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Lightning McQueen, Donatello, Batman, Play-Doh… Nuff Said!

January 12, 2014 at 9:13 pm , by 

3 years, 1 month.

Dear Jack,

Today I write this time capsule for you to preserve the kind of stuff you’re into at this stage in your life.

As I mentioned in my last letter to you, Donatello the Ninja Turtleis pretty epic for you right now.

He goeseverywhere with you!

And he’s always so happy to be there; often just slouching in his seat with a big cartoon grin on his face.

Recently he watched you cram Play-Doh into the medicine dispencer while you were dressed in your Batman pajamas.

Then, a few days later, while wearing your Lightning McQueen shirt, you asked me to make you a Play-Doh anteater, only to have you “chomp it” with some tongs, running a circle around me.

These are the kinds of things you love to do these days.

So, as you know, we drive a new Toyota (or Lexus or Scion) vehicle each week, as I have unexpectedly (!) become a car reviewer on the side; as a result of writing these letters to you.

This week we’ve had a lot of fun in our real-life Lightning McQueen:

A 2014 Scion tC!

This marks the first time we’ve driven a 2 door car with you. Though actually, it’s considered a “3 door liftback,” which you’ve had a lot of fun with.

Oh, that reminds me, you bought a $5 purple elephant from Kohl’s who you named Ellie. She’s been following you around everywhere that Donatello doesn’t go.

To my surprise, only having two doors (or three) hasn’t been a problem in this car.

Something you like about the Scion tC, or “Lightning McQueen car,” as we call it, is that it actually has two moonroofs- one over me and then a smaller one over you.

Needless to say, I felt pretty special this week chauffering you around in such a cool looking car.

This is your random life and mine.

Just as I wonder which new car I’ll be driving next week, I also wonder what new weird toy you’ll be obsessed with for that week as well.

I have to admit, I am pretty impressed by your creativity, shown through your new play idea of meticulously stuffing a medicine dropper with Play-Doh. You never smiled once while doing it. That’s how serious you took the event.

 

Love,

Daddy

 

Disclaimer: The vehicle mentioned in this story was provided at the expense of Scion, for the purpose of reviewing.

P.S. Here’s a collection of my Toyota family reviews so far; just click on title to read the full story:

2014 Toyota Corolla: Surviving The Solar Vortex Of 2014: Icicles And All

2014 Lexus LS 460: 2014 Lexus LS 460 Review, From The Dad’s Perspective; Journey To Howard’s Chapel (The Church Built Into A Rock); Ironically Driving A Lexus To See A Dinosaur Named Junkasaurus Wrecks; What Parents Do When The Kids Are Asleep With The Grandparents; Grandma Regifts As-Seen-On-TV “Perfect Polly” To Great-Grandson; I’ve Heard Of Sleepwalking, But… Sleep-Eating And Sleep-Playing?

2014 Scion tC: Lightning McQueen, Donatello, Batman, Play-Doh… Nuff Said!

2013 Avalon Hybrid: 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid Review, From The Dad’s Perspective; A Family That Recycles Together Doesn’t Decompose

2013 Toyota Rav4: 2013 Toyota Rav4 Review, From The Dad’s Perspective

2014 Toyota Tundra: Dad Gives 3 Year-Old Son A Monster Truck For Birthday… Sort Of; Nashville Dad Introduces 3 Year-Old Son To Country Music; 3rd Birthday Monster Truck Road Trip: Build-A-Bear; 3rd Birthday Monster Truck Road Trip: Little River Falls, AL; 3rd Birthday Monster Truck Road Trip: Mountain Driving; 3rd Birthday Monster Truck Road Trip: Canyon Land Park; 3rd Birthday Monster Truck Road Trip: Canyon Mouth Park

2013 Toyota Sienna: We’re Ready For A Family Road Trip… Minivan Style!; It’s Officially Cool To Drive A Minivan Now

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Surviving The Polar Vortex Of 2014, Icicles And All

January 7, 2014 at 9:54 pm , by 

Leave a comment Posted on car reviews, funny, parenting, Storytelling

Grandma Regifts As-Seen-On-TV “Perfect Polly” To Great-Grandson

January 2, 2014 at 9:22 pm , by 

3 years, 1 month.

Dear Jack,

On Christmas Eve, we took you to go visit one of my grandmas; Nonna’s Mama.

