tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76061869475694983762024-03-17T20:02:54.844-07:00Dude of the HouseDude of The Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272483182710859456noreply@blogger.comBlogger253125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606186947569498376.post-57511334521838780482017-09-11T06:40:00.001-07:002017-09-11T06:40:21.633-07:00How to Feed a Houseful of Dudes in 30 Minutes<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As summer s’mores melt into back-to-school prep, seismic shifts occur in homes with school-age kids. Though this annual evolution is not unexpected, drastic changes occur on a daily basis, like kids reacclimating to wearing socks again after a summer of flip-flop fun, and eating normal meals again, rather than shoehorning an apple and string cheese into 8 hours of playing outside, becomes a necessity. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With school back in session, one thing I know for sure is that the minute the Junior dudes get home, they are ready to eat. That means dinner must be quick and easy to prepare while three kids simultaneously ask for snacks. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That’s why my famous Turkey Pasta Bake is a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">‘Dude Family classic’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/5g40GWaAMteERrctvQhVhs-jzsP-1RDljI3qJBOSUbG6i746mJ2vo_OUGL4Bob1kYuqyH0r_gbpfxIc2hZnrlTD4W14v0KvGA8iTwl0-3c3yZyGtVUMMjHVKSEwMohfMbngfSCM0" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="IMG_8571.JPG" border="0" height="346" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/5g40GWaAMteERrctvQhVhs-jzsP-1RDljI3qJBOSUbG6i746mJ2vo_OUGL4Bob1kYuqyH0r_gbpfxIc2hZnrlTD4W14v0KvGA8iTwl0-3c3yZyGtVUMMjHVKSEwMohfMbngfSCM0" style="border: none; cursor: move; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="258" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My boys love pasta (who doesn’t?), and would be happy to eat it 8 days out of 7, but variety is important, as are incorporating protein and vegetables into their diets. So when the Little Dude was even littler, Mrs. Dude and I started making this tasty recipe that is also fast and easy, because when hunger hits, the food is never ready fast enough. But in as many years, I’ve learned that I can boil some water, put an episode of their favorite show on the DVR and when that 30 minute show ends, voila, dinner is served.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the trickiest parts of dinner is choosing everyone’s favorite pasta cut, and Barilla® offers 38 different options, so you could eat a different one every day of the month without repeats. For this recipe, I used two of my boys’ favorites: Barilla Blue Box Penne and Rigatoni. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/HxdGgR5mLIpWYPKwpp5Q2WdZh0imPeaMsWen4i4qMMN-OiWz0zMk7xMybxLB6MvhhZRt6J6UJ9HSUQovv-tb3ITFf5Yu6rD0TMydqlnnUU2ulwMfQTKi1-lTWV77LtEqHp5i4SK9" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="IMG_8584.JPG" border="0" height="369" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/HxdGgR5mLIpWYPKwpp5Q2WdZh0imPeaMsWen4i4qMMN-OiWz0zMk7xMybxLB6MvhhZRt6J6UJ9HSUQovv-tb3ITFf5Yu6rD0TMydqlnnUU2ulwMfQTKi1-lTWV77LtEqHp5i4SK9" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="277" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While the pasta cooks to a perfect al dente, in about 12 minutes, I brown a pound of ground turkey meat on the adjacent burner. Once the pasta is finished, I drain it and add Barilla Mushroom Sauce (my favorite!) to the fully-cooked turkey meat, along with garlic, oregano and a few other seasonings. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then, I mix the pasta into the sauce and pour the combination into a glass baking pan, with a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese on the bottom and provolone slices on top. Last, I put the combined dish into the oven, which had already been preheated to 350°F, and bake for 15 minutes, or until the top layer of cheese is lightly browned.</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/UTBBpPGCodrOpbB3Zz_rbyOAgzxwOvGg7RM7kPwkWyZFIW1dEgWKuoEi9SGkxfsJAcEySzT-ILOFlzoA2xO6ar8ySlFzi_9pu4H14R8DU0KldsuSahtRb1Bftb9a_p2mrhOpsREC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="8690FB5F-5EB8-43AB-A85F-FC7B73B53CF7.jpg" border="0" height="408" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/UTBBpPGCodrOpbB3Zz_rbyOAgzxwOvGg7RM7kPwkWyZFIW1dEgWKuoEi9SGkxfsJAcEySzT-ILOFlzoA2xO6ar8ySlFzi_9pu4H14R8DU0KldsuSahtRb1Bftb9a_p2mrhOpsREC" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="408" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To balance the meal, we mix a nice green salad, garlic bread and some fruit while we all talk about highlights and lowlights of our days. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once the pasta masterpiece is served, it’s only a matter of minutes before my hungry kids are not only no longer hungry, but asking for seconds. And after they clear their plates, hopefully there is still enough daylight remaining for them to play outside for a bit before the school night bedtime activities begin, and we start everything all over again the next day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Disclosure: </span><span style="color: #1f2631; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have partnered with</span><a href="http://www.lifeofdad.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1f2631; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Life of Dad</span></a><span style="color: #1f2631; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and</span><a href="https://www.barilla.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1f2631; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Barilla Pasta</span></a><span style="color: #1f2631; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for this promotion. Though I have been compensated for my participation, all ideas, thoughts and tasty treats are my own, for better or worse.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #1f2631; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>Dude of The Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272483182710859456noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606186947569498376.post-71234070120599438462017-06-17T16:31:00.000-07:002017-06-17T16:31:00.447-07:00Why You Should Have Another Kid, Even If You Think You Shouldn't<div class="MsoNormal">
When you first get together with a romantic partner, after
you’ve introduced them to family or friends, the first question from everyone
you encounter becomes “when are you getting married?” After you’re married, the
first question becomes when are you having kids? After your first child is
born, shortly after the placenta is delivered, the big question evolves into
“when are you having another one?” This process seems to continue until you
eventually become a grandparent. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Asking about someone’s potential reproductive plans is not
only nosy, it’s not a simple question as there are always myriad factors that
go into these decisions. When Mrs. Dude and I began talking about starting a
family, I wanted 3 kids (because I came from a family with 3 kids) and she
wanted 2 kids (you can probably guess why). We got married in our early 30s, became
parents a couple years later, and then again 3 years later, so time was not
working in our favor. But thoughts of “what if?” lingered in both my wife’s and
my mind after the Littler Dude was no longer so, um, little. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As our 40<sup>th</sup> birthdays approached, the
conversation continued, and we went back and forth on how we could potentially add
another child into the mix, if we could even get pregnant again, that is. Then
one day, I read something that helped solidify the plan for me. In a Facebook
group I belong to, someone mentioned that you don’t only have kids for
yourselves as parents, but it’s important to consider having kids for them to
have each other, as time passes and life evolves. Nine months later, give or
take, Little Miss Dude was born. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Beyond my prognostication that we were only ever going to
have boys, having baby #3 changed my mindset toward parenting. We were never
the type to sterilize the baby if they encountered a speck of dirt, so
laid-back parenting has always been our M.O. But it’s the knowledge gained via
almost 7 years of parenting experience when she was born that has made my
daughter a different type of gift. She was a gift for my wife and for me, but
also for her brothers, who at almost 7 and 4 when she was born couldn’t believe
how lucky they were to have another life to help shape. <o:p></o:p></div>
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From day one, which began early one Friday morning at 4:15am
with Mrs. Dude’s water breaking three weeks before her scheduled C-Section
date, Little Miss Dude has made the perfect punctuation for our family. Unlike
after our boys’ births, I was able to take paid paternity leave after she was
born, and the almost 10 weeks we spent together day in and out, helped lay the
foundation for our now complete quintet.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now that her first year is 3 quarters over, I can’t imagine
life without this little girl, whose infectious smile helps her makes friends
in every grocery store line, restaurant and little league game she attends. I
know how lucky I am to have three wonderful children, even if they usually wake
up too early and are sometimes too picky with food. They are happy and healthy,
which helps me feel confident that they will live long healthy lives, as
wonderful children, siblings and hopefully parents themselves. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">We usually think about all that we are thankful for later in
the year, with turkey and pumpkin pie, but with Father’s Day upon us, I’ve
partnered with </span><a href="https://www.lifeofdad.com/" style="font-size: 12pt;">Life of Dad</a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> and </span><a href="http://www.pampers.com/en-us" style="font-size: 12pt;">Pampers</a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> to say #ThanksBaby for helping
complete my family.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m sure you have stories about your kids and what you are
thankful for, so please use the #ThanksBaby hashtag on Twitter, Instagram and
Facebook with a picture and a few words about what your little ones have done
for you. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Also, take a moment to check out this great video that
Pampers put together to honor all kinds of fathers on Father’s Day: <o:p></o:p></div>
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Dude of The Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272483182710859456noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606186947569498376.post-29272597634597937992016-06-17T00:51:00.000-07:002016-06-17T00:51:24.979-07:00My First Day as a Father<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What am I going to do
with a baby? <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I always knew I’d wanted to have kids, and had been a very
experienced uncle for years, but when the moment of truth was upon us, what
would I do with my own child? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How would I
take care of him? Would he be OK? Would I be OK? <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After 9 months of waiting eagerly, suddenly I found myself
nervously observing in the operating/delivery room, sitting behind a draped
cloth with my wife’s upper body, while doctors and nurses worked their magic scalpels
and tools on her midsection. In 10 minutes, the anesthesiologist announced,
“it’s a boy”, but I’d never considered otherwise. He was here, I had to be
ready. Even if I didn’t think I was. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Are you ready to cut
the cord? <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9cEh8X-sVYY/V2OlzdY4g2I/AAAAAAAADqA/TPZ94ZNlLggfrhbh2xgEUL5gRo-Kdtx9gCKgB/s1600/BCS%2BWeek%2B1%2B%2528110709%2Bto%2B111409%2529%2B022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9cEh8X-sVYY/V2OlzdY4g2I/AAAAAAAADqA/TPZ94ZNlLggfrhbh2xgEUL5gRo-Kdtx9gCKgB/s320/BCS%2BWeek%2B1%2B%2528110709%2Bto%2B111409%2529%2B022.jpg" width="320" /></a>I tend to overthink things, especially all of the possibilities
of everything that could go wrong. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What
if I cut the cord too long or too short? What if I couldn’t even cut all the
way through it?</i> At that moment, as I watched my son on the table, just
minutes old, I knew I had to jump in with both feet. I grabbed the scissors from
the nurse and cut the cord swiftly, which freed my son from his only source of
life up to that point and suddenly gave me a new one of my own.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
We headed to the recovery room where my wife was able to
rest for a bit. As adrenaline pumped through my body like a gallon of espresso,
I watched this little miracle lay swaddled snugly and started to feel inklings
of confidence return despite the enormous uncertainty squarely before me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vl4vnvbguD4/V2Ol6sRlopI/AAAAAAAADqA/QRtEf86Fi3En2zNa0Phzq7_CXyGUfE6-wCKgB/s1600/BCS%2BWeek%2B1%2B%2528110709%2Bto%2B111409%2529%2B058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vl4vnvbguD4/V2Ol6sRlopI/AAAAAAAADqA/QRtEf86Fi3En2zNa0Phzq7_CXyGUfE6-wCKgB/s320/BCS%2BWeek%2B1%2B%2528110709%2Bto%2B111409%2529%2B058.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After a while, we were given a room. My wife was
understandably exhausted when the nurse came and examined my hours-old son. She
asked if I wanted to give him a bath. As I pondered the joyous task, the
feelings of doubt returned? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How do I even
give him a bath? He’s so little; I don’t want to break him. </i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She reassured me: “They’re hard to
break”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether that was true or not,
who knows. But she seemed to know what she was doing, and mentioned that she’d
been doing it for 20-something years, so I had to let go of my fear once again
and literally get my hands dirty to clean my still somewhat goopy child. With
each soft swab of the washcloth, he amazed me even more. Before I knew it, he
was clean. What now? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Are you ready to put on his diaper?” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, I’d attended the pregnancy class before he was born
and strapped one on a plastic baby, knowing it was foolproof. Guess what: so is
diapering a real baby. Sure, I may have ripped a couple straps pulling too
hard, but my boy was fine. His scrawny little legs dangled out of the Pampers
Newborn, a size he fit in for exactly one day. As I watched his body
temperature even out after the bath as he lay upon the warming table, I knew
he’d be OK. And so would I. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OGtFmA8nnX0/V2Ol6iPC4kI/AAAAAAAADqA/XdLWpYiZ6VglhcVKTyAMyeaSTLlgF5--wCKgB/s1600/BCS%2BWeek%2B1%2B%2528110709%2Bto%2B111409%2529%2B059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OGtFmA8nnX0/V2Ol6iPC4kI/AAAAAAAADqA/XdLWpYiZ6VglhcVKTyAMyeaSTLlgF5--wCKgB/s320/BCS%2BWeek%2B1%2B%2528110709%2Bto%2B111409%2529%2B059.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Later that night, as I watched my wife and son sleep in our
hospital room, one day in the books, it finally occurred to me, as obvious as
it had been all day to our gathered family and friends. I was a father. And had
to be ready for whatever was coming next. Looking back, I’d read the baby books
before he arrived but there is no parenting book as real, as honest and as true
as the one you start to create upon becoming a father. It’s not an easy job and
the benefits are crap, literally, but there is nothing better, nor more sleep
depriving in life. Seven years, another child and yet another en route later, I
wouldn’t want it any other way.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JyL0rGsfOPI/V2OpyyZqV2I/AAAAAAAADqU/7REFnOs-Rnc/s640/blogger-image-355832827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JyL0rGsfOPI/V2OpyyZqV2I/AAAAAAAADqU/7REFnOs-Rnc/s320/blogger-image-355832827.jpg" width="272" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Note: I have partnered
with </span></i><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://lifeofdad.com/"><i><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Life of Dad</span></i></a></span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> and </span></i><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.pampers.com/en-us"><i><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Pampers</span></i></a></span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> for this promotion, but all ideas expressed above are mine and
mine alone, for better or worse. I was compensated for this post, but I can assure
you it was much less than I’ve spent on Pampers over the last almost-seven
years. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Note 2.0: Pampers put
together an amazing Father’s Day video, which I know you will want to check out.
Spoiler alert: tears are looming that you may not anticipate. <o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
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Dude of The Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272483182710859456noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606186947569498376.post-86520130392245642172016-03-07T23:23:00.000-08:002016-03-09T11:02:17.924-08:00Why I Want to Move to Zootopia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";">Movie Viewed: </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><a href="http://fandan.co/1RMxr4j" target="_blank">Zootopia</a></span></b></div>
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<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Up6lLQmJexw/Vt54wCsd8YI/AAAAAAAADnw/KbH9n_S-S4o/s1600/IMG_9592.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Up6lLQmJexw/Vt54wCsd8YI/AAAAAAAADnw/KbH9n_S-S4o/s400/IMG_9592.jpg" width="230" /></a><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";">Moviegoers:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";">Dude, 40; Mrs. Dude, 40; Little Dude, 6 & Littler
Dude, 3 </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";">Family Fave Flicks:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";">The Star Wars saga, Finding Nemo, Toy Story, The Lion
King, Despicable Me and Mr. Peabody & Sherman.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";">Fave movies for
grown-ups:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";">The Dude’s Faves
(that the kids aren’t ready for): Bull Durham, Goodfellas & Old School</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica";">What’s the story:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Growing up in rural Bunnyburrow,
Judy Hopps enjoyed her simple life, but influenced by a bullying incident she
witnessed as a young bunny along with her parents’ slow-paced lives as carrot
farmers, she yearned for more. Judy’s goal was to become the first rabbit
police officer in mega metropolis Zootopia, and being an optimistic
overachiever, she does it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">After moving to the big city and
being assigned to the largest police division in Zootopia, Judy is quickly
ostracized because she’s not a typically larger police animal, but she’s out to
prove her worth, no matter the task assigned. One day while on her beat, Judy
encounters a sly fox named Nick Wilde who teaches her a lesson or two about
trust, friendship and hard work. Judy enlists Nick to help with the case of a
missing otter and together they work to solve one of Zootopia’s biggest
mysteries. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";">What parents may
like about this movie:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";">Zootopia is an
inspiring tale of how optimism, dedication and determination, even at a young
age, can lead to a great future. There were also some very strong messages that
about bullying and prejudice that are important for kids to be exposed to in
this day and age. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";">What kids will like:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";">The myriad animals are entertaining, adorable and subtly
educational, too. Kids will love the top-flight animation (and grown-ups will,
too!)</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nII5Fid86Vc/Vt535WdkAII/AAAAAAAADnk/p8KH04gwg24/s1600/Zootopia%2BSloth%2BDMV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nII5Fid86Vc/Vt535WdkAII/AAAAAAAADnk/p8KH04gwg24/s400/Zootopia%2BSloth%2BDMV.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";">Concerns:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";">No major concerns as Disney never gets too
controversial, though there are some bullying scenes (with a positive spin) and
metaphors for racial bias that could resonate with older kids. Also, a key
storyline about some of the animals’ ferocious behavior might frighten some
younger kids. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";">Bottom Line:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";"> Movie elements </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";">ranked on a scale from 1-5, with 1/5 being
the least and 5/5 being the highest.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JrL4exbBTbM/Vt59T65P0gI/AAAAAAAADok/ikuaI6NpH1M/s1600/Zootopia%2BJudy%2527s%2Bparents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JrL4exbBTbM/Vt59T65P0gI/AAAAAAAADok/ikuaI6NpH1M/s320/Zootopia%2BJudy%2527s%2Bparents.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";">Positive themes:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";">Overwhelmingly positive look at
setting goals, achieving and overcoming obstacles on the road to success.
