tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75260147622510249142024-03-13T11:14:07.976-04:00Dad with a BlogEveryday adventures of an average dad, trying to be anything but average.Nick Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532254468416826612noreply@blogger.comBlogger117125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7526014762251024914.post-85981807880871747732017-04-12T11:48:00.002-04:002017-04-12T11:48:47.472-04:00DIY Nerf Target Rig<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_oBeqv4kVaYNXgTrqk26X_gsKNKONOYu-BH9aoGrHIZg_FY9iX6h3cMuSLQLaQ_CWEnnODe2clNV_xWobSwsWfEIAg53vCk2lsyc4s_k1_NCBBgIA2ZDNXN4VsVlAqCi9ZDd4f_WuYDbI/s1600/nerf_target_rig01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_oBeqv4kVaYNXgTrqk26X_gsKNKONOYu-BH9aoGrHIZg_FY9iX6h3cMuSLQLaQ_CWEnnODe2clNV_xWobSwsWfEIAg53vCk2lsyc4s_k1_NCBBgIA2ZDNXN4VsVlAqCi9ZDd4f_WuYDbI/s320/nerf_target_rig01.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
Nerf: It's what's for dinner.<br />
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...no wait, that isn't right.<br />
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Nerf: when you care enough to send the very best...<br />
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no, not that either.<br />
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Nerf: The happiest place on earth.<br />
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I feel like I'm getting closer. One last try:<br />
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Nerf: don't leave home without it.<br />
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hmmm, perhaps I'll get it figured out by the end of this. However it goes, what good is playing with Nerf guns if you have nothing to shoot at? Godzilla (he's 8 and doesn't care for the nickname much any more, we're going to have to come up with something new soon)loves his Nerf guns. We've amassed a small stockpile of arms over the last few years, and he keeps a small tactical bag full of empty TP rolls and water bottles to set on ledges for target practice. It works, well enough, but we usually end up with these "targets" littering the floor when he's done and he constantly has to stop to reset the range. So the time came when we had to step up our game. This is how we took Nerf target shooting to a whole new level.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Y9AK3uNTi7FfS-ani5iwU-wIYwV30-jCdwLHBPcuETo5STQDHajqbHTS5BzuL4KJ2eaRtzDG9YoWTHw_ELdj7xNZkMvg_Da6Uv5u-n5pniKHJhB2LnswgoIWrl6K8WeY3IRFLsW_xLFq/s1600/nerf_target_rig02.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Y9AK3uNTi7FfS-ani5iwU-wIYwV30-jCdwLHBPcuETo5STQDHajqbHTS5BzuL4KJ2eaRtzDG9YoWTHw_ELdj7xNZkMvg_Da6Uv5u-n5pniKHJhB2LnswgoIWrl6K8WeY3IRFLsW_xLFq/s320/nerf_target_rig02.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It starts with PVC pipe, and it ends with cardboard. I know, it's a long parts list, but I have confidence you can keep up. Seriously, the whole thing came together for about $10.<br />
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The boys and I ran out to Lowes one morning and gathered the pipe we needed. It's a simple frame, with stabilizing legs on either side of the base. We started with 2, 10 foot 3/4 inch pipes, and enough 90 degree and "T" fittings to make all the joints. You could use a smaller diameter pipe, but you will lose some of the rigidity of the frame, so we stuck with 3/4 inch. You also need to pick up three 1 inch to 3/4 inch "T" fittings. These will slide loosely over the top bar of your frame and allow the targets to swing freely when hit with the Nerf dart. The smaller opening on these fittings will still fit snugly to your pipe and serve as the arm which will hold your eventual targets.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguajhBj4aQ4sFBS0k_Gw8WRd1e_l_xf1ymF7Wn6j4boWD3J5yr6lT2akh_wqqFwf5TTwf0nhebCh7IO4p6lUBM2Bd4OEc6njWSWkR_d2SLpabxMGH_xzkXx0Aq2oQa835yAHAFTqQzCIp7/s1600/IMG_8621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguajhBj4aQ4sFBS0k_Gw8WRd1e_l_xf1ymF7Wn6j4boWD3J5yr6lT2akh_wqqFwf5TTwf0nhebCh7IO4p6lUBM2Bd4OEc6njWSWkR_d2SLpabxMGH_xzkXx0Aq2oQa835yAHAFTqQzCIp7/s200/IMG_8621.JPG" width="150" /></a>To assemble the Nerf target rig, measure and cut your PVC carefully. Our legs are about 3.5 feet tall, with a 3 foot gap, and 8 inch feet. Be sure when you are planning the lengths, to account for the target arms. We went a little taller than we should have, and ended up needing to use part of a third pipe we already had laying around the house to finish filling out the target arms. Once everything is cut to size, simply dry assemble the rig by sliding the pipes into the fittings, making sure to press them securely into place. You can use an adhesive if you don't want to ever take it apart, but we've found it's nice to be able to take the feet off to store the rig under a bed or at the back of a closet.<br />
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When it comes to the targets, you need some stiff corrugated cardboard and a child with the desire to draw or at least color in concentric circles. My daughter busted out some markers and a few coffee cans/tape rolls/paint cans to get the ball rolling on targets to hang, and eventually, we had a full range of targets to hang. I even knocked out a classic comic "BAM!" to add to the mix. To get the targets on your rig, slice tiny wedges into the PVC target arms. They need to be thick enough at the opening to slide the cardboard into, but thin enough up the pipe to hold it snugly.<br />
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All that is left now, is to set it up and load up your Nerf gun, then watch the darts fly! Oh, and I remember how the saying goes now:<br />
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Nerf: Mikey likes it!<br />
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<br />Nick Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532254468416826612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7526014762251024914.post-85633510867867902842017-01-11T19:29:00.000-05:002017-01-11T19:29:18.656-05:00#ExplainACartoonBadlyHow many terrible kids shows have you sat through in your life as a parent? How many times have you had to suspend disbelief in order to keep from pulling out your hair at the asinine stunts pulled off by animated animals? How often have you had to remind yourself that cartoons have their own laws of physics, and do not subscribe to Newton's big three? How many times have you wanted to reach through the screen to strangle some <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">insufferable</span> pest of a protagonist?<br />
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Now, have you ever had to describe the experience to someone who has never seen the show? I decided to give it a shot over on Twitter. You should too, I'm sure you'll find it cathartic. If not, please don't hate me for finding it so. I just can't take any more of that bad acting or that incredibly grating voice!<br />
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Brightly costumed teens in choreographed battles where the missed punches are more obvious than the terrible dialogue <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/explainacartoonbadly?src=hash">#explainacartoonbadly</a></div>
— Dad [W]ith a Blog (@DadWithaBlog) <a href="https://twitter.com/DadWithaBlog/status/818641031327580161">January 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
