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Dear Jack: The January 2016 Blizzard in Spring Hill, TN (Pictures and Videos)

5 years, 2 months.

Dear Jack: The January 2016 Blizzard in Spring Hill, TN (Pictures and Videos)

Dear Jack,

Last Friday morning, Nashville began shutting down. Virtually everyone was sent home from school and work, as the blizzard was beginning.

I am so grateful that it happened exactly when it did: over the weekend.

Dear Jack: The January 2016 Blizzard in Spring Hill, TN (Pictures and Videos)

There was so pressure to try to have to get out in the snowy chaos on the roads for work the next couple of days afterwards, only to have to use my vacation days if I couldn’t make it out of the driveway.

Instead, you and I had the best time!

Dear Jack: The January 2016 Blizzard in Spring Hill, TN (Pictures and Videos)

Mommy preferred the snow better from inside the house. Though she did brag on herself at one point, “I got out on the snow when I checked the mail.”

Meanwhile, you and I made the most of it. Ultimately, nothing we did was what some may call… safe. It was all dangerous, which made it convenient that Mommy didn’t venture out into the snow with us.

I made this video of our adventures together:

Our tour of danger began with you sledding for the first time. While you went down the hill several times with your neighbor friend, Marissa, you weren’t afraid to go alone either.

Dear Jack: The January 2016 Blizzard in Spring Hill, TN (Pictures and Videos)

In fact, since you were the youngest and smallest there at the neighborhood sledding hill, you were the only one small enough to get lodged underneath the wooden fence when the sled didn’t stop in time.

An older boy, who is in the 4th grade commented about you: “Man, that little kid is tough!”

Dear Jack: The January 2016 Blizzard in Spring Hill, TN (Pictures and Videos)

Because with all the bumps and scratches, you never once showed an ounce of fear; you just laughed about it all.

Dear Jack: The January 2016 Blizzard in Spring Hill, TN (Pictures and Videos)

We also ventured over the “climbing wall,” which was the side of 15 foot tall hill, which was laced with a bunch of snow-covered rocks.

You were curious to walk on a frozen pond with me, so I took you to a large puddle that looked like a pond instead. (I knew the water there was barely a foot deep even at the deepest parts.)

Dear Jack: The January 2016 Blizzard in Spring Hill, TN (Pictures and Videos)

And then there was the part where you kept rolling down the tall hill near the creek.

Speaking of the creek, we followed it all the way into the next neighborhood, as you jumped across it along the way.

Dear Jack: The January 2016 Blizzard in Spring Hill, TN (Pictures and Videos)

We took advantage of the adventurous weather. You and I make a good danger team.

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: The January 2016 Blizzard in Spring Hill, TN (Pictures and Videos)

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Our Family was Approached by The Lifetime Network to Be on a TV Show

Our Family was Approached by The Lifetime Network to Be on a TV Show

No, this isn’t a rerun story.

You may be remembering how back in August our family was approached by a casting director to be on a TV show on NBC, called The Family Project; which sounds like a modified version of ABC’s Wife Swap.

Now, in a completely different story, it is also true that our family was approached last week by a casting director to be on a different upcoming TV show to be filmed in Nashville; this one will be called The Parenting Project, on the Lifetime Network, which is actually affiliated with Disney.

From what I can tell, The Parenting Project is also another variation of Wife Swap.

After reaching out to me on my Twitter account, the casting director and executive productive had a Skype meeting with my wife and me.

They really liked the fact we are a vegan/vegetarian family; no other family they were considered fit that rare demographic.

Ultimately, they were looking for a family with an older child.

And really, we’re not eager as a family to broadcast ourselves on reality TV. Granted, one of my life goals is to pay off our house early, so I’m always willing to consider a pitch if the money is there…

I always feel it is an honor to be approached for something like this. It indicates that I am doing something right here on my blog; Family Friendly Daddy Blog.

Because they found me. I didn’t go looking for them.

If nothing else, I can always appreciate that I’ve made new contacts in the entertainment industry thanks to these two recent pitches from major networks.

Of course, I’ve been making it no secret that I am deliberately attempting to get my own network series for my children’s show, Uncle Nick’s Enchanted Forest.

I believe the world is ready for the newest version of Mister Roger’s Neighborhood.

And I’m it.

That’s why I’m so diligent to keep writing, filming, producing, and publishing new webisodes of all original material.

I believe Uncle Nick’s Enchanted Forest demonstrates my talents and abilities as an actor, writer, musician, and adventurist and is able to captivate the attention and inspire the imaginations of children.

If you haven’t seen Uncle Nick’s Enchanted Forest yet, here’s your opportunity.

One day, my show will take off.

Until then, I will keep building my online resume, which is this blog, and perhaps more importantly, my YouTube channel.

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Dear Holly: Your Due Date is Exactly 3 Months from Today!

27 weeks.

Dear Holly: Your Due Date is Exactly 3 Months from Today!

Dear Holly,

Today I visited Brilliant Sky Toys and Books and bought you your first official stuffed animal from Mommy and me.

For a few months now, we’ve had our eyes on this particular Jelly Cat bunny with a flower design for its ears: Blossom Bunny Posey.

It instantly made us think you; not overly dainty and princess-essy, but instead; sweet, eclectic, and understated.

I could be wrong, but that’s how I see you: sweet, eclectic, and understated.

The question: What kind of little girl will you be?

It’s something I think about constantly. Here’s my thought process so far…

Mommy is obviously beautiful, classy, and diligent in all she does. I know you will be like her in those ways.