Living up to your dreams is a great message for kids, even though Judy’s
parents tried to temper hers. Thankfully for everyone, she didn’t let them stop
her. Great messages about right vs. wrong and friendship permeate this cuddly
flick. (5/5)</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";">Violence/scare
factor:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";">There was no real violence
in this movie beyond the typical cartoon variety. That being said, one
storyline revolves around seemingly domesticated predators reverting to their
savage nature. A couple scenes featuring some of these wild animals probably
won’t scare kids, but might make them briefly squeeze your hand a little
tighter, which isn’t always a bad thing. (1 ½ /5)</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";">Sex/Romance:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";">None. Though a relationship was briefly hinted at. (0/5)</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";">Bad language:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";">It’s Disney, so the closest thing was the word “butt”
once or twice. (0/5)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";">Final thought: </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";">Zootopia is
classic Disney and sure to entertain kids of all ages. The morals and lessons
in this movie are applicable to everyone, including adults. The animation is
excellent and there are a slew of jokes purely for the adults, including the sloth-run
DMV vignette you’ve surely seen in the trailers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t recommend Zootopia highly enough. It’s
a must see for all ages and my early prediction for next year’s Best Animated
Feature Oscar. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5BVEp3rtXks/Vt58D3VjDTI/AAAAAAAADoM/857JgVX5dG4/s1600/Fandango_GiftCard_Popcorn_300dpi-800x800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5BVEp3rtXks/Vt58D3VjDTI/AAAAAAAADoM/857JgVX5dG4/s320/Fandango_GiftCard_Popcorn_300dpi-800x800.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://fandan.co/1RMxr4j" target="_blank"><br /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";"><a href="http://fandan.co/1RMxr4j" target="_blank">For even more on Zootopia,check out Fandango’s feature page</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";"><a href="http://www.fandango.com/mom39;smovieminute/video_92?autoplay=true&mpxId=2684798229">Still
not convinced you should see Zootopia? Check out this Mom’s Movie Minute</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica";">I was compensated by Fandango Family for this review, though all opinions
contained within are solely mine, for better or worse. Also, my family really wants to
go to Zootopia now. </span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Dude of The Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272483182710859456noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606186947569498376.post-20418928112064515052015-12-30T00:00:00.000-08:002016-01-12T23:27:23.711-08:00Turning Mozzarella Sticks into Merry Poopins<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I was new to LA after matriculating in Ohio, going out
was a way of life. I was young and naïve and the Sunset Strip was just a few
blocks away. Going out on the town was the best, and the worst. And being a
young single guy, the winter holiday season was always filled with festive
nights out filled with no shortage of flowing beverages and hors d’oeuvres. I
remember one particular New Years Eve spent with a group of pals at a spicy
cantina called Senorita’s. Back then my patience for crowds was thick and my
stomach was eager to sample my newly discovered passion for Mexican cuisine. Those
nights, and their subsequent mornings after, weren’t as painless as in college,
but were still manageable for a youngish dude. Perhaps that’s because that era,
around the turn of the millennium, was when I began seeking comfort with a
tasty little pink darling who was always ready and waiting for my call,
morning, noon or night. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Now, years later, I’m older and wiser. There’s no chance I’d
go to a Hollywood joint like Senorita’s (RIP) on New Years Eve. Clubs, lines
and unnecessary crowds are as foreign to me now as babysitters, Nick Jr. and
the Valley were to me then. Hell, there’s minimal chance I’d go anywhere on NYE
without a great reason, like being invited to drop the ball at midnight from
Mars. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J7NduYkbEWg/VoNo6ZEjjHI/AAAAAAAADlQ/05kE_m1sQSE/s1600/IMG_2980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="New Years Eve Appetizers" border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J7NduYkbEWg/VoNo6ZEjjHI/AAAAAAAADlQ/05kE_m1sQSE/s320/IMG_2980.JPG" title="New Years Eve Appetizers" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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As of a few years ago, likely coinciding with becoming
parents, Mrs. Dude and I adopted a low-key approach to the New Years holiday.
We usually have a family activity during the day (i.e. something that will wear
the kids out and make them want to go to bed early) followed by Mrs. Dude’s
famous Appetizer Dinner as our oxymoronic main course.</div>
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Every December 31st now, as our oven readies an array of
bubbling oozy mozzarella sticks, fried mushrooms that erupt like a volcano when
you bite into them, crunchy chewy taquitos AND my wife’s famous homemade pigs
in blankets, I can feel my stomach percolating in eager anticipation of the fiesta
it’s about to ingest-a. And with each passing year, I tell myself that I can
still down this stuff like I did 20 years ago in my off-campus apartment on any
given Tuesday night a mere 6 hours before a big exam. The truth is I realize
that I need a head exam to think I can make it through this big tasty night
without a wingman by my side. So I look back to that little pink lady who’s
always been there for me through both good times and stuffed crust pizza: <a href="http://pepto-bismol.com/" target="_blank">Pepto-Bismol</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BOjE7gSzjs4/VpX8GW-pwQI/AAAAAAAADmc/QQyvOIFLOu0/s1600/Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BOjE7gSzjs4/VpX8GW-pwQI/AAAAAAAADmc/QQyvOIFLOu0/s400/Photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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Unlike the comparative ease of my college and mid-20’s
adventures, I now face New Years with a new crew and my Little Dudes don’t show
the same mercy my professors usually did. I have to be up and ready to move on
January 1<sup>st</sup> long before noon, sadly, on some family adventure or
another. That means I don’t have time for my digestive tract to go on strike
from our previous night’s holiday excess, relatively low key as it may have
been. So I keep a bottle of the classic pink tummy-fixer elixir chilling’ in the fridge, ensuring
that I’m always ready to counterattack my intestinal distress, call it
Mozzarella’s Revenge, caused by my exposure to a few of my favorite things*,
head on. Plus, if I’m not home, I can carry chewables in my pocket,
making it even easier to stop the need to go when I’m on the go.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8DA4HwyQIpg/VoN3EUeWP4I/AAAAAAAADmI/XzrgsQjzR24/s1600/Pepto%2BRice%2BKrispie%2BTreats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8DA4HwyQIpg/VoN3EUeWP4I/AAAAAAAADmI/XzrgsQjzR24/s400/Pepto%2BRice%2BKrispie%2BTreats.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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***************<o:p></o:p></div>
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*Speaking of my favorite things, unlike virtually every third
other person in LA, I don’t fancy myself a songwriter, but the memories
conjured while writing this post and some seasonal movie watching inspired me
to pen some alternate lyrics to a classic tune from one of my wife's favorite movies about singing Austrian families. Thanks to Pepto-Bismol whose #PinkRelief helps me avoid being a
self-induced member of the Von Crapp family, and for more Merry Poopins. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<b>Here's a little poem I wrote, to the tune of one of my favorite songs: </b><br />
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Fresh fried veg-tables
with dips straight from Ranches<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Taste great but cause
me belly ava-lanches<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Bubbling hot pizza
dripping with oil<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Makes my chest feel
like it’s going to boil<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Buttered hot pretzels
are a wonderful lot<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>But usually tie my gut
in a big salty knot<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Holidays lead to
delicious binges<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Rescued by Pepto with
its bright pink tinges…<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>******************</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">I was compensated for this post, but all
opinions contained within are entirely mine, for better or worse, like the fact
that mozzarella sticks might be the greatest food ever invented. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />Dude of The Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272483182710859456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606186947569498376.post-80430679210068103012015-12-22T08:56:00.003-08:002015-12-22T08:56:44.653-08:00The Force Awakens IS the Star Wars Movie You're Looking For<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5tM6TfDs_bg/Vnl8DZSI-LI/AAAAAAAADj8/dAYObVVcbg4/s1600/IMG_8482.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5tM6TfDs_bg/Vnl8DZSI-LI/AAAAAAAADj8/dAYObVVcbg4/s320/IMG_8482.jpg" width="214" /></a><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">Movie Viewed: <a href="http://fandan.co/starwarsoverview">Star Wars The Force Awakens</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">Moviegoers:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">Dude, 40; Mrs. Dude, 40; Little Dude, 6 & Littler
Dude, 3</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">Family Fave Flicks:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">Beyond the original Star Wars films, some of our
favorites to watch together are Toy Story, The Lion King, Despicable Me and
most other modern animation flicks.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">Fave movies for
grown-ups:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">The Dude’s Faves
(that the kids aren’t ready for): Bull Durham, Goodfellas & Old School</span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">What’s the story:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">A few decades have passed since
Luke Skywalker and the Rebels defeated the Empire in Return of the Jedi and a
new band of enemies have arisen in the galaxy. The First Order is led by the
mysteriously masked Kylo Ren and their mission is to find the now-in-hiding
last remaining Jedi Luke Skywalker. Thanks to some old friends and SW-universe
newcomers like the rugged scavenger Rey, conflicted Stormtrooper Finn, fighter
pilot Poe and next-gen droid BB-8, the battle to defeat the First Order and
Kylo Ren has begun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">My group of Star Wars aficionados
loved the 3-D effects, updated lightsaber battles and, of course, the lovable
BB-8, heir apparent to the iconic R2-D2. My 6 year old was on the edge of his
seat for most of the 2+ hours from the opening scroll until the final familiar
theme outro. This is definitely the movie Star Wars fans have been looking for
and it will leave you yearning for Episode VIII, due in May 2017. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SgMAvo67lzo/Vnl4o1tyTQI/AAAAAAAADjk/d5XOw3kEpso/s1600/Star%2BWars%2BThe%2BForce%2BAwakens%2BKylo%2BRen.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="233" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SgMAvo67lzo/Vnl4o1tyTQI/AAAAAAAADjk/d5XOw3kEpso/s320/Star%2BWars%2BThe%2BForce%2BAwakens%2BKylo%2BRen.png" title="Star Wars The Force Awakens Kylo Ren Stormtroopers" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">What parents may
like about this movie:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">As a big fan of the
original Star Wars trilogy, I appreciated the way this film quickly led us into
a totally refreshed universe of exciting new heroes. It was wonderful to see
both male and female positive role models that all kids can relate to. The classic
Star Wars dilemma of good vs. evil was present, but it’s not too deep to be off-putting
to a younger audience and will hopefully be thought provoking and a dialogue
starter for older kids/tweens/teens. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D0bwSGZxHx8/Vnl5smuKTvI/AAAAAAAADjw/mAUwLRFB90s/s1600/Star%2BWars%2BThe%2BForce%2BAwakens%2BRey%2B-%2BFinn%2BBB-8.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D0bwSGZxHx8/Vnl5smuKTvI/AAAAAAAADjw/mAUwLRFB90s/s400/Star%2BWars%2BThe%2BForce%2BAwakens%2BRey%2B-%2BFinn%2BBB-8.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">What kids will like:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">BB-8, no question. My boys loved the movie as a whole,
but BB-8 was the real deal for them, aided in part by being so familiar with him
in advance from the trailers and retail toy departments.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">Concerns:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">This was definitely a much more graphic Star Wars film
than all of the previous iterations, except possibly Episode III, containing
some epic battle sequences, however, true gore was virtually nonexistent.
Intensity might be a concern for some younger kids, or those who haven’t been
exposed to other films in the series, so one trick I like to implement before
seeing movies that might contain is reinforcing with my kids that what they see
on the screen is all pretend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Humanizing
the experience for them seems to help ease any concerns they might have during
intense scenes.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">Bottom Line:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"> Movie elements </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">ranked on a scale from 1-5, with 1/5 being
the least and 5/5 being the highest.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">Positive themes:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">The movie featured several key
characters seeking to conquer various hardships without necessarily knowing why
they were in those positions. There were also friendships forged among
characters who might otherwise have not been connected if not for these adverse
conditions. (5/5)</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">Violence/scare
factor:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">There was a fair
amount of violence in this film, though a majority of it was Stormtroopers
using their laser blasters so it mostly looks like people getting knocked over.
However, for the first time I can remember in a Star Wars film there was a
little visible blood (albeit briefly) during one battle scene. Beyond that
there was a large monster that captured a character and some other intense
scenes involving essentially hand-to-hand combat. There was also a brief dream
sequence which was both trippy and surprisingly intense. (3/5)</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">Sex/Romance:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">None. Two former paramours briefly embraced and there
appeared to be another budding romance, but no action was taken. (0/5)</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">Bad language:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">None. Not even anyone being called a half-witted scruffy looking nerf herder. (0/5)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CTiFI2cg4_Q/Vnl_wrDiGDI/AAAAAAAADkQ/d_GngHp8w38/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-12-22%2Bat%2B8.50.36%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="260" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CTiFI2cg4_Q/Vnl_wrDiGDI/AAAAAAAADkQ/d_GngHp8w38/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-12-22%2Bat%2B8.50.36%2BAM.png" title="Star Wars The Force Awakens Han Solo Chewbacca" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">Another parent’s view: <a href="http://www.fandango.com/movie-news/should-your-kids-see-star-wars-the-force-awakens-750239">Click
here for a Fandango mom’s take</a> and another <a href="http://www.fandango.com/mom39;smovieminute/video_92?autoplay=true&mpxId=2680634159" target="_blank">Mom's Movie Minute</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">Final thought: </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;">My wife, who had
never seen a single Star Wars movie until we started watching them with the boys
less than six months ago, said this just after our screening ended: “I really
think we need to see it again, there are so many details I want to rewatch!”
