Daily Moments

Short perspectives on life, times, and little people

Kids art painting confidence
Lacking confidence? Take action 1240 930 Looking out Loud

Lacking confidence? Take action

Sometimes the best way to overcome doubt is to just get started.

Red barn in an Indiana cornfield
God lives in a cornfield 1280 720 Looking out Loud

God lives in a cornfield

Stop, look, listen. You can find It anywhere.

Light show tunnel into the future
Slow down: Why are we in such a rush to get to the future? 1280 720 Looking out Loud

Slow down: Why are we in such a rush to get to the future?

Get ready for the future. But don’t miss the life in front of you right now.

Family dinner time
How family dinners add up over time 1024 687 Looking out Loud

How family dinners add up over time

A small daily investment amounts to hundreds of hours of family time per year. Here’s how to calculate the potential.

BCN half marathon start 2023
Run the race you’re in 2560 1440 Looking out Loud

Run the race you’re in

Thoughts of future pain made my current struggle hurt more. The key is to catch that mental time travel and come back to now.

“When I die, I want my body to be eaten by a lion.” – my child 1024 768 Looking out Loud

“When I die, I want my body to be eaten by a lion.” – my child

His reason surprised me.

Balloon against a glass ceiling
“When mommy’s upset, you need to be extra happy.” (a conversation with a 10-year-old) 1024 768 Looking out Loud

“When mommy’s upset, you need to be extra happy.” (a conversation with a 10-year-old)

We all get down. And when it’s your partner’s turn, you need to be the counterweight.

Show your kids this flippin’ robot 650 382 Looking out Loud

Show your kids this flippin’ robot

This current event is a cool way to connect with your kids.

Finishing a 1000-piece Asia jigsaw puzzle
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What to do if you spill water on a jigsaw puzzle

This is how to dry wet puzzle pieces so they don’t fall apart.

Review of 2022
My 2022 in 1 minute 1240 698 Looking out Loud

My 2022 in 1 minute

What happened in 2022? Here’s another 365 days compressed into one minute.

Christmas Eve guilt 1024 607 Looking out Loud

Christmas Eve guilt

Did we get them enough? Did we get them too much? Every year the same questions, doubts, and guilt.

Broken Barcelona tiles
“Press ‘B’ to skip tutorial” 1024 768 Looking out Loud

“Press ‘B’ to skip tutorial”

It’s not always necessary to drive the lesson home. Even after a little blood.

In the middle of the pandemic, we decided to move our family to another country for a year. It opened our eyes in so many ways, so I started looking out loud—creating these short musings on the passing moments…

It starts with an observation, memory, or imagined world—and it ends somewhere else. You can listen, or you can read. And if it bores the shit out of you, at least it’s short. Thanks for your patience as I find my voice.

Mar 03 – Am I raising imposters?

Beware of that over-praise x criticism combo. And be kind to yourself.

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Feb 26 – No, dads do not have their shit together

We’re works in progress. We sometimes crash. But we keep trying. Because that’s what real dads do.

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Feb 23 – You f— up again. Congratulations!

Every time you notice you’ve reacted poorly, you take a step forward.

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Feb 21 – Why (un)birthdays last two days in our house

Kids are excited. The years go fast. Here’s how stretch out the special times.

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Feb 18 – My 5 indispensable daily dad routines

I’m not a very routine person. But these small daily habits add up to big changes over time.

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Feb 16 – Crosswalk coffee: a simple act of kindness

What little thing could you slip into your routine to warm up someone’s day?

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Feb 14 – A simple Valentine’s Day gift you may have overlooked

It’s a game. But it’s really about time together.

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Feb 12 – Don’t be that dad at the ball game

Be there with your kids, but don’t live through them.

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Feb 11 – The dad behind the scenes

Exactly where parents should aim to be.

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Feb 10 – What should we teach our children?

The future is a great big question mark. Let’s train for that.

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Feb 09 – Proof that your kids can change in remarkable ways

If he said “I’m the guy who’s changing” to this, then anything is possible.

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Feb 08 – When expectations and reality collide, stories fly

A Starbucks line reveals the disconnect between the story in my head, and the world right in front of me.

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Feb 07 – Why my kids’ bedroom is like your life

Where you put your time and energy becomes your reality.

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Feb 06 – A wife with a sexual problem

Your partner is aging, just like you. Be kind to each other.

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Feb 05 – How to build an igloo snow fort

This is fun. Just 3 steps to help winter spies do what they do best.

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Feb 04 – When the destination is not the destination

How often do you let yourself enjoy that space along the way?

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Feb 03 – “My brother’s like the windshield wiper on the left”

He hops on me, I push him away. Just like siblings do.

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Feb 02 – What I learned from my kid being a true pain in butt

The issue was his. But his dad discovered that he has room to improve too.

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Feb 01 – When your kids use your words against you

Whether a spontaneous insight into reality, or just a child being funny—kids say the darndest things.

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Jan 31 – Turn left for 6-foot herons and 20-foot rabbits

On my run, I usually turn right. Today was different.

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Jan 30 – Are your pancakes always round?

Psst: it’s not the only way to do it.

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Jan 29 – Mistakes welcome here: just pick them up

This is such an important mindset to build into your children.

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Jan 28 – Did time slow down when I thought I was going to die?

A slide down an icy road reveals the marvelous inner works of our minds.

