Surly Dad Thread

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

1 hour ago, EE2B said:

Jesus Christ so much ^^^ this. My five year olds birthday is next Saturday. She spent almost $700 on TWO bounce houses. I’m scared to even ask what the rest of this shit is costing.

Why the fuck do we do this to ourselves?  I don't even remember my goddamn 4th birthday.  I love my daughter's more than life itself, but come on, this is just retarded.

[Lobwedgephil 1139]

11 minutes ago, mdmost said:

 Never. We're about to book our youngest's 9th birthday party and we're looking at $400 minimum. The wife has 3 very limited window things she weirdly loves to spend money on: Halloween costumes, birthday parties, and Christmas pajamas. We've got classmates and friends coming. They of course all need $10+ gifts for attending. You know, because the party that we're inviting them to and spending money on them being able to attend isn't enough. But I'd much rather pay that out than to ever have another party at my house ever again. That goes from "oh it will be so much less expensive" to $500+ in no time. You think she's fine with spending a lot to go somewhere for a party? Oh no. Wait for when it's at our own home.

[Prepuce of Doom 21053]

I just discovered these wonderful products while watching Teen Titans with the Doomlet. 

https://www.fatherly.com/news/butthead-toys-wowwee/

"Buttheads - Their Heads Are Butts!"

I know at least one birthday present he'll be getting. 

Edited March 24, 2019 by Prepuce of Doom

[Jkwellborn 6692]

Jesus Christ so much ^^^ this. My five year olds birthday is next Saturday. She spent almost $700 on TWO bounce houses. I’m scared to even ask what the rest of this shit is costing.

I’ve got a buddy that rents them a hell of a lot cheaper than that.

[EE2B 1565]

I’ve got a buddy that rents them a hell of a lot cheaper than that.

I misspoke when I said two bounce houses. What she actually rented was one bounce house and one obstacle course that is about 80’ long. My wife never realized that they charged taxes and setup fees. We have officially jumped the shark.

[Llano Estacado 1257]

My oldest daughter has her 4th birthday tomorrow.

Fuck my life. I am thinking at 10pm I will mix some everclear and orange juice.

We had a real life Flash come yesterday to son’s 4th. I started drinking at 10:45am stopped at midnight.

[EE2B 1565]

Why the fuck do we do this to ourselves?  I don't even remember my goddamn 4th birthday.  I love my daughter's more than life itself, but come on, this is just retarded.

It all comes down to pussy. They have it and we want it.

[tbone_ 14113]

I started drinking at 10:45am stopped at midnight.

I try to do that most saturdays tbh.

[Buffsoldier 1895]

For my kid's last birthday (age 8 )  I rented a 2 hr block at the local ninja-warrior training facility.  For that, the cake, the pizza, the sodas and the trainers to run the rug-rats around and get them good and exhausted and the tip for the trainers was $375.00.  I didn't have to set up or clean up a goddamn thing.  Only work I did was carrying the cake into the facility and carrying the presents out of it.

 

Best $375 I have ever spent. 

[NorthLoop 14183]

Took the girl to the neighbor boy's 7th bday party at the Snake Farm today. Minimal set up and hassle. Cake, presents, and everyone go look at the animals and the fuckton of snakes. I would've loved that when I was 7. 

[Llano Estacado 1257]

Mandatory -

Just sounds nasty.

[EE2B 1565]

We now officially have our first bout with pneumonia. Took the two year old to a walk-in clinic last Monday night for fever/cold symptoms and they said fluid on ear, but it’s not infected. Just watch her and bring back if not better. Tuesday night I get home and she still has fever so I take her to a different walk-in. The ear is now infected (24 hours later). We start the antibiotic but notice thAt the cough gets a little worse, but no more fever. Friday night we decide to start albuterol since we had some leftover to help with the cough. By Saturday afternoon she’s running fever again so we go back to walk-in #2. They do a chest X-ray and determine that her lungs are a bit “reactive” and that both ears are now infected. They leave us on the same antibiotic and tell us to follow up with our PCP.

I leave work this morning to take her to her primary care doctor. We get checked in and the nurse sees that her pulse-ox is 93%. The doctor comes in and listens to her lungs and calls for another chest X-ray. The X-ray now shows that she has pneumonia in both lungs (the doctor only heard it in one). It had been about 36 hours since her last chest X-ray that was clear. From that visit we got a shot of antibiotics, oral steroid, and two additional antibiotics to start. When she told me she had pneumonia I almost fell over. I never would have guessed it had gotten that bad.