Enough said.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ccNpHRyxffc/Vnl4n7x2mQI/AAAAAAAADjY/XAQ9_d0otJ8/s1600/Star%2BWars%2BFandango%2Bgift%2Bcard.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ccNpHRyxffc/Vnl4n7x2mQI/AAAAAAAADjY/XAQ9_d0otJ8/s1600/Star%2BWars%2BFandango%2Bgift%2Bcard.png" title="Star Wars The Force Awakens Fandango Gift Card" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"><i>This post was written as part of my partnership with <a href="http://www.fandango.com/" target="_blank">Fandango</a>'s <a href="http://www.fandango.com/movies/family" target="_blank">Fandango Family</a> team. I was compensated for this post, but the opinions contained within are entirely mine and my family's, for better or worse and light side or dark.</i></span></div>
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<i><b>Spoiler Alert: If you aren't following <a href="https://www.instagram.com/DudeOfTheHouse" style="color: red; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">@DudeOfTheHouse</a> on Instagram, you might as well go pick up some power converters at Tosche Station. </b></i></div>
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Dude of The Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272483182710859456noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606186947569498376.post-1957116032354347032015-12-13T21:58:00.001-08:002015-12-13T22:02:24.441-08:00Star Wars, FOMO & Getting Ready for The Force Awakens<div class="MsoNormal">
As my family’s Year of Star Wars Part 1 is coming to an end,
when my boys become indoctrinated, initiated and almost institutionalized with
Star Wars Fever, it has occurred to me that I’m suffering from a retroactive case
of FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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FOMO is an acronym defined as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">”anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently
be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on a social media website</span></i></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’m
generally not a jealous person and am generally happy for people who post their
trips-of-a-lifetime pics on Facebook (as long as they don’t post 300), so
that’s not really a point of FOMO for me. Though we all have our regrets, the one
that has been on my mind lately is ironically something that I missed out on
even though I was actually there. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Earlier
this year at the Dad 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, one night we were bussed into
the Presidio for an <a href="http://www.dad2summit.com/2015/01/27/announcing-our-friday-night-event-with-lego-systems-and-lucasfilm/http://www.dad2summit.com/2015/01/27/announcing-our-friday-night-event-with-lego-systems-and-lucasfilm/">event
at Lucasfilm</a>. It was pretty cool walking on the hallowed grounds where so
much movie magic has taken shape, yet at the same time I have to admit that I
was a bit tuned out. I’d always been into Star Wars, but at the time I hadn’t
seen any of the movies in quite a while and since becoming a parent my memory
of the two moons of Tatooine had been replaced with a permanent memorization of
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Goodnight Moon</i>. Needless to say at
the time my kids’ interests were attuned elsewhere beyond a galaxy far, far
away. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It’s not
as though I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings, it’s more that I just
wasn’t in a Star Wars frame of mind, so it was an amazing place to be, but I
was elsewhere while I was there. That being said: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was
lucky to be greeted at the event by the wisest Jedi of all: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AT6AUoyawHM/Vm5X4pf7DhI/AAAAAAAADiM/PelPXvla63I/s1600/IMG_1526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AT6AUoyawHM/Vm5X4pf7DhI/AAAAAAAADiM/PelPXvla63I/s320/IMG_1526.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Given
directions by these two gents dressed in reverse tuxedos: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YmNbOcCbKps/Vm5X5YpD0eI/AAAAAAAADiY/G9UHXMNF7uY/s1600/IMG_1544_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YmNbOcCbKps/Vm5X5YpD0eI/AAAAAAAADiY/G9UHXMNF7uY/s320/IMG_1544_2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And
greeted by one of the more notorious parents in film history: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fortunately
I got a warm hug from this trusty little Droid: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was
given a sneak peak that night of the hilariously clever and pithy <a href="http://disneyxd.disney.com/droid-tales" target="_blank">Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales</a> and that
kickstarted some of those memories for me. I was eager to introduce that series
and the larger series it inspired to my boys, and a few months later I did. Hesitantly.
I wasn’t sure if (then) 5 1/2 & 2 1/2 year old boys would really understand
the movies, but I can honestly say that from the first loud blast of the Star
Wars theme preceding Episode IV, they were hooked. We spent the summer watching
all six movies, debating their merits, highlights and lowlights and wishing we
all had real lightsabers of our own. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We’ve
learned a lot along the way about family, relationships and communication,
because when you really look at the root of the Star Wars saga, it’s about a
troubled man who sacrificed everything for the woman he loved (and lost) and
again, later in life, for his son. Anakin Skywalker suffered from the ultimate
case of FOMO and thankfully he was able to redeem himself as his life concluded.
Though he did miss out on most of his children’s lives, at least he saw that
his son became the success he never could. So his fear of missing out was
extinguished as his soul was put to rest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’ve
also erased the thoughts that I missed out on my night at Lucasfilm with the
few memories of amazing things I saw there, not the least of which was this
LEGO bust of George Lucas, which quasi-resembled Burt Reynolds in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Boogie Nights.</i> </span><br />
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
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<br />
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now, I’m ready to absorb
The Force Awakens with my family on the big screen, opening weekend. To
paraphrase Yoda, “miss out, we will not.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Dude of The Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272483182710859456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606186947569498376.post-13763482008341287492015-11-15T23:12:00.002-08:002015-11-15T23:12:41.736-08:00Our Intergalactic Star Wars Family Game Night<div class="MsoNormal">
With school back in session and fall in full effect, I’ve
been thinking about the just-passed summer and the unexpected adventure my
family shared. It happened by accident, as the Little Dude wanted to attend a
one-week Jedi Training camp nearby, which understandably piqued his interest in
what occurred a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Now I will admit it
publically for the first time: we became a group of Star Wars nuts.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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And I don’t mean nuts like my boys watched Episode I and
liked Jar-Jar Binks. I mean nuts like we watched all six movies and they are
both fully consumed with what happened on Tatooine, Hoth, Endor, Naboo, Kamino
and assorted other intergalactic locales. Did I mention that this was just
before they recently turned 3 and 6 respectively? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Having spent considerable time in July and August in front
of the tube while escaping the triple-digits outside, I wanted to find a way to
extend my boys’ interest in Star Wars beyond just the movies. So I’ve bought
books about the mythology, and there’s been toys, snacks and a variety of other
SW-wares floating around our place. So when a box arrived with a few brand-new
Star Wars games from my friends at Hasbro, my family was more excited than an
unfrozen Han in Episode VI. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XKn3uQzVJWI/Vkl-vuoU00I/AAAAAAAADhE/G6S0ml2c1fQ/s1600/IMG_7334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XKn3uQzVJWI/Vkl-vuoU00I/AAAAAAAADhE/G6S0ml2c1fQ/s400/IMG_7334.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
So on a recent weekend afternoon, we shut off the tube and
went to dig into our new box of treasures. There was Loopin’ Chewie, a
Wookie-esque spin on a classic board game suitable for all ages, which first
appealed to my gang. We laid on the floor and slapped our boosters, trying to
get Chewbacca to knock each others’ coins loose. This was easily doable for all
ages, even the just-3 Littler Dude. </div>
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<br />Mrs. Dude was partial to “Bop It”, a handheld portable R2-D2
which is a great memory and timing game. It was a bit too tricky for my boys
after the first round, but it’s a fun little stress reliever which can double
as a cool R2 statue on your desk.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sAqeYHiufjo/VkmA1nRsktI/AAAAAAAADhk/K1_pesjWg6o/s1600/Star%2BWars%2BHasbro%2Bgames.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sAqeYHiufjo/VkmA1nRsktI/AAAAAAAADhk/K1_pesjWg6o/s400/Star%2BWars%2BHasbro%2Bgames.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
The one I was most curious about was Catch Phrase, which is
like a mix of charades without the drawing and hot potato, with a Millenium
Falcon subbing for said potato. It’s listed for ages 12+, but I wanted to see
if my boys could keep up, and I can proudly say that they appear like Anakin in
Episode I, to be the Chosen Ones. I won’t say they aced the game, but this fun
little game is a fantastic creative tool, forcing my 6-year-old to use your
brain to create clues about the phrases I had to guess He guessed some of mine,
I guessed some of his, and we all had a great time. So much so, in fact, that
he refused to put Catch Phrase down for about an hour. Just to be clear, this
is definitely a more advanced game, but my boys enjoyed making their brains
work to solve the puzzles. This is really a great game for Star Wars
enthusiasts and obsessives at the same time, plus it even features info about
the upcoming Episode VII: The Force Awakens for the super hardcore fan. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.hasbrotoyshop.com/en/htsusa/star-wars-loopin-chewie-game-b23540000">Loopin’
Chewie</a> and <a href="http://www.hasbrotoyshop.com/en/htsusa/star-wars-catch-phrase-game-b23590000">Star
Wars Catch Phrase</a> are available at most major retailers and also on
HasbroToyShop.com. <a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Bop-It-R2-D2-Game/45978547">Bop It Star Wars
R2-D2</a> is exclusively at Walmart. Even better: thanks to Influence Central
you can have the chance to win one of 5 Hasbro Star Wars Prize Packs, valued at
$65, containing these great games. Contest ends on November 23, 2015, so don’t
wait to enter or you’ll feel left out like Luke when his friends all went to
the Academy. How can you enter? See the handy box below: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a class="e-widget generic-loader" href="https://gleam.io/27EYT/hasbro-star-wars-giveaway" rel="nofollow">Hasbro Star Wars Giveaway</a><script async="true" src="https://js.gleam.io/e.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<!--StartFragment-->
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<br />
<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #6d6d7e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'century gothic';"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11pt;">*I-C will randomly select 5 winners from all program entries and will handle fulfillment of the winning prizes.</span></span></i><br />
<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #6d6d7e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'century gothic';"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11pt;"><b><br /></b></span></span></i>
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<i>Like a good Jedi, I participated in an Influencer Activation
on behalf of Influence Central for Hasbro. I received samples of all three
games to play and was compensated for my participation. All opinions and ideas
contained above are solely from my mind, for better or worse. </i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><b>Want to see the Little Dude play Star Wars Bop It? Here's your chance: </b></i></div>
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Dude of The Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272483182710859456noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606186947569498376.post-40093447520664402632015-10-28T23:33:00.001-07:002015-10-28T23:33:49.628-07:00Why I Hate Halloween Costumes<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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I love candy. Always have, always will and I have the
extensive relationship with the entire staff of my dentist’s office to prove
it. I even owned a candy company for several years, which afforded Mrs. Dude
and me the opportunity to attend the International Candy Convention several
times, which nearly sent me into a diabetic coma and I don’t even have
diabetes. Needless to say, there’s a lot I’d do for candy, but there’s one
thing I absolutely won’t: dress up for Halloween. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I was a kid in the 1980s, I used to get packaged
Halloween costumes that came in one of those boxes with the cellophane window
to check out the mask you’d inevitably almost suffocate in during the quest for
another Baby Ruth. Having worn glasses since I was 3 added another level of
discomfort to that soft plastic face cover held in place on the wearer’s head
by a tourniquet-tight elastic band stapled to both sides. Beyond that, I was
raised in the Midwest so my mother-mandated heavy winter coat further
compromised my attempt to look like a superhero and made me into more of a supergeek.
Thankfully most of the other local kids were equally unlucky and geeky at the
same time. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Needless to say those costumes discomfort and general
awkwardness was a nuisance and as soon as I was capable, I figured out a way to
reach my objective (pillowcase overflowing with mini Snickers bars) without not
only avoiding one of those lame boxed costumes, but really any costume at all.
I’d simply throw on a baseball hat and become a member of the Cleveland
Indians. Another year October 31<sup>st</sup> wasn’t quite as cold, so I wore
my regular clothes and went as a “student”. Creative, right? Thankfully there
were no minimum requirements for costume qualifications, but had there been so,
I would have skated by, like the “ice skater” I dressed as another year with my
parka, gloves and wool hat costume.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eoJeEbjYZmY/VjG8IlXEpnI/AAAAAAAADfs/77xbSMpU3FE/s1600/1980s%2BHalloween%2BCostumes%2Bcopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eoJeEbjYZmY/VjG8IlXEpnI/AAAAAAAADfs/77xbSMpU3FE/s400/1980s%2BHalloween%2BCostumes%2Bcopy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm pretty sure I had this GI Joe costume, complete with the trashbag quality bodysuit.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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Ever since, and especially since becoming an adult, I’ve
been baffled by adults who not only dress up for Halloween, but go all out to
do so. When I first moved to Los Angeles, I lived in an area called West
Hollywood, which holds a massive Halloween extravaganza every year. After
attending during my first couple years in town, and seeing an inordinate amount
of costumes which can’t be described in a family blog among the impossible-to-cross
swarm of people, I had no need to ever do so again. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So now that my boys are 3 & almost-6 and super into
Halloween, they asked me to dress up with them this year. They both chose to be
Darth Vader this year after having spotted the costumes a couple months back
during a trip to Costco, shortly after their first viewing of Star Wars. Though
costumes have come a long way since the old cellophane-box days, there’s still
no chance I’d wear an official costume. Instead, I think I’ll complement their
costumes by dressing as intergalactic smuggler Han Solo. After all, he wore
relatively normal clothes, and more importantly he was a smuggler, which will
be useful when I pilfer the mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups from their
Halloween bounty without them knowing. And when the calendar flips to the 1<sup>st</sup>
of November later that night, we can all rest our heads comfortably knowing
that we did what we had to do to reach our objective, a handful of sweet treats
and, for me, another year without a silly costume. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1luhwKIy52Q/VjG9dEIzEZI/AAAAAAAADf0/07_udD6UjBc/s1600/IMG_6053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1luhwKIy52Q/VjG9dEIzEZI/AAAAAAAADf0/07_udD6UjBc/s640/IMG_6053.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Junior Vaders prepping for their big night out. I'll wash my jeans to do the same.<br /><br /><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Dude of The Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272483182710859456noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606186947569498376.post-36200306039988252912015-10-24T10:38:00.004-07:002015-10-24T10:38:56.676-07:00Teaching My Kids What I Don't Know About Toys<div class="MsoNormal">
They say that everything old is new again and for me that
proved true on a recent Saturday afternoon with my boys. While playing with
some new toys, the almost-6 year old Little Dude started asking me questions to
which I held no answers. For most people my age, they would have probably been
no-brainers, but I was baffled in a way that I was not used to. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Opening the big brown box to discover adventures waiting to
happen from Jurassic World, Transformers and Marvel I felt a twinge of unease
in my stomach. I pride myself on being a pop culture aficionado, but these were
items to which I held virtually no knowledge. Sure, I’d played with
Transformers when I was a kid – THIRTY YEARS AGO; but I had no clue who the
Rescuebots were or what they are about. Same goes for the Jurassic universe,
where I had never made the journey until seeing the new film over the past
summer. And as for the super heroes, I can admit (though I probably shouldn’t) that
I still don’t instinctively always recall whether characters are from the
Marvel universe or its alternative, let alone their origin stories. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SVKyKAWpmCU/VivAbO4hqoI/AAAAAAAADe0/Wmfg3aDNb2A/s1600/IMG_6804_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SVKyKAWpmCU/VivAbO4hqoI/AAAAAAAADe0/Wmfg3aDNb2A/s400/IMG_6804_2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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What’s weird about this is that these are three ginormous
watercooler-type properties and I felt like a dunce in front of my children.
