Happy Blogiversary!

I was so busy recovering from vacation, that I totally forgot to celebrate my blogiversary!  That’s right, DadThing is now two years old!

In celebration, I will list some of my favorite posts from the past two years:

And I will also list the blogs that have sent the most traffic my way.  You have to check them all out…they are the best of the best!

 


30dayAnd if you are not tired of clicking liks yet, please click on over to Dad Of Divas and sign up for his 30 Days To Better Parenting series!

Like A Tank

Back in October 2007 I bought a new truck…a 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 4×4. 

It was big and roomy.  It could haul the whole family and a load of firewood at the same time.  It was as good on the highway as it was in the mud.  It could gently pull in the driveway to keep from waking Ace, or it could let ‘er rip and pull a stump out of Grandpa’s yard.

Most importantly, it was safe.  One of the main reasons we decided on this truck was to protect Ace in the case of an accident.  I’m not the only dad that thinks this way either.  Check out BusyDad’s Dada Truck.

Unfortunately I was involved in an accident not too long ago (Thank goodness Ace was not riding with me).  I am not going to go into details about how it happened, because everything is not settled yet, but I will say that there was an accident.  There was damage to the front end of the other car, which happened to be a Honda Civic,  and the rear end of my truck.

I did not get a picture of the other vehicle, but I found a picture online that looks very similar to the Civic that I was involved in an accident with.

Wrecked Honda Civic

WOW!  Right?  The damage was extensive!  I would guess that it was totalled.

So what did the Dodge look like?

Dodge Ram Rear End Damage

That is an actual picture of my truck.  Would you guess that it was in the same accident as the Civic?  Me neither.

While I am sad that my truck was damaged in this accident, I am happy that it performed so well. 

People laugh at me all the time about how much gas I go through, about how big my truck is, about how uncomfortable it must be to drive it long distances…but it’s all worth it to me.  I walked away unscathed.   Anyone else who could have been inside would have too.  What else can you ask for?

Honoring The Life of Payton Marie Robinson

Payton Robinson

We never met Payton or her family, but we have a family member that had. To know that Payton has touched so many lives during her short time here is heart warming.

My mother called me Monday evening, and as soon as I heard her voice I knew something was not quite right. She told me that her manager had not been to work that day, there had been a family emergency.

I was afraid to ask what happened, and then she told me that her manager’s grand-daughter had died that morning. Shock was the only way to describe how I felt, and some disbelief too. I didn’t even notice that I had begun to cry when I asked what happened, not that it mattered what happened…this precious child was gone.

Payton Marie Robinson was just 9 weeks old when she passed away unexpectedly, leaving behind her parents and two-year old brother Tyson. When something so tragic happens to someone you know, it makes you hold tight to the ones you have in your life and remember God is really in charge of everything and He has a plan. We may not understand that plan and truth be told we may never, but we must hold fast to our faith for it will see us through.

To honor the life and memory of this sweet child, we are making a donation in her name to www.firstcandle.org and we encourage others to do the same; if not to this organization than to one helping to fund the research and prevention of SIDS. Remember this family in your prayers as we do, for this child may have gone on to be with her Heavenly Father but she will never be forgotten.

This is her obituary:

Payton Marie Robinson, born February 16, 2009, departed this world April 20, 2009. We belong to God and not the Earth. He just lets the Earth borrow us for a little while to do God’s work. God sent Payton Marie “Pay Pay” here to bring love and happiness if only for a short nine weeks. We all were blessed with her presence and are happy to know that she is with her Heavenly Father and among many family and friends that have gone on before us. Preceded in death by paternal great-grandparents Ruthie West, Arthur and Dorothy Robinson, maternal great- grandparents Cyrus and Ocee Simmons and Merchant and Josie Singleton. Survived by parents, Lawrence and Jacinta Robinson; brother, Tyson James Robinson; paternal great-grandfather, James West; paternal grandmother, Eugenia Robinson; paternal grandfather, Ronald Robinson; maternal grandparents, Eric and Charlene Simmons; aunts, Patrice Robinson and Rhonda McKinney; uncle, Joshua Simmons; a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, and many loving family friends. Memorial Celebration of Life 3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 25, 2009 at St. Paul A.M.E. Church, 639 E. Long Street, where the family will receive friends from 2:30 p.m. until the start of service. Attendees are asked to wear bright colors. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to the St. Paul A.M.E. Allen Christian Endeavor Youth Ministry. Arrangements entrusted to DIEHL-WHITTAKER FUNERAL SERVICE, 720 E. Long Street.

