In June, I posted pictures of a small animal skull that my kids found in a playground next to a wooded field. Still wondering what kind of animal it had belonged to, I posted the question on Ask Metafilter, and within a few hours the overwhelming consensus was that it had once belonged to a raccoon. Someone also pointed out that it was seriously gnawed on by another animal, as proved by the scratch marks that I hadn’t even noticed. Another case solved by the internets!
Just about everyone enjoyed the birthday festivities … just about.
I had some fun at the beach playing with our mini action video camera and sand crabs.
Summer has just begun and we’ve already had some fun outdoor discoveries, such as a rabble of butterflies and now this small animal skull. The kids found it in a field next to a playground. It’s no larger than my fist. Can you identify the animal that this belonged to?
Hiking with children can be tricky and slow-going, but it’s totally worth the effort. Last weekend, we set out to hike a trail that runs along a tranquil stream. I wanted to hunt for geodes, but the kids were more interested in skipping stones. I was preparing to turn around when the kids spotted a clearing up ahead, so I promised to go only that far, take a brief rest, and start heading back. As we approached the clearing, we spotted a rabble of butterflies chilling out in an old fire pit. http://instagram.com/p/pGj9TZDx05/The kids had been in butterfly tents before, but getting up close and personal in nature was infinitely more amazing. It’s too bad we left our butterfly net at home when we really needed it!
Even so, the kids had tons of fun getting up close to the butterflies and chasing them around. They’re already asking to go back, and I’m trying to explain to them that the butterflies may likely be gone by then. That’s ok, they explained, maybe next time we can find a unicorn! Do they make a net for that?
I admit, I’ve been acting very childishly these last few years. I’ve spent a lot of time engaging in really silly, pointless stuff, like stacking Dixie Cups as high as the laws of physics will allow. I hide in the shadows with my Nerf Arsenal, sweating through the inevitable charley horses, yet remaining silent and motionless until my next victim strolls by.
My television diet consists almost entirely of cartoons, while my actual diet has recently featured ice cream after every dinner. Don’t worry though, I’ve been spending a lot of time on breakfast, the healthiest meal of the day, because it does take a really long time to make pancakes into the shapes of animals, comic book characters, and my kid’s names. Speaking of comic books, I’ve started collecting them again for the first time since I was a teen. The kids and I never miss our weekly Wednesday pilgrimage to the local comic book store. Some comics we read together, others are just for daddy. I haven’t just been wasting time though. I’ve become a master at many of life’s most useful skills, like papier-mâché, kite-flying, and all things bubble.
http://instagram.com/p/o17JV8Dx4q/
Yeah, so that’s what I’ve been busy doing. Playing. I’ve been playing harder than ever. Having been an only child who was trying way too hard to act like a grown-up, it’s nice to have a second chance to play like a kid again. I have a great excuse, too, because these priceless, everyday opportunities to bond with my children belong just as much to them as they do me. I’m teaching my kids that it’s important for everyone, not just kids, to make time for play. I want them to smile wide and often. This is my #powerofdad.
The folks at P&G Oral Care get that it’s the day-to-day little moments in fatherhood that bring the biggest smiles. That’s why they are teaming up with both the March of Dimes as well as “Football’s First Family,” New York Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning, his father Archie, and his daughter Ava, to encourage healthy and happy families and to celebrate wonderful fatherhood moments with their #powerofdad campaign. Check out their video that celebrates just that, and join in by sharing your own favorite fatherhood moments using the hashtag #powerofdad.
As Father’s Day approaches, I can’t think of a better way to keep the special father in your life smiling brightly than with the Oral-B 7000 BLACK toothbrush. This toothbrush is packed with industry leading technology that features 8,800 oscillations per minute, signaling for switching quadrants, a SmartGuide wireless display that lets you know you when have brushed thoroughly for the suggested amount of time, and Indicator® bristles that lets you know when to replace the brush heads. Did I mention that this baby accelerates to its top speed faster than an actual race car?
I’ve been supremely happy with my own Oral-B toothbrush (an older model), and was proudly surprised when my last two dentists asked what my secret was to super clean teeth. I’ve put it through the ringer for the last several years, but now it’s time for an upgrade and I’m stoked about the Oral-B 7000 BLACK. Fortunately, I can scoop up the #powerofdad coupon (and you can too!) for a fast $7 off the Oral-B 7000 BLACK toothbrush! Pick one up for the special father in your life, and don’t forget to keep playing, smiling, and making those precious fatherhood memories!
http://instagram.com/p/od4OFEDx2u/Disclosure: I partnered with Oral-B and Life of Dad, LLC for the #PowerofDad Father’s Day promotion and was compensated for my involvement.
