I'm booked, registered and ready to rock n roll.  Looking forward to seeing you again Bob, the returnees and greenhorns.

I believe this will be my 10th year.  I've had a great time at every one and always returned home a better man, husband and father.

There are no words to describe how valuable this event has been for me.  It is something a dad has to experience for himself.

Although finances have been an issue on several trips, I found a way to come up with the money.  What I've received in return from the convention has been priceless.  There is no dollar amount that can be placed on the value of the bonding, support and friendship that I've experienced at this convention.  If there is one regret that I've had as an at-home dad it would be not attending the other five I missed.

If any dads are still sitting on the fence, get off it and join us. You deserve a break and your family also deserves a break from you. J

In all the years I've attended, I've never met an at-home dad I didn't like.

You guys complete me!

Super excited to see you guys again, Hogan, Bob and Dave! We are again going to have a fantastic program for the Convention and a lot of fun. Last year my sides hurt for a couple days after the convention from all the laughter.

If you've never been, you have to go. You just have to! Meeting other great at-home dads is an incredibly life-changing experience. You will stop feeling alone and you will suddenly have tons of new friends.

Sure, connecting online here is fantastic, but nothing beats the face-to-face and shared experiences of the Convention.

If I had never gone to a Convention, I would never have met Hogan who is one the most down-to-earth and funny people I know. I would have never learned the results of one of the most complete studies done about at-home fathers by Dr. Aaron Rochlen. I would have never laughed so hard while eating dinner at a Mexican restaurant in Kansas City with Liam and Bill. I would never have learned different strategies to help get my kids to pick up their toys. I would never had the best come back to a practical joke I pulled when Richard drank my whole beer during the 15 seconds I explained to the table next to me that I had swiped his vegetarian dinner.  I would never have been so disappointed about missing out on Mike Njus's famous hair braiding session two years in a row because there were even more interesting sessions I wanted attend.

If I didn't take the chance, step out of my comfort zone, decide to improve myself as a father and husband by attending the last 4 conventions, I would be an entirely different person. I would probably have a lower self-esteem, struggle a little more in my marriage and very likely be back at work instead of choose to have 2 more kids.

There are only a few times in a man's life when he has an opportunity for a life-changing event. The Annual At-Home Dad's Convention is one of those times. Sieze it. Come to Omaha on October 2 and see how the Annual At-Home Dad's Convention will change your life.

Details and more information are available at www.athomedadconvention.com.

Al Vice-President, Daddyshome, Inc. - The National At-Home Dad Network www.daddyshome.org

Is it wrong of me to hope it is cancelled or moved?  Here's hoping Liam can make it!

This will be my first year attending and I am excited.  I haven't been away from my daughter for more than a few hours since she was born and my wife and I haven't been apart since 2007 so this is a big deal for me.

  While I'm excited about that time for myself, I'm also a bit nervous about being away from my family.  I'm sure I'll miss them a lot but I'm looking forward to meeting other guys who are doing the same thing with their lives as I am.  I'm interested in hearing about how we all arrived at our decisions to be AHDs (whether by choice or necessity) and learning from collective experience.  I'm also very excited to not have to cook, do dishes, laundry, scoop cat litter, and all the other stuff if only for a weekend.

Look forward to meeting everyone,

Ariel

Chicago AHD for two years, Dad to Talia (2 years old)