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3 Comments Posted on fatherhood, Nostalgia, parenting, People, Storytelling, Uncategorized

Dear Jack: The Pirate’s Treasure and Saber Tooth You Found at Miramar Beach! (“Ride the Lightning” 2017 Toyota Prius Road Trip)

6 and a half years.

Dear Jack,

During the weeks leading up to our recent road trip to Destin, you had been telling me, “Daddy, I think we’re going to find treasure at the beach. Maybe even some bones. Maybe we can find a saber-toothed tiger skull because they’re the hardest to find in the whole world!”

I kept assuring you that if you looked in the right places, we just might find a buried something.

So during our 2nd morning at the beach last week, while your sister was out with Mommy and Grandma and Aunt Rebecca as they took the 2017 Toyota Prius Three to the outlet stores, you and I went out searching on the shore.

Just about 5 minutes into you playing in the sand as the water kept washing up and flooding your feet, I called you over to me, as I was just about 15 feet behind you.

“Jack, come over here. I think this would be a good spot to dig! The sand looks sort of different where this spot is.”

You rushed over.

After you dug down about 8 inches deep, there it was… a scratched up treasure chest!

With great excitement, you pulled the black metal box out of the sand. Fortunately, there was no lock, so you were able to open it right away.

Amazingly, there was a letter right there on top. We read it together:                                                                                          

July 1, 1733

To the Person Who Finds My Treasure,

If you are reading this, it is too late for me. This means my ship sank on the sea. I was keeping my gold safe in the sand, but now it is all yours. And one more thing, watch out for the dinosaurs and saber-toothed tigers…

Henry the Pirate

But you were more impressed by the gold coins inside the treasure chest. You counted them all: “Daddy, there’s 73 gold coins!”


This immediately inspired you to continue searching, as now you were becoming preoccupied with finding some bones in the sand. Just a few minutes later, a few feet away from where the treasure chest was buried, I started digging.

“Here, why don’t you take a turn now?” I suggested to you..

It couldn’t have been a minute later that you shouted, “Daddy, I found something!”

Without me having to explain anything, you figured it out:

“It’s a saber-toothed tiger’s tooth!”

And that tooth ended up being worth more to you than all that gold.

Love,

Daddy

2 Comments Posted on car reviews, parenting, People, Storytelling, Uncategorized

Dear Holly: Your Little Feet and Hands in the Sand for the 1st Time (“Ride the Lightning” 2017 Toyota Prius Road Trip)

1 year, 1 months.

Dear Holly,

It was everything I had hoped it would be, seeing your reaction to the ocean and the sand and waves.

As your Daddy, it was so rewarding to see your precious little toes in the sand. I got to see how you used both your hands at the same to pick up the sand then let it run through them.

It became very obvious to me that if you could, you would be perfectly happy spending all day out there on Miramar Beach.

But your favorite part was when I took you into the water. As you wore your “Sweetie” bathing suit that I adore on you, I stood with you in the shallow water and lifted you up as each new wave came to you.

You just loved it! You weren’t afraid of the waves at all.

There were a few times when, as I lifted you up as a bigger wave splashed, you would shake like you were crying. But each time I looked down and saw your face, you were laughing instead.

I know it was asking a lot of you, at just one year-old, that Mommy and I took you on a 7 hour road trip to Florida with your brother.

Fortunately though, you slept through most of the driving as we journeyed on in the 2017 Toyota Prius Three. Perhaps it’s not necessarily normal for parents to drive all that way to take such a young little girl to the beach… I don’t know.

What I do know is, I’m glad our family was able to make this trip happen. And because of how well you handed it, you’ve now got Mommy and me convinced that our next trip to Florida doesn’t have to be another year from now.

Hmmm… maybe this fall? Yeah, we might need to make that happen.

Love,

Daddy

2 Comments Posted on fatherhood, new house, parenting, Storytelling, toy reviews, Uncategorized

Our Back Porch and Back Yard are Like 2 More Rooms of Our House in the Summer (Featuring American Plastic Toys)

This makes the 3rd summer we’ve spent in our house since it was built, yet it’s the 1st summer we’ve really made an effort as a family to utilize those 2 forsaken “rooms” of our house: the back porch and the back yard.

It’s becoming the norm these days that, as a family, we end up hanging out there under the blue sky, with the soybean field in sight right over the fence. My one year-old daughter loves it when I take her out there just to watch the robins fly by. She points to the sky, “Wuh? Wuh?”

I then confirm, “Yes, birds. Birds.”

While we were on vacation in Florida last week, American Plastic Toys sent our family some samples of their outdoor sports equipment for kids. (And yes, these products are actually made in America.)

So this past Saturday morning, we finally were able to break out the new outdoor sports toys and have some fun.

We made our way out onto the lawn so my son could hit some home runs. I forget how big our lawn actually is, but playing baseball helped put our “field” to use.

Our back porch transformed into a golf course, as our son wanted to refine his skills for the next time we visit a putt-putt place. Eventually, our golf game transitioned in to a hockey match, as our son is quite aware of the Nashville Predators. Before he was ready to move on, though, he also engaged me in a sword fight, using the golf clubs.

