parenting

Leave a comment Posted on parenting, Storytelling

Why I’m The Most Vanilla Dad My Son Knows

February 21, 2013 at 10:07 pm , by 

2 years, 3 months.

Dear Jack,

You love dads.

Sure, you love me, but I’myour dad. You’re used to me by now.

No matter how adventurous I am with you, you are still always fascinated by every other dad you meet.

A prime example is our friend Dave.

We went to visit him, his wife Karen, and their brand-new daughter Avery.

As the picture clearly demonstrates, you felt quite comfortable with Dave. Mommy held Avery and Dave held you.

(Just to be clear to anyone else reading this letter, I’m the guy in the green vest and Dave is the guy with the red shirt.)

Before we left their house, Dave gave you one of his business cards; he’s a Realtor in the Nashville area. You played with his business card all the way home.

Then once you got home, you placed his card in your little boy wallet with Mommy’s zeroed out gift cards. As I put you to bed that night, I asked you what your favorite part of the day was. Your response:

“When Leaf hold you.”

I should translate. Your refer to Dave as Leaf, and “you” means “me.” Your favorite part of the day was when Dave held you.

Even now, as I write this, you are upstairs asleep, with Dave’s business card underneath your pillow.

That’s right: You sleep with his card under your pillow. You really like Dave.

I think it’s cool to see how you gravitate towards other dads. It’s clear that to me that you find so much value in masculine role models.

As for the most part, you’re stuck with me. I’m familiar, predictable, safe, and normal. I’m vanilla.

 

Love,

Daddy

Leave a comment Posted on Nostalgia, parenting

The Generic Muppet Baby Version Of Yourself

February 20, 2013 at 11:32 pm , by 

2 years, 3 months.

Dear Jack,

As I look at this recent picture of you at The Good Cup coffee shop, I see a boy who is serious about his life ambitions.

If nothing else, I see a boy who is trying not to act too happy for the fact his parents are actually letting him consume a whole cup of whipped cream while they enjoy their coffee.

You look like a human being. I know that should technically be an understatement, but hopefully it makes slightly more sense when I show you older pictures of yourself.

The best way I can describe it is that you used to be the generic Muppet Baby version of your current self.

Your personality, your will, and your appearance were all much more basic back then.

And by back then, I’m especially referring to you before you were a year old. For example, I found this picture of our family from July 2011, at Little River Falls in Alabama.

Son, I’ve always adored you. I’ve always seen you as the most beautiful boy in the world.

However, when I see this picture, I think of the episode of The Family Guy where Peter Griffin carelessly uses his final wish from a genie to avoid being punched in the face:

“I wish I had no bones!”

At the time, you seemed as animated and detailed as you are now: You weren’t, though.

Maybe that’s something I’ve officially learned here recently; that in present tense, whatever age you happen to be, I will think you more progressed than you are.

In other words, a year from now when you’re 3 years old, I will look back at the picture of you above, at the coffee shop, and think, “What a Muppet Baby you were!”

Sure, alive is alive. But you come to life even more each day. You become more human.

It’s almost even freaky now that you and I have mostly legitimate conversations every day. You definitelyknow your first and last name now. You’re becoming a human citizen.

You really do have life ambitions. You shared one of them with me today:

“I drive an orange Jeep. I go to the parking lot. I wear my seat belt. I eat my crackers.”

As hilarious as it is for me to picture the 2 year-old version of you safely driving an orange Jeep to a parking lot to eat crackers, years from now that could be a reality.

I have to remember though, you’re technically the Muppet Baby version of your 16 year-old self.

 

Love,

Daddy

Leave a comment Posted on Nostalgia, parenting

May You Live In Interesting Times

February 19, 2013 at 10:55 pm , by 

2 years, 3 months.

Dear Jack,

My biggest fear in life is not of public speaking or of heights; it’s that I’ll have to be bored for more than 30 minutes. Yes, that’s a giveaway sign that I’m part of Generation Y.

However, as long as I have you around, I don’t think that being bored will be a problem.

The clock does not generally seem to slow down when I am with you. You keep life interesting in your silly, weird, and challenging ways.

This morning I spent ten minutes wrestling you as you resisted me getting you dressed. I was actually sweating a little bit by the time we finally headed out the door. Seriously, you put up quite a fight.

While I generally don’t look forward to having to pin you down to get you dressed, it’s little things like that that keep life interesting.

I mean, the normal way to leave for work in the morning wouldn’t include such a physical and psychological challenge. But with you, it just might.

