http://denver.yourhub.comThe latest blog posts in The Denver Newspaper Agency YourHub.comen-usnews@yourhub.com(c) 2009, YourHub.com5My grandfather was a farmer. He owned dozens of acres of prime corn-land as well as a house in the city. He would work his business in the city and then spend nights and weekends working the soil. In fact, he would eventually end his days on this mortal coil by plowing over himself while workin...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~619013.aspx5/23/2009 10:59:50 PMChris Stone What?!? You mean to say that not EVERYone takes April off? What are you - heathens? OK - sorry. To use a lame, over-tired excuse, I've been busy. But you might understand better if I explain... My Wif has been called out of town on business more often in past weeks than she has in t...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~611255.aspx5/4/2009 9:18:39 PMChris Stone One of the more heartwarming things I've seen in recent months happened when my son greeted my nephew, listened to him (the nephew) tell him a story and then said, "HEY!" and hugged him nice and full right then and there before they progressed upon their tales of woe and glee. I especially love...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~598327.aspx3/31/2009 11:04:44 PMChris Stone As a Father - and one of religious conviction - I rely on the Biblical commandments as I raise my kids. (Especially those 'thou shall not lie,' and 'honor thy parents' parts.) In that vein, I offer my own humble little list. (I use Roman numerals because - seriously - when else do you get to us...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~592150.aspx3/16/2009 9:03:55 PMChris Stone T o say I'm a slow learner would be to admit the obvious for the -- what -- 100th time? I guess I just get so caught up in the day-to-day operations of being "dad" that I focus on the big picture and am usually unable to grasp the subtle truths of the small moments that sometimes pass by me. ...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~589912.aspx3/10/2009 9:00:57 PMChris Stone Day one is behind me . I feel a bit like a character from Mission: Impossible in writing that, but I'm only guessing because I wasn't allowed to watch it as a kid. Maybe I should add it to my Netflix queue... Just as I wrote about shopping in San Antonio last time, my Wife is cur...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~586215.aspx3/2/2009 8:31:46 PMChris Stone I'm learning that certain things are programmed directly into kids' DNA. Stuff like being able to find a McDonalds on a moments notice, "he's touching me," or "he's on my side" and the like and always being able to hit Daddy exactly on an open wound. That sort of stuff comes built right in to the...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~581763.aspx2/18/2009 4:43:58 PMChris Stone I think I've mentioned before - and if I haven't then I know you've already figured it out - that I'm the world's biggest sap. A true sentimental fool who stores away pacifiers and 4 dollar plastic toys because my kids once enjoyed them. I only hope I live long enough to give them their toys ba...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~573926.aspx1/28/2009 8:49:29 PMChris Stone Well, it's cold, flu and pneumonia season up here again, (sorry to break that news to you). Of course, after contracting The Pneumonia last year at this time I'd be the last to sign up for it again this year, but I'd also be sure not to wish it on my oldest son: D-Man. But here we are... ...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~569020.aspx1/15/2009 9:30:03 PMChris Stone I'm coming to learn that watching your children grow is a bit like all of the rest of life -- only much more intensely personal. After all, unless you're on target to be the next Shakespeare, (I'm not, just in case you were wondering), your kids are your legacy to the world. Odds are that come ...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~565844.aspx1/7/2009 9:23:56 PMChris Stone Well, the Christmas season has come and - despite the fact that there are still plenty of trees and lights about - gone. And with the holiday behind us I'm afraid, nay ashamed, to have to admit that we didn't take full advantage of the day. Oh we had a great time, to be sure; much screechy-...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~562517.aspx12/28/2008 10:05:13 PMChris Stone I try to keep this little corner of the web as the area where I discuss what our kids have been teaching me rather than simply relating lists of the cute things they do around here. I know that many of you would probably prefer the latter - and today you're in luck. Because the "cute bank" is f...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~560741.aspx12/19/2008 11:11:29 PMChris Stone Years ago , (it seems like decades, now), The Wif and I would make a grand celebration of Christmas; enough decorations to make Solomon blush and a multitude of lights that would bring smiles to Xcel's board of directors for weeks. Since the kids moved in in '06? Not so much. For Christmas 2...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~558451.aspx12/13/2008 6:38:11 PMChris Stone So another Thanksgiving has left us in its wake and the mad dash of Christmas is breathing down our necks. Time's natural march, The Way Of Things and all that, I suppose. Our Thanksgiving was grand, and in more ways than one and less so in another... I had the entire week off so I did as m...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~555048.aspx12/3/2008 10:47:59 PMChris Stone From me and mine to you and yours. From our home to your home. Happy Thanksgiving. I know it sounds cliche to say, "count your blessings," but I think that's kind of the point. So please at least give it a shot today... Chris Stone is blessed in any number of ways and remembers to...