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Jan 27 – Tomorrow is another day

The past is past. Learn from mistakes. Then go to bed, and wake up with a clean slate.

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Jan 25 – Ask: What do you need from me that I’m not doing?

When was the last time you asked your partner what you can do better for them?

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Jan 23 – First snow of the year

Beautiful, and delicious. Would you care for a snow banana?

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Jan 22 – Goodbye, Thich Nhat Hanh, and thank you

Today we say goodbye to a great spiritual leader, who will always be here.

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Jan 19 – Have you found your Spy Point?

Take a minute to step outside of your ravine.

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Jan 17 – What the end of life reminds us about everyday life

At the funeral I heard: “I wish we would have had more time together.” Here’s what that means.

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Jan 16 – My kids ran away from the table

It’s happened more than once. And we’re just getting started.

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Jan 14 – Who doesn’t want Pharrell’s music?

It can be scary to share, but at least you tried. And learned. So try again.

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Jan 13 – Off the beaten path, splattered in mud

When was the last time you veered off your everyday path?

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Jan 11 – We’re (already/only) halfway done

A single word can flip your entire perspective. Got chocolate milk?

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Jan 09 – Will your future self thank you?

What you do today opens the way to the future you.

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Jan 08 – Goodbye Christmas, hello new space

It’s a little sad seeing it go, but we’ve done a full reset to help.

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Jan 07 – A non-routine event deserves a non-routine treat

A vaccine hangover prompts a twist of the typical rules.

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Jan 06 – When Disneyland is “a little worse than my last vaccine”

An unexpected roller coaster connects two unpleasant experiences. And unlocks the magic of a child’s mind.

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Jan 01, 2022 – A new year starts today. How will you use it?

Start by asking: what do you want to remember?

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Dec 31, 2021 – My 2021 in 1 minute

What happened this year? I dug through a daily journal and 10,000 photos to find out.

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Dec 20 – “A father doesn’t tell you that he loves you.”

This is half correct. Plus 10 ways to show your love.

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Dec 19 – My wife and I had the talk, again

Are we over parenting? Are we pushing them enough? Who knows. But we keep asking.

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Dec 18 – Guide your children by walking through your childhood

You are laying the foundation for your child’s future mind.

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Dec 17 – What Christmas lights can teach you about life

You’ll never take it all in. And that’s okay.

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Dec 16 – Where’s the nativity pooper?

You know, that boy taking a dump behind the stable.

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Dec 15 – The pooping log has arrived

It wouldn’t be Christmas in our home without Caga Tió dropping off his holiday load.

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Dec 14 – Your puppies will run away

And get lost, and get scared. Just wait with open arms.

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Dec 13 – The quality of a Monday morning mind

It’s not about the day. It’s how you show up.

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Dec 12 – Tuning your kids into the music of life

Why Christmas lights need good stories.

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Dec 11 – The bird with bad vocal cords

What kind of bird are you? Even more importantly, how do you treat other birds who stand out?

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Dec 10 – Why dads really go to the gym

Your kids are your number one priority. But you still need time for yourself.

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Dec 9 – “Each of us constructs and lives a narrative, and this narrative is us”

Are you telling stories of who you want to be?

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Dec 8 – Look where I found 500 hours

Are you making the most of your transitions?

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Dec 7 – This will help you learn better

Do you know what you think you know? Here’s how to make new knowledge stick.

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Dec 6 – 4 words to manipulate your kids

kids playing with tablet

This isn’t science. But it does make transitions easier.

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Dec 5 – What makes a good teacher?

Here’s what my kids had to say. Hint: It starts with getting their attention.

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Dec 4 – My child doesn’t want my help with homework

Here’s why it hurts so bad.

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Dec 3 – There’s a train in my forest

On the edge of a thousand years.

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Dec 2 – We found the perfect Christmas tree

The perfect Christmas tree farm

But we still keep looking.

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Dec 1 – What do you reflect?

Is it the part you hope it is?

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Nov 30 – One month after hell

Halloween isn’t so scary anymore.

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Nov 29 – Where did my day go?

Stop saving time. Start paying attention.

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Nov 28 – A night out with the homies

Remember where you came from. And keep telling those stories.

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Nov 27 – A recipe for creativity

On the joy—and theft—of making gingerbread houses.

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Nov 26 – You used to want all this stuff

And so goes the cycle of craving and boredom.

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Nov 25 – 5 things I’m not thankful for

Why is it so easy to overlook the obvious?

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Nov 24 – No idling, children breathing

Always running? Take time to idle when you need to.

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Nov 23 – Look who’s behind the wheel

It’s not your typical old dog.

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Nov 22 – Can you really add 10 years to your life?

Frozen water with leaves

On the magic of frozen water.

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Nov 21 – Would you give your shirt away?

It might make someone’s day.

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Nov 20 – An ode to the leaf pile

Before sending them to their fiery grave, take a moment to say thank you.

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Nov 19 – At a crossroads of joy and instruction

I love to see kids laugh. Here’s a challenge for you.

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Nov 18 – The last wave goodbye

Everything eventually comes to an end. It’s not sad, it’s a wake up call.

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Nov 17 – I’m in a cornfield, and I don’t want to be here

There are always things to do that you’d rather avoid. What if instead, you just did it?

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Nov 16 – No excuses, just start

Plans gone wrong? Stop looking for excuses to make progress.

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