Surly Dad Thread

[High Plains Drifter 11,055]

14 hours ago, UT_OB1 said:

10 yr old passed out fliers and put up a couple of signs for driveway pressure washing. She wants to buy a big fish tank and a beta fish and some other bullshit I’m not very interested in having in my house. Told her she could get it if she earns the money for it. 
 

Found her first customer and almost finished with the driveway. Pretty proud of her even if I already hate the fish tank that hasn’t been purchased yet 

 

 

 

So, you made her do your driveway as payment for borrowing your power washer, right?

 

[High Plains Drifter 11,055]

On 4/25/2022 at 10:45 PM, Thatguy said:

 

  If you choose to play sports you have to play two. That's not all that uncommon in middle school in our area. I know for a fact that we aren't the only school that requires that.

 

You know, now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure we had to play two sports when I was in HS. Which sucked, because by the time I got to HS, I didn't want to play baseball anymore, so I ended up in track for a few years, which I hated even more, so I eventually ended up in golf as my spring sport.

 

[Etexhorn13 3,054]

First Mother’s Day coming up that my wife is the one being celebrated. Any suggestions for first Mother’s Day gifts? 

[Celery Man 21,026]

oh man that's a timely post. the one nice thing about having a dead mom is I don't even know when mother's day is and now I have to keep track of it.

depending on the wife this is more like a stocking stuffer but my wife was wearing these the other day, and apparently I got them for her last year

https://www.divvyupsocks.com/facesocks

otherwise, a peloton

[Modessit 5,625]

First Mother’s Day coming up that my wife is the one being celebrated. Any suggestions for first Mother’s Day gifts? 

An extra stitch?

I got my wife a necklace with my son's birthstone pendant. She cried happy tears.

[atomheartbevo 90,052]

Camp Mabry is doing their living history weekend this weekend, and it's still going on tomorrow - free, and events throughout the day (check the link below)

https://www.texasmilitaryforcesmuseum.org/?tribe_events=camp-mabry-living-history-weekend

I thanked the Soviet Red Army (World War II) re-enactors for showing up, because that had to be awkward as hell for them showing up where they will be surrounded by lots of people, including lots of veterans/military personnel/etc., given everything that's been going on in Ukraine.  Nobody would have cared about them in years past, and hopefully nobody gave them shit today.

Also, there was one guy representing the Polish Air Force of World War II, and we stayed and talked with him for quite a while, because that's got to be tough to do the re-enactment/living history thing when it's just one person, and he knew his stuff and was happy to talk about it.

And if you go, make sure and go by the 18th and 19th century camps/tents, because the guys doing the 1700s/1800s stuff had some awesome equipment, and the guy doing the Texas Rangers tent had several nice Colt Walkers, etc.  The Civil War guy (there was just one when we were there) was extremely patient with my kids, answering all of their questions, etc.

And if you have little kids, they will love all of the tanks, etc., but the actual re-enactments are loud as hell, so bring ear protection.

 

[Guest]

On 4/28/2022 at 9:22 AM, Etexhorn13 said:

First Mother’s Day coming up that my wife is the one being celebrated. Any suggestions for first Mother’s Day gifts? 

Another kid...

[Nivek 17,036]

An extra stitch?

I got my wife a necklace with my son's birthstone pendant. She cried happy tears.

I wish my wife cared about that stuff….

[Celery Man 21,026]

Man, dinner time these days

[Celery Man 21,026]

any recs for or against any particular car seats? graduating from the baby carrier, I was just going to get whatever my wife got but realized she was zeroed in on one that rotates, which I don't think I care about

[MNLonghornFUKM 8,916]

First Mother’s Day coming up that my wife is the one being celebrated. Any suggestions for first Mother’s Day gifts? 

I bought my wife a couple gift cards to like tjmax and kohls. Gonna have my daughter make the card and come up with “tickets” that my wife can cash in at any time and go shopping by herself whenever.


