I Think I'm Turing Into My Father!

I think I'm turning into my father...
Well, not literally, what I mean to say, is that I'm getting some of those signs of maturity (the kind word for getting older) Here are a few signs I've noticed:

1. Music CAN be too loud. Yep, you heard it here first, this from the guy who used to sport a 600 watt amp and subwoofers in the 2 seat cab of my very small truck.  Don't get me wrong, I like loud music, sometimes.  It has to be good music, but with clarity.  Some of the stuff that I am hearing today, I think people are just going for sheer volume over audio quality.  I also think that the movie theaters are too loud, almost to the point I don't enjoy it.  That probably speaks volumes (no pun intended) as to why I gone to the movies in ages.

2. Bodily Noises. Nope, not the ones you're probably thinking of, everyone makes those noises.  I'm talking about the ones that are involuntary and just appear with age.  I don't recall bending over to pick up stuff when I was in my teens and making that "yuummphhhhh" noise when I straighten back up.  Or crouching down to tie my shoes and my knees making that awful cracking noise....that just came from nowhere. 

3. Being folically challenged. It's God's cruel joke that as some men age, they start having difficulty growing hair.  In high school I used to have a thick luxurious head of hair with great volume, now, not so much.  In a strange twist of fate, I can seem to grow hair where before there was none.  It appears in spots where hair doesn't grow when you are a younger man.  This explains the litany of razors and shavers and clippers aimed at eradicating the offending hairs.

4. I sure can't party like I used to. I work 12 hour shifts at my job and I never used to let it get in the way of partying.  When I was in my 20's, I recall working my shift from 7am to 7pm, getting home and having some dinner, start making calls to go out and meet at 10ish.  We used to party till 1 or 2, come home and sleep for 4 hours and get right back to work in the morning as if we had slept 8 deep rem sleep hours.  Sadly, nowadays I try not to have a beer after 10 pm on a "work night", otherwise I feel like crap the next day.

5. My body is a temple. I recall my father saying to me when I was in my teens "enjoy it while you can son, that will change" when I used to be able to shovel anything into my body and stay in terrific shape.  I had a flat stomach and awesome flexibility, now I struggle to keep my flexibility with yoga and stretching.  I can still see most of my feet and tie my shoes, YESSSS! (ha ha).  I do like my beer so my six pack abs are protected by my "Molson muscle".  I'm working on this one.

6. My appreciation of the fairer sex. I started work young, when I was in my very early 20's.  I remember working with guys who had 20-30 years on me who used to see a young girl working in the office and one would joke "Geez, I've got belts older than her!" and we'd laugh.  Sadly, this realization as I grow older, is happening to me. *sigh*  I still have a great appreciation for beautiful women, I just don't ever want to turn into the "creepy old guy"!

7. Your wheels speak volumes about you. This has been cyclical for me and I'll tell you why.  When I first got my drivers license at 16, I just HAD to have a car, any car, it could have been a mechanical heap, as long as it drove and I had my freedom.  My first car was a crapbox, it was a 1986 Pontiac Acadian, two tone gold and black, hideous but I was free!.  I then wanted a NICE car and spent a crapload of money over the years buying and maintaining nice cars.  I now look for a vehicle that is "sensible".  Sensible, I am my father.

8. Responsibility. This one hasn't been a recent shocking revelation for me.  I have been becoming more responsible over time.  It first happened when I got married and went from I to We.  The next step in this progression is when my first daughter came along.  I was now responsible for another life other than my own and my wife's.

Maturing is not all bad though, I've become a little wiser than I used to be in the past. Now onto some of the great parts of getting older/maturing:

1. I've learned from past mistakes (mine and others) and use that to avoid repeating it and wasting time.

2.I make all of my own decisions now and I am in charge of my own destiny (especially when my wife isn't around).

3. I've adopted the work smarter not harder attitude and that goes miles towards self preservation.

4. I abuse my body much less than I did in the past (much credit to my wife for getting me to quit smoking).  I'm also looking after myself a little better every year.

5. Patience, I realize nowadays that not everything needs to happen yesterday, most things can wait.

Please share your thoughts and experiences on gaining wisdom and its associated drawbacks with age (I KNOW I'm not alone here). Please note: this blog post is general musings, I'm only in my 30's.  I STILL some HAVE HAIR! (just had to say that) See you in the comments!

