vegetarian

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Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show (Repticon)

5 years, 7 months.

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Dear Jack,

A year and a half ago your Pre-K teacher at the time, Ms. Aimee, got you interested in live reptiles, as she had them as pets in her classroom. She also informed you of Repticon, the Reptile and Exotic Animal Show that comes to Nashville every year.

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

So not only did we take you last year when you got Snakey, your giant red snake, but we also took this year as well. Actually, it was this past weekend.

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

It was a family affair; even Baby Holly came along… even though she slept through the entire event.

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

While you definitely loved seeing all the live animals, your main incentive to go is knowing that Mommy and I are going to buy you a stuffed animal souvenir. As a family, we went there knowing that was the main agenda.

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Though you had been planning on buying a spider and naming her Charlotte, you ended up getting swept away by a giant poison dart frog who you named, of course, Froggy.

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Next, as any stereotypical vegan/vegetarian family would do, we had lunch at Whole Foods. Needless to say, Froggy accompanied you.

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Fortunately, there happened to be a special on the sorbet (vegan) and gelato (vegetarian)…

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

The afternoon, you and I went to the movies for “boy time” as Mommy puts it. We decided to dress up in our matching tuxedo t-shirts.

Obviously, you took Froggy with us to the movies. After the show, as we were walking out of the room where our movie was show, a lady approached me:

“Excuse me, my granddaughters are dying to know where your son got that frog. Would you mind telling me where you found that?”

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Imagine that. You aren’t the only kid who that it would be cool to get a giant poison dart frog.

That night, you found a clear Tupperware container big enough to hold Froggy in, as you had seen the frogs at Repticon, and then attempted to place the whole thing in the bed with you.

But by the time I came to check on you later that night, you decided she was cozier to sleep with outside of her container.

I guess real poison dart frogs prefer a clear container, but the stuffed animal version prefers a soft bed and a young child.

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Leave a comment Posted on Pregnancy, Storytelling, Uncategorized, vegan

Dear Holly: Will You Be Born on the Pink Moon and Earth Day, April 22nd?

40 weeks (due date).

nick_drake_pink_moon

Dear Holly,

Okay, you decided not to be born on my 35th birthday. That’s cool.

We can have our own separate birthdays after all- at least we can share the same week and the same half of April.

So how about this? You can be born tomorrow instead:

It’s Earth Day… and, it’s the Pink Moon (which is the “smallest” full moon of the year).

Until today, I simply knew the phrase “pink moon” as referencing musician Nick Drake’s album and song; both of which are classic.

But today, your Nonna texted me and educated me on the subject:

“The April full moon is nicknamed the ‘pink moon’ even though it will not have a pinkish tint. Symbolizing the start of spring and pink colored flowers. It will peak at 1:25 AM on the 22nd. Interesting to me. Your full moon was 1:59 AM and cramping and contractions started at 10 PM (a few hours before). You were a full moon baby.”

I realize there are people out there who will quickly deny any connection between more babies being born on the full moon, as the gravitational pull of the moon affects pregnant mothers like it affects the tide each day.

However, I believe it.

And I believe that there’s a good chance you will be born on this upcoming Pink Moon tomorrow, which also happens to be Earth Day.

Seriously, how appropriate would it be for the baby girl of a vegan daddy and a vegetarian mommy to be born on Earth Day.

It almost feels like your destiny, doesn’t it?

You being born tomorrow helps me make better sense of you not being born on my birthday yesterday.

So, we’ll go to bed tonight as normal, but I am fully expecting that as the pink moon peaks around 1:25 AM, Mommy will go into labor and you will be born on Friday, April 22nd: both Earth Day and the Pink Moon.

Love,

Daddy

 

Leave a comment Posted on Health, Uncategorized, vegan

Our Family was Chosen as Part of The 1,000 Families Project; as The Vegan/Vegetarian Family

1000-families-nick-shell-1

This week our family was chosen to be featured as family #204 for The 1,000 Families Project; which is a celebration of the cultural diversity of literally one thousand different families.

Here’s the link again… 1,000 Families Project Vegetarian Family: Nick, Jill, and Jack

(Click the bold, red letters to see what I mean.)

Without surprise, we, the Shell family serve to represent the 2.5% of the American population who live the plant-based lifestyle: I am a vegan, and my wife, son, and daughter (who is due to be born next week) are vegetarians.

This is clearly not a phase in our lives; we have been this way for several years now. This peculiar yet unpopular lifestyle is undeniably a major part of our identity as a family.

I am very pleased with how the feature on The 1,000 Families Project turned out. One of my main objectives was making it clear that we live this way for health reasons; relating it back to how my health issues (eczema, dsyhidrosis, acne, pet allergies, sinus pressure and infections) all disappeared once I converted.

Looking back, I can remember how I had misguided, preconceived ideas about people who didn’t eat meat (and/or eggs or dairy). I remember assuming vegans and vegetarians must not be getting enough protein or that they must feel weak and low on energy all the time or that they are secretly hungry. For me, it was always a given that vegans and vegetarians must be underweight; being malnourished.

In reality, since becoming a vegan, it’s true I lost a couple dozen pounds, but I have also remained in the perfect weight range for my age and height. To actually live this way has shown me the truth about how this actually works.

It’s important to me that I serve as a rational spokesman for the vegan/vegetarian lifestyle. At the same time, I keep a Libertarian approach. Like I mentioned in my recent video, one of the rules of being a cool vegan is to not talk about being a vegan, unless someone asks first.

This blog post is an exception, of course.

Here’s that link, one last time in case you missed it: 1,000 Families Project Vegetarian Family: Nick, Jill, and Jack

Leave a comment Posted on funny, Storytelling, Uncategorized, vegan

Dear Jack: I’ve Sunk to Your Level of Potty Humor

5 years, 2 months.

Dear Jack: I’ve Sunk to Your Level of Potty Humor

Dear Jack,

A few weeks ago, I told you about how at school you drew a picture of a dragon that breathed air out both ends…

Well, on Tuesday night as I was looking through your daily drawings, I discovered a happy Brontosaurus with his rear end facing what I thought was the pot of food.

But then you explained, “He eats the spaghetti and meatballs and then he potties them out.”

So the “pot of food” was actually the toilet. The brontosaurs apparently ate the spaghetti and meatballs (though he’s a vegetarian, like you), then just moments later they came out into the toilet.

Sounds like that dinosaur needs to have a toilet installed in his kitchen, if that’s the case.

In your typical style, you weren’t smiling or laughing as you told me this. It was became clear to me that you are simply fascinated by how the digestion process works:

Indeed, the dinosaur ate the spaghetti and meatballs and then they came out into the potty.

When I was your age, I was still assuming that when I ate food, it simply just went down to my toes. You’re beyond that naïve concept of thinking.

I couldn’t help but ask a few follow-up questions:

“Did you show this to your friends or teacher?”

“No.”

“Did you laugh when you drew this?”

“Yes.”

“Who did you draw this for? Who did you want to see this?”

“You and Mommy.”

Granted, you didn’t present this drawing to us. You casually waited for us to ask to see your daily drawings from school.

Of course, I couldn’t help but share your art on my Instagram, which is linked to my Twitter and Facebook.

My followers are starting to see a pattern in which potty humor is beginning to play a decent part in what I share about my life.

You are into understanding the physics of the digestive track, by default, becoming one who appreciates potty humor.

I celebrate you, therefore, I celebrate potty humor too.

Love,

Daddy

2 Comments Posted on parenting, Storytelling, Uncategorized

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.