Jacinta Simmons-Robinson and her mother have been featured in a previous post regarding their online business geared towards formal wear for young boys and infants. Take a moment to check out their site: www.tysonscloset.com

It’s that time of year again….March for Babies!

Hello everyone…it’s been quite a while since my last post…although I have been following several secretly, so I thought I would mention it’s that time of year again!

March of Dimes is having their annual March for Babies (formerly WalkAmerica) and I have decided to participate again this year! Last year several readers/stalkers were responsible for helping me reach my goal so this year I have doubled what I did last year! My hope is this year to earn $250 for March of Dimes and to pray that one day all babies will be born healthy!

If you are able and willing to help please donate via the following link, and if you can’t due to your personal economic crisis I understand just pray for nice weather that day! You never know about an April in Ohio!!!

Happy 2nd Birthday Ace!

Two years ago today Ace made his first appearance in this world.  It’s amazing how fast time flies…can it really be two years already?

Momma is sad that her little baby…is not so much of a baby anymore.  I am excited that my little boy is becoming…well, a little boy.  :D

So, what has happened in Ace’s 2nd year?  A whole lot…

Ace has figured out that the world extends much farther than the walls of our home.  The boy loves to be outside, at the park, riding on the mowerswimming in the pool, swinging on the swingset, or at the zoo

He no longer fits in the kitchen sink for bath time, so we had to actually finish installing the bath tub in our upstairs bathroom.  He has some foam letters that float in the bath tub, and at only two years old, he can tell you what every single letter is…both upper and lower case.   (He’s a genius)  :D

Ace spent his summer going new places and doing new things.  Remember going to COSI, doing the chicken dance on the field at Cooper Stadium, going to Iowa for vacation, and swimming at the beach?  We had a blast last summer…

Not everything last year was cheerful and happy though.  We had to put down our family dog, Buddy.  And after trying for 11 months, we got pregnant, and then mis-carried.  Ace was young enough that he wasn’t really affected though, which is a good thing.   

Last fall Ace drank his last bottle, went to his first fly-in and demo derby, went to Circle-S-Farms, and dressed up like a Vampire for trick-or-treat.

Winter time brought on Wildlights at the Zoo, an amazing Christmas, a new fish tank, and locking Momma out of the house:D

So what will next year bring?  So far we have a two week vacation planned at the end of summer, which I’m sure will provide some good blog fodder.  Other than that I’m sure there will be some more mower riding, swimming, playing, and hopefully….some potty training!  :D

Ace’s birthday party is planned for this weekend, and I know of at least one present he is getting that will get some exposure time here on DadThing.  Stay tuned to hear all about his newest big boy toy!  :D

Top 50 Dad Blogs – DadThing Is One Of Them!

I started DadThing back in Sept 2007.  Ace was 6 months old then.  A little over a year has gone by and I am amazed every day at some of the stories and experiences I read from other Mom and Dad bloggers.  From the serious, to the funny, to the “What the hell was that supposed to be about?” posts.

That’s the beauty of blogging.  There are no rules.  You never know what to expect when you see a post waiting for you in your feed reader.

I have recently learned that OnTeensToday.comvoted DadThing.com one of the 50 Best Dad Blogs! Something, I did not expect… :D

Best Dad Blog

If you have not heard of On Teens Today, I highly suggest that you check it out!

On Teens Today is a blog created by Vanessa Van Petten, an author, entrepreneur and life trainer for teens who has dedicated her life to helping parents and teenagers mend their relationships.

On Teens Today is very unique!  It is a parenting blog written from the kids perspective.  I know we, as parents, were all kids at one time, but that was a loooong time ago.  :D   The world has changed.  Things are different.  And our children experience things that we never had to deal with.

On Teens Today tells the story from the kids view.  There are 8 teen writers that discuss everything from divorce, to drugs, to the holidays, to sex.  They tell it like it is.