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My kids have a few favorites that got the treatment. Can you guess what they are?<br />
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Nerdy kid has "adventures" in books trying to solve simple problems and his friends are all from fairy tales. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/explainacartoonbadly?src=hash">#explainacartoonbadly</a></div>
— Dad [W]ith a Blog (@DadWithaBlog) <a href="https://twitter.com/DadWithaBlog/status/818639970097315841">January 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Culturally diverse city folk don't notice their hairy neighbor's are puppets, sing and learn abc's with celebrities <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/explainacartoonbadly?src=hash">#explainacartoonbadly</a></div>
— Dad [W]ith a Blog (@DadWithaBlog) <a href="https://twitter.com/DadWithaBlog/status/818644680741109760">January 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
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STEM cat doesn't spend the day plotting your death <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/explainacartoonbadly?src=hash">#explainacartoonbadly</a></div>
— Dad [W]ith a Blog (@DadWithaBlog) <a href="https://twitter.com/DadWithaBlog/status/818819071760334848">January 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
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I also took submissions. Many of these we've watched, they all fit the theme.<br />
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Extraterrestrial mechanical sentient beings work with human overlords and forced to preform dangerous tasks <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/explainacartoonbadly?src=hash">#explainacartoonbadly</a></div>
— Dad [W]ith a Blog (@DadWithaBlog) <a href="https://twitter.com/DadWithaBlog/status/818921580009050112">January 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Tween and her dog are smarter than secret agents and super villains. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/explainacartoonbadly?src=hash">#explainacartoonbadly</a></div>
— Dad [W]ith a Blog (@DadWithaBlog) <a href="https://twitter.com/DadWithaBlog/status/818923365817839617">January 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Talking shape shifting truck teaches physics with bad rock music <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/explainacartoonbadly?src=hash">#explainacartoonbadly</a></div>
— Dad [W]ith a Blog (@DadWithaBlog) <a href="https://twitter.com/DadWithaBlog/status/818922707882573824">January 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The best one naturally pairs to possibly the worst cartoon of all time...<br />
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Young boy who is always learning. He is so keen to learn from mistakes---a real parent's dream. He has no hair... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/explainacartoonbadly?src=hash">#explainacartoonbadly</a></div>
— Dad [W]ith a Blog (@DadWithaBlog) <a href="https://twitter.com/DadWithaBlog/status/818922378684198912">January 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Did you get them all? Have more to add? Leave a comment, or head over to Twitter and don't forget to hashtag it!<br />
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Nick Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532254468416826612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7526014762251024914.post-76711976115396724202016-08-29T00:57:00.000-04:002016-08-29T07:13:51.212-04:00The one less traveled by<div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.08px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
Its been a month since we moved into our new home. There are still boxes everywhere, and I can't seem to find a minute to relax, but it feels good to finally have a place. The kids are loving their new school, the longer commute to work lets me catch up on listening to the backlog of podcasts that have built up, and we're starting to explore our new side of town. We've already discovered a few parks, Nat has cross country practice at a nice big one, and Godzilla is loving the RC park up the street where he can race the new remote control car he got for his birthday.</div>
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<span style="line-height: 16.08px;">Earlier this week, Kate and I took E out for a bike ride in his new bike trailer (thanks granddad!). We no longer have to put up with broken glass on every corner like the last place had, and just outside the neighborhood is a nice paved bike path for us to enjoy. Before heading out that far from home though, we wanted to ease in to the ride by doing a lap of the neighborhood. </span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; line-height: 16.08px;">Right around the corner from the house is </span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 16.08px;">a playgro</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: transparent; display: inline; line-height: 16.08px;">und and a small nature park</span><span style="line-height: 16.08px;">, and we planned our loop to end there to let E out to play for a while. As we're still getting to know the neighborhood, we had yet to explore the park and thought it might be fun to look around. When the Mrs. suggested we take our adventure into the trail we found leading into the woods, the decision was obvious.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16.08px;">We soon found ourselves following the boy as he blazed the trail in front of us. It was a perfect day. The weather was cool, the trees provided shade and even the bugs had decided to leave us alone for the most part. We talked as we walked, commenting that in a different time, a wood like this would be heaven for our boys. There were alcoves for setting up forts, mushrooms growing along the path, and there at the end of a fork in the trail, a tree root rutted hill leading to a perfect little ravine. A small creek ran along the bottom with a narrow sandy bank and we knew this was an adventure we needed to include the other kids on.</span></div>
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Visions of sword play and fairy houses, pants rolled up to the knees and shoes left on the waters edge as kids splash in search of frogs and minnows ran through my head. This wooded wonderland is in our very backyard, and even if I must provide more supervision than my grandfather did in his day, adventures will be had, and summers will be cherished. Here at our new home, we've found a hidden treasure. It's not one we expected or one we went looking for, but it is something we will cherish, and I expect it will be a cornerstone location for these kids to paint their imaginations upon, there in the woods behind their home, at the end of the path less traveled, a canvas for their memories.</div>
