tag:www.riden.org,2006:/callia//1 2006-05-26T05:09:35Z Movable Type 3.32 tag:www.riden.org,2006:/callia//1.356 2006-05-26T04:39:09Z 2006-05-26T05:09:35Z

Callia has an arch-enemy on the playground: "The Girl In The Yellow Shirt." Callia is alway honest with me about whether or not she got into trouble or did anything bad at the daycare. She always tattles on herself and...

chad www.ChadRiden.com Callia has an arch-enemy on the playground: "The Girl In The Yellow Shirt." Callia is alway honest with me about whether or not she got into trouble or did anything bad at the daycare. She always tattles on herself and then apologizes to me and anybody else who was involved, without being prompted. The other day I went to pick her up and she had a report for me: she'd gotten into trouble. It took a while to get the whole story out of her, but it all comes down to what seems to me to be a personality conflict between Callia and someone she keeps referring to as "The Girl In The Yellow Shirt." No name, no other details.. no notion of who this person is. She was wearing a yellow shirt and she was trouble. It took a while for me to get the whole story out of her.. but Callia and I talked about how we treat and deal with other people & that was that. Lessons learned and all is good. Today, when I picked her up Callia declared that she'd gotten into trouble and was bad. One of the teachers came over and said that she was very impressed.. that a girl had hit Callia and she didn't retaliate - she just told the girl "NO! Don't hit me." and walked away. Callia chimed in saying it was (who else?) "The Girl In The Yellow Shirt." Uh-oh.. recurring problems with this chick. I was curious, though.. so I had to ask, "was she wearing a yellow shirt again today?" "Yes." "Two days in a row? Yellow shirt?" "Yeah." "Really. That's weird." "She's mean." "I guess so.." I'm not sure if this girl even exists.. and I'm not sure which scenario would be better: imaginary enemy or real enemy who already has picked out a trademark Super Villian outfit. Either way, I've got my eyes open and I'm lookin' for yellow. tag:www.riden.org,2006:/callia//1.355 2006-05-26T04:28:43Z 2006-05-26T04:33:23Z

Callia's third birthday has come and gone.. but Callia is still excited about it all. Today in the car, completely out of the nowhere, she says, "Daddy, I want a candle in my applesauce and people singing Happy Birthday.. .....

chad www.ChadRiden.com doesn't want a candle in their applesauce?]]> tag:www.riden.org,2006:/callia//1.324 2006-03-07T00:16:31Z 2006-03-07T00:51:08Z

Callia was just talking to Laura saying, "Mommy, I'm young.. and you're young.. but Daddy is NOT young." Nice. Last week-ish she had another little gem for me. We were all up in her room and Laura had just read...

chad www.ChadRiden.com do nothing." Ouch. I have to admit, though.. she's got me pegged. No better way to unwind then to go to the basement and do nothing. We're getting ready to go to the Hascienda & Knoxville for a few days. Last month (or maybe in January?) when Callia stayed with my parents for a while.. she came home having memorized the Lord's Prayer. I was impressed when she rattled it off the first time, but the more times I heard her say it.. I realized she was saying, "my" and "mine" instead of "thy" and "thine". So when she says it.. it's, "My kingdom come. My will be done... for mine is the kingdome, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen." I wonder if her Heavenly Father thinks its cute when she backtalks Him!]]> tag:www.riden.org,2006:/callia//1.298 2006-01-02T17:11:43Z 2006-01-02T17:14:43Z

I just now uploaded the last six months worth of photos. Enjoy....

chad www.ChadRiden.com photos. Enjoy.]]> tag:www.riden.org,2006:/callia//1.297 2006-01-02T01:49:04Z 2006-01-02T02:49:09Z

I'm not sure where exactly it came from.. it could have been Leonardo, the Terrible Monster (which is a funny book), or overhearing people say "murmer-murmer terrible twos.." but Callia now over-uses the phrase 'this is terrible!' It usually isn't...

chad www.ChadRiden.com Leonardo, the Terrible Monster (which is a funny book), or overhearing people say "murmer-murmer terrible twos.." but Callia now over-uses the phrase 'this is terrible!' It usually isn't that bad.. but we were flipping thru channels today and landed on community access. "This is terrible!" she exclaimed. I laughed. "What is terrible?" "THIS!" (pointing to the tv.) "Yeah, you're right." (click).]]> tag:www.riden.org,2005:/callia//1.292 2005-12-29T19:49:41Z 2005-12-29T19:56:07Z

