Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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The Real J-Boom

First off, in kitchen progress news, all of the chaotic electrical work has been completed! In just five hours actually. Woot.

Electrician Craziness Horiz

So we’re cleaning things up, taking pics, doing some pendant hunting, and writing a big ol’ post about it for you guys on Monday. But apparently when Sherry shared “The Real $herdog” on Tuesday there were a bunch of requests for a John version. Color me surprised (I honestly thought Burger and Clara would get mentioned before I would). And since I don’t really have a cool street name like Sherry, she has suggested that I use “J-Boom” for the time being. It’s a little too close for comfort to a certain busty Jersey Shore cast member for me, but since I figure there’s little risk of confusing the two of us – I’ll use it for now. It certainly has more flare to it than my childhood nicknames of “JP” and “Petersik.” Anyway, since Sherry stole some shared facts for herself (about our marriage and our daughter) – my list might be a bit more random than hers. Here goes nothing.

#1 – I don’t always enjoy shopping and decorating. If reading our blog has given you the impression that I’m always the dutiful husband who skips merrily alongside Sherry on shopping trips for our latest decorating project, well – that’s not 100% accurate. I may participate in (and often enjoy) running house errands more than the average husband, but I also do my fair share of groaning when I’m told we “need to go out for pillows.” Same goes for tasks around the house. Let’s just say I don’t bound joyfully from the couch every time I learn we’re hanging curtains or need to go up in the attic to carry something that “takes two people, one being the strong and helpful husband.” But when worst comes to worst, I just try to find the humor in being the tagalong husband:

HGoods Dog Backpack

#2 – I’m the king of typos. Case in point, my fingers originally made that “I’m the kind of typos.” I’ve accepted this about myself: my brain and fingers don’t always work in unison and my eyes don’t do me any favors by catching them. Sherry has little tolerance for it (especially since I will even drop an entire word or three here and there). Yes, sentences like “then I spread the grout with a trowel” might get typed out as “then I with a trowel” and Sherry is left scratching her head. It’s one of the reasons Sherry proofreads every post before it goes up and also why I’m not as active in the comments (along with the fact that I have no idea where each of our ten million pillows hails from). I confessed my typo problem in a local interview two years ago where Sherry and I had to submit secret responses about each other separately. I said I loved Sherry because “she fixes my tyops.” Sherry told me it was a sweet and clever answer… until I further confessed that I hadn’t done it intentionally. It was just the most well-timed typo of my life.

JBoom Skirt Tyops

#3 – I’m sometimes insecure about being a stay-at-home dad. Those who caught my BabyCenter post a few months ago already know most of this. And though I think I technically qualify more as a “work-at-home” dad, I still often feel funny about not getting up, putting on work clothes, and trotting off to the office like other “normal” dads. Even though I can rationalize that being home with Clara is actually a very good thing, it still just feels off to me sometimes. Especially when Clara and I are checking out at the grocery store in the middle of the day and I get that “oh, he must be unemployed” look from the cashier. But I’m doing my best to just embrace it and be as good at it as I can.

DayInLife 13 Folding Laundr

#4 – I’m a shameless consumer of “new” things. Maybe it’s the former advertising exec in me (or the reason I got into advertising in the first place) but I’m a total sucker for new products. They don’t even have to be totally new – maybe Hershey Kisses’ just released their seasonal flavors, for example. I. Must. Try. Them. All. Heck, I even bought a box of Life cereal the other day just because the packaging had been redesigned. Sherry knows whenever I go food shopping alone that she should brace herself for the weird new flavor or product I’ll come home with (Dulce De Leche Cheerios? Check).