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Nick Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532254468416826612noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7526014762251024914.post-6653284387140494412016-06-23T14:09:00.001-04:002016-06-23T14:17:11.686-04:00Stormy ThursdayWe had a big line of storms roll through town last night. In my TV job, that usually means a long night staying late to provide coverage and help make sure the public is safe. However, the timing of this storm meant I left on time and the morning crew got to do the heavy lifting when things got bad around 2:30. <div><br></div><div>In the meantime, I was asleep in my bed while Kate had her early morning shift. Around 3am, E climbed in bed with me which meant I got to hug the edge of the bed until morning, while the rest of our queen sized bed sat empty. I sleep like a rock anyway, so at least it's not the end of the world. When the sun rose, so did we. And then we found there was no power. No lights. No clocks. No central air. No refrigerator. No coffee maker. </div><div><br></div><div>Thankfully, I've raised Godzilla right, as his immediate reaction when finding out about the power was to freak about how I was going to get coffee in me. Also thankfully, I have a French press and no problem using it. So, we got a pot down and filled it with water, then used a lighter to light the burner on the stove so I could have hot water for my brew. A few minutes later, after much "help" from the boys, I had a perfect cup to drink while figuring out what to do with my day. </div><div><br></div><div>After a little breakfast made with quick openings of the fridge door and "toasting" a bagel in a pan on the stove, we ventured outside to see if we had any limbs down. While we had a few small ones, our yard made it through the night mostly unscathed. However, the neighbor two doors down (who just had their driveway repaved) had a large branch on their roof, their gutter showing sight of damage. The three of us made our way down the street to knock on their door to offer assistance with cleanup, but found no one answering our call. (I'm sure they'll want their insurance adjuster to see it, but I'll check back in later today)</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, at the Hall of Justice, I grabbed my clippers and a pair of garden gloves and set the boys to gathering branches. We drug them all to the curb so I could start clipping them down to size and bundling them for pickup. But don't forget, I had the boys with me, and what 7yo won't ask to use a tool when he sees dad pull one out. After a short safety lesson, I handed over the clippers, and Godzilla set to clipping the branches, using all his considerable might. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjiSZMMC-36Tu2e_6MbrXjUEzQ1qvHegLBqu_K7-vVWEzWfuhyphenhyphenWf9xyjyAB9BsmPna3M9YpzKeBTuhgzOprtpzslJGs3pBLoPrzsYFT2FsUMHvyPVNWcBX06DUvAZes55_AUG3iO9au_L/s640/blogger-image-838778351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjiSZMMC-36Tu2e_6MbrXjUEzQ1qvHegLBqu_K7-vVWEzWfuhyphenhyphenWf9xyjyAB9BsmPna3M9YpzKeBTuhgzOprtpzslJGs3pBLoPrzsYFT2FsUMHvyPVNWcBX06DUvAZes55_AUG3iO9au_L/s640/blogger-image-838778351.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div>There comes a time in every child's life when their parents look at them and say, this kid is really growing up. It may not be a single moment, a solitary event that opens your eyes, but a period when you look back and say "when did this happen." It's a mixed feeling of pride and reminiscence. Of joy and sadness. You know the age of needing you is nearing an end, and they are on the precipice of independence. Their personalities are in full swing, and you know that your kids are not just your kids, but little versions of real people. </div><div><br></div><div>This real little person is nearly there. He's actually able to help, and that personality is as strong as anyone's. </div><div><br></div><div>When did that happen?</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Nick Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532254468416826612noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7526014762251024914.post-49042226693560703532016-06-15T21:45:00.000-04:002016-06-15T21:45:20.522-04:00Stuff My Kids Say XVIII"Do you want me to make your coffee this morning? I ask because <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">if I don't have a drink in the morning I </span>go out of sane sometimes!"<br />
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Godzilla, age 7. </div>
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I love this kid.</div>
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Once you get over the image of a seven year old saying sometimes he needs a drink in the morning, notice the thought that went into his offer. He's not just offering, he's offering because he empathizes with me.</div>
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He's been there, man!</div>
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And that means he's connecting with me. I know he won't drink coffee with me for a few years, and beer for a few years after that, but right now, he wants to be with me, doing what I'm doing and that makes me happy. It means we're making connections. He's paying attention to what is going on around him, and I need to be on my game.<br />
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He's always on his game though. And that is why I go out of sane sometimes.<br />
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Nick Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532254468416826612noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7526014762251024914.post-10408383915406172522016-05-06T09:02:00.001-04:002016-06-15T21:52:05.410-04:00Monster Jam with Kids (even if you're not a motorsports family)The quick and dirty about Monster Jam with kids:<br>
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1. Monster Jam is a loud monster truck rally. Bring ear protection. Your hearing is important, and while you may be able to handle the noise, small kid's ears are more sensitive, and you don't want to have to leave because they can't.<br>
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2. Monster Jam is at it's core, a "motorsport". There will be trucks crushing cars and making wild jumps, but there will also be racing. Tight circles, driven on a dirt track, by trucks with tires as tall as a grown man.<br>
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3. Monster Jam is family friendly. No, really, I promise. Except for the introduction, the house lights are always on - they want you to be able to see the trucks and the dirt, and the jumbotron, and the concessions. Vendors will sell everything from Grave Digger hats and Maxx D shirts to those headphones I told you to bring in point 1, and toy versions of the very trucks you're going to watch for the next few hours. Plan on being entertained.<br>
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4. The best is always saved for last. If there's a truck name you recognize, expect them to be the star of the show, and to get the prime slots in the competition. Plan bathroom breaks and concession visits for early in any segment of so you don't miss the grand finale.<br>
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5. The show is broken up into two segments: a regular bracket style racing tournament (first around the course twice), and freestyle. If trucks driving in circles isn't your thing, consider coming late for just the freestyle. This part of the competition often leaves a literal graveyard of trucks, as they try to push their jumps higher, and won't hold back on driving through or over another truck broken on the course. Skip the circles if you expect your kid to have a short attention span for the racing. </div>
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Keep reading if you want a first hand experience from a dad who didn't consider point 5!<br>
