One month.

I can't believe I was able to complete one entire month of posting every day. There were times when it was a stretch. A few "Wordless Wednesdays", but overall I wrote every day during the month of November. 

Here is to sticking with the habit. And to having the opportunity to post about the OSMO and STAR WARS COMMAND. Hopefully the sponsored posts keep coming. 

The kids playing in snow in Connecticut. 

One of the turkeys we enjoyed this Thanksgiving. 

And me in some sunglasses I found in my car. 

So beat

This holiday break has been so hectic. In a way I'm glad it's coming to an end, but then the 25 days of Christmas begins.  

Tomorrow I'll start stringing up our lights with hopefully a grand unveiling Monday night. Kind of want to set something up to constantly play holiday music loudly. That will show my neighbors who smoke way too much pot. 

These buildings have thin walls!

I'm pretty tired and I'm pretty hungry so I'm going to make a sandwich with left overs and then have a second wind as I want to fall asleep. 

I really can't believe I've actually posted 29 days in a row. That is record for me for sure. 

Thanksgiving

Doing a split thanksgiving again, lunch with friends then dinner with family. #turkeycoma

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Purged a lot of jerks, idiots, bigots and mean people from Facebook. Good riddance, kind if pissed someone unfriended me before I could unfriend her. 

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Thankful for my family and friends. 

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Kind of obsessed with the Serial podcast.  I'll be caught up today. Will be pissed when I have to listen to it once a week.  #afterthepurge #wherewasFrankenberry

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Today is the last day to enter my OSMO giveaway. All you need to do is find my picture on Instagram that is labeled #osmofamily and like it by 3:27pm est. it would be nice if you also followed @osmoplay and @gmibadparenting

Wordless Wednesday. (Mostly)

You could have said help your parents prepare for thanksgiving. 

A nation divided

About seven years ago, my wife was pregnant and I had a lot of time on my hands. I found a NewYork Mets message board. The people there were fun and engaged and we all had one thing in common the love of a team that doesn't love us back. I overcame my shyness and met up with them for a softball game during their annual outing. I couldn't make it to the game that night, but I met people in person who I still consider friends. 

That message board (where I was the final R.O.Y) started suffering the fate of Facebook and a really bad team. The core members stayed around, those on the fringes strayed further away. And now after two years or so if inactivity and some nasty infighting, The Happy Recap lives on Facebook and in our hearts.  Any group that has things in common also have things that are out of step with each other. If everyone was the same it would be boring. 

I've noticed that there is clearly a liberal wing of THR and a conservative wing. And with this extremely divisive situation in Missouri it is just getting worse. I can disagree with someone and still like their company. I'm not saying everyone can do this or should. I'm just talking about me.  

It's only 87 days till pitchers and catchers report. 

Someone decided to unfriend someone on Facebook because of their opinion. And that is fine, it's sad because I like both of these guys. But it cemented an idea I had in my mind. ThisThanksgiving I'm going to be thankful that I'm de-friending people on Facebook. Overly stupid? See ya! Racist ? Your gone! Difference of opinion? You get to stay since I like a little arguing.  

 

Osmo

When we got some iPads for the kids to use we envisioned lots of learning apps and occasional movies on long car rides. And while there is a lot of use of the learning apps we've loaded there is also a lot of Frozen and assorted lightsaber battles being watched recently. 

So I welcomed trying out the OSMO with its tangible play features with my kids (6&4). The system which comes with a base for your iPad, a reflector and items for two of the three games you can currently play with the device. 

My six year old took to it like a fish to water. After downloading the apps we started with the word game. You have two sets of letter tiles and a picture appears on the screen and you have to figure out the word. It's very much like hangman without the execution overtones. What is nice as you go on the words get more complex and you sometimes need to figure out concepts. Which makes it more than just a spelling game. My daughter did beat me to 100 points. But I'll get her next time. 

We checked out the Tangram game which was really fun and both kids liked that one a lot. Lastly there is the Newton game which we haven't explored that much. We played a lot of a game where small balls drop down and using your hands to make barriers you need to direct them. What is nice it teaches ingenuity and basic concepts of physics. 

If I have a complaint about OSMO is that there were very little instructions about the field of play or optimal surface to use. Without that knowledge the Tangram game becomes a little difficult to play. I found it worked great on a black Ikea table, and not as great on a very colorful Spider-Man play table. 

This little device may be the first wave of making interactive technology a more tactile experience. 

Learn more about OSMO by following them on Twitter @osmoplay and follow this link to learn more about how you can win an OSMO for yourself. 

Note: Osmo (which in my mind is pronounce Awesome-OH) was nice enough to give me an OSMO to try out and one to give to a lucky follower. 

20 things successful people refuse to do

Last night I read an article that was shared by this woman I went to high school with, it was a list of things that successful people refuse to do. And I was honestly shocked at how many of those things I do. So I decided that if I want to be a success, and I would need to stop doing things that are harming me in the long run.

The first tangible thing I was going to change was number 2 on their list.

