Now she begs to use the computer. When she does get to use it, if we don’t pay attention, she’ll use it for hours! Obviously the best cure for that is good parenting. Meaning we’d pay attention to how long she’s been on and make her log out after a reasonable amount of time. Yeah exactly, that’s why I figured there must be a simple technological solution to the problem.

Fortunately, if you are using Windows 7 or Windows Vista, it’s extremely easy to force the computer to log out after a specified amount of time.

Setup a Scheduled Task

1. Log in to the computer with your user account (not your kid’s).
2. Go to Start > Control Panel > System Security > Administrative Tools.
3. Double-click Task Scheduler.
4. In the Task Scheduler window, click Create Task.
   
5. The Create Task window will appear.
6. Enter a name for the task. I named mine Auto Logoff.
7. Click on the Change User or Group button. Type in the username for your child and click OK.
8. Checkmark Run with highest privileges.
9. In the drop-down menu, choose Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2.
10. Next click the Triggers tab and then click the New button.
    
11. In the New Trigger window, in the drop-down menu, choose At log on.
12. Choose Specific user and then click the Change User button.
13. Type in you kid’s username and click OK.
14. Checkmark Delay task for and then choose the amount of time. This is how long your kid will be able to use the computer before it auto logs them out. I chose 1 hour for Olivia. Meaning she will be automatically logged off the computer one hour after she logs in.
15. Click OK to close the New Trigger window.
16. Click the Actions tab and then click the New button.
17. In the New Action window, change the drop-down menu to Start a program.
    
18. In the Program/script area type: shutdown.exe
19. In the Add arguments (optional) area type: /l
    (Note: that’s a forward slash and lowercase “L”)
20. Click OK to close the New Action window.
21. Click OK one more time to create the new task.

You’ll want to test the new scheduled task at least once to make sure it’s working. If it fails to run, you can open the Task Scheduler again to view the error code. However in my case, I’ve tested this setup and whenever Olivia logs in to the computer, she will be logged out exactly one hour later.

Olivia is like that. She’s full of boundless energy and zest for life. She loves to run, jump, scream, poke her little sister, and touch that thing we told her not to touch one minute ago. Not because she’s a bad kid. It’s just that she really does have an enthusiasm for the what if in life. ( And unfortunately she also has an enthusiasm for the why not as well.)

No matter how many times we tell her not to scream in her sister’s face, she just can’t help herself. When she plays with Rachel, she just gets so excited. And when you’re excited, you raise your voice too. So we can’t really blame her. Still, it’s not appropriate.

I could list a few hundred more examples.

But she means no harm…

How on earth are we supposed to teach her appropriate behavior when she means no harm? When she’s just being passionate about life?

That’s not to say Olivia doesn’t have a mischievous side. She surely does. But what about the times when she really doesn’t have any bad intentions whatsoever?

She’ll ask “What’s that daddy?” Over and over.

When I was a little boy, I was SO curious about EVERYTHING! Seriously, I wanted to know everything about everything. I even read encyclopedias for fun. (No internet back then.) When we would watch TV together as a family, I’d often interrupt the show to ask my mom questions about what just happened. At the time, I didn’t understand why my mom would lose her patience with me. After all, I just wanted to know.

Olivia is like that. We’ll be driving somewhere, and as she sees something new out the van window, she’ll ask “What’s that daddy?” Over and over. Or I’ll tell her something, and she’ll ask “Why?” Then I tell her why, and in response to the answer she’ll again ask “Why?” And she’s not doing it to annoy or delay, she really wants to know. And it gets annoying and tries my patience.

(I can just picture the grin on my mom’s face as she’s reading this.)

How on earth are we supposed to keep our patience when she is doing nothing wrong, but is getting annoying?

The simple answer…

I think the answer to all of these questions is pretty simple. The trick is to just understand that when interacting with others in our society, there are certain things that aren’t wrong, but they are certainly inappropriate. There are also times when we do wrong things without meaning to do them.