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</div><a href="http://dadwithablog.blogspot.com/2016/05/how-to-enjoy-monster-jam-with-kids-even.html#more">Read more »</a>Nick Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532254468416826612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7526014762251024914.post-12382102162628453392016-04-01T14:12:00.000-04:002016-04-04T23:44:34.282-04:00Real Strength<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I may only be your average NCAA basketball fan; not a fanatic, while also not oblivious to the game either. That said, every March I go full on mad for March Madness. I fill out at least one bracket, play a few squares in my office pool, and this year sat down for the first time to help my son fill out his own tournament brackets. While both our brackets have been busted for a solid week now, it was still great fun.<br>
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Filling out our tournament brackets with my son was a great experience. We had the chance to talk about the teams, how the brackets are seeded, where the games are played, and what kind of tournament upsets to expect. We began following our selections, crossing off the losses, and high-fiveing after every correct pick. To make our March experience even better, I was contacted by Dove Men+Care and offered two tickets to take a friend to an Elite Eight game in Louisville, KY! A game in Louisville sounded perfect, as it's just a short two hour drive from Indy, and a Saturday would be really convenient for me to get out for a day trip. I could not have been more excited to hear from Dove Men+Care with this offer.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7HlFLanjMFMkkg-HBTngGscOKIIeLSwr3LLDVqF38hG5EWZatv_TjfH824uXw589L8PYvxhpfZGDdCWrc0VJylbctlD1mzOdfhJaoPziXTeHGTXXs5upcrS-RtYfjoN-qAyTagcXgqJA2/s1600/ncaa+bristol.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7HlFLanjMFMkkg-HBTngGscOKIIeLSwr3LLDVqF38hG5EWZatv_TjfH824uXw589L8PYvxhpfZGDdCWrc0VJylbctlD1mzOdfhJaoPziXTeHGTXXs5upcrS-RtYfjoN-qAyTagcXgqJA2/s320/ncaa+bristol.jpeg" width="240"></a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Dove Men+Care has a new campaign highlighting the relationship between </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); text-indent: -24px;">basketball coaches Jim Calhoun and Kevin Ollie of </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">UConn. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: -24px;">It shows another side of what makes men heroes in each other’s eyes, and how caring for one another fosters real bonds of friendship. While I got to share the bracket experience with my son, I wanted to invite my brother to share the game with me. We live several hours apart, and Louisville was right in the middle, making it the perfect location to share the bond forged on the court in our youth. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: -24px;">We each made it to Louisville a few hours before the game last Saturday, and met up at a sports bar downtown. I was impressed with the atmosphere everywhere we walked, and we quickly picked up our friendship where we last left off, sharing stories and laughs, and listened to the Villanova fans cheer every time some stranger also wearing Nova colors walked by. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: -24px;">By the time the match-up between Kansas and Villanova started, we found our seats, and a few other dad friends I've made while living in Indianapolis. We watched as one of the best games of the 2016 NCAA March Madness Tournament played out in front of us. We cheered as Kansas drove the court for a slam, we clapped as Nova played stellar defense, we got wrapped up in the action as the game came down to the final minutes and Villanova sealed a victory and a trip to the Final Four. </span><br>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: -24px;">All through the game, we were adding another chapter to our lifelong friendship. From playing H-O-R-S-E in the driveway as kids, to one-on-one in high school, to watching college athletes at the top of their game, basketball has left its mark on this Hoosier family. I was excited to have the chance, and my brother was thrilled I accepted the offer from Dove and invited him to share in the experience. Real Strength is forged in shared experiences, and this was one we'll talk about for years to come. The game, the laughs, the drinks, the stadium hotdogs... it all plays a role in this memory.</span><br>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: -24px;">When the game was over and the stands emptied, We found ourselves walking to two separate parking garages, saying our farewells and promising to pick things up right where we were leaving them the next time we got together. It's a friendship that will not break, and one I look forward to strengthening even more in the future. Maybe this summer we'll find ourselves at a baseball game together!</span><br>
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<i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Disclosure: I was provided with free tickets and a fuel card for the NCAA game. However, I was not compensated for this post. Thank you to Dove Men+Care for continually supporting and fostering the growth of fatherhood and friendship between men.</i></div>
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Nick Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532254468416826612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7526014762251024914.post-76664681659145957132016-02-22T10:37:00.001-05:002016-02-22T10:37:17.198-05:00Different Worlds<div>
I was talking with a young single coworker Friday night as we left work. He asked if I had big plans for the weekend. I told him we were doing pinewood derby one day, finishing a school report on the Polio vaccine, and if the barley and hops gods smiled on me, I'd get a few beers in while watching the game on Sunday. His response was one of shock, and I could hear it in his voice as he said "we live very different lives, friend!"</div>
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His weekend was obviously going to be the one of a young bachelor in the city, I'll let you imagine the details, but it's safe to say Polio was not a disease he was worried about, and a beer or two wouldn't even cover the opening round. </div>
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I wouldn't trade with him though, and while he's enjoying his youth, he has no idea how much he may one day enjoy the other side of the coin with a weekend like the one I had.</div>
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He has never experienced the joy of seeing his son's face light up as his pinewood derby car which he labored over in frantic half hour sessions with him crosses the finish line. He has never watched his daughter learn something new and come to him with the look of new knowledge in her eyes as she relays the facts about polio and the vaccine that changed the world. He has never sat down to watch a football game, and had his toddler climb into his lap, grab his face between his two tiny hands and give him a kiss, making all the noise of the stadium melt away and the beer in his hands a less important part of the experience. </div>
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He doesn't know the joy of waking up every day to a person he shares every detail of his life with, the unique passion that is married love, the soothing effect of talking about his day with someone who knows about the day and the week and the year before. </div>