On Teens Today, in my opinion, is a fresh idea and something that every parent should read.  These kids spill their guts about how they see life.  I know I have always wanted to know what Ace thinks of the world around him…and I’m sure if an 18 month old could write a blog post that On Teens Today would value his opinion.  :D

So quit reading what this old fogey has to say and check out On Teens Today for a younger point of view. 

September 2008 – A Month In Review

September 2008.

The beginning of the month marked the start of another baby making journey, and a milestone in our healing process.   After having a miscarriage in August we were cleared for take off.  Hopefully this time we will stay airborne.

September 1st also marked the one year birthday of DadThing.com.  It’s hard to believe that I’ve been writing here for a whole year, but even harder to believe how many friends I have made online. :D   Thank you all!

I had a slip of sanity and shaved my head…which resulted in the worst case of razor bumps on record!  Don’t worry…they healed and I am now bump free. ;D

Ace and his cousin Olivia got to experience their first Fly-In and Demolition Derby!  And I learned that it is important to find a seat before the event starts when you have two small children! Otherwise they will require you to hold them on your shoulders or in your arms for the entirety of the event.  (or until you give up and go home) :D

Momma had a birthday.  I remember when I turned 28.  She told me how old I was.  Now that she is 28 I told her how old she was, but it didn’t work.  She replied, “I’ll never be old.  You will always be the old one.”  Life is not fair.  :lol:

Ace got to have a heapin’ helpin’ of apples….has conquered the bottle addiction…and has claimed Mr Clean as his “Daa eee!”

Of course I can not forget about the Wordless Wednesday pictures of Olivia by the airplane propeller and Ace at food level:D

Top Referrers:

  1. TipDad – TipDad provides very useful tips about being a Dad.  Check out his article about Eating Out With Kids to help make it a fun experience for all parties involved.
  2. 21st Century Dad – Where Dad can do everything Mom can do, except for breastfeeding. :D
  3. BabyParenting @ About.com – Huge resource about Babies and Toddlers. You have to read Stephanie’s blog for some good baby and toddler information!
  4. FrugalDad – Hmmm.  This site looks an awful lot like TipDad.com Could it be the same Dad is full of useful tips, frugal, and sends bookoo traffic to DadThing?  Wouldn’t that be cool!
  5. Building Camelot – Tyler shares his stories about being a good Dad and husband!  If you haven’t seen it already, you gotta check out his 101 Awesome Sites For Men, Husbands, and Fathers

Who Makes This Possible:

Again, I must thank everyone who comments on my posts.  I know I haven’t been as good at replying to your comments lately, but I still read and enjoy every single one!   Below is the list of people who commented on DadThing listed in descending order based upon the number of comments left this month.

Again, thank you to everyone who has participated at DadThing!  If you haven’t already, be sure to Subscribe!  You wouldn’t want to miss out on what is coming in the month of October, would you? ;D

An Ass Kickin’ Saturday

Today was a good day…one of the better ones I’ve had recently.  What did I do?  Nothing which will make you say “WOW!  Jared is truly amazing!”  Ace and I simply hung out all day long.

Ya see it has been a while since Ace and I have really been able to hang out…guy style.  I’m talking getting up early, running around in nothing but a diaper (underwear for me), getting dirty while playing in the dirt with no shoes on (and not wiping it off), riding the mower (which still doesn’t mow by the way), eating sand out of the sandbox when Dad turns his back for a half a second (it comes out looking like sand too),  going to the park (got even more dirty), and then coming home to relax on the couch and watch some Noggin till Momma gets home.  Good times…good times!

I’ve been working long hours during the week, usually getting home late and only seeing Ace for about an hour before bedtime.  By the time I get home the nightly routine has began…dinner, bath time, PJs, and shortly after…bed time.

Then on the weekends we usually have some place to go and someone to see.

When Momma was working, Ace and I hung out guy style all the time on the weekends, but now that Momma stays home all week she really wants to go somewhere on the weekend, so we are very rarely home on the weekend.

I think I may start offering Momma the chance to get out of the house to be kid and husband free on Saturday, which will give her a chance to go hang out with some of her friends and give Ace and I more of a chance to do our guy things.  :D

Sounds like an even trade to me, you think so?

On top of having an awesome day with Ace I also  discovered a few bloggy friends gave me some cool awards and props!

