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Dear Holly: Trying to Figure out Halloween as a 1 and a Half Year-Old

1 year, 6 months.

Dear Holly,

Last Friday night we took our first family drive as in the 2017 Lexus IS 350 and made our way to your brother’s school for Trunk or Treat. Having just turned a year and a half this week, you have been busy using your brain to attempt to understand how the world works.

I would speculate that the American tradition of Halloween has to be a bit perplexing for you. For example, why was your brother dressed up as a skeleton? He looked so scary!

And why did Mommy insist on you wearing a scarecrow outfit? So strange…

Since you refused to continue wearing the hat to your scarecrow costume to the car, Mommy decided to wear it instead. At that point, realizing I was the only person in our family to not be wearing some kind of special costume, I decided to go as a guy who requires me to just look like I already do…

My non-costume costume was that I pretended to be the guy from the Campbell’s Go Southwest Chicken soup package, since everyone apparently already thinks that’s really me. (It’s not!)

Once we arrived at the school, your brother began collecting candy from all the parents and school teachers who had dressed up the trunks of their cars.

You tried your best to process what was real. For example, you saw a child walking past you dressed in a giant dinosaur costume. Immediately, you pointed, and make a guttural sound that apparently was your attempt to make a scary growling sound like you thought dinosaurs should sound like.

I think next year you’ll be able to appreciate Trunk or Treat a little bit more. The next morning, we made our way to the pumpkin patch. That was much more your speed.

Love,

Daddy

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Back Seat Space with Child Car Seats in the 2017 Lexus IS 350; Plus, How to Adjust the Driver’s Seat- Videos Included

In case you are considering buying, leasing, or renting a 2017 Lexus IS 350 and are curious as to whether you could fit an adult in the back seat between two car seats, then you’ve come to the right place.

Through my practical and realistic video, I show how I am able to successfully fasten my seatbelt while sitting between a child’s car seat (for my nearly 18 month-old) and a child’s booster seat (for my nearly 7 year-old).

 

I serve as the perfect model human being, as I am 5’9” and around 165 pounds. I am arguable the average sized American; if you combine both men and women.

The results? While I did have to sort of lower my head since it grazed the ceiling, and I did have to either put my arms directly down on my knees, the positive aspect was that in addition to being able to fasten the seat belt without much trouble, I had plenty of room for my legs.

I know sometimes in the 3rd row seat of SUVs, there is barely enough room for my legs, as they hit the 2nd row seat in front of me. But that is definitely not the case with the 2017 Lexus IS 350.

So in the event you are needing to fill the vehicle to full capacity, with two adults up front, 2 children in the back, and still need to squeeze in another adult in the backseat, I am proof it is possible. It is especially possible if that adult in the backseat is shorter and/or lighter than I am.

I also made a video for anyone who is curious to adjust the driver’s seat. There are several buttons and several options to cater to the comfort level of the driver.

 

Thanks for reading and watching today. I hope you found my work to be helpful as you plan your next drive in the 2017 Lexus IS 350.

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Our Family’s 2017 “Pumpkin Spice” Lexus IS 350 for This Week

Autumn is here- and everyone knows it’s the best season of the year. The welcomed change in weather and accompanying outdoor activities are undoubtedly enhanced by making everything “pumpkin spice.” Because when anything is pumpkin spice, it is understood it is automatically better.

And if that’s the case, then our family’s mode of transportation this week has definitely been pumpkin spiced.  (Is that an official verb now? If not, I’m helping to legitimize it as one.)

Our family gets to drive a 2017 Lexus IS 350 this week; as we tackle some fun fall activities.

This weekend, my sister and her family will be driving up from Alabama to visit. We will all be heading to Gentry’s Farm & Pumpkin Patch, where there will be plenty of great activities for the total of 4 kids; including a hay ride and a corn maze.

Afterwards, we will be making our way to our son’s soccer game. This will make my sister’s family’s first time to be able to see him play.

The day I brought home the Lexus IS 350, the kids loved checking it out in the driveway. My wife exclaimed, “Whoa! This is a really sporty car!” My son declared, “I love it when your cars have windows in the ceiling!” As for our daughter, she was convinced she was actually driving; especially when she successfully turned on the hazard lights.

After the big reveal of the Lexus IS 350 to my family, it was time to take my son to soccer practice. While it almost felt wrong to take just a nice and shiny luxury car to a dusty soccer field, I reminded myself: Live this up- make the most of your pumpkin spice ride while you have it this week.

