parenting

Leave a comment Posted on March 12, 2015 parenting, People, Uncategorized

Dear Jack: Why Your Teacher At Rainbow Child Care Center Is Awesome

4 years, 3 months.

Dear Jack,

You have been attending your new school, Rainbow Child Care Center, for a month now. I’m assuming it’s been pretty obvious in my recent letters how happy our family is with you attending there.

Today, I want take a moment to “feature your teacher”, Ms. Aimee.

She is truly exceptional. She is the ideal teacher I could hope for, working at the ideal school I could hope for you to attend.

Last week she taught you to use a hammer, a real hammer, to build a tiny house, which is currently being displayed in our wine cabinet.

Consider how atypical it is that a 4 year-old gets to build something out of wood, using a real hammer, at his preschool. That is so cool you get to do that.

And this week, Ms. Aimee started teaching you and your friends how to use a sewing machine. I love the super serious look on your face in this picture as you were working on your patch.

This is a quick note she sent me about it:

Here are photos of Jack using a sewing machine for the first time! He observed a couple friends do it first, then, became very eager to try. After learning some of the rules (ie: always watch your fingers) he was a sewing pro! He picked out his fabric, and slowly guided it through the sewing machine. After he was done, he loved showing his project off!

These examples demonstrate not only how much creative control that Rainbow Child Care Center gives their teachers, which I extremely appreciate, but also how creative and talented your teacher is.

To me, that’s all the “Montessori” revealing itself.

Plus, it’s pretty revolutionary and unique that Rainbow Child Care Centers have a kids gym in them, so you are able to physically play- despite the weather.

I can see that every day at your school, you are being creatively and intellectually challenged.

Ms. Aimee inspires you. Because of her, you are now fascinated with pet reptiles and amphibians, since Ms. Aimee has 4 of them in your classroom. I imagine not many 4 year-old boys get to have 4 pet reptiles and amphibians in their preschool classroom as class pets!

It’s no surprise that we bought tickets for Repticon for the weekend after next. I can’t wait to see how much you’re going to enjoy it.

Mommy and I even bought you a gecko stuffed animal as part of your upcoming Easter basket.

Oh, and your class recently won a pajama party due to good behavior. It was a big deal to you!

I obviously recommend Rainbow Child Care Center to any parent who is considering enrolling their child there.

It is a perfect fit for our family and lifestyle.

Love,

Daddy

1 Comment Posted on March 5, 2015 new house, Nostalgia, parenting, Uncategorized

Dear Jack: The 1st Month Of Living In Our New House

4 years, 3 months.

Dear Jack,

It was January 29^th, more than 5 weeks ago, that we closed on our new house and began moving our stuff in. The next day, we slept in our new house for the first time.

I didn’t plan to start chronicling each week in our new house the way I’ve done with my letters to you for the past (nearly) 5 years, but it’s just turned out that way (since these posts about our new house have proven to remain very popular among readers).

At this point, we’re obviously settled in our new life, in our new house. Other than finishing up hanging some wall decorations, and waiting on our new sofa to arrive next Saturday, we’re pretty much past the moving in stage.

This past Saturday, it was finally warm enough outside for you and me to go out and play together for the first time in our cul-de-sac. For the past couple of weeks since the big freeze, you had been asking to go play where the neighbors’ remaining snowman is on the sidewalk.

You have collected a decent number of Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars that served as great snowplows. In fact, one of them even buried St. Peter in the snow! Fortunately, a dinosaur helped save him, as the shark from Finding Nemo watched from above.

From there, we finally got to walk along the sidewalk trail along the woods, which circles around to our cul-de-sac.

We were able to walk along a treacherous board where the sidewalk ended…

Sit on a broken tree, throw huge rocks…

And even go “fishing”…

Before we headed back to our house, you made a “Mintacinno” out of some things you found on the ground as we walked together.

It’s still currently melting on our front porch right now.

I should also point out this was the week in history in which you obtained “Blueberry”, a new stuffed animal that Mommy and I let you get after your marble set we got you for Christmas got broken in the move.

Blueberry means a lot to you; it’s quite evident. I was surprised you actually let me name your new bear.

It’s funny because actually Blueberry it’s one of those “My First Bears,” designed for newborns.

You don’t see it that way.

As for your new school, Rainbow Child Care Center, things couldn’t be better. Here’s a note I got from your teacher this week:

Hi Nick!

Here are some photos of Jack working on his wood working! He was so proud of himself being able to use a real hammer and nails. He was very adamant about building a house. Even though he hit his finger with the hammer, he was brave and kept going (with a little help from myself). He used paint to decorate his building.He also made an “octopus monster” with Styrofoam.

-Ms. Aimee

It’s been a great first month! This move has been a great thing for us. New house, new school, and a new version of life.

And, thanks to your teacher Ms. Aimee letting us know about it, we ended up buying tickets for the Repticon (reptile exhibition) in Franklin, TN next weekend!

Oh yes, pictures will follow…

Love,

Daddy

Leave a comment Posted on March 5, 2015 Nostalgia, parenting, Uncategorized

Now Introducing Flashbacks (Reruns) On Family Friendly Daddy Blog

Next month makes 5 whole years that I’ve been “daddy blogging” here on my website. At this point, I’ve published nearly 2,000 posts on Family Friendly Daddy Blog.

