Nostalgia

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We’re (Not) Walking In The Middle Of The Racetrack…

July 14, 2013 at 11:21 pm , by 

2 years, 7 months.

Dear Jack,

Somehow despite living in the South my whole life, including the states of Alabama, Virginia, Florida, and Tennessee, it wasn’t until this weekend that I went to my very first car race.

It was your first time to a race, too; at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.

I think it’s funny that Mommy, who is from Sacramento, has been to more races than she can count.

So I guess I should say, Mommy, the California girl, introduced us Southern boys to our first real car race.

Did you love it? Of course you did!

You were mesmerized.

We kept “betting” on the underdog and always lost.

“Ah, Daddy’s yellow car came in at 2nd to last,” I explained to you.

Sure, you loved seeing the fast cars whiz by, but honestly, you were most excited by the “crashes.”

By crashes, I mean… when a car would get bumped off the track, into the green.

Planning a Saturday afternoon event with you is always tricky, because typically when we’ve got a fun special thing like a race coming up, you have a hard time falling asleep for your afternoon nap.

If you don’t take your nap, you’re not in the best of moods…

Well, this time around, you ended up falling asleep on the way there, meaning that I stole a few of your Go Go Squeez applesauce pouches as Mommy and I let you sleep in the car, while we sat in the parking lot for 30 minutes.

Once you had woken up and we had entered the stadium, you survived about an hour and a half sitting in the bleachers before you started getting antsy, prompting the leave to go back home.

My favorite part of our family racing event was actually as we were walking back to our car, trying to find our Honda Accord among countless look-a-likes.

“Those cars crash!” you exclaimed.

Mommy helped me understand why you were so excited:

“I think Jack thinks we’re walking on the racetrack right now, and that all these cars parked so closely together are actually race cars that crashed into each other in the middle of the race.”

While I would like to think of us being an adventurous family, we’re not that adventurous…

Though I’m sure you wouldn’t mind getting a closer view of those “crashing” race cars.

 

Love,

Daddy

 

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What If Mattel Only Sold The “Real-Life” Barbie?

July 6, 2013 at 11:11 pm , by 

2 years, 7 years.

Dear Jack,

A story that has been going viral this week is about an artist named Nickolay Lamm, who showed the world what the Barbie doll would look like if she had the proportions of an average 19 year-old woman.

The main question I see being asked is whether this more realistic version would sell in stores.

My question, though, is more specific: How might the sales of Barbie dolls change if Mattel began making all Barbie dolls with the new proportions.

In other words, I’m not interested in knowing how a new “real” Barbie series would do in addition to the ones already in stores.

What I am curious of is what would happen if Mattel suddenly went through the trouble to make all their Barbies with these more legitimate proportions.

Barbie would look a bit different. The most obvious difference I see is how hilarious the “normal” Barbie’s feet are. They’re like barely half the length of the “real-life” Barbie’s feet!

I love asking my Facebook friends about stuff like this. Here’s some of the feedback I received from them on the subject:

“If Mattel were to only sell the ‘real-life version,’ would Barbies sell just as well as they always have?”

“Of course they would. A large part of Barbie’ s popularity is in just the name… Just look at Dora. She’s just as popular as Barbie but she’s short and her belly hangs out of the bottom of her shirt.” -Hannah W.

“People complain that society is telling us that we have to be skinny. Well in actuality the world is now telling me that I’m not ‘a real woman’ because real women apparently aren’t slender. News Flash: People come in ALL shapes and sizes. I played with action figures and stuffed animals as a kid… I figured I would grow up to look a lot like my mom, who is beautiful and always helped me to have good and realistic ideas about my self image, and to not look to toys to measure my worth.” -Elizabeth L.

“I think it would sell. The old Barbie is too skinny. Even for a doll. My daughter doesn’t like Barbies, anyway. So I guess I’m glad for that. But I grew up with Barbie and I never compared myself to the doll. I DID compare myself to celebrities and what I saw on tv. I guess it depends on the kid.” -Elizabeth U.

Ultimately, I’m sure it all comes down to what will generate selling the most Barbie dolls. I imagine it would take a lot of work and money to “break the molds” and create new ones for the “real life” Barbies, replacing the old ones all together.

It’s all speculation, but I really do love hearing what people are saying about it.

 

Love,

Daddy

Photo: NICKOLAY LAMM/MYDEALS.

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Mr. Trololo Vs. My Son’s Own Random Singing

June 25, 2013 at 10:14 pm , by 

2 years, 7 months.

Dear Jack,

You do so some pretty random stuff; so much so, that “random” is as good as “normal” these days.