2. They don't start their days without plans. Successful people know that in order to stay on top of work and become successful, they need to be disciplined and be smart with how they manage their time. In order to do this, they plan their days ahead, putting together a to-do list at the start of the day  --  what needs to be done and in what order. Not only are they going to make sure that they don't miss out on any important task or meeting, but also optimize their time for the optimal performance.

The first thing I do whenever I'm trying to re-calibrate myself is start making lists. So I downloaded the DO app for my phone and typed in a plan of things I needed to accomplish today. I put down four things and I'm accomplishing them. I've stuck with three weeks of daily blog posting, it will be officially a habit tomorrow, I am now going to make planning my days a habit too.



Write a blog post - DONE

Ummmm

So this is a book review. A few weeks ago I got a book to review and I finally got a chance to review it and all I can say it really wasn't for me. I could write a scathing review but I appreciate a small publisher sending me a review copy. 

Here is what I didn't like about the book. 

- Way too much bathroom humor. 

- One of the main characters was such a jerk I kind of wanted bad things to happen to him. 

- I felt the voice was forced. Kids are smarter than adults give them credit for. And they can see through adults trying to sound like kids, they can smell a phony pretty quickly. 

Yes, I'm not the desired audience for this book, but in my years in the children's book publishing industry I've gotten the chance to read a lot of books aimed at kids. This was not one of the good ones. I'm not comfortable reading this book to my kids. 

I'm not going to mention the name of the book. But if the publisher wants the review copy back I will send it to them. If not I will donate it to a school library. 

Rainy Monday

This morning when I was helping my kids get their rain boots on, Nugget said "I guess we won't have recess outside today." With thd twenty degree drop in temperature expected for tomorrow, I'm guessing they'll next have recess outside in March. 

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I'm pretty jazzed up this week I'll be announcing my first sponsored give away on my blog. 

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Unless my kicker, kicks 15 field goals I will take my first fantasy football loss since week three. Every streak has to end. I'm still in the playoff picture (3rd I think). If I can rattle off five wins in a row the championship is mine. I know no one cares about my fantasy football team. 

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I had to borrow one of my son's lightsabers to retrieve my glasses which fell under the bed this morning. It was a Qui-Gon Jin lightsaber for those keeping score at home. 

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In thirty years I hope I'd be able to gracefully step aside for a better equipped person to take my place. 

Escape from Tomorrow.

Have people heard about this movie Escape From Tomorrow? It is basically a horror film shot inside of Disneyland and Walt Disney World. I heard about it through one of those weird buzzfeed things on Facebook. I need to check it out. 

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I need Andrew Luck to throw like 5 touch downs, and all to Reggie Wayne and Dwayne Allen to take my fantasy football win streak to 8. 

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Went to a birthday party for Nugget's best friend. Holy crap was there a lot of kids there. My kids had a good time but I couldn't stop humming the theme song to Mad Max 2: Beyond Thunderdome. 

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I took some advice I found online  when applying for a position. Instead of just saying how awesome I am, I pointed out problems the company appears to have and gave them solutions. 

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I'm going to cut this short because turtle tanks don't clean themselves. 

Frozen in Yonkers

A few weeks ago I got an email about a welcome Santa to the Cross County Shopping center in Yonkers featuring a live interactive performance with Elsa, Anna and Olaf from Frozen (Hans and Sven were also there). I knew we had to go. 

So we bundled up and headed over there. Once we arrived (about an hour early) we saw there were seats outside, this event would be in the elements. It was about 37 degrees at this point. Weran back to the car to grab a large blanket I had just washed but hadn't brought inside. That blanket was a life saver. 

Eventually the green was jam packed. Lots of little girls in Elsa and Anna costumes. I left Nugget's Elsa dress at home, but she was wearing an Elsa shirt. The show was really fun, they sang all the hits "Do you want to build a Snowman", "Open the Gates", "Snowman in Summer", "Love is an open Door," and of course "Let it Go. "

To fill the time they sang "If your happy and you know it", did a medley of Disney Princess songs and even a "Happy" dance party. It was a pretty good show. 

I peeked over and Nugget was in 7th heaven.  Weirdly enough the air seemed warmer while the show was ongoing on. This is the kind of really fun event going on around the city during the holiday season. 

This is going to suck

This afternoon our pediatrician left the exam room to take a call. He was flying solo this afternoon. My little guy was there for a follow up appointment to see how he reacted to some anti-biotics. He is totally cleared up. 

We couldn't help but overhear his conversation. And from what he said, it looks like we will be doing something we haven't done in nearly 7 years. Look for a new doctor for the kids. 

Our doctor has recently had some medical issues, he is not a young man. And he implied that he probably wasn't coming back after the summer and was looking to find someone to buy the practice. His associate wasn't sure she was interested in buying in. Ugh. The kids were finally not afraid of going to the doctor. 

When Mrs. GMIBP was pregnant with Nugget we went to a bunch of offices. Some made lots of promises, some had fancier offices, but our guy was recommended by our soon to be born daughter's godmother. Actually he was the pediatrician of my sons godfather. We liked his no nonsense style. And didn't flinch when a few day old Nugget peed all over our feet and his exam room floor. 

