family

1 Comment Posted on October 13, 2015 Uncategorized

5 Reasons Why “How Was Your Vacation?” is an Annoying Question

Maybe I stand alone in my feelings on this one… and I wish I didn’t feel this way…

But one of the reasons I always dread returning to work from a week-long vacation is that I know everyone who sees me is going to sincerely ask me this immediately:

“How was your vacation?”

I suppose I should analyze the psychology behind why I find that question to be pesky.

1) I just got back from missing at least 5 business days of work. It’s going to take me at least half a day to simply get caught up on my email alone. I don’t have time to be chatty on my first morning back.

2) It was a vacation from work. It’s pretty obvious I had a good time.

3) If I didn’t have a good time, that would be an awkward, unexpected answer. So even if it was a bit stressful at times, travelling with a kid and driving across the state of California or Florida, I might as well say it was a good vacation because otherwise it would only lead to more annoying questions.

4) Why ask me, when you can just look at my Facebook pictures that I uploaded last night? Just look on your phone. What is this, the year 2003?

5) I am bummed because now I have to be back at work. I’m not in the mood to talk about fun stuff. I am still in culture shock, you know. Just 3 days ago, I was still at the beach.

Yes, I sound like a jaded, yet responsible 34 year-old husband and father.

Coworkers are just trying to be friendly and nice. Their hearts are in the right place. I bet they even missed me while I was gone.

Asking, “How was your vacation?” is probably their way of simply welcoming me back.

But seriously, can’t they wait until the end of my first week back- after my brain has had a chance to get fried from all the Excel data entry and I’m ready to escape again mentally?

3 Comments Posted on October 8, 2015October 8, 2015 marriage, parenting, Pregnancy, Storytelling, Uncategorized

Dear Jack: This is Definitely a Facebook Pregnancy Announcement!

4 years, 10 months.

Dear Jack,

Mommy’s due date is April 21^st, 2016; just one day after my 35^th birthday.

We have preparing you for this all year. Every time we would ask you if you wanted a brother or sister, you always replied, “No! I just want my stuffed animals!”

But as of this summer, that question ceased to simply be a hypothetical question.

A few weeks ago, we made it clear: “Jack, there is a little baby inside of Mommy’s tummy.”

Since then, you have been very excited and curious about this. You no longer see having a baby brother or sister as a bad thing.

I love the fact that you’ll be 5 and a half years-old when your baby brother or sister arrives.

You’re already such an independent boy. It’s going to be so rewarding seeing you help take care of your sibling. You’re going to be great at it.

This is going to be so exciting for our family!

Two days ago I posted a sneaky picture of our family on Facebook. I had been crafting this idea for weeks now. I wanted to release a subtle hint that to the general public that our family is expanding.

To play on our last name, I had each of us hold a seashell towards the camera; then I took a picture of Mommy’s other hand, secretly holding a 4^th seashell behind her back. Then I left a simple caption:

“Shell collection.”

But I don’t think anyone really figured it out.

Plus, a couple of weeks ago I wrote a letter to you called The Dresser for Our Guest Room. It was really a post about your baby brother or sister’s room instead; they are the “guest.”

Not to mention, earlier this week I published People Finally Stopped Asking If We’re Going to Have Another Kid, which gave birth to much speculation.

You and I also made a “very special episode” of Jack-Man, in which it is revealed Jack-Man is going to be a big brother; as if that wasn’t an obvious giveaway to the general public. Even after releasing that video, the news still didn’t spread.

This letter itself is a throwback to This is Not a Facebook Pregnancy Announcement from July, in which I proclaimed in big bold letters, “There is not a baby on the way. I promise.”

Ironically, that fact changed exactly 2 days later.

Yesterday I posted this secretive picture of our family, as well.

I admit, I’ve had a lot of fun going public with our family expanding.

This is going to be so good. Just about 6 months away…

Love,

Daddy

2 Comments Posted on October 6, 2015October 6, 2015 Uncategorized

Dear Jack: We Rode in a Real Monster Truck at the Spring Hill Ham Festival!

4 years, 10 months.

Dear Jack,

Had you ever told me, “Daddy, I want to ride in a real monster truck,” I have a feeling I would have searched the entire state of Tennessee and the 8 other states it borders; only to possibly find some outrageously priced, yet tame version of riding in a monster truck.

Fortunately, this past weekend while “ridin’ low in that Corolla”, we just happened to stumble into a perfect situation.

While ironically attending the Spring Hill Ham Festival (I say ironically since you’re a vegetarian and I’m a vegan), we saw a sign for monster truck rides; only $5 per person.

(Plus, it was free admission and free parking!)

It was misting, overcast, and late in the day. There was no line and we were the only riders on that trip.

This video I made shows not only what it was like inside the monster truck, Predator, but also outside of it as well.

Seriously, this was no tame ride. Plus, we chose the best seats in the truck; right there at the edge of the bed.

I would have been terrified at your age to do something so intense.

You only showed one quick look of concern, at first; to be following by smiles and laughing for the rest of the ride.

Needless to say, we had a great time; in what might turn out to be a once in a lifetime experience.