For the TLDR crowd: be careful which walk-in you take your kids to. Some of them don’t know shit and won’t be proactive about anything.

[pacman 7355]

Hopefully she recovers quickly. Definitely hard to find good healthcare of late...

[Jkwellborn 6692]

Man that sucks. Hope she gets better soon.

[Modessit 5598]

I had pneumonia at age 11. It's treated much better nowadays. Back then I had to stay in the hospital for like a month.

[EE2B 1565]

Thanks everyone. Quick update: my wife got up with her about 1:30 this morning to give her the albuterol treatment. During the treatment she noticed she was taking quick/short breaths. Since this was different than when she went to bed, she work me up saying she needed to go in. I get up and take her to the walk-in ER where they going her pulse ox had dropped to 84. The do labs, chest X-ray, and start an IV. Pneumonia is a bit worse so they make the decision to send us on to the hospital. My baby has handled it like a champ and is passed out in the bed now next to my wife. They think the antibiotics not being changed until yesterday didn’t catch it in time so she needs a little help to get over it. Now we just need to be off oxygen for 24 hours with no fever to get out of here.

[MNLonghornFUKM 8817]

Man that is some scary shit.. I cant imagine a more helpless feeling while your kid is sick in a hospital bed. Ughhm.heres to a quick recovery and departure. Keep us posted

[LurkingHorn 1066]

2 hours ago, EE2B said:

Thanks everyone. Quick update: my wife got up with her about 1:30 this morning to give her the albuterol treatment. During the treatment she noticed she was taking quick/short breaths. Since this was different than when she went to bed, she work me up saying she needed to go in. I get up and take her to the walk-in ER where they going her pulse ox had dropped to 84. The do labs, chest X-ray, and start an IV. Pneumonia is a bit worse so they make the decision to send us on to the hospital. My baby has handled it like a champ and is passed out in the bed now next to my wife. They think the antibiotics not being changed until yesterday didn’t catch it in time so she needs a little help to get over it. Now we just need to be off oxygen for 24 hours with no fever to get out of here.

Sorry, man. We JUST got out of the ICU with my 10-month old for pneumonia on Sunday as well. It's a very helpless feeling. As soon as you hit 48 hours on that new antibiotic, you will see a drastic difference. 

[Lobwedgephil 1139]

2 hours ago, EE2B said:

Thanks everyone. Quick update: my wife got up with her about 1:30 this morning to give her the albuterol treatment. During the treatment she noticed she was taking quick/short breaths. Since this was different than when she went to bed, she work me up saying she needed to go in. I get up and take her to the walk-in ER where they going her pulse ox had dropped to 84. The do labs, chest X-ray, and start an IV. Pneumonia is a bit worse so they make the decision to send us on to the hospital. My baby has handled it like a champ and is passed out in the bed now next to my wife. They think the antibiotics not being changed until yesterday didn’t catch it in time so she needs a little help to get over it. Now we just need to be off oxygen for 24 hours with no fever to get out of here.

Good luck bud, both of my twins got pneumonia about a month ago, was a brutal week. 

[kmac30 416]

All this birthday party at home business. You guys are nuts. We did it a couple times and I was done. We started having our parties at the gymnastics place. $250 for 2 hours. Boys like it just as much as girls. They provide 2 coaches and free run of the gym. We bring cake and whatever food. In and out. I think we’ve run parties there for the last 3 years. This last one was probably the last we get away with.

[MNLonghornFUKM 8817]

We rented a gazebo through the park district at a local splash pad last summer. Best 100 bucks ever.

 

Get a few pizzas and cake... throw your trash away and have. Only out about 200ish after its said and done.

 

Will probably do again next year

 

 

[Goofyboy 3269]

We rented our neighborhood pool. 10am on a Sunday. Pizza showed at 11. Kids and adults had fun. $300. Late June in a pool is about the only place to be outside.

[EE2B 1565]

One final update: she was able to come off the oxygen Tuesday morning and by Tuesday night her pulse/ox was back up to 100%. Her pediatrician came through the next morning and kicked us out with instructions to finish up meds at home. Holy shit what an emotional roller coaster of a ride. I don’t know how parents of extremely ill kids handle everything along with the stress of being in the hospital. I almost came unglued on her nurse Tuesday night for disappearing for the second time and her IV was alarming again because she got wrapped up in it.

