Painting the shed

Two people in a playful pose give thumbs up as they stand next to a wall with painted white numbers and letters, surrounded by autumn leaves.

Coworking

An adult and a child are sitting at a table using laptops facing each other.

Jess and Tyler’s wedding

1st trip to Disney!

A family poses for a photo with two people dressed as Minnie and Mickey Mouse in front of a colorful backdrop.

City walk with mom

A woman and a child are walking hand-in-hand on a city sidewalk at night, dressed in winter clothing.

Word of the WeeK - Enthusiastic

Now I feel really old. Elliott brought home his first-ever homework assignment. The word of the week at preschool is enthusiastic and he was tasked with completing several statements describing how it feels to be enthusiastic. Jilly transcribed verbatim, but all the responses came straight from his mind.

When I am enthusiastic my eyes… feel loose. When I am enthusiastic my mouth… smiles. When I am enthusiastic my tummy feels… really loose. When I am enthusiastic my muscles feel… like they are jumping. When I am enthusiastic sometimes I… jump, dance and fall. These things can make me feel enthusiastic… the zoo, Chuck E. Cheese, hanging up Christmas decorations, computers and Dylan. When I am enthusiastic I can calm down by doing this… take a deep breath.

We had a white Thanksgiving, the first I can remember. Elliott and I were out early trying to catch the snowflakes on our tongues. The gentle blanket of snow added a layer of comfort to the day.

Racing Uncle David

A man and a child in winter clothing are joyfully running outdoors on grass surrounded by trees.

To infinity and beyond

A child in a Buzz Lightyear costume poses in front of a bench with three carved pumpkins.

Conversations with a 3 Year Old

ELLIOTT: Dad, did you get fired? ME: No. Do you know what “getting fired” means? ELLIOTT: Yeah, it’s what happens when you talk a lot at your job. Instead of doing work. ME: Daddy didn’t get fired. I resigned. ELLIOTT: Oh. What does “resigned” mean? ME: Resigning is the polite & courteous way to leave a job. ELLIOTT: Can I resign from school?

This is our first summer in the new place and to our surprise we have a cherry tree!

Elliott and Mr. Steve

A smiling man and a young boy are sitting outdoors under a tent, interacting happily while the boy holds a colorful brochure.

Hammock life

A woman is smiling while a child leans over and gives her a kiss on the cheek as they relax on a striped hammock.

It’s not a motorcycle, it’s a chopper

A man and a child are smiling together on a motorcycle.

Our first visit to the Pittsburgh Zoo

A person is reflected in a shiny surface, crouching down while holding an orange device, with a child wearing a red jacket and sneakers beside them.

Cabin fever.

A young child wearing a white shirt and red pants is lying on a wooden floor with arms outstretched.

Mellon Arena, Pittsburgh

Stripping the wallpaper in the new house.

A young boy and a woman are in a room with wallpaper and appear to be engaged in a playful disagreement, with the woman giving a thumbs-down gesture while holding wallpaper pieces.

Family walk around the neighborhood.

A bearded man is giving a happy child a piggyback ride on a street, with greenery and a brick building in the background.

Elliott is his favorite playground apparatus. He can’t wait to go to school!

A young child is smiling while sitting in a play structure designed to look like a school bus.

Father's Day #1

Rounding the corner to my first Father’s Day is kind of blowing my mind. All my life, Father’s Day has been something I’ve associated strictly with my Dad. Both Grandfathers passed early on in my life, so up until now, this day has been basically exclusive to my father. Granted, the last few years have entailed not much more than a phone call.

And now it’s kind of about me, too. The thought that Elliott will someday greet me on the morning of the 3rd Sunday in June with a “Happy Father’s Day” and a World’s Greatest Dad coffee mug makes my heart smile.

I can’t believe I never understood this stuff before.

So this should be a nice weekend. Don’t really have much planned – and I like it that way. Happy Father’s Day to any Dads who happen to read this. Enjoy the day. It’s all about you.

I’m going to try to make these entries more frequently because these early days in Elliott’s life should be documented. Maybe someday he’ll enjoy going back through these posts and reading about my perspectives on being a father. Kind of a public commentary from my point of view on his life.

It’s just the boys tonight. Bachelor night #1 means an easy dinner for everyone (JEFFREY, MONTY, ELLIOTT). Jilly is out picking up some clothes because she says none of hers fit. She could wear a burlap sack and I would still think she looks great. It’s good for her to get out, though. She’s home all day with Elliott and needs to experience some alone/adult time. Distance is healthy sometimes. Plus it gives me the oportunity to indoctrinate Elliott with good tunes.

Now playing: BRA!D’s Frame & Canvas. We’re off to rock.

I’m a father. Elliott Lucas Inscho born 05.25.07 at 7:22 PM. Seven pounds, seven ounces and 21 1/4 inches. More to come.