There is no doubt we will be making the most of my sister’s family’s visit to Spring Hill, Tennessee.

And during it all, my family of 4 will be able to travel in luxury, with our Lexus IS 350. I have noticed that with every vehicle we get to model here on my blog, my wife’s favorite feature is always the heated seats; and now just in time for the slight chill of autumn.

I suppose it goes without saying, I think there’s a pretty good chance that one of the upcoming activities in the Lexus IS 350 will be going out somewhere nice for coffee…

Pumpkin Spice, of course!

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2017 Toyota Sienna: 3rd Row Seat Space, Child Car Seat Placement, Folding Down Seats

As I have just returned with my family from our fall “Road Trip to the Boonies”, I can confirm the Sienna has plenty of room; especially in the very back. In this 390 word blog post, I will show you a few pictures and share some videos I made, to help you get a better idea of what to expect as far as cargo space in the 2017 Toyota Sienna.

3rd Row Seat Space

I always feel I serve as the perfect model to test out the seat space in the 3rd row seats of vehicles, because of my size: I am 5’ 9” and 160-something pounds. Therefore, I am a good average of most adults, being taller than most women but slightly shorter than most men.

When I sit in the back seat of the 2017 Toyota Sienna, I still have clearance for not only my knees but also my head. It’s just not an issue. So as long as you’re my size or smaller, fitting in the 3rd row seat, even for a long amount of time, really shouldn’t be an issue.

Child Car Seat Placement

For our 6 hour trip to Boone, North Carolina and then our 6 hour trip back, our 16 month-old daughter rode in her car seat which I placed on the passenger side captain’s chair. That way, either my wife or I (whoever wasn’t driving) could tend to her.

Our 1st grader son sat in the 3rd row seat. I was testing out a new booster seat that I am reviewing here on my blog, so half the time he was on the driver’s side and the other half, the passenger’s side.

Even with the car seat and the booster seats, there was plenty of room to get in, out, and through the cabin of the Sienna.

Folding Down the Seats

The edition of the Sienna that I drove was fully decked out, so for me, all I had to do was just press the black button once I opened the back door. Instead of me describing it, the easiest thing to do is just watch my video below.

As if the 2017 Toyota Sienna was spacious enough already, it really opens up once you fold down or back the 3rd row seats.

Thanks for checking out Family Friendly Daddy Blog today. I hope this helps!

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Dear Jack: Strutting Your Stuff During Our Family’s Walk at the Park on Kennedy Trail in Boone, North Carolina

6 years, 9 months.

Dear Jack,

On Sunday, the sunniest day of our family’s fall “Road Trip to the Boonies” in the 2017 Toyota Sienna, your Uncle Tom suggested we all leave the cabin and talk a walk in a nearby park. So we made our way down the mountain and ended up on Kennedy Trail.

Once we all got moving on the path, I immediately thought back to when I was packing the Sienna when I asked myself, “Should I pack the double-stroller and my skateboard?” I easily had room to pack them, in addition to our luggage.

I am known in our neighborhood in Spring Hill, Tennessee for being the 36 year-old dad who skateboards while pushing his 2 kids in the stroller. But I figured the chances of needing a double-stroller and skateboard with staying up in a cabin at the top of a mountain in Boone, North Carolina were quite unlikely.

Oh well, I was wrong. This park would have been perfect for me to do that, as skateboarding college kids were everywhere.

It was fine though, because earlier that morning, your cousin Taylore and I had ran for 25 minutes going down then back up the mountain our cabin was on.

So instead of wearing out my calves anymore that day, I spent most of that 90 minutes working out my arms and back, as I served as your sister’s human chariot.

Meanwhile, you enjoyed being the default leader of the 12 of us, as you ran ahead, looking for cool stuff; like a giant caterpillar.

It became apparent to Mommy and me just how grown up and independent our little boy had become. You were just out there being a boy.

Jumping, climbing, getting sweaty. Having Mommy and me tell you to stop throwing rocks.

I was able to catch a glimpse of you as a preteen. You just seemed like a cool dude, like in that Violent Femme’s song from 1983: “When I go walkin’, I strut my stuff…”

Thanks to Uncle Tom suggested our visit to the park, a dozen people had a great time. While the cabin was awesome, it was good to take advantage of a nice day down in the valley.

Love,

Daddy