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These are the things he doesn't know. These are the things that sound mundane until you live them. These are the things I traded my weekends single and partying for, and one day I hope he finds the dad life to be as fulfilling as I do. But how does one explain the wonder of parenting to someone who is not yet a parent?<br />
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We had a laugh about our different lives, and my closing words were "one day, you'll see..." We both smiled and waved as we climbed into our cars, he into his coupe', me, my four door sedan, and pulled out to enjoy our "very different lives".</div>
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Whatever they may contain, enjoy your weekends, and know I'll be enjoying mine as well, even if I am covered in school paste and sawdust.<br />
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Nick Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532254468416826612noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7526014762251024914.post-472070180300869362016-02-04T21:15:00.000-05:002016-03-08T21:16:38.347-05:00Dinosaurs at the Museum<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYB0uYopGM22iU0wVgaOwHk9Y6eV78bG8Ig2jnER0AC5NMyKkr9TA0HRcKU9nhD-hnk55_jZ-haYP37ZCCWThO0WX8bItlPpQhVnKmlTAt6NO8x6gWu8DD0-orXnikxldihwlycodRIduf/s1600/IMG_2588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYB0uYopGM22iU0wVgaOwHk9Y6eV78bG8Ig2jnER0AC5NMyKkr9TA0HRcKU9nhD-hnk55_jZ-haYP37ZCCWThO0WX8bItlPpQhVnKmlTAt6NO8x6gWu8DD0-orXnikxldihwlycodRIduf/s200/IMG_2588.JPG" width="200" /></a>The first place my kids always want to go when we visit the museum is the Dinosphere. The big flashy main attraction may be the T-Rex battle between two Tyrannosaurs and a Triceratops, but we have a special connection to Leonardo, the mummified dinosaur. Before ever visiting, he was the first thing we ever learned about what the Museum had to offer.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp8iSBqwX4YBGzZW4guAmMANUvjggKtTZYMdw3bkItVbynBfyEhEGMqxzwpn2xdbR8e4BFULEs39ZqPMrjWq4Dqonmroezu31Ww3FGdDCMOz7HMF7kwSFDcw4nozZ7uEI0Ox6J43M_2Eo2/s1600/IMG_2594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp8iSBqwX4YBGzZW4guAmMANUvjggKtTZYMdw3bkItVbynBfyEhEGMqxzwpn2xdbR8e4BFULEs39ZqPMrjWq4Dqonmroezu31Ww3FGdDCMOz7HMF7kwSFDcw4nozZ7uEI0Ox6J43M_2Eo2/s200/IMG_2594.JPG" width="150" /></a>After reading up on Leonardo, we made our first visit and made a beeline past the giant croc, past the brilliant color changing sky above the battling dinos, past the sensory stations featuring fossils of various specimen and directly to the glass case displaying one of paleontology's greatest discoveries ever. I think my kids heard "mummy" and thought "Egyptian mummy." However, a dinosaur mummy couldn't be wrapped and artificially preserved, so we got to discuss how nature instead did the job of preserving Leonardo's skin, scales, tendons and even stomach contents for scientists to study today. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUplS-zYPyPQO5QZ-v9lFqMjLP4Oz3GPxwYBdHpvEfpC3erQRDqgLFaiqzYwFr6PbWkQyIu_ztY1bEvoCpvxxWjwjSpv9y0viXD4JEGN13GumETrCMn9qA4KeHjokyKMwWGkGtu-3OACX6/s1600/IMG_2596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUplS-zYPyPQO5QZ-v9lFqMjLP4Oz3GPxwYBdHpvEfpC3erQRDqgLFaiqzYwFr6PbWkQyIu_ztY1bEvoCpvxxWjwjSpv9y0viXD4JEGN13GumETrCMn9qA4KeHjokyKMwWGkGtu-3OACX6/s200/IMG_2596.JPG" width="150" /></a>After getting a good look behind the glass, we all moved on to the sensory stations to learn more about Leonardo. We found out about his diet, details of where he was found, and more about the process of natural mummification. While the kids were picking up all this information, I had to play the knowledgeable dad role and read the info panels much faster, so I could nod and say "I know, right?" and then provide a little more info when they shared their new wonder with me.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjn1nusJzMVs_MpPWqoUY4ZcVuMav6jkNko9bMu6aqczPWVMhpM8BFFWrDOPuiMZ_G4OclpmQUjw8dUuiYGQR7eSfy-4yvK5YwBwDg9uEL99d0_qmi33JvnmWpnquMAe0AoICxAeXgsoo/s1600/IMG_2582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjn1nusJzMVs_MpPWqoUY4ZcVuMav6jkNko9bMu6aqczPWVMhpM8BFFWrDOPuiMZ_G4OclpmQUjw8dUuiYGQR7eSfy-4yvK5YwBwDg9uEL99d0_qmi33JvnmWpnquMAe0AoICxAeXgsoo/s200/IMG_2582.JPG" width="200" /></a>After an all-too-short visit, we headed home, to a waiting science fair project. And what does one do for a science fair project after seeing Leonardo the Mummified Dinosaur, but an epic presentation on mummified dinosaurs. Books and information were limited on other specimens, but through persistence and perseverance, we managed to find enough content to fill a complete tri-fold. Not only did the Dinosphere provide the inspiration for the project, but the excitement as well. And if my kids are excited and inspired when we walk out the doors of the Children's Museum, then I say mission accomplished! </div>
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<i style="font-size: 18px;">This post originally appeared on The Children's Museum of Indianapolis' <a href="https://www.childrensmuseum.org/blog/inspired-museum-leonardo-mummified-dinosaur" target="_blank">blog</a>. Take a look to see what amazing things are currently going on over at the worlds greatest children's museum!</i><br />
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<br />Nick Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532254468416826612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7526014762251024914.post-60691290096735633272016-01-28T13:59:00.000-05:002016-03-08T21:01:00.048-05:00Unscheduled Sleep Positions X<div>
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Ok, so I'm a pushover. But he's our last kid, and how many more times will I get the chance to let a youngin sleep on my lap? Daily naps are beginning to fall by the wayside to the point that if E naps, it's most likely to be because he falls asleep in the car as we run daily errands.<br />
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Once we arrive back at the house, I can usually bring him in and transfer him right into his bed. Other times, that transfer doesn't go so smoothly. This just happened to be one of those times. Instead of staying asleep when I laid him down, he shot bolt upright and stuck his arms out for me again. Only when I picked him up, he cuddled right into my shoulder again. </div>
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It's at that point that I can say "I tried", and then go recline in my La-Z-Boy, and let him rest until he wakes on his own. </div>
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It's really not such a bad afternoon, cuddles with my second son. Maybe I can even catch up on an episode of The Walking Dead. I'm only a season behind...<br />
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Nick Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532254468416826612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7526014762251024914.post-86800702952271241482015-12-24T21:18:00.000-05:002016-03-08T21:05:39.758-05:00Christmas Cookies*This post originally appeared on The Children's Museum of Indianapolis' <a href="https://www.childrensmuseum.org/blog/inspired-museum-gingerbread-reindeer-cookies" target="_blank">blog</a>.<br />