I’m sure they didn’t notice, but I had no clue what the alternate blue suit
Iron Man could dress up in was about. That did not stop them, however from
having a great time exploring the characters and blurring the lines between
these three respective universes. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tZWXwVqeEJ0/VivAb0XyU5I/AAAAAAAADfI/cuTG0o_AMhc/s1600/IMG_6811_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tZWXwVqeEJ0/VivAb0XyU5I/AAAAAAAADfI/cuTG0o_AMhc/s320/IMG_6811_2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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Who cares if Iron Man doesn’t usually ride a T-Rex, or if
that same T-Rex was hanging out on a big boat? Certainly not my boys. They
played the afternoon away as I stealthily searched for Iron Man factoids on my
iPhone. We learned together, which turned out to be a fabulous methodology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JCxSwSnLIYA/Viu7g_mRVdI/AAAAAAAADec/7CoLIl4QFyY/s1600/CL%2BHasbro%2BPlayskool%2BHeroes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JCxSwSnLIYA/Viu7g_mRVdI/AAAAAAAADec/7CoLIl4QFyY/s400/CL%2BHasbro%2BPlayskool%2BHeroes.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
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The one thing that was most familiar to me that day was
Playskool, the classic brand behind these <a href="http://www.hasbro.com/en-us/brands/playskool/playskoolheroes/">Playskool
Heroes</a> sets designed to introduce kids to some franchises they may not have
been typically exposed to. Intended for kids 3 to 7, sometimes even kids older
than 37 can benefit from the creative play they afford.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I_fn7VXe0sY/VivAcKpYG9I/AAAAAAAADfM/Lsyn6ef2GsM/s1600/IMG_6822_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="348" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I_fn7VXe0sY/VivAcKpYG9I/AAAAAAAADfM/Lsyn6ef2GsM/s400/IMG_6822_2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
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I remember seeing the first Iron Man movie shortly after its
release about 6 years ago. Mrs. Dude was pregnant and I thought the movie was a
lot of fun, which is not my typical take on superhero movies but I dug the
snark from Mr. Stark. Flash forward a half dozen years and two births and we
just never quite made it to see any of the sequels. Tony Stark’s lair was memorable,
and this set was a great introduction for my boys into the world of Stark
Industries, or at least the cool house you can have if you work hard enough and
have a rad goatee. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Rescuebots set was actually an area where the boys
taught me, having been slightly familiar with the brand from playing with their
cousin, a big Transformers guru, and I dug the refresher given my slight frame
of reference went back to the original <o:p></o:p></div>
late ‘80s Transformers cartoon. Let’s
just say that I thought they were more than meets the eye THEN, so I was quite
impressed by what they are now. <br />
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<br /></div>
And as for good-old T-Rex? Everyone can relate to him,
whether familiar with the Jurassic world or not, including even the trainer who
joins him in the set and who will inevitably get eaten by Rex roughly a
thousand times per play session.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRNimsn2YnI/VivAbBYbJ2I/AAAAAAAADfA/Booqq4oRFnc/s1600/IMG_6801_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRNimsn2YnI/VivAbBYbJ2I/AAAAAAAADfA/Booqq4oRFnc/s400/IMG_6801_2.jpg" width="251" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So where does this leave us? Well, now that we all have a
base-level feel for these three franchises, a great launch point for my sons
and me to learn about them together.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>I received compensation & toys from <a href="http://www.hasbrotoyshop.com/">Hasbro</a>, makers of Playskool Heroes, in
exchange for this post, but all opinions contained within are mine alone, for
better or worse lest I be eaten by a T-Rex. </i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Want more pics from our Playskool and other adventures? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Follow me on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/DudeOfTheHouse" target="_blank">@DudeOfTheHouse</a><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Dude of The Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272483182710859456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606186947569498376.post-29739129497185442662015-10-23T20:26:00.000-07:002015-10-23T20:26:10.731-07:00Will My Son Take His Baby Bottles to College? <div class="MsoNormal">
The Littler Dude was never a baby who wanted a pacifier. His
older brother was the opposite, taking his trusty <a href="http://www.amazon.com/WubbaNub-WN21635-Green-Frog/dp/B000P22YTI" target="_blank">froggy Wubbanub</a> everywhere
for his first 18 months until he woke up one day and was done. But for my
younger son, baby bottles were his jam. He loooooooooved to chew on them, and
of course the white creamy liquid inside was a major bonus. In fact, he loved
them so much that I assumed he would be taking them to college with him, given
his reluctance to giving them up.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_FTiFdYfhSo/VirUnt91ZOI/AAAAAAAADdk/kzIaMAnA_Fo/s1600/milk%2Bbrothers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_FTiFdYfhSo/VirUnt91ZOI/AAAAAAAADdk/kzIaMAnA_Fo/s400/milk%2Bbrothers.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
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So Mrs. Dude and I came up with a plan to convince him to
give his beloved Dr. Brown’s blue bottles to Oliver, a baby chimp at the LA Zoo
we’d seen on several of our visits. We prepped our 2-year-old before one of our
regular trips to the zoo, bagged the bottles up, and he left them outside
Oliver’s viewing area under the premise of passing them on to someone who really
needed them more than him.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aarI5t2xi-k/VirXVvnhrNI/AAAAAAAADdw/qD4Q0umgRAY/s1600/bottles%2Band%2Bchimps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aarI5t2xi-k/VirXVvnhrNI/AAAAAAAADdw/qD4Q0umgRAY/s640/bottles%2Band%2Bchimps.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Not wanting to litter, we subtly snatched them up
and stashed them in a bag until we got home that night and the Littler Dude
felt so proud for being such a big boy and graduating from bottles to big milk
cups like his brother. Our plan had worked to perfection! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q-XXLDGxqoc/VirXfNFQ19I/AAAAAAAADd4/uBu2f2vHUqY/s1600/IMG_4034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q-XXLDGxqoc/VirXfNFQ19I/AAAAAAAADd4/uBu2f2vHUqY/s320/IMG_4034.JPG" width="240" /></a>Except it didn’t. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next morning he woke up pining for his Smurf-hued drinking buddies and was stunned to be told they were now in the care of baby
Oliver. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We rehashed the whole plan to
graduate to big cups, but he was not interested. We tried putting his milk in
several different cups, but he wouldn’t take a sip, choosing instead to drown
his sorrows with swigs of water.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now water is obviously not a bad choice, but while it is
wonderful for hydration it is lacking in protein and a slew of other vitamins
which come standard in dairy milk. I thought watching his older brother devour
one of his multiple glasses of milk daily would convince the Littler Dude to
give it a shot, but no go. He’d often ask for milk and I assume he must’ve
hoped we’d forgotten about the bottle removal plan and were going to revert,
but that wasn’t going to happen. So he stopped drinking milk altogether. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mrs. Dude and I began to wonder if we’d made the wrong
choice, or were being unnecessarily strict and agreed we were not. Change is an
integral part of life and it was OK for him to stick to the decision he’d made
to give up the bottles. Still, I worried about my growing boy getting enough
important nutrients to stay healthy, grow big and strong and feel like he was
consuming enough, and since he’s a tad stubborn, like his old man, he wouldn’t
budge. So I started to look for other options. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Fortunately he’s the most open-minded eater I’ve ever
encountered. Anything edible that he sees, he’s willing to try. He might spit
it out, which happens rarely, but at least he gives everything a chance.
Shortly after Milkgate erupted in our house, we went to visit some cousins who
exposed him to their kid-friendly little smoothie bottles and yogurt tubes. Boom! Just like
that we were back in the business of dairy protein and he’d found something
yummy to easily take on the go. Thankfully these seemed to be a gateway because
after a milkless month, he gave those big boy cups another whirl. Just like a
lot of things, he dipped his toe in the water first by starting with a few sips
before following his big brother’s lead and enjoying a giant big boy cup of
milk first thing in the morning to power up for school and another after
arriving back home to recharge the batteries spent playing all days with his
pals. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HKBL5bQ5ewU/Vir4zd92ptI/AAAAAAAADeI/N0rRnK8Go44/s1600/IMG_6936.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HKBL5bQ5ewU/Vir4zd92ptI/AAAAAAAADeI/N0rRnK8Go44/s320/IMG_6936.JPG" width="240" /></a>Thankfully he’s always been open to a variety of fruits & veggies, so
while we were concerned about his nutrition at first, I had no doubt he was
always in good hands with the vast dairy options. And his recent 3-year-checkup
at the doctor confirmed that he’s growing like a weed and smarter than a
parent. Or at least this one, who doubted his choices, not expecting him to
come full circle so quickly during Milkgate. But he knows what he likes and I
guess all the protein, vitamins and nutrients, which are making him smarter,
stronger and bigger every day, helped him find his way. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br />
<br />
******************* <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 192.8pt;">
This post was sponsored by the
California Milk Advisory Board, who are once again participating in the Fuel Up
to Play 60 campaign with the NFL to encourage kids to eat a variety of
nutrient-rich foods, powering and empowering them to get at least 60 minutes of
physical activity every day. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 192.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As part of this program, qualifying California schools can
apply for grants up to $4,000 to help support their health and wellness
curriculum. They need to implement plays from the<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022https\:\/\/school\.fueluptoplay60\.com\/playbook\/?season=next\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="background: white; color: #1155cc;">2015-2016 edition of the Fuel Up to Play
60 Playbook</span></u></span><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"> to
be eligible.</span></span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Want to get your
school involved?</span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To
apply for a fall grant, visit </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/fueluptoplay60\.com\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="background: white; color: #1155cc; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">fueluptoplay60.com</span></u></span></span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> for more info. Grant deadline is November
4.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was compensated for this post by the
California Milk Advisory Board, but all opinions contained within are entirely
my own, for better or worse. That’s all I have time to include, as I have to
run to the market to grab my kids another gallon of milk. </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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Dude of The Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272483182710859456noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606186947569498376.post-63007940774693916292015-10-08T22:40:00.001-07:002015-10-08T22:40:33.635-07:00The Grossest Family Vacation Ever (Also, San Diego is Beautiful)<div class="MsoNormal">
Midsummer 2007: The freshly minted Mrs. Dude and I relaxed
on the beach in Maui and briefly considered never returning to the mainland.
Vacation is supposed to be a place to relax and recharge and after our wedding,
we were thrilled to do just that. Little did we know it would be a very long
time before it happened again. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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For many years, our getaways have consisted of trips to Ohio
to see my family or trips to Northern California to see hers. Both are
enjoyable, though just getting there, either with a car packed so full I need a
crowbar to pry the kids out, or a mountain of stuffed suitcases, is a process
unto itself. One that usually reminds me why we don’t do it more often. <o:p></o:p></div>
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All the while, those remembrances of the Hawaiian sun
lingered and we wanted to do <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">something</i>.
Plus, I’d maxed out my vacation time at work and with my family all still on
their various summer vacations before starting at three separate schools in the
fall, I pined for a getaway. Hawaii was the dream, but this times still an
oasis. Maybe for our 10<sup>th</sup>? <o:p></o:p></div>
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But one of the great things about Southern California is you
can do so many cool things within a few hours drive, whether you like sand,
snow or desert. (Alternately, you can be miserable on a two-hour drive that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">should</i> take 30 minutes, because traffic
here makes less than zero sense. That happens much more often.) <o:p></o:p></div>
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So after much consideration, and minimal planning, we packed
up the car and headed down the freeway toward the land of Ron Burgundy, San
Diego.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People say SD has the best weather
in the country, most often 75 degrees, warm and sunny. Eager to get away from
two months straight of triple digits, I couldn’t wait to sit by the bay and
relax. Hopefully the Junior Dudes would feel the same. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As we made the journey that Sunday afternoon, a group hunger
set in, so we stopped in a scenic little town just off Interstate 5 and found a
local burrito joint. I ran in to order while Mrs. Dude coordinated the scene on
the patio. I won’t get into details, for they are much messier than I care to
rehash, but before we got back in the car for the last half hour of our
journey, half of us had a fresh set of clothes on.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-34ehSuaG2go/VhdP32T9MDI/AAAAAAAADcw/mt89l-7c6ig/s1600/IMG_5385_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-34ehSuaG2go/VhdP32T9MDI/AAAAAAAADcw/mt89l-7c6ig/s320/IMG_5385_2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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We rolled into the <a href="http://www.bahiahotel.com/">Bahia
Resort</a>, a place whose website flashed great looking amenities, free
breakfast and parking, AND seals living on the property. Sold. Plus the
location was just a whale’s splash away from <a href="http://seaworldparks.com/en/seaworld-sandiego/">Sea World</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The registrar bumped us up to a suite and
things were off to a great start. We went straight into the pool to cool off,
since it was an unusually toasty 90-degree day. Hopefully it would break by the
next day, for our big trip to <a href="http://california.legoland.com/">Legoland</a>.
Little did we know that the heatwave was going to be the least of our problems
that day. <br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b5lrJn72epg/VhdROwGLdKI/AAAAAAAADdI/y0XeBASdM8A/s1600/Bahia%2Bbeach%2Bcollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b5lrJn72epg/VhdROwGLdKI/AAAAAAAADdI/y0XeBASdM8A/s640/Bahia%2Bbeach%2Bcollage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
We went out to grab a bite nearby for dinner and tried to
put the boys to sleep. They were beyond thrilled to sleep in a pullout bed for
the first time and Mrs. Dude and I were equally thrilled to have our own room,
bed and separating door. As we read a few bedtime stories, what sounded like
gunshots rang in the distance. I opened up our sliding glass door and looked
out to see Sea World’s fireworks just across the water. Painting the sky and
reflecting on the water, their unexpected excitement punctuated an overall
great day. Then the boys went to bed and we hoped to do the same.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-owyhRtoKTio/VhdPyANUpgI/AAAAAAAADc0/qXjWXgzaL2Y/s1600/IMG_5375.mp4" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-owyhRtoKTio/VhdPyANUpgI/AAAAAAAADc0/qXjWXgzaL2Y/s640/IMG_5375.mp4" width="360" /></a></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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It never quite happens that way, though, and after we stayed
up to get situated in the room and everything set for the next day, Mrs. Dude
fell asleep. I was still up for a bit, fiddling on the laptop before dropping
out around 1:00am. <o:p></o:p></div>
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SQUEAK<o:p></o:p></div>
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What seemed like 15 seconds later, though actually a
whopping 15 minutes, was the Little Dude waking up to use the bathroom.
Afterward, he come over and said that his bed was wet. Thinking someone had had
an accident, I went to investigate and as I felt around the sofa bed, I felt
something lumpy, almost like a plate of chili. Apparently the Littler Dude’s
earlier bout of GI distress had returned and he must have eaten too much for
dinner, as he lost his lunch, dinner and seemingly every other meal he’d ever
eaten, all over the bed.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2lDU_AOUygg/VhdP3jWimwI/AAAAAAAADcs/_YLvEUqUqFg/s1600/IMG_5382_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2lDU_AOUygg/VhdP3jWimwI/AAAAAAAADcs/_YLvEUqUqFg/s320/IMG_5382_2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The calm before the barf</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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Moments like these remind me how grateful I am to have a
wife who is calm and organized under pressure. Also, I was thankful that these
were not our own barfed-on sheets and pillows. I called for replacements and
went to scrub whatever I could as I waited for housekeeping to deliver fresh
sets, knowing deep down that I had a greater chance of winning the presidential
election than of us going to Legoland the next day. We cleaned up the bed, the
boys and ourselves and once again collapsed in our room, hoping that had been
the last sleep interruption of the night. Or forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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TO BE CONTINUED…<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dude of The Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272483182710859456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606186947569498376.post-62964544175701766292015-08-27T22:12:00.003-07:002015-08-27T22:12:52.674-07:00My Ultimate Cure for the Babysitter Blues <div class="MsoNormal">
The first time Mrs. Dude and I left the Little Dude with a
babysitter was on our 3<sup>rd</sup> wedding anniversary. He was almost 8
months old and a friend offered to relieve us for a quiet and diaper-less night
out. Long story short, he was asleep for the night before she arrived, we went
out and had a lovely meal and upon our return learned that he’d woken up 30
minutes after we’d left and proceeded to cry for the next 2 hours until we got
home. That evening pretty much set the tone for almost all of our subsequent
babysitting experiences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From my experience, in addition to being conscientious
caregivers, most sitters we’ve used have been generally at least 1 of 2 things:
expensive and/or late, both of which are more environmental issues than
anything else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those reasons, among
others, we don’t splurge on babysitters as often as we might like and usually
reserve them for special occasions. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For our recent wedding anniversary, which was also the 5<sup>th</sup>
anniversary of the experience mentioned above, I decided to spin the wheel
again. This year, our big day fell on a Tuesday, which further complicated
things as reliable, and available, weekday sitters are infinitely harder to
find. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7DMeHXwooEw/Vdq0m7Zcs1I/AAAAAAAADbQ/WzA6ZplUirU/s640/blogger-image-2084920926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7DMeHXwooEw/Vdq0m7Zcs1I/AAAAAAAADbQ/WzA6ZplUirU/s400/blogger-image-2084920926.jpg" width="400" /></a>As we’d just gone out for a nice dinner a few weeks earlier
for <a href="http://www.thedudeofthehouse.com/2015/06/why-and-how-and-thank-you-very-much.html">Mrs.