When Olivia asks one hundred questions in the van, she’s not doing anything wrong. Yet she is doing something inappropriate. Imagine you driving to a meeting with your boss, doing the same thing. Don’t you think your boss would find your non-stop questions annoying and inappropriate?

It’s my job as her dad to teach her…

As Olivia’s dad, it’s my job to discipline her when she does wrong things, even if she didn’t mean it. If I don’t, then I’m not doing my job. I’m not teaching Olivia the important lesson that it doesn’t matter if you didn’t mean to do wrong, or if you didn’t mean to hurt somebody. No matter the reason, if you do wrong or hurt others, you need to take responsibility for it and make amends.

Likewise, if Olivia is acting inappropriately in social settings, then it’s my job as her dad to teach her that it’s inappropriate. To teach her correct behavior. Again, if I don’t, then I’m not doing my job as her dad and I’m setting her up for failure later in life.

Having said all that, it’s also my responsibility as dad to encourage her zeal and enthusiasm for life. Instead of just disciplining her for being loud, I also need to encourage appropriate ways for her have fun playing with her sister, etc.

Does that make any sense? Make sure to leave a comment below to let me know what you think.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Buy a whole chicken at the grocery store. You can usually get these for less than five bucks.
2. Unwrap the chicken. If it has a bag of parts up its rear end, take the bag out and throw it away.
3. Spray some cooking spray inside the crock-pot and turn it on low.
4. Plop the chicken in the crock-pot.
5. Cook for about 7 hours.
6. Remove the chicken from the crock-pot and use your fingers to remove all the meat from the bones.
7. Eat the chicken.

Seriously, it really is that simple!

Add any side dish that you want, but I recommend something easy and quick. A good choice would be one of those microwavable bags of vegetables. Just cook them in the microwave and dish them up straight from the bag.

I made this earlier this week. It was so easy and the entire family loved it. We simply had the chicken with a side of green peas. Since my wife and I like different spices, I cooked the chicken plain and we added our own spices on our plates. In my case, I simply added some pepper to the chicken and butter to the peas.

Mmmm…

Since the work week was fairly busy, it didn’t seem like such a big deal that Olivia was gone this past week. However today is Saturday, and when I woke up this morning, it was too quiet. It’s still too quiet. I almost don’t know what to do with myself. In fact, it’s somewhat boring.

Olivia is such an active, rambunctious, loud, and at times, nearly crazy kid. If she’s bored or needs to vent some pent up energy… WATCH OUT! She will invade your space, get into your stuff, and generally do what she can to engage with the rest of the family. (If you’re wondered why I haven’t posted much, now you know.) Olivia is not a “sit on the floor and color” type of kid. She’s a high-energy extravert.

So when I woke up this morning, I found it oddly strange. No one was stubbornly refusing to go potty after waking up. No one was getting into that bag of chips I left on the counter last night. No one was begging to watch cartoons. No one was playing too hard with Rachel and making her cry.

It’s just too darn quiet. I guess I really miss my Olivia.

Let me explain…

In January of 2009, I realized that I needed to start exercising. I even blogged about the benefits of exercising, which in summary were:

1. Exercising will give me more energy to play with the kids. (Increased stamina.)
2. Exercising will give me more patience. (As a dad and as a husband.)
3. Exercising will give me a better chance of meeting my grandchildren. (Obvious health benefits.)
4. Exercising will improve my marriage. (Healthier body, healthier marriage.)
5. I’ll set a proper example for the kids. (To live healthier lives.)

So I was really excited when my P90X package arrived at my front door. I was so excited that I went out and purchased all the extra gear that I’d need to use the program. Basically I was set and ready to go!

The first week on P90X, I was really sore. I mean REALLY sore. I didn’t even know I had all those muscles that were aching. But I knew that was to be expected, so I pushed through it.

The second week of P90X, the initial soreness started to go away. I was getting into the program and started feeling a great sense of accomplishment. After all, P90X is a hardcore program. For an out-of-shape guy like me, it was no small task to get through each day’s workout.