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On our most recent visit to the Children's Museum, we stopped into the new Gingerbread Cafe' for a snack, and it got us in the mood for some of our traditional Christmas cookies. Every year, we gather around with cookies in hand and carols on the radio to decorate our Christmas tree. It's a tradition as old as our family, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. So this year, we converged around the table to build gingerbread reindeer cookies. They are pretty simple to assemble and easy to get little hands involved with. The ingredients are few, and the instructions very straightforward.<br />
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- Begin with gingerbread dough (we used store bought because kids love helping mix any dough, but that can get a little messy, and I like projects with less cleanup)<br />
- You'll also need a small bag of RedHots (also called cinnamon imperials if you look in the generic section)<br />
- Next, pick up mini pretzels (these will be used as reindeer antlers, so don't think you'll get away with using those huge soft pretzels from the mall)<br />
- Finally, a small bag of chocolate baking chips will make up your cookie's eyes (and if my family is any indication, more than a few will also line your stomachs before the baking is done)<br />
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After you assemble the ingredients (and the help) you begin by forming the dough into a rough prism shape. Then simply slice the log into thin triangles, and let the help lay them out on a cookie sheet. Bake per the dough instructions, and when you pull them out, immediately begin pressing two mini pretzels into two corners for the "antlers" a red hot into the third corner for "Rudolph's nose", and two chocolate chips in the middle for the "eyes". If you have really little ones helping, you can remove the cookies to a cooling plate before building your reindeer. Rudolph's nose provides a little spice to compliment the sweet molasses flavor inherent in the gingerbread.<br />
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Let your reindeer cool while you do a second pan, and then it's time to get the munchies! I'm sure Santa won't mind if you eat one (or two or three) of his reindeer, just don't name them before biting off their tasty little noses!<br />
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<br />Nick Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532254468416826612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7526014762251024914.post-9353118927395324992015-12-07T08:54:00.000-05:002016-02-22T22:06:54.741-05:00'Tis the Season<div>
This is our first December in Indy, and so it's our first <a href="https://www.childrensmuseum.org/exhibits/jolly-days" target="_blank">Jolly Days</a> at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. We went down to the museum on Black Friday to see Santa's big arrival, and got our first taste of the Yule slide, as well as our first taste of the new Gingerbread cafe. Mmmm, gingerbread....</div>
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I'm going to be honest with you, the cookies are my favorite part of every Christmas season.</div>
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Like many homes, December is full of traditions in our house. We like to kick off the holiday season by decorating our Christmas tree near the beginning of the month, and it just doesn't feel like the holidays until we have Christmas cookies to munch while we hang ornaments and listen to Bing Crosby, Burl Ives, and Nat King Cole sing our favorites. In fact, Bing and Bowie are singing their Drummer Boy duet as I type.</div>
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This year, Godzilla helped set up the tree. He's at that age where he's just enough help to be adorable while not being a hindrance to the process. We go with a fake tree for many reasons, so he got to help fluff the branches first, then took lessons in winding the lights up and around our tannenbaum. After fighting to find enough working strands of lights to fill the tree, it was ready for to get the full Christmas treatment, but as there are five of us, and Kate and I each work, time is limited. So we put off the day of decorating until the next weekend, when we could do the cookies and cocoa and carols.<br>
</div><a href="http://dadwithablog.blogspot.com/2015/12/tis-season.html#more">Read more »</a>Nick Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532254468416826612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7526014762251024914.post-63078602106884252712015-11-26T21:09:00.000-05:002016-03-08T21:13:19.305-05:00 New at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis: Me!<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I'm so excited to be an ambassador for The Children's Museum. It
is, honestly one of the coolest places for kids in the Midwest, and as someone
who enjoys seeing my kids enjoy themselves, we spend a lot of time here. From
the Dinosphere to the Playscape, the Chihuly sculpture to the rock wall, each
of my kids is engaged on every visit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I moved my family here from South Bend for
a job in February, and the first thing I did to get my kids inspired about the
move was call up The Children's Museum website and showed them what amazing
things we would have access to after the move. On our first visit to look for a
place to live, we took a few hours out of our day to scrape the surface of what
TCM had to offer. The tease worked, and we had very little selling left to do
as far as the kids were concerned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">"What amazing kids you must
have" you might be saying. And you would be right.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">My daughter, Nat, is 11. She loves the
arts and is right at home playing "mom" to her two little brothers.
When she sets her sights on something, you can count on her following through
with unrelenting devotion to completing the task, if not to completing the
steps she thinks will get her there. There is no denying her exploration of the
world around her, and I would never dare to try.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">My middle kid, Sean, 7, loves adventure.
He’s at home in a cape, a tool belt, or a mud pit. Is there any more
prototypical boy? He loves playing with trucks and dinosaurs or dressing up as
a superhero. While his inner Indiana Jones is worn on his sleeve, his inner
Einstein is seen in his eyes. Sean never tires of showing off his math skills,
and will read books about science before just about any work of fiction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Finally, there is my 2-year-old we
affectionately call "Not-Sean" or "E". The Not-Sean name
should be understood by any parent of more than one, and E is just a shortening
of his actual name, because by the third kid, you barely have time to think,
let alone pronounce your kid's full names. As a typical 2-year-old, E is the
reason I drink coffee, but if there is one thing I can count on holding his
attention long enough for me to do any simple task, it involves water. He will
"wash" a sink full of dishes, or pour a river of water down the side
of a tub. So if you every want to find us at the museum, check the water table
in the Playscape first!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I've been married for a dozen years to my
wonderful wife, and together we meet the daily challenges of raising a family.
We love engaging their minds and watching them discover the world around them.
