fatherhood

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Dear Jack: Teaching Your Sister How to Use a Cardboard Box

7 years, 3 months.

Dear Jack,

It had been a particularly difficult night, with your sister waking up several times every couple of hours. I received little rest, as I got up each time to help get her back to sleep. So by the time Mommy left for work around 6:15 AM, I collapsed on the couch in the living room, as I trusted you to take care of your sister while I was out of commission.

When I woke up about an hour later, I was delighted to see that, in your creativity, you took it upon yourself to transform an Amazon shipping box in to a couple of helmets for both you and your sister to wear, in the boat you also constructed from the same box.

I am always so proud to see you take initiative to lead your sister in fun activities, which require no direction from me or Mommy. It’s important that you figure out on your own what to do with your time, without needing me as your entertainment supervisor all the time.

The look on your sister’s face, too, is just priceless. She obviously didn’t quite understand why the two of you had box helmets, but she gladly went along with it; just like the day before when the box actually arrived:

You convinced your sister to walk back and forth from the far end of the living room, to the far end of the kitchen, with both of your heads in the box. For good reason, it reminded me of the kind of horse costume where it takes two people to walk; one in the front and one in the back.

I’m just glad that because of your creativity with a shipping box, I was able to catch a solid hour of sleep, while getting confirmation you’re old enough to take care of your sister with your sleeping dad on the couch.

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: Minnie Mouse is Your Best Friend and Elmo is Your Boyfriend

1 year, 9 months.

Dear Holly,

I guess I am learning that every Valentine’s Day at our house is like a “mini” Christmas morning. And speaking of Minnie, she was part of your gifts from Mommy and me:

Pilot Minnie, which includes a pink purse and a pink suitcase.

It is my assumption that little girls your age are equally obsessed with Minnie Mouse and Elmo, with the same mania that teenage girls went crazy over Elvis in the 1950s or The Beatles in the 1960s.

Here is how I perceive things with you right now:

It’s as if Minnie Mouse is your best friend and you want to be just like her. So it’s no surprise to me that yesterday, you clutched her tightly in your hand for both your morning nap and for bed at night. It was like a sleepover.

You just think Minnie Mouse is the coolest girl ever!

And as for Elmo, well… I’m starting to think he’s more than just a friend.

Each time I read you the Little Golden Book, Elmo Loves You, and finish the last page, with a big smile on your face, you lean down and kiss Elmo right on the face: “Mmmmmwhah!”

It’s not like anyone gave you this idea. You just immediately did this the first time, and every time, I have read you the book.

Mommy and I have learned to be careful about even saying Elmo’s name in front you. Because often when we do, you get caught in a trance:

“Elmo? Elmo. Elmo? Elmo! Elmo. Elmo. Elmo. Elmo!…”

At that point, I have to either give in, and take you upstairs and let you watch one of your Elmo DVDs, or I have to find a clever way to distract your train of thought.

So yeah, I convinced: Minnie Mouse is your best friend and Elmo is your boyfriend.

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: I Serve as the Referee, or Quality Control Manager, between You and Your Brother

1 year, 9 months.

Dear Holly,

Your brother loves you very much. And you love him just as much. But there is no doubt that at least half of the time, the two of you require a mediator, or referee, to help keep down the chaos level in our house.

And that role goes to me.

In addition to the two hour window between you both waking up and your brother getting on the bus, much of my energy goes to helping remind your brother to leave you alone.

His way of showing you that he loves you tends to include him tackling you with a pillow or conducting the rowdiest version of “Ring around the Rosey” I have ever seen.

Most of the time, his activities result in you laughing. But that does mean that sometimes, and I never know when, the result will be you crying instead.

I do my best to let the two of you naturally play together without my intervention; or prevention of destruction. Still, I feel like a referee, or at least a Quality Control Manager.

But there are definitely times where the two of you get along so easily, that I feel that things are a little too easy for me.

It’s a regular thing for you just to hang out next to Jack while the two of you eat snacks. Neither of you show any direct attention to each other. You’re both just content to be sitting next to each other.

