Month: May 2016

1 Comment Posted on parenting, Storytelling, Uncategorized

Dear Holly: Your Brother Likes to Check on You

2 weeks.

Dear Holly: Your Brother Likes to Check on You

Dear Holly,

With your brother Jack being 5 and a half years older than you, it’s plain to see that he perceives you not as competition, but instead, as a responsibility.

He legitimately helps Mommy and me with you. Having already raised him from a newborn, this time around as parents we know not to pick you up from your bed every time you start to make noises, as you transition into waking up.

So during the daytime, Jack will run over to you to check to see if you’re really awake or not. He then announces to Mommy and me, “Holly’s eyes are still closed. She’s still asleep.”

That helps us to know we’ve still got a few more minutes before we have to get your bottle ready to feed you once your nap officially ends.

l11a

For all these years, Mommy has always sat in the back seat with Jack, to spend quality time with him. I say that because when you live in the Nashville area, anytime you get in the car, it’s going to take at least 30 to 45 minutes to get where you are going.

But now Mommy is sitting up front with me, meaning that it was Jack’s job to keep checking on you by looking over at you in your car seat.

Turns out, this weekend you were asleep the entire car ride in the 2016 Lexus IS 200t to Whole Foods and all the way back as well. Even so, we truly depended on Jack to check on you.

Thanks to him, we had assurance you were doing okay back there. Jack served as our eyes and ears.

I am so pleased with the age difference between you and your brother. He’s truly helping take care of you and I can tell he’s so proud to be doing it.

Dear Holly: Your Brother Likes to Check on You

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: No, the Nurse Didn’t Inform Us You are Mexican…

5 years, 5 months.

https://familyfriendlydaddyblog.com/2016/05/12/dear-jack-we-saw-captain-america-civil-war-on-opening-weekend-bought-mothers-day-gifts-in-the-2016-lexus-is-200t/

Dear Jack,

This past Saturday as we were driving back home in the 2016 Lexus IS 200t after buying our Captain America: Civil War tickets ahead of time for the matinee, we somehow ended up talking about Mexico; maybe it was in a Jimmy Buffet song we heard on Sirius XM.

Dear Holly: Our Family’s 1st Ride in the Same Car (2016 Lexus IS 200t)

I ended up mentioning that you, your sister Holly, and I are all part Mexican; whereas Mommy is not.

You then cautiously and curiously asked me, “Daddy, did the nurse tell you I was Mexican when I was born? Is that how you knew?”

I love that. I love the concept of the nurse in the delivery room announcing to the parents what the ethnicity of their newborn child is.

https://familyfriendlydaddyblog.com/2016/05/12/dear-jack-we-saw-captain-america-civil-war-on-opening-weekend-bought-mothers-day-gifts-in-the-2016-lexus-is-200t/

Doing my best not to laugh at your truly sincere question, I explained that my grandma is full Mexican, Nana is half Mexican, I am a quarter, and therefore you and your sister are an eighth.

I can tell you’re still trying to sort out what it means to be Mexican. You know is that we eat a lot of Mexican food at our house.

And you know that the main language that Mexicans speak is Spanish. You surprised me a few weeks ago when we were at the Franklin Main Street Festival and you announced to me, “Hey Daddy, look- those people have a perro!”

You said it loud enough to where the man and his wife heard what you said. They both turned around and glanced at us for moment, as we walked behind them on Main Street.

I was very confused, myself. “Parrow? Jack, what’s a parrow? Do you mean parrot?”

Then you very matter-of-factly explained to me, “Perro is dog in Spanish.”

You taught me a Spanish word. I took like 6 years of French between high school and college, so it was lost on me.

So to some degree, maybe you’re even more Mexican than I am.

https://familyfriendlydaddyblog.com/2016/04/29/dear-holly-mommy-gave-birth-to-you-with-no-epidural/

Love,

Daddy

3 Comments Posted on car reviews, parenting, Storytelling, Uncategorized

Dear Jack: We Saw Captain America Civil War on Opening Weekend & Bought Mother’s Day Gifts (in the 2016 Lexus IS 200t)

5 years, 5 months.

Dear Jack: We Saw Captain America Civil War on Opening Weekend & Bought Mother’s Day Gifts (in the 2016 Lexus IS 200t)

Dear Jack,

In case you haven’t figured this out yet, you are a cool kid…. with a cool daddy. Whenever a new superhero movie comes out, ever since Ant-Man last July, I’ve been taking you to see it on opening weekend.

Dear Jack: We Saw Captain America Civil War on Opening Weekend & Bought Mother’s Day Gifts (in the 2016 Lexus IS 200t)

Plus, over the past year, we’ve been making our own little “superhero movies” and putting them on YouTube, with our series, Jack-Man.

