Category Archives: Parenting

Friends and Strangers at the Bounce House

Have you ever been to a bounce house? Think of those giant inflatables that fill the backyards of homes for a kids’ birthday party, only it’s all indoors and filled with 10+ giant inflatables! In other words, a kids’ (and most adults’) wonderland!

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As part of our Dallas Dads Group, I scheduled a Meetup at a local bounce house called Jump For Fun (fitting name I’d say) for us dads to gather and have fun with our kids. We had 4 dads attend, including me, and we each had one kid. It was hard to sit and talk with the other guys since I had to keep my eyes on Avery. She was all over the place!

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Okay, so not first, but she started moving after warming up to her surroundings.

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Until I put her inside one of the inflatables……

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Yeah, that was her first and last time in that one. Not sure what made her so upset, but I blame her current teething issue as the main culprit. Once back out on the floor though, her mood changed back to happy status.

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But we obviously didn’t go to a bounce house to run around the floor, so grabbed Avery and we went through several of the fun-filled obstacles together. She was confused at times, but I could tell she enjoyed it overall. But man, it was difficult trying to traverse some of the slippery inflatable steps with Avery in one arm! Regardless, we did it plenty of times, and even took on Batman!

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He was all talk. One of our neighborhood dads and friends, Jason, was there with his daughter, Zoey, and we took turns taking our girls down a giant slide.

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Avery, with her cutting teeth, had her hand in her mouth most of the time we were there. Nothing a little tickling can’t do to fix the hand-in-mouth issue.

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Jason and Zoey were able to go up and down several times in the time it took us to go once.

 

 

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Zoey is older and she was having a blast running all over the place. Notice, no hands in mouth for her since she has all her teeth!

While wondering around, Avery made a new, older, friend who seemed to like picking her up.

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Seemed sweet and innocent enough, until she dropped her like a hot potato!

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I guess they made up though, and the girl was more careful afterward.

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I don’t know if it was the trauma of being dropped, her cutting teeth, or just because she’s a sweetheart, but Avery went up to a lady sitting on a bench, took the magazine sitting next to her, and held it up as if asking her to read it. The kind mom of two boys, Katie, kindly held Avery in her lap and read a little. Avery seemed to enjoy.

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Everyone had a great time and we’re hoping to make the place a regular meetup for our Dallas Dads Group soon. Maybe next time Avery won’t be in the middle of teething and actually smile for a picture.

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Eh, it wasn’t crying, so I’ll consider it a win in my book. Whatever book that is, I don’t know. I’m happy with the group of dads that met up and hope to be able to talk with them more next time. Which, thanks to our awesome group, we’ll have the chance plenty of times in the near and distant future!

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Avery had a very nice nap after we made it home. Think we need to do this a lot more!

If you have been to a bounce house or one of the backyard parties with an inflatable, how do you like them?

Do you join in on the jumping or just watch?

 

How One Dad Will Live Forever – #Dads4Oren

Almost a year ago, a man named Oren Miller was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. After an arduous fight composed of painful treatments to remove the cancer, Oren lost the battle this past weekend on Saturday, February 28th. Despite this saddening news, I can still smile because I know, in spirit and our hearts, he will live on forever.

As the creator of a Dad Bloggers Facebook group that is now 1000+ strong, Oren is responsible for providing an outlet/resource for dads all over the world. It is a place for us to vent, share thoughts, help each other out with serious life issues or just to tweet out their latest blog post, and most importantly, grow as better fathers, husbands, and men.

I have the post of him welcoming me along with several other great dads into the group on February 4th, 2014. Since joining, I have posted numerous times seeking guidance for help with my blog as well as with our daughter, Avery. I never had the honor of meeting Oren in person, but it’s not necessary to feel the impact he has on so many.

I realized this when the news of his cancer first came out. Our community of Dads quickly created a charity to raise funds so Oren and his family could go on a wonderful vacation that inevitably would be his last. I gave what I could and helped spread the word on my blog, along with many other dad bloggers.

Though he may be gone, he is certainly not forgotten, and will live on forever in the hearts of many and among our close-knit Dad Blogger community. I could never imagine someone I hardly knew could affect me, as well as so many others who never met him, like he has, but it’s clear he means a lot to all of us.