Dude’s big birthday</a>, I came up with another idea for our anniversary: a
night at the movies. I know that may sound a tad pedestrian, but it had been
quite a while since Mrs. Dude and I had been to a movie without the boys, so I
splurged and picked a movie at a fancy theater with reserved leather-recliner
seats where they serve dinner <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">while you
eat! </i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’ve gotten used to going to movies and seeing somewhere
between 50-90% of the film due to kids’ myriad bathroom breaks, snack requests
and questions about what’s happening onscreen, so this time it was going to be
feet-up, 3D glasses on our eyes and plates of hot noms in front of us. My
biggest concern was our sitter. Not that I don’t inherently trust her to treat
my children as her own, but would she be able to successfully battle the L.A.
freeways to get to us with enough time for us to make it to the theater? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thankfully, I could relax due to <a href="http://www.fandango.com/">Fandango</a>’s worry-free ticketing system. I
booked our tickets and picked our primo seats via the Fandango mobile app, as
always, so I knew we weren’t going to be shut out at the box office or stuck in
the front row craning our necks to see the dinosaurs flying toward us. But
sometimes life happens and your babysitter gets stuck in traffic, or their
grandmother dies or the dog eats their homework and you can’t make your movie.
Fandango takes care of that for you, too, with their <a href="https://www.fandango.com/fandangovip#worry-free-tickets">Worry-Free</a>
option to return or exchange your Fandango tickets at least 2 hours before show
time if you change your mind or if your babysitter changes theirs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So how’d it go? As I’d planned (and prayed), our sitter
arrived promptly, we got to the theater 5 minutes before the lights dimmed
which was enough time to order drinks and dinner, leaned our dead-center seats
back with our feet up and enjoyed an uninterrupted night at the theater. Plus, I
can’t forget the gold star for our sitter who reported two sleeping boys and zero
tears when we returned home a few hours later.</div>
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<!--EndFragment--><br />
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Needless to say, we fared much better than the dinosaurs we’d
just watched onscreen. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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Dude of The Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272483182710859456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606186947569498376.post-87307352956073115292015-07-13T22:03:00.001-07:002015-07-13T22:03:53.883-07:00How to Stay Cool During Summer (Through Your Mouth)<div class="MsoNormal">
Living in Southern California, in an area where summer means
you could vacation on the Equator to cool off, we’ve made it a family tradition
to take a trip to Northern CA every June to visit Mrs. Dude’s sister and her
family. The sisters have fun, the cousins get to play and we all cool off. This
summer, however, things were a tad different. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Sure, we made the trek and everyone had a good time, but
this visit was as hot and humid as a bonfire in a sauna. And they don’t have
air-conditioning, like most homes in the area, because it never gets hot up
there. (Except when it does.) So I took it upon myself to figure out
alternative method for cooling the gang off. </div>
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<br /></div>
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California is in a drought so running through the sprinkler
is off-limits. </div>
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Taking an ice bath sounds cool, but I imagine hypothermia
isn’t too much fun either. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Creating a vision board with images of igloos and glaciers
could help with mind over matter, but I </div>
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doubt that would satisfy my scorching inner core. </div>
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<br /></div>
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As I sat there contemplating options, I heard an alarm go off in my brain with the
perfect solution. Well, actually it wasn’t an alarm as much as a cacophony of annoying
rhythmic earworms designed to draw children out of their homes by that fellow every
parent hates, AKA the Ice Cream Man. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Thankfully my kids are not yet fully aware of or attuned to
his jingle-jangle but I had an idea, so I headed to their local grocery store
for A) a few precious moments in free air-conditioning and B) some cool
delicious treats. </div>
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I’d heard that <a href="http://www.klondikebar.com/" target="_blank">Klondike</a> recently added some heavy hitters to
their classic brand of ice-cream bars, but I wanted to find out for myself.
Thankfully with 4 adults and 4 kids staying under one hot tin roof, I had the
perfect sample size to not feel guilty about trying out a smorgasbord of
Klondike’s newest creations. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jD5Q9Z05yCs/VaSWQrnlppI/AAAAAAAADZY/SEZLu6IaqiU/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jD5Q9Z05yCs/VaSWQrnlppI/AAAAAAAADZY/SEZLu6IaqiU/s320/018.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I was impressed by the options I discovered, as I was
previously only really familiar with the old-school Klondike chocolate-on-vanilla
variety. After looking over their lineup, with choices like Heath Bar and Rocky Road, which took up almost its own section
in the freezer aisle, I settled on a quartet of diverse options for every palate in the house. Also, I didn’t
rush my decision as the A/C felt as amazing as the ice cream options looked. </div>
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I’d heard about Klondike’s new Kandy Bar lineup and was tempted
by the Cookies and Cream option, which is my 5 year old’s favorite flavor, but
wasn’t sure if he’d be down with the white chocolate shell. Luckily there is an
Oreo option in the regular collection which made for a great alternative for my
picky eater. On the flipside, I debated the Mint Chocolate Chip classic-shaped
variety, but opted to give the Kandy Bars’ Mint Fudge Cookie a shot because it
had a few extra bells and whistles to nom. Peanut Butter anything has long been my jam, so Reese’s was
a no-brainer for the cart. Cookie Dough is another one of my favorites, as it
is for pretty much everyone I know.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W4FhsjyNiiU/VaSXcsNjkWI/AAAAAAAADZ4/8G7pmWXUA5c/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W4FhsjyNiiU/VaSXcsNjkWI/AAAAAAAADZ4/8G7pmWXUA5c/s320/014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My choices waiting in the freezer.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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After dinner that night I opened up the freezer and the
sampling began. With three 6-packs and one 4-pack (the Kandy Bars), we had at
least 22 opportunities to try things out without anyone having to share. To make sure everyone got to try
everything, however, we did some slicing and dicing of the bars, quartering them to
afford everyone ample chance without over committing. </div>
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<br /></div>
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I immediately jumped into the Reese’s bar and that classic PB
flavor did not disappoint. Rich and creamy peanut butter is always the perfect answer,
no matter the question. Next I decided to give the brand new Cookie Dough bar a
whirl, since cookie dough has long been one of my go-to ice cream choices. I
like my cookie dough ice cream to be full of chunks and, when I unwrapped it I
was disappointed to see that unfortunately that wasn’t the case with these,
which contained “ribbons” of cookie dough, per the wrapper. I wanted to like
this one, I really did, but to be honest, it tasted like Vanilla ice cream with
just a miniscule hint of cookie-dough flavoring that only an ice cream
sommelier (if there is such a thing) could sniff out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y7uQFRIosdg/VaSWaIlL-OI/AAAAAAAADZo/IjswpXLy4bE/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y7uQFRIosdg/VaSWaIlL-OI/AAAAAAAADZo/IjswpXLy4bE/s320/009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wish the Cookie Dough had been a little more doughy. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The Little Dude is an Oreo aficionado, so we split one of
those next. It was definitely a good choice, like a classic Cookies and Cream
kicked up a notch. Definitely a solid selection. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CUansyvS4Qc/VaSWdjCcwCI/AAAAAAAADZw/j5uMv3UFDqk/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CUansyvS4Qc/VaSWdjCcwCI/AAAAAAAADZw/j5uMv3UFDqk/s320/006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6InYly51Q6I/VaSWYOTzAlI/AAAAAAAADZg/-8NO42Ul3S4/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6InYly51Q6I/VaSWYOTzAlI/AAAAAAAADZg/-8NO42Ul3S4/s320/010.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mint Fudge Cookie is the way to go. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Finally I dove into the brand spankin’ new Mint Fudge Cookie
choice from the Kandy Bars collection. These deviate from the classic Klondike
square shape and are shaped like, you guessed it, (rectangular) candy bars. This
one was nails. The mint ice cream was light enough to be the perfect balance
for the rich layer of fudge lying atop it. The dark chocolate crunch-filled
outer shell really made this the best of the 4 options we tried. I only wish it
came in a 6-pack, rather than 4, because these went like hotcakes, which would
definitely NOT be a good flavor for Klondike to expand into. </div>
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Overall, I was impressed by the diversity of Klondike’s 12
different options, especially since I was previously unaware that they made
anything beyond their original classic chocolate shell on vanilla ice cream style. I
give them credit for trying to mix things up with some new varieties, even if
they weren’t all my cup of tea.</div>
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<i><span style="background: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I participated
in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Klondike. I received </span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">free product
coupons to facilitate my review as well as compensation for my participation.</span></i></div>
Dude of The Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272483182710859456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606186947569498376.post-69867356878731159502015-07-09T21:41:00.001-07:002015-07-09T21:41:33.454-07:00Another Independence Day Loop Around the Blogosphere<div class="MsoNormal">
It was a holiday weekend and I had Friday off from work. The
zoo kicked things off and the beach wrapped it up. In between came a long day
in the pool leading into a night spent watching the summer sky become splatter-painted
as we celebrated our nation’s birthday. I’m tired. And busy. And often lately I’ve
been tired of feeling so busy. </div>
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Zero score and four years ago on Independence Day 2011, I
sat down at my laptop and started typing. I only had one son and he loved naps,
just as I did the simultaneous several free hours they afforded me every
afternoon. I miss those days. Life is different now. Mrs. Dude and I are the
proud owners of two sweet and occasionally sour sons who, as of just a few weeks ago,
combine to take zero naps on a daily basis. My older son ditched his afternoon
delight shortly before his brother was born and in a couple short months, the younger
and Littler Dude will turn 3.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MmVHP1_dhlw/VZ9INEZhOXI/AAAAAAAADYI/MH3uM92eKiU/s1600/070411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MmVHP1_dhlw/VZ9INEZhOXI/AAAAAAAADYI/MH3uM92eKiU/s320/070411.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few hours after my first post, July 4, 2011</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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The calendar seems to turn faster every day, week and month
and my two babies have become boys. I miss the babies, but enjoy being able to
have a two-way conversation now and again. They both sleep about 11 or 12 hours
per night, which seem to go much quicker than the other half-day which often moves
s-l-o-w-l-y, even when filled with amazingly fun activities. Also, especially
when dinner is about an hour away and 60 minutes feels like 600 thanks to the
constant snack requests Mrs. Dude and I field. </div>
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<br /></div>
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We’ve been fortunate to have some incredible experiences as
a result of this little blog. Many I’ve shared and countless more I’ve wanted
to write about but haven’t quite had the time to finish. I frequently think of
the tired movie trope of the wannabe writer longing to publish “The Great
American Novel”, but settling for being a teacher, actor or whatever, and I
find it oddly parallel to my blogging own writing situation. I wish I published
more, I really do, but those afternoon hours my boys once filled with sleep (and
I with writing), they now want to use for playing, swimming and silliness
which, like naps, are finite activities with a likely expiration date of about
10 years when they become tweens and teens who will want nothing to do with me.
</div>
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So I brainstorm ideas in the shower, when I have no ability
to type and the Great American Blog Post once again eludes me. I have a folder
filled with dozens of drafts I haven’t finished, or whose timeliness has
passed, and wonder if I’ll ever make the time to post them all. There is funny
stuff, sad stuff and random ideas which could go either way. I want to push
them out. I need to push them out. The thoughts in my head need to be released,
but I have to make the time. And I will. Just after we finish putting this
puzzle together, then making dinner, bath and bedtime, laundry, dishes
and those precious few ZZZZ’s I so long for. <br />
<br />
For better or worse I’m still here four years later, which was inconceivable to me on July 4, 2011, when this all began with a very sleep boy and some random silly thoughts. Please stay tuned for there IS more to come, and thanks for sticking with me through it all. Your eyes on my words mean more than you know. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5q-ezKS2NAA/VZ9Jh2nc2gI/AAAAAAAADYQ/94Cl_v6Jeh8/s1600/image1%2B%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5q-ezKS2NAA/VZ9Jh2nc2gI/AAAAAAAADYQ/94Cl_v6Jeh8/s400/image1%2B%25281%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Dude family, 4 Independence Days later</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FcjRGB5sTlA/VTSQDmuTLeI/AAAAAAAADT0/Amoh5ct2rcY/s1600/instagram-logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FcjRGB5sTlA/VTSQDmuTLeI/AAAAAAAADT0/Amoh5ct2rcY/s1600/instagram-logo.png" /></a><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><div class="MsoNormal">
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If you like amazingly fun and silly photography, and why wouldn't you, come follow me on Instagram where I post some of my favorites daily:</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><a href="http://instagram.com/dudeofthehouse" style="color: red; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;">instagram.com/dudeofthehouse</a></span><br /><br />
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Dude of The Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272483182710859456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606186947569498376.post-79377735191021755702015-06-17T17:04:00.000-07:002015-06-17T17:04:31.197-07:005 Things I Learned about Parenting from Star Wars<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Spoiler Alert: There
are key Star Wars plot points inside this piece. I shouldn’t need to warn
anyone, as the original movies were all released 30+ years ago, so if you
haven’t seen them and are shocked by any revelations here, that’s on you.</i></div>
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During both of Mrs. Dude’s pregnancies I received
suggestions of must-read pregnancy and parenting books from more than a few
people I knew and myriad more that I didn’t. I did explore a couple, partially
to pacify those who had shared their recommendations and also, more frequently,
to help me fall asleep on those <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I-can’t-freakin’-do-this</i>
pre-delivery sleepless nights. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But there is another source of parenting tips I’ve reflected
upon countless times over the last 5+ years since the Little Dude was born. And
now, with Father’s Day once again upon us, I want to share with you some of the
great parenting dos and don’ts I learned from one of the most infamous movie
fathers of all time, Darth Vader.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rqhQENLcyw4/VYH-_CJKeUI/AAAAAAAADXY/GSRAzML02Y4/s1600/IMG_4282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rqhQENLcyw4/VYH-_CJKeUI/AAAAAAAADXY/GSRAzML02Y4/s400/IMG_4282.JPG" width="230" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">1)</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Be present for, and with, your children</u></b>:
As Vader was pretty much a deadbeat dad, albeit for very atypical reasons, his
son was lucky to have his old man’s former mentor (aka Obi-Wan Kenobi) looking
out for him during his most impressionable period. Sure, being raised on a farm
in Tatooine by his father’s stepbrother Owen was probably not nearly as
exciting as a childhood spent roaming the Death Star, but Luke received a good education
(also from Mr. Kenobi), had a large outdoor area for playtime and ultimately
proved to be a high moral character Jedi…despite his father’s
best/worst/completely nonexistent efforts.<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">2) <u>Don’t give your
kids trendy names</u></b>: Luke & Leia were excellent choices given their
time and place in history. Context and family history are important, but when
selecting names for your children, consider that they are the ones who will
have to live with them for the rest of their lives, and it’s got to be
difficult to be taken seriously in a professional workplace with a first name
like Boba, Qui-Gon or Jar Jar. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">3)</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Support & encourage your children’s
interests</u></b>: Luke was a skilled farmer thanks to his uncle’s tutelage,
but he always yearned for something more than a normal (i.e. boring) desert
life. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If not for Obi-Wan and Yoda, both
of whom were contemporaries of Luke’s father, Luke might not have achieved his
true destiny as a Jedi Knight. As it turned out, Luke was probably subconsciously
hoping to earn his father’s respect, or at least attention, when he trained to
become a skilled Lightsaber user. I doubt either of them anticipated how that
one was going to turn out. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VHmEweiK0Hw/VYH--1uJtJI/AAAAAAAADXQ/ohbMhMKnYhs/s1600/IMG_3401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VHmEweiK0Hw/VYH--1uJtJI/AAAAAAAADXQ/ohbMhMKnYhs/s400/IMG_3401.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If only Vader had used his Lightsaber for dental hygiene instead of evil.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">4) <u>Use Your Words</u>:</b>
In both <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Empire Strikes Back</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Return of the Jedi</i>, father and son Luke
Skywalker and Darth Vader were brought together via one-on-one physical combat.