Though you’ve visited her throughout your life, I feel this time was when the light really came on for you, as you curiously confirmed what I explained on the way there:

“Your Grandma is Nonna’s Mama?” you asked.

I see how you are starting to process the concept that a family is more than just a Daddy and a Mommy and a kid.

Also as of recent, you are understanding a family can be less than that, too, as you explained to me one of the characters of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, via Netflix:

“That owl doesn’t have a Mommy. He just has a Daddy.”

We took my Grandma a special Christmas gift,Perfect Polly; which is a “lifelike parakeet” that “never needs feeding.”

(Every time we go to see my Grandma, she always talks about how much she enjoys looking out her window and watching the birds eat seeds from the feeder.)

However, my Grandma instantly offered Perfect Polly to you…. and you gladly accepted. For some reason, you renamed the plastic bird “Sherry.”

Seriously, how random is that? Who would you even know with that name? That’s like naming a bird “Linda” or “Tammy” or Brenda.”

Just like how I started recently making you photo collages to accompany these letters I write you, I noticed that my Grandma keeps a photo collage of family next to her on her bulletin board; many of the pictures being of our family over the years.

Granted, you’re 3 years old, and your attention span is only so long. So after a little while, you and your cousin Calla decided to comb the halls with Papa, in a community wheelchair you found.

Of course, to you it’s not a wheelchair; it’s probably a monster truck, somehow.

I’m glad we got to see my Grandma. I want you to remember her.

Even if you spent half the time playing in the hallway, at least you did get to speak with her and she was able to see how big you’re getting.

After we left, we took you and “Sherry” to go see some Christmas lights in the Lexus LS 460 we were driving for the week; for my car review I was working on.

This Christmas we didn’t really venture too far into the Santa Claus aspect of things.

It was almost like you weren’t quite ready for that.

I feel that we kept things a bit simpler. Our Christmas holiday was more about spending quality time with family.

Speaking of, you were quite fascinated by our fancy ride in the Lexus as we drove through one of the biggest Christmas light displays I’ve seen in a while.

As Nonna put it, “This is like being in our own limo!”

You even got to see Mickey Mouse! (The blurry red figure in the upper left side of the collage.)

I like keeping things simple and nostalgic and eccentric.

Ultimately, aren’t those things what family is anyway?

 

Love,

Daddy

 

Disclaimer: The vehicle mentioned in this story was provided at the expense of Lexus, for the purpose of reviewing.

P.S. Here’s a collection of my Toyota family reviews so far; just click on title to read the full story:

2014 Lexus LS 460: 2014 Lexus LS 460 Review, From The Dad’s Perspective; Journey To Howard’s Chapel (The Church Built Into A Rock); Ironically Driving A Lexus To See A Dinosaur Named Junkasaurus Wrecks; What Parents Do When The Kids Are Asleep With The Grandparents; Grandma Regifts As-Seen-On-TV “Perfect Polly” To Great-Grandson; I’ve Heard Of Sleepwalking, But… Sleep-Eating And Sleep-Playing?

2013 Avalon Hybrid: 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid Review, From The Dad’s Perspective; A Family That Recycles Together Doesn’t Decompose

2013 Toyota Rav4: 2013 Toyota Rav4 Review, From The Dad’s Perspective

2014 Toyota Tundra: Dad Gives 3 Year-Old Son A Monster Truck For Birthday… Sort Of; Nashville Dad Introduces 3 Year-Old Son To Country Music; 3rd Birthday Monster Truck Road Trip: Build-A-Bear; 3rd Birthday Monster Truck Road Trip: Little River Falls, AL; 3rd Birthday Monster Truck Road Trip: Mountain Driving; 3rd Birthday Monster Truck Road Trip: Canyon Land Park; 3rd Birthday Monster Truck Road Trip: Canyon Mouth Park

2013 Toyota Sienna: We’re Ready For A Family Road Trip… Minivan Style!; It’s Officially Cool To Drive A Minivan Now

 

Leave a comment Posted on car reviews, Nostalgia, parenting, Spirituality, Storytelling

What Parents Do When The Kids Are Asleep With The Grandparents

January 1, 2014 at 11:49 pm , by 

3 years, 1 month.

Dear Jack,

On Christmas Eve, shortly after “the nice man” drove to Nonna and Papa’s house to bring me the 2014 Lexus LS 460 to review, you and your cousin Calla both crashed for a much needed nap.

