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Dear Jack: Our Visit To Repticon 2015 in Franklin, TN

4 years, 4 months.

Dear Jack: Our Visit To Repticon 2015 in Franklin, TN

Dear Jack,

Thanks to your teacher Ms. Aimee, you have a new found appreciation for reptiles and amphibians. She mentioned that the Repticon (a reptile convention) was coming to the Nashville area, so Mommy bought us tickets on Groupon.

So that’s where we were last Saturday morning. There were obviously all kinds of creepy crawlers to see there. You even got to pet an albino python!

Dear Jack: Our Visit To Repticon 2015 in Franklin, TN

Thanks to all 4 of your class pets at school, you weren’t afraid of any of the animals there… even if maybe you should have been!

But without a doubt, your favorite part of the Repticon was getting to buy your new friend, Snakey.

I had made you a deal earlier in the week that if you agreed to let me cut your hair that I would give you a $5 credit towards a toy at Repticon; as it would have cost nearly $15 for someone else to cut your hair.

Dear Jack: Our Visit To Repticon 2015 in Franklin, TN

You agreed. You matched that credit with $5 that already had and the rest is history.

By now, you have a pretty eclectic collection of stuffed animals. Snakey, the red snake, is definitely on the more bizarre end of the line-up; right up there with your anteater you got for Christmas.

Since last weekend, you have been asking Snakey questions throughout the day, waiting for Mommy to answer you (as Snakey) in a falsetto voice.

Dear Jack: Our Visit To Repticon 2015 in Franklin, TN

Snakey gets to sleep in your bed with you every night and is one of the few animals you have taken to school, back to back days.

I realize that one day you’ll grow out of this stage where your stuffed animals are your favorite toys and your best friends.

But for now, it’s actually a lot of fun for our family to live in the moment together… with Snakey and all his friends.

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: Our Visit To Repticon 2015 in Franklin, TN

Dear Jack: Our Visit To Repticon 2015 in Franklin, TN

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Dear Jack: Why I Dressed Like This On St. Patrick’s Day

4 years, 4 months.

Dear Jack: Why I Dressed Like This On St. Patrick’s Day

Dear Jack,

I think it’s safe to say that St. Patrick’s Day was just as much fun for me as it was for you. You enjoyed your party at school and seeing your teacher dressed up.

As for me, I had a lot to prove…

Dear Jack: Why I Dressed Like This On St. Patrick’s Day

Last year the office manager where I work asked me to wear my vintage green corduroys on St. Patrick’s Day. Half-jokingly, I responded, “Only if you promise to put me on the cover of the monthly company magazine.”

And so it came to pass…

So for the past year, I have been known as the “official leprechaun” of our company, despite my Mexican and Italian heritage.

Dear Jack: Why I Dressed Like This On St. Patrick’s Day

However, a coworker in the corporate office in Kentucky (I am in the Nashville division) publically challenged me to a duel; the winner to be determined by social media.

In other words, he was challenging my title.

So to make things interesting, I made this video:

I challenged him to wear “leprechaun tights”. I suggested that if he were willing to man up by wearing tights, surely the people on social media would declare him the winner over me.

As for my wardrobe, my favorite description I heard from a coworker was that I looked like either “the dictator of Candy Land or a gangster in the land of Oz.”

Dear Jack: Why I Dressed Like This On St. Patrick’s Day

However, my efforts fell flat when compared to my challenger, who to my surprise, indeed wore tights.

Not the kind of tights I expected him to wear, but he definitely wore them. And a wig.

Plucky O'Guinness

So in the end, he won the official title.

But in my mind, I won the psychological aspect of it: I got a grown man to dress up in ladies’ tights and a wig.

Your Daddy is a clever guy… but I think you already knew that.

Love,

Daddy

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Am I The Guy From The Campbell’s Go Chicken & Quinoa With Poblano Chilies Package?

Am I The Guy From The Go Campbell's Chicken & Quinoa With Poblano Chilies Package?

Last night I noticed my sister had sent me a picture on my phone; a picture of who I naturally assumed was me. I figured she had found a picture of me in college or something and was sending it to me for nostalgic reasons.

But as I looked closer, I realized that actually wasn’t me… it was the guy from the front of the package for Campbell’s Go: Quinoa With Poblano Chilies.

That’s when I read the text she sent with the picture:

“I saw this at Walmart and thought it looked like you… if you liked quinoa a little TOO much!”

So I did what any other Millennial guy would do in this same situation: I posted the picture on Facebook and Twitter saying this:

“Anybody seen my latest modelling gig?”

Some instantly assumed it really was me. Others didn’t know. And a few were pretty sure it was a joke. But no one really knew for sure.