Why did you run around the house for 45 minutes wearing Mommy’s pink Aeropostale hoodie?

I have no idea, but it definitely counted as a fairly safe and enjoyable activity on a Saturday afternoon. So Mommy and I just let you go crazy.

But it doesn’t take you being in “Tasmanian Devil” mode to be random. In fact, some of your finest work takes place in the car, while you’re strapped securely in your seat for an hour at a time.

While you do share my same appreciation for The Wallflowers’ Bringing Down The Horse as one of the finest albums ever recorded, you also enjoy taking the stage and the mic, as well.

I need to point out that virtually all lyrics that you sing/write are to the tune of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” in the highest key possible, without going falsetto:

“That blue dinosaur sneezed on the tree… it was the tree that the green dinosaur ate. Hey, there’s worms. The rain washed that spider and the kitty watched…”.

So being that you like to sing random songs you make up as you going along, Mommy and I figured we should share our newest obsession with you, Mr. Trololo:

Needless to say, Mr. Trololo is now the mutual ringtone that Mommy and I have for each other, as well as the song we use for our alarms in the morning.

There’s just something about that whimsical Russian man that makes the world a better place. As for your own reaction to Mommy and I singing Mr. Trololo’s song to you, in somewhat of an effort to playfully annoy you, we love hearing your hilarious response:

“Don’t sing it, you guys!”

It feels good to be the kid every once in a while.

Love,

Daddy

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Posting Retro Pictures Of Dad For Father’s Day

June 16, 2013 at 9:04 pm , by 

2 years, 7 months.

Dear Jack,

While the writers of 20/20 are still patting themselves on the back for Friday night’s segment, “D Is For Dad And Dumb,” in which the advice for dads for Father’s Day was “don’t be an idiot,” I have meanwhile witnessed a different version of reality.

For this Father’s Day weekend, I have seen Facebook flooded with pictures of my friends’ dads. Despite being on Facebook since 2005, I never remember a Father’s Day so obviously consumed with people celebrating their dads.

In the midst of the “dad traffic” today, I also saw this really cool quote by Reverend Billy Graham:

“A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.”

Perfectly stated.

Despite the reinforced stereotype in media that dads are as about as respectable as Homer Simpson, most people in my version of the real world identify the concept of dad as an honorable thing.

Not to mention, the dads I know in real life have better things to do than to spend much time or energy worrying about how people outside of their nuclear family view them. (As a daddy blogger, I might personally be an exception?)

The dads I know put their family before their own needs and wants, on a daily basis. And that’s normal. It’s not something they talk about. They just do it.

Whether 20/20 ever gets the courage and/or integrity to address the quiet and sophisticated strength of dads in the real world, I don’t know.

It’s funny. I honestly can’t think of one time growing up that my dad ever did or said anything selfish. He only gave and sacrificed for our family the whole time.

That’s the way I have always thought of him and always will.

 

Love,

Daddy

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My Pal Scout: The 2013 Version Of My Buddy

June 3, 2013 at 11:28 pm , by 

2 years, 6 months.

Dear Jack,

You’ve had My Pal Scout (by LeapFrog) since you were a newborn. He’s a toy you’ve literally grown up with. However, it’s now at age 2 and a half that Scout is truly relevant to your life more than ever.

Now that you can talk, it’s like Scout has truly come to life! He’s a real talking puppy… at least, I think that’s what you think.

Sometimes to stall going to bed, you’ll ask for socks from the closet, then see a toy you haven’t played with in the past 4 months; ever since you became obsessed with monster trucks, that is.

That happened to be the case with Scout.

“Jack, let me show you how to play with him. If you want to play games, just press this red ball of yarn on his paw,” I explained.

Scout began talking to you:

“Hi Jack, wanna play?”

In a half-second’s time of confusion, astonishment, and wonder, I saw your eyebrows go up as you excitedly and hesitantly replied with a smile, “Yeah!”

Then Scout continued to engage you: “My favorite animal is a giraffe. Jack, is that your favorite animal too?”

How could it be that this green puppy who has been hanging out in the closet has the same interests as you? He even likes bananas, as you do, and sang about them to you.

Granted, Mommy customized Scout online a couple years ago to say your name and interests. But to you, he’s a cool dog who can talk.

And so the bromance began. All last weekend, Scout was your buddy. You were sort of bummed that I wouldn’t let you take him to the zoo.

At least I let you eat dinner with him.

I think Mommy just needs to program Scout to say he likes monster trucks… then you’ll really be all set!

 

Love,

Daddy