#5 – I sing. A lot. And not that well. Sherry and I are both guilty of bursting into song pretty often, whether it’s singing along to the radio or crooning an original tune that narrates what we’re doing (“a grouting we will go, a grouting we will go, high ho the tile-e-oh, a grouting we will go”). So maybe this goes along with Sherry’s admission that she’s painfully cheerful? It’s like a slightly off-key and slightly-sarcastic Disney movie up in here sometimes. And it’s probably why Clara isn’t shy about belting a little medley out too. We aren’t “real” singers or anything, but we can both (key word: sort of) carry a tune. And sometimes harmonize. Sometimes even on purpose. If we were to try out for American Idol we’d be in that in-between group that’s neither good nor bad enough to see the judges. You can catch a snippet of me singing in this mockumentary my college improv group made about a squash tournament (that obviously needed to close with a big mediocre musical number). Fast forward to about 12:10 for my extremely brief verse. Or if you care to watch the whole thing, start here with part one (warning: I can’t guarantee it’s entertaining for anyone beyond those of us who are in it).

JBoom John Singing

#6 – I don’t really read Young House Love. Since Sherry proofreads every post (see #2 if you’ve forgotten why) and responds to most comments (questions like “where did you get that mirror?” are like asking me what color earrings Sherry wore three days ago), she reads just about every single word that ever gets posted on this site. So with all that we juggle each day, it’s not really the best use of our time for me to read everything too. I barely find time to read other blogs, let alone the one where I already know how things end. So if we ever talk in person and you reference something funny that Sherry wrote, please forgive me if I just smile and nod. Does it make me feel like a bad person? Sometimes. But c’mon, you know brevity is hardly a virtue of ours…

#7. I can get pissed like the best of them. This might come as a surprise but I can get pretty darn peeved in the middle of a project that’s going anything but well. I have even been known to throw a screwdriver (maybe “lob it at the ground” is a better description) while grappling to fix an incredibly frustrating mailbox issue. I’m working on it, but just know that I’m not Mr. It’s All Going To Be Hunky Dory during every project. Sometimes I’m just gritting my teeth and muttering under my breath. But when it’s all said and done and we’ve lived to tell the tale, it’s 100% worth it. Which probably explains why I keep jumping back into the ol’ DIY arena. I’m like Russel Crowe in Gladiator – except significantly less ripped.

John Taking Cabs Down

So maybe my list was less “surprise, I’m not perfect” than Sherry’s since I figure you guys already knew I was no Matt Damon / Edward Cullen  / Justin Bieber or whoever else is the epitome of male perfection these days. Just don’t tell Clara that. I think she’s pretty convinced I’m all that and a box of raisins. And I’d like to keep it that way.

Pssst: We are not famous. But somehow we’ve been invited to be part of the Richmond Comedy Coalition’s series called “Richmond Famous” that’s happening next Friday night (Jan 27). We’re not totally sure what we’re in for, but supposedly we’ll tell some true stories from our lives and they’ll improvise scenes based on them. And yes, Sherry is beyond nervous that we actually “have to talk” so we’d love to see you guys there. At least I would. Sherry might rather hide in the car. Get more info here.

Yearbook Richmond Famous

Psssst again: We announced this week’s giveaway winner. Click here to see if it’s you.

Comments

    • KathyG says

      Me too! But way too modest! What he didn’t say – and correct me if I remember wrong here – is that there wouldn’t still be a YHL if he had chosen not to become SAHD!

  2. Kristen @ Popcorn on the Stove says

    What a great post! It’s so fun to see your side of things.

    I wouldn’t get too down about being a work-from-home dad. My dad worked really long hours while I was growing up so I didn’t get to spend a whole lot of time with him. I think your working from home will be something Clara really appreciates later on in life!

    Reply

    • sew says

      Kudos to you, John. Growing up, the workshop where both my parents worked together was literally the other side of our house. I think that changed my perspective on what ‘work’ was so that I’m more innovative and creative in my own life. It gave us happiness and well-loved security, which has been more valuable than anything they could have provided us by going out to work.

    • Erin says

      If I were a cashier I would make up stories about people to pass the time. I’d like to think the cashier thinks you’re some big time entrepreneur freelance guy who makes enough to have you’re own work schedule and spend time with your family…. oh wait! that’s the truth homes. just keepin’ it real :)

  5. alex says

    Loved…although not shocked. Haha. My only question would be, does he miss the “male comradery(?)” aspect of not working in an office…like, my boyfriend needs his dude time with his buddies…does John do that or no? I admire you both as a normal, functional, this-isnt-the-Leave-It-To-Beaver family…youre straight up and loving. :]

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes I do. Thankfully I’ll sneak out to lunch with a friend who works downtown sometimes. And email a lot of “the guys” to stay plugged in. Gotta keep up with guy gossip. Hah.