[Buffsoldier 1895]

Get some sleep.  You've earned it.

And congrats on making it through the storm.  We've all been there.

[SHOOTER12 8800]

On 3/24/2019 at 7:48 AM, Prepuce of Doom said:

I just discovered these wonderful products while watching Teen Titans with the Doomlet. 

https://www.fatherly.com/news/butthead-toys-wowwee/

"Buttheads - Their Heads Are Butts!"

I know at least one birthday present he'll be getting. 

Wait until the "Dickbutt" line hits the shelves next year.

[High Plains Drifter 11033]

Had this convo with the youngster as I was leaving for work this morning:

 

me: Bye Goose! ("Goose" is my pet name for her).

her: Bye Super Goose.

me: Bye Super Duper Goose.

her: Bye Super Duper Infinity Goose.

me: Bye Super Duper Infinity times Infinity Goose.

her: Bye Super Duper Infinity times Infinity an infinity number of times Goose.

me: Uh...

 

[Skipper 6128]

1 hour ago, High Plains Drifter said:

Had this convo with the youngster as I was leaving for work this morning:

 

me: Bye Goose! ("Goose" is my pet name for her).

her: Bye Super Goose.

me: Bye Super Duper Goose.

her: Bye Super Duper Infinity Goose.

me: Bye Super Duper Infinity times Infinity Goose.

her: Bye Super Duper Infinity times Infinity an infinity number of times Goose.

me: Uh...

 

Just take the L

[Buffsoldier 1895]

4 hours ago, Skipper said:

Just t Take the L, Goosey.

Fixed.

[Jkwellborn 6692]

Mother fucker. That’s a perfect time to be Maverick.

[Anastasis 23463]

Back to school day is one of the best days of the year. 

[BabaYaga 15289]

1 hour ago, Anastasis said:

Back to school day is one of the best days of the year. 

Not for f****ing traffic.  Such a beating.  But yeah, kids are excited!  Both in middle school finally:  6th and 8th

[Goofyboy 3269]

I’m going to be optimistic for as long as I can that this year will be smooth and things will go well. To say that I am less than impressed with Fort Bend ISD’s special education department is an understatement.
Starting our third school this year. Here’s to hoping the administration is better here.

[pearlandhorn 3269]

Son (3 years old) has been sick for what seems like 2 weeks now.  Coughing so bad and hard that he'd puke.  Wife took him to the walk in clinic last week at his pediatricians office and they said he had an ear infection, sinus infection, and the start of an upper respiratory infection.  Damn.  Gave him a take-home breathing treatment and a 10 day antibiotic of amoxicillin.  My wife and I are both allergic to amoxicillin (hives and breathing problems if we take it) so we had always been hesitant to give it to him when he's sick.  A week later (this last Monday), I get home and see he's having all of these spots just show up randomly all over his body.  His cough has decreased a lot and he's a lot more active - just kinda still snotty.

Called his pediatrician again and they called in a different Rx for him (z-pac).  We stopped the amox and pumped him full of antihistamine Monday night.  Spots are still here 48 hours later. 

On a better note - he hasn't had an accident in his pants in over 3 weeks.  Potty training is going well (I feel like I got a raise).

[mushroomface 62]

My 1.5 year old son can't stay still to save his life. He also absolutely loves The Wiggles.

Last night, they were in town doing a show. This boy sat still in my wife's lap for a solid 1.5 hours, completely enthralled.

[dcbc 14465]

2 hours ago, pearlandhorn said:

Son (3 years old) has been sick for what seems like 2 weeks now.  Coughing so bad and hard that he'd puke.  Wife took him to the walk in clinic last week at his pediatricians office and they said he had an ear infection, sinus infection, and the start of an upper respiratory infection.  Damn.  Gave him a take-home breathing treatment and a 10 day antibiotic of amoxicillin.  My wife and I are both allergic to amoxicillin (hives and breathing problems if we take it) so we had always been hesitant to give it to him when he's sick.  A week later (this last Monday), I get home and see he's having all of these spots just show up randomly all over his body.  His cough has decreased a lot and he's a lot more active - just kinda still snotty.

Called his pediatrician again and they called in a different Rx for him (z-pac).  We stopped the amox and pumped him full of antihistamine Monday night.  Spots are still here 48 hours later. 

