I just wanted to say Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers around the world. I realize that at times that not only, us fathers but the kids may not give you the props you deserve or tell you that we appreciate you but we do. I believe we should show our appreciation more than just one day or weekend out of the year.

Special Mother’s Day shoutout to my wife, I love you so much. You have always held it down through the thick and thin, when things was bad and when the kids fight all the time. Not only that, but you’re my best friend and always can come and talk with you about anything and you know exactly what to say. So baby from myself and the kids, Happy Mother’s Day and we love you.

Now onto the other important woman in my life, my mother, whom I act so much alike. Words can never be enough to let you know how much you mean to me. I just remember all the times growing up where you would go without for my sister and I could have everything we wanted and never once I heard you complaining. I guess that is where I get that also, because just like you, I’m happy as long as people around me are happy. While I’m at it, I want to say Happy Mother’s Day to both of my grandmothers, one who is still living and the other passed away 2 days after Christmas in 2003. Both are very important in my life and still continue to be.

If you follow sports and specifically football you know about the news of Junior Seau committing suicide, by shooting himself in the chest, not before texting his ex-wife and kids saying “I Love You”. I’ve been watching football since I was around 7 or 8 years old, I also began collecting sports cards and he immediately was one of my all time favorites. I remember having his rookie cards and most of them after that, along with alot of other football players. Almost 2 years ago my best friend passed away and he was a big fan of his, to the point that he wore #55 on the football field.

The big issue here is the concussions having major issues to former players who were in the league. Recently we’ve had former Bears defensive star Dave Duerson also shooting himself in the chest also, but he sends a text telling his family to have his brain researched. Months later neurologists confirmed he suffered from a neurodegenerative disease linked to concussions. Symptoms can vary but according to Children’s Hospital Colorado Orthopedics Institute, there are some immediate signs including:

-A headache that gets worse, lasts for a long time or is severe

-Confusion, extreme sleepiness or trouble waking up

-Vomiting three or more times

-Weakness, numbness or troubled walking or talking

-A seizure or Convulsion (arms or legs shake uncontrollably)

-Any other sudden change in thinking or behavior

Not only we’ve had Junior Seau and Dave Duerson committing suicide linked to concussions they had in there NFL careers but 62-year-old former Atlanta Falcons safety Ray Easterling shot himself also. His wife said he developed symptoms of dementia after his football career. Easterling filed a federal lawsuit in Philly against the NFL in 2011 over its handling of concussion-related football injuries, claiming the league knowingly knew the injuries and the game were linked.

There have been several lawsuits being filed against the NFL by former players who are dealing with the rigors of these concussions after there playing careers are over. There are 1500 former players, who are filing lawsuits against the NFL, which they’ve been bunched together by the NFL and we’ll see the results of this action in the near future and hopefully it gives the ex-players not only the help they desperately need but also be compensated also.

Recently, Kurt Warner spoke out about not only, the fear of his own well-being but also hoping his kids choose not to play football. This is the Kurt Warner, who not only was targeted by the Saints bounty program but also received numerous concussions during his playing career.

Researchers in Colorado enacted new laws requiring athletic coaches to be trained in concussion awareness and prevention throughout the state. Estimates show that on average over 1,500 young athletes end up in Colorado emergency rooms as the result of concussions from sports injuries.

To all the parents, caregivers or whoever else. Would You Reconsider your child playing football? Not only, we’ve seen the long term affects of these concussions, but we have also seen how many young athletes end up in the hospital as a result of concussions. Now we know kids can get concussions from baseball, basketball and other sports. But most of the concussions are coming from the impact in football. I really don’t know what I would do but I’m happy my son chose basketball over football.

There is no one in your life like her, she is the first woman you admire and most importantly she gave birth to you, of course I’m talking about our moms. I must say that even til this day my mom has so much influence on my everyday life, from the way I just conduct myself, the way I raise my kids and just life in general.

First and foremost, my mom raised me to be very independent, so whenever I got married I would never depend on my wife to wait on me for everything, which I would hate. Also, like her, my happiness comes from others around me being happy. She taught me how to speak my mind, which I really use that really well. Seeing how she raised myself and my sister was very influential on how I wanted to have a relationship with my kids where I can spend time with them, not only together but also by themselves.

So I can go on forever about how influential my mom is but I just want to say that I love her with all my heart and Thank you for everything you’ve done and the values you’ve instilled in me. So, if you’re reading this what are some of the things that make you mother special.

This is something we all have to deal with sooner or later, something we rather deal with much later. But it’s the issue of getting older, this September I’ll turn 35 years old, hold up let me walk away for a minute to come to that realization. I remember a few years back, okay I was in my mid to late 20s and I felt great. I worked 12 hours a day and got off work and I still felt great, at times. On the last day of work myself, along with a few other workers would go play basketball for hours and afterwards I was a little tired but nothing serious.