They shared a common dearth of quality time together, so it might have behooved
them and their nonexistent relationship to air their grievances (i.e. Luke about
his abandonment and Vader over his son’s refusal to join the family business
and join him over on the Dark Side). When children are not mature enough to
fully express themselves as they wish, they often resort to hitting, hair
pulling or other physical actions and reactions as a method of communicating a
message or getting the response and/or attention they truly crave. “Use Your
Words” is teaching them that verbal communication is a more effective method
for earning a desired outcome. Had Vader been a stronger communicator with
better grasp of his emotions, he might have been able to convince his son to
join him in the family business. Does it matter that said business was less
than legit? Not really, after all, family is family. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">5)</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Don’t Be a Jerk</u></b>: Vader sliced
his son’s hand off with a Lightsaber AND THEN finally revealed that he was
Luke’s father. It’s well known that children learn both positive and negative
behaviors from observing their parents’ habits and actions. Vader shouldn’t
have been surprised when after forcefully removing Luke’s limb in the heat of
battle, that Luke returned a year later and did the same exact thing to him. Darth
should have considered the Golden Rule: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Do
unto others as you’d have them do unto you</i>, which Luke obviously took quite
literally. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CYGQCMDTY5A/VYH-_c2k3QI/AAAAAAAADXU/YRCTs4HK8LQ/s1600/IMG_4281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CYGQCMDTY5A/VYH-_c2k3QI/AAAAAAAADXU/YRCTs4HK8LQ/s400/IMG_4281.JPG" width="333" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
All of the above being said, the Star Wars saga is about
family, relationships and dealing with others you may not see eye to eye with.
There will always be issues up for debate (maybe Luke should have listened to
his father and joined the Dark Side, with the goal of turning everyone good
again?) but maintaining open lines of communication can help clear murky things
up. I haven’t shown the Star Wars films to my son yet, but I think he may soon
be due. After all, I know I can hardly wait for Part VII, aka <a href="http://www.starwars.com/the-force-awakens/">The Force Awakens</a>, which
<a href="http://www.fandango.com/starwars:episodeviitheforceawakens_169229/movieoverview" target="_blank">will be released later this year, on December 18!</a>. Maybe we’ll find out if Luke settled down and
had a family of his own. I’m hoping he taught his own son a lesson or two,
unlike his father ever did for him. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Happy Father’s Day and May the Force be with you.<o:p></o:p><br />
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_____________________________________________________________</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E3lHZvCUnZ8/VYH6NOfBMmI/AAAAAAAADWk/J2rtf5Y639k/s1600/fandango_family_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="113" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E3lHZvCUnZ8/VYH6NOfBMmI/AAAAAAAADWk/J2rtf5Y639k/s320/fandango_family_logo.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Disclaimer: I wrote this post as part of my participation in
the <a href="http://www.fandango.com/movies/family" target="_blank">Fandango Family</a> Digital Network. I was compensated accordingly, but all
content and opinions contained within are mine entirely, for better or
worse. Come hang with the FF team on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FandangoFamily?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, too. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b80bZvfZbAc/VYIJmbbbo5I/AAAAAAAADXk/tMmBxYK6sZs/s1600/Fandango%2BFathers%2BDay%2BGift%2BCard.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b80bZvfZbAc/VYIJmbbbo5I/AAAAAAAADXk/tMmBxYK6sZs/s1600/Fandango%2BFathers%2BDay%2BGift%2BCard.png" /></a>Want to take that special person in your life to see some movies, care of Fandango? Enter below for your chance to win a $100 Fandango Gift Card that you can use to take the fam to see something great this summer! You have up to 5 chances to enter and the entries will close Sunday, June 21, 2015 at 12:00am PST (midnight Saturday night/Sunday morning). </div>
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Dude of The Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272483182710859456noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606186947569498376.post-68994695397471465292015-06-01T08:24:00.003-07:002015-06-01T08:24:43.153-07:00Why and How and Thank You Very Much<div class="MsoNormal">
Over the last four years, I’ve shared stories with you of
<a href="http://www.thedudeofthehouse.com/2012/10/what-are-you-up-to-this-weekend.html" target="_blank">birth</a> and <a href="http://www.thedudeofthehouse.com/2012/07/lost-in-snow.html" target="_blank">death</a>, <a href="http://www.thedudeofthehouse.com/2011/10/you-make-me-sick.html" target="_blank">sickness</a> and <a href="http://www.thedudeofthehouse.com/2014/10/skip-tater-tots-and-be-healthydad.html" target="_blank">health,</a> not to mention <a href="http://www.thedudeofthehouse.com/2011/12/poo-on-you.html" target="_blank">bodily functions</a>, <a href="http://www.thedudeofthehouse.com/2012/02/gambler.html" target="_blank">birthday parties</a> and <a href="http://www.thedudeofthehouse.com/2012/06/what-judd-apatow-taught-me-about.html" target="_blank">bubbles</a>. I’ve shared elated and somber, and all else in between,
just as is the normal flow of life’s constant waterfall. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Why</i> I’ve done this
requires a twofold answer:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->To have a record of ups and downs that my boys
will hopefully want to read some day to restore memories they were probably too
young to hang onto. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->To scratch the left-brain itch that brought me
from Ohio to Los Angeles 15+ years ago to become the TV writer I never became. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">how</i> I’ve done
it is a different story, and one I’ve never really talked about. It’s not that
it’s a secret, but rather I must admit that it’s only recently that I’ve
realized that I’ve taken this privilege for granted: every word I’ve published
in the last four year has been possible due to one person, and she’s known
around here as Mrs. Dude. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today my wife Shana turned 40 years old. We were just kids
when we met, if you consider 27 the tail end of adolescence. Now a dozen years,
a couple kids, 5 homes and an incalculable amount of joy she’s brought me
later, I want to present her with a small fraction in return. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I’ve had deadlines she’s never blinked an eye while
I’ve sequestered myself with my digital quill and ink until the task is
complete. Oh, and those incredible conferences which have literally changed my
life? My wife is the one who encourages me to go, despite my
entirely-self-imposed guilt, even knowing how much extra work it means for her
on days when I’m not home to get the boys fed and delivered to school on time
in the morning, make dinner or get them bathed and bedded for several days in a
row. Needless to say she carried and bore the two Junior Dudes, too, which are
tasks obviously way out of my wheelhouse. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hQl8LZkLBS4/VWvpJrnWSyI/AAAAAAAADWA/rdCpFDlpe0w/s640/blogger-image--2093145084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hQl8LZkLBS4/VWvpJrnWSyI/AAAAAAAADWA/rdCpFDlpe0w/s400/blogger-image--2093145084.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And for all this, I say thank you, Shana. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Through nearly eight years of wedded bliss and stress, plus
another four of dating/engaged trepidation, I’ve been beyond fortunate to have
the world’s most calm and patient partner by my side. When I get frazzled about
being late to a 3-year-old’s birthday party, she’s the one who restores logic
to the equation and reminds me that no one will ever remember or care that we
arrived 10/20/30 minutes late. Clearly this is an unintended side effect of
marrying a math teacher.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I tend to be my own harshest critic and those moments when
she returns me to earth often make me feel not only like I’ve just discovered an
endless canteen while lost in the desert, but also that I didn’t know water
even existed. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Though I know she’ll likely not see these words, given how
hard she works at her full-time job, tutoring other kids on the side AND
co-grooming two of the sweetest, yet most devilish, boys on earth, I felt
compelled to share this for her, and for our boys, and for you to know how we
all got where we are today. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was legendary rock concert promoter Bill Graham who once
said “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">They’re not the best at what they
do. They’re the only ones that do what they do</i>”, about pioneering jam band
the Grateful Dead. Excelling at any chosen task is a challenge. Blazing a trail
and doing things unlike they’ve ever been done before requires patience, vision
and endless supplies of energy. I was beyond fortunate to hitch my wagon to
someone who has off-the-charts levels of all three and who helps instill those
traits in our family on a daily basis. For this, I am grateful and I trust that
my boys will realize someday how lucky they are to have such an incredible
mother and role model. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m even luckier to call her my wife. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hivNmoWwgL4/VWvnDExkLnI/AAAAAAAADV0/h9gYTCH9RnE/s640/blogger-image--69726663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hivNmoWwgL4/VWvnDExkLnI/AAAAAAAADV0/h9gYTCH9RnE/s640/blogger-image--69726663.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*****************************</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Periscope: Dude of the House</span></span></div>
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Dude of The Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272483182710859456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606186947569498376.post-33163656575756655332015-05-27T21:55:00.000-07:002015-05-27T22:07:38.414-07:00My Boys' Favorite Energy Booster<div class="MsoNormal">
Having grown up in the wonderful Midwest, home of the
8-month Winter, I not-so-fondly remember spending countless school days stuck
inside because we just couldn’t get outdoors for recess without risking
frostbite, hail or snowball ambushes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Raising my boys in Southern California is a different story,
however. We are fortunate to live in a place where they can get outside in the
fresh air 300+ days per year, including the great majority of their school
days. But simply being able to get out and play is not enough. Providing them
with the resources to thrive, and the energy to do so, is a critical mission
that I take very seriously. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g6mlrV5bTYc/VWab1fF3CII/AAAAAAAADUo/My1IQtAdL8U/s1600/Playing%2BOutdoor%2Bcollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g6mlrV5bTYc/VWab1fF3CII/AAAAAAAADUo/My1IQtAdL8U/s400/Playing%2BOutdoor%2Bcollage.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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One of the things that still surprises me, as a parent, is
how hungry my boys seem to be ALL DAY LONG. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Just woke up <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">à</span></span>
They’re famished<o:p></o:p></div>
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Back home after school? I can hear their tummies rumbling
like mini garbage disposals waiting to be filled.</div>
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And of course when the clock strikes 5:00pm I know that
they’ll either soon turn into pumpkins or start swiping sneak previews from the
counter of the dinner I’m always just a few minutes behind on preparing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But there’s truly only one thing that I know will satiate
them no matter the time of day. And no, it’s not gummy bears. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Good old-fashioned milk. California’s finest. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5hGviqJD7C8/VWadEFRngvI/AAAAAAAADU0/_kMeuiggnoA/s1600/Milk%2Bbrothers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5hGviqJD7C8/VWadEFRngvI/AAAAAAAADU0/_kMeuiggnoA/s400/Milk%2Bbrothers.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I know that I can steal those last five minutes of dinner
prep, (which is really usually 10. OK, 15) needed to prepare their requisite
evening noms with a quick glass of milk. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure, those gummy bears might take less
effort, but they’re worth it and it’s a great appetizer. Plus, I‘m fortunate
that the Junior Dudes think receiving that tall, cool glass is a treat, even
though they usually have it multiple times daily. <o:p></o:p></div>
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My older son, the 5 ½ year old Little Dude, can be a picky
eater. And by “can be”, I mean has been every day of his life. We are fortunate
to know that while he will likely enter Kindergarten without ever having tried
pizza (entirely of his own volition), we never have to twist any arms for him
to enjoy an apple, grapes or myriad other fruits. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As parents it’s important to appreciate winning the little
battles even if the larger wars are lost more often than we’d prefer. I can admit
that it took me a while to get used to the Little Dude’s preferred daily lunch
of yogurt, fruit and rice cakes, which is certainly not the most exciting lunch
option available to him. But I know now that I’m giving him the energy to
refill his tank so he can get back outside to enjoy the sunshine while hiking,
biking or just chasing his brother down the block. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ULR3y3Ee1HQ/VWab1dJV8YI/AAAAAAAADUk/PjOxhXcNfb0/s1600/Junior%2BDudes%2Briding%2Bbikes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="395" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ULR3y3Ee1HQ/VWab1dJV8YI/AAAAAAAADUk/PjOxhXcNfb0/s400/Junior%2BDudes%2Briding%2Bbikes.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I’m happy to share with you that I’m partnering up with the
California Milk Advisory Board to tell you about their Fuel Up to Play 60 (FUTP
60) initiative, in association with the NFL. FUTP 60 is all about ensuring that
kids get their full servings of nutrients the old school way: via dairy,
fruits, grains and veggies while getting at least 60 minutes of physical
activity every day. Also, to ensure that kids are getting exercise at school,
they are offering schools grants up to $4,000 for the upcoming school year to
support their health and wellness programs, featuring plays from the <a href="https://school.fueluptoplay60.com/playbook/%3Fseason=next">Fuel Up to
Play 60 Playbook</a>. <span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To
apply for a spring grant, visit<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/fueluptoplay60\.com\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><a href="http://fueluptoplay60.com/">fueluptoplay60.com</a></span></span></span>
for more info and to get your school involved. Grant deadline is<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="aqj">June 16</span>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6fydUXEF3hQ/VWaiI6NBzMI/AAAAAAAADVI/SpUR0gltYzQ/s1600/Fuel_Up_to_Play_60_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" height="199" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6fydUXEF3hQ/VWaiI6NBzMI/AAAAAAAADVI/SpUR0gltYzQ/s320/Fuel_Up_to_Play_60_logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was compensated by the <a href="http://www.realcaliforniamilk.com/" target="_blank">California MilkAdvisory Board</a> for this post, though unfortunately not in bricks of cheese or vats of sour cream. All opinions
expressed within are my own, for better or worse. </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">*******************</span></i><br />
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<br />
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Dude of The Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272483182710859456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606186947569498376.post-29389681734659838392015-04-19T22:36:00.001-07:002015-04-20T10:19:12.193-07:00The Time My Preschooler Fell in Love<div class="MsoNormal">
On a recent school-free weekday not long ago, Mrs. Dude took
our boys to a nearby park to burn some of their seemingly endless supply of fuel.
As I was working in my pleasant 72-degree office, thinking about chasing them
around the vast mecca of molded plastic chutes and ladders slowly baking under
the 85-degree California sun, I can’t say I was completely disappointed to miss
that scorching outing. But a key lesson I’ve learned about parenting, and life
in general, is that we often never know what we are missing out on by <i>not</i> doing something. As it turned out, I
missed something seemingly big that day. How big? was the real question. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can see out to the driveway from my home office’s shaded window
and usually jump up excitedly, in a way that would make Pavlov proud, when I
see Mrs. Dude and the boys return each afternoon. On this day, however, my
5-year-old made a beeline inside before I could even stand up. When the Little
Dude bounded into the house he was beyond excited to tell me that he’d had an
unplanned rendezvous at the park that day. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QZSZypf-tvs/VTSNVV6LlpI/AAAAAAAADTc/TJVrG92RrIM/s1600/BC%2Bswing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QZSZypf-tvs/VTSNVV6LlpI/AAAAAAAADTc/TJVrG92RrIM/s1600/BC%2Bswing.jpg" height="320" width="220" /></a><i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Dada, guess who I saw
at the park today?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Elmo?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>No, guess again… <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Buzz Lightyear?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>No! I saw Ethan,
Braden and Jack from my school! <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Oh, that’s awesome. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>And guess who else?!<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lightning McQueen?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Come on, Dada. He’s in
Radiator Springs. No, I saw Julie from my class. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(I was happy that he mentioned someone I actually knew, as
the boys he’d mentioned first are in other classes and strangers to me.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How exciting! What’d you all do? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>We played on the
swings and rode bikes and ran for a super long time! And guess what else?!<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ummm, you went down the slides?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Wrong! Slides are for
babies. Guess what: Julie is my girlfriend now. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>::The sound of a record player screeching to a halt engulfs my mind::<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This was not at all what I was expecting from my almost 5 ½
year old’s day out. Thoughts of an imminent wedding rushed into my head before
I realized that was highly improbable because neither the bride nor groom would
be able to sign the marriage license because they don’t know how to write their
names yet. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VDODgltisOI/VTSLd_tUFCI/AAAAAAAADTQ/SMZy_JPYRp4/s1600/Bc%2Bjump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VDODgltisOI/VTSLd_tUFCI/AAAAAAAADTQ/SMZy_JPYRp4/s1600/Bc%2Bjump.jpg" height="294" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look before you leap</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As he smiled his widest grin I’d seen in a while, I thought
about how I hadn’t expected to hear about girlfriends for at least another
half-dozen years. I know people say that kids are growing up faster these days
due to technology and other societal changes, but explaining the birds and bees
was not on my immediate radar, nor should it be. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m a planner. I’m not into surprises and have the kind of
(cursed) mind which races through every possible outcome of a situation before
it even begins to unfold. Whether my suppositions are right or wrong is another
matter, I just don’t want to be left unprepared with an agape mouth. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So flying without my well-broken-in net, I asked my son what
he thought having a girlfriend meant. I anticipated an answer somewhere along
the lines of love or kissing or, at the bare minimum, hand-holding. Plus, whatever
the reply, I had to be ready with a quip or an anecdote or something brilliant
to suppress my suddenly queasy gut about these uncharted waters we were about
to dive into. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My son looked at me, still beaming, and I watched his
expression shift as he looked for an explanation that he could easily express.
