When life hands you lemons, it's ok to throw them back

Blog numero uno.

This is THE Denison Family Blog. There are other blogs by similar names, but this here is the REAL Family Denison ;-) (with the exception of my brother's family, of course, but he had enough creativity to generate a reasonably unique blog name so I'm off the hook)

We are Caleb, Erika, Spencer and the newly arrived Jasmine. In August of '07 I married Erika and her son Spencer. In March of '08 we learned we were pregnant. In May of '08 we purchased a house. In November of '08 Jasmine was born and in February of '09, I was laid off of a job I held for almost 4 years (a personal best for me)

Here I sit in my cozy little home office, cup of coffee to my right, domestic devastation to my left. Ok, that's an exaggeration, but there is a ton to do around the house so, to divert my attention, I shall clean. I'm good at cleaning and having a tidy house is not only helpful in these discombobulated times, but it is rewarding in a way only someone with mild OCD can really understand. Plus, it keeps me busy.

Since learning I was no longer employed (not even 48 hours ago) much has happened. For months we've had discussions about how to best support this family but it always seemed wise to stick with the status quo. Now, having little choice in the matter, it seems like the best move for Erika to return to her job full time while I stay at home and take care of our newborn. It's a role reversal that will take time to get used to, but I think it will work out well in the end. Ideally, I'll pick up students for private lessons and further enrich my music based income. Eventually I'll start my own business and then, of course, take over the world. Mr. Obama, you're on notice.

Thus ends the first cathartic process of documenting my life for all to witness. I hope family and friends will find this blog interesting and informative enough to keep visiting from time to time. In future posts, I hope to share my experiences with being a stay at home dad and professional musician. I'm really excited about that.