Brilliante Weblog Award

KylieM from My Digital Life gave me the Brilliante Weblog award.  KylieM is a long time reader here at DadThing.  If you are into scrapbooking, photography, or kid stuff… you should definitely check out one of her blogs.

And then John over at ModernParent.org links to a few of my posts.  John is a first time father who shares his experiences about being a father in the 21st century.  Check out his blog for some cool stories and parenting tips from the perspective of a new father.

Kick Ass Blogger Award

And last, but not least VegasDad, from iVegasFamily, awarded me with the kick as blogger award!  Any award with the word “ass” in it has to be cool…well, unless it is preceded by the word “dumb” or “stupid” or “stank”…you get the point!  Go check out Vegas Dad’s blog.  I promise it is not dumb, stupid, or stank…just kickin’  :D

Oh yeah……Momma went to the doctor on Friday and is definitely pregnant.  The suggested due date is April 11th.  We like spring babies around here…or Momma only ovulates around the month of June.  Who knows…  :D

JustDaddys.com Referral Winner

A little over a month ago I wrote abouot how JustDaddys.Net was having a referral contest…

And guess what?  I won!

And like I promised, I would pass the prize on to one of the people that I referred.  It looks like I referred five people:

  1. PG
  2. Joeprah
  3. Frugal Dad
  4. kwv
  5. kevinthoule

And thanks to the wonderful RANDOM.ORG I was able to pick the winner without any bias.

And the winner is….

FrugalDad!

(Screenshot of the random number generator results…)

To those of you that have not yet signed up at JustDaddys.Net, you really should.  The member list is growing and discussions are really starting to flow.  Did you know that the site was mentioned on ABC News?  Really…check it out and sign up for free! (There’s that damned F word again)  :lol:

Dead In The Spotlight

No, I’m not dead.  I’ve just been ultra busy lately.  Priorities suck!  If only I could blog all day, every day…I would be a happy man.  :D

Just wanted to give a quick shout out to Jeremy over at Discovering Dad.  He does an awesome series every Saturday highlighting some really cool Dad’s.  This past Saturday was my turn in the spotlight…

Check it out!

Stark Raving Madness

Busy Dad and Mr Lady have recently started up an “advice” ( a word that they use loosely ) blog where readers submit questions and get answers from a few different perspectives.

Some answers are serious and sincere.  Some answers are funny and make you chuckle.  You never know what you are going to get with these two minds at work… :D

They recently answered my question:

Why do kids always need to go to the restroom (or totally blow up a diaper) at the most inconvenient times and places…like at a restaurant  in the middle of dinner, or even when you are driving on the highway just after you passed the last exit for the next 30 miles?

See the answer I got here.

JustDaddys.Net

JustDaddys.Net

Just a quick blurb here about a cool new site I found called JustDaddys.Net

It’s a forum for Dads that covers every topic you could ever imagine about being a Dad! It is a very new site, but the Dads I have met on the site so far are very cool guys! I have a feeling this site is going to be a hit with the Dad Blogger community! So don’t miss out…

Register for the forums. Shoot me a PM once you are registered (my user name is DadThing), and then PM the admin, Jason (AKA DaddyKV), and tell him that I sent ya!

There is a contest on JustDaddys.Net and if I get the most people to sign up and become active members of the JustDaddys.Net community then I could win a $30 gift card.

If I do win, I will turn around and give that $30 gift card to one of registered members who discovered JustDaddys.Net here at DadThing.com!

So, what’s that mean for you? Sign up…make some chitter chatter with some of the other Dads there…and you could win a $30 gift card! (If you follow the rules) :lol:

April 2008 – A Month In Review

April was a  busy month! 

With the weather getting nice we could finally take Ace outside to play.  He digs the outdoors, probably more than me!  Of course, as Ace learns to do new things, I learn new things as well…like performing the Poop-endectomy!

While traveling down to Louisiana for work, one of my favorite drinks was infested with fowl!  Luckily I survived to tell of the experience, and also remembered to thank Katy at AdventuresInParenting for the wonderful award she so generously gave me!

Momma walked in the March For Babies!  Her goal was to raise $125 and she did it!  Special thanks to Grandma and Grandpa S, Amber, Angela, Kim, and Greg for the donations!