      -John

  7. Staci says

    J-Boom. I love it. It’s like Stool Boom.
    So glad to hear you aren’t always the cheerful shopper and that you grumble to yourself… and I’m sure my hubby will be SUPER glad to hear it too.

    Reply

  8. cjw says

    If it makes you feel better, I had to buy Cinnamon Roll Mini Wheats because they were new…

    And the answer is “Ryan Gosling.”

    Reply

  9. Suni says

    Thanks so much John for sharing. My husband Doug was a stay at home dad for 16 months! He had been laid off work 4 months before our daughter was born, and didn’t go back to work until she was 16 months old. He honestly made the same exact comments you did in your babycenter blog, as well as on here. But truly Clara and our daugther Calla are some of the luckiest girls to have so much face time with their daddy’s.. it will never be forgotten, and the bond the two of you will have will be even stronger. Enjoy your Work from Home Dad life, and cherish every moment!!

    Reply

  10. sandy says

    LOL! Great post John. It must have taken alot out of you to bring that to the table. You sound like my husband but he would have said it in less words “It’s all good!” Hahahaha

    Reply

  11. Maureen @ This (Kinda) Old HOuse says

    Thanks for sharing this, John! I have to agree with what Kristen wrote. My dad was a VP for Chase Manhattan Bank. He left the house at 6:00 or 6:30 am everyday and didn’t get home until 7:30 or 8 pm. Growing up, our bedtime was always 9pm just so that we could see my dad for that hour or hour and a half every day. Not to mention that the stress of such a high powered job and crazy hours literally killed him by the time I was a mere 14. I’m not saying this to be a bog ol’ poor me comment, just the contrary. I just wanted to give you another perspective about how you should feel good about the decision you have BOTH made to be home with your child. :)

    PS – I like the name J-Boom, given the affinity you have for the stool boom thingy. :)

    Reply

  12. Melanie says

    You guys are totally famous in Richmond! I’m waiting for the day when I spot you in Home Depot or Lowes in Midlo and I nervously approach you and ask you to autograph a paint brush or something. I hope you don’t think I’m a weirdo, but I might even ask to get a picture with y’all.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, we’ll be awkward as ever! The other night a guy walked up and asked to get a picture to show his wife and we said sure and waited for him to take it and he handed the phone to John and posed next to me! So John took a pic of me and him. Haha. Poor John, being the picture taker. We giggled about it for hours afterwards.

      xo,
      s

  16. Emily says

    Love this. Thanks so much for sharing!! My husband is a mutter under his breath/occasionally throw a tool DIY’er too- glad to know there’s more like him out there!! :)

    Reply

  17. Christine Schwalm Design says

    I can only hope that as more families adapt to the new economy (dads staying home, or, in your case, owning their own business), it won’t be so odd seeing a father with his child at Whole Foods at 1pm on a Tuesday. Or maybe once the book comes out, you guys will be too famous and have to buy everything via Peapod or Fresh Direct.

    Reply

  19. Justine says

    Love reading these posts about the other side. It’s so easy to start thinking you guys are perfect and brilliant all the time ;) Glad to see even you have your moments like the rest of us!

    Reply

  22. Sarah T says

    I’m so glad you guys narrate your activities through song. I have a habit of doing the same. It’s gotten even worse since I started working at a preschool. My boyfriend can’t even ask about the weather without me singing in reply.

    Reply

  23. Darcy says

    Great to see John’s side of things! And I think #2, with your admittance that the “tyop” wasn’t on purpose is one of the funniest things to me!! As the proofreader in my family for anything my Hubs writes, I think that’s HYSTERICAL!

    And its good to hear that you do grumble and don’t always like to go shopping — my Hubs will be thrilled to hear this, because I always tell him “well John goes with Sherry to buy pillows”! He is going to be soo happy, and maybe I won’t make him go with me on Saturday!! LOL!

