DADsquared℠

We appear to live in a world of haves and have nots. Are and are nots. Always looking over the fences, wanting what the others have. Never really aware of what we already have or are . I am a Gay Man, married to the same and raising a child in a world where so many feel that to be a dream, an impossibility. Now, please understand. I do not marginalize or minimize, in any way shape or form the war that is waging for equal rights in the LGBT community. It's just that I live my life not with the idea of tomorrow or one day , but rather in the realities of today . There are countless individuals throughout the world that continue to deny a shift, a change. They live in protest as if their nays and boo's will stop the momentum of a time that has definetley arrived, not a time that is coming . Not a time being prayed for, but one that is here . This is certain,  I am proof. My Husband and Son are proof.  The remarkable parents w...

Author and his Mom I recently said two very interesting things while chatting with some friends. They were so interesting that I actually heard myself say them and thought,  hmmm. One was that my Mother had been all the Father I needed. And the other was that I was Fathering the way I was Mothered. hmmm, right? My Mother, divorced in the late 60's and took on the awesome responsibility of raising a Son alone. She up and moved us out of the city and took me to a place where I would be safe and loved and where I would, literally, want for nothing. Now those of you familiar with me know that I spend much time collaborating with all kinds of Moms and Dads that know.. well pretty much everything. In this world of blogging EVERYONE is an expert, even the ones that claim to not be are actually selling themselves as the experts at not being experts. We have Stay at Home Dads that, as Rodney said, get no respect! We have Moms who's...

I recently had the great opportunity to chat with Irene Annunziata ,  an amazing attorney here in Florida who specializes in the field of Same Gender and Second Parent adoptions. www.familylegalmatters.com/ Many people,  especially since the birth of our Son, have asked us some pretty big questions.  We obviously did not want to attempt to answer lightly. Joel and I were the first Same Gender Couple to jointly adopt here in our county. The FIRST thing we did when our story began was to hire a GREAT attorney. Our Adoption Day. I thought this would be an ideal topic for DADSquared  and surely an informative one at that. So what better time than now to bring in the big guns? DADsquared Irene, can a Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual or Transgendered individual currently adopt in the State of Florida? Irene Annunziata Yes a LGBT person can petition to adopt. The adoption statute currently still reads that no homosexual person m...

My Husband and I have yet to really discuss faith or religion in regards to our Son. I would simply be happy to know he had some, faith that is. I can't say that what form that faith takes weighs too heavily on me. I can however say that  belonging  and believing  are two very important concepts to me. Two words that are naturally entwined to me, is it possible   to  do one without having the other ? I don't believe so. As a matter of fact, my own personal sense of belonging has always faded when believing became less plausible. I actually surprised myself when I suggested our Son be Baptized. I thought I had left those ideas tucked away with a much younger version of myself. My Husband supported me and he actually wore the same gown I was christened in 40+ years ago, our baby, not my Husband :). My Baptismal gown Now I can't entirely credit (or blame) my early religious training for that, I'm just a n...

This is how it all starts.. The dreaded FAUX HAWK! Oh, I know what your thinking, but it seems so innocent . Look at him! Such a big man. So serious! Or,   Look at our silly little man! Little man is the problem if you ask me, I know you didn't. But come on now, they're only babies for a minute right? Do we have to make them little men so quickly? Taking on grown up qualities so early. True, he may grow into that Faux Hawk and seem actually quite successful, somewhat, well balanced ! Or be the life of the party! That " Bad Boy " haircut may lead them down the wrong path. Or God might have BIGGER plans! But then again he may also end up like my " Funny " Uncle Carl. I personally can't take that chance. I won't risk my boys future for the sake of some clippers and gel...

My Son and I attended our first Daddy and Me class today. Its actually called a Baby and Me class, the ( p.c.) name for what was always called Mommy and Me classes. Now don't blame us for the name change, apparently there is quite a Dad movement on the rise, Straight and Gay alike. Dads don't like the short stick they seem to have been getting. We are Daddies hear us roar! As a matter of fact, Dad bloggers just brought down a Huggies campaign that made Dads look rather, well, stupid. Did you hear about it? abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2012/03/huggies-pulls-ads-after-dads-insulted/ Anyway this is not one of my activist posts. This is about my Son. So we arrive, both feeling a little nervous. It was us and 7 Mommies with 7 sweet babies. I noticed all the Moms checking me out as I entered, and Ben noticed all those babies looking at him too. Alright kid, I said, lets show them what we got! Miss Kristin welcomed us....

Yesterday My husband and I took our son to the park. We packed up all the things that little boy would need for a great day under the Sun. His formula,  his favorite toys, lots of sunblock and his cutest hat. we were joined by Karen and Irene and their beautiful 8 month old daughter Lucy Karen, Lucy and Irene There was also Chris, Jeremy and thier 18 month old twins Chloe and Jackson, Todd and Gabriel with their sons Eli and Jayden. Tim and Jim with their 3 beautiful kids, and a handful of other parents.. We listened to music,  sat under a big tree with sprawled out on blankets and ate junky fair food... heaven ! That was our agenda for the day, and it was perfect . There happened to be a lot of other people there although our group felt very small and intimate.. There was also a nice fellow there taking pictures and jotting down some notes, you see as regular and ordinary as our park day is sounding, it was actual...