Author: Family Friendly Daddy Blog

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Dear Jack: ‘Twas the Tornado Warning before Christmas

5 years, 1 month.

Dear Jack: Twas the Tornado Warning before Christmas

Dear Jack,

We had originally planned to drive straight to Nonna and Papa’s house after I got off of work last Wednesday, on December 23rd.

However, it quickly became common knowledge that tornado-inducing weather would be surrounding us if we did.

So instead, our family stayed home that night, spending about an hour and a half in the downstairs bathroom over the course of a tornado warning.

You and I watched clips from the Rocky movies on my phone; like both of the fights between Rocky and Clubber Lang (Mr. T).

We made the most of it, but it is definitely problematic that the one room in the house you’re supposed to go to during a tornado is, by default, the most uncomfortable one for a family to hang out in.

I assume that in most houses, the bathroom in the middle of the house on the main floor is also the most cramped.

Had we been able to go to the bathroom connected to Mommy’s and my bedroom, we would have been fine because the walk-in closet is connected it.

However, that’s on the corner of the house so I guess it’s less safe in the event a tornado brushed by that corner of the house.

After the tornado warning was finally over, Mommy and I let you set up your Noah’s Ark camping tent (which was pretty relevant to the story, actually) and you got to sleep next to our bed.

That was a special treat for you because the last time we let you sleep in the same room as us, you were still a newborn.

I had predicted this at the time, and turns out I was right, that we actually could have gotten away with driving to Nonna and Papa’s house the night of the storm, because the storms were actually north and south of us the whole time.

But we obviously didn’t take that chance.

Christmas Tree

Sure, we had a wonderful Christmas once we got there. No chaos or conflict to speak of.

None except for that which I created in my web series, Uncle Nick’s Enchanted Forest, which I filmed 8 webisodes of while we were there.

Love,

Daddy

Leave a comment Posted on marriage, parenting, Pregnancy, Uncategorized

Dear Holly: I Would Marry Your Mommy Every Single Time

24 weeks.

Back in Nashville 032 Crop

Dear Holly,

Mommy and I are going on nearly 7 and a half years of marriage and if I could go back and do it all over again, I can say with confidence, that I would marry her every single time.

That confidence comes from knowing that we’ve survived through some life-changing and mind-altering experiences together.

Like digging our way well into, and then way out of, over $50,000 in debt. Like raising your brother together for the past 5 years. Like selling and a buying a house or two.

Even more minor things like becoming vegetarians/vegans 4 years ago together and seeing her quickly rise to become the stellar vegetarian/vegan chef that she is for our family.

I still am so impressed by her, on a daily basis, after all this time so far.

When we met we were, by default, two 26 year-olds who were less mature and experienced than we are now. (Pictured above.)

Now we are two 34 year-olds who are at the best place in our lives so far.

Apparently age 34 is officially the happiest time in a person’s life. While I could easily agree with that so far, considering we are more secure in our jobs and finances these days than ever before, I have to believe that things still get better beyond age 34.

Because, after all, you are due to be born right around my 35th birthday, in April 2016.

After having shared my life with your Mommy for this long, I am more convinced than ever that I couldn’t have made a better decision.

I am grateful to the 26 year-old version of me who, in my immaturity and inexperience, was able to recognize that Mommy was the one for me. Plus, I am grateful that version of me had what it took to convince Mommy to fall for me.

My life couldn’t have been any better than it is right now had I not met your Mommy. She is quite the catch and I will be overly aware of that every day for the rest of my life.

I bet my life on her… and won.

Love,

Daddy

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Kids’ Show: Uncle Nick’s Enchanted Forest- Webisodes 4-6; the Flood Story Arc

Kids Show: Uncle Nick’s Enchanted Forest- Webisodes 4-6; the Flood Story Arc

By now, I’ve made it no secret that I am legitimately attempting to become the next Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood/Blue’s Clues.

My main hobby right now is to crank out as many webisodes I can of my new web series, Uncle Nick’s Enchanted Forest.

It is my hope that eventually my show will catch on and that I can get enough traffic to gain the attention of the talent scouts for major networks like PBS, Nickelodeon, Disney, Animal Planet, and the Discovery Channel.

My agenda with each webisode is to provide innocent and engaging entertainment for children who are watching YouTube on their parents’ smartphones.

For this newest batch of webisodes, 4 through 6, I’ve added not only a new song (“Animal Hat”) but also a segment where I try to guess which color the viewer is thinking of, while I play the drums. (I also play the guitar on camera now, in addition to just the harmonica as I did before.)

After the indoors portion of each show, I then take the viewer outdoors to my Enchanted Forest (the woods of Fort Payne and Mentone, Alabama) for a magical adventure, featuring talking animals.

