parenting

Leave a comment Posted on parenting, Storytelling

Raising Jumpin’ Jack Flash, The BASE Jumper

June 10, 2014 at 10:34 pm , by

3 years, 6 months.

Dear Jack,

Ever since you took that gymnastics class a few months ago, you’ve made a habit of looking for things to jump off of, like a BASE jumper.

That’s right- you learned to jump, as funny has that sounds. And now, it’s something you take very seriously.

When we stayed at the hotel for the Wizard World Atlanta Comic Con recently, you were very excited to see there was an ottoman in front of the sofa.

Needless to say, you knew just what to do…

When you weren’t using Hungry Hungry Hippos as a toy, you were being Jumpin’ Jack Flash!

A recent new tradition you and I started is that every night when it’s time for you to go upstairs with Mommy to take your bath, I take a break from doing the dishes and give you a piggy back ride to your room.

Then, I throw you onto your bed.

For the next couple of minutes after that, you jump off the bed onto the carpet, only to have me throw you back on the bed.

Your face slams into the bedspread and pillows. You love it.

Convenient for the sake of you continuing this roughhousing with me, is the fact you have never gotten hurt doing any of this.

This whole time, I’ve never had to put up a baby gate on our stairway. You have always had a reverent fear of the stairs- which is part of why you like to ride on my shoulders while going up them.

But despite your new love of BASE jumping, you have no desire to try jumping down the stairs.

You know that if you get hurt jumping, or while I throw you on the bed, that you probably wouldn’t get to have this much fun.

Smart kid, you are.

 

 

Love,

Daddy

Leave a comment Posted on Health, parenting, vegan

How Does Your Organic, Non-GMO Garden Grow?

June 8, 2014 at 2:26 pm , by

3 years, 6 months.

Dear Jack,

While it’s no secret that our family of three has been serving as advocates of the plant-based lifestyle for a couple of years now, what I haven’t mentioned is that for the past several months, my side of the family has been fiercely transitioning to plant-based life as well.

Your Papa (my dad) and your Auntie Dana (my sister) have basically been vegans since last Fall.

By default, the other family members have ended up finding themselves in this peculiar alternative lifestyle as well.

Even since Christmas when we spent several days there in Alabama with them visiting, there was no meat or eggs served in any of the food.

Two weeks ago when we visited everyone for your cousin’s birthday, Nonna (my mom) proudly showed us her new garden. Yes, the seeds are organic and non-GMO. And the fertilizer is simple, classic horse manure.

You even got to help plant some cucumbers. Nonna texted me a picture yesterday of them sprouting of the dirt. How cool is it going to be when we visit the family later and eat those cucumbers, knowing you were the one who planted them?

One of the ongoing themes you’ve probably noticed, when I write about food, is the importance of questioning where your food comes from.

As for the vegetables and fruits we will eat when we visit family, we’ll know for sure where our food came from.

I should point out that you and I, along with Spiderman, helped water the soil around the garden.

Your “Uncle Owl” (my Uncle Al) had bought you a Spiderman sprinkler last summer that you decided you wanted to play with.

So basically, you assigned me to be brave enough to jump over it and run around it.

Then when you saw how cool it was for me to do it, you did the same. Nothing like getting wet by the Spiderman-themed garden hose sprinkler while wearing your pajamas.

We are now a part of our family’s organic, non-GMO garden. But how does it grow?

With love, water, and horse manure.

 

Love,

Daddy

Leave a comment Posted on Nostalgia, parenting

Standing On The Shoulders Of “Baby Giants”

June 8, 2014 at 1:41 pm , by

1 Comment Posted on Health, infographic, parenting, vegan

Ask A Vegan Anything: Is Dairy Related To Allergies & Sinus Problems?

June 8, 2014 at 12:32 am , by

3 years, 6 months.

Dear Jack,

You probably don’t remember the version of me that weighed about 35 pounds more.

That would be the version that also had chronic sinus pressure and allergy issues, as well as a rare, “uncurable” skin condition known as dyshidrosis.

The version of your Daddy that you know is the healthy version- the one that no longer has allergies or sinus issues, or that awful version of eczema.

Of course, the unpopular (and annoying) thing about my improved version of my life is that it had nothing to do with prescription medicine.

It had to do with me “going plant-based.” In other words, like Bill Clinton, I became a vegan. Here’s a relevant, recent conversation about it on Facebook:

Like ·  · Promote · Share
  • Crystal Brisendine Was it you that posted about changing your diet helped your allergies?
  • Nick Shell Yes, I’m no longer allergic to animals, nor do I get sinus infections, or really even produce mucus anymore, nor do I get sinus pressure, nor does my skin break out; not to mention, I had to get a weaker prescription for my glasses because my eyes improved. Most of these changes for the better occurred after only 48 hours after nixing dairy and eggs.
    9 hours ago · Like · 1
  • Nick Shell Ben Wilder, tell her about your experience, after I corrupted you with my crazy 48 hour vegan challenge…
  • Crystal Brisendine Ok great! Thanks! My allergies and asthma are so bad, I will try anything. I think all the medications I am getting are making it worse.
  • Nick Shell I will be glad to be your guide. Ask me anything. Also, just go to The Dadabase and search “vegan”. I’ve written a library of tips for you already.
    9 hours ago · Like · 1
  • Ben Wilder Thanks Nick. Hi everyone my name is Ben. If you told me a year ago I wouldn’t be drinking dairy milk and eating cheese, I would’ve said you’re the next big comedian. But it’s true. Going on 3 months now, I’ve eliminated dairy from my diet and my allergies are gone… so far. I was taking a Zyrtec pill every day. Not a few times a week or here and there… it was every single day. I can’t speak to the long term benefits of this change… yet. But you can sure as heck bet that I’m a firm believer already.