Friday morning I was off work and stayed home with Callia and Laura. Laura had worked the over night shift Thursday night and was just getting ready to go to bed when Callia wanted to go upstairs and get some...

chad www.ChadRiden.com talk about breakfast.. but I didn't get any breakfast." Is there any doubt who she takes after? Callia is a three foot tall female version of me. I fear the future.]]> tag:www.riden.org,2005:/callia//1.251 2005-11-08T14:33:09Z 2005-11-08T14:44:04Z

I should have typed this up two weeks ago.. then again, I should have renewed my driver's license in April. It's all about priorities, people. I'm trying to get mine in order. Yesterday, I mentioned that Callia and I walk...

chad www.ChadRiden.com I should have typed this up two weeks ago.. then again, I should have renewed my driver's license in April. It's all about priorities, people. I'm trying to get mine in order. Yesterday, I mentioned that Callia and I walk Guido every morning. A couple weeks ago, Callia was rushing to get her socks and shoes on in time to go race me to the bench. Guido and I went on out to put some letters in the mailbox. Once Callia was ready, the door burst open and out she ran, yelling at us to wait for her. Behind her, she was dragging her little electronic puppy on a leash - one of those things with two buttons: bark and walk. It doesn't walk very well and it sure doesn't race at all. We walked up the street together, me holding Guido's leash, Callia dragging her toy puppy behind her. She wasn't holding the 'walk' button, but it didn't matter cause he was on his side and spinning around. It was really cute, and I wish I had a picture of us walking our dogs together.. but my camera's broken and I think we're years away from cyborg technology being affordable to the common man.. so that's not an option yet. tag:www.riden.org,2005:/callia//1.250 2005-11-08T03:57:09Z 2005-11-08T03:57:31Z

Tonight, for her last milk before night time, I thought I'd tightened the lid on Callia's cup enough, but when she drank it, it spilled a little. I apologized saying, "I didn't screw it on good enough." Callia exclaimed, "I'm...

chad www.ChadRiden.com Tonight, for her last milk before night time, I thought I'd tightened the lid on Callia's cup enough, but when she drank it, it spilled a little. I apologized saying, "I didn't screw it on good enough." Callia exclaimed, "I'm screwed!" I thought that was over-reacting just a little.. but I can see it from her point of view, too. tag:www.riden.org,2005:/callia//1.249 2005-11-07T16:27:45Z 2005-11-08T03:56:43Z

Almost every morning, Callia and I walk Guido down the block to the park bench and back. Well, I walk. Guido lunges forward as if he's on some weird game show on Japanese Nickelodian where his life depends upon peeing...

chad www.ChadRiden.com Almost every morning, Callia and I walk Guido down the block to the park bench and back. Well, I walk. Guido lunges forward as if he's on some weird game show on Japanese Nickelodian where his life depends upon peeing on as many objects as possible. Callia "races" us to the bench.. and she does run fast. Half the time, I've got Guido's leash in one hand and my first coffee of the day in the other, so I kind of meander along, hoping not to trip and start my day off face down on the concrete and /or in dog poop. This morning, Callia was talking about how pretty the leaves were and said, "the leaves keep falling out of the trees." All-Knowing-Daddy offered his deep insight, "Maybe that's why they call it Fall." Callia looked concerned, and said, "we need to put the leaves back up in the trees!" tag:www.riden.org,2005:/callia//1.245 2005-10-28T04:48:23Z 2005-10-28T05:27:27Z

I'm such a goof for not writing more about the most wonderful little girl ever to smile at me. There is no excuse.. she does something every day that is worth documenting. She is a princess and a joy and...

chad www.ChadRiden.com I'm such a goof for not writing more about the most wonderful little girl ever to smile at me. There is no excuse.. she does something every day that is worth documenting. She is a princess and a joy and my most favorite person in the world. I've gotta go back and write about: - walking the dog - riding the bike - coco & the fireplace - stealing my coins - not this dora/diego! - i don't have any choices / senses - daddy, no talking - sleep at night - camping with the channel 8 people 9/23-4 - 9/17: music city queen riverboat - 9/4-5: labor day @ Hascienda tag:www.riden.org,2005:/callia//1.218 2005-07-18T19:45:28Z 2005-08-31T18:51:57Z

