johnporcaro: [email protected]

Top Ten Reasons to Gear Up for Halloween

I’m not quite sure why, but Halloween is one of the biggest holidays we decorate for, get ready for, have boxes of decorations for, and seem to enjoy as a family. 

Maybe it’s that it’s been so long since a “proper” holiday, the kind that people decorate for.  Can’t recall putting up decorations for Labor Day or Columbus Day.  So the second the calendar turns to October, the boxes come out.

We have nearly as many boxes of Halloween decorations as we do Christmas decorations. And despite our recent effort to stay far, far away from the producers of “Hoarders,” we have enough to make our house look like the set for The Haunted Mansion.

We have some pretty set traditions around Halloween, that make it something that ties us all together as a family—so it’s always really pleasant and exciting for the kids. 

So for your reading pleasure, I present (in no particular order),

The Top Ten Reasons to Gear Up for Halloween

1. Visiting the Pumpkin Patch.  We haven’t gone this year yet, but we will soon.  We love picking out a few pumpkins, wandering around in the hay mazes, getting all muddy and cold and having hot apple cider before we leave. 

 

 

2. Picking apples.  We’ve only been a couple of times, but it’s something the kids enjoy.  And we eat a LOT of apples around our place.  It seems to be everyone’s favorite late night snack.  Especially Dad’s.

 

 

3. Decorating the House. Dragging the boxes from the attic and remembering all the funky stuff we’ve accumulated over the years.  The door knocker with the creepy music.  The hand that walks by itself.  The cat whose head spins around and around.  And the “Halloween Tree” that holds the Jack Skellington ornaments.  Strange how spider webs and creepy music seem to be acceptable one month of the year…

 

4. Picking out a costume.  We always plan on using our “costume box,” but usually end up buying costumes at Target or the overpriced Party store. But the joy it brings when your child get just the right costume—it’s (almost) worth the $40 for the cheap cloth and plastic that (hopefully) lasts one night.

 

 

5. Decorating Pumpkins.  Each year, the tools get better, and the pumpkins get more elaborate.  I can't wait to see what we come up with this year!

 

 

6. The “Microsoft Halloween Party.”  This year will be the first year my kids haven’t gone to the Microsoft Halloween Party.  Every building decorates, most people put candy outside their office doors, and my kids (usually accompanied by a friend) make out like bandits, filling a bag with candy.  With small offices or cubicles all offering candy, and none of the “trick-or-treat” begging, they can get 200 small candy bars in an hour or two.  Despite that, they always want to go out to the parties that happen later, and then Trick or Treating. 

 

7. Planning or attending a party with friends.  I’m not sure if it’s because trick or treating is becoming out of fashion, or that Halloween is becoming more and more social—whatever the reason, there always seems to be one or two friends who really go all out to decorate, and act as a home base for trick or treating.  We’ve been the host family, and we’ve been guests.  Either way, having a place to meet, before or after going out with the kids is a fun thing to do on Halloween night.

 

8. Visiting Haunted Houses.  They get less and less scary every year, at least that's what my kids tell me.  What is it that makes us want to be scared, puposefully?  I never really did like haunted houses, so the ones we've been to have been pretty tame. 

 

 

9. Trick or Treating. Even though this may be one of the last years for the older kids, being “pre-teens” hasn’t slowed them down in their desire to traipse around in the dark, visiting one of the popular neighborhoods with lots of houses.  

 

 

SIDEBAR: Why is is that on one night of the year, we encourage our kids to do most of the things we spend the rest of the year telling them to avoid? 

A) Going out in the night and wandering up and down the street.
B) Going to strangers houses and demanding candy (actually threatening a trick without a treat!)
C) Taking candy from strangers
D) Eating their body weight in fat and carbs

 

10. Gorging on candy for the first few days of November.  There’s always the promise that it’ll all last until Thanksgiving, but by November 3, only the hard candy at the bottom of the bag is left. 

 

 

Ah, Halloween. 

Disclosure: I wrote this post while participating in a blog campaign by Dad Central Consulting and they sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Star U12 Extreme Goalie Breaks Hand

Alex is a remarkable goalie.  He’s not afraid to dive right at the feet of a forward making a run for a goal.  He’s brave, and tenacious, and nearly unstoppable. 

Early in Saturday’s game, Alex had the ball in his hands, when another player continued to try to control the ball, and stepped on Alex’s hand with his full weight.  Even though he had new gloves with finger protectors, his hand was broken just under his index finger.

Despite being hurt, Alex played most of the rest of the game with a broken hand.