Why You Should Be Taking More Photographs

image courtesy of eskimo_jo My wife and I are in an uncluttering mode recently.  This is most likely because we are expecting our second child soon and are going to need all of the space we can get our hands on.  This weekend it was time to go deep into the dark corners of the basement to look for clutter, and boy, did we find some.  We even managed to find a few boxes that we had not even unpacked since we moved (which was 17 months ago!).   We also managed to get rid of a bunch of stuff that we were just "holding onto" really.  I find it very spiritually uplifting when we unclutter , not only are you creating space but you are getting rid of the things that are weighing you down.  For more on uncluttering seeunclutterer for tips and tricks, it's a great site.  Uncluttering is not what this post is about though.

In the cleanup we came across some boxes of old photographs (eek I know they should be scanned into the computer and the originals in albums, but I digress..).  Finding old boxes of photographs really slows down the cleanup process but is a nice way to take a break.  As we dug through the box of photographs I could'nthelp but notice a few things I was thinking that I wanted to share here.

1. It's neat to see yourself as a child in photographs.  Wide eyed and full of wonder, un-jaded by the passage of life experiences.  Pictures of you back before any label other than your name is placed on you.  You aren't the father, mother, businessman, firefighter, accountant or whatever it is that you've become, you're just you.

2. You can re-live good experiences by having your memory jogged by seeing a photograph.  That trip to the zoo, camping with your parents or just that time you remember with your arms wrapped lovingly around your beloved childhood pet.

3. It's fun to see your parents not as you know them now, but when they were younger.  Before the label of parents were proudly placed upon their chests they were just "them" too.  A young man and a young woman, photos with friends, at parties or just hanging out.  Not "dad" who is the one who mows the lawn and takes long, lazy naps on Sunday.  And mom who makes Thanksgiving dinners like you wouldn't believe and loves to spoil her grand kids.

4. Fads.  It's funny to see the clothing styles and fads that you passed through on your journey to where you ended up.  It's also very humbling to see photos from "the dorky years" or when you suffered through the "bad haircut".

5. Homes.  If you are lucky enough to still be living in your childhood home (or not) then this doesn't apply.  In my case its fun to see some of the homes you've grown up in and remember what made them special.  You quickly find yourself saying something like "I remember that house on *whatever* street, the squeak in the fifth and sixth steps made it difficult to sneak in late when mom and dad we're sleeping".

6. Perhaps you will run across old friends that you haven't spoken to in a while.  Maybe you should get in contact with them!  With awesome services likefacebook it's getting easier and easier to find long lost friends.

Now I must admit that I am a bit of a photo nut.  I take tons of pictures, tons.  I have a little Canon point-and-shoot camera I throw into my backpack and take most places, allowing me to catch spontaneous shots.  I got this motto of taking your camera everywhere from a great photographer who inspires me, his name isThomas Hawk.  For larger events I pack our Canon DSLR for serious work.  I do this for a) myself, because I love doing it and b) because I want my kids to have lots of photos to dig through when they grow up and to look back on.  Digital cameras are inexpensive and with the immediate gratification of being able to see your shots right after you take them, you definitely should be taking more pictures!  Get out there and document your life! Happy snapping!

The Definitive Guide To Relaxation

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image courtesy of yours truly! Life is hectic and stressful.  Each and every one of us carry a certain amount of tension with us that typically builds throughout the day and we bring home with us.  It is a very common practice to plow through your day and neglect the symptoms that are occurring in your body.  You come home and try to mentally unwind and achieve some level of relaxation.  Yet still, even with meditation or whatever other process you use to clear your mind you still carry some tension to bed, creating difficulty to sleep. Don't fret, there is help!

Three words people, Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR). What this is, is single handedly the easiest and most effective way to relax.  It's a given that it also is the best way to fall asleep after a long stressful day at work.  If you do not use this in your repertoire of relaxation techniques, you should! (after consultation with your doctor, you know the drill).  What is PMR you ask?  Simply, it is isolating one muscle group, creating tension in the muscles for eight to ten seconds then relaxing the muscles.  It's really that simple.  The tension builds in the muscle group until it becomes mildly uncomfortable (not to the point of pain).  When you release this tension the muscles relax and the tension just melts away.  The interesting fact to mention is that the muscle will then not return to itspre-tensed state but will remain relaxed!  Awesome!