Under the care of your grandparents, that meant that Mommy and I, along with Auntie Dana (my sister) and Uncle Andrew, could do whatever in the world we wanted to on that cold yet sunny December afternoon.

Given that there was a brand new Lexus LS 460 sitting in the driveway, we hit the road!

At this point in the letter, I need you to start the soundtack, which is a song called “Flowers In Your Hair,” by The Lumineers:

It’s just that the pictures you’re about to see and the randomness of what you’re about to read is best complimented by such an appropriate song.

We decided to hit the mountaintop freeway, aimlessly headed towards Little River Canyon, where we took you in the 2014 Toyota Tundra we borrowed for your 3rd birthday.

I suggested we hang a left turn onto a barely visible side road next to an old fishing tackle shop.

Fate would have it, the four of us would happen upon a perfectly Americana-style, old abandoned church.

So we checked it out, as any young Generation Y parents would do.

The doors and windows were all gone. A “no trespassing” sign was nowhere to be found.

As we entered the church, it felt like a mix between Jacob’s cabin in the woods on Lost and being in a music video for The Lumineers.

All that we could find in the church was what was left of an antique piano and a oncecomfy chair.

I liked how the ceiling was painted a dull teal color, for no apparent reason.

How in the world has this place been left in tact all this time? No punk teenagers or meth heads have taken advantage of the situation.

Not even a killer brown bear.

Just an old abandoned church that surprisingly wasn’t creepy.

While I was exploring the place, I thought about all the people, who have all surely passed on from this life by now, but who knew that church as a major part of life.

They learned about God and the teachings of Jesus and the journey to Heaven. Those people made their way out in the ice and snow and sun to see their friends and fellow believers each Sunday morning. There is even a river behind the church where they surely baptized those who were lost but had been found.

That church was a big deal to them. I didn’t take it lightly to be standing on what, especially at one time, was holy ground.

So there you have it. That’s the kind of thing your parents do when you’re asleep and your grandparents are there to watch you.

Isn’t it weird to think that, in theory, I have a life separate from you? To think that I seek entertainment and nostalgia and new memories too…

You get that from me, you know.

 

Love,

Daddy

 

Disclaimer: The vehicle mentioned in this story was provided at the expense of Lexus, for the purpose of reviewing.

P.S. Here’s a collection of my Toyota family reviews so far; just click on title to read the full story:

2014 Lexus LS 460: 2014 Lexus LS 460 Review, From The Dad’s Perspective; Journey To Howard’s Chapel (The Church Built Into A Rock); Ironically Driving A Lexus To See A Dinosaur Named Junkasaurus Wrecks; What Parents Do When The Kids Are Asleep With The Grandparents; Grandma Regifts As-Seen-On-TV “Perfect Polly” To Great-Grandson; I’ve Heard Of Sleepwalking, But… Sleep-Eating And Sleep-Playing?

2013 Avalon Hybrid: 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid Review, From The Dad’s Perspective; A Family That Recycles Together Doesn’t Decompose

2013 Toyota Rav4: 2013 Toyota Rav4 Review, From The Dad’s Perspective

2014 Toyota Tundra: Dad Gives 3 Year-Old Son A Monster Truck For Birthday… Sort Of; Nashville Dad Introduces 3 Year-Old Son To Country Music; 3rd Birthday Monster Truck Road Trip: Build-A-Bear; 3rd Birthday Monster Truck Road Trip: Little River Falls, AL; 3rd Birthday Monster Truck Road Trip: Mountain Driving; 3rd Birthday Monster Truck Road Trip: Canyon Land Park; 3rd Birthday Monster Truck Road Trip: Canyon Mouth Park

2013 Toyota Sienna: We’re Ready For A Family Road Trip… Minivan Style!; It’s Officially Cool To Drive A Minivan Now

 

Leave a comment Posted on car reviews, funny, Nostalgia, parenting

Ironically Driving A Lexus To See A Dinosaur Named Junkasaurus Wrecks

January 1, 2014 at 10:43 pm , by 

3 years, 1 month.

Dear Jack,

In the middle of our test drive of the 2014 Lexus LS 460, you spotted a giant metal robot on the side of the road.