    Reply

  24. Kelly says

    I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one who likes to make up songs to narrate what I’m doing. I think that grouting song is going to be sweeping the nation, though. Catchy

    Reply

  25. Leslie Ann says

    OH MY GAWD YOU GUYS ARE GONNA BE RIGHT NEXT TO VCU. YAY!!!

    (I’m the girl who bought your washer/dryer. who likes chihuahuas.)
    I WILL SEE YOU NEXT FRIDAY. I may be slightly late. I think I shall get my tickets in advance.

    Reply

  26. Diana @ Boy + Girl says

    And a hellalujah is heard from every husband/boyfriend in every YHL reading household ’round the world! I guess now that I know the truth I should stop saying things like “John on Young House Love totally loves shopping for picture frames and white ceramic animals – what’s wrong with you?”
    -Diana

    Reply

    • Sara says

      hahah I second that. I’m always wondering why my husband has to get so worked up when a project goes awry or his eyes glaze over when we walk into Michael’s

  28. Lydia says

    Y’all are awesome! It’s great to get a peek behind the scenes. I’m the same as you with the “tyops”. I had to re-read it three times to see what was so funny about it since my brain was already fixing it to typos. Haha – not good for a freelance writer! Thank God for copy editors. And I imagine Sherry thinks it feels weird to be a work-at-home mama too. I know I do. I know the look you feel from the grocery store clerk. I know it may look “worse” for you, but I want to wear a shirt that says “I work, too”! Keep up the great posts and watch those screwdrivers.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Amen! Whenever I get estimates and people are coming over and I say “I work from home so I’m flexible about time” I can practically feel them thinking “suuuure you ‘work’ from home” – hahah.

      xo,
      s

  29. Lisa S. says

    Hey John- you have a *really* nice voice! I also suspected that you weren’t all “Goodie! Let’s go pillow shopping!” so no surprise there. Y’all are a great balance together.

    Reply

  30. Michelle says

    You all just crack. me. up. <3 it.

    BTW: I can totally relate to the typos thing. I think my brain just works a lot quicker than my fingers. I commonly miss whole words and misspell a lot. Handwritten notes... forget it.

    Reply

  31. Julie in TX says

    Great post! My hubs is also missing the link between brain and fingers (which also peeves me to no end at times). Deciphering text messages can be the worst. :) Glad to hear we aren’t alone!

    Reply

  32. Whitney Dupuis says

    There won’t be much that anyone can ever say to Clara to make her think you aren’t the most amazing man on the planet. Little girls will always love their daddies and think they are the epitome of a man. Heck, I am 30 years old and married and I still think that about my dad.

    Great post, John. Thanks for letting me know that my husband isn’t alone in not wanting to “better the house” all the time. :)

    Reply

  33. Allyn says

    J-Boom!
    Thanks for keeping it real. It’s also encouraging to see a guy who’s secure in masculinity enough to work on design and decorating projects. My husband is right there with you. Hooray for Renaissance men!

    Reply

  35. Sara says

    I too am a shameless consumer of new things! New soda? it’s in my cart, new candy…air crisp Hershey bar? it’s in my cart. And I’ll be there to see you at Richmond famous. I can’t wait!

    Reply

  36. Lindsey d. says

    My dad worked from home from the time I was 11 until long after I went to college and it was awesome! Although he often traveled regionally (outside sales), he was frequently home if we came home sick or needed something in an emergency.

    And before he worked from home, my mom left for work before my brother and I were up in the morning, so it was always my dad making breakfast and putting my hair in ponytails. It was great growing up being truly parented and taken care of by both my mom and dad.

    I feel you on the typo thing. I’m FREQUENTLY guilty of leaving out negatives, so trying to say “We will NOT do that” becomes “We will do that.” Dangerous!

    Also, can’t wait to see what y’all do with the lights. My overhead fluorescent kitchen light went out a few weeks ago, but I can’t figure out if I want another fluorescent (not pretty, but functional in my dim kitchen) or if I want to try track lighting. We’re taking the old fixture down this weekend so we can simply see what we’re dealing with.

