Fatherhood Tales

Just launched a new dating site, www.datechoices.com

hopefully, it will help any fathers out there too!

We invested in a Ridgeview wooden playset from Toys R Us, knowing that the girls would love it…. and they do

17 total man hours later, it was up and functioning. It was a huge undertaking, but it ended up being worth it and my wife and I didn’t kill each other during the setup, which was nice.

My next post I’ll put my tips and thoughts on the whole process

I went to take my 5 year old daughter to get a haircut…. mind you, her hair is down to the middle of her back, and has always been long. We decided to get it shoulder length….. what we got was chin length, as I wasn’t paying close attention enough to the haircut lady while I was getting my haircut. I know it sounds cheesy, but it really makes her look too grown up! So, fathers beware….. watch those scissors!

After overhearing crying in the other room, I found one of my girls in the other one’s bean bag. The uproar was caused since one said “She farted in my bean bag”…. in which made me reply to the accused daughter with “Fart in your own bean bag” before I could realize what I said

yet another thing I never thought I would say as a father

Kids eat free! The words we all love to hear…. You would be pretty suprised to see all the places around you that have some day of the week where kids eat free. I came across a local site that tells me where I can go for free kid’s meals, but you can do a search in google for “kids eat free” and find any national listings and regional as well. Chains like Boston Market, Perkins and Jason’s Deli all have great specials. So, if you are out to save money and love getting out of the house once in a while with your kids for a bite to eat, check out the listings in your area and plan your eating out around the specials by you.

If you’re like me, you either pick a few easy resolutions to do, or you skip them all together. This year, I have vowed to do several things, and one of them is to have more patience with my kids. I truly value all the time we have together, and realize that 90% of the time they do act out is because they want to be with me. It’s like on the movie the 40 Year old virgin where Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen’s characters are in Vegas and Paul Rudd’s wife in the film cares so much about him, that she wants to spend all the time she can with him. It’s the same with kids…..you know how they follow you, even if you just want to run put your socks on or just go to the bathroom? It may initially be annoying, but they are doing it because they can’t get enough of you! Just think— when they get older and they choose EVERYTHING prior to choosing you, you’ll long for those times you passed them by for something less important

Like I do when any supposedly “hot” toy hits the market, I went and got in line before the sun came up, in below freezing temperatures to wait in line outside my local Toys R Us for a ….well…a toy gerbil or hamster, or whatever they are. When I got one in my hand, I was a bit underwhelmed. Knowing that parents everywhere were paying 5 times the price for these robotic rodents caused me to believe that when I did get one, it would be saying my name or balancing my checkbook or something. It just looked at me, like a trapped animal in a clear cage. My girls like them, so that should be enough. You put them on the floor, set them loose, and they wheel around the room, making noises, bumping into things, etc. Look, for $10, and a child begging for one, I say go for it….. We have two, and while we didn’t cough up the big bucks for the habitats and accessories (like I could find them anyway), they are still putting smiles on kids’ faces. The company that makes them recently released a note saying that we shouldn’t be worried about any toxicity with them, so safety is achieved as well. Don’t go on ebay for them….spending any amount over $10 is foolish. Put forth the effort and get in line if you have a child who has it on their must have list.

I have always been a video game nut- I really have. Ever since the ColecoVision and Nintendo 8 Bit, I have spent countless hours in front of the game console of the year.

I was always curious to see if my kids (both girls) would take a liking to games as much as I once did— and thankfully, they have!

We have a Nintendo Wii, and after spending a lot of time playing Mario Kart and Wii Sports, I was looking for another family fun game. I definitely found it in Lego Star Wars – The Complete Saga. Please note that this game is available for Xbox360 as well as Playstation 3, but the version I have been playing is on the Wii.

The game itself is awesome, yet different. It has each Star Wars Movies (Episodes 1-6) all compiled into this treasure of a game. It is a co-op game that involves some thinking, thought not hard even for my young kids to figure things out. The cool thing is, if you are not a fan of violence, there is no blood, etc at all– just Lego toys falling apart if they are shot, punched, etc. There are so many options, games, characters in this game, it is great fun for all. I believe you can even get it for $19.99 now, so it is a MUST own for family fun.

Well, it is the New Year, so an extra tip today can’t hurt!

To go along with my first tip, make sure you sign up for the birthday eclubs– not just you, but your kids too! You’ll be amazed at how many free desserts you’ll get (ColdStone Creamery) and even free burgers (Red Robin)….

Enjoy!

I am going to list out some tips that I have found helpful being a father of two toddlers, and hopefully they can help you as well.

Tip #1: Look online for your favorite restaurants you and your kids like to go to….or any restaurants close by that you would frequent. A large majority of those places have Eclubs, E Newsletters, etc that offer frequent coupons, deals and more. Also, so many get you a free appetizer, drinks, etc when signing up (Longhorn Steakhouse for example). If you don’t want the emails to your everday email inbox, set up a separate one just for these. You’ll really save in the long run and will get a lot of coupons and deals that really help.