As you can see from this Facebook discussion, I am passionate about casually making it common knowledge that sinus and allergy issues are related to consuming dairy and eggs.

I want it to become common knowledge in the way, that finally, mainstream America is beginning to accept the connection between sugar and meat consumption with (preventable) Type 2 Diabetes.

Thanks to my many mentions here on The Dababase about my victorious battle with dyshidrosis and sinus & allergy problems, random sufferers of the same issues I once had are now taking me up on my offer to “Ask A Vegan Anything.”

Maybe one day, it will be considered ridiculous that junior high and high school sporting events are sponsored by soda companies.

Or that McDonald’s is a huge sponsor of the Olympics.

Ultimately, it all comes down to getting people to question what’s actually in their food. You wouldn’t normally eat weird chemicals that are linked to cancer.

But with processed foods, that’s unavoidable.

Some of the guys at work like to joke that the 2011 version of me looked “a lot heathier.”

I guess that depends on a person’s definition of healthy.

All I can say is that life without processed sugar, artificial sweeteners, meat, eggs, or dairy is a life without eczema, sinus pressure, or allergies.

This is the version of me you will always know. I have no motivation to ever go back.

 

Love,

Daddy

 

Note: This is an opinion piece of the author and does not reflect Parents magazine or the medical establishment.

Poison Food
Source: TopMastersInHealthcare.com

Leave a comment Posted on parenting, Storytelling

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Birthday Party For A 3 Year-Old

June 7, 2014 at 10:14 pm , by

3 years, 6 months.

Dear Jack,

For Memorial Day weekend, we took a road trip in the Sante Fe SUV to go to your cousin Calla’s 3rd birthday party. I should point out, that by default, you had to become a Brony for the afternoon, since you were surrounded by two other 3 year-olds, who both happened to be girls.

One of them, was of course, your cousin Calla.

The other was, well, only your best friend in the whole world: Sophie!

She moved away back in February, but it turns out, where your cousin Calla lives in basically the half-way point between where Sophie moved and where we live.

As expected, you and Sophie picked up right where you left off.

Needless to say the three of you had a great time. It should be a given that when in the presence of our family, things will be fun, random, and unique.

And so they were.

The party got started off right with an inflatable castle,  a rocking horse, and a playground underneath the Alabama pines.

After the three of you burned off some energy in the fresh air, one thing led to another, and the next event became a visit down into the storm shelter.

Yeah, because that’s normal…

It is with us, at least. After I closed the hatch, I stood above you all, on ground level, pretending to be the “Big Bad Wolf,” howling through the ventilation pipe.

You guys cheerfully stayed down there much longer than I would have expected.

After all, with the exception of the little bit of light shining down from where I was standing, it was otherwise completely dark in the storm shelter.

I suppose there’s something about hanging out in a storm shelter that makes you crave munchies, because up next, the three of you had vegan vanilla cupcakes at the Friendship Is Magic table.

Meanwhile, we adults dined on vegan French toast and vegan quiche as well.

Because if things weren’t quirky enough with our family, you better believe that our plant-based lifestyle extends beyond just you, me, and Mommy…

What comes next after the snacks and birthday cake? The presents!

We got Calla a tutu, while “Uncle Owl,” who is my Uncle Al (pictured in the storm shelter picture, flashing a peace sign) presented Calla with the gift that earned the title “Most/Least Creatively Wrapped Gift.”

Throughout my whole life, he has always been known for buying us nice gifts, and a lot of them… and wrapping them in newspaper.

This time, though, he decided to mix things up.

He “wrapped” Calla’s largest gift by placing it in a large black garbage bag.

Calla didn’t seem to notice the humor, she was just so happy to be getting a kid-sized Disney Princesses sofa.

I think you missed the “unwrapping” of the sofa, because Sophie’s daddy was taking turns bouncing you and Sophie on the giant exercise ball in the living room.

Just imagine had we known what all was going to happen at Calla’s party in advance.

Imagine if the invitation would have arrived in the mail, proclaiming this:

“Come join us to celebrate Calla’s 3rd birthday!

We will be playing outside in a jumpy castle, riding a rocking horse, hanging out in a storm shelter, bouncing on a yoga ball, and we will try to figure out what’s underneath that garbage bag.”

Yep, just another all-American birthday party for a 3 year-old girl.

All the standard stuff you’d expect to see… in our family, at least.

 

Love,

Daddy