Author: Family Friendly Daddy Blog

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Dear Jack: “Naughty Nick”- My Awesomely Bad Video Series on YouTube

5 years, 9 years.

I Dedicate My “Naughty Nick” Video Series to a Special Boy Named Hatcher, with Down Syndrome

Dear Jack,

You and I spent hours working together on our Jack-Man superhero video series (23 webisodes) on YouTube.

Additionally, I spent even more time on my children’s program Uncle Nick’s Enchanted Forest (27 webisodes). Those were shows I created that I truly cared about.

But over Labor Day Weekend, I decided, on a whim, to make a fake WWE audition tape… just for fun, while our family was at Nonna and Papa’s house. I therefore invented and became the wrestling character, Naughty Nick.

After I made that first video with my phone on selfie mode, I decided to make 4 more webisodes. Papa helped out with the 4th and 5th, serving as the villain.

I suppose my motivation in making this series is ultimately to add to my Rolodex of sketch series on my YouTube channel. I believe it’s important to showcase my abilities as an actor, director, and writer.

The Naughty Nick series is admittedly a farce of the media’s perception of masculinity, with a throwback to 1980’s professional wrestling.

Naughty Nick presents his own fictional YouTube audience with his fantasy version of reality; though to him it’s actually real. In his world, no one can ever be more masculine or American than he is; nor can anyone ever defeat him. These are things of value in the character’s life.

With nearly 700 videos uploaded on my YouTube Channel and 540 subscribers, I am building The Nick Shell Network. I want serious stuff and I want silly stuff. I want something for everyone.

My hope is that one day, I can catch the right person’s attention with my amateur, yet ideally popular, videos.

Now that you’ve seen the first 5 Naughty Nick videos, you now want to be a part of the series. So I suppose we’ll make that happen in the near future; like maybe this weekend!

Love,

Daddy

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Why I Auditioned to Be Kelly Ripa’s Co-host for a Day on “LIVE with Kelly”

Why I Auditioned to be Kelly Ripa’s Co-host for a Day on “LIVE with Kelly”

Last Thursday on the radio I heard that Kelly Ripa is currently holding a contest in which the winner will get to co-host “LIVE with Kelly” for a day. So I didn’t delay in applying.

Over the weekend, I shot my “60 seconds or less” audition video and submitted it to the website, along with my “100 words or less” bio:

“I am Nick Shell, a 35 year-old seasoned daddy blogger (FamilyFriendlyDaddyBlog.com) and vlogger (YouTube Channel: Nick Shell) from Nashville, Tennessee. It has been my dream for a decade now to be a TV host. After you see my video submission, I believe you will feel my energy and passion for communicating and interacting with people. My background is in theater and teaching Elementary school students. On my YouTube channel, my Kindergartner son and I do a superhero series, Jack-Man, where he is the hero and I play the villain. I also do a children’s program called Uncle Nick’s Enchanted Forest.”

The surely thousands of submissions will be narrowed down to the top 40, and eventually down to the sole winner.

This is my motivation in applying: It has been my dream to be up in front of an audience, for a living.

Granted, I feel that until about a year ago, I wasn’t ready.

It took until about age 34 for me to become emotionally intelligent enough and to have the life experience to be relevant to a universal audience, and therefore to gain the confidence in my abilities, to consider myself qualified for something like this.

But even if I don’t make it to the top 40 for this contest, I will at least know that I did everything in my power to be seriously considered. It’s good practice, if nothing else.

Last night my wife and I were watching one of my favorite documentaries, The Comedians of Comedy, on Netflix. Towards the end, Patton Oswald talks about how every performer has their “obsession years,” in which they just immerse themselves into their craft, as they figure out what works and what doesn’t.

When it comes to being in front of a camera, especially as a YouTuber, I feel that I am definitely in my obsession years.

Let it be known to the free world, I fully intend to grow beyond my YouTube audience. I believe I was made for the stage.

Here’s my audition video:

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Dear Jack: You were Chosen as the 1st “Student of the Month” by Your Kindergarten Teacher (Despite My Parenting Style)

5 years, 9 months.

Dear Jack: You were Chosen as the 1st “Student of the Month” by Your Kindergarten Teacher (Despite My Parenting Style)

Dear Jack,

Mommy and I are proud of you anyway, but last Thursday, you came home from school and told us that your teacher chose you are the 1st boy “Student of the Month”.

That means your teacher saw something quite special about you and the girl in your class who were picked; based on you diligently doing your school work, participating in class, and being a positive influence on your friends.

At just 3 weeks into the school year, you had set enough of an impression on your teacher as the stand-out boy in class. Seriously, that’s a big deal!

Selfishly for me, it’s a confirmation for me that despite my imperfections as a parent in raising you, you’re still an intelligent, involved, and well-behaved little boy.