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~552999.aspx11/26/2008 11:16:28 PMChris Stone I have a bit of an unusual circumstance this month; with Thanksgiving approaching and thanks to the wonders of the web, I'm back in touch with my youngest daughter from my first marriage. At times. I mean, I don't want to crowd her out or anything... We have an online point of contact which...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~549697.aspx11/18/2008 9:39:56 PMChris Stone I have to be careful here , because the following story is filled with traps; the temptation to write myself as more heroic than I ever could be, overstating the danger we faced or placing my faith in my own skills. Still, I can safely say that I saved a life tonight. But first, let's backup a b...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~544729.aspx11/5/2008 9:58:42 PMChris Stone I know that my last post started with the premise that my Wif thought I was crazy. I guess it was a theme that came to stay for a little while... We just experienced a birthday in our home: my lovely, smart, talented daughter, " M " is now seven years old. It's far more frightening to wr...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~541156.aspx10/28/2008 9:53:38 PMChris Stone My Wife is convinced I'm crazy, (I'm sure this is a common theme throughout most of America's homes). It's not the fact that I spiked D-Man 's hair with bright red gel that led her to this conclusion, although I'm sure it helped. It's not that I allow the kids to go through parking lots at f...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~536829.aspx10/17/2008 11:14:59 PMChris Stone I have two boys and their birthdays are one year and one day apart, (it's an arrangement which is never dull). Collectively they're known as 'The Knuckleheads.' Separately, one is silly and one is a bit strange. There's just one problem: they take turns at it... We - and by that I mean, "my...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~533724.aspx10/11/2008 9:31:58 PMChris Stone In dealing with our kids , my Wife & I learned early on that there are things we say to them out of frustration that we probably shouldn't have. No, not THOSE things... Perhaps the fact that we got all 3 kids literally overnight helped us learn this, or perhaps it's just the natural outg...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~530830.aspx10/6/2008 11:26:14 PMChris Stone I think I'm starting to get the hang of this whole "parenting" thing. The main thing I've learned thus far is that the very first time you think you know what's going on with your kids, you're about to be proven wrong. VERY wrong, in most cases. However, this is not a tale of woe but of (at lea...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~526460.aspx9/26/2008 11:10:07 PMChris Stone No, this isn't a new Letterman routine, but maybe it should be, (Patent Pending here, people!). I've discovered that things your kids do can be absolutely adorable or completely, devastatingly embarrassing, depending on context. For example: - A three year old's pride in announcing that h...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~521611.aspx9/15/2008 10:13:35 PMChris Stone OK - so five more days and it would have been a full month since my last post. See ya' then! Just kidding. I took some time off from this site due to some severe schedule changes in our home, (" M " going back to school, The Wif adding another day to her work schedule, the usual). BU...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~520539.aspx9/12/2008 3:05:34 PMChris Stone August 18 . My wife and I left work with a huge sense of adventure and no small sense of trepidation. It was our 'short day' (we worked a federal schedule that allowed one day off every two weeks and one 8 hour day in the same period), so we felt as if we got a bit of a jump on the weekend traff...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~509428.aspx8/17/2008 9:20:23 PMChris Stone I've long thought, said and may have already written about my belief that I could drive the family to the store, to day care and church while blindfolded. It's not because I'm a superior driver with near-psychic abilities behind the wheel, (although I am, natch), so much as it is thanks to the ...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~503660.aspx8/3/2008 9:37:08 PMChris Stone I guess on some level I always knew that there were certain things a "Dad has to do 'cuz a Dad's got to do 'em," to paraphrase the well-worn cliche. But I suppose little brings those things to the front of your mind like suddenly becoming a father and then having to do them yourself. Go figure....http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~500581.aspx7/27/2008 9:42:54 PMChris Stone In the 20 months between the Initial Phone Call and the finalization of our adoption we suffered at the hands of the local bureaucracy in ways we couldn't have imagined when we started the process all those years ago. And The Wif & I both work as agents of the federal government, so that's ...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~497945.aspx7/20/2008 9:39:06 PMChris Stone One of the true joys of being a parent is watching your kids grow and age and develop new ways of interacting with the world around them. I'm sure any parent would agree with me on that: they seem to grow up so fast -- until you come to a single realization: those kids haven't heard a single th...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~496251.aspx7/15/2008 9:24:56 PMChris Stone Someone once said of marriage that if you marry someone just like you, one of you would be redundant. I'm starting to believe that the same theory applies to siblings. After all, even identical twins usually have a "tell" that allows you to at least have some clue as to whom you're dealing with...http://denver.yourhub.com/Arvada/Blogs/Archive/Blog~493602.aspx7/8/2008 10:07:49 PMChris Stone