On a better note - he hasn't had an accident in his pants in over 3 weeks.  Potty training is going well (I feel like I got a raise).

That happened to my wife post chemo.  In her case, she actually had taken whatever antibiotic is was for years with no problem.  Then, all of a sudden, hives and felt like her throat was closing up.  Tons of benedryl and we don't use that one anymore.  Vancomicin, I think it was.

[tbone_ 14113]

Son (3 years old) has been sick for what seems like 2 weeks now.  Coughing so bad and hard that he'd puke.  Wife took him to the walk in clinic last week at his pediatricians office and they said he had an ear infection, sinus infection, and the start of an upper respiratory infection.  Damn.  Gave him a take-home breathing treatment and a 10 day antibiotic of amoxicillin.  My wife and I are both allergic to amoxicillin (hives and breathing problems if we take it) so we had always been hesitant to give it to him when he's sick.  A week later (this last Monday), I get home and see he's having all of these spots just show up randomly all over his body.  His cough has decreased a lot and he's a lot more active - just kinda still snotty.

Called his pediatrician again and they called in a different Rx for him (z-pac).  We stopped the amox and pumped him full of antihistamine Monday night.  Spots are still here 48 hours later. 

On a better note - he hasn't had an accident in his pants in over 3 weeks.  Potty training is going well (I feel like I got a raise).

We had a similar issue with our daughter at a similar age. Kept getting respiratory infections. Coughed all the time. Lasted for a year or more. Long story, bunch of docs mis diagnosed as asthma, etc. Turns out it was acid reflux causing all of it. Local Austin pediatric pulmonologist figured it out. Soon as we started treating the reflux it all went away.

[Modessit 5598]

My son had a mild amoxycillin reaction the first time he took it, and then a major one a few months later when they gave him Augmentin. We stopped the treatment early (after a trip to ER) but his legs, feet, arms, and hands swelled up so bad he could hardly walk or hold things. Lasted for a few days. My wife is allergic to penicillin and he might be too. Our Doc doesn't give him anything with a penicillin base now and we decided not to give it to our daughter either just in case.

Hard to believe that was over 4 years ago. The boy starts kindergarten next week.

[atomheartbevo 89629]

6 hours ago, pearlandhorn said:

Son (3 years old) has been sick for what seems like 2 weeks now.  Coughing so bad and hard that he'd puke.  Wife took him to the walk in clinic last week at his pediatricians office and they said he had an ear infection, sinus infection, and the start of an upper respiratory infection.  Damn.  Gave him a take-home breathing treatment and a 10 day antibiotic of amoxicillin.  My wife and I are both allergic to amoxicillin (hives and breathing problems if we take it) so we had always been hesitant to give it to him when he's sick.  A week later (this last Monday), I get home and see he's having all of these spots just show up randomly all over his body.  His cough has decreased a lot and he's a lot more active - just kinda still snotty.

Called his pediatrician again and they called in a different Rx for him (z-pac).  We stopped the amox and pumped him full of antihistamine Monday night.  Spots are still here 48 hours later. 

On a better note - he hasn't had an accident in his pants in over 3 weeks.  Potty training is going well (I feel like I got a raise).

We have to do z-pacs in my family - I'm allergic to penicillin, as is my mother, and I apparently passed it on to my son (and possibly daughter).  The second time he got amoxicillin, he broke out in a rash.  Doc at the urgent care took one look and said "anybody in the family allergic to penicillin?"

[atomheartbevo 89629]

3 hours ago, mushroomface said:

This boy sat still in my wife's lap for a solid 1.5 hours, completely enthralled.

He lasted longer than I did.

[BrazilHorn 6586]

My oldest son (going into 7th grade). Picks up his pads/equipment for football on Friday. It's his first time to play tackle. He did flag football for 1-6th grade.

He's a tall, rangy-fast kid. So I can see WR/Safety/DE (in terms of Middle School)

Any Surly dads gone through middle school football that have some tips/advice etc?

[tbone_ 14113]

My dad bought me one of those white neck roll pad things when I started 7th grade football. It was pretty dope in 1980. That’s all I got for you.

[Planet Houston 4930]

My 5 year-old daughter is getting her tonsils and adenoids taken out tomorrow morning. Any advice on recovery would be appreciated. 

We are so ready for these things to come out. She’s had sinus problems since she was born, has incredibly enlarged tonsils when she gets infections (all the time) and it’s affected her hearing and breathing so much that it’s causing speech issues.  

