Easter

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Dear Jack: Your Easter Ride In A White 1980 MG MGB Convertible

4 years, 4 months.

White 1980 MG MGB Convertible

Dear Jack,

Obviously, a lot of what I do on this blog is review cars from a family friendly perspective. All you have to do is click on the Family Friendly Car Reviews page on the upper left side of this page to be able to see the dozens of different vehicles our family has now reviewed.

What happened over Easter weekend was a little bit different though…

You and Papa got to test drive his the 1980 MG MGB convertible he is fixing up for his Daddy!

White 1980 MG MGB Convertible

He installed your car seat in the only passenger seat the 1980 MG MGB convertible has and you guys drove down to the end of the road and back. This marks your first time in a convertible and your first time in the front seat of a car.

Granted, I doubt you two even reached 30 miles per hour, and it was basically on a closed course, but still… that’s a big deal for you!

This weekend was basically Papa’s official debut of his 1980 MG MGB convertible. He’s been spending a lot of time working on it; getting it into drivable condition.

White 1980 MG MGB Convertible

You took your “new” stuffed animal who you named “Killer Whaley” with you. I got him back in 1987 when our family visited MarineLand on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls during my only visit to see where Nonna grew up; in Buffalo, New York.

After Papa gave you, then your cousin Calla, a ride in the 1980 MG MGB convertible, we had planned to follow everyone else in the Toyota Highlander down to the park. However, right as we were all about to leave, Papa realized one of the tires had lost a lot of air.

So it look like you were pretty lucky to get to cruise in it… I didn’t even get to myself!

Maybe next time…

Love,

Daddy

White 1980 MG MGB Convertible

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Dear Jack: Your 1st Soccer Game/Grumpy Face At School

4 years, 4 months.

Dear Jack: Your First Soccer Game/Grumpy Face At School

Dear Jack,

Last Saturday you had your first ever soccer game! It might be expected for me to tell some high energy story where you scored a goal, in which I feature a picture of you kicking the ball into the net in a very pivotal moment in the game…

However, my goal for you last Saturday was a bit different: “Jack, just finish the game.”

I promise I’ll never be that stereotypical 1990s TV dad who tries to get his son to live out his own sports career dreams.

It doesn’t matter to me if you decided after this season that you never wanted to play on a soccer team again.

I just want you to be able to know that you gave it a shot so that you could decide for yourself whether you truly like soccer or not.

Dear Jack: Your First Soccer Game/Grumpy Face At School

You have good soccer skills, as demonstrated in your practices with Mommy and me in our driveway and even at the soccer field right before the actual game began on Saturday.

The thing getting in your way is that you don’t want to be forced to play soccer in front of other people… with other people.

Therefore, my goal for you will simply be for you to join the rest of the kids on the field by choosing to at least chase the ball around.

I say that because you just stood there, looking at the ground. It was pretty hilarious, actually. I shot this video of you doing the kick-off; you kicked the ball, then just waited and watched the other kids chase the ball as to say, “Alright, my job’s done here.”

It sure beats being the couple of kids who cried their way off the field and never finished.

Your challenge isn’t physical; you are very skilled in that department. Your challenge is a social one. (Not to mention, it was only 36 degrees outside!)

Granted, you are only 4 years old, so I think it’s only natural that you’re not eager to prove your physical skills on the field before a live audience.

If your coach and I can help you overcome your “stage fright”, then I can feel you really got something out of your first soccer season.

Dear Jack: Your First Soccer Game/Grumpy Face At School

Your cousin Calla (and Aunt Dana and Uncle Andrew) drove up from Alabama to see you. We carpooled in their Toyota Highlander.

To help us find the way to the soccer field, you had painted us a map with your watercolors. You also made sure to bring along your newest stuffed animal, Spot; a $5 purchase from Kohl’s.

So we’ll see how the rest of the season goes. I just want you to have fun. I think after a few more games, you’ll start coming out of your “shell.”

Dear Jack: Your First Soccer Game/Grumpy Face At School

Get it? Because our last name is Shell?

Meanwhile, at your school this week, your teacher Ms. Aimee gave me a fun update:

Here are some photos of Jack from today! We had a blast playing outside with chalk! 

My favorite photo is the grumpy face, I couldn’t help but take it when I looked at him.

“Ms. Aimee, I can’t draw my picture!”

“Oh, why not hun?”

“Because, you’re STANDING on it!”

I about died laughing, while evilly taking his picture… hehe.

Dear Jack: Your First Soccer Game/Grumpy Face At School

Looking ahead, we’ve got Easter coming up. I’m sure it will be great family fun! I’m sure I’ll tell you all about it in my next letter to you…

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: Your First Soccer Game/Grumpy Face At School

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A “Religiously Neutral” Easter Toy Drive

A “Religiously Neutral” Easter Toy Drive

This morning, I invite you to laugh with me today regarding the uber politically correctness of the advertisements I recently discovered for a toy drive. (I have purposely censored the name of the organizations involved and their logos.)

The concept is simple, according to the flyers:

“Bring the toy, game, or other item to one of our drop-off locations… Donations will go directly to patients of families at [organization] and used to create Easter baskets for the kids.”

