READING STORIES TO MY SON WHILE ON THE ROAD
Foresight of my 10 days away from Conor motivated me to drag out the video camera and the tripod and read some of Conor's favorite stories before I left for Stockholm on business. This one is called Holler Loudly and I love hearing my son try to say, "Loudly". I called my wife to see how the two of them were doing and she said that Conor had started to ask about me on a regular basis so she played these videos on the TV and he calmed down and settled into half a dozen videos that I have stored in the section called, "The Reading Corner."
GRANDPA TOOK US TO THE ZOO TODAY
CONOR MEETS A BOBCAT FACE TO FACE IN TEXAS
On Saturday afternoon, the rumor started in the neighborhood that a bobcat had been caught in a neighbor's trap by the Resaca. Not one to be left out of a good adventure, my dad, myself and Conor headed over to see if the rumor was true. Sure enough, a couple of neighbors had gathered 'round to see the frustrated cat in the trap. After a call to the animal control unit, a fearless Mexican American cowboy showed up and asked the neighbors if they minded if he just let the bobcat loose in the neighborhood instead of taking it away from it's natural habitat. After the neighbors agreed, the ten gallon hatted cowboy took the bobcat to the edge of a wooded lot and before he could set the bobcat free, the bobcat banged himself out the back of the trap and busted out. He ran so fast he landed in the lake and had to swim out and run like crazy for freedom. It was pretty exciting to watch. I captured the moment on the iPhone and was surprised at how well it turned out.
CONOR MEETS A BOBCAT FACE TO FACE
On Saturday afternoon, the rumor started in the neighborhood that a bobcat had been caught in a neighbor's trap by the Resaca. Not one to be left out of a good adventure, my dad, myself and Conor headed over to see if the rumor was true. Sure enough, a couple of neighbors had gathered 'round to see the frustrated cat in the trap. After a call to the animal control unit, a fearless Mexican American cowboy showed up and asked the neighbors if they minded if he just let the bobcat loose in the neighborhood instead of taking it away from it's natural habitat. After the neighbors agreed, the ten gallon hatted cowboy took the bobcat to the edge of a wooded lot and before he could set the bobcat free, the bobcat banged himself out the back of the trap and busted out. He ran so fast he landed in the lake and had to swim out and run like crazy for freedom. It was pretty exciting to watch. I captured the moment on the iPhone and was surprised at how well it turned out.
CONOR'S FIRST SLED RIDE
After running around town looking for some snow boots in a size 5 for a fifteen month old, daddy scored. We suited Conor up and set forth for the Nickerson Post Schlitterbond hill. Okay, so I made that name up. Anyways, it was a great place to watch the neighborhood kids and their parents all having a good time in the great outdoors. Conor was unusually quiet as he looked around at all the screaming kids, snow, and sleds. It took him an easy 20 minutes of just sitting on my lap before he got up and began to walk about on his own. He eventually got the hang of it and laughed when people fell off their sleds or grabbed some air. But he never really liked going down the little hill we made for him. I guess he's just got more Texan in him than his birth certificate recorded.
CONOR'S FIRST SLED RIDE
After running around town looking for some snow boots in a size 5 for a fifteen month old, daddy scored. We suited Conor up and set forth for the Nickerson Post Schlitterbond hill. Okay, so I made that name up. Anyways, it was a great place to watch the neighborhood kids and their parents all having a good time in the great outdoors. Conor was unusually quiet as he looked around at all the screaming kids, snow, and sleds. It took him an easy 20 minutes of just sitting on my lap before he got up and began to walk about on his own. He eventually got the hang of it and laughed when people fell off their sleds or grabbed some air. But he never really liked going down the little hill we made for him. I guess he's just got more Texan in him than his birth certificate recorded.
SIX-YEAR OLD DRIVES TO SEE DAD
WWII MUSEUM IN NEW ORLEANS
The old lady in the elevator didn't think the WWII Museum was appropriate for a baby but we had fun. The museum focused on the invasion of Normandy and the war with Japan. We highly recommend the museum if you're a WWII buff but Conor was only good for about an hour of it before he got antsy and wanted to stand in the stroller instead of sit. Considering he's only 11 months old at this point, I'll consider that a victory. After he waived the white flag, we gracefully made our exit.
CONOR GIVES THE NEW ORLEANS AQUARIUM TWO THUMBS UP
It's our fifth day in New Orleans and we're staying about 5 minutes away from the New Orleans Aquarium. We decided it might be a good way to start the day. So we took Conor. He enjoyed the fishes for about 5 minutes but was really interested in crawling through the aquarium. This didn't seem like a really good idea so we let him sit or kneel but kept the crawling to a minimum. Here he is saying hi to the local eel. - See more at: http://dadsdecoded.com/blog/index_files/archive-sep-2012.html#sthash.fuCD9zcQ.dpuf
THE DOG WHISPERER SHARES HIS DINNER
According to Cesar Milan, the dog whisperer, “Dogs see you only for who you are—not who you want to be. You cannot fool a dog. A dog doesn’t listen to your words; it reads your body language, which can’t lie. Before you begin a conversation with a dog you have to acknowledge how you really feel.” At this time, Conor feels hungry yet generous. And El Dog is not one to disappoint.