I filmed 8 webisodes during my 3 day Christmas vacation last week, with help from my dad and brother-in-law serving as camera men. (That means I soon will be releasing even 5 more.)

During that time, I took advantage of the fact that the area was experiencing a flash flood. I based these 3 (of the newest 8) webisodes around that, making that the overall story arc for them.

In Webisode 4, I must rush to the rescue as Betsy the Bunny gets trapped in a tree alongside a rushing waterfall (Little River Falls in Fort Payne, AL).

Next in Webisode 5, I must save Tiny the Turtle before his home is swept away by the flood (DeSoto Falls in Mentone, AL).

And in the final segment of this “flood” story arc, in Webisode 6, I must help Scuttles the Skunk move forward in his life as he deals with the aftermath of losing his home in the flood as well.

I designed the outdoors segment of each webisode to be a good mix of action, adventure, and psychology. However, the first (indoors) part of each webisode is designed to engage the viewer in creative thinking.

Sure, right now, Uncle Nick’s Enchanted Forest is just getting off the ground. But I am committing to this show. I am not giving up until I reach my goal of taking my show to the big screen: the TV screen, via a major network.

I believe that I have the talent, skills, creativity, charisma, and personality to host my own TV show on a major children’s network. This web series is my way of proving it to the world.

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Dear Holly: Your Room’s Theme, “Rock-a-bye Baby in the Treetop”

23 weeks.

Dear Holly: Your Room’s Theme- Rock-a-bye Baby on the Treetop

Dear Holly,

It was all a complete coincidence.

Many months ago before we even knew we were going to have a baby, Mommy ordered a wall decal of a tree branch with birds, for what at the time was simply our guest room. Your Aunt Dana and I spent some time placing it on the wall and making it look nice.

It was simply a guest room; not even a “hopefully in the near future a baby’s room”.

If anything, it was a “maybe one day, a baby’s room.”

But then we found out about you this past summer.

Instead of painting your bedroom a predictable girly color, we decided to embrace and translate the tree decal into a baby girl’s room.

This past weekend your Nonna and Papa (my parents) came up and helped us prepare our house for your arrival… which is still 4 months away.

After Papa and I put together your crib, we instantly realized it was the same length as the tree decal.

Therefore, your bedroom has the theme of the nursery rhyme, Rock-a-Bye Baby:

Rock-a-bye baby, in the treetop

When the wind blows, the cradle will rock

When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall and down will come baby

Cradle and all

Instead of painting your room, Mommy had us paint our office, which will now double as the guest room.

Dear Holly: Your Room’s Theme- Rock-a-bye Baby on the Treetop

We also painted the bathroom and Mommy hung up a fun frame that celebrates you and Jack, with it being your shared bathroom.

Again, you’re still 4 months away of actually being born and needed your room.

But hey, we had already bought our Christmas gifts by September and had them wrapped by October; and put our tree up in early November.

So in our household, you can only imagine that having your room ready now isn’t too early at all.

Love,

Daddy

1 Comment Posted on car reviews, parenting, Storytelling, Uncategorized

Dear Jack: One Day I Want to Drive Our Family Back Across the Florida Keys

5 years, 1 month.

Dear Jack: One Day I Want to Drive Our Family Back Across the Florida Keys

Dear Jack,

Four years ago this month, two major things happened: 1) Our family became (and has remained) vegetarians. 2)  Our family was recruited by Chevy to drive across the Florida Keys in a Chevy Volt, beginning in Naples.

At the time, you were barely a year old; so while Mommy and I had a wonderful time, you don’t remember it at all.

Now at age 5, you are the age to where I believe you would be able to truly be able to appreciate and remember such a fun trip.

We spent our first night in Naples, which might be my favorite American beach yet. That’s the first time we ever saw dolphins in the wild. We collected seashells that first morning; those shells remain in our home 4 years later.

From there, we drove through the Everglades and then to the Keys.

It was such a dreamlike experience to be literally driving in the middle of the ocean, driving on a series of bridges connecting islands off the Florida coast.

But on both sides of the narrow roads, all we saw was ocean.

And I remember how Chevy put our family up in this really cool, historic house. You would love it now!

If our family were to revisit that trip, it wouldn’t simply be better just because you’re older now. There’s also the fact I have better camera equipment, as well as the skills and ability to make more artistic photo collages and well as music-laden videos to put on YouTube… like these two:

I don’t know when we can do this trip again, but at some point, I would love to make it happen.

Our family has made two different trips to Florida this year; back in June to Pensacola, then to Destin for your birthday in November.

My inner Jimmy Buffet is starting to reveal itself; it’s only enhanced because I tend to leave Sirius XM on Channel 24: Margaritaville.

As for now, these few pictures I took from 4 years ago serve as bookmarks of that trip, as well as inspirational images for us to get back to Key West.

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: One Day I Want to Drive Our Family Back Across the Florida Keys