What a great time to be a boy and a great time to be a daddy, with all these superhero movies coming out so often. Just like our Saturday morning tradition of exploring the woods in surrounding neighborhoods, another father-son bonding experience we participate in is seeing movies together.

Dear Jack: We Saw Captain America Civil War on Opening Weekend & Bought Mother’s Day Gifts (in the 2016 Lexus IS 200t)

It gives Mommy several hours to herself (but mostly the baby and the laundry) while you and I get to see awesome non-bloody battles between the superhero characters that you wear on your t-shirts to school.

Dear Jack: We Saw Captain America Civil War on Opening Weekend & Bought Mother’s Day Gifts (in the 2016 Lexus IS 200t)

I’ve noticed that one of your favorite parts about seeing movies with me is watching the previews. You like to map out which movies you want to see with me in the future, like X-Men: Apocalypse. It surprised me when you told me you want to see that one, since you didn’t recognize any of those characters. But hey, now our calendar is marked for it, just 3 weeks from now.

Dear Jack: We Saw Captain America Civil War on Opening Weekend & Bought Mother’s Day Gifts (in the 2016 Lexus IS 200t)

As for this past weekend on Saturday, I took you to see Captain America: Civil War. Not only was it an epic movie, but it was an epic event, since this marked for the first time you’d ever seen any of those characters on the big screen, other than Ant-Man.

Dear Jack: We Saw Captain America Civil War on Opening Weekend & Bought Mother’s Day Gifts (in the 2016 Lexus IS 200t)

Captain America has always been my favorite Marvel superhero, and I think I have by default influenced you to feel the same way.

Dear Holly: Our Family’s 1st Ride in the Same Car (2016 Lexus IS 200t)

Dear Holly: Our Family’s 1st Ride in the Same Car (2016 Lexus IS 200t)

To make the event even more special, we took the 2016 Lexus IS 200t to see the movie. We were pretty much a big deal.

Dear Jack: We Saw Captain America Civil War on Opening Weekend & Bought Mother’s Day Gifts (in the 2016 Lexus IS 200t)

We also headed over to Target that afternoon to pick out some gifts for Mommy for Mother’s Day, which was the following day. She had strongly hinted that she was wanting some pampering natural lotions and the like, so we got her on taken care of. Plus, you reminded me Mommy would want some licorice, so we threw in some jelly beans as well.

Dear Jack: We Saw Captain America Civil War on Opening Weekend & Bought Mother’s Day Gifts (in the 2016 Lexus IS 200t)

The next morning on Mother’s Day, having obviously enjoyed the movie, you decided on your own to pull your Captain America Halloween costume out of the closet as you played.

Dear Jack: We Saw Captain America Civil War on Opening Weekend & Bought Mother’s Day Gifts (in the 2016 Lexus IS 200t)

Dear Jack: We Saw Captain America Civil War on Opening Weekend & Bought Mother’s Day Gifts (in the 2016 Lexus IS 200t)

Meanwhile, Mommy fed your baby sister Holly, then made vegan French Toast for us; or as Mommy calls it, Danish Toast.

Somehow, you decided to play with your “dinosaur putty” as slime, then transitioned into a Ghostbusters theme.

Dear Jack: We Saw Captain America Civil War on Opening Weekend & Bought Mother’s Day Gifts (in the 2016 Lexus IS 200t)

Dear Jack: We Saw Captain America Civil War on Opening Weekend & Bought Mother’s Day Gifts (in the 2016 Lexus IS 200t)

Dear Jack: We Saw Captain America Civil War on Opening Weekend & Bought Mother’s Day Gifts (in the 2016 Lexus IS 200t)

Dear Jack: We Saw Captain America Civil War on Opening Weekend & Bought Mother’s Day Gifts (in the 2016 Lexus IS 200t)

I’d say we had a pretty awesome and memorable weekend.

You’re a cool kid. Good thing you have a cool daddy too.

Love,

Daddy

Dear Holly: Our Family’s 1st Ride in the Same Car (2016 Lexus IS 200t)

3 Comments Posted on car reviews, parenting, Storytelling, Uncategorized

Dear Holly: Our Family’s 1st Ride Together in the Same Car (2016 Lexus IS 200t)

2 weeks.

https://familyfriendlydaddyblog.com/2016/05/03/motormood-classic-review-a-fun-emojicon-for-emotionally-intelligent-drivers-giveaway/

Dear Holly,

Amazingly, it wasn’t until you were exactly 2 weeks old, this past Sunday on Mother’s Day, that we finally rode together as a family of 4; together in the same car.