Recently, it’s gotten to the point where players are disregarding the safety of other players, especially the goalie.  Alex has been kicked in the head more than once, and he now wears a helmet (like the one worn by Chelsea Keeper Petr Cech). And even though Alex has control of the ball, he’s been stepped on several times by players who think it’s okay to kick the ball out of his hands.  And a dangerous play foul is rarely (if ever) called by the referees. 

   

According to the Interpretation of the Laws of the Game and Guidelines for Referees, based on the FIFA rules:

When a goalkeeper has gained possession of the ball with his hands, he cannot be challenged by an opponent.

A goalkeeper is considered to be in control of the ball:

• while the ball is between his hands or between his hand and any surface (e.g. ground, own body)
• while holding the ball in his outstretched open hand
• while in the act of bouncing it on the ground or tossing it into the air

Playing in a dangerous manner

Playing in a dangerous manner is defined as any action that, while trying to play the ball, threatens injury to someone (including the player himself). It is committed with an opponent nearby and prevents the opponent from playing the ball for fear of injury.

Playing in a dangerous manner involves no physical contact between the players. If there is physical contact, the action becomes an offence punishable with a direct free kick or penalty kick. In the case of physical contact, the referee should carefully consider the high probability that misconduct has also been committed.

We're making sure this gets the attention of the referees, often inexperienced, that 11 year old players need a little more guidance when it comes to the definition of dangerous play.  For that matter, they should start with sportsmanlike conduct.

Take Time to Be a Dad Today

The NY Times today features a story about a new advertising campaign aimed at reminding fathers to be a more active part of their children’s lives.  The public service ads from the Advertising Council are a follow-up to a similar series of ads from 2008.  They have been funded by the Administration for Children and Families and the Office of Family Assistance, two arms of the Department of Health and Human Services

From the NYT article:

"...The National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse has found that children who live without their biological fathers are, on average, two to three times more likely to have educational and health problems, be victims of child abuse and engage in criminal behavior than peers who live with their married biological or adoptive parents.

Conversely, the group also has found that children with involved, loving fathers are far more likely to do well in school, have healthy self-esteem and avoid high-risk behavior. Some 24 million children in the United States — one-third of the total — do not live with their biological father, according to the N.R.F.C. And nearly 20 million live in single-parent homes. "

 Nice message, good reminder for all of us that the little moments all add up. 

Teach Your Children (to drive) Well

The AAA Foundation wanted to see how well parents did when teaching kids with learner permits.  They put cameras on the dash of cars, and followed 50 families.  They were disappointed to find that supervised driving averaged only 2 hours a week, and only 20% of that at night, where kids need more experience. 

The foundation recommends 100 hours of supervised time, and taking time to practice in bad weather or at night. More details from the study are on the AAA site.

This clip from NBC Today shows just how important spending time teaching your kids to drive can be:

How Dad's Involvement Makes a Difference in Your Kids' Life

National Public Radio (NPR) broadcasted an interview called Dads Do Parenting and Education on Their Terms, as part of their series, "Tell Me More." 

The audio interview by Michel Martin features Dad Bloggers Lamar Tyler (Black and Married with Kids), Keith Wilcox (Almighty Dad), and Manny Ruiz (PapiBlogger), along with father of six, Glenn Ivey, the State Attorney for Prince George County, Maryland.

They cover some interesting topics (transcript available):

• Who carries the load, Mom or Dad?
• How do you see yourself as a Father in your child’s education?
• How do you handle a split household, where your children share time with both parents?
• Do you spend enough time with your kids, when your job demands a lot?
• How do you stay involved with your kids’ lives?

CNN Features the Growth of Dad Blogging

At the recent M3 Summit, a group of Dad Bloggers, including Eric Elkins (The Dating Dad), Paul Banas (GreadDad), CC Chapman (Digital Dads), Clay Nichols (DadLabs), Kevin Metzger (The DADvocate), and Donny Claxton (DaddyClaxton).

They talk about the fact that just like Moms, Dads are online sharing experiences, advice, tips, or just a place to have conversations and get to know each other.  These Dads are helping define a new generation of what it means to be a Dad.

One of the key points is that Dads today are really active in their kids’ lives, whether they’re working from home, being a full-time “Stay at Home Dad”, or just being an active Dad before or after their full-time job. 

CNN also adds a few stats about US Dads:

• 42% are Sole Provider
• 63% Work more than 40 hours/week
• 9% have taken on 2nd job

Social Struggle of Being a Good Father

 Here's a great interview done by Mommy Cast of Armin Brott, author of The New Father, A Dad’s Guide to the First Year. 

