“Fatherhood is gratitude. I am grateful for my children, my wife, my parents, my teachers, my children’s teachers, the sidewalk, public parks, doctors you name it. All the hard work generations of people put in was invisible before I was a father. So thanks everybody!”

- Michael Scotto di Carlo – father to Daphne, age 6, and Zucca, age 4. Co-Founder Supportland.com

Q. What is your favorite thing to do in Portland with your kids?
A. I’ve got lots of favorites, but the Mt. Tabor Soap Box derby ranks pretty high. The collision of art, engineering, and speed is kind of a perfect combo for kids and adults.

Q. What do you like to do on sunny days in PDX?
A. Right now our family is making a kid-sized Chinese dragon. The kids are taking the lead on design and I’m engineering it so eight kids can be inside the dragon, carrying it. Our house is on the small side, so it’s great to stretch the project outside into the sun.

Q. What do you like to do on rainy days in PDX?
A. Stay inside and program for Supportland!

Q. How do you balance being a dad with other priorities (work, hobbies, etc)?
A. I wake up a couple of hours before the kids do. Then we have a breakfast routine that’s really great. I slowly cook breakfast while we talk about stuff. It sets the pace of the day and allows me to get my kid-fix in early in case I have a late work night.

Q. What’s your favorite story/memory of being with your kid(s)?
I can’t say I have a favorite. Seeing their faces every morning and hearing their stories and views on the world is always amazing. I do really love crawling around and remembering what is was like to be a kid.