No words came out of his mouth for what felt like an eternity before he finally
said something that shouldn’t have seemed as unexpected as it did. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>I don’t know. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i>
<i>::Exhale::</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And just like that I knew my little boy was back, as my
nerves began to slowly unwind and return to their normal operating functions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><u>Him:</u></i></b><i> Can I go play now?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>Me:</u></b> Of course. Go have fun. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And thankfully he never mentioned it<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>
again. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*********************************************************</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FcjRGB5sTlA/VTSQDmuTLeI/AAAAAAAADTw/oLVxmsdwKWo/s1600/instagram-logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FcjRGB5sTlA/VTSQDmuTLeI/AAAAAAAADTw/oLVxmsdwKWo/s1600/instagram-logo.png" /></a><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> </i><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">If you like the pictures in this post, and why wouldn't you, come follow me on Instagram where I post some of my favorites daily:</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://instagram.com/dudeofthehouse" style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px; text-decoration: none;">instagram.com/dudeofthehouse</a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Dude of The Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272483182710859456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606186947569498376.post-73897357661973457542015-03-31T00:04:00.002-07:002015-03-31T00:04:40.766-07:00The Nosiest Question Parents Get from Strangers<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">We know each other
extremely casually. Our paths cross a few times per week, usually for a couple
minutes at most. Why would you think it’s OK to be so nosy? Do I ask you about
that prominent scar on your forehead, which must have an interesting story behind
it? Do I ask you how much money you make? No. So please stay out of my bedroom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Having almost made the
mistake once, I would never consider asking a woman who is not my wife if she
is pregnant. Even if she is currently crowning while in stirrups, you can never
be too sure and rather than risk embarrassing either myself or a female I don’t
know well enough, and by well enough I mean biblically, I know better than to
wonder – at least out loud.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">But for some reason
there’s a tangential subject that people have absolutely no hesitation about
asking:</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">are you going to have
more kids?</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">I wrote a while back
about people asking if we were going to "try for a girl", which is a
very presumptuous subject, IMO, as we're perfectly thrilled with our two boys
and don’t need a girl to “complete” our family. The same goes for a third kid.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">So I usually tap dance
around this more-frequent-than-I’d-like query with a non-committal answer like
"You never know...", but I'm pretty sure I know. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CwRWGiU8U34/VRouQydq8dI/AAAAAAAADRs/l-OSgt6e_QA/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CwRWGiU8U34/VRouQydq8dI/AAAAAAAADRs/l-OSgt6e_QA/s1600/004.JPG" height="320" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Would our duo sound better as a trio?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">I’ve been thinking
recently about why this question from people who don’t mean much to me gets me
so worked up and I think I’ve finally figured it out. It’s because the truth is
that I <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">don’t know if we’re
going to have a third kid and that makes me a little sad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">I’ve long considered
parental age to be an important factor in many facets of parenting. This year
my boys will turn 6 & 3 years old while Mrs. Dude and I round 3<sup>rd</sup></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">on our 30s and slide into the abyss that is 40.
That’s old. Well, it’s not old, but it’s old. Betty White is still going strong
at 90-something, but then again she never had children.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">40 isn’t as old as it
used to be, like 150 years ago when the average American's lifespan was about
45 to 50. But 40 isn’t 30, no matter how badly we might want it to be. In
retrospect do I wish I’d started having kids younger than I actually did? Yes!
And no. I was trying to carve my life's path during my 20s and early 30s, all
of which led me to where I sit today: stuck in this quandary of what to do with
the rest of my life, however long that might be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">My mother passed away at
65 and a year later her mother departed shortly after passing 90. Tomorrow is
promised to no one, which might be why I’m feeling nervous about my current
situation with two small boys who I need to carefully help mold as they
progress through school and life.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BmMiqiJoy28/VRotiKXOKvI/AAAAAAAADRU/xIcCFb_s1jY/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BmMiqiJoy28/VRotiKXOKvI/AAAAAAAADRU/xIcCFb_s1jY/s1600/005.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My lap is currently featuring seating for two.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Since the Littler Dude
recently turned 2 ½, it’s not lost on me that my wife and I may have
unknowingly smelled the last new baby smell of our own varietal. That scent is
indescribably perfect and unique to every child ever born, even when it’s
stinky and needs a new diaper. Now we are in the stages of sand-filled socks
and still about seven or eight years away from tween boy B.O.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> For that, I’m in no rush.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">I’m already feeling
anxious that I’ll be well into my 50s when my boys finish high school, probably
because my parents had three college graduates by that age. It’s absolutely a
different time and place now from when I grew up and despite TiVo and iPhones
it’s not necessarily a better one. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">I always thought I
wanted three kids because I’m a third kid. Mrs. Dude always wanted two because
that’s how she was raised and people are often drawn to situations reminiscent
of those they were raised in. While I was growing up, my 4- & 7- year older
siblings were generally too old to be my playmates.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> It wasn’t until during, or more likely
after, college when we finally reached the same social stratosphere. If my wife
and I were to have a third, he would be almost exactly the same age difference
younger from his brothers that my brother and sister are to me. Beyond just the
age gap, we’re almost out of diapers and I’m not sure I’m ready to dive back
into the Diaper Genie again. I think we have a solid family dynamic with our
quartet right now, so is taking a chance on a wild card worth it for us at this
point in our almost-40 lives? Or are we missing the jewel of the crown? I don’t
have the answer, but the clock is ticking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">So where does this leave
me in regard to my nosy acquaintances? Unfortunately not much further ahead
than before. All I can say is that if I have something to announce, believe me
I will. This decision is grueling enough without your random piqued curiosity.
All I ask of you is that next time you see me, please feel free to ask me how
my day is, about the weather or the score of last night’s game. Please just
don’t ask if we’re having another kid. Those other questions are much simpler,
and inifinitely less stressful, to answer. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aHelSeGf15M/VRouD2Wl0FI/AAAAAAAADRk/LdPFsluzBgo/s1600/063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aHelSeGf15M/VRouD2Wl0FI/AAAAAAAADRk/LdPFsluzBgo/s1600/063.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Four is the perfect size for man-to-man defense & theme park rides. </td></tr>
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<i>If you like the pictures in this post, and why wouldn't you, come follow me on Instagram where I post some of my favorites daily:</i> <a href="http://instagram.com/dudeofthehouse"><span style="color: blue;">instagram.com/dudeofthehouse</span></a></div>
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Dude of The Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272483182710859456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606186947569498376.post-45027719595316485302015-02-08T22:12:00.000-08:002015-02-08T22:12:33.740-08:00The Joy and Pain of a Work at Home Dad<div class="MsoNormal">
As a full-time work at home dad, I will admit that sometimes
I miss the camaraderie that comes from working in a communal space, where
coffee pots drip all day and phones ring endlessly. Though I enjoy the
flexibility of my current position, which allows me to drive my boys to school
every morning and be there when they arrive home every afternoon, sometimes I
do long to be able to discuss last night’s <i>Parks and Recreation</i> with a real human being in the flesh instead of the randomTwitterverse.</div>
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<br /></div>
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One of the biggest career challenges I’ve faced was when I began working for a company with a completely remote workforce just before my younger
son turned 1-year-old, which coincided with when Mrs. Dude began teaching full-time.
She and I made the bittersweet, yet necessary, decision to hire someone to
watch our son at home while I was working just a few feet away. Though I
keep a separate workspace from our living area, it was frustrating every time I left my office to
refuel or relieve and saw him frolicking with the nanny. I desperately wanted to drop what I was
doing every time and roll around with my Littler Dude.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CZ7B7vSiC70/VNhKO1fnF0I/AAAAAAAADQQ/qkCuigDIA6I/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CZ7B7vSiC70/VNhKO1fnF0I/AAAAAAAADQQ/qkCuigDIA6I/s1600/007.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This adorable face was staring at me every time I'd grab a drink or snack. It was refreshing and upsetting at the same time.</td></tr>
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Sometimes I could do just that, but for only a fraction of the amount of time I would have preferred. Other
times he’d run into my office just to see me or sit on my lap for a moment and
when the nanny kindly took him so I could resume working, I felt like a part of
my soul was being forcibly yanked out every single time. The irony of my great new job permitting
me to be home with my son, while not really being <i>with</i> him, was a struggle that took some time to come to terms with.
It was almost a relief when he started pre-school this past fall so that I was no
longer faced with the temptation to build block towers instead of PowerPoint presentations on a daily basis. </div>
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Working from home is the kind of gift which not everyone
wants or appreciates, and that’s OK. The Catch-22 I’ve frequently considered is
being able to trade my zero-mile commute for a higher paying job requiring an hour or more each way in L.A. traffic. Now,
if my kids need me while I’m working at home just a few minutes away, I can be there
if they are sick or to attend their holiday shows at school, no questions
asked. What would I do if I worked 25 miles away, which in L.A. terms can be
anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours in traffic?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SQ1vqg6hSXA/VNhJXnklWLI/AAAAAAAADQI/0ZAelceuOgM/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SQ1vqg6hSXA/VNhJXnklWLI/AAAAAAAADQI/0ZAelceuOgM/s1600/006.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from my desk chair. <br />My boys are never really out of sight.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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The traditional familial roles which my generation, and countless more before us, grew up with have been thrown out the window and just as women’s lib was such a
big issue almost 50 years ago, maybe it’s time to consider this an era of men’s
liberation. Men <u>can</u> be engaged parents who stay at home to raise their
families or work in or out of the home and still take an active role in
parenting. The days of the incompetent “Mr. Mom” father are long gone, so it’s
time to finally quash that lame stereotype, just as we have so many other
archaic cliches. It was nice to see that the tide is turning during several recent Super Bowl ads featuring actively involved fathers. </div>
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Still, when friends mention going out for happy hour after
work and I tell them I’m already deep into making Mac & Cheese for my boys
at 5:30pm, the dormant phantom limb known as my office-working days starts to
tingle. Then I go eat some of Kraft’s finest while looking at some adoring
adorable faces and it all feels OK because I know I’ve made the right decision for my family for now.<br />
<br />
This is my happy hour.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: center;"><div class="" style="clear: both; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">
<i><b><a href="http://instagram.com/dudeofthehouse" target="_blank">Come hang with me on Instagram</a> for more great pics like those in this post. </b></i></div>
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Dude of The Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272483182710859456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606186947569498376.post-15604478935811969722015-01-15T12:24:00.001-08:002015-01-15T12:44:41.542-08:00The Moment I Realized My Toddler is Cooler Than Me<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-717W6Sjs7to/VLgUdfrRwtI/AAAAAAAADO0/3--DOdxixPE/s1600/Clark%2BGriswold%2BDr.%2BEvil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-717W6Sjs7to/VLgUdfrRwtI/AAAAAAAADO0/3--DOdxixPE/s1600/Clark%2BGriswold%2BDr.%2BEvil.jpg" height="160" width="320" /></a></div>
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From Clark Griswold to Dr. Evil, countless movies have been
filled with terribly cliché fathers trying to be cool around their children and
failing miserably. Though I was never
the coolest kid in my school, or the least, I was friendly enough to at least
stay on the fringe. Now I’m at the point in my life where my desire to be
popular is greatly outweighed by my desire for the mythical good night of
sleep. Still I want to be and have fun with my kids and if they want to view me
as more fun like Vince Vaughn in <i>Old
School </i>than known terrible father Darth Vader, so be it. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-atBZWQMzx3Q/VLgUdbhKf3I/AAAAAAAADOs/5DZr60mngmo/s1600/Old%2BSchool%2BStar%2BWars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-atBZWQMzx3Q/VLgUdbhKf3I/AAAAAAAADOs/5DZr60mngmo/s1600/Old%2BSchool%2BStar%2BWars.jpg" height="160" width="320" /></a></div>
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But a couple recent events have made me realize that maybe I’m
not as cool as I think I am, or maybe it’s just that my boys are already breezing
past me right before my eyes. Mrs. Dude and I took the boys bowling recently
and I never expected that seemingly innocuous experience to open my eyes so
broadly. I hadn’t been bowling in many years, other than on Wii where I’m an
expert, so I was surprised at how long the lanes seemed and how heavy the ball
felt.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EyW0ywYmWwA/VLgVJhhtGdI/AAAAAAAADPA/CUPiNfpCUq8/s1600/IMG_0755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EyW0ywYmWwA/VLgVJhhtGdI/AAAAAAAADPA/CUPiNfpCUq8/s1600/IMG_0755.JPG" height="320" width="205" /></a></div>
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As we took our turns gliding our tie-dyed spheres down the slick
lane I felt like I was having a good time. It was fun to get out there with the
boys at this stage when they still need us and don’t realize that before long they
won’t want to bowl, or do anything else in public, with us anymore. As we took
our turns, aided mercifully by the raised bumpers denying any gutter balls, I
heard a couple of older kids in the lane next to ours calling the Littler Dude’s
name. Not paying much attention because his name is not uncommon, after a
moment I realized they were indeed calling for my 2 year old. <br />
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I looked up but couldn’t place these kids, who appeared to
be about 10 years old, so the fact that they knew my son was both perplexing
and concerning. Several thoughts raced through my mind as I stood there when
suddenly I noticed the Littler Dude’s preschool teacher standing a little
further back in the next lane. These were her kids who had taken a shining to
the Littler Dude on a couple visits to his school. Whew.</div>
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It truly surprised me that these elementary schoolers would
turn their focus from a group of 8 or 10 of their friends to even notice a 2
year old, let alone pay even a smidge of attention to him, but then it hit me: <b>my 2 year old son is cooler than me</b>.
This is clearly the beginning of my boys’ upward trajectory and my plateau.
Hopefully I’ll have another 50 or 60 years on earth, but I’ll likely never
again be as hip as I feel like I once was. (Note: using the word “hip” means I’m
clearly not.) I’m not suggesting that I need to be put out to pasture quite yet,
but as my psyche is coming to terms with me turning 40 later this year, I
realize that I’m no longer a kid. Despite feeling a little sore the day after
we bowled, I’m not feeling too many aches and pains yet. I’ve been working on becoming
healthier because I know I must keep my machine in solid working order to keep it
running smoothly as long as possible. I may be getting older but I don’t intend
to feel old in the process. </div>
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That afternoon, while the Littler Dude napped, (who’s cool
now?), I visited my barbershop for an overdue cut. I saw a new stylist who did
a great job (and not only because she noted that I have a good thick head of
hair), which really reinvigorated me a bit as I’d been feeling a little shaggy.