I’ll pay for this big time. But whatevs hahah

First time mothers probably want the house cleaned, and some sleep

[Snake Diggity 4,628]

3 hours ago, Celery Man said:

any recs for or against any particular car seats? graduating from the baby carrier, I was just going to get whatever my wife got but realized she was zeroed in on one that rotates, which I don't think I care about

My $.02 after 2 kids:

Graco is the best brand we’ve owned.  Don’t cheap out, main difference that made it worth it is the ease of the buckles.

Get the forever kind that can evolve with your kid as they get bigger.

[Bevo Num1 1,060]

any recs for or against any particular car seats? graduating from the baby carrier, I was just going to get whatever my wife got but realized she was zeroed in on one that rotates, which I don't think I care about

We have the Britax One-4-Life seat and I have no complaints. I brought my daughter home from the hospital in it 10 months ago and she's used it ever since. Comes with 2 cup holders and the padding is machine washable. It's easy to install, but kinda heavy so we bought one for each vehicle. Check to see if Target is doing their car seat trade in deal where they give you a 20% coupon towards the purchase of a new one.

[hookemATL 11,976]

Make sure it’s machine washable. There will be organisms not of this earth growing on the car seat if you don’t wash it on occasion. 
 

we ready for summertime over here.  There is no activity that will get your kids more exhausted/worn out and ready for bed than playing in one of these things for a few hours. 
 

 

[Atxracer 798]

On 4/28/2022 at 9:22 AM, Etexhorn13 said:

First Mother’s Day coming up that my wife is the one being celebrated. Any suggestions for first Mother’s Day gifts? 

A little late but this person lives in my neighborhood and has a cool idea.  They take a picture of your child’s fingerprint and turn it into jewelry. 

https://www.lovetalla.com

[hornian 5,251]

On 5/8/2022 at 2:11 PM, Atxracer said:

A little late but this person lives in my neighborhood and has a cool idea.  They take a picture of your child’s fingerprint and turn it into jewelry. 

https://www.lovetalla.com

Seems like a good way to frame someone for a crime, too. 

[atomheartbevo 90,052]

On 5/7/2022 at 3:06 PM, Bevo Num1 said:

On 5/7/2022 at 10:10 AM, Celery Man said:

any recs for or against any particular car seats? graduating from the baby carrier, I was just going to get whatever my wife got but realized she was zeroed in on one that rotates, which I don't think I care about

We have the Britax One-4-Life seat and I have no complaints. I brought my daughter home from the hospital in it 10 months ago and she's used it ever since. Comes with 2 cup holders and the padding is machine washable. It's easy to install, but kinda heavy so we bought one for each vehicle. Check to see if Target is doing their car seat trade in deal where they give you a 20% coupon towards the purchase of a new one.

On 5/7/2022 at 5:20 PM, hookemATL said:

Make sure it’s machine washable. There will be organisms not of this earth growing on the car seat if you don’t wash it on occasion. 

Also vomit.  Vomit will have to be washed out of a car seat cover at some point.

[atomheartbevo 90,052]

I fucking need this costume before my youngest's next birthday.

 

[Etexhorn13 3,054]

On 5/7/2022 at 5:20 PM, hookemATL said:

Make sure it’s machine washable. There will be organisms not of this earth growing on the car seat if you don’t wash it on occasion. 

 

 

 

Speaking of,  this was a fun surprise 20 minutes after we got on the road a couple weeks ago coming back to Houston from Easter… 

[DalTxHornFan 3,122]

10 minutes ago, Etexhorn13 said:

Speaking of,  this was a fun surprise 20 minutes after we got on the road a couple weeks ago coming back to Houston from Easter… 

Shit happens.

[Celery Man 21,026]

My wife was giving me shit about not packing a diaper bag for some short excursion in my truck. Loan behold Rory blows out a diaper, wife is giving me a “ok what now smart guy” look and I explain “my truck IS a diaper bag” as I pull out every item I need to solve the problem. Only negative point was using cardboard on the tailgate for a changing tray, which I still think is perfect.