Then I created the best replication I could of the original picture to show the similarities; side by side.

I can appreciate the marketing behind Campbell’s Go line-up. I like that they are using black-and-white close-ups of Millennial (Generation Y) models to advertise a simpler, more organic feeling product.

So at this point, while there is still live activity and conversations going on in my social media circles about the similarities between me and the Campbell’s Go: Quinoa With Poblano Chilies guy, I would like to find the actual Campbell’s Go: Quinoa With Poblano Chilies guy and interview him here on Family Friend Daddy Blog.

I have a few quick and relevant questions for him. Obviously, I would like to know some basic stuff like his name and where he’s from.

From there, I’d like to know more about the photo shoot he did for the packaging. I would like to ask him about his ethnic background, comparing it to my own. And I’m curious how old he was when the picture was taken of him; whereas I am 33.

Obviously, I am Tweeting this story to Campbell’s Go and sending the link to them on Facebook. After all, Campbell’s Go is targeted to Millenials, whose culture is embedded in social media conversations.

So I would have to assume someone from their marketing will be eager to reach out to me in a few days. Let’s see if my plan works…

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Dear Jack: What Is That Animal In Your Drawing Doing?

4 years, 2 months.

Dear Jack: What Is That Animal In Your Drawing Doing?

Dear Jack,

I am always excited to see what new creative artwork you have for me each day when I pick you up from school.

On Friday, right before we headed over to the circus, one of your drawings particularly caught my attention. You immediately began explaining it to me:

“Daddy, see- he’s got giraffe legs, a cow body, a robot neck, an elephant tale, and a bear head!”

Sure, I was slightly confused by the robot neck, but I had to ask you right away about the one part of picture you failed to describe:

“Jack, what is that animal in your drawing doing?”

Your unapologetic answer was somewhat understated:

“Oh, I did a brown arrow… to point at the poop… because he had a big poop.”

Classic.

Somehow in all your hundreds of pictures you’ve drawn, you’ve never drawn anything with potty humor before.

But that’s the thing; I’m not convinced you were trying to be funny. Your main focus was to point out how you cleverly designed a sort of Frankenstein-style animal.

Dear Jack: What Is That Animal In Your Drawing Doing?

You really do put so much thought into your artwork. Today you brought home 4 new pictures; one of them featuring a charming snowman. You explained to me the full story:

“Daddy, the sun is mad at the snowman because the snowman said he wanted the moon to come out instead that way the snowman won’t melt, so the sun turned purple because he was mad.”

Wow. Seriously. You are one creative little boy.

I am already imagining just a few years from now how your pictures will be evolving into full stories; where you will do like I did when I was a boy and make my own books; writing all the words and drawing all the pictures for your own homemade books.

That is going to be a lot of fun!

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: “How Do Babies Get Into Mommies’ Bellies? From Santa?”

4 years, 1 month.

Dear Jack: “How Do Babies Get Into Mommies’ Bellies? From Santa?”

Dear Jack,

We are currently living with some friends, as the closing date on our new house is about 6 weeks away now.

Karen, the wife and Mommy of the family we are renting space from, is pregnant; her baby is due right about the same time as we are supposed to move out.

Last night at dinner, you asked Mommy and me:

“How do babies get into Mommies’ bellies? From Santa?”

We immediately burst out laughing, as did you.

Mommy explained that’s a conversation we’ll have with you when you’re a bit older.

Of course, it won’t be “we,” it will be me that has that talk with you. I’m not afraid. I’m as prepared now as I’ll ever be.

After I gained my composure, I think I responded with something like, “Yeah, I guess Santa does help with that.”

Granted, my answer was technically right; in the same way the song “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” makes sense.

Of course, I know the real reason you assumed Santa has something to do with babies getting into Mommies’ bellies.

This past weekend, we watched Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! To my surprise, I actually really loved that movie! I wouldn’t mind seeing it every Christmas. You’re at the perfect age to really appreciate a movie like that.

Dear Jack: “How Do Babies Get Into Mommies’ Bellies? From Santa?”

However, you’ll always troubled when they say “roast beast” because you always explain: “No, Daddy, it’s supposed to be ‘roast beef’!”

One of our favorite parts was when it showed the Grinch arriving at his parents’ house, riding in a basket floating down from the sky, slowed down by an umbrella which helped guide it down safely.

I think that imagery led you to believe Santa has something to do babies getting into Mommies’ bellies.

You followed up your first question by asking me if Santa is real. I cleverly replied, “Is Batman real?”

You confirmed he is.

I continued: “Well, then Batman is as real as Santa.”

And we’ll just keep it at that for now.

Love,

Daddy