Author: Family Friendly Daddy Blog

2 Comments Posted on September 21, 2014 food reviews, reviews, Uncategorized

Going To Get Tater Tots Makes My Son Feel Special/The Great Food Truck Festival Of Nashville

3 years, 10 months.

Dear Jack,

Recently as part of an art activity at school, you were asked to draw a picture that answers the question, “What’s something that makes you feel special?”

I would have thought you would have said playing with Legos, or getting a Hot Wheels car at Kroger, or even simply playing at home with Mommy and me.

Instead, you answered, “Going to get tater tots.” You drew a picture of yourself with 5 tater tots. To you, that apparently equals feeling special.

This weekend turned out to be a “stay in Nashville kind of weekend”. Coincidentally, “The Great Food Truck Festival” just happened to be taking place in the neighborhood next to ours, in the parking lot of the only place you have ever eaten tater tots: the critically acclaimed and award winning Burger Republic.

So Mommy and I decided to officially make you feel special…

In anticipation of the tater tots arriving, I helped distract you by drawing tomatoes on the Burger Republic coloring sheet for you to “run over” with your new acquired Jeep Scrambler. (I would scribble over each tomato after you rolled the car over each one that I had drawn on your race track.)

I could tell, just being there was a big deal to you. I could clearly see you felt special once those tater tots arrived!

Of course, I can’t fail to mention that we were visiting some of our wonderful friends there. (You’ve grown up with them and their dog.) You were fairly oblivious to their presence until after you had consumed the famous tater tots and we were outside on the playground next to Burger Republic.

It made my day to get to see you and their daughter Parker get along so well. Not only did you play perfectly synchronized, but I even think the two of you look a lot a like.

You were lucky. You didn’t have to take a nap because of the fact we met up with them about the time you should have been in the middle of your nap.

Fortunately, you were able to burn off 100% of the extra boost of energy you ironically get from not taking a nap.

I’m so glad to know that the the of you with be attending the same elementary school and be in the same grade once you graduate out of pre-school. I think Parker is going to make a great friend for you!

You were even able to successfully share your Jeep Wrangler with her. Man, that’s saying a lot…

We finished off the afternoon by walking in between all the glorious food trucks there for the festival.

Having already eaten the food that makes you feel very special, your main concern at that point was to find out which color truck was the coolest.

As I would imagine, you chose the pink one.

When you live in a fun city like Nashville, even the “stay at home weekends” end up being pretty interesting… and special.

Love,

Daddy

FYI: Burger Republic was unaware I was writing a “family friendly review” on them at the time. I was simply a paying customer who happened to be taking a lot of pictures of my son. In other words, I did not “work for free tater tots.” I simply have always enjoyed going to Burger Republic and thought they deserve a shout-out. In case you’re wondering, they do serve vegan burgers too.

1 Comment Posted on September 20, 2014 funny, Nostalgia, parenting, Storytelling, Uncategorized

Shopping For Birthday And Christmas Presents: Done And Done

3 years, 10 months.

Dear Jack,

Your birthday (November 16th) and Christmas are just a little more than a month apart. So all year, Mommy and I have been preparing by secretly scouting out the clearance section at Target, as well as and Amazon.com for ridiculously good deals.

Over all, we only paid a fraction of the cost of what your birthday and Christmas gifts should have amounted to.

For the past several months, these mysterious brown boxes have been waiting for us on our doorstep when we get home…

This week, Mommy and I finally laid all your upcoming gifts out on the floor to evaluate the situation, officially verifying that we are now finished with buying both your birthday and Christmas gifts.

I am so excited about you opening these! I can’t wait to be able to sit down with you and play.

Let’s talk about that anteater…

As I recently mentioned, you have a peculiar fascination with anteaters; as seen in your picture of the anteater who ate a monster. (I love how the monster who was eaten by the anteater is just as happy as the anteater who ate the monster!)

You have been asking for an anteater stuffed animal for quite a while now. So Mommy special ordered one of the Internet. It looks so bizarre!

But I’m confident to believe you will love it. Mommy and I wondered if your anteater will end up in the same privileged category as Ellie the Elephant and Pandy the Panda Bear, who get to ride in the car with you and wear your underwear to school.

We also wonder what you will name him/her. My guess is “Anty.” I guess we’ll see in about two months for your 4^th birthday.

Anty very well could be wearing your underwear to school.

Love,

Daddy

1 Comment Posted on September 19, 2014 Uncategorized

These Are The Days Of Stuffed Animals Wearing Underwear (And Funny Drawings Of Anteaters!)

3 years, 10 months.

Dear Jack,

I just want to bookmark which stage of childhood you are in right now. These are the days of you dressing your stuffed animals in your own “big boy underwear.”

It would be one thing if these specially dressed animals stayed indoors where only Mommy and I knew about them.

But… nope.