The Adventures of Sprowkey is part of a series following the whereabouts of a trackable geocaching item. Actual locations and events surrounding this trackable item form the basis for a fictional narrative, creating a unique and interactive geocaching experience. For more background on this series, see the first installment of The Adventures of Sprowkey.
With merely 500 miles between him and his destination, Sprowkey’s mission has been severely compromised! He had been carefully packed up and stowed away, patiently awaiting final transport by secret agent BirdsIView. However, BirdsIView had picked up the dossier for the wrong field agent, and while he carefully read the mission details and waited for the absolute perfect time to make his move, he actually set out in precisely the opposite direction of Sprowkey’s intended destination.
BirdsIView smuggled Sprowkey all the way from Phoenix back to Ohio, which would have been bad enough, except it was just a pitstop before their true target–New Brunswick, Canada! The complete opposite side of the continent! This setback puts Sprowkey nearly 16 driving hours FURTHER past where he had started!
The good news is that Sprowkey is in a safe place that the locals know as Mooser’s Restaurant. This popular pub and eatery is actually just a front for a top-secret geocaching operations base. Here, undercover agents are safe to share highly confidential information and to pool their efforts.
A favorite breakfast special among special agents
Sprowkey’s morale is at an all time low after this devastating setback. Will he give up hope and abandon his mission, or will he set out again, more determined than ever? Stay tuned for Sprowkey’s next adventure!
Total miles traveled: 10743
Previously:
The Adventures of Sprowkey: Chapter 9, Phoenix, baby!
Last summer I picked up a cheap record player so I could listen to some old records that I inherited from my family. I had no idea how much fun we would have with it!
We immediately started to notice the abundance of vinyl that could be had at flea markets and yard sales, usually for a dollar or less per record. My wife and I now love flipping through stacks of vinyl, searching for all sorts of retro music, and we almost always come home with at least one gem to add to our growing collection. Sometimes they turn out to be a bust, but with such a minimal investment, we’re willing to take a risk on a record based solely on a whim or a fabulously kitschy cover.
We keep our record player and vinyl collection next to the dinner table and it’s already made for some great family memories.
Lying Cat is a character from the comic book Saga, published by Image Comics. It’s a great ongoing book written by Brian K. Vaughan, with art by Fiona Staples. Definitely worthy of checking out – and I’m not lying! The “R” rating means it’s off limits for my kids, though they sure do love both cats AND pancakes! I submitted a photo of this pancake to the monthly fan art section of the Saga (unofficial) Facebook fan site.
To make the pancake, I whipped up some batter, added some blue dye, and filled up my wife’s cake decorating squeeze bottle. Start with the areas you would like to turn out the darkest, then just fill the rest in. If you think that’s cool, check out Jim’s Pancakes for some SERIOUSLY over-the-top pancakes. I need to take some pancake making lessons from this super cool dad!
I scrapped the ugly fence that I’d built around my garden last spring that was supposed to keep out the bunnies. It didn’t work. The little stinkers had proved themselves too smart and persistent, busting right through the fence in order to ransack our garden yet again.
I’ve been looking into other natural bunny deterrents and read about using dog hair. This sounded brilliant! Wild dogs have hunted rabbits in the wild for centuries, and later, domesticated dogs were trained to hunt rabbit for sport. Bunnies are wired to get the heck out of dodge when a dog comes trotting along. It’s in their DNA!
Armed with this knowledge and dog brush in hand, I waited patiently as this year’s first batch of seeds began to push up through the soil. Gershwin, our beagle/box mix, definitely loved all of the extra attention he began to receive, but being a short-haired breed, he failed to contribute much hair to the cause.
Meanwhile, my wife had a better idea. She walked down the block to our local dog groomer and asked for a large bag of dog hair clippings. They were curiously happy to oblige, and within minutes the kids had our garden bed and all of the precious seedlings sprinkled in dog hair. We’ll need to spread more hair around every few days and after it rains to maintain the effects of the dog scent barrier. Needless to say, Gershwin has taken a new interest in our garden. Hopefully the opposite will be true for the bunnies!
Secret Dad Society 