parenting

1 Comment Posted on fatherhood, parenting, reviews, Uncategorized

My Son’s New Prime Time Toys’ Adventure Force Light Command Motorized Blaster

Lucky is the son of a daddy blogger… that’s all I’ve got to say! My son Jack knew that the weekend Papa was coming up would be an especially big deal, because that would be when he got to open “the surprise” I got in the mail for him. Companies send me products to feature here on my blog, knowing that many people read what I write.

Still a little over a month until his 7th birthday, and still nearly 3 months until Christmas, Jack got to open a present for the special event of simply showing other kids and parents what it’s like to play with a certain toy.

Obviously, Jack was very excited to see that the mysterious gift was none other than an Adventure Force Light Command Motorized Blaster. It can shoot 20 darts in 20 seconds up to 80 feet!

The super-powerful blaster with light-up action is one of only 25 toys featured on Walmart’s annual Top Rated by Kids toys list.

So we took it out to the front yard to test it out. He and Papa (my dad) took turns trying to hit me while I zoomed by on the skateboard. Sometimes I would get hit by a whole row of darts as I sped by, while other times the rhythm of the darts was just right, to wear every single one of them missed me; like the way action heroes can run through a spray of bullets and never get shot.

Jack then decided to try out the range of his Adventure Force Light Command Motorized Blaster. He enjoyed pulled the trigger and seeing out how far across the cul-de-sac he could shoot the darts.

I noticed that by default, he was making sort of an Easter egg hunt out of finding the darts after he shot them. He was very protective of those darts.

So I guess now, my son has the coolest dart gun in our entire neighborhood.

I can easily see him as a teenager, shooting paintball guns with his friends, like I did when I was in high school.

But until there are paintball guns, he can practice with his Adventure Force Light Command Motorized Blaster.

1 Comment Posted on fatherhood, parenting, People, Uncategorized

How Primrose Teaches Children 6 Executive Function Skills to Use in School and at Home

This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency on behalf of Primrose Schools; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I am a Primrose parent, so I see firsthand how my son Jack has learned, and applies at home, the 6 executive function skills that Primrose Schools focuses on in their curriculum: Adaptability, Teamwork, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Self-Control, and Memory.

Immediately my mind goes back to last weekend. We had driven 2 and a half hours to Alabama, where I grew up, so we could attend my hometown’s annual Boom Days event. Jack loved it so much last year, being able to ride a pony, play in a giant inflatable maze, roll around inside a giant inflatable ball, and buy a souvenir from one of the local shops.

Understandably, he was quite excited about attending the event this year as well. However, it ended up raining all afternoon, and unfortunately, we were unable to attend the outdoor event. I was bracing myself for his reaction, as I expected it to be quite negative and emotional- but I was wrong.

Instead, he was completely content with learning we would have to go with a “Plan B”. We spent the rest of the afternoon at his Aunt Dana and Uncle Andrew’s house. While the rain may have stopped him from our original plans, it didn’t stop him from having fun as he and his cousins used their imaginations to play inside instead.

Jack showed 2 of the 6 executive functions: Self-Control and Adaptability.

I can easily think of another example of how my son applies a couple more of the executive function skills in his day-to-day routine.

Jack has a baby sister, Holly, who is only 17 months old. On a daily basis, Jack exercises Teamwork and Problem Solving skills, as my wife and I depend on his help with his little sister. We have grown to depend on him to help entertain his sister while we get dinner ready, to help carry her bottles in and out of the car, and to quickly assist in fetching whatever item that my wife needs, like a Kleenex or a diaper, when we are all getting ready in the morning.

Children who attend Primrose Schools have these executive function skills taught to them at such a young age. So naturally, there is less of a learning curve as Jack grows and matures each year. It is clear that Primrose Schools is the go-to source for early education and childhood development content; not only in the classroom, but at home as well. I know this because I personally see it every day in my son’s behavioral decisions.

If you’d like to learn more parenting and education tips from Primrose, I want to invite you to subscribe to Primrose’s newsletter for a chance to win a Primrose Prize Pack consisting of a $250 Barnes & Noble gift card and 5 children’s books. 10 winners will be chosen! Enter here.

Thanks for learning about Primrose’s 6 executive function skills today.

 

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1 Comment Posted on fatherhood, parenting, Storytelling, Uncategorized

Dear Jack: Your 1st Soccer Game as the Goalie

6 years, 10 months.

Dear Jack,

Last Tuesday evening as we were leaving your soccer practice, I heard your coach confirm to you, “Alright Jack, I’m putting you in as goalie for Saturday’s game. You know what to do, right?”

You were humbly thrilled to know that you would finally get to be the goalie. Honestly, I had no idea you were interested in playing that position. But it turns out that you were interested enough that you proactively asked your coach if you could play goalie.