Many dads have posted tributes to Oren on their blogs, and one even posted a video to You Tube of him singing a Bob Dylan song in his honor. I’ve only started writing for the UK-based blog Love All Dads (LADs, for short), by creating a monthly round up of U.S. dad bloggers. When I asked the creator of LADs, Darren, about sharing a special #Dads4Oren Round Up, he loved the idea.

Below is the post you can also find on LADs by clicking here, but I felt sharing it here as well. After reading a few posts, you’ll realize just how much Oren means to all of us as you can feel the passion emanating from the written, spoken, and yes, even sung words from other dads.

I hope you have a wonderful week, and make sure to tell those around you how much you love them as you hold them close to your heart. Here’s my post:

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Hello, fellow dads, both nearby and abroad. It is with a heavy heart and solemn mind I am writing this before it’s even close to the end of March for round 3 of the U.S. Dad Bloggers Round Up, but I feel compelled to honor one of us.

Oren Miller, the man behind the blog A Blogger and a Father, passed away on Saturday, February 28th, after a long battle with stage 4 lung cancer. You can read what he wrote upon finding out here. Oren was also the creator of the best Dad Bloggers Facebook Group around, and I’m proud to be a part of the 1,000+ dads who are members.

There aren’t enough digital pages to fit all of the wonderful ways Oren has affected us dads and so many people everywhere. A quick glance from members filling our Dad Bloggers Group page with posts of how Oren is near and dear to their hearts, and you realize this man hasn’t passed, he’ll live on forever!

Today, for a special edition of the Dad Bloggers Round Up, I am simply sharing the posts published in honor of Oren by dad bloggers all over. Please be sure to visit as many as you can and share with everyone around you.

His funeral is Monday, March 2nd, and many of us are banding together by getting outside with our friends and family, snapping a photo, and sharing it on social media with the hashtag #LoveWalkForOren. If you can, please join in by sharing your own photos or following the event online.

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These are only a few of the many posts written as a tribute to Oren. Follow #Dads4Oren to find more and share to your heart’s content:

Nick Browne from Papa Brownie wrote The Finality of Life: A Tribute to Oren.

Nick is also part of the Poppin Bottles podcast where him and his friend Ben Mullen from the blog Dad on the Mic, recently talked with painful hearts on the passing of Oren in their latest episode.

Chris Ratcliffe, owner of the blog Dad Goes Round, simply title his post A Tribute.

Ashley Beolens, co-author on When the Dust Settles wrote Passing of a Stranger

Jeff Tepper, a member from the Dallas Dads Group that I’m also a part of which is a branch from the national City Dads Group, shared a heartfelt post on the group page that can be viewed here.

Bill Peebles, from the awesomely named blog ihopeiwinatoaster skipped the writing and felt it best to pay tribute in song. Watch and listen to his rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young” on YouTube in Oren’s honor.

Jack Steiner, owner of the blog The JackB, shared his thoughts in People Die & We Move On.

Buzz Bishop, creator of the Canadian dad blog, Dad Camp, recently posted his own collection of Oren blog post tributes as well as his thoughts on These Men Make Me Want to be a Better Dad.

**One more I meant to include but forgot until writing my blog post is from Creed Anthony, blogger on Tales from the Poop Deck.  Creed’s words hold true for how a lot of us felt and still feel, and his post is rightfully titled, My Friend Oren.

Lastly, here’s a link to a local online news publication in his area, Baltimore, MD, announcing the loss of a great father, blogger, and all around friend.

Life happens too fast, I know I’m guilty of not just living in the moment, and we need to slow it down when possible. Make sure to pause, take in the world around you, and hold your loved ones close every day. Tell them that you love them and hold them tight.

#MySundayPhoto – 03.01.15

This week’s My Sunday Photo is from the “crazy” winter weather we had in Texas. I took Avery out in her bear suit as the snow continuously fell all day and she enjoyed the change of scenery. Until she face-planted several times, then she was ready to go back in. I know, us Texans just aren’t made for the snow. Give us the heat back!!!

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I have a lot of pics I could use, but this one captures her cuteness pretty good. So many came out blurry, but this one is nice and clear. Okay, sorry for breaking any rules here. but I must share one more!

Avery Uneasy in Snow

Poor girl. I could tell she wanted hold it together and stay outside longer, but the cold finally made her give.

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