Just a few of the benefits of PMR are as follows:

1. Relaxation and reduced tension
2. Reduced blood pressure and heart rate.  Tense muscles require more oxygen, so relaxing the muscles means your heart rate will slow and blood pressure will decline.
3. You achieve deeper more meaningful breathing. Needing less oxygen to the muscles means you can slow down that breathing and fill every bit of your lungs with clean fresh oxygen.
4. As a digestive aid.  Normal blood flow will return to your core assisting in digestion of food.
5. It helps you fall asleep (trust me on this one)
6. Teaches you to discern between your different muscle groups creating a better body awareness.

Now that we've covered what PMR is and the benefits of the practice, lets look at how it's done.  You begin to work the major muscle groups of the body starting at your feet, and follow this popular sequence here:
Remember! Tense muscles for eight to ten seconds, then release, letting the tension melt away.
feet (you can do them separately if you have unlimited time)
lower legs + feet
entire legs and + feet
hands
hands + forearm
hands + entire arm
abdomen
chest
shoulders
neck
face

When first attempting to perform PMR, don't get discouraged if you have difficulty isolating the muscle groups.  Visualize the muscles and it will happen with practice. While focusing on your breathing think positive thoughts like "let it go" or "relax" when you are releasing the tension.   Some other tips for performing PMR:

find a quiet place where you won't be disturbed (bed is an excellent spot because you can relax to a point sleep comes easily!)
remove shoes and wear loose clothing
sit in a comfortable chair or even better, lay down

Using PMR solely or in conjunction with any other relaxation techniques you use (ie yoga, stretching) can be very satisfying, improve your health and lead to better body awareness.  Use this practice in mini sessions throughout the day to maintain a tension free body, it will thank you!

I work long shifts where I stand on my feet for the better part of 10 hours of a 12 hour shift.  I find that when I come home I am not only physically tired, I am carrying a lot of tension and stress from my workday.  On the days that I am not dog tired and fall asleep immediately I practice PMR to help de-stress and fall asleep and it works like a charm!

I'd like to hear in the comments what methods/practices you guys use to de-stress and relieve tension.  Everyone has their methods and I swear by this one, give it a try!
See you in the comments! Please, if you enjoyed this post please Digg it or share it via the buttons below or click the green "share this" link! Thanks!