My readership has obviously grown over the years; I didn’t even have a Facebook page for my blog for the first couple years.

Therefore, I’m sure there are many of my posts that flew under the radar. And with me posting 3 to 6 new ones every week for the past 5 years, it’s only natural that there are plenty of “lost episodes” that went unseen or forgotten.

I’m sticking to my policy about only regularly posting new stuff on Thursdays. However, from Friday to Wednesday is fair game for me quickly tossing up some links on Facebook and Twitter; to advertise some reruns, or as I plan to refer to them, flashbacks.

Sometimes it will be a “3 years ago today on Family Friendly Daddy Blog…” retro sort of rerun.

But I predict most of the time it will just be me reposting things I’ve written that my now larger audience (nearly 1,000 followers of Facebook at this point) missed the first time around.

So in review, I will continue to post new material on Thursdays, but for the rest of the week, you can expect syndication.

Thanks for being a part of Family Friendly Daddy Blog with me. I am always encouraged to see how many people are reading every day, as I am able to see how many people read each post, using my administration screen.

And still, I’m surprised by how interested readers are in learning about life in our new house. That’s why I try to do a “house post” every Thursday.

I think my inspiration to incorporate reruns happened because my wife and I have been catching up on old episodes of Friends on Netflix; meanwhile, I’m been listening to my old CD collection from high school.

Perhaps I’m just in the mood to feel nostalgic.

Seriously, Sister Hazel’s Somewhere More Familiar really is one of the best albums ever recorded…

1 Comment Posted on February 27, 2015 Nostalgia, parenting, Uncategorized

Dear Jack: Why Pee-Wee’s Playhouse Is So Relevant For You Right Now

4 years, 3 months.

Dear Jack,

During the blizzard last week, in which we were snowed in for 3 days, I decided to introduce you to a “new” (but actually, classic) show on Netflix: Pee-Wee’s Playhouse.

I didn’t realize at the time just how relevant a show like this would be for you: a 4 year-old boy.

The show came out in 1986, when I was about your age. But apparently, it must have always been on while a show I liked better came on- because until last week, I had never seen a full episode of it. (Though I did see his circus movie multiple times: I even had the poster on my bedroom door!)

You are officially obsessed.

To an adult like me, Pee-Wee’s Playhouse is trippy, to say the least. But to you, it’s a marvelous display of absurd fantasy that is undeniably… very relatable to you.

There are Claymation dinosaurs that live inside the wall. Yes, dinosaurs– all 4 year-old boys love dinosaurs!

And there is a talking cow. And a talking chair, named Chairy.

That’s the same way you name your stuffed animals: Pandy the panda bear, Ellie the elephant, Annie the anteater…

Not to mention, Pee-Wee also has a barking dog chair.

You have to appreciate Laurence Fishburne playing a cowboy, with an appropriate mid-Eighties mullet.

There is of course the very strange routine of having the mail lady arrive to announce the king of cartoons arriving.

Once the king walks in, he always seems confused by why he’s there; only to show a random clip of an old 1950’s cartoon.

Perhaps one of your favorite parts of Pee-Wee’s Playhouse is when the door-to-door salesman arrives; in which an instantly annoyed Pee-Wee shuts the door in his face.

The whole show is ultimately a predictable/unpredictable routine of random characters showing up.

We even sat down together and watched the 1988 movie Big Top Pee-Wee, that I just referenced a second ago. I have to admit, it was just as good as I remember it from when I was a kid.

I predict it’s only a matter of time before you start repeating, “I know you are but what am I?”

Love,

Daddy

2 Comments Posted on February 27, 2015 movie reviews, parenting, reviews, Uncategorized

Review Of Sesame Street: The Best Of Elmo 3 DVD

On March 3^rd, the newest “best of” Elmo collection hits the streets. Of course, one of the benefits of being a successful blogger is that I am able to get my big hands on certain merchandise ahead of time; in order to share with my readers what the new product is all about.

Last night I sat down with my 4 year-old son Jack to indulge in the Sesame Street: The Best Of Elmo 3 DVD. As you can see in the pictures below, we had a lot of fun!

What caught me by surprise was how hilarious it was; not just for my son, but equally for me as well.

My son’s favorite part was watching Elmo drive in a car with Taye Diggs, as they zoomed past dancing cows who proudly displayed their udders. Jack couldn’t stop laughing.

For me, my favorite was the musical collaboration that Elmo did with Justin Bieber. Seriously, how could anyone not enjoy this?

Part of the charm of Elmo is his ability to remain fun and loveable, despite his long term, world-wide, celebrity pop culture status.

Granted, this DVD is full of educational lessons, as you would expect from Sesame Street.

If I could only describe Sesame Street: The Best Of Elmo 3 in 3 words, based on my son and I watching it last night, here’s what I’d say:

Fun, hilarious, educational.

So by default, it’s also obviously captivating and entertaining.

The Sesame Street: The Best Of Elmo 3 DVD (and digital), from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and Sesame Workshop (the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street) will be released officially on March 3, 2015 for $14.98 SRP. It also includes the full-length feature, “Elmo and Abby’s Birthday Fun”.

It’s over 2 hours of fun, featuring Elmo the whole time! Now, I’m ready to watch Elmo and Justin Bieber again…

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