Ayup. Father of 2 wee ones here myself, and I love loading up the truck and listening to the saws howl for a change of pace. I find once they are close to 2 you can start doing little chores with them around. Give them a job to do as well, and make them feel proud when they are "working". Their work inevitably creates more work for you, but it is worth it. Things take longer, many tasks are near impossible, but eventually it all gets done. I try to split and stack at night. Use my headlamp. Over the course of a hoarding year, stacking at night will save me maybe a full day of time I can now have with the family. I end up splitting with the hydraulics once I get deep in the wood, but in the meantime I'd prefer swinging an ax over lifting weights, so its exercise on "my time." Best of luck, enjoy it, parenthood is 49% pain and 51% ecstasy. My oldest is almost 5, and it seems like just yesterday she born. "The days are long but the years are short", you'll hear this over and over and it is so true.
"I try to split and stack at night. Use my headlamp." ... how many times a year do you have the cops show up? ...
Congrats! And nice cache of wood there! Seems like yesterday we welcomed our first child into the world......now we've got three kids and that first one is 17 years old!! Time flies my friend, enjoy every second of it.....
I live by that headlamp. One of the best presents I've ever received in terms of simplicity and usefulness. I live on a cul-de-sac so the neighbors I see are about 4 families, and they have inevitably seen me outside with the headlamp. However, that one time the cops do show up and I'm holding the Fiskars....
Congrats! I have a 2yo daughter and she loves "helping" me with wood related stuff. Carries splits in a tiny wheelbarrow and everything. Nice score on all of that dead Ash etc. which reminds me, I need to check out our local tree dump.
Amen Scotty. We only had two but our youngest one will turn 51 in 2 months..... How in Sam Hill did this happen so fast?
Congrats , a great life changing event, enjoy every minute Good being ahead with the wood too. Getting ahead is the tough part, staying ahead will be much easier + soon you'll have a helper
Tell ya what - I *hope* I can be at the point that you're at by this time next year... And I have almost 10 years on ya! Something tells me you're going to be just fine. We'll be right here if you need any additional motivation, but it looks like you've got plenty already! You might have to supply *us* with pics to keep our butts in gear! Awesome job man. Congratulations!
Done the headlamp thing with a couple other flood flashlights for the first time last night cause it was too hot out yesterday. I must say it worked out great for us and a nice change. Beet Stick: Best wishes for your new family to be !
I will third the headlamp. Especially as the days get shorter. I only use the chainsaw in daylight but have no problem splitting or stacking in the dark. Its super relaxing and kept me sane last winter. I get antsy not working outside.
I always use a headlamp to go get wood. I don't think I've ever stacked in the dark. The only thing that really stopped when the second kid came along was the home brewing. But I'm getting the itch to start that back up.
cnice_37 You've got to think of it as an investment. Sure it takes longer to get a couple of tasks done that day but fast forward a couple of years and you've got an experienced adolescent or teen who was can do a task unsupervised because you know that they were taught to do things the right way and safe way. Overall a big payoff when you look at the long term.. BIG fan of the headlamp for getting stuff done after the sun goes down!!!
Congrats beet! Im typing this as i sit next to my almost 3month old daughter (our first also). Free time has been pretty scarce since she was born but we both let each other have some time each day to do whatever it is we need or want to do. These little angels will sure keep you busy but they do sleep at some point. I take the monitor out in the shop every time she naps and i get a little done each day. Some great advice right there! Get it done when ya can, even if it's only a few minutes here and there. When my wife got closer to her due date i would spend 30 mins every night or other night just splittin and stacks.
Congratulations Beet Stix! As the father of four ten years old and younger, the one piece of (unsolicited) advice I'll give is take people up on the offer when they want to help once that baby is born. My wife and I thought we could do it all with our first one, but I think with each one who came along we were more likely to say "thanks!" and accept the offer. Maybe someone will even offer to help split or stack for you.