Shedding Our Inhibitions

Most of us are subconsciously limiting ourselves and holding ourselves back in some form or another.  Our inhibitions keep us from enjoying some of the most pleasurable moments of our lives.  It was at a trip to the local megastore that we had the pleasure of meeting a little 10 year old girl that opened my eyes to this, please read on; It was a saturday afternoon at a big box store and we had just finished shopping for a birthday present for one of our daughter's friends 4th birthday.  My wife, being 6 months pregnant, needs to rest frequently and eat as soon as she gets hungry in order to avoid nausea.  We ducked into the fast food chain in the store which we so rarely do, and thought it would be a nice treat for my daughter.  We placed our order (scarf 'n' barf as I call it) and took our food back to a table and settled in to have a bite.  No sooner than I took my first bite, a cute little 10 year old girl plunked herself down at the table beside myself, my wife and our daughter. "Hello" she said "Hi" said my wife "I like sitting next to people, I get bored by myself. I'm Shay Lynn" she continued. We go on to introduce ourselves and coax an introduction out of my daughter (she's still a little shy at 3 years old and was very involved with her chicken nuggets). For the next 5 minutes or so she goes on to share with us that it was her dad's birthday and she was going to save her "treat of the week" toy for him.  She also shared how she was just getting over the flu  and how her 11th birthday was soon going to happen.  This 10 year old little girl seemed wise beyond her years and so trusting but yet she had what I call an "older soul".  She exuded confidence and felt comfortable chatting with us and our daughter for the next few minutes until her mom arrived. When my wife and I were discussing our encounter with Shay Lynn in the truck on the way home we both shared the same few feelings about it.  Firstly, we don't think that we would let our 10 year old daughter wander into the restaurant while we were still wandering around in the store.  Granted, we live in a smallish town, but you never know what kind of creeps are out there.  We figure Shay Lynn chose us because we were a family with a small girl ourselves and there probably was a comfort level thing going on there.  Getting past that, both my wife and I were so impressed at this little girl's lack of inhibitions.  I can't remember the last time that I just walked up to someone and just started chatting right out of the blue and neither did my wife for that matter.  Sure, you have those times perhaps waiting for an elevator you say hello to someone and comment on the weather or the local sports franchise, but this was much different exchange. It really got me to thinking of how we go through this life shackled with the constraints of inhibition. It is typically more of a male thing to be more inhibited.  We typically keep to ourselves (ie: he's a man of few words), we are more apt to be word economists. We  also share our feelings less and take less risks by "putting themselves out there".  Women really have a leg up on us in this matter.  They are typically less inhibited, more outgoing, and are more apt to wear their heart on their sleeve.  Men could really learn from women in this matter.  So, has shyness, lack of self confidence or worry of being rejected or laughed at kept you from something recently?  Think long and hard about it because I guarantee that it has.  Very few, and I mean very few people go through life totally uninhibited, although we all should.  Yes, you have to make logical decisions about your personal safety and whether its appropriate to be uninhibited at any given time. This is my way of saying "go talk to a stranger, give a flower to a beautiful woman" but you have to be intelligent enough to choose your spots.  Being an adult we should be able to make those decisions rather quickly.  If your mind and your gut give you the green light, why not move past inhibition and expand your horizons?  Sure, some folks are going to look at you funny, shoot you "the eye" or the odd snicker.  By the same token you are going to meet some really cool people, experience things that you have never before, perhaps even make a lifelong friend or lover. The way I see it, the more quality friends, the better.  Its good to surround yourself with like minded people. In order to leave your inhibitions behind you have to leave your comfort zone. It goes against our human nature to do so, after all, who want's to leave themselves an open target? , well, you should!  Most of the fear that we have in our head of shedding our inhibitions and the results of doing so are just that, in our head.  A good chunk of society will be quite envious, rather than malicious, because they long to do so too but lack the self confidence. There is a whole big world of great conversations out there and people to meet that we shouldn't short change ourselves from tapping into that resource. The only way to get a valuble return on this investment is to leave that "comfort zone", nothing ventured, nothing gained.  Sure you will be setting yourself up to be a little embarased every now and then but for the most part if you are genuine, people will reciprocate.  When you are more outgoing and friendly it's contagious, you will draw this out of other people too.  Hopefully it will give them a good feeling and they will pay it forward and bit by bit this world will be a better place. A prime example, from the past week of someone shedding their inhibitions, was at a trip to Chuck e Cheese (a children's restaurant chain) that my wife and daughter attended.  When our daughter was a little intimidated at going down a big slide, my wife was unable to assist due to her current pregnant state.  Our cousin (a very cool lady in her 40's) stepped up to the plate and climbed up and through the play-center (in a skirt) to go down the slide with our daughter, without hesitation or worrying about what people thought.  In fact, she followed our daughter down the slide, holding her skirt, head first and giggling away.  This was much to the chagrin of her slightly embarrassed husband. I hope that this little story will prompt you to make a move towards being less inhibited, I definitely know that I am going to try to be! In the comments please share your experiences with dealing with your inhibitions and moving past it.    I'd like to see some of your tried and true winning ideas for "getting yourself out there and meeting new people", the ones that have proven to work for you. See you in the comments!

Confronting Fears

Our 3 year old daughter has recently began refusing to do her bathroom business without having her potty seat adapter on the toilet.  My wife and I thought we were past this stage as she had ditched it a few weeks back and was good to go with just using the toilet.  It was a happy time because we now didn't have to carry the portable unit in public so we could stay on top of her potty training.  We're figuring she must have slipped off of the edge of the seat into the bowl a bit once.  She usually beats us to the bathroom and we just help her finish up.  Whatever has happened spooked her and she freaks out if she has to use the toilet without her seat, i mean FREAKS OUT.  It's especially embarassing for my wife who deals with taking her to the bathroom in public.  She screams and cries, its quite the production!  No matter how much we re-assure her that there is nothing to be afraid of , she wants none of it.  We're hoping this is a phase that will pass with time, and let her use her potty seat at home.  Positive reinforcement and encouragement that "big girls use the toilet without the potty seat" is the order for the day.  We're taking baby steps. This whole scenario did get me thinking about fear.  Not the psychological thriller or slasher movie type of fear, but the type of fear that controls our life, whether we like to admit it or not.  People don't like to talk about fear.  Perhaps they are afraid of being labeled a chicken or seen as weak, but we all fear something.  What brought me to this point is that when I was trying to comfort my daughter I would say "what are you afraid of?, there's nothing to be afraid of"  It made me think, what am I afraid of in life?  As it goes, typical adult fears as diverse as the people that have them, they include such examples as public speaking, snakes, heights, and mine, FAILURE.  The fear of failure is both a huge motivating force and limiting force.  Fear of failure keeps us from doing things we normally wouldnt try because we would have to leave our "safe zone" and perhaps *gasp* fail.  The fear of failing at something is the limiting force.  The motivating force for me is the fear of not being a good father, a good enough husband, friend, worker, neighbour.  The fear of failing at these jobs is what motivates me to be better at them, so fear works to my advantage here. Some popular tips that I am going to expand on a bit for dealing with fear are as follows:

1. Analyze the fear: Can whatever you are fearing actually harm you?  Are you making the activity you fear out to be worse than it actually is?  What is the worst that can happen if you confront this fear?
2. Meditate: Yes, mediate!  Clearing your mind and quieting the noise that the fear is creating can lower your anxiety level and help you cope better
3. Look at what others have done to conquer similar fear:  Why re-write the manual on conquering fear when others have already written it.  Use their tips!
4. Take small steps: Don't try and defeat this fear all at once.  Confront it in small manageable bites that don't stress you out as much as the entire situation.
5. Positive Motivation:  Surround yourself with supportive people who won't let you talk yourself out of confronting your fears.  They can help you tune out the negativity of haters too!
6. Change your reaction to the fear:  Typical reactions elicit typical responses, try and react positively and your mood will follow along.
7. Daily affirmation of positive thoughts: Positive thoughts and success go hand in hand and are habitual so do it daily!

Nothing ventured, nothing gained, there are many catch phrases to quickly motivate us.  Yes, you are going to fail every now and then.  Learn to laugh at yourself, figure out what you did wrong, learn from it and move on. I wish you all great success! Start that business, ride a roller coaster, talk to a stranger.  Confront your fears head on.  When our daughter is ready to put her fears of the toilet behind her, we are going to be there with praise and positive reinforcement.  As for me, I'm confronting my fears too, I'm writing this blog......"we have nothing to fear but fear itself" - Franklin D. Roosevelt

What My Daughter Learning To Ride Her Dora Bike Can Teach You About Yourself

Chances are, if you can read this, you can ride a bike.  You probably don't remember much of those first days of riding a bike but there are some very important life lessons that correlate with your newly acquired skill.  We bought my daughter a purple "Dora The Explorer" bike (Dora is all the rage amongst the 3-4 year olds!) with training wheels to learn on.  She didn't take well to it early on in the spring but has taken a shine to riding her bike just over the last few days.  I have been walking behind  her while she rides just in case she gets stuck or randomly tips over (still don't know how she pulls that one off).  While she is riding she has a few quirks that I help correct.  While helping her correct them, I began to think how my advice that I was giving her to help her learn to ride can be applied to many situations where you are beginning something new or trying something for the first time. The quirks are as follows: 1. She keeps looking down at her feet while she rides.  The obvious problem here is that while she ensures her feet are doing the right thing, she isn't looking where she is going.  I kept shouting to her "Look up and see where you are going, your feet know what to do".  The adult parallel that I drew from this is that when you begin something new you have to trust your abilities and believe that you are doing the right thing.  While trying to maintain focus on your goal you can't be worrying that you cannot do it, you can. 2.  She looks around at what's going on to the left and right of her and is distracted easily.  The adult parallel that I drew from this one is that you have to focus on your goal, don't let anything distract you from "the prize".  There are going to be people who try to sidetrack you or sabotage your efforts.  Put on the binders and focus on that goal! 3. She kept looking back at me to ensure I was there for assistance.  The adult parallel on this one is that once you have begun moving forward on a goal, don't look back.  Leave behind the habit you are trying to correct or a situation you are improving.  I reiterate, keep focused on your milestones and goals ahead.  Focus on the path to that goal. 4. Her bike has training wheels to assist her while she is learning.  As adults we need to surround ourselves with supportive people who will give us positive reinforcement and will help keep us focused, a lot like training wheels. Lastly, ride like nobody is watching!  Have fun, make errors, laugh at yourself, it's a learning experience that everyone goes through. If you follow these simple guidelines, you should be able to accomplish almost anything.  As for Peanut, she's getting pretty good at riding her bike which is bittersweet for me as a dad.  It's sweet that she is learning a new skill and independence, bitter that she is soon no longer going to need me to help her to ride her bike. *Edit*  Please share in the comments any times where you'd never thought you'd see life lessons but did.