The third week of P90X, I was really starting to just feel good in general. I think this is when the true effects of exercise were really kicking in for me. I was much more upbeat and positive throughout the day. I was beginning to notice an increase to my stamina and daily energy levels.

Except for One Problem…

Despite all the benefits, I was fighting against a huge problem. You see, by the end of each week, all those positive effects would be replaced by a generalized sick feeling.

I would have no energy.

Basically, by the end of each week, I’d feel extremely run-down and negative. I would have no energy. It would be a struggle at best to do the final workouts of the week. Eventually it got so bad that I just started skipping workouts at the end of the week.

After 5 weeks of doing great at the beginning of the week, followed by huge crashes, my body finally gave up. I don’t know if it was coincidence or the effects of the workout, but I got sick. I mean “for real” sick. I had to stay home from work and fight off the flu. Considering how I was feeling, I decided it would be best to rest up and recover from the flu before continuing with P90X.

The was the last time I exercised.

Basically, I gave up on exercising.

The entire past year, I haven’t been exercising or eating right. What do I have to show for it?

1. I often feel too tired to play with the kids.
   
2. I can get agitated way too easily.
   
3. I had chest pains and ended up in the emergency room. (Fortunately it was a false alarm, but still…)
   
4. I’ve been too tired and agitated at times to really contribute to my marriage as much as I should.
   
5. I’m setting a bad example and teaching bad habits to the girls.
   

Basically the opposite of all the benefits I’d realize if I were exercising on a routine basis.

Ugh… This wasn’t how it was supposed to turn out.

What went wrong?

I believe the problem I experienced was simple and common—especially to people doing exercise programs like P90X. I simply wasn’t eating enough.

I simply wasn’t eating enough.

That might sound funny, but I believe it’s 99% of the problem I was facing. It was the reason I started to feel sick by the end of each week. I was burning more calories than I was taking in, and by the end of each week, this was catching up to me. Giving 100% effort to P90X burns a lot of calories, and it’s important to keep up. Yet in my case, that wasn’t happening. I think it was because I was trying so hard to eat right, that I simply refused to eat anything bad, or eat anything that would put my fat/carb/protein ratios out of whack.

Believe it or not, it can be very hard to consume enough daily calories if you’re not used to eating properly with the correct ratios of fat, carbs, and proteins. It’s especially hard if you’re staying active and working out. With P90X, it’s important to eat a lot of protein and limit the fat and carb intake. Easier said than done!

Most foods are so high in fat these days. I was doing my best to limit my fat intake to the proper percentages, but I was having trouble finding foods I could eat. Also I was struggling to find good sources of protein that weren’t high in fat either. This became really tough because I was on a limited grocery budget, and for whatever reason, healthy foods cost a lot more money.

What am I going to do about it?

For several weeks now I’ve been telling myself that I need to start exercising again. Yet I do nothing. So the first step in starting back up is self-motivation. I just need to find the strength of will to do it.

I’m going to focus on what I can do.

The second step is going to be lowering expectations. I’m not going to be as worried about eating perfectly. Instead I’m just going to focus on eating “better.” If I need to eat more carbs or fat in order to avoid crashing by the end of the week, then so be it! Also I’m not going to be as hardcore about the P90X workouts themselves. If I only have time for one set instead of two (half the daily workout instead of the full workout), then it’s better to do one set than nothing at all. My health will still improve eating better and doing the exercises I have time for, versus eating junk food and not exercising at all. In a nutshell, I’m going to focus on what I can do to improve my health while staying healthy.

I’m also going to find myself a fitness goal that will help keep me motivated. One idea I’ve had is to sign-up for the local MS Ride, which is a 150 mile charity bicycle ride. I participated in this ride for three years straight, but then stopped doing it the past two years. My hope is that if I sign up, I’ll be motivated to exercise since I’ll have a goal of preparing for the event. Plus it will help to mix things up, because instead of doing all of the P90X aerobic workouts, I can hop on my bicycle and go on a training ride instead.