And again, amazingly- it was just 10 bucks total for the 2 of us to ride!

While we were there, you also enjoyed climbing up and sliding down the “jumpy houses,” as well as getting to visit the petting zoo… or farm, I guess I should say.

You also asked to play one of the games.

Basically, you spun a big wheel in which all but 3 of the options were literally labeled “Free Pixy Stick,” while the remaining 3 were simply left blank.

Going to the Spring Hill Ham Festival was such a great experience for us as father and son!

Lesson learned: Even if you don’t eat ham, go to the Ham Festival if you get the chance!

Love,

Daddy

5 Comments Posted on October 5, 2015 Uncategorized

People Finally Stopped Asking If We’re Going to Have Another Kid

The first question was, “When you are two going to get married?

Then, “When are you going to have a baby?”

After that, “When are you going to have another one?”

From the time our son was about 1 year-old, until he was about 3 and a half, that last question was in heavy rotation.

So then, being the family friendly daddy blogger that I am, I began addressing the fact that my wife and I could easily be the couple that only has one child.

The reality of the two of us working full time in a major city got in the way of the concept of us having many as 4 kids; something we had at one point talked about, years ago.

So I began explaining here on my blog that the two of us could truly be happy with just one child; even if that wasn’t normal.

However, my wife and I mutually realized recently, “It’s been a long time since anyone has asked us if we’re going to have another kid.”

Our son will turn 5 years-old next month. By this point, people have stopped even wondering if we will “have another one.”

(That’s a funny phrase to me; “have another one.” I think of those Russian nesting dolls, called Matryoshka dolls.)

Of course, I never said we wouldn’t have another child. I simply made it clear we would be happy and content with just one; if that’s how things ended up.

I guess to a lot of people that comes across as, “We’re not having any more kids.”

On the contrary, I’ve mentioned a couple of times already this year here on Family Friendly Daddy Blog that we’ve never been more open to the idea of expanding our family, as I prefer to say it; than we are now that we are financially settled and moved into our new house.

But still, people gave up and stop bothering to ask. After all, having over 5 years in between kids is a lot of time.

It all comes down to us, the parents, being ready on all fronts; plus, being physically able to conceive a child.

Most families can have kids 2 or 3 years apart, and that works for them, culturally: Having 2 in diapers at the same time.

Culturally, for our family, especially at this point, having a Kindergartner and an infant sounds more our speed… if that’s how things ended up.

1 Comment Posted on September 21, 2015September 21, 2015 Uncategorized

Dear Jack: Family in a Camry- “Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Amusement Park”

4 years, 10 months.

Dear Jack,

For our final stop of our Camry family road trip across northern California, we drove from Monterey to Santa Cruz, before ultimately heading back to Sacramento, where Mommy’s side of the family is from.

Mommy had told me that once before she had been to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk Beach Amusement Park and thought our family would really love it.

So we put it on the agenda, following our trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Here’s my video I made about our trip there:

To get going, we stopped at Staff of Life’s Café Del Sol for some vegan donuts. I know that to an outsider that may not seem like that big of a deal, but for a vegan dad like me, it’s epic.

Where we live in Nashville, there is no easy access to vegan donuts; they definitely don’t sell them at our Whole Foods. It would be different if we lived in Portland, Oregon; which I hear is the “Vegan Donut Capitol of the World.”

But where we live, donuts made without eggs and milk basically cease to exist. Therefore, we enjoyed our breakfast!

When we arrived at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, we had about 45 minutes to walk there on the beach; since we had arrived before the amusement park itself had opened yet.

Our family budgeted $50 for the 2 hours we were there; and we based on the 2 hour time limit on how much we were willing to pay the parking meter.

You definitely wanted to play some games, so bought $50 worth of tickets so we could go on two rides with all 3 of us, then let you go on several rides by yourself, then spend the rest on games.

I loved how ambitious you were! You rode your very first roller coaster with Mommy and me: the Sea Serpent. It was pretty thrilling for a boy who’s not quite 5 years old yet.

But at 42 inches tall, you were just tall enough to be permitted to ride.

Our other family ride was the Cave Train Adventure, where we were able to “time travel” to the days of caveman and dinosaurs; it was completely dark in there, except for the black lights.

For your individual rides, you were able to fly a plane as well as a drive a monster SUV, a boat, an orca whale, and a big rig truck. You loved it all!

And then there were the carnival games…

I made sure you only played the games with the sign that read, “A winner every time!”

Your best venture was Bob’s Fishin’ Hole. On the first try, we accidently figured out that the blue fish, which flowed further away from the ledge nearest you, were the heavier fish, which were worth the biggest prizes.

So you caught 3 blue fish and one the biggest prize they had: A giant blue pirate fish stuffed animal. On the first try!

By the end our 2 hours, you had a prize in each of the 3 sizes.

We returned to the Camry with 7 minutes to spare, then he finished our day with dinner at Whole Foods, where we enjoyed more vegan donuts.

And finally, that’s it.

That’s our whole Camry family road trip. We had a blast. I look forward to next year when we travel to San Diego for your Uncle Jake’s wedding.

Love,

Daddy

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