While we were in California last month for our official annual family vacation, Grandma (Mommy’s Mommy) began making a quilt from your t-shirts, including one also of Mommy’s that she wore while you were just a baby.
Grandma finished it last week and it arrived in the mail for you to enjoy. You’ve slept with it every night since then.
You and Mommy had off school and work on Friday so Mommy took you to the Pfunky Griddle in Nashville; a place we would frequent back when you were much younger and we lived closer to that side of the city.
As you can see from these pictures, you were very happy to be there! You got to make your very own chocolate chip pancakes, right there at the table.
It’s one of those quirky Nashville restaurants that tourists should definitely check out while visiting here. Lucky for you, the car ride there wasn’t all that long.
Friday night after I got off work, we drove to Alabama to visit my side of the family.
Amazingly, we didn’t shoot any videos, as I’m still finishing up our Family in a Camry series.
However, using my tripod and self-timer, I took a few “practice portraits” of our family. I say that because next month when we visit them again, I’ll be taking our official “matching ages” pictures, in which Mommy and I will be 34 years old, Aunt Dana and Uncle Andrew will be 31, you and your cousin Calla will both be 4, and so on…
What I learned from taking this practice portrait is that next time I need to zoom in after I take each photo to be sure everyone is looking at the camera.
I didn’t notice until the next day after we left, that you were looking in the wrong direction.
This is the 1st of several entries in my new miniseries, Family in a Camry. In August while on our annual family vacation, Toyota loaned us a 2015 Camry for our road trips around California.
So I decided to compile all our video footage and photos into a narrative to remember our trip.
After a day of flying from Nashville to Sacramento, you and I set aside a day to spend together; just father and son.
However, that’s a tricky phrase because it typically refers to father and daughter dates. When you talk about a father and son having a “date,” it does sound kind of weird.
Oh well, I’m committing to the phrase. I don’t care.
But I should also acknowledge there are critics out there who would say, “Why do you have to call it anything at all? Why can’t a father and his son hang out without it having to be a big deal as compared to if a mother spends time with her child? That’s like when people say a dad is babysitting.”
My reasoning is this: Mommy and I both work full time. It can be challenging enough for us all 3 to have good quality time together; much less just 2 of us at a time.
Therefore, it’s worth celebrating when I can spend a whole day with you. I am very aware of the unique dynamics that occur when you and I get to hang out together doing fun stuff.
So with that being said, once we settled in, you and I had some good times together at the Elk Grove Park; in the midst of a family reunion. We discovered that you and your cousin Scarlet have the same owl toy; you got yours in the Nashville airport on the way there.
You and I went fishing. It was something you had been looking forward to for weeks. You even especially packed your bug catching net for the event.
Yes, you are a vegetarian and I am a vegan, but we still made it work…
We didn’t have much luck with the fish in the pond there at the park, but you were very successful at “catching snails.”
For some reason, there were large, vacated snail shells all around the edge of the pond. So you filled your net with them and you were quite proud of your catch.
Later we went to go a see a movie together. While you were set on going to see Minions, for some reason you changed your mind on the drive there. Actually, I’m glad you did, because we loved Disney Pixar’s Inside Out. I’ve written a couple of blog posts about it, too:
I thought it was funny how you told me your favorite part of the movie was the female character, Sadness, who you told me is “a boy with long hair.”
For lunch we went to a vegan restaurant, which is a franchise, called The Loving Hut. I let you choose what we’d have for dessert. You chose the orange vanilla cake; we split it 50/50.
I was happy that successfully shot you with the straw wrapper.
Of course, I created a 2 minute video that features everything I just told you. So here it is:
But wait, there’s more…
We also spent a couple hours together filming the 19th webisode of Jack-Man as well. Here’s that video as well.
So there’s the 1st official entry of my Family in a Camry miniseries. Still more fun to come…
A few weeks ago, Cast Iron Productions reached out to our family about the possibility of us being in a brand-new show on NBC, called The Family Project.
I have to admit, I feel honored that they chose us because A) they found our family simply because of my blog, which makes me very happy about my SEO, and B) because they said we seem like a really fun family based on what they saw on my blog, Family Friendly Daddy Blog.
After an email exchange, a phone interview, then a 2 hour Skype interview with our family, we were told we were good material for the show.
They liked specifically that we are a Christian, vegan/vegetarian family who doesn’t believe in spanking and who lives by an extremely enforced “Dave Ramsey” budget and who keeps our home spotlessly clean and who doesn’t own smart phones.
As far as what the show is about, here’s my best understanding:
It sounds like the concept of Wife Swap and The Real World combined. Instead of 2 polar opposite families swapping the wives in each family, it sounds like The Family Project will combine all the family members of both households in the same house.
They were clear with me that we would still have to work jobs, but it would be whatever my wife and I consider our “dream jobs”. As for me, that would mean full time blogging and making videos for my YouTube channel.
We had a lot of fun during the Skype interview, but I do have good reason to believe that ultimately, NBC will not be officially choosing us:
I was very clear with the casting agency that we have a complete Libertarian approach when it comes to our lifestyle:
In other words, we have no desire to enforce our beliefs on others. Therefore, I seriously doubt a camera crew would be able to get a rise out of me, which typically makes for “good reality TV.”