Saturday afternoon I drove to Dickson to pick up Callia from her Aunt Jessie's house & we stopped at TBG (the Truth, Beauty and Goodness Coffee House in Ashland City) on the way back. I got some sort of frosty...

chad www.ChadRiden.com Juro Stables in Mt. Juliet, which is just down Central Pike from the house.. 10 minutes away. She was excited when we pulled into the ranch.. they've got a good 50+ horses there, plus peacocks (another favorite of hers) and guineas and chickens and puppies and stuff. When it was time to mount up, she freaked. I climbed up on our horse while holding her and she screamed the whole time, clinging onto my chest as if I was trying to give her away to gypsies. I pry'ed her arms off of me, spun her around and sat her in the saddle in front of me. One of the trail guides led our horse around in a circle a few times and she finally calmed down and was grinning ear to ear. There were about 8 people / horses in our group. By the time everybody else was mounted up, she was beaming with giddy goodness. "We're riding the horsey!" she'd squeal and giggle. I was a little scared about running, but when the horse trotted a bit, Callia looked like I'd just given her a popsicle and a pound of chocolate. She loved it.. so when we got the chance, we ran the horse again and again. When we were on our way back to the barn, she said, "Daddy, I don't want to go home! Can we do it again?" So, it looks like we'll be back there soon. She was too hyped up to take a nap in the afternoon, so we watched her favorite short film "The Robot vs. The Octopus Monster Saga" on the Beastie Boys dvd three or four times and then "The Incredibles." She fell asleep on my chest halfway thru the movie.. and I've found that the key to being a well-rested parent is to sleep when the baby is sleeping, so I was out, too. When we got up, we threw a pizza in the oven and watched the rest of the Incredibles. When it was over, we watched the Robot a few more times and then lit off some fireworks I bought cheap the day after the fourth (which would be July 5th, for those of you who are bad at math). With that, she was ready for bed.. so I read her a few books and snuggled her down. I never would have thought the highlight of my weekend could ever be sitting on my back porch sharing a pizza with a two year old, but it's pretty damn fun. ]]> tag:www.riden.org,2005:/callia//1.198 2005-06-23T01:38:04Z 2005-08-31T18:51:55Z

So, today has been a really exciting day in the Riden household. One of us has learned how to go potty. I am still working on Chad, but Callia is officially on the way to burning those diapers and feeling...

www.riden.org/laura/ really upset. I have told her over and over again that it is okay and that we are just learning right now and so on. She still seems distraught and I feel bad for her. You can tell that it has taken her a long time to understand what is happening even though it has been happening for a long time. She just now seems to feel some sort of shame in it, and as corny as this sounds, it is just a little bit heart breaking to watch. She has been very proud of herself though and ran to tell her daddy immediately so that he would be proud, too. So, I am sure that this is just the beginning, but it is a good sign that we may actually find out what it is like to be without diapers in the near future. My favorite thing that Callia has done lately is bring Dipsy down to Chad and explain to him that "Dipsy is hurt, he has a boo-boo on his tail (which is actually an antenna), and he needs a band-aid, please". How freakin' cute. My other favorite thing that she has been saying to me lately is "don't get me mommy" when I act like I am going to chase her. Her laughter has got to be my favorite sound in the whole world. She has been trying to play our guitar, too. I hope she learns how to play because despite our best attempts, Chad and I still can't get it. She plays all of the classics on it. And, she'll look at us and ask "how bout......old mc donald"....hmmm...hmmmm..... and then she claps for herself. She sings "momma's gonna buy you the rocking bird, and if that rocking bird don't sing, momma's gonna buy you the rocking bird". There are a lot of things making us smile these days, but she is very sleepy now and wants my undivided attention, so I will end here. WE LOVE YOU!! Laura]]> tag:www.riden.org,2005:/callia//1.174 2005-06-01T17:43:33Z 2005-08-31T18:51:53Z

We went camping over the weekend of Callia's birthday and it was so much fun. She and I got down there about 5pm on a Friday, staked out a campsite and started setting up. She ate some snacks and made...