He has helped us through bouts of bronchitis, resperitory infections, and speech delay. I hope in the end that his associate ends up buying the practice. Yes things will change but a lot will stay the same.  

I'm not even sure what to ask a perspective new pediatrician. Ugh. 

Bad grandma

There is a grandmother here in McDonald's who is sort of berating a five year old boy (and his mother who was on the phone) for carrying around a stuffed animal. 

"Don't take that stuffed animal to school anymore it's embarrassing"

Apparently it's ok for a three year old girl to have a plush toy. But this little boy's white bear with a graduation hat is stressing her out. 

I'm not sure what her deal is. Should a kindergartener be a hard tough man? The kid is little, let him be little. 

That is the loving grandma in question. 

Is wordless Wednesday still a thing?

Before the return of the polar vortex

Everyone should stock up on bread, bottled water, and milk the next polar vortex is on it's way. Instead of panicking I'm enjoying a pretty nice day at the park with the kids. 

The kids are off of school because of Veterans Day. And we are all thankful for the men and women who did their part for this country. During both war times and relative peace time. In particular my dad, my uncle John, and friends Mark, Becky, Kelvin, and Tom. Thanks for your service. 

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I take back all the mean things I said about Cam Newton during the first three quarters of last nights football game. Thank you for figuring out what color shirts your teammates were wearing in time to lock up a fantasy football victory for me. 

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Wow the Mets sign a free agent and win the Rookie of the Year award on the same day. A great day to be a fan of the blue and orange. 

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Going to finish a third of my woodbadge ticket items tonight. Two more to go and I have earned my beads.

Expunging 40 years of regret

Someone once told me not to complain about things that happened in the past and you can no longer change. I was going to write posts about things I regret doing in these first 40 years on earth. But after losing part of the post already, I've reconsidered. 

I'm just going to look forward. I'll remember mistakes I've made and learn from them. But I'm not going to dwell in the past. My first nearly forty years have been more good than not, I'll make the next forty even better.

 The following forty wil be me just smugly basking in the glow of my awesome second forty and the great advances in science. 

Pumpkin Blaze 2014

Not to want to start Christmas season too early. We extinguished the last fires of Halloween at the annual Pumpkin Blaze in Van Cortland manor in Croton on Hudson last night. 

We arrived a little before our scheduled time but in time to get parking. And soon we were engulfed in thousands of hand crafted pumpkins. It was visually amazing and each section had it's own custom music. Which made it really neat. 

Being in close proximity to Sleepy Hollow we decided to go check if out. Honestly the less said about the town of Sleepy Hollow and the pizza served there ... The better. 

It was a fun night. We had hot cider and got out before it got too cold. 

Christmas time @ Target

I was in Target this morning. Because that's where I hang out apparently. And the place is Christmas central. Foxes in scarves. Little birds in cozy looking wool hats. And ofcourse they have every iteration and accessory for the holiday classic,  Elf on a Shelf. For starters EoaS has only been around since 2005. So it's not a holiday tradition. It is drawn in a very 1950s style to fool people. This so-called tradition is barely ten years old. 

But it has gained so much popularity the only thing to do is to rip it off. Ripping off successful formats/concepts the true tradition of the publishing industry. Book plus plush add a little "tradition" - voila!  I found these two gems at the store. 

 

I can't wait till Valentine's Day season begins on December 26th.  

Sick day - puzzle making

I don't remember being much of a puzzle maker as a kid. But I'm enjoying doing puzzles when I can now with the kids. 

Today on sick day four I decided we should do puzzles. We started with a 24 piece Jake and the Neverland Pirates puzzle. 

Once we finished that one we moved onto a 100 piece puzzle of the Avengers. 

Admittedly I did most of this one, the little guy made most of the faces and found pieces of arms and legs after I made the border. It was probably more fun for me than him, but it did break up the monotony of a sick day that is too rainy to go outside. 

If you are at a McDonalds play place don't blast "Let it Go" on you very loud phone speaker. This "play place" is a sanctuary against such things. Now this guy is playing "total eclipse of the heart". Sir ... You are killing me. 

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Red state blue state

these guys don't care

I was pretty disappointed with the results of the election yesterday. But nothing really changes. 

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I read a really good post on my fellow dad Lorne's blog about his experiences this past Halloween. He is such a good story teller, and I wish I could find it in me to write as consistently good as he does. 

Check out the post  -  http://www.raisingsienna.com/stop-pressuring-girlswomen-about-their-bodies-and-marriage-already/

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I wish there were more episodes of Star Wars Lego: the new Yoda chronicles. I crack up every time I watch them.  

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Adrian Peterson beats a four year old bloody. Gets community service, and may be back on a Vikings uniform in a few weeks. Michael Vick does dog fighting, goes to prison for year and a half. And then is suspended further by the league. 

I'm guessing Michael Vick will never participate in dog fighting again. But what happens next time one of Adrian Petersons kids "disrespects" him. 

That being said, do I pick up Peterson on my fantasy team as an insurance policy.