Summer is on its way. I want make sure we make good use of the great outdoors, especially when they are literally right outside the back door.

As for my daughter, she’s happy just to watch her big brother play, as she uses our back porch as a training facility for learning to walk.

3 Comments Posted on parenting, Uncategorized

Decorating Your Child’s Room Can Be Fun- By Special Guest Blogger, Angela Berry

Is it time for you to decorate or redecorate your child’s bedroom, but you’re just all out of ideas? Or you don’t feel like doing it, because you don’t know where to start? Here are some helpful tips and tricks on how to transform your kid’s room and make it super fun, cosy, practical and stylish.

Get your DIY on

Even if you’re not big on DIY projects, you will probably enjoy making things for your toddler’s room. We don’t mean you should make furniture from scratch, but some small details such as framing a picture or crafting a piece of décor. You can also bring out your sewing machine and make some cushions for your nursery glider, transforming it from an essential piece into a focal point for the room.

Bring in some colour 

If you’ve been planning to paint the nursery one colour, that’s ok, but have you thought about 3 or 4 colours? Maybe some dramatic stripes to make things more interesting? You can always go for a nautical look for boy’s room. Think blue and white stripes, wooden shelves, turquoise linen and furniture, and some fun suitcases as storage space. Maybe put up a life buoy as a finishing touch.

Don’t rush into things 

Buying a finished bedroom with all the matching furniture and décor will never look as good as a personalized room. You don’t want your kid’s room to look just like any room, but want it to have a personality that matches your kid. You can collect different décor pieces and furniture over time to achieve that new vs. old, cool and eclectic look. Or, you can choose one piece of furniture, and then build around it. If you don’t know where to start, you can browse for decorations from Angus & Dudley Collections  and find something beautiful for every nook in your kid’s room. For instance, you can get cosy Grey Raindrops Bean Chairs, put them in a corner and create a little nest for reading and relaxing. Reserve that corner for peaceful activities which will provide your kid with some space where they know they won’t be disturbed.

Shelving 

Most of the kids are collectors. They are very proud of what they own and want the world to see it. Make sure to provide your kid with enough display space, so they can arrange and rearrange their collection as they want (put shelves and cabinets on their level). If your kid wants to display photos and other memorabilia on the wall, it doesn’t mean you have to go with corkboard. You can hang them from thin ropes or clip them to a string attached to the wall. Also, you can buy (or make) a cool magnetic board made of galvanized metal for a more contemporary and industrial look.

Light it up 

One thing you must think about is the lighting. Your kid will need multiple kinds of lighting, such as overhead lighting for play, task lighting for studying, and a soft light for dark nights. Night lights come in interesting shapes and size, and are perfect for nurseries and young kids’ rooms.

Personalize for older kids 

Teenagers don’t care about themed rooms, but they want a space that tells you who they are. The best advice is to take things your teen loves, and incorporate then in the design. Is your kid an aspiring athlete? Frame their favourite athlete’s jersey or make a classic display shelf for all of their sports souvenirs. Is your kid a future musician? Find a cool spot for their instruments and records. If you’re raising a little explorer, put up a world map.

As you can see, decorating your child’s room can be so much fun, not just for you, but for your kid too. Let them help with decoration to make them enjoy their new room even more. Have fun!

photo
Angela Berry
Editor, Ripped me
E angela.berry@ripped.me W  https://ripped.me/

 

1 Comment Posted on car reviews, fatherhood, parenting, Uncategorized

2017 Toyota Prius Three: Child Car Seat Space in the Back Seat/Putting the Car in Reverse and Park

As you may have recently read, my wife and I recently took our two young children on a 7 hour road trip from Spring Hill, TN to Destin, FL and back in a 2017 Toyota Prius Three. While I would definitely consider the Prius to be a compact vehicle, never once was space an issue for our family.

There even were times when my wife, who is 5’ 6” and 119 pounds, sat in the back seat between our 6 and a half year-old son in his front-facing booster seat and our 1 year-old daughter in her rear-facing car seat, as my wife needed to play with our daughter after she woke up from long naps.

 

While obviously, squeezing in between two kids’ seats wasn’t ideal or comfortable, it was possible. She made it work.

Out of curiosity, I tried sitting back there. I did it but it was quite a struggle. I’m 5’ 9” and 162 pounds, so I would say that a person any larger than me wouldn’t be able to accomplish this task.

Another thing that a 2017 Prius Three driver might need to know is how the gear shifter works. It’s different than what you’re likely used to, but once you get used to it, it’s almost simpler and more fun.

By default, the shifter is over to the right side. You have to slide it to the left, which places the car in neutral. From there, simply shift down to reverse or up to put the car in drive.

 

To place the vehicle in park, slide the shifter back to the right side, then simply press the “park” button which is right next to the shifter.

Hopefully my family’s recent road trip and vacation has been able to provide you today with useful information on the Toyota Prius Three.