He tells a few interesting stories he's encountered as a stay-at-home dad, and talks about the stereotypes he's had to endure.  Or at least work around. 

As a Dad, I've found myself in similar situations.  When I stand outside a bathroom waiting for my daughter, I will get an occasional glance that makes me feel like I'm being labeled a creepy stalker.  Or when I'm at a park, I really have to restrain myself from interacting with any children I don't know, because of the fear others have of men around children. 

Take a Stand Against Bullying

The news about James Jones boarding his daughter’s bus to confront some kids who were bullying her is all over the place.  Every parent has the fear of it happening, and to a large degree, most kids will have to deal with it personally at some point. 

According to the HRSA, 15-25% of kids are bullied with some frequency.

While Jones went a bit far boarding a bus and threatening children, I’ve personally felt enraged when I learn that someone is making my child afraid.

I’m not sure why it happens so frequently on the bus—but I have some personal experience that it does.  Most likely, it’s because there is a lack of structure, the only adult supervisor is driving and can’t deal with every issue (or even hear every conversation).  And while many bus drivers are great with the kids they drive, I’m guessing most of them aren’t taught the skills of detecting and intervening in bullying situations.  We choose to drive our kids to school rather than take the bus if there’s ever any hint of bullying or abuse happening to our kids. 

Like most solutions to problems at school, there really are two approaches that both need to be taken: communication and education of your own children, and doing all you can to make the environment your children is safe. 

Stop Bullying Now is a great resource for both parents and kids who are dealing with bullying.  There are lots of resources available to get educate, role play, and get involved with your school and community to take a stand. 

 

Telling Your Twins Voices Apart on the Phone

I loved reading a blog entry a bit ago on Dad's Guide to Twins, where Joe wrote about How to Tell Identical Twins Apart on a Phone Call.  He offers a lot of advice, including not listening to "the sound of the voice but rather what is being said and how it is said. Pay attention to how your twins sound. Can you tell who is squawking from the other room in the middle of the night? Can you tell who is calling for you from the far end of the house?"

My twins aren't identical.  They're opposite of identical--one boy, one girl. 

As a sidenote, I always chuckle when I tell people I have boy-girl twins, and they ask if they're identical.  My favorite answer, "not when I change their diaper..."  Identical twins: One sperm, one egg.  Not identical twins: Two sperm, two eggs.  Just like any other brother or sister, just happened to gestate together and be born on the same day.  More on that...

Back to the voice on the phone.  Thank GOODNESS my boy twin is going through puberty, because more than once, I've said "Hi, Alex!" when it was Alyssa, and vice-versa.  It's not just identical twins that have the same voice tone.  

Joe's advice is good.  I've learned to really listen more to the emotion or emphasis of the tone.  Alyssa is always cheery and emotive.  Alex is usually more casual and cool--he'll say "Hey Dad", where Alyssa will say Hi.  Subtle, but helpful. 

No matter what, though, I love talking to my kids, whether it's on the phone, on Skype, or most of all in person. 

Your Shape: Fitness Evolved Looking Better and Better

Your Shape: Fitness Evolved for the Xbox 360 Kinect is one of the products I'm looking forward to the most this fall.   It's the perfect mix of three of my favorite things: Working Out, Playing Videogames, and Men's FItness Magazine.  And knowing that it comes from Ubisoft gives me some confidence that it's going to be solid.  

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I got to try it out at BlogHer, and I was really impressed.  And today I saw some new screen shots Ubisoft published, to announce the partnership with Men's Fitness and Women's Fitness.   

Ubisoft released details of the game, that include keeping track of your stats, like calories and scores. And for the non-timid, all of your stats are uploaded seamlessly online and can be shared with friends and family. I love that you can create challenges among friends and help each other reach fitness goals.

The game comes with hundreds of exercises, and there will be regular downloadable content releases from Xbox LIVE. I can't wait to challenge my friends using Xbox LIVE Multiplayer.  Getting in shape will never be the same!  I can't wait to play it with my kids, but this time, by myself...   

From the Press Release:

The programs from Men’s Health include “The Sleeve-Busting Arms Workout,” and “The Ultimate Men’s Health Fat Loss Workout.” The workout programs from Women’s Health include “The Perfect Legs and Butt Workout,” “The Toned Arms and Shoulders Workout,” and “The Skinny Jeans Workout”. All workouts are designed so that users can integrate free weights into the programs.  Read more...

This post is my own opinion, and I have not received any compensation or products from Ubisoft, nor are they a client of my firm.