Each morning you choose an underwear-wearing stuffed animal to ride in the car with you on the ride to school. Then the privileged creature gets to be placed in your cubby all day while you learn.

At the end of each school day, with much pride, you remove your animal from the cubby for the ride home.

Let me just say it again:

Your animals are wearing your own underwear. And you are the one who picks out which pair of your underwear they wear, then you put the underwear on them.

That’s hilarious!

But part of what makes this so funny is that you don’t appear to be trying to be funny or ironic, in the least bit.

It’s as if you are treating Ellie (your much worn-out purple elephant) and Pandy (your panda bear, who like Ellie, is also a $5 Kohl’s purchase from the check-out counter) as peers who are legitimately encountering the transition to “big boy underwear” as you are.

I don’t know how many other 4 year-old boys in America are doing the same thing right now, but I know that I did the same thing was I was about your age.

Something else you’re doing these days that I feel is definitely defining you is your funny and creative drawings you do at school each day.

I think I might need to start up a special folder to start saving them in the Facebook page for Family Friendly Daddy Blog in a photo album simply called “Jack’s Art.”

As for now, I’ll leave you with my current personal favorite; this picture you drew of “an anteater that ate a monster.”

Love,

Daddy

Leave a comment Posted on September 18, 2014September 18, 2014 Nostalgia, Storytelling, Uncategorized

New Infographic: College Tailgating Traditions in the U.S.

I admit, I’m not a huge sports fan. However, I quickly and proudly identify myself as a Bama fan. If you’ve followed my blog throughout the years, you’ve probably noticed the subtle product placement of “Roll Tide” apparel on my son; as well as his now much faded Bama sippy cup.

Not to mention, there’s my wife’s keychain as well as my front license plate are both Unversity of Alabama.

If you were born in the state of Alabama, like I was, it was pre-determined by your family before you were born whether you were by default either a Bama or an Auburn fan.

I was born into the Crimson Tide. Of course, it’s so easy to be a Bama fan because of their winning record… so that’s convenient.

In addition to being a Bama fan, I’m also a fan of infographics… and I feel like it’s been a while since I shared a new one.

With all the negative stuff we’ve been seeing in the news here lately, maybe it’s time to just distract ourselves for a minute with some quirky, sports-related info…

With not further ado, today I share with you a new infographic about college tailgating traditions in America; none of which I previously knew about.

Enjoy, sports fans!

Courtesy of: SelfStorage.com

2 Comments Posted on September 17, 2014 Health, parenting, Storytelling, Uncategorized

I Find Louis C.K.’s Bit On Child Discipline Hard To Argue With

With the Adrian Peterson story making unignorable headlines right now…

I’m noticing that readership of my “spanking children” posts is rising:

Is Spanking Actually More Effective Than The Alternative?

I Never Saw Myself As A Non-Spanking Parent, But…

4 Out Of 5 Parents Spank Their Kids

A Slap In The Face: Child Abuse Or Discipline?

Parents And Politics: Delaware’s New “Spanking Ban”

Advice For “Granny,” Whose Grandchild Is Slapped In The Face

I realize that I’m in the minority on this one. I represent the 20% of the population who doesn’t spank (or physically discipline in any way) my child.

Simply put, the overwhelmingly majority of the American population (and likely the faithful people who read my blog) disagree with my view on spanking. Which is no problem. “To spank or not to spank” is up to the individual parent for their own child; I don’t make that decision for anyone but my own child.

So I promise I’m not trying to convert anyone here. But I do think Louis C.K., who is currently my favorite comedian, makes some very valid points. Personally, I think his statements are hard to argue with.:

“And stop hitting me, you’re huge. How could you hit me?! That’s crazy. You’re a giant, and I can’t defend myself.”I really think it’s crazy that we hit our kids. It really is–here’s the crazy part about it. Kids are the only people in the world that you’re allowed to hit. Do you realize that? They’re the most vulnerable, and they’re the most destroyed by being hit. But it’s totally okay to hit them. And they’re the only ones! If you hit a dog they… will put you in jail for that… You can’t hit a person unless you can prove that they were trying to kill you. But a little tiny person with a head this big who trusts you implicitly, f(orget) ’em. Who (cares)? Just… hit–let’s all hit them! People want you to hit your kid. If your kid’s making noise in public, “Hit him, hit him! Hit him! Grrr, hit him!” We’re proud of it! “I hit my kids. You’re… right I hit my kids.” Why did you hit them? “‘Cause they were doing a thing I didn’t like at the moment. And so I hit them, and guess what? They didn’t do it after that.” Well, that wouldn’t be taking the… easy way out would it? “

For the full, uncensored, un-family friendly version of this bit, check out Louis C.K.’s special available on Netflix, Hilarious.

Again, a warning: It’s not at all family friendly; but for me, it reinforced and summarized my beliefs on child discipline better than I’ve heard anyone else ever do it.

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