[hookemATL 11,976]

My eldest daughter had a blow out when we were on the road once. I truly could not understand how a small baby could create that much shit. It was mind bottling. Thank fuck for the washable car seat. 

Edited May 12, 2022 by hookemATL
Gotdamsonofabitch

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4,980]

9 hours ago, Etexhorn13 said:

Speaking of,  this was a fun surprise 20 minutes after we got on the road a couple weeks ago coming back to Houston from Easter… 

Fun story, we were about three weeks in to a month long camping trip living out of our van with an almost three year old and an almost one year old at the Grand Tetons. When you do a trip like that, you stay in dispersed backcountry campgrounds without any amenities, so finding places to shower is something that takes a lot more work than on a regular trip. Anyhow, they had showers at the park that you could pay to use, and I had just showered and was waiting in the van while the wife and our oldest were in the shower. The youngest was behind me in his car seat playing with his older sisters tablet when i looked back to check on him. At first I wondered where he had gotten chocolate from, but then it dawned on me that he had had a blow out and everything was covered in liquified poop. His face, the car seat, the tablet, everything. We had to do the best we could to clean everything up and get him showered since we still had about a week left in our trip and no good way to simply toss the car seat cover in the wash and wait for it to dry out.

[MNLonghornFUKM 8,916]

Our then 2 YO didn’t poop all week when we were at disneyworld for 5 days last year. I guess too many distractions can throw you off schedule. Last day was at animal kingdom and we were going to ride pandora one more time before leaving the park. I waited for wife& daughter to go first then I’d go. 2YO was chilling in the stroller. When I was done on ride my wife sent like 8 texts talking about how much shit he had let loose in his stroller, that was rented btw.


So found a family bathroom and went to town. Lol. He had to wear my wife’s black tank top she was wearing as a shirt. Absolute shit show. Blow outs suck and can throw you off track so damn easily

[Goofyboy 3,308]

My son was 2 or so and we went to my BIL’s rehearsal Dinner. Kid ate his weight in food. He took all you can eat to a new level. At the end he blew his diaper out and up his back to almost his neck. As we are walking out, the maid of honor decided that was the perfect time for a picture. We just kept walking. Kid road home in a new and clean diaper. Clothes were in a bag in the bed of the truck.

[Thatguy 9,037]

Well fellas its the moment I have been dreading for years. My daughter's 8th grade formal and she was asked by a boy. I couldn't even stare him down because he is 6'3, an inch taller than me. However, his older sister just got an academic scholarship from UT so I guess I he is from good stock. He was also very respectful, which made it even harder to crush his hand when I was shaking it. My little girl is growing up.

[Goofyboy 3,308]

Wife and I took the kid to Red Rocks with us this weekend. Bucket list item for us and he really enjoyed it. He just started guitar and this was his first big show.

[Fudbelty 2,793]

Hug your kids and tell them you love them. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PUT YOUR KIDS IN HELMETS IF THEY’RE ON ANY ATV. I don’t care if it’s got a roll cage or a 4wheeler that you’re driving. My family is fine but a horrific accident happened to a 10yr old here.

[Fudbelty 2,793]

Blowout talk not going away. My oldest was almost two and we had gone to eat dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Well she was in her high chair right next to me and I looked down and salsa was on the floor under her. This didn’t make sense because she didn’t eat salsa. So I followed the salsa trail up and in to the high chair. She had shit so much that it was coming up and out and everywhere else.

[MNLonghornFUKM 8,916]

Hug your kids and tell them you love them. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PUT YOUR KIDS IN HELMETS IF THEY’RE ON ANY ATV. I don’t care if it’s got a roll cage or a 4wheeler that you’re driving. My family is fine but a horrific accident happened to a 10yr old here.

ATVs = death mobiles


This afternoon We were looking at some teenage girl in sandals, Jean shorts, tank top and a helmet, no pics, riding on the back of a crotch rocket with her tshirt, shorts boyfriend

Basically told my 6YO daughter she will never ride on the back of any motorcycle ever

[Guest]

13 minutes ago, MNLonghornFUKM said:

ATVs = death mobiles


This afternoon We were looking at some teenage girl in sandals, Jean shorts, tank top and a helmet, no pics, riding on the back of a crotch rocket with her tshirt, shorts boyfriend

Basically told my 6YO daughter she will never ride on the back of any motorcycle ever

"Daddy, that just depends how he controls it..."

