Dear Jack: Our 1st Non-Blizzard Weekend Ever to Stay in Town

5 years, 4 months.

Dear Jack: Our 1st Non-Blizzard Weekend Ever to Stay in Town

Dear Jack,

I know this might seem strange, but since moving to Spring Hill in January 2015 over a year ago, our family hasn’t stayed in town for the whole weekend- with two exceptions when we were snowed in and physically could not get out of our cul-de-sac.

With Mommy being 8 months pregnant, we decided it would be a good idea to purposely not leave the Spring Hill city limits. The less unnecessary running around, the better. (Usually we drive to Alabama for Easter, but again because of how pregnant Mommy is, we didn’t- for the first time ever.)

Dear Jack: Our 1st Non-Blizzard Weekend Ever to Stay in Town

It’s pretty common for us to make the 20 minute drive to Cool Springs/Franklin on Saturdays. But this time around, I bought our groceries and dinner on Friday on the way home from work. That eliminated the temptation for us to leave town the next day.

Dear Jack: Our 1st Non-Blizzard Weekend Ever to Stay in Town

So therefore, everything we had to get done on the weekend was able to occur in Spring Hill. Mommy got her “before I have the baby haircut” just down the street, while you and I explored the creek flowing around our neighborhood.

And on Easter Sunday, you and I got to see Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, on its opening weekend. Meanwhile, Mommy had several hours to chill out at the house.

Parental Review of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justic

But in the midst of all that, we made a point as a family to spend time together hanging out in the city we live in; where springs and hills are plentiful.

On Saturday afternoon, once you woke up from your nap, we headed over to Sweet CeCe’s because A) Mommy was craving ice cream, B) therefore so were you, and C) they have vegan sorbet there that I can have. We were very pleased!

Dear Jack: Our 1st Non-Blizzard Weekend Ever to Stay in Town

Afterwards, we visited a walking park that we’ve been seeing in the distance every Sunday on the way to church. But finally, we checked it out.

It was one of my favorite weekends for us as a family. Staying in town all weekend is great!

With your sister Holly on the way in a few weeks, I’m pretty sure we’ll get to stay in town all weekend for most weekends for the next couple of months.

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: Our 1st Non-Blizzard Weekend Ever to Stay in Town

Dear Holly: The Socks We Bought You Back in December 2007

37 weeks.

Dear Holly: The Socks We Bought You Back in December 2007

Dear Holly,

It truly was back in 2007 that Mommy and I first perceived the concept of you in our minds, when we bought you your first pair of socks.

Mommy and I were dating at the time, but it was just a couple of weeks before I proposed. We drove from Tennessee to Pennsylvania, where one of Mommy’s sister’s family lives.

Dear Holly: The Socks We Bought You Back in December 2007

While on that trip, Mommy saw a pair of girly baby socks and wanted to buy them “for when we have a little girl one day.” I encouraged her to buy the socks, assuming there was a good chance there really would be a little girl in our future at some point.

Granted, many years would pass from that day in December 2007 until the Spring of 2016, when you will be born. And during several of those years, Mommy and I thought we might just have one child.

Dear Holly: The Socks We Bought You Back in December 2007

But in the end, fate worked itself out. We followed Dave Ramsey, got out of debt, saved up a down payment on a new house, bought a new house, and suddenly… we were both thinking the same thing:

It’s time to have another baby!

And now you’re almost here. These socks are now waiting for you in your drawer.

Dear Holly: The Socks We Bought You Back in December 2007

This past weekend Mommy and I visited your bedroom while your brother Jack was taking a nap in his bedroom. I guess we wanted to imagine how that former guest room will never be the same.

Instead of a guest room, it will be a little girl named Holly’s room. It’s funny how full your room already is, and you’re not even here yet.

Dear Holly: The Socks We Bought You Back in December 2007

That means that a lot of people are anticipating your arrival, not just me and Mommy and your brother Jack.

I took some pictures of Mommy with our new camera. I love that “coming soon” sticker that she stuck on her tummy.

That’s you inside!