I have to admit that as your parent, you are technically a human experiment to me. You’re my first born. I will by default make more mistakes on you than your baby sister, who is nearly 5 and a half years younger.

Dear Jack: You were Chosen as the 1st “Student of the Month” by Your Kindergarten Teacher (Despite My Parenting Style)

When you were born, I was a much less experienced 29 year-old guy. Now, I’m a 35 year-old dad who has much more confidence as a parent.

It’s so important to me as your dad that I mold you into a well-balanced boy, and ultimately, a well-balanced young man.

Dear Jack: You were Chosen as the 1st “Student of the Month” by Your Kindergarten Teacher (Despite My Parenting Style)

This past weekend your Papa, Uncle Andrew, and I spent two mornings putting together the new trampoline Nonna bought for you and your Cousin Calla when you visit.

Finally, the time had come to try it out.

You and I played rough for a solid 20 minutes or so before I finally wore you out. I caused “earthquakes” (by jumping hard right next to where you were standing), I wrestled you, and I let you ride me like a bull.

That’s how I like to raise you. I like to show you unexpected adventure. I want you to be wild and crazy. I want you to be dangerous with me, yet hopefully not get injured too badly in the process. I want you to be… a boy.

And then I want you to return to school the next day and convince your teacher that you are still the best behaved and most involved boy in class.

So far, my plan is working.

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: The Convenient Double-Standard for Average, Involved Dads

19 weeks.

Dear Holly: The Convenient Double-Standard for Good Dads

Dear Holly,

Last Friday I took off of work since your daycare was closed. While most of my day was spent changing your diapers, feeding you, and playing with you, we did get out of the house when we not only dropped off your brother Jack at school, but later went back to eat lunch with him there at the school cafeteria.

You had a wet diaper as we arrived at his school about 15 minutes early. I didn’t care enough to find the proper place to change you, as I didn’t want to tote your car seat and my book bag (with your diapers) with me, so I just changed  you right there on the bench I was sitting on; which was sort of hidden by the staircase above me.

Afterwards, I stood you up in my lap to face the oncoming students, teachers, and room moms. Of course they all made a point to smile back at you and tell me how beautiful you are.

A few minutes later, we saw your brother Jack leading the line. While carrying you, the car seat, and the book bag, I attempted to follow him in to help him get his lunch.

Mommy usually makes his lunch, but on Fridays, he buys the school lunch, because he can get vegetarian pizza that day. Unfortunately, they had just ran out of pizza and gave him a pork sandwich instead by the time I caught up to him.

Miraculously, his class’s room mom appeared and helped us negotiate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead; even though you had already paid for the pork sandwich.

We ended up sitting with the room mom and her daughter. She commented that she had seen me sort of struggling there with you as I had to find a place to change your diaper.

As we left after lunch, other moms and teachers bragged on me for simply showing up; even if my attempt was a bit awkward and unskilled.

That’s when I began to process to convenient double standard of the good dad:

I simply get praise and credit for just doing my job. Whereas for moms, they are simply expected to do those things.

Granted, the trade-off is that dads and husbands have been historically portrayed as idiots on commercials and sitcoms.

Maybe the ultimately irony is that less is expected of us dads because of the way we’ve been negatively portrayed in media, so that when we are caught “being a good dad”, it makes it seem that much more special, which it totally isn’t.

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: Your Impractical yet Adorable Cowgirl Boots

19 weeks.

Dear Holly: Your Impractical yet Adorable Cowgirl Boots

Dear Holly,

Ever since Mommy finished your nursery months before you were born, I have had my eye on those cowgirl boots she placed in your top drawer.

Just the thought of a cute little baby girl who can’t walk or even crawl yet, but who is wearing cowgirl boots… I love it!

So finally, while we were at Nonna and Papa’s house for Labor Day Weekend, Mommy dressed you up in your cowgirl boots along with a new denim skirt. Your feet had grown enough now so that you fit in them.

It’s funny to me that despite that fact I’m the one who was born and raised in Alabama, it is actually Mommy who identifies more with the country motif and culture; even though she was born and raised in northern California.

She’s been a huge Country Music fan since high school. And she worked for CMT before I met her.

I can already imagine you as a preteen, wearing cowgirl boots with your dresses. When I see you now, I often see the baby version of Mommy. So in a way, it’s like I’m raising a baby cowgirl.

There is no doubt you are one happy little baby. Everyone notices this about you. You just love to smile.

But for me, the combination of your smile and those cowgirl boots is nearly too much!

With your Uncle Jake’s wedding coming up in a few weeks in San Diego, I am hoping your boots still fit by then. I want you to be able to get as much mileage as possible out of things.

Ultimately though, I wouldn’t be too surprised if we just always have a pair of cowgirl boots for you to grow into. I can’t imagine the thought of you not being Daddy’s potentially red-headed cowgirl.

Love,

Daddy

Dear Holly: Your Impractical yet Adorable Cowgirl Boots