[Hermanator 7,286]

This here makes me glad the lone kid in my house is now 17 and isn't shitting herself. In fact she's a bit compulsive about being clean and neat so she actually cleans up after herself. 

That smell doesn't leave your memory with time. Have 'Nam flashbacks if I walk past a kid with a blowout

Edited May 15, 2022 by Hermanator

[atomheartbevo 90,052]

1 hour ago, Fudbelty said:

Hug your kids and tell them you love them. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PUT YOUR KIDS IN HELMETS IF THEY’RE ON ANY ATV. I don’t care if it’s got a roll cage or a 4wheeler that you’re driving. My family is fine but a horrific accident happened to a 10yr old here.

52 minutes ago, MNLonghornFUKM said:

ATVs = death mobiles

My cousin still has his 3-wheeler from the 1980s that we rolled and nearly killed ourselves on as kids (he ended up with a broken leg, broken ribs, and broken arm, I was able to avoid anything major outside of possibly a concussion), and a few years ago he restored it and brought it to the family reunion and was asking if anybody wanted to ride it for old time's sake.

52 minutes ago, MNLonghornFUKM said:

This afternoon We were looking at some teenage girl in sandals, Jean shorts, tank top and a helmet, no pics, riding on the back of a crotch rocket with her tshirt, shorts boyfriend

Basically told my 6YO daughter she will never ride on the back of any motorcycle ever

[Goofyboy 3,308]

Sometimes being a tourist is really fun and informative. Hit up a gold mine outside of Denver. Kiddo had a blast.

[Jkwellborn 6,877]

Hug your kids and tell them you love them. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PUT YOUR KIDS IN HELMETS IF THEY’RE ON ANY ATV. I don’t care if it’s got a roll cage or a 4wheeler that you’re driving. My family is fine but a horrific accident happened to a 10yr old here.

There was an accident a couple of weeks ago that killed a kid in the neighboring town. Side by side rolled and threw him out I think. He was riding with his buddy. They were around 12.

Less that a week later, a guy I know had a daughter in a similar accident and she spent a day or two in the hospital under observation. She was ok. I think she may have been 15 or so.

Moral of the story, don’t let your kids ride with their damn friends either.

[T’Boo Ted Marshall 2,741]

Loan behold

Is this similar to All Of Garden?

[Celery Man 21,026]

1 hour ago, T’Boo Ted Marshall said:

Is this similar to All Of Garden?

More of an Our Bees kind of thing

[NoName 16,614]

i posted in the baby formula thread, but posting here too

if you need formula or know folks who do - here is a great link: https://www.nowinstock.net/home/babyproducts/

if you install Telegram, then click the little blue arrow, you can get notified on your phone when status changes and things come in stock.

[52-80 19,277]

sitting on the toilet strapped to a baby with a carrier is a first for me.

unfortunately for the baby, its not a first for him.

[next2naus 439]

On 4/30/2022 at 4:17 PM, Modessit said:

An extra stitch?

I got my wife a necklace with my son's birthstone pendant. She cried happy tears.

check this out, Austin based business no less... https://www.lovetalla.com/

[Celery Man 21,026]

Goddamn the leftover pineapple was a poor choice for lunch with Rory at her little toddler table 

[Celery Man 21,026]

Man, this is such a fun age. 13 months. Walking, running, really making an effort at talking, communicating and understanding sequences. I was doing dishes and she brought her shoes and socks over because she wanted to go out in her little pushy car around the pond. And then plopped down in my lap and her me suit her like feet up.

Started eating at her little table that turns into a learning tower (shipped to us by Ukrainians who fulfilled the order after the invasion started, wtf)

 

concert in the park. I am so goddamn exhausted from chasing her around. Non stop. But just sitting there in 90 second increments thinking this is about as good as anyone can expect to ever have it.