After all, conflict and chaos serves as the fuel of reality TV. From there, the audience watching is subconsciously prompted to pass judgment, thinking to themselves, “At least I’m not as crazy as that person!”
If one of the parents of the other family in the house tried to get me to debate with them on why we are vegans/vegetarians or Christians or why we won’t spank our child or why we live by a super strict budget, I simply wouldn’t argue back.
I am a man who is completely confident and secure in my beliefs. I have no desire to seek confirmation from anyone else.
While I’m always happy to explain any parts of our lifestyle, I back off the moment the other person thinks I am defending myself.
I have nothing to defend.
And I especially have no reason to argue with a non-Christian. Jesus didn’t argue with or try to fiercely convert those who were close-minded to His teaching.
Instead, He said time and time again, “Whoever has ears, let him hear.”
In other words, His teachings were meant for those who were listening; not those who tried to heckle him or prove him wrong.
I am a man who is completely confident and secure in my beliefs. I have no desire to seek confirmation from anyone else.
Where would the drama be in a reality show episode like that? Where is the conflict and chaos?
The only thing I can think of is to “try to get the Christians to crack” after being so irritated by the other family’s opposing “annoying” habits.
I’m not saying that’s impossible, but as Christians, our role isn’t to judge, but to serve others.
So I’m thinking, if their dirty dishes in the sink got in the way of our family making our own vegan meals, then we should probably help them out with their dishes.
Why would NBC pick us at this point? Yes, we’re a fun (and interesting) family; and yes, we have a different lifestyle compared to the American mainstream, I would assume.
But we have nothing to prove… or to defend… or to be offended by.
I have a feeling that just like with Steve Harvey and Katie Couric, when they approached me a couple of years ago about being on their shows, only to never call me back after they realized I wouldn’t argue with other guests on the show about my beliefs, that The Family Project will air without the Shell family.
Even still, I’m very curious to check the show out when it premieres in a few months!
Last year, I published, The Real Villain In Disney’s Frozen: The Parents Of Elsa & Anna; where I explained that the villain’s role is to introduce and move along the plot. Had Elsa and Anna’s parents not foolishly kept their daughters from socializing after the incident, basically keeping one daughter locked in her bedroom, things wouldn’t have gotten so out of hand.
The whole Frozen movie could have been much shorter. Seriously, what the parents did in that movie was not normal. In real life, if you knew parents who did what their parents did, you wouldn’t simply pass it off as, “Oh well, no parent is perfect.”
I figured it would be interesting to do my same “who is the real villain?” analysis on Disney Pixar’s Inside Out.
The answer: Riley’s brain; which also serves as the hero.
Notice how in this movie, no other human beings seem to really serve as any kind of of antagonist.
Even when that might seem the case, it’s actually just Riley (and her brain) that makes things worse.
The emotion of Sadness serves as a sort of false antagonist, but it becomes clear that even she is truly part of the hero team inside Riley’s head.
In fact, the plot line of Inside Out is actually pretty simple: An 11 year-old old encounters minor psychological and emotion challenges as she moves with her family from Minnesota to California. That’s it- that’s all that really happens.
She misses home.
They aren’t any bullies at her new school. Her parents are completely supportive and loving.
In fact, Inside Out is one of the few Disney movies (ever!) in which both parents are alive and well the entire movie!
I was completely satisfied with Inside Out. The movie really impressed me. I recommend it to anyone.
Inside Out does a perfect job of bringing an interesting adult concept (psychology) and turning it into a warm, smart family movie.
And when you see it, keep in mind what I said: The only villain in this movie is the hero as well: Riley’s brain.
Our family recently attended the Rainbow Summer Social at Rainbow Child Care Center. They had a fire truck for us to tour; as well as a photo booth and carnival games.
You were very happy that you basically had unlimited access to just keep playing the same games and to have the ability to keep winning prizes.
A collection of sticky rubber frogs made their way back to our house.
Next week you officially begin Pre-K. You and I, along with your current teacher Ms. Aimee, recently made a Jack-Man episode to promote the brand-new Pre-K classroom.
(Click the image below to watch our video.)
You’ve expressed to me that you’re particularly excited about your new classroom because, “it has really cool dinosaurs.”
Jack, this is your last year of preschool before I begin taking you to Kindergarten! A year from now, I’m sure I’ll be posting my (obligatory) “1st Day of Kindergarten” picture on Facebook.
Mommy and I keep saying how you really are a boy now.
As your parents, we’ve grown accustomed to living with a boy version of a toddler. Now, with you nearly 5 years old, we’re living with a boy; not simply just a boy version of something.
These are the days of you getting to pick out which underwear to wear each day. You get to decide whether it’s going to be a Transformers or a Ninja Turtles kind of day.
I look at your genetically unlikely blonde highlights as well as your genetically unlikely blue eyes and think, “This kid used to be my baby. But now, this is my boy.”
Though I might be saying this too much here lately, I’m just so proud that you are my son.
The future is unclear whether or not Mommy and I will ever have another child.
You may be it. Either way, you are one special kid.
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