[manimal]

Sometimes the stressors of parenting 3 young children, maintaining 3 jobs and going to school full time can be overwhelming.......but every once in a while a day like today happens and makes me remember what it's all about.

i think this will be one of the few non-bike related pics of 'lil manimal....but it just made my day to see him so happy over catching his first fish completely on his own. he baited the hook, made a good cast and reeled it in.

people are always asking me if i regret having kids so young (21 when lil manimal was born)....and i honestly can't think of anything i'd rather be doing right now than raising my kids. heck, i probably get to ride more now that noah goes with me than i did before we had kids

sorry if this is sappy or whatever, i'm just so stoked to have been given the opportunity to influence and experience the lives of these cool kids. maybe i should have titled this the "thankful thread"

anyway, here's the pic from today that made me evaluate my situation.

of course...i can't leave out the other two

you other parent 's out there ever feel the same way?

 

[TreeSaw]

That's AWESOME! You have beautiful children. I personally don't have any children (yet) but I can say that you give me hope for the future

 

[JRB]

I don't have kids, but your's are badass. You have too many rights to be proud.

 

[OrthoPT]

Well done! I know how you feel, almost. I've got two little guys of my own; they just turned one year-old and have started to walk. Many great years to look forward to! Congrats again!

 

[rpk1988]

Is the first one the little dude that always rips it up? Sweet man.

 

[danW]

Manimal,

I'm with you bro - I'm a 36yr. old family man - been married going on 16yrs :love: I love my wonderful wife! I also have a very wonderful "step son" ...he's 20 (do the math - my wife is 38...one of those teenage moms who responsibly stepped up to the plate) ...I came along a few yrs later and we married, I was 20 - next came our beautiful daughter (now 13) she's a daddies girl for sure!

Screw those who think of this stuff as "sappy" or whatever, and for those who ask if you regreat having kids...well enough said - you either live in this blessing or you don't...

You're children are beautiful - it's awesome to see lil'man and all those rad pics of him jumping...heck, I even showed my co-workers the video you posted of him rippin' at CP...it shows you spend time w/him...the fishing pic shows it even more...keep up the good work - Being a family man is the coolest!

_____

by the way...I'm the dude that ended up with the infamous "tubby is cool" specialized that you owned back in the day...bought it off of a kid named Stephen in the Winston area --but I'm not the "headless" guy posted on the CP South forum - he's a freind of mine who was borrowing the bike that day...hopefully we can officially meet and hit some of the local spots...I've followed your post and it would be really cool to in fact "go fishing" somewhere in Winston ...plus, it'd be supercool rippen it up with another hard working family man who has his priorities straight!

Later, danW

 

[GumbaFish]

Cool man, fishing rocks. And its even cooler that you have a picture of his first fish. I think my first one was a bluegill or some other kind of panfish...but then again I was 4 an I wasn't up on my fish identification.
p.s. there is nothing sappy about loving your kids

 

[manimal]

_____

by the way...I'm the dude that ended up with the infamous "tubby is cool" specialized that you owned back in the day...bought it off of a kid named Stephen in the Winston area --but I'm not the "headless" guy posted on the CP South forum - he's a freind of mine who was borrowing the bike that day...hopefully we can officially meet and hit some of the local spots...I've followed your post and it would be really cool to in fact "go fishing" somewhere in Winston ...plus, it'd be supercool rippen it up with another hard working family man who has his priorities straight!

Later, danW

dude, i saw that bike coming down the road from a ways off and knew it was my old one! so weird, not many people have a huge red spring on the back of a white big hit with a monster. that bike rocked! only sold it for financial reasons at the time.
the "for sale" pic

oh yeah....having a son that rips on a bike is pretty sweet too!

 

[hooples3]

No kids yet, gonna have to start working on them soon.

But cheers to you!! I'm sure it isnt at all easy but you seem to enjoy it so much!!!

 

[Mackie]

Maybe i should have titled this the "thankful thread"......you other parent 's out there ever feel the same way?

Damn, Manimal, your'e making me all misty eyed. I'm 34 with my 1st kid at home - a 7.5 month old little girl who melts my heart just by looking at me.
She's the greatest gift i've ever gotten, and I'm damn lucky to have her.

It's funny how you get so excited over all of their accomplishments, no matter how small. Even something as simple as eatting solid food.

Here's lil' Miss Mackie, chowing on some avacado to celebrate Cinco de Mayo...

 

[Yossarian]

Sweet thread Monkeys, and by sweet, I mean both cool and "sweet". Tubster, I can relate to all of "the firsts" as a father of two. I have a Girl and a Boy, 4 and almost 2, respectively. In a couple of weeks, I am taking them to the beach for the first time. I can't wait until they see the wide open expanses of a shallow beach and the waves of the ocean. Hopefully, being late may in NC, the water temps will allow for some swinning and slim boarding. Historically water temps should be right arond 70*. I can't wait.

We plan on doing some crabbing and maybe some fishing (surf and in the intracoastal). If not, I will def. get my little girl out this summer for some trout and bass fishing in the local waterway.

 

[Andyman_1970]

Dude, I'm so with you on this one - the last 10 months have been the coolest adventure I have ever been on. I am really surprised hearing all the horror stories from our friends how much fun I'm having being a dad.

Tuesday's - Thrusday's Mrs. Andyman works, so since I get off work before she does I pick Noah up from the sitter and we just go do "man things" - I know people have got to think I'm nuts having a conversation with a 10 month old while shopping for power tools and stuff...it's just too cool seeing his expression when I hand him something and watch him study it..........then put it in his mouth..........anyway.