HOT CHEETOS AND TAKIS
As of this writing, the Y.N. Rich Kids band camp has created a viral video that has 1,293,641 hits in two weeks. It's called Hot Cheetos and Takis. It was featured on NPR this morning and I was blown away at the talent of these inner city kids. The song is about snacks. That's it. Nothing more. And it sounds pretty powerful. No ho's, guns or any sort of violence. Just kids wanting their snacks. With all the production qualities of Lupe Fiasco, Immortal Technique or Snoop Dogg.
It's the 8th digital CD that the North Community Beats and Rhymes Program has put out. The kids come and go but the program keeps putting out good fun music. And the kids get to discover what it is to work together as a team, to write, memorize their lines, dance and get a little camera time which takes a certain amount of patience to do it until you get it right.
Rock on, North Community Beats and Rhymes Program. Here's the lyrics to Hot Cheetos and Takis. Read as you watch their music video.
yo
i go by the name of dame jones
i'm with my crew
and we gonna show yall what we be snackin' on
ya dig
(ok)
HOT CHEETOS & TAKIS, hot cheetos & takis
i can't get enough of these hot cheetos & takis
got my fingers stained red
and i cannot get 'em off me
you can catch me & my crew eating hot cheetos & takis
bow
SNACK, SNACK, SNACK... CRUNCH
SNACK, SNACK, SNACK... MUNCH
hot cheetos & takis, hot cheetos & takis
you can catch me & my crew eating HOT CHEETOS & TAKIS
[dame jones]
its about a quarter to a 4, rollin to the store
(what you 'bout to get?)
hah, you already know
got like 3 or 4 dollars and a couple odd cents
bout to cop me some hot cheetos and a lemonade brisk
i'm ridin around on my bicycle, ridin' around on my bicycle
pull up to the studio cuz you know that the kid be meltin' them microphones
munchin' on my takis like i just don't care
then i walked up to your girl and she asking me to share
bow
[nasir]
yo, i'm hungry where them cheetos at?
they stay bitin' like where them mosquitoes at?
i'm on point like a elbow, hands red like elmo
my mama said "have u had enough?"
i looked and i said "no ma'am"
i go ham, in the grocery store orange fanta and takis
buyin' it with my allowance, so nobody can stop me
all the kids wanna be him, go crazy when they see him
my mom hit the ATM, cuz she know i need them
[glentrell]
HOT CHEETOS & TAKIS, hot cheetos & takis
i can't get enough of them hot cheetos & takis
got my fingers stained red
and i cannot get 'em off me
you can catch me & my crew eating hot cheetos & takis
bow
SNACK, SNACK, SNACK... CRUNCH
SNACK, SNACK, SNACK... MUNCH
hot cheetos & takis, hot cheetos & takis
you can catch me & my crew eating HOT CHEETOS & TAKIS
[g6]
hot cheetos & takis, thats my favorite snack
bought 'em with my own money i don't give 'em back
mama said "slow down, boy u bout to blow"
but i'm fi'nna get more, u should drive me to the store
[frizzy free]
hot cheetos & takis, no one ever stops me
got an icey flow and i'm super cold,
everyone knows that i'm so dope
i say yes to takis, and you say no to cheetos
i can have 'em then, and you can stick to fritos
[ben 10]
ben 10 need a snack, u better give it to him
or i might snap, like what my fingers doing
yeah u know whats next, u can't stop me
i hit 'em with the flex, and eat some takis
HOT CHEETOS & TAKIS, hot cheetos & takis
i can't get enough of them hot cheetos & takis
got my fingers stained red
and i cannot get 'em off me
you can catch me & my crew eating hot cheetos & takis
bow
SNACK, SNACK, SNACK... CRUNCH
SNACK, SNACK, SNACK... MUNCH
hot cheetos & takis, hot cheetos & takis
you can catch me & my crew eating HOT CHEETOS & TAKIS
[jasiona]
i'm gettin snacks on snacks on snacks, yeah i'm eatin' all them
by the way if u don't know, J got skills flow cold like a snow cone,
boatloads of them skittles starburst fritos and doritos
but nothing can compare to them H-O-T cheetos
and them takis, so watch me
go hammer with my snack first
and i chew my food cuz u know i got the manners
and then i start to dance and i dougie to the floor
and now i need a snack headed to the corner store,
for some
HOT CHEETOS & TAKIS, hot cheetos & takis
i can't get enough of them hot cheetos & takis
got my fingers stained red
and i cannot get 'em off me
you can catch me & my crew eating hot cheetos & takis
bow
SNACK, SNACK, SNACK... CRUNCH
SNACK, SNACK, SNACK... MUNCH
hot cheetos & takis, hot cheetos & takis
you can catch me & my crew eating HOT CHEETOS & TAKIS
credits
released 20 August 2012
- See more at: http://dadsdecoded.com/blog/index_files/archive-aug-2012.html#sthash.rj62o0m7.dpuf
32-YEAR OLD INTERVIEWS HIM SELF AT THE AGE OF 12
Young filmmaker/parking attendant, Jeremiah McDonald showed an uncanny vision when he videotaped himself 20 years ago talking to his future self. Digging that VHS tape up all these years later, Jeremiah set off to interview his 12-year old self. The results are stunning as we see what 20 years of living will undoubtedly do to a person. Innocence turns to sarcasm. Dreams fade like a Poloroid picture. Love of pop culture hangs on like a cat to a ball of string. And there's absolutely no way to tell what technology will come along in the future to change our life. Think about it, when Jeremiah created this videotape of himself talking to himself in the future, there was no such thing as the internet. Jeremiah had no way of imagining that he could share this idea with the world. The experiment was simply a kid having fun, obsessed with time travel and an imagination that led him to act out his fantasy. And while no scientist has cracked the code on time travel yet, someone did crack the code on how to connect the past with the future and allow that connection to be witnessed by millions of people all over the world. As of today, four days after the video was uploaded to YouTube, 5,790,459 people have viewed this interaction between a 32-year old and himself at 12.