Love,

Daddy

Dear Holly: The Socks We Bought You Back in December 2007

Parental Guide Summary of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Parental Guide Summary of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

This review today is written for parents who are wondering if Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice might be too inappropriate for their children to see.

Despite what most critics are apparently saying, I personally actually enjoyed the movie.

And to serve my Internet followers, I decided to take good notes during the entire movie, to help inform parents of any potentially offensive material.

Here’s the video version I made, if you prefer:

Of course, to keep this family friendly for this review, I’ll censor out some vowels so we all have a clear conscience about it.

Language:

So let’s get started with profanity. For a gritty PG-13 rated movie, I actually feel the language was a bit light:

2 vain uses of G*d d*mn

2 vain uses of G*d

1 vain use of Chr*st

1 vain use of J*sus

1 vain (not literal) use of hell

1 vain use of d*mn

2 uses of son of a b*tch

1 literal use of b*lls, referring to the human anatomy

1 literal use of sex trafficker

As you can see, this movie only has a few token “cuss words”. Instead, it’s the vain uses of God’s name, as well as terms revolving around eternal damnation, that would be deemed offensive by many religious parents.

Violence:

As expected, this movie is over 2 hours of constant action and violence. The death count is easily in the dozens; not to mention the thousands that lose their lives during a building collapse.

However, very little blood is shown. This is not a gory movie, which keeps it from being R-rated.

Sensuality/nudity:

While there is no explicit nudity or overtly sensual scenes, situations are definitely implied at few times.

-A naked male corpse is shown, with the pelvic area censored by the person observing the body.

-A group of rescued yet still captive human trafficking victims are shown behind bars, while Batman brands the trafficker himself after Batman chains him to the wall.

-Bruce Wayne is shown waking up with an unknown woman in bed, as to imply a casual sexual relationship, though the woman’s face isn’t even shown.

-There is also a scene in which Clark Kent casually walks in on Louis Lane in the bathtub. The bathwater censors her, but by the end of the scene Superman joins her while fully clothed, as the
camera pans away to imply more is about to happen.

-Wonder Woman’s attire might possibly be deemed as too revealing by conservative parents.

Religious Blasphemy:

A reoccurring theme of the movie is the question, “Is Superman good all the time?” However, God’s name is often substituted for Superman’s name when this topic comes up.

Similarly, Lex Luther at one point says, “God is as good as dead.” (Of course, he is referring to Superman; comparing him to God.)

Overall:

Ultimately, this is a dark, PG-13 rated movie. However, it’s not gory or explicit. The language easily could have been much worse.

Based on this information I’ve provided for you today, I’ll let  you decide as the parent, what age is appropriate for a child to be to see this movie.

Dear Jack: Easter 2016 at The Shell House

5 years, 4 months.

Dear Jack: Easter 2016 at The Shell House

Dear Jack,

This makes our first Easter as a family where we didn’t travel to Nonna and Papa’s house in Alabama to celebrate. With Mommy being 8 months pregnant, she isn’t currently able to be in the car for that long of a trip.

Dear Jack: Easter 2016 at The Shell House

I never thought of it until this weekend, but this also made the first Easter for our family where I was responsible for hiding the eggs. So I obviously had fun hiding them in our backyard.

When you discovered your Easter basket, you immediately thanked and hugged Mommy and me.

I responded, “But what about the Easter Bunny?”

You instantly replied, “No, it was you and Mommy.”

I didn’t argue with you. Smart kid you are.

Mommy is such a good gift-giver. She found a very appropriate book for you: I’m a Big Brother.

Plus she got you another owl to match the one you got for Christmas. And she found some dinosaur eggs that dissolve in water and leave behind a dinosaur toy.

I know it sounds random, but she even got you a “bath bomb” for bath time. You love that kind of stuff these days!

