Nostalgia

Leave a comment Posted on Nostalgia, parenting, Uncategorized

Dear Jack: The Return of Popples, for the Children of the 80s’ Children

4 years, 11 months.

Dear Jack: The Return of Popples, for the Children of Eighties’ Children

Dear Jack,

Last Friday night during dinner, you initiated a conversation with Mommy and me:

“There’s these animals called ‘Pop Balls’, I think… but maybe they don’t make them anymore.”

It took me about two seconds to figure out what was going on. My assumptions were right:

Your teacher, Ms. Aimee, who is also an Eighties Child, like Mommy and me, had told you and your friends about Popples.

I shared the good news with you:

“Jack, I got a Popple when I was about your age. I got it for the Christmas after I turned 5. I’ll text Nonna and see if see if she can find it for you by the time we get to their house tonight.”

Without surprise, when we arrived later that night in Alabama, Nonna had my old purple Popple there waiting for you. (Thanks to Google, I just learned her name is Pretty Bit.)

She has quickly become one of your favorite stuffed animals; as she was mine. There’s definitely a Transformer type of element involved, despite it looking so cute and cuddly.

You can now very easily transform your/my Popple back and forth from its ball-like state; something I struggled with when I was your age.

I was also quite impressed with your drawing you came home with on Tuesday of her. You are obviously very proud to own such a rare relic of American pop culture.

In what is a complete coincidence, because Ms. Aimee didn’t know this when she told you about Popples, but next Friday, Netflix is releasing their new original reboot of Popples.

There is a saying: History repeats itself.

That definitely is the case with Popples. And that’s not only because Popples are making a comeback for “the children of the Eighties’ children”. It’s specifically because you now own one of the original Popples; from 1986, nearly 30 years ago.

Love,

Daddy

Leave a comment Posted on Nostalgia, parenting, Storytelling, Uncategorized

Dear Jack: Our First Time to Carve Pumpkins Together

4 years, 10 months.

Dear Jack: Our First Time to Carve Pumpkins

Dear Jack,

At the age of 34, I have finally carved a pumpkin for the first time. It’s just something I had never gotten around to until now. Of course, I needed your help.

I had you draw on the faces of the pumpkins with a marker (practicing on a sheet of paper first), then I carved them with a knife, after gutting the pumpkin. These are of course the pumpkins you picked at Gentry’s Farm last weekend.

Dear Jack: Our First Time to Carve Pumpkins

You and I set up shop in the driveway, sitting at your Thomas the Train table.

I think we did a pretty good job for our first time carving pumpkins.

It brought so much more meaning to the act of going to pick out own pumpkins when we ourselves were the ones to “make them come to life.”

Now that I know how to carve pumpkins, I’m almost eager to do more of them. Since it’s just a once a year event, it’s not something we’ll have a lot of constant experience doing.

But maybe we should. Maybe we should regularly carve pumpkins together. I think we make a great team.

Dear Jack: Our First Time to Carve Pumpkins

After all, you are a very crafty boy.

When I was doing the dishes on Sunday, I grabbed a Fiji bottle of water that was next to all the other dirty dishes. As I grabbed it to remove the lid to wash it, I realized there were several google eyes floating around, looking back at me.

The funny thing is, I didn’t even question it. I just set it aside; assuming it was just some random project you came up with when you were hanging out with me.

Dear Jack: Our First Time to Carve Pumpkins

I know that often while Mommy is cooking, you set up your work station at the kitchen table and throw stuff together in a sort of artistic science experiment.

So whether you’re designing pumpkin faces, or making eyeball-filled water bottles, you’re using your talents and having fun in the process.

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: Our First Time to Carve Pumpkins

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

Dear Jack: Family in a Camry- “Evan’s 5th Birthday Party”

4 years, 9 months.

Dear Jack: Family in a Camry- “Evan’s 5th Birthday Party”

Dear Jack,

This is the 2nd of several entries in my new miniseries, Family in a Camry. In August while on our annual family vacation, Toyota loaned us a 2015 Camry for our road trips around California.

So I decided to compile all our video footage and photos into a narrative to remember our trip. Here’s this week’s video:

Of course, I already did the one about our Jack-Man video we made, which is sort of like an unofficial entry in the series as well.

(So maybe then, today is actually technically the 3rd Family in a Camry entry in the series…)

Dear Jack: Family in a Camry- “Evan’s 5th Birthday Party”

Mommy and Evan’s mommy grew up together in California; they’ve known each other for a long time.

Actually, you met Evan for the 1st time in August 2011; 4 years ago. I wrote about it at the time.

jfpbVb1441857222

Now, Evan is 5 years old and you are just a couple of months away from your 5th birthday, which we plan to celebrate in Florida; while reviewing another Toyota.