SNAKES ARE BORN THIS WAY
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY
My son gave me his feet for my first Father's Day. I have to admit I welled up a little. I feel so lucky to have him in our lives. We spent the day hanging out while mom went to a baby shower. We went to Home Depot and bought manly stuff. Then we came home and worked on the boat until it was dinner time. Then we played a little more until at last, he conked out. Not a bad Father's Day at all.
AFTER TWO WEEKS OF RADIO SILENCE WITH A WORKING LOBSTER BOAT
After 2 weeks of radio silence, I emerge with the beginnings of a refurbished wooden lobster boat. Today, Valerie, Conor and I tested the new boat on the ocean. Okay, I took it out first to make sure everything was working properly. After a few tweaks, we all headed out together. If you can't see Conor, he's the one behind the life vest and under the hat. It was super sunny and if you haven't noticed from other pictures, he's Irish white. So sunburn is not an option.
HOW DO DADS COPE WITH TRAVELING AWAY FROM THEIR KIDS
As my team from Small Army and Old Harbor Productions travel together through Europe shooting small films for SolidWorks, I noticed that the producer was taking out a little Buzz Lightyear and snapping photos in front of iconic locations throughout our trip. I couldn’t help but finally ask what was up with all the Buzz pictures. Steve told me that his son is 4 years old and looks forward to his dad taking pictures of Buzz throughout the world. Buzz has been to more places that most of us could ever hope to go. Steve’s son loves this. And so does Steve. After all, he spends about 80% of his time traveling the world to create commercials and films for big name clients like GM, Audi, Gillette and SolidWorks to name just a few.
I thought it would be interesting to do a Google search to see how prevalent the topic is on the internet. You know, to see how other dads cope and offer advice to other dads. The search was, The search was, "How do dads cope with traveling away from their kids“. “The very first Google find was, “How could men get away without paying child support?” The second was by a mom blogger who wrote, “Kids acting out cuz they miss their dads.” And finally, “Moving away and custody of fathers.” Maybe it’s just a matter of bad SEO from other sites but this is what came up. Nowhere were dads talking about how they cope with being away from their kids. I thought that Steve’s approach was a great idea. Where ever he goes in the world, he feels a connection when he takes out Buzz Lightyear from his busy job, and takes a moment to snap a picture of Buzz LIghtyear conquering foreign lands in a polymer plastic uniform that could only be from the future. Steve then sends the pictures home and his son knows that his dad is always thinking of him as he introduces Buzz to new places but will ultimately return to the loving arms of his son.
My 6-month old son has no idea that daddy is traveling. He simply knows that I don’t exist when I’m not there. After 13 days apart I will magically appear again. I expect that he will hear my voice and see my smiling face and break out into a giant smile and uncontrollably kick and shake with delight and forgive me for magically disappearing for so long. And while I love traveling and meeting intelligent people with great stories, I never stop thinking of my son. And when i see others pushing their child’s stroller or hear a child cry, I feel a yank at my heart, or is it my soul, that says, get home quickly. One of the things I do to cope with being away from my son is writing this blog to stay connected to dadhood in a small way. It’s important for me to do something every day that involves my son even if I’m not home. So the blog is one way. Shopping for small presents is also rewarding. And as a songwriter, writing little songs about or for him also scratches the itch of being a dad who may not be with his child but is still connecting the best way he can think of. This to me, is very important to being a dad.
Tomorrow we travel to Germany for our last film of this trip. It will last 4 days and then I will be back home in Boston to see my brave and loving wife, and my perpetually happy son. I hope they greet me with open arms.
If you have any stories or suggestions of how you cope when away from your family, please let us know. We dads can use all the help we can get.