Now let’s fast forward to the present, now after getting off after a 8 hour shift I’m a little tired and there is no way in hell I can go play ball after work. Recently, me and my son, who is 13 years old have started training to get him ready for next basketball season. So everything is going great, I still have my range and still got my handles, so everything seems to be good. Then came the big test, we started jogging and still can’t believe it I still felt pretty good and that was until we started running full speed and started racing. That is where I immediately had to stop and this was the first time in my life my hamstrings felt funny and they’ve been sore still and that was about 3 weeks ago.

So now I am now facing a decision, do I just go with the flow and come to the conclusion that hey, you’re getting old, it happens to everyone or do I get back into shape and just hope for the best. It is crazy because I remember my parents and other relatives telling me to take better care of myself because I’ll feel it when I get older. My knees are in pain sometimes, that comes from multiple bike wrecks and my ankles pop when I walk, which the kids get a kick out of because I try to sneak upstairs but they say, we hear you daddy, you can’t scare us with your ankles.

I know I can’t stop time and seeing how I lost my best friend almost 2 years ago, who was a year younger than me I am by no means complaining but I want to live it pain free. So starting next month I’m going to build towards that because I owe it to myself, my kids, my wife, and whenever my kids have there own kids.

We  talked about maybe bringing some cupcakes a couple of weeks prior but nothing else was said she was just excited because her birthday was getting closer by the day. So that morning we not only picked up some items like  balloons and other small items  from Party City that morning before getting the cupcakes. When we picked them up they were beautiful and we knew she would love it.

We thought why don’t we make it a day by stopping and picking up some lunch from Subway’s and  eat lunch with her. So now it’s time to head to school and surprise her. We get to her classroom and couldn’t picked a better time because we get to her class and she’s in another class for Reading and the teacher said she should be back any minute now. When she entered the class her classmates ran to her and was so happy and her face was priceless seeing she was surprised to see us with the cupcakes. She hugged us and said Thank you and left.

Before we had called to school to see the exact time she went to lunch so we left because we left the food in the office until we returned to pick it up. We tried to hide a little bit behind a wall while watching them go to lunch but her classmates busted us out and started screaming at us. She was surprised once again and as we walked with her to the lunchroom. Let me add those kids were so cool they basically introduced themselves to me individually introduced themselves to me while giving me high fives. So we ate lunch with her and she was all smiles the entire time and really enjoyed it.

Luckily when picture day came he wore polo, so his mom would be happy.  His pictures turned out really good.

The years have flown by way to fast.   He recently made the 7^th grade basketball team and has his first big game Monday!  I don’t know who is more excited him or us.  He has played since he was 5 but it’s just something about playing for middle school makes it seem so much more real.   He has practice every day for the last 3 weeks 4-6 and even Saturdays 10-12.  He wasn’t used to that. The first couple of days all he wanted to do was eat, shower and go to bed when he got home.

My oldest daughter will be able to try out for basketball next year but she is already saying that she don’t think she can handle all that practice.  LOL. To Be honest I don’t see her doing it either even though she loves basketball.  I guess we will have to wait and see!

So My Question is if you have sons does he prefer t-shirts or polo’s.  I am trying to prove to my wife that it is normal for guy’s that age to wear a lot of t-shirts!

As a father, you know the importance of spending quality time with your kids. You may or may not realize it, but your time is the most precious gift that you can give to your children. It will be what they remember the most as they grow up and look back on their childhood from their adult years. Here are three things you can do to ensure these special times remain special in their memories.

Leave the Phone at Home
Children are very perceptive and they pick up on even the most subtle things. If they see you checking your phone every few minutes when you are supposed to be focused on them, they are going to notice. Don’t let the phone tempt you when you are spending quality time with your children. Leave it at home or in the car so you can focus on making this time extra special for your kids.

Get Out of the House
Spending quality time with the kids at home is great, but put some thought into it and take them out for the afternoon or for the evening. A picnic is always a good idea of the weather is warm and you have parks near your home. But something more fun and exciting is also good. If they are older kids, you can take them to a concert of their choice or a sporting event. Showing that you put some thought into the quality time can go a long way.

Go to Breakfast
If you are simply too busy during the week, plan a weekend breakfast with just you and the kids. Take them out to their favorite restaurant or try somewhere new. The important thing is spending time talking with each other and getting to know each other better.

Have you tried any of these efforts to spend quality time with your kids? If not, try them today and start building a deeper connection with your kids.

Few things strike fear into a dad as much as the thought of talking to your kids about sex. But if they don’t learn it from home, they are going to learn about it on the schoolyard. And with fewer and fewer schools including abstinence into their sexual education programs, do you really want to depend solely on the school system to teach your kids about sex? Use the following tips to relieve those jitters as you approach the subject.

Make the Discussion Age-Appropriate
Some kids will start asking questions as early as the preschool years. Keep the discussion as basic as possible without getting into the specifics of intercourse at this age. As your kids get older, you can use a little more detail as long as it is appropriate for their particular age. That’s a judgment call that you will have to make. Regardless of their age, however, make sure to emphasize that sex is something that should only be done in a loving relationship where two people respect each other.