I had noticed during practice that you were playing goalie, but I figured it was just standard for the coach to give turns to all the players. But no, you had specifically asked him.

Of all weekends for Nonna and Papa to be in town from Alabama, this past Saturday was it. They got to see you play your newest position. You loved being goalie!

I was particularly also impressed by the fact when you weren’t playing goalie during the game, there were two different times in which you led the ball down the field towards the goal.

It’s so cool being able to see how you truly enjoy playing soccer and being a part of your team.

Of course, it helps that you and your best friend Duncan are on the same team, the Red Wolves. The two of you have literally been friends since the womb, as our families were in Lamaze class together back in the fall of 2010.

Soccer is a really good thing for you. Not only does it help you burn off plenty of energy, but I can see the way it undeniably builds confidence in you. And I appreciate how it teaches you the importance of playing as part of a team.

You were an only child for so long, so being a star runner and occasionally goalie on the Red Wolves is a great thing for you!

Love,

Daddy

1 Comment Posted on parenting, Storytelling, Uncategorized

Dear Holly: Practicing Your Soccer Moves on the Field, During Your Brother’s Game

1 year, 5 months.

Dear Holly,

This past Saturday was a very special soccer game for your brother, as not only did he get to play as goalie for the first time, but also, Nonna and Papa were in town from Alabama to see it as well.

We all sat right there on the edge of the field near the goal, nearly as close as we could without being on the field. You loved being able to walk from Mommy, to me, to Nonna, and to Papa.

And then you saw your brother’s red soccer ball that he had brought with him.

The smile on your face seemed to translate as, “Well if Jack can do this, so can I. How hard could it be?”

So you began kicking the ball over the line, onto the very edge of the field. As one of us adults would then move the ball off the field, you would sure enough find your way back in the game.

Fortunately, each time this occurred, all the players actually playing the game happened to be on the other side of the field.

I think it’s safe to say that you are finding your brother’s soccer games to be pretty fascinating. So while I could easily see you getting into dance classes when you get older, it already makes perfect sense to me that would also play soccer.

And based on the way I’ve seen you kick the ball back to me in our living room and on the back porch, I have to say… you actually have some kicking skills!

I suppose for the last few soccer games this season, you will continue practicing your soccer moves during Jack’s games. Give it a few more years, and that’ll be you out there on the field!

Love,

Daddy

1 Comment Posted on parenting, People, Storytelling, Uncategorized

Mixed Race: What Does a Person Look Like Who is Mayan, Aztec, Spanish, Jewish, Middle Eastern, Greek, Italian, Baltic, and West African?

Undeniably, my mom’s MyHeritage DNA test results were all over the place: Literally, all over the globe. It took a lot of ancestors from a lot of different places to get my mom here… and me, as well.

So now that we know my mom’s ethnicity mix (as well as half of mine), let’s take a moment to assess the situation by asking this question:

Can you see the following ethnic backgrounds in my mom and me? These are my mom’s MyHeritage DNA test results:

32.9% Central American (Mayan/Aztec)

22% Iberian (Spanish/Portuguese)

15.2% Sephardic Jewish (via Spain)

14% Middle East/West Asia (Yemen, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Palestine and Georgia)

7.8% Greek

4.5% Italian

2.6% Baltic (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia)

2.0% West African (Benin, Burkina Faso, the island nation of Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, the island of Saint Helena, Senegal, Sierra Leone, São Tomé and Príncipe and Togo)

It could be easy to say, “Well, you’re barely African.”

True, I am only 1% African and my mom is 2%. But without that one African ancestor, somewhere in our family history, even if it were nearly 200 years ago that they became part of it, my mom and I would cease to exist.

Granted, I’m not claiming to be an African-American. But at the same time, I can imagine how my 1% and my mom’s 2% would have been a whole different issue back when “The One Drop Rule” was still in effect in America. After all, I have “one drop” of African blood in me.

I am proud of every bit of my DNA.

It’s especially interesting that my mom and I are nearly equal parts Jewish and Middle Eastern.

From the best my mom and I can figure, this is how it happened:

Her Italian grandfather, Giuseppe Metallo, who moved to America from southern Italy, was barely Italian; which explains how he had an Italian name and only spoke Italian, yet why my mom only showed up as 4.5% Italian. Instead, I theorize he was actually mostly Middle Eastern; with a little bit of Italian and Baltic thrown in there.

He married Maria Vite, who was a Sephardic Jew whose family had moved to America from Italy, as well. (Vite is derived from Vitalli; a Sephardic Jewish last name.)

So in theory, my mom had two “Italian” grandparents, one of whom was mainly Middle Eastern and one was mainly Jewish.

I think that’s just fascinating.

Some people could care less about their ethnicity, but I am not one of those people.

Instead, I think it’s one of the coolest things in the world.

And if you’re interested in taking a DNA test like I did, here’s the link to MyHeritage.