Author: Family Friendly Daddy Blog

Leave a comment Posted on Nostalgia, parenting

Monster Trucks & Dinosaurs Are The New PB&J

April 30, 2013 at 12:40 pm , by 

2 years, 5 months.

Dear Jack,

Thirty years ago in 1983, when I was your age, my dad and I played an Atari game called Combat, which contained 27 games in one.

There was one battle on there where the 1st player was a plane that continually scrolled to the top right of the screen, while the 2nd player was a boat that continually scrolled to the bottom left.

By pressing the one orange button on the controller, you would try to shoot your opponent as they passed by every 5 seconds.

It was ridiculous, yet I really loved that stupid game.

The reason I thought of this random childhood memory is because of our shared love for monster trucks and dinosaurs.

I admit, the marvelous (and very marketable) combo of monster trucks and dinosaurs entered our family from a funny t-shirt you have, which features a page of a fake comic book.

When I first saw it, I thought, “How appropriate! That’s a perfect match, like peanut butter and jelly.”

As if it were an inevitable Biblical prophecy,I bought you a $4 purple monster truck last week, then a 99 cent T-Rex the next day.

I was naturally led to attach the dinosaur to the front passenger seat of my car, in attempt to annoy/make you laugh on the car ride to school.

To be fair, you not only had your purple monster truck to aid you in the psychological attack, but your Easter Bunny was there to serve as your ally as well.

I could tell you were sort of confused as to why I would buy you two toys for no apparent reason.

The best explanation I can give is this:

It’s a transportable version of horseplay. If I can’t be chasing you around the house, pretending to be a hungry and scary tiger, at least I can pretend that the plastic dinosaur has an appetite for monster trucks.

If nothing else, as much as I mention monster trucks and dinosaurs to you on a weekly basis, I figured we ought to at least have some official mascots for our relationship; given the number of times a mention the two on a weekly basis.

You are a monster truck. I am a dinosaur. 

Man, that sounds like the beginning of a beautiful haiku…

 

Love,

Daddy

 

Leave a comment Posted on parenting, Storytelling

My Son’s Soft Serve Ice Cream Shoppe In The Potty

April 29, 2013 at 10:57 pm , by 

2 years, 5 months.

Dear Jack,

Mommy and I recently bought you a 3-pack of Play-Doh that looks like Neapolitan chocolate chip ice cream.

After you experimented with it for a little while, transforming your plastic horsey into a dinosaur, and using the brown Play-Doh as mud that your monster trucks drive over and “got stuck” in, you eventually wandered off into the bathroom.

I was curious as to what was going on in there, but I gave you a few minutes of privacy.

Then you called for me…

As soon as I opened the door, you announced, “Hey Daddy, I make snacks for the kids!”

My favorite part about that moment wasn’t even the fact that your potty bowl was being used as the serving tray for the Play-Doh “ice cream” for young consumers.

Instead, it was that you assumed the role of the adult, and you assumed that “the kids,” who evidently are other kids your age, look forward to the glorious (and sanitary) ice cream treats you have waiting for them in the bathroom.

I try to picture a dozen 2 year-olds lining up at our front door, eager to get a taste of the delicious soft serve ice cream you serve from your potty.

You were so proud.

In your mind, you were quite the heroic adult.

 

Love,

Daddy

 

Leave a comment Posted on Nostalgia, parenting

My Son’s Alter Ego Is A Schlubby Dinosaur

April 29, 2013 at 8:24 pm , by 

2 years, 5 months.

Dear Jack,

This past weekend while your cousin Calla visited us, your best friend from school, Sophie, also met us at your favorite indoor playground called Shipwrecked.

It was interesting to see which costumes the three of you chose to wear during the two and half hour play date.

You did your best to find the most masculine, mess-making one they had. Turns out, Superman was already taken; though personally, I say Batman is superior to the alien in red underwear any day.

So you chose…

(Yes, that is a reference to House Hunters on HGTV.)

…Baby Bop from my least favorite (meaning I despise it!) kids TV show, Barney & Friends.

(Make sure you check out all the pictures of the event by clicking on this link to The Dadabase’s Facebook page.Go to the folder called Shipwrecked With Cousin Calla and Gal Pal Sophie; showing many more hilarious snapshots of the ordeal.)

