June 2014

  Have a crack at our quiz (or if you’re feeling brave, you might ask the wife or kids to take it!) And see where you rate. Which is it – dad, dud, or somewhere in between? 1. The 3-year-old has been potty training for weeks. When he finally puts…

Richmonder Michael Robinson's journey to the pinnacle of professional football began when he was five. From then on, he found himself on a team striving for excellence. The standout student and athlete thrived at Varina High School and Penn State and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 2006.…

Remember when Mountain Dew was considered the bad boy of the soft drink world? That harmless, albeit toxic-looking soda was first introduced in the forties as a mixer for cocktails and marketed with the slogan, “It'll tickle yore innards!” Mountain Dew had a whopping 54 mg of caffeine, compared to…

I almost always enjoy writing, but there are times when I really appreciate being a journalist. Case in point: the dedication of Walt Disney World Resort’s newest roller coaster, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Late last month, I was one of about two hundred fifty journalists who had the opportunity…

A few weeks ago my father entrusted me with some old computer hard drives that had been damaged in a power surge. They contained his collection of family photos and videos, curated over many years. Fortunately, the data was intact, and I’ve taken a nerdy delight in restoring his cache…

Whether or not it was part of an effort to process the trauma, our youngest daughter, Lindsey, drew an absolutely stunning picture of the ostrich that attacked her mother. On our last family camping adventure, the highly anticipated day trip was a visit to Virginia Safari Park in Natural Bridge.…

No, that’s not a typo and no, I’m not running that late. That greeting is for all of those moms who missed celebrating the day with their children because they were so busy surfing their timelines, seeing what their “friends” wanted them to see from their own celebrations. While we…

As a father of three under nine (eight, seven, and three for the record) you could say there are few, if any, dull moments in our household. I work fulltime while my wife, Jamie, who just got her degree in December looks for a job. She currently stays at home…

What makes you – you? Explore your identity by creating a silhouette of your outward image filled with pictures that reflect who you truly are on the inside.   What you need: • Two sheets of construction paper, one white and one black • A bright light source • Masking…

Beef Yakitori To make the marinade, combine ½ cup mirin (sweet rice wine), ½ cup low sodium soy sauce, ½ cup chicken broth, 1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger, and 1 pressed garlic clove in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 minute. Pour the marinade into…

I remember my childhood summers as a time of nonstop action. Whether I was setting up a lemonade stand at our neighborhood roller skating rink (otherwise known as Mrs. Swanson’s driveway) or inviting my friends over to run in the sprinklers (don’t judge, it was the eighties), we had a…

Cats and dogs are naturally curious creatures. This curiosity, however, can sometimes get them into trouble. According to the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center, nearly 180,000 cases of possible poison exposure were handled in 2013. Items that can be toxic to your pet can seem fairly benign to us: garlic,…

“The day we found out Lauryn’s diagnosis, it was like having a nightmare.” That’s how Lauryn’s father, Richard Lewis, explains how he felt when his family heard that the swollen lymph node on his daughter’s neck was cancer. On that day, the Lewises began a journey no parent ever wants…

Small businesses and home-based startups have this in common: the desire for success. Whether entrepreneurs seek big business profits or a little extra cash, certain basics apply, including business organization, documentation, and financial planning. Every business, even one organized and held by one person, merits a written budget – a…

There are 80 million reasons gerontologists do what they do. That's how many baby boomers began turning sixty-five in 2011. Gerontology is the study of aging that employs a holistic approach to evaluate the biological, psychological, sociological, and spiritual impact on individuals. As gerontologists, we understand that each of these…

Q: I admit it, playdates at my house drive me crazy. I try to leave the kids alone, but every time I listen in, an older neighbor kid is consistently making all the decisions and calling all the shots. How can I help my kids be more proactive in their…