Often, that adventure comes in the daily ups and downs of school runs, practices
and such, but when we can break out of the routine and explore the different
worlds places like the Children's Museum provide access to, that discovery is
all the more enjoyable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I have never wanted to miss any of my
family’s adventures, so I started writing to keep the memories alive, because
as they say: memories fade, but the internet is forever. The years have seen my
family grow, and our experiences flourish. With the kids’ age difference, we
get a taste of different stages all at the same time, and we get to enjoy the
journey to discovery with each of them individually. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I'm excited to share with you that journey and all the inspiration we find for it at The Children's Museum over the next six months. Just be sure to bring your poncho along for the ride, as inspiration this good is bound to get messy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;"><i>This post originally appeared on The Children's Museum of Indianapolis' <a href="https://www.childrensmuseum.org/blog/introducing-nick-downey-blog-ambassador" target="_blank">blog</a>. Take a look to see what amazing things are currently going on over at the worlds greatest children's museum!</i></span><br />
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Nick Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532254468416826612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7526014762251024914.post-26460018787333714152015-11-11T11:36:00.000-05:002016-02-22T22:07:41.450-05:00Stuff My Kids Say XVII"Why aren't you passed yet?"<br>
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Godzilla, 7<br>
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Hold on, that doesn't really do the line justice. Lets pour on some perspective.<br>
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We sat down to lunch this past weekend, and began talking about our day, our week, the projects we had to do, the things we just finished, what was going on at school, at work, at home... It was an ideal moment, gathered around the table, there were smiles and stories and good food filling our stomachs.<br>
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Kate and I then dropped a bombshell on the kids: We got together all the way back in 1998. Nineteen-ninety-eight! Practically the dark ages!<br>
<a href="http://dadwithablog.blogspot.com/2015/11/stuff-my-kids-say-xvii.html#more">Read more »</a>Nick Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532254468416826612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7526014762251024914.post-8020680978143558872015-11-02T09:58:00.001-05:002015-11-02T09:58:28.922-05:00Stuff My Kids Say XVIDad, guess what? I was dreaming in my dream, and you woke me up in my dream too!<br />
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Godzilla, 7.<br />
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It was something of an Inception kind of moment for him (not that hes watched the movie yet... at least not in this layer of his dream life). The amazement in his voice was priceless though. He was so sure that his dream was real. He was certain that I had already woken him up.<br />
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It's not often that I have a dream which is so realistic, but I have had them, I've woken up disappointed to discover that the dream was just a dream. On the other hand, I've awakened in a cold sweat, relieved to find the events in dreamland were just in my head. The best ones, however, are the ones where you can wake with the amazement of a child.<br />
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Or, you know, the ones where you wake from a dream in a dream in a dream in a .....<br />
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Nick Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532254468416826612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7526014762251024914.post-28656543994345228872015-09-30T11:10:00.000-04:002016-02-22T22:08:46.868-05:00And Now for the Main Event!Parenting a stubborn daughter is like a heavyweight bout. I go twelve rounds with her, and she just won't stay down.<br>
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If there is one thing I've learned in my decade as a dad, it's that kids have a will all their own. It is paramount to hitting your head against a wall when trying to convince your child of something they don't want to believe. And I might as well, for all the good arguing with my kids does for me.<br>
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It is never as simple as "hey, you need to do this" and it gets done, and it's never "this is how it works because I've been around longer and know things"<br>
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Why would it ever be that easy?<br>
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That's just not how this parenting thing works. We've all heard the line about the relative ease of things worth doing, and there is no job more worthy of doing that raising a kid. We learn at every stage of development, and the straighter we can be directed as children, the better we can adjust to life after.<br>
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With Nat, it's always been "her way".<br>
<a href="http://dadwithablog.blogspot.com/2015/09/and-now-for-main-event.html#more">Read more »</a>Nick Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532254468416826612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7526014762251024914.post-69239806365288177152015-08-25T21:42:00.000-04:002016-02-22T22:09:34.936-05:00What I bring to the table...As our kids' birthdays came close, my wife and I began talking about what we could do for them for gifts this year. Nat was turning 11, and Godzilla would be 7. Every year we take a family trip in leu of throwing a party, and the kids love it. We have done zoos and water parks and resorts and museums, all requiring a long drive, and most needing a night in a hotel (hello, pool!) This year would be no different, as we planned a day at Holiday World in southern Indiana. Apart from the trip, we wanted to give them something that would be fun and used daily around the house, and so we started looking at Lego tables.<br>
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Who doesn't love Lego? We have tubs of the little plastic bricks, and no real dedicated place to play with them. The best options are usually either the kitchen table, or the toddler height train table. Seeing as how we like to eat at the kitchen table, and our toddler height toddler likes to put things in his mouth, neither of those options are actually good options for a Lego table for our house.</div>
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So, we settled on making a table which would solve those two problems, Pinterest is full of ideas on how to create a table for use with Lego bricks. Unfortunately, most of them include this instruction: "Glue multiple base plates to a table." Have you priced Lego base plates? Have you counted how many you would need to cover a table large enough to actually give your growing kids room to play? The answers to those questions told me to find a better way. So here's my response.<br>
</div><a href="http://dadwithablog.blogspot.com/2015/08/what-i-bring-to-table.html#more">Read more »</a>Nick Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532254468416826612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7526014762251024914.post-5171521826286146772015-07-15T12:19:00.000-04:002015-07-15T12:19:22.272-04:00Unscheduled Sleep Positions IX<div>
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Sometimes sleep comes when you need it most, but when you expect it least. E was all set to go for a walk today, but I wasn't ready to leave the house. Instead, we walked circles in the kitchen for about five minutes, and he passed out. I don't expect this to be a long nap, but even 20 minutes will get him back in shape to finish the day without excess meltdowns. This kid has been the best sleeper of the three so far, and I really hope the trend continues.<br />
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This particular trick, we learned with Nat, who flat out refused to take naps in her crib. Or sleep at night in her crib. Or sleep at night at all. And so, the stroller nap was invented to help us retain our sanity. Here's hoping this doesn't become a trend with E, as it did with Nat. </div>
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Literally holding my breath...<br />
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Nick Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532254468416826612noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7526014762251024914.post-64610060823308918512015-07-10T08:54:00.000-04:002015-08-18T20:51:15.312-04:00Stuff My Kids Say XV"Where do they come up with these ideas? I try to write and all I think up is foxes and dragons!"<br>
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Nat - age 10, after watching yet another new creature in Doctor Who. </div>