We were all pretty curious, so on this past Christmas morning, around 9:00, we pulled the Lexus into the parking lot of a place calledThe Junkyard.

To be honest, the facility might be the equivalent of the Area 51 of northern Alabama. It’s quite mysterious.

From what I could tell, it appears to be a place where people can book party events. And as part of the ambiance, they have a giant robot named named Lirpa-Anad-Nitsud, by Ekim Snaggog.

As I put together these photo collages of our mini-road trip adventure, I figured out the code: “Lirpa-Anad-Nitsud” is backwards for April-Dana-Dustin and “Ekim Snaggog” is Mike Goggans.

I grew up with a girl namedJess Goggans whose mother is Dana Goggans; whose name is part of the encrypted code I just mentioned. Jess is now a chef and owner of a nearby restaurant called The Hardware Cafe which features her band.

So evidently, her family created these magical works of art for the world to enjoy.

Behind the building, in the backyard behind a wooden fence, were several other “junkyard creatures,” one of them being Junkasaurus Wrecks; a huge dinosaur created out of old car parts, like the robot.

After having just visited the off-beat church that was built into a giant rock, this place seemed to be the perfect follow-up, given its dream-like existence.

Yes, it was one of the most random ways to spend a Christmas morning with Daddy, Papa, and Uncle Andrew.

And of course, let me just point out the obvious irony:

We were driving a luxurious (!) 2014 Lexus LS 460 when we stumbled upon the place. I think that brand-new Lexus has already lived a quite interesting life in its 1600 miles so far.

What would have made more sense is if we had been driving a 1984 Toyota Land Cruiser J40, the awesome retro predecessor of the modern day FJ Cruiser; which I hear is in its final year of production.

But no, we were driving the nicest car I’ve ever driven (or will drive?) in my life.

Funny story, huh?

That’s the kind of thing you can expect by having a daddy like me. I just seem to find myself in these peculiar and unscripted situations.

Hey, maybe it’s where I’m from? After all, my hometown of Fort Payne, AL is where Junkasaurus Wrecks lives.

He and I grew up on the same stompin’ grounds!

I think there’s something to be said about that. While growing up in a state that is so often parodied in media and is so easily reduced to the stereotypical lyrics of a Country music song, the part of the state I grew up in was actually pretty woodsy and artsy.

Sort of like Oregon and Colorado and Maine all combined.

Plus, it didn’t help that I had a very eccentric Italian grandfather from Kenosha, WI, and a Mexican grandmother from Buffalo, NY; who I will be featuring very soon in an upcoming letter.

Basically, I had no chance of being an average, normal guy. And you are my son. In other words, no matter what we do, life will be interesting for our family.

Because we will make it that way, when it isn’t already.

 

Love,

Daddy

 

Disclaimer: The vehicle mentioned in this story was provided at the expense of Lexus, for the purpose of reviewing.

P.S. Here’s a collection of my Toyota family reviews so far; just click on title to read the full story:

2014 Lexus LS 460: 2014 Lexus LS 460 Review, From The Dad’s Perspective; Journey To Howard’s Chapel (The Church Built Into A Rock); Ironically Driving A Lexus To See A Dinosaur Named Junkasaurus Wrecks; What Parents Do When The Kids Are Asleep With The Grandparents; Grandma Regifts As-Seen-On-TV “Perfect Polly” To Great-Grandson; I’ve Heard Of Sleepwalking, But… Sleep-Eating And Sleep-Playing?

2013 Avalon Hybrid: 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid Review, From The Dad’s Perspective; A Family That Recycles Together Doesn’t Decompose

2013 Toyota Rav4: 2013 Toyota Rav4 Review, From The Dad’s Perspective

2014 Toyota Tundra: Dad Gives 3 Year-Old Son A Monster Truck For Birthday… Sort Of; Nashville Dad Introduces 3 Year-Old Son To Country Music; 3rd Birthday Monster Truck Road Trip: Build-A-Bear; 3rd Birthday Monster Truck Road Trip: Little River Falls, AL; 3rd Birthday Monster Truck Road Trip: Mountain Driving; 3rd Birthday Monster Truck Road Trip: Canyon Land Park; 3rd Birthday Monster Truck Road Trip: Canyon Mouth Park

2013 Toyota Sienna: We’re Ready For A Family Road Trip… Minivan Style!; It’s Officially Cool To Drive A Minivan Now