Oh and don't get me started about the first time Noah reached up to me when he was upset for me to hold him..........oh gosh.........I'm getting vaklempt.............

I will say I do get a touch freaked out realizing I'm responsible for raising him so that he's not like an axe murderer.

 

[golgiaparatus]

FOR GD SAKE MAN... GIVE THIE LITTLE GIRL WHAT SHE WANTS...
That look... it would melt my face if I had a kid with a weapon like that.

 

[DRB]

Its cool this thread came up.

Last night I was reading in the den and Willow (my 2 year old) was playing in the kitchen. All of a sudden she comes tearing into the den, crawls up on the couch, pushes my book out of the way and gives me a hug. Then she gets off the couch and goes back to whatever she was doing in the kitchen. I was completely overwhelmed.

Being a dad is the best thing ever.

 

[Yossarian]

Its cool this thread came up.

Last night I was reading in the den and Willow (my 2 year old) was playing in the kitchen. All of a sudden she comes tearing into the den, crawls up on the couch, pushes my book out of the way and gives me a hug. Then she gets off the couch and goes back to whatever she was doing in the kitchen. I was completely overwhelmed.

Being a dad is the best thing ever.

those are the times.

One day, while dropping my daughter off at day care, she grabbed my hand and looked up at me with the smile that makes your heart melt and you feel like you are falling in love for the first time.

 

[samich457]

Becoming a father is the best thing that has ever happened to me!!! I cant imagine life without my 22 month old son Rylan. He just started pedaling his bike, with training wheels, the other day. Its awesome!! Thats all he wants to do now. He also knows to put on his helmet before he gets on. After that he gets my helmet and makes me ride with him. What more can I ask for!!!!!
By the way you all have beautiful kids!!

 

[pixelninja]

you other parent 's out there ever feel the same way?

Heck yeah. My little girl is the light of my life. If that's sappy, so be it. She's daddy's girl, fo sho. We spent yesterday evening pulling weeds together. Of course her "helping" cut my productivity in half, but we had so much fun.

I bet y'all didn't know that a tupperware bowl makes a really good hat:

And kittys make really good pillows:

 

[mogulskr]

Well for this thread I will come out of my internet hole. My two boys mean the world to me and never really understood what it was like to love something instantly until they came along.

Here's a shot of them getting ready to ski.

 

[H8R]

Being a dad and a husband is the best thing ever. I mean, what else is the point of living?


I have 1 kid, and at 13 she's taller and more emotionally mature than most adult women I know.

Straight A student, super smart. I lucked out BIG time.



I won't let her date until she's 21 and moved out though. Teen boys are lame.

 

[SkaredShtles]

<snip>
you other parent 's out there ever feel the same way?

Absolutely.

Of course, I'm glad I waited until I was 30, because I had a lot of livin' to do in my 20's.

-S.S.-

 

[PonySoldier]

Of course, I'm glad I waited until I was 30, because I had a lot of livin' to do in my 20's.

-S.S.-

Agreed...

 

[McGRP01]

Word! Best.Thing.Ever

 

[mobius]

oh yeah....having a son that rips on a bike is pretty sweet too!

[/QUOTE]

Omg that rules. when i have a kid i want him to be like yours. Except mine will be able to do no footers

 

[Ciaran]

Hearing you guys talk about your kids makes me look forward to having one. The GF and I will marry this year and hopefully have a kid in a couple of more years.

It's very refreshing to see parents like you all. There are too many parents who don't take any interest in their kids. It's great to see parents like you all who spend time with their kids and encourage them. With parents like that it's not surprising that the kids turn out great.

 

[rigidhack]

We just had our second boy six weeks ago. So far he makes faces and holds his head up for long periods of time. (All you parents will get how truly cool this is!)
He rules.

His brother, who is six, simply astounds me. I took the training wheels off his bike last year and the first thing he did was to ride down our stone steps. HE bailed on his first attempt, so he picked it up and did it again! The second time, he made it, but then smashed into a tree. We bought him a full face helmet the next day.

Last winter I took him XC skiing. I showed him the area map and he said "what do all the colors mean?" When I told him, he said "I only want to do black runs dad." SO, we did. We covered about 5 or 6 miles that day, with about 800 feet of climbing. It was pretty crazy for a little kid on skinny skis with no edges. He's back on his bike now and he is trying to figure out wheelies.
He rules.

Until you have kids, you just don't realise how amazing they are. I would not give them up for the world. :love: :love: :love:

 

[Kornphlake]

This is the only picture I have at work in digital format but here's my little girl, she's almost a year older now and doesn't have that scar on her forehead anymore. It melts my heart when she says to me "Dad, let's go outside and work on..." or when the theme song for the Simpsons starts and she runs into the room screaming "The Simpsons" then yell's "doh...aaagh" as Lisa nearly runs over Homer on her bike and Marge chases him in the garage in the car, or when a Home Depot commercial comes on and she tells mom that she goes there with daddy. We lost our second when my wife was about 5 months pregnant and it was the saddest I've ever been, you really get attached to these little things even when they're still hidding inside mommy's tummy. My wife's 2 months along with our third though

 

[pixelninja]

We lost our second when my wife was about 5 months pregnant and it was the saddest I've ever been, you really get attached to these little things even when they're still hidding inside mommy's tummy. My wife's 2 months along with our third though

Good luck with #3. My wife is about 4 months prego with our #2. We had a bit of a scare a month or so ago, but it was a false alarm and everything's fine. You're right, you do get attached to them even before you meet them.