Posted on 12 25, 2007 under Doodads by
Noodad |
Having 3 kids and a former toy designer for a wife means a ton of toys in our house. And nothing beats the onslaught of toys that enter our household on Christmas day.
But when you bring in a bunch of toys there are sure to be huge hits and enormous failures. This year my wife and I….errr Santa….got my 2 year old son a pretty sweet toy. We also got a somewhat disappointing toy for my 5 year old daughter. Here’s my story. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on 12 21, 2007 under The Manual by
Noodad |
We are coming up on one of the biggest gift-giving days of the year. And if you have multiple kids, this could mean many presents to hide. I admit, my wife and I spoil our kids, out of our 3 kids, we probably have 25 presents to wrap. But before the big wrap fest you need a place to hide the things.
When you have small children it is much easier to find hiding places. Every year, at my house, my home office located in the bottom floor becomes Santa’s Workshop. I have a door to the room and the kids don’t go in there. It is the perfect hiding place before the kids get adventurous and start exploring.
I remember the rush that I got as a kid looking for and frequently finding my parents’ hiding places. I remember finding my yellow Sony Sports Cassette Walkman hidden in my dad’s sock drawer. Or my first electric guitar sitting behind my dad’s suits in their closet. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on 12 08, 2007 under Her by
Noodad |
We know that despite our best efforts, there are chicks visiting our site and reading our articles. You ladies just can’t help it can you? Like the scene in Porky’s you just can’t help look through the peephole to the locker room. Ok, maybe that was just us guys in high school that dreamt of the girl’s locker room.
Regardless, while you are here, we may as well use you to our advantage. After all, the holidays are right around the corner and you probably want to know what we want.
Here are a few ideas: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on 01 09, 2007 under Doodads, Music by
foodad |
No bawida baw here! Music is important at Castle Fooskull. If you’re like foodad, you find yourself battling with a vast armada of kid’s music. In our house, we are bombarded by Disney princess music bombs, Sesame Street mortars, and Wiggles “friendly” fire. Not that they are bad, but at the end of the day still very juvenile and repetitive.
I ask “Where is the music that speaks to the kids, but doesn’t grate on the mind of a noodad after the 4 millionth listen?” Enter the new King of Kids Music, Justin Roberts. Roberts’s clever and hilarious lyrics and James-Taylor-like soothing and easy to understand voice and nifty guitar licks are like bandages for my musical wounds. His songs are about topics that kids can relate to like riding in the car, waiting for the bus, being bullied, funny animals and blaming your siblings. When I am listening and paying attention to the lyrics, I can see myself involved in the hilarious situations for example: in One Little Cookie he sings about stealing cookies before dinner “One Eye watching the kitchen door, one hand reaching for the cookie jar”. Basically he hears the voice of his mother in his head telling him that he should not be eating cookies before dinner “Mama always said no treats before. Mama always said no sweets before, yeah but one little cookie wouldn’t spoil my dinner now would it?”. He goes on to eat about 10 cookies and then his mother calls him for dinner “And when I heard her, I did a double take and grabbed a cookie, just for old time’s sake!”.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on 01 05, 2007 under Master Debaters by
Noodad |
Whether for moral or religious reasons, vegetarianism is here to stay. And even for the once die hard carnivores, watching Super Size Me or reading Fast Food Nation might just move you over to the veggie side. Finally, with the popularity rising with healthier food stores like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, it is easier and easier to be a healthy vegetarian.
Anyone that knows me, knows that I am a die hard meat eater to the bone (pun intended). My theory is that if we weren't supposed to eat meat, God wouldn't have given man the intelligence to make a spear and the ability to throw it. But regardless of your own personal decisions, vegetarianism can be a way of life, not just a preference.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on 01 02, 2007 under Doodads by
Noodad |
This Christmas, my wife and I bought my 4 year old daughter her first real camera, The Kid Tough Digital Camera from Fisher Price . After a week of solid play, all 3 of us could not be happier.
The Kid Tough Camera makes it easier for kids to take digital pictures. It sports everything your kid will want in a digital photography experience: instant gratification via a color screen, gender stereotypical colors with its masculine blue or feminine pink exterior, and simple 4-button interface.
The screen is a low resolution screen but it shows your kid enough quality for them to recognize they just captured a moment. By using large icons on the screen your kid can easily pick up the directions even if they can't read yet.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on 12 22, 2006 under The Manual by
Noodad |
It's really fun to pretend you are Santa Claus. I'm not talking about getting dressed up and putting strange kids on your lap. No, you and your wife get to play Santa the behind the scenes way: you get to eat the cookie leaving a few crumbs in the plate. You get to write special notes to the kids, trying to disguise your handwriting. And, you get to play up the "Santa's watching you, so you better behave" bit. (See my previous article on Using Santa To Manipulate Your Kids)
Unfortunately, your kids will get older and smarter and they will come to realize that there is no way Dad would let a strange man come down his chimney. And Mom doesn't even let us walk into the house with dirty shoes. They will find out one way or the other that Santa is fake, and you are a liar.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on 12 21, 2006 under Master Debaters by
Noodad |
Kids can be kids which means sometimes, no matter how peaceful you think you may be, you want to just pound the hell out of them. They know, better than anybody, how to get under your skin. They know how to piss you off and then piss you off even more.
I used to get spanked. I don't think it ever really hurt, it was more the sting of being struck that did damage. But some of my friends speak of getting a literal lashing or belt whipping growing up. These dudes all grew up to be normal people with no serious development or social skill shortcomings.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on 12 18, 2006 under The Manual by
Noodad |
Earlier this week I took the morning off to attend my daughter's Holiday Sing-Along at her school. It was a chance for the kids to sing songs for their parents and to enjoy refreshments together. So why in the world, would I take the morning off from work to go to such a snore fest? Why should you want to go to any of these things anyway? Let's break it down shall we?
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on 12 14, 2006 under Master Debaters by
wahoodad |
“It’s a boy!” announces the doctor as your kid bursts into the world. Congratulations! Deciding on whether or not your son will be circumcised just got bumped to the top of your to-do list. You’ll get all the relevant information to consider from your doctor and/or maternity nurses. You may discuss the matter with friends and family. You may even consult the AAP to see what it recommends (after reading an 8-page PDF with about 150 references in the end notes, you’ll find that the AAP neither recommends nor discourages the surgery—Thanks, AAP!). Like most parental decisions, this one’s up to you and your wife.
Read the rest of this entry »
