It was only a matter of time before my kids brought one of those goofy internet challenges into our home.  First, they tried to convince me and my bride that we should go with the sprite challenge. 

The real estate auction season for the Zimmerman officially began in the middle of July.  I kicked it off at the beginning of the month by creating and sorting our list of properties to inspect.

The other night, my lovely bride cornered me – at our round supper table - with “you need to have a conversation with YOUR child!”  I usually snicker when she starts a conversation this way because our  children always belong to me when one of them disturb her equilibrium! 

Have you ever heard one of your friends or kids bring to your attention that you have not been spending quality (read “quantity”) time with them like you used to?  If we are honest, all of us have – even yours truly.

Earlier this winter, our 2005 Suburban – affectionately called “The Moose” by our children - had the check engine light illuminate .  I borrowed my brothers scan tool and searched forums for the most likely cause.

Spoiler alert!  This brief message provides a spoiler for a great book – How to Train Your Dragon.

The book, which we read as a family, was even more dramatic as an audio book.  The young Hooligan –Hiccough Horrendous Haddock the 3rd, who is the son of Stoic the Vast, is slated to become the leader of both the Hooligan and Meathead Viking tribes. 

On March 10th, 2023, we received between 8-10 inches of wet, heavy snow overnight. The sight was absolutely beautiful out the picture window in the living room. All of the tree branches were loaded with snow. The driveway was nowhere to be found. My children’s zip line and our clothes lines draped between the trees had a 1 to 2 inch buildup of snow on the top, rounded surface. The kids shared my enthusiasm as they slowly trickled out of their bedrooms.

Study diligently today or fail your classes later.

Brush (and floss) your teeth today or “enjoy” extensive dental work later.

Not much more than three months ago, my bride and I welcomed our 5th child home and celebrated in the house of feasting. Earlier this month, Grandy – Nancy Dorothy Kerber – Zimmerman passed from this life into eternity at 92 years old. She shared nearly 70 of those years with my Grandpa. What an interesting Thanksgiving this produced as my family wandered back into the house of mourning!

As you learned from the last message I sent your way, the Zimmerman family recently expanded. My daytime employer provided a 4-week leave for my family to bond together. While I was out of the office, I had a lot of time to be present with my children and my bride.

When I was younger I read two books about business negotiations - Getting Past No and Getting to Yes. Although my uncle meant well at the time, the books were dry for me - a high school freshman. I took the challenge anyway, and I learned all about creating a win-win solution…

As a test engineer by training, I am regularly exploring the functionality – or lack thereof – of the equipment used to evaluate the products my company produces. To get the desired results, I need to ask pointed questions about the test setup, the equipment’s operation, and the anticipated results.

Our Sunday routine for the past 5 years or so has been spending time on the local lake swimming, tubing, and skiing. Our kids all know that the life-jacket goes on as soon as they step foot on the stern sun pad and doesn’t come off until the boat is on the trailer. Things were a bit different this time when my son asked, “how long do I need to wear the life-jacket when we go swimming?”

Many of you might be aware of the television show from the late 90s on ABC called Whose Line Is It Anyway? Drew Carey, the original host, always opened the program with the phrase… “Where everything is made up, and the points don’t matter.” At the end of any monologue, dialogue, or sketch, Drew Carey awarded meaningless points as a meaningless “reward” to a job well done.

As a coach, I frequently interact with individuals and couples who are on a journey to rid themselves of debt. This should come as no surprise to anybody considering 57% of Americans cannot cover a $1000 emergency with savings according to Fortune. Many people slide into debt over a long period as a result of compounded decisions. As a result, we often review…

In one day, I heard two different people use a raging river as an analogy for process change.  The first person stated that jumping into their respective work was like trying to stop a mighty river.  Unfortunately, it felt too powerful to jump in and start. The second person used the river to describe the ability to stop powerful emotions gone wild in a child!

Water is absolutely imperative to support life on earth as we know it. It also is a very unique chemical as it becomes less dense as it freezes into ice! Ice is fantastic in the winter as it provides an opportunity to “walk on water” for ice fishing or skating. It is also a tool to keep us – or our drinks – cool as the summer heat beats down. Water in the right form and right physical state, can also be destructive.

It was late afternoon, and I got a call from my bride. You need to deal with YOUR oldest daughter when you get home. *I find it very interesting that our kids seem to belong to me when mischief is afoot. * My bride proceeded to explain that my daughter had cut her hair with the scissors that were in my Dopp kit. The problem was multiplied because I just sat down with her the day prior because her sheared hair was all over the floor!

“My little cowpoke tried to rope the recliner and was less than successful when the coffee table she was riding bucked her”. Those were the words that came out of my mouth when my oldest daughter and I were at the doctor’s office to have an assumed broken arm mended. Not only did those words bring a smile to the doctor’s face, but they were a balm to an already apprehensive little girl. After a couple of x-rays and a few days in a soft, long-arm splint, her arm was immobilized in a green fiberglass cast that covered just beyond her elbow. Was in necessary to immobilize the elbow? Not necessarily for the traditional healing processes; however, I have a bold cowpoke on my hand who would not let a little cast get in her way – much like her beloved Uncle Josh!

Leave it to kids to use creative ways to describe their experiences.
While I watch one of my kids at the doctor’s office, you could see that they were visibly distressed when the doctor and nurse requested the child to remove their shirt. To be fair, it was a tighter shirt that did not allow the work to be done effectively, so this was a necessary step. While the doctor and nurse were evaluating and treating this child, I tried to be a distraction by making funny faces, telling the best dad jokes in my repertoire, and telling outlandish stories about what was happening. By the time we got back to the Fuzz – our affectionate name for my Ford Escape – the tears started to flow. Although we were supposed to go to Grandma’s house afterwards, the experience was intense enough that we went straight home.