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Nat started writing stories in fourth grade. She was not a fan of writing until her teacher used her aversion to pen and paper as the impetus to starting a writing club. Nat and her teacher would take turns writing a story, each writing a paragraph or a page and then handing the story to the other to write the next part. This personal attention and enthusiasm about writing sparked her creative nerve and she hasn't stopped writing since.<br>
</div><a href="http://dadwithablog.blogspot.com/2015/07/stuff-my-kids-say-xv.html#more">Read more »</a>Nick Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532254468416826612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7526014762251024914.post-61800467569029979122015-05-13T11:31:00.000-04:002015-08-18T20:51:04.640-04:00Boys of SummerLast week, I took Little E to his first minor league baseball game for a dad meetup. We had fun, sitting on the left field lawn. It was sunny and hot, and the kid was tired before the game was over, but the ballpark was nice and so was the company. I took just a couple of photos, and am planning to take the rest of the family back later this summer, once school lets out. I've been a baseball fan since I was little, and remember going to games with my dad. After sharing the pics of our trip with Nana, she dug out a shot of me as a kid attending a game with my dad. Baseball really is the game that transcends generations.<br />
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Nick Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532254468416826612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7526014762251024914.post-78365002985598792112015-05-01T13:01:00.000-04:002015-08-18T20:50:25.172-04:00girl powerRecently, DC Comics announced they were launching a new line of books and products called "<a href="http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/dc-entertainment-and-warner-bros-launch-dc-super-hero-girls-initiativ" target="_blank">Super Hero Girls</a>" aimed at girls age 6-12. It's really kind of exciting, as the comic industry has done a poor job of engaging women throughout their history. Finding a strong heroine who is not over-sexualized or who doesn't simply play a supporting role is not easy.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAOiRRr8xHpt3TWUyzC77tzVERj16LOkXehMjnAxHn_bnZgWMSenOz8cY3zoJlrHLtYyo1DVxb_S46XSzL6eba2XULKfioBzEIrLav7hkEB33CdCNovw6KnhkgXkT2oN7xuILNfU-tw6N/s1600/sup+v+ww.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAOiRRr8xHpt3TWUyzC77tzVERj16LOkXehMjnAxHn_bnZgWMSenOz8cY3zoJlrHLtYyo1DVxb_S46XSzL6eba2XULKfioBzEIrLav7hkEB33CdCNovw6KnhkgXkT2oN7xuILNfU-tw6N/s1600/sup+v+ww.jpg" width="200"></a>I can't say I gave it much thought before having a daughter, when as a boy, I had all the heroes I could ask for. When Nat came along though, I began looking for a heroine who could play the roll in her life that Superman and He-Man did for me in my youth. We have enjoyed She-Ra and Supergirl through the years, but the one that my daughter loves the most is Wonder Woman.<br>
<a href="http://dadwithablog.blogspot.com/2015/05/girl-power.html#more">Read more »</a>Nick Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532254468416826612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7526014762251024914.post-65586372943697996352015-04-28T12:31:00.000-04:002015-08-18T20:50:07.932-04:00The Slug LifeMornings have always been slow for me. I fact, I can't think of a time where I wanted to get up and move right away in the morning. This has not caused too many problems in the last 12 years, as I've worked nights since college. Before that however, I missed more than a coupe classes in college, and chased the bus in high school more than I care to admit.<br>
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Today, this slow morning syndrome is only a problem when I am trying to get the kids up for school. Godzilla takes two to three wake-up calls before he will roll out of bed, and then it's instantly the groans of a man 59 years his elder. How can a six-year-old wake up with a sore back? Once he finally gets dressed, its a trudging shuffle out to breakfast where he supports his head on his hand as he lazily munches on his food.<br>
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I cant really get upset at his morning pace, not when it took hitting the snooze twice to get out of bed myself. Add to that the fact that he doesn't even have coffee to crutch himself up, and I have major sympathy for him.<br>
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So, we work our way through breakfast and out the door to school and turn to his brother<br>
<a href="http://dadwithablog.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-slug-life.html#more">Read more »</a>Nick Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532254468416826612noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7526014762251024914.post-66976120231789285432015-04-21T11:32:00.000-04:002015-04-29T13:08:16.498-04:00Bedtime SongsIts true, we're creatures of habit. At least, I am a creature of habit. How else would you explain the fact that I've been singing the same lullabies to my kids for 10 years now? Not that I mind, I enjoy them, my kids enjoy them, and that's all that matters in the end, I suppose. And it's not just lullabies, it's songs in general.<br>
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<a href="http://dadwithablog.blogspot.com/2015/04/bedtime-songs.html#more">Read more »</a>Nick Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532254468416826612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7526014762251024914.post-78703815838749984932015-04-13T21:41:00.000-04:002015-04-21T11:33:11.404-04:00Basketball DiariesThere are first times for everything, but what first is quite as exciting as the first game you catch with your kids? I'm a baseball guy, and a baseball game with my kids is the holy grail of firsts for me. However, when opportunity knocks, I'm more than happy to open the door.<br>
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And that was the case last night. After working so hard <a href="http://dadwithablog.blogspot.com/2015/03/jumping-rope-for-ducks.html" target="_blank">to raise money for Jump Rope for Heart</a>, Godzilla was given a voucher for an Indiana Pacers game. He had a choice of a few different nights, and was really excited to get to go. Unfortunately, my work schedule got complicated, and we waited a little too long to find tickets and were unable to get to any of the games available with his voucher. He was so proud of his work and of earning the tickets that we weren't going to break his heart and not take him to a game, so instead of buying one ticket to go with his free one, we picked up two and made our plan to see the Pacers take on the Oklahoma City Thunder.<br>
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As the day approached, we talked about it more and more, until Sunday morning came and he was ready to go! Of course, if you're excited to go to a basketball game, you have to warm up for it, as he pointed out before lunch.<br>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Getting ready to go to a basketball game always includes actually playing a game yourself.
"It's just how it works, Dad" - 6yo<br>
— Dad With a Blog (@DadWithaBlog) <a href="https://twitter.com/DadWithaBlog/status/587287946652319744">April 12, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<a href="http://dadwithablog.blogspot.com/2015/04/basketball-diaries.html#more">Read more »</a>Nick Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532254468416826612noreply@blogger.com0Bankers Life Fieldhouse, 125 South Pennsylvania Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204, USA39.7639304 -86.1555437000000139.3737929 -86.800990700000014 40.1540679 -85.5100967tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7526014762251024914.post-44728426869552119742015-03-08T17:29:00.001-04:002015-04-03T10:48:08.655-04:00Jumping Rope for DucksGodzilla just started at a new school, after we uprooted the family and moved to a new city. One of the first things he came home with from his new class, was a donation kit for Jump Rope for Heart. He walked in to the house so very excited about getting on with the fundraising. No small part of his excitement stemmed from the fact that he could earn amazing prizes at different levels for funds raised. The biggest draw were these little rubber ducks. The joy on his face as he told me all about which ducks he wanted shone like the sun. "Look at this one Dad! It's called splatter duck, because it looks like he's all splattered with paint!" and "I really want this one, because it looks like he's a super spy!" Words spilled out of his mouth at a rate I rarely hear, and this kid can talk!<br>
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He also told me about how he was working out in gym class to learn about heart health and how important it is to stay active through the Jump Rope for Heart campagn. This is where I began to get impressed with his excitement for Jump Rope for Heart.<br>
<a href="http://dadwithablog.blogspot.com/2015/03/jumping-rope-for-ducks.html#more">Read more »</a>Nick Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13532254468416826612noreply@blogger.com0