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Blog Entry 270 of 333 Father Knows... Something. Let's figure out what.
This is my outlet to share with the world all the things I've learned - and continue to learn - about being the Father to 3 young children. But I should warn you that my experience is probably NOT yours: my wife and I are in the process of adopting a sibling set of 3 - all 6 years old and younger - while in our 40's. We've heard that, "it keeps you young," but so far, it has mostly kept us tired... But like any parent, our kids teach us something new every day and I hope to share at least something here with you at that same pace. The entries will be short - time constraints will probably keep it at or around a mere 200 words - but as they say, brevity is the soul of wit. Let's hope I can create some brevity here. So if you read something you like, please leave a comment. If you read something you don't, please just leave. (Just kidding - I'd love to hear from critics as well.)

Hi there, I'm new here. Kinda ...
Contributed by: Chris Stone   on 1/3/2008

HELLLLOOOOOO ARVADA (to borrow a phrase)! As one of the "8000's" newest residents, I'd like to take a moment to introduce myself, if I may:

I'm a forty-something married to a forty-something with 3 very young kids who just moved from Evergreen into your neighborhood. So I'm a newbie, except that I'm not, really. I "came of age" while living across the street from Arvada West High School and I've just moved my family into a house in very close proximity to what was once a competing school.

I'm still struggling with that ...

But here we are and we're slowly coming to terms with the new terrain. It's a shocking development, frankly, and I'm taking each baby step as a major victory. For example, as I continue to carry load upon load of our stuff from storage, I'm shocked by how often I'm mentally charting a course up the mountain, instead of North To Arvada.

I'll get over that, eventually. Just as I will the fact that we're now able to take the clan to dinner without having to bring along a snack for the ride to the restaurant. And of course the best benefit of the move: We can now have pizza delivered directly to our door! Oh, the joy!

Which brings me to an interesting point. When - on the fifth evening under our new roof - the Pizza Guy rang the doorbell, there was almost no response whatsoever.

That's right - as the bell sounded, nary a person nor beast moved within our walls, save The Wife and I; we scrambled like crazy to lock up the dogs and control the kids and keep all potential sharp/sticky threats to outsiders contained, lest we be sued.

Further, just this morning when someone rang our doorbell quite unexpectedly and in error, our dogs and kids paid no attention at all. It was something with which they were completely unfamiliar and therefore had no basis upon which to act.

I guess the clash of "Mountain culture" and "Suburban culture" is both larger than I expected and expressed in ways much smaller than I expected. Go figure.

It's probably further proof that we needed to move off the hill much sooner, but I'll hear none of it. I'm still not convinced that we're where we're supposed to be anyway ...

Chris Stone is a slightly different - hopefully better father and man than he was yesterday ...




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Showing 1-10 of 11 comments
Submitted By: Chris Stone
posted on 1/5/2008 @ 9:59:25 PM
(Not Rated)
HA! Trick question: EVERYthing is north of the Park Meadows Mall if you drive far enough!
Submitted By: Michael Rule
posted on 1/5/2008 @ 5:39:37 AM
Rated Blog Entry
I'm not really sure where Arvada is....somewhere north of the Park Meadows Mall, isn't it???
Submitted By: Chris Stone
posted on 1/4/2008 @ 11:07:00 PM
(Not Rated)
HOLY COW! I guess you CAN go home again - and to much fanfare to boot!! I thank you all, seriously. As for Vespas, I bet they move faster than dudes on bicycles do. And in a strange way I can't even begin to explain, it's somehow good to be "home" again. Especially with our kids now just a few hundred feet from a city park and with a large backyard just begging to be enjoyed. As for my re-indoctrination, I have yet to buy a lawn mower; such is the intensity of my denial. Living "up the hill?" I'm still there, actually. It's probably the only thing that's keeping me (relatively) sane at the moment. That and the fact that I can actually see the mountains if I really try to. (Bill - any chance you know where Strawhat Pizza used to reside? I can get there in about 10 minutes, if pressed to do so.)
Submitted By: Karin Malchow
posted on 1/4/2008 @ 9:02:23 PM
Rated Blog Entry
Whoa, now the Arvada hub is practically blogger one-stop shopping.
Submitted By: Gladys Mercier
posted on 1/4/2008 @ 7:51:32 PM
Rated Blog Entry
Welcome to Arvada Chris. It is a good place to live.
Submitted By: Seth Davis
posted on 1/4/2008 @ 4:22:31 PM
Rated Blog Entry
Good to have you in Arvada, Chris. It'll be interesting to follow your re-adaptation to suburban culture.
Submitted By: Patrick Bunn
posted on 1/4/2008 @ 2:39:33 PM
Rated Blog Entry
Gunfire....priceless. Welcome back to the burbs. Be sure to enjoy the green turn arrows and dudes on Vespas....
Submitted By: Bill Prather
posted on 1/4/2008 @ 12:55:03 PM
Rated Blog Entry
Welcome back to Arvada, Chris. On the plus side, for me, anyway, I can read your posts without navigating the site! I love Arvada, but I would galdly live "up the hill" if circumstances permitted.
Submitted By: Fairlight Baer-Gutierrez
posted on 1/4/2008 @ 12:45:30 PM
Rated Blog Entry
Congratulations on the move!
Submitted By: Chris Stone
posted on 1/4/2008 @ 10:48:44 AM
(Not Rated)
Gunfire.
Showing 1-10 of 11 comments
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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Chris Stone

Arvada , CO

Chris Stone has posted 333 blog entries and 145 comments since joining on 7/6/2006. Chris Stone 's average blog rating is 5.
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