Look for Teachable Moments
Don’t force the discussion about sex. Instead, look for “teachable moments” that allow you to segue into a sex talk. When your kids are asking about sex, that’s a good teachable moment. If someone mentions sex around your kids, that could be a teachable moment. But just randomly talking about sex is usually not the best way to have a productive conversation.

Own Your Feelings
As a dad, you are probably going to be uncomfortable or embarrassed about talking to your kids about sex. There’s nothing wrong with that. Make sure you tell your kids that this conversation could make you nervous. That will probably put them at ease because they will likely be nervous about it too. You don’t have to pretend to know everything. Just have an open and honest discussion.

Talking about sex doesn’t have to be the dreaded discussion that you are making it out to be. Just take the plunge and begin the conversation and it will actually be pretty easy once you get started.

This past weekend my daughter was telling me and my wife about her love for art and it’s something she’s loved since she was able to draw. Well we were laying down and she was talking and telling us about how much she love when she goes to the computer lab and playing on the computer.

So I ask her what she was doing and she says I need you to go to your account and download something for me, I said what was it baby, she says it’s called Tux Paint. I sign off of her account and then sign on to ours and I asked her about it when she told me they play it all the time at school and I asked her how she get it, then she says dad I googled it of course with her hands to the side looking so innocent. So sweet, parents check out tuxpaint.org. If your kids love art and painting they’ll love it.

I still remember when my future wife told me about her being pregnant I’ll be honest it seemed like my world stopped and so many thoughts was running through my mind. I was so happy and after telling her how happy I was and telling her I love her and seeing how she felt I later had some time to myself with so many thoughts running through my head from if my child will be a boy or girl, thinking of some of the things I would want to do with my child and just enjoying fatherhood. You also start thinking of the things maybe your parents done and how you would do them differently, which isn’t a knock on them.

So I remember the first few months she was pregnant she visited my house which I was still living with my parents seeing I was only 20 years old but I remember my mom talking to her seeing how she felt and she was saying she felt bad and of course mom is questioning her seeing what’s wrong, now at this time I haven’t told my parents yet that we were expecting and I know this may sound crazy but I was scared to tell my parents and didn’t want to hear there reaction. But a day later I’m taking my parents somewhere and my mom asks, Is she pregnant?…………I’m driving and nervous as hell, so I was like what you talking about, she says I know you heard me answer the question. Then I said yes ma’am she is and looked at my daddy and it seemed like this took forever when they stared at each other I’m thinking, “Oh My God” I’m in trouble she says I told you she was pregnant, see mommas know everything. That was just a standout moment during that time.

Now fast forward until my girlfriend was admitted to the hospital because of her being a high risk and she’s laying in the bed and I was staring at her hoping everything will be ok with not only our baby but her also. But I’m staring at her in amazement and I still regret to this day not telling her how amazed I was of her because a woman can actually carry another life inside them and guys please let them know because at times they may feel unappreciated when all the attention is on the baby.

Now she was under the doctors watch for a good amount of time and remember when she was getting closer because we were all the room watching the Atlanta Falcons and the Minnesota Vikings play in the NFC Championship game. I felt so bad because she was having alot of contractions and in so much pain before getting her epidural, which calmed her down immensely. So just a little while after having her water break and after a little while she dilated enough to move forward with the birth.

I remember when it was time the doctor asked me, Are you gonna be okay? I was like hell yeah then he said alot of guys have passed out during this, then I said let’s do this. So it was time and I remember seeing him come out and I tell you I was beyond happy and remember him coming out and he wasn’t crying, he just had that look like I do when I’m trying to figure something out or in deep thought and he looked like me. The doctor asked, Do you want to cut the cord? I was like of course. My reaction I remember was like man he has some big hands like his daddy. So the nurse put him on the table to clean him off and remember hearing him crying and the funny part was the nurse was having problems getting him cleaned off because he was knocking objects out of her hands so I had to help, which was cool. So he was cleaned off and was placed with his mom which was a cool thing to watch also.

After she held him then she asked did I want him and I was nervous at first because I didn’t know how I was going to react, so once I picked him up and we just stared at each other, it was like heaven and it felt like I was hovering about the room above everyone. I’m actually shedding tears now as I think about it but I remember talking to him and promising him that I would always be there for him and never let him down and that I’m going to be the best father ever. Also I wasn’t letting anyone hold him and I never wanted to let him go. It was crazy that night I got so upset at the nurses when they took him to keep him in the nursery to check him out and do all the things they do. I remember going down to the nursing desk about 4 times after they kept saying they were going to bring him so I know I got on there nerves but I was so excited. That night he slept in the room with us and kept checking to see how he was doing all night. To top that off a little less than 3 weeks later me and him watch the Super Bowl together which he stayed up until like the 3rd quarter watching it with me, so that was definitely a special moment.