 

also blew up the inflatable pool today, but she didn’t make it too long. We’ll let it get warmed up more by the Sun next time.

[Snake Diggity 4,628]

Yep, soak it in, those phases go fast.  But I have enjoyed each subsequent phase more than the previous phase.  Newborn and infant phases were like a drug haze in both good and bad ways.  Toddlers were really fun but still very restrictive.  Now mine are “little kids” and a lot more fun stuff gets unlocked.  Can’t say I expect that trend to continue into the teenage years.

 

Also, what’s with the mixture of captain crunch, mini wheats, and fruit loops?

Edited May 30, 2022 by Snake Diggity

[BigHorn'13 3,454]

Variety

 

/s/ other great Surly Dad

[Celery Man 21,026]

at the risk of sounding surly poor - man, with my wife not working and then the lack of attention we were paying to anything but baby stuff, our budget got out of fucking control. I sat the wife down with the credit card statement and categorized all of the charges to show her what we were spending on what, and groceries were the primary thing where the amount we were spending was just stupid. So we set aside some fuck around money for each of us and went scorched earth on the grocery budget. I think we we've gone too far on it but she's like that, it worked. Also I've finally got her to use the grocery store apps to put together lists (with each exact item and the aisle it is located in rather than shit like "Cheese" and "Coconut" where it is 100% certain that I will get the wrong thing). At any rate, under the auspice of "being way too cheap", for myself I just get whatever cereal at Lidl is cheap that week and I toss it in my big cereal container. I actually kinda like the weird mixture.

I've almost started a thread about her crazy coupon/rebate shit. She's not at the extreme couponing level but she did halve our grocery expenses while still cooking a nice meal from scratch every night.

[MNLonghornFUKM 8,916]

Nothings more helpless when you stare at a 200-250$ grocery bill and see only 2-3 “at home” meals in your cart ,lol

[Snake Diggity 4,628]

1 hour ago, Celery Man said:

at the risk of sounding surly poor - man, with my wife not working and then the lack of attention we were paying to anything but baby stuff, our budget got out of fucking control. I sat the wife down with the credit card statement and categorized all of the charges to show her what we were spending on what, and groceries were the primary thing where the amount we were spending was just stupid. So we set aside some fuck around money for each of us and went scorched earth on the grocery budget. I think we we've gone too far on it but she's like that, it worked. Also I've finally got her to use the grocery store apps to put together lists (with each exact item and the aisle it is located in rather than shit like "Cheese" and "Coconut" where it is 100% certain that I will get the wrong thing). At any rate, under the auspice of "being way too cheap", for myself I just get whatever cereal at Lidl is cheap that week and I toss it in my big cereal container. I actually kinda like the weird mixture.

I've almost started a thread about her crazy coupon/rebate shit. She's not at the extreme couponing level but she did halve our grocery expenses while still cooking a nice meal from scratch every night.

Not to derail the thread but I feel you.  We were spending an easy $1000/mo+ on groceries with 30% of it going to waste.  It was disgusting.  I sympathize with my wife because she has a lot on her plate but piling shit on top of shit in the pantry, freezer, and fridge until you don’t even know what you have is insane and wasteful as fuck.  I finally took control of at least the budget piece and we are down to $600/mo. 

Edited May 30, 2022 by Snake Diggity

[hookem2010 2,645]

I should be joining the club in a few hours. Chilling in L&D while the wife naps before the main event!

[Etexhorn13 3,054]

4 minutes ago, hookem2010 said:

I should be joining the club in a few hours. Chilling in L&D while the wife naps before the main event!

Congrats and get ready to not sleep through the night for a while (or if your wife lets you sleep while she nurses in the middle of the night, prepare to hear about it for the next few months)! 

Edited June 3, 2022 by Etexhorn13

[NoName 16,614]

56 minutes ago, hookem2010 said:

I should be joining the club in a few hours. Chilling in L&D while the wife naps before the main event!

congratulations man!!!