Uncle Brandon came up one weekend and we worked all day long putting in new plumbing, a bathtub, and hanging drywall!  The bathroom is on it’s way to being finished (finally)…and Ace is grateful that he no longer has to take a shower with me. :D

I posted three awesome pictures for Wordless Wednesday!

And last, but not least, my niece Olivia told me where my arm hair comes from. :D

Top Referrers:

I would also like to showcase the top 5 bloggers who link to DadThing.com and send some mad traffic.

  1. Frugal Dad – An awesome blog written by a Dad that is helping us all get control of our finances.  With the help from Frugal Dad you will be able to eliminate your debt, abolish credit cards, and actually save for your child’s future!  And all of this advice is coming from a real life Dad…just like you and me!
  2. Busy Dad Blog- Hang on and join BusyDad and his son Fury for a ride you’ll never forget!  This dynamic duo never ceases to amaze me with their adventures!
  3. Sarcastic Mom – This mom is one of my favorite reads, because she has it all!  From funny, to serious…from poetic, to down right rude…this mom is exactly as advertised…Sarcastic! (And an awesome photographer ;) )
  4. Dorky Dad – Parenting with a dorky twist!  How can you not read a blog filled with flow charts, pie charts, and cool diagrams illustrating the humorous aspects of being a parent!
  5. Mommy Daddy Blog- Up until recently their blog has been about getting ready to be a parent…that is until April 26th when they gave birth to their son Jayden.  Go check out the cute baby pictures when you get a chance!

Who Makes This Possible:

If no one ever commented on my posts I would have quit this blog a long time ago!  So without further ado, I wanted to give out special thanks to everyone that commented on DadThing.com during the month of April…sorted by number of comments

Thanks again to everyone who reads, comments, and links to DadThing.com!  It wouldn’t be possible without all of you!  I have a feeling May is going to be a fun month! :D

I’m Still Alive, But Just In Case…

Well, I didn’t die from the chicken nugget infested root-beer I drank yesterday, but I think it will be a while before I eat McDonalds again. :D

And just in case the chicken nugget infested root-beer has a delayed reaction, I wanted to make sure that I give special thanks to Katy at AdventuresInParenting.org for awarding me with the “You Make My Day” award! 

You Make My Day Award

Other Updates:

I’m now on Twitter at http://twitter.com/dadthing and I have added my twitter feed in the sidebar of the home page.  Follow me?

5 Things That Will Make You Go, Hmmm?

  1. Cheese puffs are good.  Cheese puffs are so good that Ace will eat them until there are none left.  So many, in fact, that his fingers are permanently discolored, and his digestive system shuts down.  I’m talking orange polka-dotted-poop here folks…
  2. The dog has bad breath…really bad breath.  Almost smells as bad as his silent but deadlies.  And he loooves to lick your face.  :| So, we got him the dog food that is supposed to clean his teeth when he eats it.  It works.  Kinda.  However, Ace likes dog food.  He eats it.  All the time.  Do we still need to brush Ace’s teeth?  I mean, I wouldn’t want to over do it…ya know!
  3. Baby dolls are for girls.  Ace is a boy.  He likes baby dolls.  Not in the carry them around, feed them, burp them fashion.  More like the poke thier eyes out and lick their face while holding them down on the floor fashion.  Should I be concerned?
  4. We have digital cable.  The kind you can pause and rewind.  Ace likes to play with the remote.  A LOT!  Ace puts it on Slooooowww Moootiooon all the time.  Is he telling us that he thinks we are slow?  We can’t keep up? Is it really that obvious?
  5. Shiny, streak free windows are good…to lick, according to Ace.  Is this glass licking fetish an early sign of “kid in the back of the short bus licking the window” syndrome?  God, I hope not.

In Other News:

Special thanks goes out to Jon D for awarding DadThing.com a Graco Monthly Nod (Notice the Graco button in the sidebar).  Check out the Graco Baby Blog for some good reading!

Babysitter Phone Tag?

Not any more! There is a new service on the web called WillUSit that automates this process for you.

willusit

Many parents have a list of babysitters they can trust. When you have plans for Saturday night do you go down this list and call every person on your list to find an available sitter?

WillUSit makes this job less time consuming.

