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Dear Holly: Just Add Straws, a Tongue Depressor, and a Liquid Medicine Dispenser to Play-Doh for an Easy Hour Long Activity

3 years, 4 months.

Dear Holly,

After watching you brother accidentally yet successfully make creepy tapeworms to fight each other, you decided you wanted to join in on the fun.

You asked me for toothpicks like I gave your brother. I let you have two, but I decided that orange straws to match your orange Play-Doh might be more interesting to you. A few minutes later, I threw in a liquid medicine dispenser as well as a tongue depressor.

For a 3 year-old girl, this perfectly challenged you for an hour. You had so much fun figuring out the many ways you could incorporate the Play-Doh accordingly.

I will have to remember this simply yet engaging activity for next weekend too!

Daddy

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Dear Jack: Making Creepy Tapeworms Out of Play-Doh, Then Making Them Fight

8 years, 9 months.

Dear Jack,

As I was cleaning the bathrooms Saturday afternoon, I noticed that you grabbed several toothpicks as you were working on a Play-Doh project at the kitchen table.

Eventually, the commentary began:

“Hey Daddy, look! This snake totally just bit the other one but the the other snake stabbed him with the spikes on his back…”

I was happy to see your creativity in action. But I did have to point out that they reminded me more of tape worms. Once I showed you a picture of them on my phone, you easily agreed that you had indeed been unknowingly making and fight giant tapeworms.

Maybe that was better, actually- since tapeworms are arguably creepier than snakes.

Love,

Daddy

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Jeep Wrangler Road Trip with My Wife Along Lookout Mountain Brow: From Fort Payne, AL to Rising Fawn, GA to Chattanooga, TN

Owning a Jeep Wrangler means that suddenly, any drive immediately becomes an adventurous road trip. That definitely was the case Labor Day Weekend.

My wife and I drove from my parents’ house in Fort Payne, Alabama to downtown, Chattanooga; the while time with the top off the Jeep and the whole time along the brow of Lookout Mountain.

We traveled through 3 states in doing so: Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee.

About halfway through, we stopped for a hike along side of the mountain top, at Cloudland Canyon State Park.

From there, we stumbled upon some hang gliders who were flying all around us. This was quite a sight to see!

It was a fun date! I really enjoyed being able to spent time alone with my wife all afternoon, while my parents and sister watched our kids.

At age 38, having fun is still important. Having a cool wife and a cool Jeep helps make that possible!

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Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Georgia: Hiking the Trails Down to Hemlock Falls and Cherokee Falls

I was born and raised in Fort Payne, Alabama in the 1980s and 90s. My dad’s side of the family lived just an hour on the other side of Lookout Mountain; near Chattanooga, Tennessee.

At least half a dozen times each year, we would drive to see that side of the family for get-togethers. A little past halfway of the trip, I would always notice a brown government sign advertising Cloudland Canyon State Park; just 3 miles to the left.

But being that we already lived next to the Little River Canyon Preserve and DeSoto State Park, we were already quite exposed to the Alabama side of Lookout Mountain’s natural wonders.

So as a kid, I never visited Cloudland Canyon State Park. It wasn’t until 3 years ago when I took my 5 year-old son (at the time), that I finally realized how awesome that place is.

Last weekend during Memorial Day Weekend, I decided to take a fun backroads Jeep ride with my now 8 year-old son and my dad.

We had heard you could hike down in the the canyon and check out some waterfalls.

And is exactly what we did.

It had the appeal of a theme park… except, it is an actual real park.

One of the highlights for my son is when we he was able to catch a crayfish at the bottom of one of the waterfalls.

Granted, this isn’t a hike for the faint of heart. It’s a 2 mile hike, but it’s straight down… and then you still have to hike back up.

But I am already looking forward to going back!

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Dear Jack: The Crayfish You Caught at the Waterfall

8 years, 9 months.

Dear Jack,

Last Saturday morning, you and I went hiking with Papa at Cloudland Canyon State Park in Georgia; which is only 30 miles from Nana and Papa’s house.

We took a long hike down into the canyon, where we were able to check out some waterfalls.

It was in a puddle formed in conjunction to one of the waterfalls that you had a hunch that there might be a creature to catch.

Unbeknownst to me, you had proactively brought a bug container with you on our hike.

You were so proud of the crayfish you caught.

As we hiked back up to the top of the park, several of the hikers making their way down said to one another, “Look at one that boy caught… some kind of fish?”

That was pretty cool.

Love,

Daddy