Reno Dads - Being a dad in the Biggest Little City

When is the Best Time to have Child Number 2?

I cannot stop thinking about the scene from Animal House when Kevin Bacon “assumes the position” and takes a fraternity paddle to the keister. “Thank you, sir! May I have another?” That phrase is relatable right now. My daughter just turned one. She has been a blessing and has motivated me to be better at life. That…

American Traffic

My First Trip to Thailand “Girls?! Girls?!” That was the first thing the Thai street vendor said to me when I stepped off the brow of the USS George Washington. It was the summer of 2011, and we has just pulled into port in Pattaya Beach, Thailand. I was more than excited to finally touch…

Cirque Paris at the Eldorado Reno

There’s a new Cirque show in town at the Eldorado – Cirque Paris! If you’ve never experienced a “Cirque-style” show before, think theater and acrobatics combined. There are some very very talented performers that display not only their artistic side, but extremely athletic side. Your eyes will bug out, cartoon-style, at some of the stunts…

Reno Dads Podcast Episode 6: Situational Awareness

Situational Awareness: Play the Game In this episode, the Reno Dads sit down and talk about a great article by one of our own Reno Dads, David about Teaching Situational Awareness. It’s an important skill that dads can have a large role in helping our kids develop. What is situational awareness, exactly? David provides a great…

Shaving Cream Easter Eggs

Coloring and decorating eggs for Easter is a long-standing tradition for families. For many years, my family used the typical method of pouring vinegar into those store-bought color cups. You put the egg in the cup, and you sit and wait. If you want a really brilliant color, you go do something else for a…

Kids University Camps

At some point, when you have school-aged kids, you’ll be told that they’re on break. Yup, no school and you have to figure out what to do with them during the day. Taking a month off of work isn’t an option for most of us. Thank goodness for day camps! There are a number of…

Dancing with My Daughter

I recently took my four-year-old daughter, Sami, to the Father-Daughter Day & Dance in Virginia City. She’s becoming increasingly independent, opinionated, and interested in new things; and I was excited about spending an afternoon touring Virginia City with her. She didn’t really understand what we were going to do, but she’s always looking for an…

Your Son Will Need Open Heart Surgery

“Your son will need open heart surgery.” Those are words you can never forget. My wife, Megan, and I heard those words on January 6th, 2015. It seems like yesterday. I still remember every single detail of that doctors appointment. It all started a month earlier during a routine checkup for my son, Cooper. I…

Reno Dads Podcast Episode 5: Baby Names!

Baby Names: Don’t Screw this Up! In this episode, the Reno Dads sit down and talk baby names. Yeah, we’re manly enough to talk about how important it is to get this ONE thing right, on the first day of fatherhood! Stories about how each of the hosts (and their partners) arrived at their kids’…

Review: Kerak Shrine Circus

With all the options of family entertainment coming through Reno, I have forgotten the old fashioned fun of the Kerak Shrine Circus. Admittedly, it has been years since I have personally been to any kind of circus. The whole prospect of taking my young kids to a place full of clowns just seemed daunting in…

The Painful Truth About Fatherhood Part Deux: It Gets Better

Alright gents, in Part One of this epic tale I imparted some of the wisdom I wish had been bestowed upon me rather than the hellish school of hard knocks that was my first kid’s first year on this earth. But now I’ve got a modicum of light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel truth to impart: It gets better. Now,…

Reno Dads Podcast Episode 4: Kylee’s Wish with Kehl LeSourd

Kylee’s Wish: A Story of Hope and Resilience In this episode, the Reno Dads sit down with Kehl LeSourd, a dad who inspires us with his and his family’s story of resilience in the face of some very challenging circumstances. Kehl is the father of Kylee LeSourd (who, at age 7, was diagnosed with brain cancer)….