Dear Holly: Our Family’s 1st Ride in the Same Car (2016 Lexus IS 200t)

With Grandma staying with us for the first week of your life, she stayed home with your brother Jack when Mommy and I needed to take you to the doctor for a check-up.

Dear Holly: Our Family’s 1st Ride in the Same Car (2016 Lexus IS 200t)

But finally, our family got to ride in the same car today, as a family of 4, together on Mother’s Day. However, our little road trip wasn’t in one of our old cars.

Dear Holly: Our Family’s 1st Ride in the Same Car (2016 Lexus IS 200t)

Instead, we were graced with a 2016 Lexus IS 200t for this past week! What a way to go for our first family drive. I know you’re new in this world, but a Lexus is a very, very nice luxury brand with quite a reputation.

Dear Holly: Our Family’s 1st Ride in the Same Car (2016 Lexus IS 200t)

All the guys at my work drooled when they saw me in the parking lot. And I think Mommy had a hard time giving the car back after a week.

Dear Holly: Our Family’s 1st Ride in the Same Car (2016 Lexus IS 200t)

Dear Holly: Our Family’s 1st Ride in the Same Car (2016 Lexus IS 200t)

Last Thursday, Mommy took you in it to get your professional newborn pictures made. She texted me once she got there:

“Love that car! Want a Lexus one day for sure!”

l11a

Dear Holly: Our Family’s 1st Ride in the Same Car (2016 Lexus IS 200t)

She also loved getting to take the Lexus IS to go pick up groceries while I stayed home with you and Jack on Saturday morning.

As for Mother’s Day, having received her gifts on Sunday morning, she decided for her official Mother’s Day activity, she simply wanted to go out for a special treat at Jamba Juice, which is 16 miles away. She’s been craving their smoothies since she gave birth to you.

Dear Holly: Our Family’s 1st Ride in the Same Car (2016 Lexus IS 200t)

Your brother Jack decided he wanted a popsicle at Whole Foods right across the street, so Mommy got her Jamba Juice to go and we hung out there at the patio.

My treat was a Strawberry Serenity kombucha. (Yes, that’s what a vegan dad chooses as a “treat”.)

l13

Your treat, as a 2 week old infant, was of course none other than milk.

It was so nice hanging out as a new family of 4,  with treats in hand and sun on our skin.

Dear Holly: Our Family’s 1st Ride in the Same Car (2016 Lexus IS 200t)

And though I can’t be for sure that I can credit the Lexus for this, I do know you slept perfectly in the car the whole way there and the whole way back.

Love,

Daddy

Dear Holly: Our Family’s 1st Ride in the Same Car (2016 Lexus IS 200t)

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Dear Jack: Your 1st Introduction to a VHS Tape- Disney’s Benji the Hunted (from 1987)

5 years, 5 months.

Dear Jack: Your1st Introduction to a VHS Tape- Disney’s Benji the Hunted (from 1987)

Dear Jack,

This past weekend, I taught you how to use the VHS side of our DVD player. You now understand the concept of watching a movie on a tape; something I’m not sure most of your friends can say they’ve done before. So they might look at you funny if you mention it to them at school.

On Friday, a coworker brought in a huge Rubbermaid tub full of VHS movies to give away. I instantly grabbed Benji the Hunted, which I was very familiar with; as it was part of my school’s library when I was a kid, meaning I saw it many times as a child in the late 1980s and early 1990s- especially when a teacher came in to work sick but wasn’t willing to admit it and therefore lose a sick day or vacation day.

Dear Jack: Your1st Introduction to a VHS Tape- Disney’s Benji the Hunted (from 1987)

I suppose there’s a decent amount of irony involved in the fact that our family has been driving a fancy 2016 Lexus IS 200t this week. I dropped the VHS tape in your baby sister Holly’s car seat and safely delivered the tape home to you for us to enjoy over the weekend.

Dear Jack: Your1st Introduction to a VHS Tape- Disney’s Benji the Hunted (from 1987)

In this 1987 Disney movie, Benji the dog must help save some mountain lion cubs from predatory animals of the Oregon forest and eventually be rescued by his owner who is searching for him in a helicopter. There’s hardly any dialogue in this movie; mainly just animals chasing each other around in the woods.

It was right up your alley. You love animals.

And you were impressed by the fact they were real animals, unlike what you’re used to seeing on all those talking animal movies you see on Netflix.

Once the movie was over, I explained the concept of having to rewind the movie. You were slightly fascinated by the fact that the movie just turned black and stopped once it was over.

You are a cultured boy. In the same weekend you got to see the new Captain America movie in the theater, you also saw a 29 year-old movie on an old VHS tape.

I suppose it’s been a weekend of entertainment… and education.

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: Your1st Introduction to a VHS Tape- Disney’s Benji the Hunted (from 1987)