As she used the clipper to clean up my neck and sideburns, I heard the buzz getting
significantly louder when it dawned on me that she was trimming the tiny hairs
on my ears. I attributed it to my uber-strong hair follicles and Russian ancestry
and let it go. A few minutes later, though,
after she applied the styling goop to my hair in a generous effort to make me look
a smidge less like, well, me was when I received official confirmation that I’m
not as cool as I thought.</div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>“Do you want me to
tame your eyebrows while you’re here?”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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“Um, OK,” I sheepishly replied, though the real thought burning
my brain at that moment was “get off my overgrown over-eye lawn!”</div>
<br />
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It’s official: my kids have clearly surpassed me in coolness and
there’s likely no turning back.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n5gYPDLz0Xs/VLgfdpEP17I/AAAAAAAADPU/1JNbjun7Pg4/s1600/cut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n5gYPDLz0Xs/VLgfdpEP17I/AAAAAAAADPU/1JNbjun7Pg4/s1600/cut.jpg" height="200" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bushwacked brows & buzzed ears</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="" style="clear: both; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://instagram.com/dudeofthehouse" target="_blank">Come hang with me on Instagram</a> </div>
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Dude of The Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272483182710859456noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606186947569498376.post-36716824264087689142014-12-23T16:15:00.001-08:002014-12-23T16:15:49.362-08:00The Trick to Becoming an All-In Parent <div class="MsoNormal">
Beyond my Monday through Friday preschool drop-off routine,
which I adore, as a work-at-home parent I often spend more time at home than
I’d like. So on the infrequent occasions when I do get out, I try to make the
most of whatever the outing may be. </div>
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For some reason we’ve had a slew of holiday-related events
to attend this year compared to prior Decembers. When I looked at our calendar
with my worn bloodshot eyes a few days ago I noticed a Saturday evening family
event that sounded fun if I could stay awake. Then, as luck would have it, I was
invited to another event with some dudes the same night and of course at the
same time. How could I attend both, which is what I wanted to do, while making
sure everyone was happy and no one felt neglected, most importantly the Junior
Dudes. </div>
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I deliberated what to do as the holiday event would be fun
and so would the incredibly-rare “guys’ night out”. So I decided I’d skip the
family event to go out with the guys, which seemed reasonable as I’d been to
seemingly a thousand family events this month. That night while I slept, along
with a dream of going waterskiing in gravy with an octopus, my subconscious
told me I’d made the wrong choice. I had to figure out a way to make both
things work if I was going to make everyone, include myself, happy in the end. </div>
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I consider myself to be an “All-In” parent. I work hard to
be actively involved in my boys’ lives and I aim to remain that way. Each time
I see disengaged parents at parks, parties and elsewhere, it inspires me to
double check where I am with my own boys. I can honestly say that as this year
comes to a close, I’ve been more successfully entrenched with my boys than last
year. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I went back to my friends who invited me out and asked if
they’d be open to pushing back their invitation a bit so I could attend both
events that night. Though I anticipated resistance from a group and an existing
event, I was surprised when none came. They were amenable and I was set for a
big night out, or at least the kind of big night out a sleep-deprived father of
two little ones has these days.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5Xv_9wj1dho/VJoC9OgVjPI/AAAAAAAADMg/i-nwWKrslOc/s1600/025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5Xv_9wj1dho/VJoC9OgVjPI/AAAAAAAADMg/i-nwWKrslOc/s1600/025.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glow in the dark dreidels are rad. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I got my boys bathed and ready for our family holiday event
and we were on our way. I spent quality time watching them play dreidel, eat
latkes, sing and dance at a wonderful Hanukkah event and at the arranged time,
my buddies picked me up and we headed out on the town while Mrs. Dude was all
set to get the Junior Dudes in their PJs for the ride home and straight to bed.
</div>
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So where does an “All-in” dad head for a night out? How
about to check out <a href="http://www.applebees.com/">Applebee’s</a> new “<a href="http://www.applebees.com/menu/feature-menu">All-in burgers</a>”? Though
I’ve been working toward a healthy lifestyle this year, I know that it’s OK to
enjoy deviation from time to time in moderation. As Jack Nicholson said in The
Shining, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. I don’t want to be dull,
hungry, or the caretaker of a haunted resort so I was eager to check out the
“All-in” lineup, where the cooks actually <i>ground
toppings into the beef</i>. Brilliant.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WF6LO5MiZbA/VJoC9Qcaa0I/AAAAAAAADMk/rXHIkou6TaQ/s1600/032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WF6LO5MiZbA/VJoC9Qcaa0I/AAAAAAAADMk/rXHIkou6TaQ/s1600/032.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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We enjoyed some appetizers, like the amazing pretzel roll
thingamajig, and I settled on the <a href="http://www.applebees.com/menu/handcrafted-burgers/mushroom-swiss">Mushroom
Swiss All-in</a> from the 4 options on the menu. Honestly, I was skeptical of
how the burger would taste with everything crammed into one mass, but it presented
and tasted better than I expected. I’ve been to burger places that try to get
too fancy and the myriad toppings all get lost among each other. That didn’t
happen here. The mushrooms were perfect and the oozing Swiss cheese was the
perfect complement. As my stomach displays, I’ve had many a burger in my time
and this is one of the better ones I’ve had lately. My compadres enjoyed
theirs, too, so I’d guess that we’re all-in on the “All-in burgers”. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QFunwsqIloo/VJoC9-D09SI/AAAAAAAADMo/L-MfMQ6wz-4/s1600/039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QFunwsqIloo/VJoC9-D09SI/AAAAAAAADMo/L-MfMQ6wz-4/s1600/039.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My #BurgerSelfie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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All in all (pun intended), it was a great night. Family,
friends, food & festivities made for a great double night out and
thankfully I returned home satisfied from both my dinner and my decision to fit
both events into the evening. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BSIMLsEo4NU/VJoC9yx4e0I/AAAAAAAADM4/aFuVyTirM9M/s1600/035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BSIMLsEo4NU/VJoC9yx4e0I/AAAAAAAADM4/aFuVyTirM9M/s1600/035.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A-p8--47-2I/VJoCpev_nlI/AAAAAAAADMQ/YIL3cgQQpR0/s1600/Applebee's%2B%2Blogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A-p8--47-2I/VJoCpev_nlI/AAAAAAAADMQ/YIL3cgQQpR0/s1600/Applebee's%2B%2Blogo.jpg" height="149" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Disclaimer: I was
compensated by Life of Dad, LLC and Applebee’s for this post, as well as given
a complimentary meal to test things out. All opinions and ideas contained in
this post are mine alone, for better or worse. <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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Dude of The Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272483182710859456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606186947569498376.post-57775279857112268562014-12-17T15:25:00.002-08:002014-12-17T15:25:38.121-08:00Showing My Son How to Help Others<div class="MsoNormal">
With the holiday season upon us, my 5-year-old Little Dude
has made it a daily, if not hourly, practice to remind Mrs. Dude and me which
Hot Wheels items he would like to receive. Since he’s now old enough to
understand the concept of wish lists, his mother and I are making an overt
effort to teach him that while receiving things is nice but giving what we can
to help other people is even more important. </div>
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We are certainly not rich people, but the reality is that
there are always people in need who we can help, and it doesn’t have to be
financially either. After the Junior Dudes’ recent birthday bonanza, we
suggested they each pick some things that they received to give to kids who
maybe didn’t receive anything for their birthdays, Christmas or any other day
that we take for granted.</div>
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More often than I’d like to admit, I catch myself in the
middle of trying to teach my boys a lesson by rambling on about it in a Ward
Cleaver-ish manner. What I’ve realized, however, is that concepts like poverty
and illness can be opaque for kids not living with them. As part of my ongoing
effort to break through that archaic Cleaver-style of parenting, I decided to
try another method for teaching them during this holiday season: actively
showing them what we can do to help people, instead of just rambling on about a
concept that a 5-year-old doesn’t fully comprehend, let alone his 2-year old
brother.</div>
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When I heard that one of the finest Men/Fathers/Poets I
know, Whit Honea of <a href="http://www.whithonea.com/" target="_blank">Honea Express</a>, recently underwent surgery to help repair
some internal issues he’d been battling for the better (worse?) part of a year,
I decided that we should do something to help him and his family during his sure-to-be
exhausting recovery period. Having been around more recuperations than I care
to admit, one thing I’ve learned is that dealing with the mundane elements of
life seems more taxing during those periods when life doesn’t flow along its
normal channels. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BG80LnRMFuQ/VJIJwC7b0lI/AAAAAAAADK0/z0E5EdfdwSk/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BG80LnRMFuQ/VJIJwC7b0lI/AAAAAAAADK0/z0E5EdfdwSk/s1600/007.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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So what could we do that would show the Honea family that
the Dudes are thinking of them? Easy: </div>
food. I’m admittedly less than a novice
chef, but there are things I make reasonably well that are good as the mercury
drops and with winter ready to spring in just a few days. My culinary specialty
is baked penne, so I decided to show my boys how the seemingly simple task of
making a meal can brighten a day and lighten a load at the same time. One less
dinner to worry about after a long week of hospitals, poking and prodding goes
a long way. A twist to the story is that Whit’s procedure necessitated an
initial liquid diet for him so I decided to make him some soup, which is
warming and filling as the L.A. weather turns a (relatively) chilly 55 degrees.<br />
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Though he obviously wasn’t going to help with the slicing
and dicing of any vegetables, the Little Dude kept me company as I cooked and
helped me with some of the prep work, including the critical cheesing of the bake.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-maeEsuThscU/VJIJyeIjT7I/AAAAAAAADK8/nN6u_yvxi7Q/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-maeEsuThscU/VJIJyeIjT7I/AAAAAAAADK8/nN6u_yvxi7Q/s1600/018.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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We spent time in the kitchen and in the car ride to deliver
dinner discussing what good deeds are and how being selfless is critical when
others can use our help. It was only a moment before he was asking about other
good deeds we can do and we started plotting a course toward helping others
going forward. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6F1M6WTDQ5Y/VJIOYbj6S5I/AAAAAAAADLw/qFmyEK6cawI/s1600/piclab.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6F1M6WTDQ5Y/VJIOYbj6S5I/AAAAAAAADLw/qFmyEK6cawI/s1600/piclab.png" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NuBaPuj4BME/VJILUjY4oFI/AAAAAAAADLc/cRu-nv7bXvQ/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NuBaPuj4BME/VJILUjY4oFI/AAAAAAAADLc/cRu-nv7bXvQ/s1600/unnamed.jpg" height="320" width="261" /></a>My recuperating friend & his wife were thankful to have
a night off from cooking after a draining week of hospitals, doctors and the
fun they elicit. I felt a sense of pride after having taught my son about the
power of good deeds as we headed home for our own family’s dinner. I’d initially
considered ordering take-out and bringing it to their home, but that would have
just made me a delivery boy. I wanted my son to witness the power of making
time to complete something important from start to finish. Though I didn’t get
to have any of my garlicky vegetable soup, my chest warmed as though I had. </div>
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Though the plan to bring dinner to my friend was my own, it
happened while I’m partnering with the kind people at Lee Jeans as part of their #LeeGoodDeed campaign. They sent me
a pair of their new Modern Series jeans which are incredibly comfortable. Had I
eaten the baked penne myself, Lee’s Active Comfort flex denim would have helped
as my waistline expanded after dinner. Lee Jeans are available at retailers
nationwide and on <a href="http://www.lee.com/">Lee.com</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sveNIKHWEfI/VJILcDy1TkI/AAAAAAAADLk/Cksvzg-iJzY/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sveNIKHWEfI/VJILcDy1TkI/AAAAAAAADLk/Cksvzg-iJzY/s1600/008.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Disclosure: I’ve partnered with and
been compensated by Life of Dad, LLC for this promotion, plus Lee sent me a rad
pair of <a href="http://www.lee.com/store/LEE_STORE_US/en_US/product/men/jeans/modern-straight-leg-jean.html">these
jeans</a>, which I’ve barely taken off in the last week. All opinions and ideas
contained in this post are mine alone, for better or worse. </i><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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Dude of The Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272483182710859456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7606186947569498376.post-74528066411145817292014-12-08T23:00:00.003-08:002014-12-08T23:00:58.821-08:00From 0 to 5K with #RunDisney & The Avengers <div class="MsoNormal">
If you know me in real life, you might know that there are
three things I’m typically not a big fan of: waking up early, exercising and
birthdays. So naturally when I was invited to participate in <a href="http://www.rundisney.com/">RunDisney</a>’s inaugural <a href="http://www.rundisney.com/avengers-half-marathon/">Avengers Half Marathon</a> at Disneyland,
which was scheduled to begin at 5:30am on my birthday, I rejected the concept
in my head before I even knew what it was really about. But then I found out
about a 5K race being run the day before the half marathon and actually gave it
a second thought, and then a third thought, before accepting the
invitation/challenge. Oh, did I mention this call was 9 days before the event?</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KrJ8jJ0xmU4/VIabqSU3JnI/AAAAAAAADKg/DyebR35RnK0/s1600/avengers-run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KrJ8jJ0xmU4/VIabqSU3JnI/AAAAAAAADKg/DyebR35RnK0/s1600/avengers-run.jpg" height="182" width="320" /></a></div>
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So why would I jump blindly into something like a 5K with no
notice? Because I had to. No, neither Captain America nor Mickey Mouse forced me to run, my sons did. It occurred to me over the summer when we’d take
our nightly family walks after dinner that I was having trouble keeping up with
my two boys. Kids love to run, especially after a meal that has refilled their
gas tanks, and mine love to sprint back and forth down the blocks to burn some
of that energy. After several weeks of feeling winded from running half a block
to catch them, I knew it was time for change. I just didn’t know how to actually
do it.</div>
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So Mrs. Dude and I started going for power walks in the evenings
through our hilly neighborhood. At first I thought I was going to collapse
after 10 minutes, but it got incrementally easier the more often we did it and
before long we were averaging about 2 ½ miles. The problem was consistency, as
my exercise frequency varied between zero and 2 or 3 times per week. Finding
the time, or rather making the time, to exercise can be challenging. It can
also be daunting to someone like me who’s never really had much fitness
experience or education. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ReR8QxeH6v8/VIaTTv9yrvI/AAAAAAAADJ8/B5YODbVMw8Q/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ReR8QxeH6v8/VIaTTv9yrvI/AAAAAAAADJ8/B5YODbVMw8Q/s1600/001.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a>So with my almost-big birthday looming and having committed
to running the Avengers 5K, I had to figure some things out quickly. And not
the least of which was how was this lifelong night owl going to run a race <i><u>at 5:30am</u>!</i> I knew that my workout
inconsistency had to change. I figured that if nothing else I could at least
walk the 5K course, but my goal quickly became more than that. I didn’t know
how to quantify my goal, but I knew I needed to do a couple practice 5Ks to
gauge things. I figured with 9 days to go, I could fit in 3 or 4 trial runs
before the actual event. </div>
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So that night I set out alone in the dark to figure out how
to prep for a 5K. It had been almost a month since my last vigorous exercise,
but I wasn’t quite starting from scratch. I knew that 5K equals 3.1 miles and
using the “Map My Walk” iPhone app, I started walking until I reached that
distance. Up, down and around my neighborhood I watched the app’s odometer inch
upward, seemingly very slowly, until I returned home a wheezing, sweaty mess.
But I’d done it. I’d now completed a real 5K via a hybrid of mostly walking
with bursts of running interspersed throughout. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ynm30PeISA4/VIaTbu5AcsI/AAAAAAAADKM/gDCehKqOzkk/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ynm30PeISA4/VIaTbu5AcsI/AAAAAAAADKM/gDCehKqOzkk/s1600/014.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5 days until the Avengers 5K</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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Five more times over the next week I did the same thing and
despite varying the course on every occurrence, on each instance my overall time
improved. I was feeling good about my prospects in the race and, more importantly, also about
myself. With only a few calendar ticks remaining until I began the last year of
my 30s, I was on a mission for my family and myself. Avengers 5K and
Disneyland<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>, here I come…</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X__uY9yFMnA/VIaYDSZpC2I/AAAAAAAADKY/HMUegtf9Wxs/s1600/052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X__uY9yFMnA/VIaYDSZpC2I/AAAAAAAADKY/HMUegtf9Wxs/s1600/052.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1 day until my first 5K!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">To Be Continued</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Disclaimer: I was invited by RunDisney to participate in their Avengers 5K race weekend. All opinions and ideas expressed in this post are mine alone, for better or worse. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>Note: Before beginning any rigorous exercise/training program you should consult with your physician. My exercise/training results and race preparation were not typical. YMMV.</u></span></div>
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Dude of The Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09272483182710859456noreply@blogger.com0