Conclusion…

To wrap things up, so far my P90X experience has been a complete failure, but I really want to turn that around.

Do you think I can? If you have any encouraging words to share with me, please do. I need all the encouragement and motivation I can get! Thanks.

As a result, both of my daughters are current with their immunization schedule. Additionally, the entire family receives our seasonal flu vaccine. This year we also received the H1N1 vaccine.

Why I Believe Vaccinations Save Lives

I believe immunizations save lives because of the available scientific evidence. While it’s true that no vaccine is 100% effective in preventing disease, there is a mountain of evidence in support of that fact that vaccinations help.

According to ImmunizationInfo.org:

• Before 1985, Haemophilus Influenza type b (Hib) caused serious infections in 20,000 children each year, including meningitis (12,000 cases) and pneumonia (7,500 cases). In 2002, there were 34 cases of Hib disease.
• In the 1964-1965 epidemic, there were 12.5 million cases of rubella (German measles). Of the 20,000 infants born with congenital rubella syndrome, 11,600 were deaf, 3,580 were blind, and 1,800 were mentally retarded as a result of the infection. There were 9 cases of rubella in 2004 and only four cases of congenital rubella between 2001 and 2004.
• Before 1963, more than 3 million cases of measles and 500 deaths from measles were reported each year. More than 90% of children had measles by age 15. In 2002, there were 44 cases of measles
• In 1952, polio paralyzed more than 21,000 people. In 2002, there were no cases of polio in the United States.
• In the early 1940s, there was an average of 175,000 cases of pertussis (whooping cough) per year, resulting in the deaths of 8,000 children annually. In 2002, 9,771 cases were reported.
• In the 1920s, there were 100,000 to 200,000 cases of diphtheria each year and 13,000 people died from the disease. In 2002, there was only one case of diphtheria in the United States.

If you do a little research, you’ll find tons of statistics that are similar to these. It’s simply a proven fact that children used to get sick—and some of them died—from diseases that are now all but non-existent because of immunizations.

Why I Believe Vaccinations Are Safe

There are risks associated with immunizations. However the risks typically involve inconvenient side-effects (e.g. temporary soreness or fever), while the results of getting sick from diseases like polio and smallpox are much, much worse.

Now let’s compare the risk of vaccinations to other activities most parents subject their children to. How many of us drive our children around every day? Did you know that automobile accidents are a leading cause of death for children under the age of 4? The sad fact is that we live in an imperfect world. We are forced to subject our children to risks every day. Yes, there are risks associated with vaccinations, but those risks are tiny compared to the risks involved in contracting a disease like polio or meningitis. Vaccinations are safe.

What About Those Who Believe Vaccinations Cause Autism?

There is a growing community that believes immunizations are causing children to develop autism. However scientists have studied the correlation between vaccinations and autism, and found no connection between them.

According to Wired.com:

To be clear, there is no credible evidence to indicate that any of this is true. None. Twelve epidemiological studies have found no data that links the MMR (measles/mumps/rubella) vaccine to autism; six studies have found no trace of an association between thimerosal (a preservative containing ethylmercury that has largely been removed from vaccines since 20011) and autism, and three other studies have found no indication that thimerosal causes even subtle neurological problems.

Conclusion

Parenting involves managing risks and determining what’s best for our children. In my opinion, there is a mountain of evidence that says children are safer and healthier when they’re vaccinated. That’s why my wife and I make sure our daughters get their immunizations.

What about you? Are your children vaccinated? What are your thoughts on this?

On the flip side, women aren’t into sports like men are. Oh sure, there are gals out there who are crazy about sports. However, I’m sure it’s safe to say that by in large, guys are into sports much more than gals.

So where am I going with this?

