, it’s economically less efficient. We’re all going to the same place, and on domestic flights, it’s barely worth it for the steep mark-up.

I’m a Southwest Airlines fan, but despite their friendly attitude, which has soured a bit since their merger with AirTran, I’ve found a new preferred way to travel: road trips.

Of course, if it was just me flying, I might have a slightly different perspective. Who wants to get in a car and drive across the country alone? Small children and their needs are dictating how I like to travel, but there’s something distinctly American about loading up your family in you van, packing whatever you want because it all fits, and driving to your destination. No approvals, no paperwork, no passport, no timetable. Leave when you want, arrive when you want. Hungry, thirsty, or need a break? Just pull over at the next stop and hop out! Plus, driving is ridiculously economical.

We’re getting ready to take our family summer vacation to Michigan. This is a road trip that I’ve been looking forward to for weeks. We’ve begun to gather car activities for the children and soon will start procuring supplies. I have a detailed plan for getting the van ready to hit the road. The excitement is building and the kids are really getting into it.

There will come a day when I look forward to flying commercially again as my default means of travel. That day is not today. So, until then, I’ll look forward to our family adventures on the open road as we travel across America and explore our incredible nation.

I started a Books page the other day to track the list of books that I’ve read. I do this already in Goodreads, but I wanted a place on my website to store this data, too. After reading a book, I’m also going to write up a quick review and link to those reviews on the page.

I left Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram a few months ago. My retreat from the digital world to exclusively using my own domain was the result of many things. The availability, ease of use, development, and robustness of Micro.blog made this transition easier than I thought.

The corporate internet isn’t fun anymore. By “corporate,” I mean the mega-websites and mega-social networks. Remember when you used to rush home after class and log on and see what your friends were up to? You’d see an ad here or there, but mostly it was just content that you wanted to see. Friends updating on their activities, a few pictures, it was great. There was a sense of wonder and discovery. The timeline of today has little relation to the timeline of seven years ago. It’s all ads, many of which are being pushed by your “friends,” and reposted content that offers little substance. It’s not an exchange of ideas, its an onslaught of time-wasters. The networks have piled on “features” that weigh heavily on the user experience.

The negativity was getting to me. Twitter is by far the worst offender, but any website that has a comment section is equally guilty. I don’t know who these people are (many are not even people at all) who seem to have endless blocks of time to spew the most inane and random commentary into the internet. Even some of the original content is filled with depressing themes, and hopelessness. Regardless of how bad things get, I’m still filled with American optimism that things will get better. The future is bright because we all still have within us innate goodness, and our brains crave community.

You are what you read. As I return more deeply to my love of reading, I’ve noticed a change in me. I have more headspace, fewer things bother me throughout the day, and I feel a greater sense of fulfillment. That’s because when I read a book instead of reading a timeline, I’m expanding my horizons and exercising my mind. I can learn about literally anything in the known universe that interests me. I’ve even found myself watching a lot less Netflix, and I’m better for it.

I’ll do my best to get people to join me in leaving social media. It was great at the beginning, but today is only a shell of its former self. There are better ways to spend your life. And if you still want to have a place to share your thoughts, adventures, and pictures, pick up a domain name and join me on Micro.blog.

Alison suggested that we read some parenting books to help us as our kids begin to come into their own. It was a brilliant suggestion. Everything that they’re doing is coming into focus and now I have more constructive ways to respond.

Another great adventure at our outstanding zoo. We’re so lucky to have a great variety of species in such a small market

In a culture that celebrates being “busy,” it can be hard to quit. I’m now in my third year as a stay-at-home dad. When I first started, Benedict was just six months old. He slept most of the day, and so I had to find things to occupy my time. I did some freelance web design work and blogging, and my schedule was mostly my own.

Then came Felicity. And now, Lucy. In a few blinks of an eye, I have three kids in my charge and Benedict is up and ready for action nearly 12 hours a day.

I didn’t adapt to this disruption very well. I kept taking on the needs of the kids and adding them to my project to-dos. My Things library was constantly full of late and overdue items. I was behind on cleaning and home maintenance tasks. All of the time that Alison spent at home, I used to try to get caught back up. I never quite made it. In all of this, I noticed how I was getting more agitated. I was struggling to put my priorities in the proper place and struggling to get done what I set out to do.

It’s time for me to press pause. I’ve mothballed all of my projects and now am singularly focused on my primary job: stay-at-home dad.

While this life may seem easy or glamorous, it comes with many of the same challenges that parents in the workforce face. In-depth planning, focus, and patience are all part of the job. There’s also an element of social isolation. There are lots of dads like me out in America, but we haven’t organized and the moms aren’t sure they want us to be a part of their groups. It’s not miserable, but group activities once in a while could be fun.

By walking away from commitments to myself that I can break, I know that I’m walking towards being a better dad. There’s nothing wrong with leaving the workforce to take care of your own children. Seeking the applause of your peers as you climb in your career will only lead to sadness. Doing anything for the sole purpose of gaining praise is a mistake. I’m not ashamed that my full-time job is to cook, clean, and raise my kids. So when people ask me what I do, I’ll tell them with a smile, “I’m a stay-at-home dad.”

Thinking about my niece this morning. St. Maddux, pray for us!🌹

Nothing feels quite as good as a clean slate.

Reusing baby clothes really only works if you hit the gender and seasons jussssssst right.

You’ve Got Mail is a fantastic movie. Still great all these years later