On the lighter side, your ideas of fun and passing time are much more different than mine.

For example, every night after your bath, you like to run into your closet and find a new treasure to carry to bed. Last night, it was a cow print cloth diaper.

This is especially funny to me because you never really wore your cloth diapers in the first place. But because you find entertainment in discovering random items stored in your closet, you selected the cow print cloth diaper.

I could tell you were slightly disappointed that your choice wasn’t as exciting as the one from the night before, which was one of your baby monitor speakers.

Even still, you committed to it. You did your best to convince yourself that you actually wanted to sleep with a cow print cloth diaper.

My life is not boring, thanks to you. Needless to say, I live in interesting times.

 

Love,

Daddy

 

 

Leave a comment Posted on Health, parenting, Uncategorized

Review Of Toddler Mum-Mums: Apple, Banana, And Strawberry Rice Biscuits

I love reviewing food products! Today I am featuring Toddler Mum-Mum rice biscuits, by a brand called Hot Kid.

For the review, I was sent 2 boxes of the banana, 2 boxes of the apple, and 2 boxes of the organic strawberry.

Toddler Mum-Mum review

To meet the criteria for my review, the food could not contain artifical food dyes or flavors, or high fructose corn syrup; which in my opinion, is the easiest ways to identify junk food.

With that being said, Toddler Mum-Mum rice biscuits do not contain artifical food dyes or flavors, or high fructose corn syrup; nor do they contain preservatives, gluten, egg, or peanuts.

If you are a strict vegan or vegetarian, please note they contain gelatin, which is an animal by-product also found in pudding and marshmallows.

My niece Calla really loved Mum-Mums… all July 4th weekend. My sister, her mom, said she wouldn’t stop eating them!

Toddler Mum-Mum review

As the name implies, Toddler Mum-Mums are especially intended for toddlers and older. (My niece just turned 3, though.)

While at the grocery store yesterday, I looked at the competition. Turns out, unless you’re at Whole Foods, most grocery stores contain mystery ingredient filled versions of Mum-Mums as the competition.

Toddler Mum-Mum review

In other words, Mum-Mums stand out in the crowd in that their brand cares enough about its consumers to not include a long paragraph of ingredients you have to Google to even find out what they are; only to find out those ingredients shouldn’t even be considered as food to begin with. Mum-Mums only contain about 6 different ingredients.

For more informations, you can check out the Mum-Mums website at mummums.com.

Thanks for visiting Family Friendly Daddy Blog today. I wonder what I’ll review next?

Leave a comment Posted on parenting, Storytelling

Lost In Translation: “I Want Jesus To Change My Diaper!”

February 18, 2013 at 11:43 pm , by 

2 years, 3 months.

Dear Jack,

You can speak; and I’m not referring to a selection of the most necessary phrases to get through life as a 2 year-old. I mean that Mommy and I can carry on an actual conversation with you and you understand what we are asking or telling you.

Yes, you can participate in legitimate conversations now. Granted, there are some limitations; some concepts are just too complex for you to make much sense of right now.

I’ve been telling you how, here lately, you’ve been really picky about which roles Mommy and I can do. As I mentioned, I am now your wardrobe assistant/technician, whereas that used to be Mommy’s job.

This past Saturday the three of us were so busy playing in your bedroom, swinging the shaggy bolster pillow at each other and pretending that your Thor play tent was a ship on the stormy sea, that a couple of hours passed before we realized your diaper was pretty wet.

So we asked you, “Jack, who do you want to change your diaper, Mommy or Daddy?”

Your instant response: “Jesus!” The look on your face was completely serious.

It caught me so off guard, I hesitated as I attempted to answer you:

“Well… uh… Jesus can watch… but it needs to be either Mommy or me who changes your diaper today.”

You stood your ground:

“I want Jesus! I want Jesus to change my diaper!”

Thinking back now, I can’t even remember whether it was Mommy or me who actually changed your diaper. I just know it’s a very bizarre thing to think about. I mean, how do I explain to you why Jesus can’t change your diaper?

That’s a tough one for a 2 year-old to process.

I started thinking about how Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine. Then I started seriously thinking about whether any of His unrecorded miracles included changing toddlers’ diapers. You really got me thinking, kid.

This is only the beginning. You are going to be saying some pretty hilarious things without trying, as you’re new to this “real conversation” concept.

I will be here to help you as you get lost in translation. I will try to help you, at least.

 

Love,

Daddy