chad www.ChadRiden.com We went camping over the weekend of Callia's birthday and it was so much fun. She and I got down there about 5pm on a Friday, staked out a campsite and started setting up. She ate some snacks and made multiple trips over to the nearby playground, but really got into it once the tent was up. She ordered me to take off my shoes and come play inside with her. We had a blast. When it got dark she said, "ok, let's go inside" and I told her we were sleeping under the stars in the tent. She said, "I can't sleep HERE!" as if it was a ridiculous notion. There was a group of old people square-dancing under this covered area we could see from our tent window.. Callia watched them for a while. She loves to dance, so we decided we'd go over there and join in. As soon as we got our shoes on, we heard them say, "all right! That's it for the night. Thanks everybody, we'll see you tomorrow for breakfast." So, once again my timing was perfect. About 40 minutes after we laid down and she went to sleep, Laura arrived with my brother Kirk and his wife. They'd driven from Knoxville after getting off work, so Laura met up with them at the house and led them in since it was going to be dark. By then, most of the campers in our area were sleeping so we all just crashed out. The next day we had a little party for Callia and a bunch of relatives came out and grilled burgers with us. Grandma Sara and Laura's Paw, Laura's sister Jessica and her husband Duncan and there were a few more from her side of the family. Kirk and Erin were already there and Grandma Perry and "Crazy Old Man Riden" (or "Papaw" as Callia calls him) drove from Johnson City where they'd attended Ashley Edmonds' high school graduation. Laura had gotten Callia a Dora the Explorer cake & the fam pulled thru with tons of presents. I got Callia the same thing I get her every year: a bottle of Jack Daniels and a lottery ticket. That night, my parents had rented one of the nearby cabins, but hung out in our campsite with us and Laura's sister and her husband after everybody else left. There's something about sneaking around with booze in a state park that makes me feel like a kid again. I dunno.. It's just naughty. (owww! Wild man.. I'm outta control!) Sunday morning we ate breakfast and broke camp. All in all, we only had three or four ticks.. Guido didn't bite anybody.. Laura didn't kill me in my sleep.. And Callia seemed to have a pretty good time, so I count it as a win. tag:www.riden.org,2005:/callia//1.168 2005-05-19T08:28:07Z 2005-08-31T18:51:53Z

I love it when I sit down to write about a particular subject and end up writing about everything EXCEPT that. Callia was a flower girl in Jesse Perry & Candice Self's wedding Sunday. It was beautiful, fun and most...

chad www.ChadRiden.com Jesse Perry & Candice Self's wedding Sunday. It was beautiful, fun and most importantly a SHORT ceremony. There were two 3 year old boys who rang bells, then an older flower girl - maybe 5 or 6? - then Callia and another 2-ish year old. Despite a good rehearsal, the young flower girls were slow to go down the asile. When they stopped, amazed by all the people looking at them, they got applause. Callia lit up for a second, then started crying and turned around looking for Mommy. I was standing at the end of the asile, video taping.. but I'd all but set the camera down trying to wave her my way. When Laura picked her up and carried her back to her seat, she was screaming for Daddy and I DID set the camera down to go to her. I couldn't help it. It was a great time and we all had a lot of fun. It was an outdoor thing.. we had a reception right there immediately after the nuptuals. The kids played and ran around, but Callia spent more time on the stage thing dancing to the music. Later, at a restaurant they rented out for another reception, Callia was a social butterfly, going around talking to everyone and busting moves on the dance floor. She even got to toast the couple when they busted the champagne out. The bride was thoughtful enough to go get Callia a champagne flute full of water for her to drink. This was really cool.. she didn't drop it or spill any.. she held her glass up high and drank at the appropriate time. She has actually been doing "cheers" for a while - when we fix chocolate milk she'll sometimes say, "cheers?" and want to clink glasses and then drink up. She also does it with popsicles. Those are some of her passions now. I introduced her to the joys of chocolate milk as a treat for Valentines Day and she's been obsessed ever since. She'd drink it all day and eat only popsicles, if only she could get that fridge door open herself. I tend to eat a lot of peanuts during the summer.. I keep a bucket of them around the house & on the porch sometimes. Callia puts the whole peanut in her mouth and enjoys the roasted, salted dusty husk. She can bust some of them open herself, but usually hands them to me asking, "open it?" She likes to sit in the hammock and go for walks and take rides in her wagon. Occasionally, she'll ask to ride her bike - usually after seeing another kid on one. She also gets excited about motorcycles.. calling them bikes, too. We still go play on the swings and the slide. She's really quick to learn and remember names of kids she meets on the playground. I'll "meet" them and their parents a dozen times before I'll remember them.. but Callia knows 'em and calls them by name. She loves Dora the Explorer and Teletubbies.. and still loves Star Wars. As an infant, Callia would NOT watch tv. Hated it.. would walk over to the tv and turn it off all the time. A while back I was watching the original trilogy dvds and she was totally into it.. she was completely sucked in. Empire was the first movie / tv / video she ever watched. She sat with me and I explained what was happening.. told her about Yoda and the Force.. about believing in yourself and trusting your instinct.. she'd softly repeat whatever I'd say, not taking her eyes off the screen. It was great. Laura hated me for it. She watches tons of kiddie stuff on tv now, but whenever I play the Star Wars films, she still has the same reverence and excitement for 'em. And she goes around randomly talking about Yoda sometimes.. so I know that I've done SOMETHING right. I'll probably take her to see Revenge Of The Sith once the crowds have died down and people won't be pressing up against me as I file into and out of the theater. We'll probably catch a matinee in two or three weeks so Callia and I can go together in peace and safety so we can watch the Star Wars movie so dark and disturbing that it got a PG-13 rating. Oh, my! See ya there, nerds!]]> tag:www.riden.org,2005:/callia//1.167 2005-05-19T07:22:14Z 2005-08-31T18:51:53Z