It’s a sad truth that in our society,  a husband’s addiction to sports has caused more than one marital problem. It’s hard to spend quality time with your wife when the TV is constantly tuned to ESPN. So guys, a key to having a quality marriage (assuming you’re a typical sports nut) is finding a way to enjoy sports without blowing off your wife and kids—which is not an easy task for some, but it can be done.

Here are four ideas on how to enjoy your sports addiction while still being a good husband and dad…

1. Start a Sports Schedule or Routine

   Sorry guys, but you can’t use sports as an escape from life. Meaning it’s not okay to come home, plop your butt on the sofa, and watch ESPN until bed. At least not if you expect to have a happy marriage.

   Instead of just tuning in (to sports) and then tuning out (your family), make a sports schedule and keep the routine. If you enjoy watching Sports Center daily, pick a time to watch early in the morning or after the kids have gone to bed, and then stick to that. Using a DVR to record and watch it later is also helpful.

   If you play in a fantasy league or like to read sports news/blogs online, then keep that activity confined to a specific time of the day as well. This way your family will know they can spend time with you the rest of the day, and they won’t feel shutout by Sports Center.

2. Let your Family Know About Upcoming Games you Plan to Watch

   Obviously a routine doesn’t work when it comes to game 5 of the NBA Finals. And face it, you’re not a serious sports nut if you don’t watch playoff games in the sports you follow. Since these playoff games can come at odd times and are not always predictable, just let your family know ahead of time there’s a big game on TV tomorrow night, and you’d really like to watch it.

   (And no gals… in case you were wondering… it’s not cool to DVR a live playoff game and watch it later… sorry!)

   As long as you don’t overdo it and have to watch “important games” several nights a week all year long, then your family should be understanding. You might even use these games as an opportunity to teach your kids about the joy of watching sports, by getting them involved (more on that point in a bit).

3. Ask for Permission Before Joining a Sports League (including fantasy leagues)

   I know… I know… we men don’t feel we should have to ASK our wives if it’s okay to play for our company softball team this summer, or ask our wives if it’s okay to join another fantasy football league this fall. But think about it this way, those activities can consume a lot of your time and energy. How would you feel if your wife started a hobby or activity that kept her away from the house every Saturday afternoon—leaving you behind to watch the kids—and she didn’t even bother to ask if you were okay with it? Yeah, she doesn’t like that either.

   So do the right thing and ask for permission whenever your sports addiction is going to take a lot of time or cost a lot of money. What if your buddies invite you to go with them to the baseball game tonight? Ask your wife if she minds. What if your pastor asks you to join the church intramural volleyball league? Check with your wife first and make sure she’s okay with it.

4. Get your Family Involved in Sports

   Getting your family involved in sports can be the hardest to accomplish, but is the best way to accommodate both your sports addiction and your family. Perhaps you can ask them if they’d like to watch the big playoff game together as a family, taking the opportunity to teach your kids (and wife) about the rules and intricacies of the game. There’s a good chance your wife would go along with the idea if instead of just YOU watching the game by yourself, you turned it into a family activity.

   Other ideas are taking the entire family to a baseball game on family night… getting your kids involved in junior football, baseball, or gymnastics… reading sports news to your baby or toddler… (hey why not?)

   Just be creative and find ways to involve the family in your passion for sports. It’ll be a win-win for both them and you.

I’m pleased to report that both Shan and the baby—which I’ve nicknamed “Rambo”—are both completely healthy. The ultrasound doctor verified the due date was indeed October 22, and said we have a beautiful baby girl. That’s right, we’re going to have another girl!

I realize having a girl makes my “Rambo” nickname a little strange, but no matter, Shan and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have another little girl running around the house.

Of course once I shared this news with family and friends, the joking began in full earnest! Several people pointed out immediately on my Facebook wall that I now get to pay for TWO weddings. Another friend reminded me that the weddings weren’t the problem… it’s all the boyfriends leading up to those weddings that will be the hard part.

Ugh. I really don’t want to think about all that just now. I realize they grow up fast, but let’s get Rambo born first, okay?