Dear Jack: Family in a Camry- “Evan’s 5th Birthday Party”

As for Evan, he decided he wanted to have his party at the local skating rink. So that meant you got to roller skate for the 1st time!

There was also a “jumpy house” there; as well as those roller scooter things…

The fact that Evan’s birthday party just happened to be during the 10 day span we were there in California on our annual family vacation was completely coincidental.

Dear Jack: Family in a Camry- “Evan’s 5th Birthday Party”

But what a perfect coincidence!

Even though you and Evan were born only 4 months apart, you guys are a year apart in school; based on the way the cut-off date.

Dear Jack: Family in a Camry- “Evan’s 5th Birthday Party”

I have a feeling that you and Evan will grow up knowing each other; even if you only see each once a year.

Dear Jack: Family in a Camry- “Evan’s 5th Birthday Party”

Stay tuned for my next Family in a Camry entry, which features our family visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Dear Jack: Family in a Camry- “Evan’s 5th Birthday Party”

Love,

Daddy

Leave a comment Posted on Nostalgia, parenting, Storytelling, Uncategorized

I’m Responsible for My Son’s “Good Old Days”

IMG_3005

One advantage of getting to review cars for this blog is that I get free access to XM radio. I’ve been flipping back and forth between XMU (rock music for college kids) and Alt Nation (modern alternative rock).

I recently was introduced to a perfectly nostalgic song called “Stressed Out” by Twenty One Pilots. My favorite part of the song contains these lyrics:

“Wish we could turn back time, to the good old days
When our momma sang us to sleep but now were stressed out”

Somewhat surprisingly, until I heard that song a couple of weeks ago, I had never truly fathomed that those “good old days” I myself lived through in the 1980s, some of the warmest and fuzziest moments and memories in my life, occurred only because of my parents.

Flash forward from 1985, when I myself was 4 years old, to 2015; now my own son is 4 years old.

My son lives in a wonderland of stuffed animals as friends; a land where monster trucks are a legitimate means of transportation… and where he can typically get away with eating mac-and-cheese for most of his meals as long as he eats his veggie-fruit pouch.

He lives in this wonderland in 2015 because of his mommy and me.

And I lived in that wonderland in 1985 because of my own parents.

It takes a good parent to create that wonderland for their own kid; which I assume if you are reading this now, then you must be one as well. Granted, providing a loving home is ultimately all it really takes to make that wonderland.

A child’s imagination takes care of the rest; as long as that child feels loved and cared for and listened to and played with and encouraged.

No matter which toys make up that wonderland, no matter how big or small the house is, and no matter how many other kids are in the wonderland in that big or small house with a lot or little toys… all that matters is that there is obvious love in that household.

That’s what creates “the good old” days for the kids we bring into this world.

It’s that simple, yet that epic:

I am responsible for my son’s “good old days.” All I have to do is simply love my son, something I am completely wired to do anyway.

And yet I never think about the sacrifices I make in my life to love him. And I’m pretty sure my own parents never did either when they were raising me.

1 Comment Posted on Nostalgia, parenting, Storytelling, toy reviews, Uncategorized

Dear Jack: You’re Not Growing Up Way Too Fast

4 years, 8 months.

The Reason You’re Not Growing Up Too Fast

Dear Jack,

I’ve never felt that you are growing up too quickly. I think you’re growing up at exactly the right speed.

The metronome in my head works just fine as it measures at what rate you should graduate across the sliding scale of baby to boy.

Maybe a good reason I feel this way is that I’ve written at least one blog post and/or letter to or about you since before you were born. That’s more than 5 years now!

There are now hundreds of stories and pictures of your life story that I have preserved in time. (And they all can be retrieved by clicking on the Blog Archives tab on the left side of the screen.)

So maybe I am the exception to the rule of feeling my kid is growing up too fast. I never find myself missing any younger version of you. I have warm nostalgic thoughts about those days, but I don’t miss them.

Because I so appreciate who you are now.

You’re perfect. You’re exactly everything I could possibly hope for in a son.

You are a beautiful, intelligent, and creative young boy.

It is a gift each day that I get to see who you are becoming.

Maybe I’m being too pragmatic here, but if I really wanted to relive the “baby days”, I should focus getting you a brother or sister…

That seems like the best way to relive that time period, but at the same time be able to appreciate the nearly 5 year-old boy you are.

But no, you’re not growing up too quickly for me.

You’re my genius son who just entered his Lego creations into the upcoming county fair. But you’re also down-to-Earth enough that you fully appreciated the “pooping moose” key chain I brought back from Grand Rapids this week as a souvenir.

Love,

Daddy

j1