I was just searching the InterWebbie Brand Information Network for.. well, I was ego-searching to be honest.. and I stumbled upon this site and thought, "WOW! Somebody's set up a website about my daughter! Cool, I can get the latest...

chad www.ChadRiden.com I'm responsible for that site. Oh, carp!"So, yeah.. sorry? So much has happened. My cute baby has grown into a cute little girl. She's about six or seven months into what we have to assume is the "Terrible Two's." She's started getting all defiant.. testing boundaries.. going out at night, drinking and smoking with her friends. Unacceptable! Where does she learn this behavior? It's really not that terrible.. Callia is a joy which further reinforces my Parents Are Full Of Carp And Always Have Been Theory. Remember when your parents exaggerated everything they told you and you saw right thru it and thought they were full of it? Then, sometime in your twenties you realize that your parents had the best intentions.. and maybe YOU were the assjack. Having redeemed yourself and finally become an adult, you shake your head at how immature you were as you continue to eat all of their food and bring your laundry every time you visit. Then your friends start having kids and you think, "They've lost their minds! Why? How nuts is that?! Not me!" But they tell you how great it is and you secretly think, "No, they're full of it. I've seen what their day to day life is like and that sucks." At some point, the Pop Rocks and Coke mixtures you ingested decades ago finally gestates and you have kids of your own. (yes, that IS how it happens.. babies come from crappy, over-done pop culture references.) Being a parent means you are around other parents, like it or not. You soon realize that most of these parents are overly concerned with making sure their kids aren't the dumbest, ugliest ones ever to live. They do this by comparing their spawn to yours and by exaggerating everything their kid does. Little Billy pounds on the keyboard mindlessly? Computer genius! Pookie cocks an eyebrow at an odd time? Comic genius! Katie eats something she found in the yard? What a resourceful young naturalist wilderness survival expert! "I'm not going to be that way," I remember saying. I'll never lie to my kid, either.. I'll tell her the truth about everything and she'll appreciate it. Then Christmas comes and Santa arrives with his bag full of lies. Eventually, the Easter Bunny hops into town just to make sure you don't go six months without confusing a religious event with the contrived commercialism that requires the same card-candy-gift and dinner reservation combo that every other "holiday tradition" consists of. (No, next Easter we're not getting chocolate eggs from a bunny.. it's Lincoln Logs in the sock drawer, just to honor the memory of Bill Hicks.) Guess what? Now you're a parent who's full of crap, too. That was a long winded way of saying I think other parents have either exaggerated how "terrible" the Twos are.. or their kids were clearly inferior to mine in every single way, especially genetically, intellectually, cosmetically, socially.. oh, wait.. I'm full of crap, too. Especially when I say I'm going to sit down and write more often. I just uploaded a ton of new pictures the other day. BTW, Callia is almost two. The birthday is a few days away.. we'll be camping out all weekend to celebrate. If you want to join us, just give me a yell. You don't have to buy her a card-candy-gift.. just call her and talk for a few minutes or come by to see her and spend some time with her.. that's what matters to her now (and ultimately) anyway.]]>