Here’s a quick excerpt from their website:

Calling a long list of sitters and leaving messages, waiting for call backs, finding more sitters to call, etc. For those times when you really need a sitter you can expand your search to include you friends list of sitters. You can search for sitters based on several profile criteria including rate, age, experience, location, etc.

Here’s how it works:

  1. You create an account on WillUSit.com
  2. You add all of your sitters’ names and contact info.
  3. When you need a sitter you do a search and a list of sitters meeting your requirements is shown.
  4. You select which sitters you would like WillUSit to contact and press “GO”
  5. WillUSit will call (or email or text message) every sitter with the time and date they will be needed. WillUSit goes down your list until a sitter is found and then connects the both of you via phone (or email) to make arrangements.

I think this could be a very valuable resource for someone with multiple baby sitters that they trust to watch their children, but not a bunch of spare time to call each and every sitter to be told “No” by the first ten they call.

My description does not do it justice. Please go to http://willusit.com and watch the flash animation on the home page to see exactly how it works.

Sign up and test it out for FREE!

Riding In Style!

My wish list keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger.  :D

Back when Momma and I were picking out diaper bags and strollers I insisted that they not be too “girly” looking.  Admit it.  Most diaper bags and strollers are designed for moms.  I wanted something that was gender neutral.  No lace.  No fru-fru.  No bright colors.  I mean I would have to be seen in public using these things too.

Obviously I am not the only one who thinks this.  Why?  Because KidKustoms has come out with some awesome strollers specifically with Dad’s in mind.  Dads with style that is…  Check out “The Roddler”!

the-roddler

How sweet is this beaty!  They are totally customizable with options for built in LCD screens and IPod/IPhone docks.  You pick your colors.  You pick your fender style!  Look at the white wall tires!

This thing is definitely on my Wish List, however I think it will probably be there for a while…  The Roddler may be for Dads with style, but in reality it is for Dads with style…and money.  These awesome rides start at a whopping $2500 according to their website.

Oh well.  It’s OK to dream, right?  I mean, I have an imagination.  I’ll just pretend my hunker-junker…

chicco-stroller

…is one stream lined, baby strolling machine, as I dodge the bumps and cracks in my suburban neighborhood sidewalks. Vroom Vroom Baby!  :D

101 Sites For Men, Husbands, and Fathers

building-camelot-screenshotA while back I wrote a post titled 51 Dad Blogs which simply listed links to 51 different Dad bloggers.  I was new to the Dad Blog scene and was just getting to know many of you that I interact with today!

Tyler, over at Building Camelot has compiled an ammended list which showcases 101 Sites For Men, Husbands, and Fathers!

Go check out his huge list of Dad Blogs, Dad’s How-To Sites, Men’s General Interest Sites, Online Groups for Men and Dads, and some other great links!

Why are you still reading? What are you waiting for?  Click the link!

He Likes The Cookies

Most of you that read my blog probably read BusyDad’s blog.  If not…you should!

The other day BusyDad wrote about an experience where he and his son were walking into the grocery store past the Girl Scouts selling cookies.  His 5 year old son asked if they could stop and buy some cookies…not because he likes the cookies, but because he likes the Girl Scouts. :D   Remember he is 5 years old.

Momma took this pic the other day, and when I saw it, I immediately though of BusyDad’s post.

Now we're talking!

 I think he likes the Thin Mints for now.  But you better watch out future Girl Scouts!

Adventures In Parenting – Guest Post

adventures-in-parenting-thumbKaty, over at Adventures In Parenting, asked me to write a guest post on her blog.  Seeing how I have never written a guest post for another blog, I was instantly excited!  Someone actually likes my stories! :D

Adventures In Parenting is stuffed full of very helpful tips, advice, and real life experiences for parents.  Here’s a quick excerpt from the about page that explains this site very well…

This site is here to talk about raising our kids to be people of compassion , integrity and character. Here you will find support for you through practical and simple advice on raising “good” kids with conservative values.

The Adventures of a parent are many – the good, the bad, and the ugly! Everything I write on this site are experiences I’ve gone through. Most of the ideas I share have been used with my own children. I don’t have degrees in psychology or child development, but I think 20+ years of being a parent gives me some credibility. Some things you just can’t learn from books.

Go give her blog a read…and don’t forget to read and leave a comment on my post…Set Your Man Pride Aside. :D