So when you’re just chilling out together, my role is not so necessary. But the moment you both get up to go play in the living room, I always have to think to myself:

“Is this going to be a time where they quietly just play Legos together? Or is this going to be where they potentially break furniture?”

I imagine this eventually gets easier for me.

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: You Finally Saved (and Spent) 100 Loot at Your School

7 years, 2 months.

Dear Jack,

I assume it’s the norm these days for elementary schools to have some sort of faux-money merit system for their students. You often come home from school saying, “I earned some loot today!”

Based on last year in Kindergarten, as you spent it pretty much the moment you earned it, I figured you were doing the same this year; immediately spending it on erasers or bouncy balls or something.

But when you came home from school this Tuesday, you immediately announced to Mommy and me:
“I’ve got 100 loot now!”

You went on to explain there is a stuffed animal you were going to spend it on at the school store the next day.

And that’s exactly what you did.

Apparently, it’s not so common for most of the students in your class to save up 100 or more loot. But you did it!

So things were extra special when you were able to show us your new prize, and then on the same day, Mommy happened to receive some Pokemon-themed gifts from a co-worker who recently traveled to Japan.

You made it sound like that blue dog was the most expense thing you cared about in the school store. Now that you have obtained it, and you still have a few more months left of 1st grade, I wonder what will be the tangible motivation for saving up more loot.

Of course, the fundamental psychological part of this story is not that you got earned a stuffed animal at your school.

Instead, it’s that at your school, you have done a consistently great job of behaving and getting your work done.

The blue dog reinforces that fact. The blue dog serves as a trophy for you being a good citizen in your class.

I am very proud of you.

Love,

Daddy

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Reebow Tactical 3 Day Military Assault Backpack Review: Designed for the Way Men Think

DISCLOSURE LANGUAGE

Wikibuy partnered with bloggers such as myself for this program. I received monetary credit for my time, creativity, and SEO platform. I was not told what to purchase nor what to say about any product mentioned in these posts. Wikibuy believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Wikibuy’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines, and social media engagement recommendations.

For the past year and a half, I had been searching for the ideal backpack for travel and work. I had romanticized the concept of buying a military backpack. A year ago, I even mentioned my trip with my son to Nashville’s Army & Navy War Surplus store.

I wanted something that was rugged, understated, and practical. When I did find one that came close to my idea of what I believed I was looking for, it was a bit more than I was willing to spend.

But all my dreams came true this week when the folks at Wikibuy reached out to me and offered me a $75 credit to spend on anything I wanted, in exchange for spreading the word about Wikibuy and including a link back to their site.

Wikibuy operates as a website and Chrome extension that finds you the best deals across the web on products you already are looking for. They don’t sell the products, they just match you with the best prices.

I immediately agreed, yet I figured most of the 75 dollars would go towards the backpack. Fortunately, I was way wrong.

Not only was there free shipping and no tax, but the total for the Reebow Tactical 3 Day Military Assault Backpack was just $33.99.

That’s amazing because all the other bags I had found on my own were easily double that amount. With the remaining stipend Wikibuy gave me to promote their website today, I ordered a backdrop to start using for my YouTube videos. You should start seeing it displayed in my upcoming videos within the next couple of weeks.

So, back to my backpack; it is everything I was looking for. It’s perfect for my needs.

Our family travels from Tennessee to California (where my wife is from) once a year. This will be my carry-on. I can easily toss it under my seat on the plane and not have to deal with awkwardly stuffing it in the overhead bin.

Plus, we go on a few other road trips each year as well; like to Florida or Kentucky or North Carolina or Georgia for a mini-vacation. I will cram as much of my stuff as I can into my bag.

And as opportunities are increasing for me as a freelance writer and videographer for other companies, this backpack will easily store my equipment; including my laptop and tripod.

I am not a suitcase kind of guy. I prefer everything to be compartmentalized and easily accessible. To me, that’s an important element in how men are wired.

This backpack is an extension of my identity.

Of course, I will point out the underlying irony that a “family friendly” daddy blogger is promoting a “military assault” backpack.

Oh well. The only “weapon” I’ll be hauling in it to “shoot” anything with will be my Canon PowerShot G7 X camera.

Yeah, I got jokes too.