So, despite what I’m sure will be a rough recovery, we are glad to finally be doing it. 

[HoustonFrog 368]

My 1.5 year old son can't stay still to save his life. He also absolutely loves The Wiggles.
Last night, they were in town doing a show. This boy sat still in my wife's lap for a solid 1.5 hours, completely enthralled.

I’ve got a 1.5 yr old son, longest I’ve ever seen him in same place is 20 minutes

[HoustonFrog 368]

Also, my 2nd child (girl) is now one day late, on pins and needles. Fucking terrified of having a 1.5 yr old and newborn. I HATED the first 6 months of newborn.

I had four months paid paternity leave during my first but only six weeks for this one.

[atomheartbevo 89629]

So we are doing the bike to school thing after things settle down.  Any recommendations on taking a 3 year-old?  Carriers over the rear wheel, trailers, etc.?

[atomheartbevo 89629]

2 hours ago, HoustonFrog said:

Also, my 2nd child (girl) is now one day late, on pins and needles. Fucking terrified of having a 1.5 yr old and newborn. I HATED the first 6 months of newborn.

I had four months paid paternity leave during my first but only six weeks for this one.

[Prepuce of Doom 21053]

6 hours ago, HoustonFrog said:

 

I’ve got a 1.5 yr old son, longest I’ve ever seen him in same place is 20 minutes

 

Given that Atom Heart Bevo is the previous poster, I might as well share how the Doomlet (4 years old, and who also can't sit still) was gobsmacked by Atom Heart Mother by Pink Floyd the other day. For anyone who doesn't know, it's about 25 minutes long and orchestral. 

It came up on Spotify, and he just immediately sat down in a lounge chair, stared at the phone (and the picture of the cow from the album cover), and absorbed it. 

I had to go tend to the ill Mrs. Doom for a few minutes, so I just left him alone and told him not to touch my phone. 

I came back 5 or 10 minutes later to discover him in the exact same place, but with tears silently streaming down his face. 

Alarmed, I asked him what was wrong. "Nothing." Are you sad? "No." Why are you crying? In an incredulous voice, to the same cadence of Tommy Lee Jones's "I don't care" in The Fugitive, he said, "I don't know!" 

He just sat, cried, and finished the song. Afterwards, it was like nothing happened. 

Mrs. Doom and her sister both have musical brains (perfect pitch, sister in law has a PhD in medieval musicology and plays professionally, etc.) so I guess he just got something from that side of the family, because he certainly didn't get it from mine. 

He's also been driven to inexplicable tears by the little electronic song that our washing machine plays at the end of the cycle. 

Anyone else have a kid who is unusually emotionally moved by music? 

[tbone_ 14113]

Pics of medieval sister in law?

[Homercles 10205]

My oldest (soon to be 6M) started his first day of kinder Thursday.  Had a great first day, only problem was talking about penises and being naked...my man.  

My girl turns 3 on Monday and is my absolute PITA, pain in the ass.  I still do anything she asks, I’m doomed.  

On a side note I heard a joke years ago about how ‘everyone who drives slower than you is a moron while everyone faster is crazy’. 

As a father of two youngins my current feeling is everyone with fewer kids than you has it relatively easy and everyone with more kids than you is crazy.  Was talking with a coworker who has two young ones and wants four, I looked at him like an Chad Briscoe offering ‘rittles’...my 6yo can dress himself, brush teeth, occupy himself with a tablet from 6-8am solo, and cleans up on his own.  That’ll be the promised land when my girl is that age and is somewhat self sufficient, I’m done with babies and toddlers, fuckin terrorists.  

[T’Boo Ted Marshall 2732]

I’ve struggled with my temper lately. Our kids are almost 7(boy) and 4(girl). They bicker and fight constantly. It seemingly never ends. They get fantastic reports at school, church and with other parents At home it seems like a different version of them. They rarely ever get a spanking but man I can let out a lion’s roar that sends them running. It ends up at that point usually after having to ask multiple times for something simple to be done, like a chore or picking up toys.

I’m sure it’s normal but it just doesn’t resonate with me since my sister and I were close and she doted on me and when my parents asked me to do something I did it. I asked them this to make sure I wasn’t acting the same way.

Anyway, just disappointed that I’ve been yelling a lot. It’s out of character for me.