Not to mention, there were one dollar bills in some of the eggs, plus a five dollar bill in the golden egg. So thanks to Grandma’s $2 bill she sent in the mail, you are now $14 richer.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HLIZ0AE/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?ie=UTF8&btkr=1

As far as candy, we did get you some of the traditional stuff, but you were just as excited about the Annie’s Homegrown snacks in your basket too.

http://www.annies.com/

Another first for this Easter, this made the first time, as a kid, you’ve ever gone to the main church service with us; at The Church at Station Hill. You love your Pre-K class that takes place while Mommy and I are in the main auditorium, but today, all the kids remained with their parents.

http://www.annies.com/

I’m pretty sure you thought it was neat. The story was fresh on your mind as I read the Easter story to you from your children’s Bible yesterday before your nap.

http://www.annies.com/

If nothing else, you got to work on an activity sheet where you had to help Mary through a maze to find the empty tomb of Jesus.

What a great Easter day for our family. And imagine, by next Easter, you’ll have a nearly one year-old baby sister!

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: Easter 2016 at The Shell House

Dear Jack: We’ll Definitely Be Dangerous… We Just Won’t Get Hurt

5 years, 4 months.

Dear Jack:

Dear Jack,

I suppose it’s safe to say a new weekly ritual is in full swing. This makes the 3rd weekend in a row where you and I have gone exploring in the surrounding neighborhoods, using a creek that begins in our backyard
as our road.

Dear Jack:

Before Mommy left the house to get her “pre-going into labor haircut” and then to Kroger to buy groceries, she smiled and told me, “Be safe. Don’t be dangerous out there.”

I smiled back and promised her,

“Oh, we’ll definitely be dangerous- we just won’t get hurt.”

About 20 minutes later as you and I were about to turn out of our neighborhood in my Honda Element, I asked you, “Jack, where you want to explore today?”

Dear Jack: I Will Be Serving as Your Guide to Danger and the Unknown

We decided to pick up where we left off last week, this time following the creek in the opposite direction. You quickly found the wooden plank you discovered and left behind on Sunday, deciding to take it with us for today’s entire journey.

The plank served three purposes:

#1. A shovel to help you make “chocolate milk” in the creek.

https://familyfriendlydaddyblog.com/2016/03/24/dear-jack-our-new-canon-powershot-g7-x-camera/

#2. A portable table to help you see your instantly growing rock collection.

Dear Jack:

#3. A bridge to help you get across the creek when you didn’t feel like jumping.

https://familyfriendlydaddyblog.com/2016/03/24/dear-jack-our-new-canon-powershot-g7-x-camera/

The further down the creek we trekked, the more exciting and potentially dangerous things became.

You had to make your way across the rocks and the water of the creek by depending on half-rotted boards that were already placed there by other adventurers.

Dear Jack: I Will Be Serving as Your Guide to Danger and the Unknown

And then when we finally came across a more legitimate bridge, even it was crooked; like something from a cartoon movie.

Dear Jack: I Will Be Serving as Your Guide to Danger and the Unknown

Even as I’m telling you this now, it sounds like some kind of weird dream we both experienced.

When we go exploring together, we never really know what surprises await us. Well, fate would have it that we just happened to be aligned with these two tunnels leading up to the bank of a pond…

Dear Jack: I Will Be Serving as Your Guide to Danger and the Unknown

So we crawled through one. Once on the other side, you found an old pumpkin there in the water. I’m not sure why, since this is March, not November.

Dear Jack: I Will Be Serving as Your Guide to Danger and the Unknown

After that, we clumsily journeyed back to the street and found my car; you were exhausted by that point. But we still had about 45 minutes before Mommy would be home, so I talked you to in to letting me take you on a drive.

Dear Jack: I Will Be Serving as Your Guide to Danger and the Unknown

You and I have wondered for over a year now, since we moved to Spring Hill, about that that big blue water tower we had been seeing in the distance.

So we checked it out.

Dear Jack: I Will Be Serving as Your Guide to Danger and the Unknown

We were high up enough where we could even see our own neighborhood and church.

I’m glad you like exploring as much as I do. I suppose it’s becoming a mutual hobby for us.

And though we were slightly dangerous the whole time, we came back home to Mommy without any injuries.

Love,

Daddy