I Want To Be My Kids Hero

Heroes and idols. Every kid has them. Commonly they are athletes, actors, entertainers. Children idolize Tiger Woods, Angelina Jolie and (only god knows why) Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton. Sure, athletes perform some pretty amazing physical feats, amazing dunks, great goals etc etc. Actors entertain us and quite frequently live glamourous and sexy lifestyles. Rockstars and performers get the girls (or guys, yanno), access to all of the coolest venues and make obscene amounts of money. What our kids need today are more realistic role models, idols and heroes. They need more positive idols who are doing the right things while living an "average joe" lifestyle. Without getting into the whole "ya know what's wrong with kids today?" rant, I'm going to say that "absentee parenting" is much to blame for this. I think a lot of parents are "mailing it in" in the area of a) providing a strong positive role model themselves and b) pointing out other positive role models. Another bold statement I'd like to say is that I hope one day that my kid(s) will see me as a role model and possibly idolize me and their mother. Before you say that that sounds quite egotistical, let me explain. I can tell you that I have athletes I admire and entertainers and actors that I really enjoy their body of work. I love watching Tom Brady throw a beautiful touchdown or Brad Pitt make a good film, but, I think these people are overpaid for what they do and kids idolize them for the wrong reasons. It's not good to have kids idolize someone because they can dunk a ball or have tons of money.  What should be idolized is what they are giving back or doing for society, their families, their friends, that's something to idolize.  Having said that, the people that I idolize are quite regular folks, very regular. My heroes have always been my parents (immediate and through marriage). Parents should be idols and heroes for very good reason.  For the most part, they CHOSE the job of raising children and do it for the sheer love of having kids.  It's not a job we were pushed into, we signed up for this "work". Lets look at a few comparisons between false idols and heroes and parents.  Parents are willing to share everything they have and continually give of themselves be it time, skills, money, love etc etc. False idols give us some entertainment or something to cheer about for a short period of time.  Parents have taught me that working hard is a virtuous and true path to success, hustling to work day after day to earn money to provide for their children vs. being vastly overpaid for 3 hours of work say in the case of a hockey player, for example.  Having skills that they will pass on to their children that they have learned from their fathers before.  Skill sets that equip kids to handle the really "messy bits" of real life and to carve out an existence and life of their own.  Rockstars and athletes teach kids that if they are lucky enough to be talented in a particular field that being paid excessive amounts of money is ok and to live a lifestyle of excess, giving nothing back.  These are just a few examples. Parents are heroes for standing for hours with your kid on your shoulders so they can get a better view of the parade.  For fixing flat tires on bicycles.  For throwing around the football in the backyard after a long hard day at work.  For shuttling around the kids at ungodly hours for hockey practices, swimming meets etc.  For kissing boo boo's.  For late night Christmas eve's putting together toys and wrapping them and making it look as Santa had visited.  For sitting down and helping with homework, even when they havent sat in a school in ages and remember very little about "new math".  For teaching us about the birds and bees no matter how awkward the subject was.  For teaching us how to ride bicycles, swim, or throw a slider.  For teaching us how to be a gentleman or a proper lady.  For teaching us how to drive.  For showing us how to hold a hammer and properly drive a nail.  For insisting on the value of a good education.  For teaching us how to save and spend wisely.  For late nite feedings of newborns and teething sessions.  Most importantly for giving us the gift of life.  Parents, they are the real heroes. At this stage while my daughter is three, I think I (along with her mom) are her heroes.  After all, we're the ones who help her to ride her bike, push her on the swing.  We open big bottles of juice that she loves.  We drive her to her swimming lessons.  We comfort her in the night when she can't sleep.  We take her to zoo's to see animals and ride on ponies and elephants.  We kiss scraped knees and read bedtime stories when we're dog tired ourselves.  We make sure she looks both ways before crossing the street.  I think we're pretty good idols and role models.  This is all because we had some pretty good idols and heroes that came before us and passed along these skills, our parents!  So to all of my parents out there, a big thank-you and you guys are my heroes!