    Reply

  37. Cindy says

    Love the post. Hmm, I have never thought of you as a stay-at-home dad…but a work-at-home dad. Seems like you guys are very busyyy. Anyway, I’m just sayin’. Don’t know what prompted you guys to do these personal posts about yourselves, but I am lovin’ it!

    Reply

  38. Cheryl says

    Dude. I totally do #4, with the buying stuff because it’s new or a strange flavor. Poor Husband never knows what he is going to find when he opens the fridge or pantry.

    Reply

  39. kathleen says

    Thanks for taking the time to write all that John. Being a work at home dad is one of the very best things you can do for your child. While most dads only see their kid for maybe an hour every night, you are there for her most of the day. And that my friend is amazing!

    Reply

  40. Jimmy says

    #3, Stay-at-home-dad Insecurity. I feel you on that. A few weeks ago my five year old nephew asked me, “Uncle Jimbo, how come you don’t have a real job? Like at a restaurant or something?” I wasn’t hurt or anything – I love having this opportunity, and the question made me laugh out loud for its adorable honesty – but it definitely plucked that sensitive string in the back of my head.

    It’s also happened a number of times, where my son Loren and I will be out walking around during the day and someone will say “oh, look, it’s daddy’s day home with the boy!” They’ll mean well, sure, but I feel compelled to correct them that *every day* is daddy’s day home. That response has received a few crooked looks. Oh well.

    The truth is, I know most people really don’t care one way or the other. Most “judgment” I feel is really just me projecting on to other people. I guess it’s just hard to shake that work role expectation.

    Reply

  42. Karen F says

    aww, you guys are both totally adorable. and it’s nice to see a post with a very distinct “J-Boom” point of view.

    I wouldn’t let the work-at-home dad thing get you down, either – you are so lucky! My husband works a non-9-5 job and gets to be home with our girls 2 days a week and I know he would miss it terribly if he had a “normal” job/schedule. Do whatever works for your family, and don’t apologize for it! Clara is a lucky little bean.

    Reply

  44. julie g. says

    Excellent post J-Boom! I love the husband’s perspective. I know that mine never thought he would turn home renovation into his own form of therpay but when we moved into our 1970s ranch which took every cent we had, he realized if he wanted to ever hear his wife stop complaining he had better get handy quick! Now you can tell when he looks around, he is proud that all of the touches that make our house our home are because of our team work and it has definitely brought us closer. Our kids do ask however, “if we bought a new house would we have more time to play with them!”

    As for typos, have you ever noticed that when you proof all looks good and the second you press “submit” the mistakes jump off the screen?!

    Reply

  46. Amanda says

    If it makes you feel any better, my dad was the one home with me growing up. I still remember vividly in Grade 4 when my teacher told me she liked the way my hair was (up in a ballerina bun) and asked if my mom did it for me, when I told her my dad did it, she was in shock that he could do my hair that nicely!

    And Clara will always think you’re all that and a box of raisins, you can do no wrong in her eyes.

    Reply

  47. Kelsey says

    John, you are living up to your word — I caught another typo haha.

    “So maybe this goes along with Sherry admission that she’s painfully cheerful?” —> I think you want that to say “Sherry’s” :)

    Reply

  48. Paige says

    J-Boom, I totally understand the “oh, he must be unemployed” thing at the store. I’m a girl (obviously, my name is Paige), but I feel like I get weird looks sometimes, too. I work for myself and I use my freedom to run errands whenever I want, but since we don’t have any kids to haul around with me, I feel like people sometimes look at me like, “Why isn’t this girl at work? It’s 11a.m.”

    Reply

  49. Rebecca says

    Rock it, J-boom! I had to stop being a lurker just to throw you a little support. Whenever you get those funny looks from people because you’re out doing errands at times that most people work, just pretend they’re staring because they can’t get over how “gorge” you are. Works every time!

    Reply

  50. Sophie says

    If they’re improvising scenes from your life PLEASE tell that one of the TV show offer you got. The sexy one with the sawdust flying everywhere that’s all like rugged or whatever. I need them to improvise it. XD

    Reply

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