Your brother Jack is creative, intelligent, and independent.

As for me, I am innovative, good at communication but horrible at math, and charming in an old-world sort of way.

We are the family you are being born into.

Over the next couple of years, you will develop your personality based on and around us.

I see you as artsy. I don’t see you as someone who demands attention. People will be drawn to you because you will be confident in who you are.

Something I assure you of as your Daddy is that I will instill that confidence in you, every day.

You will know you are beautiful. You will know you are loved. You will hear these things from me every day.

That’s one of my roles as your Daddy. I take pride in that job.

Granted, I will also brainwash you into believe that Frozen is an asinine movie because the parents locked their daughters in the rooms, not allowing them to communicate just because they were different.

Therefore, I will celebrate with you the better Disney girl movie choice, Inside Out. It demonstrates how good parents raise their daughters; from an emotionally intelligent perspective.

Yeah, your Daddy’s going to be a little bit different… maybe even a little bit kooky. But you’ll never have to wonder about my love for you.

Love,

Daddy

1 Comment Posted on Nostalgia, parenting, Storytelling, Uncategorized

Dear Jack: We were at the 2016 Monster Jam in Nashville!

5 years, 1 month.

Dear Jack: We were at the 2016 Monster Jam in Nashville!

Dear Jack,

It’s simply family tradition by now that we attended the Monster Jam truck show this past weekend. This made our 3rd time; and both you and Mommy declared for yourselves… this was your favorite.

And I would have to agree.

As did the Fulmer family, who won the ticket giveaway on my blog, Family Friendly Daddy Blog.

Dear Jack: We were at the 2016 Monster Jam in Nashville!

They told me their little boy cried once the show was over and he realized the trucks wouldn’t be coming back out. That’s how you know it was a good show!

The action was simply non-stop. This was the first time we had seen the wheelie popping contest.

It was great being able to see these huge monster trucks leap straight into the air, thanks to the dirt ramps in the middle of the arena.

Dear Jack: We were at the 2016 Monster Jam in Nashville!

Whether I should admit this or not, it’s always interesting to watch what happens when the monster trucks flip over.

This happened at least twice while we were there.

The first time was with Gravedigger. I took this handy little video to share with the world:

And then it happened again with Zombie. I took pictures of that, as opposed to a video.

There’s a little bulldozer on standby that comes to the rescue, which flips the monster truck upright- obviously, the driver runs out of the vehicle first.

Zombie was your favorite. You loved how “his” arms waved in front of him the whole time.

Dear Jack: We were at the 2016 Monster Jam in Nashville!

Something that really caught my attention this time around is how diverse the monster truck industry is becoming. I love what I’m seeing.

I noticed that Scooby Doo, which happened to be one of the best performing trucks at the show, is driven by a female, Nichole Johnson from California.

Dear Jack: We were at the 2016 Monster Jam in Nashville!

Going back to your favorite monster truck that day, Zombie, its driver is Bari Musawwir.

This shows me that monster trucks have officially gone mainstream. I celebrate that.

The diversity of the audience demonstrated this as well. Monster trucks are for everyone and anyone who shows up to watch the action.

Dear Jack: We were at the 2016 Monster Jam in Nashville!

Our family is faithful to Monster Jam each year when they come through Nashville.

Before we had left for the show, you were imagining dragons as you took some time to draw a dragon before the show; not even knowing there was a monster truck called Dragon.

Dear Jack: We were at the 2016 Monster Jam in Nashville!

Of all coincidences, after the show we stopped by Walmart to let you pick out a monster truck. Sure enough, they had Dragon, which again, you didn’t even know existed.

Needless to say, you’ve been clutching “him” tightly in bed for the past couple of night, like you do your stuffed animals.

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: We were at the 2016 Monster Jam in Nashville!

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Dear Jack: ‘Twas the Tornado Warning before Christmas

5 years, 1 month.

Dear Jack: Twas the Tornado Warning before Christmas

Dear Jack,

We had originally planned to drive straight to Nonna and Papa’s house after I got off of work last Wednesday, on December 23rd.

However, it quickly became common knowledge that tornado-inducing weather would be surrounding us if we did.

So instead, our family stayed home that night, spending about an hour and a half in the downstairs bathroom over the course of a tornado warning.

You and I watched clips from the Rocky movies on my phone; like both of the fights between Rocky and Clubber Lang (Mr. T).

We made the most of it, but it is definitely problematic that the one room in the house you’re supposed to go to during a tornado is, by default, the most uncomfortable one for a family to hang out in.

I assume that in most houses, the bathroom in the middle of the house on the main floor is also the most cramped.

Had we been able to go to the bathroom connected to Mommy’s and my bedroom, we would have been fine because the walk-in closet is connected it.

However, that’s on the corner of the house so I guess it’s less safe in the event a tornado brushed by that corner of the house.

After the tornado warning was finally over, Mommy and I let you set up your Noah’s Ark camping tent (which was pretty relevant to the story, actually) and you got to sleep next to our bed.

That was a special treat for you because the last time we let you sleep in the same room as us, you were still a newborn.

I had predicted this at the time, and turns out I was right, that we actually could have gotten away with driving to Nonna and Papa’s house the night of the storm, because the storms were actually north and south of us the whole time.

But we obviously didn’t take that chance.

Christmas Tree

Sure, we had a wonderful Christmas once we got there. No chaos or conflict to speak of.

None except for that which I created in my web series, Uncle Nick’s Enchanted Forest, which I filmed 8 webisodes of while we were there.

Love,

Daddy