Just imagine, you ran around an indoor playground for 2 and a half hours wearing that mascot of a costume.

Normally, a person’s alter ego would be a stronger, faster, more intelligent version… with super powers.

At least you were able to accidentally swing your massive tail at other kids as you ran pass them.

However, I think your cousin Calla’s alter ego choice was even more bizarre: Batman.

Not only is Calla a girl, but she’s a girly girl; always wearing pink or purple and carrying around a baby doll and a kitten.

So as to how exactly she felt Batman, who I’ve already alluded to is my favorite comic book (and movie) superhero, is puzzling to me.

She walked around like Frankenstein, arms out, possibly attempting to fly.

We’ll have to ask her about that one day.

At least Sophie’s alter ego choice made perfect sense: She was a pink poodle.

Sophie already sort of reminds me of a cute little playful puppy anyway; always so happy to see you at school. Plus, she has the curly hair thing going on too, so the costume was a good match all around.

I especially was entertained when you and Sophie (top picture) decided to read to each other, simultaneously, while dressed as Baby Bop and a pink poodle.

What was particularly interesting was the fact you were reading a book that featured a young child dressed up in a dinosaur costume.

I would have to say that this experiment was a success. All three of you were able to display your alter ego… for better or for worse; or weird.

 

Love,

Daddy

 

 

 

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What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life?

April 28, 2013 at 1:11 pm , by 

2 years, 5 months.

Dear Jack,

Last Thursday on the drive to school, I popped in one of my favorite CD’s ever, Mat Kearney’s Young Love.

In a random and successful effort to find a new way to entertain you, I handed over the jewel case with the lyrics; which instantly became a storybook to you.

While I’ve heard every one of those songs at least 273 times, a phrase from the very first song, “Hey Mama,” caught my attention:

“What are you doing for the rest of your life?”

It’s such an understated question. Naturally, though, the answer is simple:

You and Mommy. In other words, whatever I am doing for the rest of my life, it revolves around the two of you.

Granted, I had obviously given plenty of prior thought of spending the rest of my life with Mommy nearly five years ago when we got married.

But as for you, I hadn’t truly consciously put you in that same category; at least not since you were a newborn.

No matter what my calender says, your name is on every day for the rest of my life. There will never be a day that you don’t consume my thoughts.

It’s one of those things that every dad-to-be dwells on. I can remember now, how for the months leading up to your birth, I would constantly think about how you would forever change my life.

I would think about how my existence in this world would now cause a ripple effect which would be undeniable- simply because I was responsible in bringing you into this world, and more importantly, because the way I would raise you would make who you would become; for better or for worse.

So yeah, I haven’t given too much thought about that in the past nearly two and a half years. I’ve had so many other dad-related thoughts to consume my mind since then.

And that just goes to show you… you’re what I’m doing for the rest of my life.

 

Love,

Daddy

 

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Lost In Translation: “No Way, Bug! Get In The Cheese!”

April 26, 2013 at 7:43 pm , by 

2 years, 5 months.

Dear Jack,

You are in the stage now where you’re piecing together catch phrases you hear Mommy and I say and incorporating them into your observations conversation.

Yesterday as I drove you home from school, I guess there was a gnat or something flying around you. This is what I heard:

“No way, bug! Get in the cheese!… You’re in trouble. No ma’am! Just chill out. Go find a home.”

From there, your conversation with the bug went from 2nd person perspective to 3rd person narration:

“The bug needs to find his parents. They hold him. They take care of him. That’s weird.”

I’m still a little confused about the cheese part. Do you want bugs to live inside of cheese wedges? Is that where they usually call their home?

The part I understand most from your conversation with/about the bug is this: The bug has a home where he belongs; where he has a Daddy and Mommy who love him.

Thanks, Son. That’s sweet of you to assume the bug’s parents love him the way Mommy and I love you.

I love your backseat radio show. That’s how I’m starting to think of it now.

In particular, I thought your rendition of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” was pretty creative:

“Twinkle, twinkle, purple monster truck…”.

As you would say, “That’s weird.”

 

Love,

Daddy