The Florida Writers Book Expo begins tomorrow. If you love books, this is an event you’ll want to check out. You can browse sixty booths across genres, all with books by Florida authors. And you can shop from the comfort of your home. They even have freebies at every booth. Even better? They have a Reader Rewards program, so the more you spend, the more ebooks you get for free. There are so many amazing authors, and I’m excited to share that I’m one of them. Shopping for a Mother’s or Father’s Day gift? My award-winning book, MoMENts: A Dad Holds On, would make a great one. So mark your calend ..read more

Don’t let the title throw you. When I say, “the three of us,” I’m not referring to my wife, daughter, and me. Jessie, her dog, and me? No, that’s not it either. Let me give you a clue. One of the three is not a living thing, though if Jessie is ever without it, you might guess otherwise. I bet you know now. That’s right – Jessie, me, and her phone. Though many of Jessie’s friends had cell phones in earlier grades, my wife, Mattie, and I didn’t see the need. It’s not that Jessie didn’t give Mattie and me her best sales pitch – on multiple occasions. Besides the additional expense of a phone, Ma ..read more

Vicariously. This is not a word I use often. When I hear this word I think of one thing: parents living vicariously through their children. Most of us would agree this is not a great idea, but we do it anyway. As a big tennis fan, I couldn’t wait for Jessie to pick up a tennis racquet. At two weeks old – yes, two weeks – Jessie was holding a miniature tennis racquet, with a little assistance from Dad. At six weeks, I converted a beach play set into a tennis practice facility by replacing a stuffed, dangling sea horse with a tennis-ball lamp pull. A little creativity and Velcro and it worked li ..read more

“Dad, may I borrow the car keys?” This question is not far off as my daughter, Jessie, wants to drive as soon as possible. During summer trips to her grandparents’ farm, Jessie has enjoyed driving their golf cart up and down their farm lane and through the fields. Jessie likes to put the pedal to the metal. She hits the potholes in both the dirt road and the fields and turns the wheel so sharply that passengers must hang on or bounce out. I rationalized, though, that her experience driving a golf cart would make it more comfortable for me to eventually turn the car keys over to her. Now that t ..read more

“Dad, can we make St. Patrick’s Day cookies?” My daughter, Jessie, made this simple request on a day off from school. How could I say no, especially since I know how much she enjoys baking? I mentally tasted the delicious sugar cookies topped with green icing and sprinkles that Jessie envisioned. Less appetizing was the thought of the clean-up. It seems like Jessie always asks to bake just after I’ve vacuumed the floors. I knew Jessie would have fun and the cookies would taste great. I also knew that by the time the last hot cookie emerged from the oven my kitchen would look like a tornado hit ..read more

Savor. It’s a feel-good verb – like love. I love chocolate. I love ice cream. I love the thrill of victory. More accurately, I love my wife and daughter. I savor chocolate, ice cream, and victorious tennis matches. We savor lots of things. Foods. Drinks. Smells. Experiences. In this hectic world, though, do we always take the time to savor, truly savor, the moments? Recently, my daughter’s reaction to me eating a single piece of fudge taught me that I have room for improvement when it comes to savoring the moments. Here’s her side of the story. Jessie, Age 12 Today’s topic is about the proper ..read more

Parents deal with stress in a variety of ways. Tennis is my stress outlet, along with eating ice cream and donuts. Obviously, playing tennis is a much healthier choice than comfort foods. Recently, my daughter Jessie came home excited to share a new stress-fighting activity she had heard about – goat yoga. My comfort zone has boundaries, and Jessie keeps trying to expand them. Daily. Before I go further, let’s turn it over to Jessie for her thoughts. Jessie, Age 12 When my friend at school told me about goat yoga, it sounded like a ton of fun. Basically, you go into a field, and do yoga while ..read more

Jessie and I have different tastes in music. With Jessie now almost a teenager, she often rides in the front seat of the car. As a result, control over the car radio has become an issue. Jessie calls it, “channel chaos.” Let’s begin with her thoughts. Jessie, Age 12 Today, we have been talking about the difference in opinion that Dad and I have in the best type of music to listen to in the car. Dad likes Christian music, and don’t get me wrong, I do too, but I have other preferences. I like listening to today’s pop and country. As soon as I get in the car, I change the station to pop or countr ..read more

I wish joy filled every moment of Jessie’s life, but children, like their parents, must overcome difficulties. Two major challenges Jessie has faced in her young life come to mind. The first was when Jessie’s beloved dog, Ginger, died. Ginger was Jessie’s “sister” and wore as many outfits as Jessie’s Barbie dolls. Jessie didn’t just cry, she wailed. The other time Jessie’s tears flowed faster than the tissues could keep up occurred when my wife, Mattie, and I broke the news that we were moving to a new state. Jessie knew this meant her relationship with her friends, the only friends she had ev ..read more

My daughter, Jessie, loves to try new things and when she does, she wants me to try them with her. I’ll admit change is not one of my strengths. As I get older, change gets even harder. I probably would have titled this column, “Dad and Change Don’t Always Get Along,” but instead rolled with my coauthor Jessie’s title suggestion. Let’s get her side of the story before my rebuttal, which I’ll need for this one. Jessie, Age 12 Dad has gone crazy! Recently, we purchased a two-pack of electric toothbrushes. I read the directions, and then began using my new toothbrush. I convinced Daddy to try his ..read more