That is the only time in the two flyers which make up the advertisement where it mentions Easter by name, but it is very clear in the phrasing that the idea is to make “Easter baskets”.

On the next page of the advertisements, there are a few specific instructions, including this one:

“All donations must be politically and religiously neutral.”

A “Religiously Neutral” Easter Toy Drive

So it’s a “toy drive” in which people donate toys to make “Easter baskets” from a “religiously neutral” perspective.

Confused? I think I am…

It appears as if the people behind the toy drive are using a tradition from an explicitly religious holiday, acknowledging the word Easter (which refers to resurrection of Jesus Christ, one of the most equally popular and yet debated events in the history of the world) but are asking people to deny any reference of the event.

I get it that most Christian holidays ultimately become commercialized. However, I’m not too worried about it as long as it ultimately leads to conversations about why those days are celebrated in the first place.

But this, this is just laughable because it very awkwardly attempts to be… safe.

Granted, I’m participating in this “religiously neutral” Easter toy drive. I donated a gift for the cause; despite the clumsy phrasing on the flyers.

After all, it’s the Christian thing to do.

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I Turned 33 On Easter… How Appropriate?

April 20, 2014 at 9:40 pm , by 

3 years, 5 months.

Dear Jack,

At 5:58 this morning, I woke up to you yelling outside my bedroom,“It’s a pink bunny! The one I always wanted!”

Yes, you woke up, before the sun, and discovered your Easter basket.

After Mommy and I watched you officially unpack your Easter Spiderman bucket, then it was my turn…

Yep, I turned 33 today.

I admit it almost seemed a little bit wrong celebrating my birthday on the same day designated by Christians as the day to celebrate Christ’s resurrection.

Yet at the same time, it’s pretty interesting because, from what I understand, Christ was 33 years old when He was crucified and resurrected- and here I am, turning 33 on the day that is celebrated.

My birthday was never been on Easter in my lifetime, until today.

So right after you checked out your Easter gifts, I unwrapped my birthday gifts from Mommy- which were perfect, by the way:

A $10 “lunch money” gift card for Whole Foods, two vegan chocolate bars, and a Groupon for Mommy and me to go whitewater rafting on our 6th wedding anniversary in July, while Nana and Papa watch you all day.

Mommy is just so thoughtful.

I had a great 33rd birthday today, even if it means it’s the last year of me being in my “early 30s.”

Being nearly a third of age 100 is fine by me. I feel young… and I know I’ve stil got plenty to learn as human being, and especially as a parent.

You’ll be my age in 30 years. My plan is that these near-daily letters I write to you will help teach you about life lin general, not simply just recap your own life with snazzy collages and cleverly captioned photos.

Great birthday, great Easter.

Your Auntie Dana made you and your cousin Calla some homemade “vegan chocolate peanut butter bunnies” that I think made youcuckoo, as it appears from this pictures.

And if you’re wondering why I’m sitting at “the kids’ table” with you two, it’s because you politely invited me to join you.

So I did.

I ate lunch with the 3 year-olds, instead of the adults.

That was very nice of you to think of me, Son.

Of course, after you celebrated both Easter and your daddy’s birthday, you needed some rest.

Talking you into taking a nap today was unnecessary.

 

Love,

Daddy

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Will The Real Easter Bunny Please Hop Up?

April 15, 2014 at 10:35 pm , by 

3 years, 4 months.

Dear Jack,

In the past few weeks, you have seen the Easter Bunny three times now. I really wish I could know exactly what you’re thinking when you see him.

My guess is that your perception of the Easter Bunny is similar to the way you perceiveTrotro the donkey, on Netflix.

You have explained to me, “No, Daddy. Trotro is not a donkey or a boy… he’s a donkey boy.”

So that means the Easter Bunny is not a bunny or a man, but a bunny man.

I’m sure you are further confused by the fact that all three Easter Bunnies you’ve seen here recently looked completely different.

The yellow one in the middle of the Opry Mills Mall sort of looked like a grandpa, wearing wire framed glasses.

About 50 feet away was the brown bunny standing in the doorway of Build-A-Bear (who is not advertised as the Easter Bunny, but it is implied). That one apparently is female- and definitely the happiest. She silently giggles a lot.

Actually, I’ve never considered this, but there is no solid reason why the Easter Bunny has to be a male.

It’s confirmed then- I am officially open-minded to Build-A-Bear’s concept of the Easter Bunny… that he may be a she.

And then there’s the Kroger Easter Bunny.

He sort of followed us around like a puppy; which wasn’t a bad thing. I would say he was more like a real bunny and less of a bunny man.

I think his goal was for us to get our picture made with him. It worked.

He even watched as you got your hands painted.

Nothing says Easter like a snake and a hippo; per your request, of course.

Being a kid is great, isn’t it?

You get to live in a mysterious world where enchanted mutant bunnies appear in public in the weeks leading up to Easter, then all of the sudden get shy and sneak in during the middle of the night to give you candy and toys.

Sounds a little passive-aggressive, though… right? You don’t question that at all and neither did I, at your age.

Logic isn’t so important to you at this stage in life. I miss that.

 

Love,

Daddy