At any rate, Shan and I would like to thank all of you for your prayers that everyone remains healthy throughout the pregnancy and birth. Keep those prayers coming… thanks!

Last night I realized time was short. So I desperately sent a tweet asking all my followers for suggestions on what Olivia could get Shan for Mother’s Day. Unfortunately, nobody had any suggestions for me. I had no ideas, and time was running short. Eventually, I ended up just going to bed in defeat.

This morning, after everyone woke up, I whispered in Olivia’s ear “Tell mommy Happy Mother’s Day!” which she did. But that’s all I ended up doing. Pretty sad I know. I’m sorry Shan.

I would still like to do something, however, so I’m going to take this opportunity to publicly blog about how great of a mom my wife is.

Why Shan is the best mom ever:

• Shan never complains about having to change poopy pants.
• Shan is always ready to kiss a stubbed toe.
• Shan never gets tired of reading the same book for the 78th time (or at least she doesn’t let on).
• Shan can put Olivia’s hair into the prettiest looking ponytails.
• Shan is the best snuggler in the whole world, just ask Olivia!
• Shan teaches Olivia all of those important “girl things” a dad will never understand.
• And despite lovingly carrying baby number two, Shan still has an abundance of time and energy for the rest of her family.
• Shan is the best mom ever!

Olivia and I both love you very much.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Chuck E. Cheese birthday parties are expensive

Olivia turned three years old a little over a week ago, and we decided to have a birthday party for her at Chuck E. Cheese. You know, that place with the overpriced pizza and tons of screaming kids (and parents) running around everywhere? Yep, that’s the place.

It turned out to be a fun time, but we decided to pay for everything. So we paid for the party and some extra pizza and drinks for the adults. Also the nearest Chuck E. Cheese is over an hour’s drive, so we had to spend on gas. Then there was the obligatory after-party shopping for the moms…

Don’t get me wrong, it was a great day and I’m glad we did it. It just didn’t help us in our quest to save money.

Flowers and plants aren’t cheap either

I live in the Great Plains part of the country. So we have four distinct seasons: almost-winter, winter, still-winter, and road construction. All kidding aside, we’re having a really nice spring this year, so last weekend we decided to do some minor landscaping. Nothing much, we just wanted to get six pots to plant some flowers and greenery, so we could place them on the landscaping rock around our house.

The pots were around $15-20 each. Then the flowers and plants cost anywhere from $1-3 each, and as it turns out, you need a lot of them to fill six large pots. At the end of the day, we easily spent a couple hundred dollars or more on this project. Then there’s the maintenance on the lawnmower, paying Scott’s Lawn Service to keep the lawn green and weed-free. It all adds up fast.

Vanilla lattes at McDonald’s are delicious

Yeah, I went and got myself addicted to vanilla lattes at McDonald’s. And since I’m most definitely not a morning person, I usually opt for the $3.60 large size. I don’t even want to do the math for what that adds up to in a month. I’m already depressed enough as it is.

Oh, did I mention we bought a minivan?

In my last post about saving money, I said that one of the reasons (besides having another kid) was that we needed a larger vehicle. Well a few weeks ago I was reading the newspaper, and I saw an ad for the local car dealership that had a used 2008 Chrysler Town & Country for a decent price. I looked up the vehicle at cars.com and e-mailed the dealer with an offer. They replied back that it was a fair offer, and asked us to come in for a test drive. Sure enough, we loved the minivan and ended up purchasing it.

Now while I’m sure others could have gotten the dealer to come down another couple hundred dollars, we still got one heck of a deal, and the payments are affordable. It’s just that I was hoping to have enacted some budget savings before we purchased a second vehicle. Instead, we’ve been spending more money recently! That’s not how I planned it.

Oh well, I guess that’s how life goes. At least despite using it for a down payment, tax & license, we still have money in our savings account. And we still have plenty of time to find those budget savings before the baby comes in late October.

I just need to kick that vanilla latte habit before then…