Fathers - On The Shoulders Of Giants

(pic via reddit.com reddit.com)

"On my dad’s shoulders the world is so small, I am a giant 100 feet tall" - Les Julian

   The above pic cracked me up. Though I never fell asleep on my father's shoulders, I certainly spent my fair share of time up there. I even water skied on my old man's shoulders one year. There is an exhilaration felt at that height. You can see further, feel mightier, and save your legs on a long day at the theme park. 

   We as fathers have a lot to bear on our shoulders. We're charged with being the other half to an equation that will shape and mold our young ones. Puts the pressure on, doesn't it? Sometimes my shoulders ache from holding my wee ones while we're out. Yet, I find that even when I don't feel like I can last another minute, I carry on and never want to let go. I don't know any father that doesn't want to be a hero to their child, and I am no different. Sitting on our shoulders can give them pride and confidence that doesn't exist on the ground level. So even when I'm zapped from a long day, carrying the extra burden of my son or daughter is well worth the "weight". If we don't have time for that, what do we have time for? 

   My step-father is another great example of a guy who will give a free ride to whomever asks that is under the age of 5-6 years or so. He's always demonstrated that there will always be time for little ones. As he breezes through his 60's, he's still cutting it up with my children, which reminds me to make the time and set an example. The guys over at Fatherhood.org had a great piece you can read on Building A Better Dad - Should We Start Earlier? This starts on the metaphorical "shoulders of dad". Our wives and mothers bear so much of the weight, I know we can all participate to carry our own portion. Let us set the example and impart the knowledge we've gained from either our own excellent father figures, or the knowledge we've learned along the way. 

Here's to you dads. 

J. 

Don't miss some additional posts on this topic. Like: 

Fatherhood - Breaking The Cycle of Bad

When There's Big Shoes To Fill

A Father's Love

Gillette ProGlide Razor Review - @Gillette

(pic via 9gag.com)

"I see you're shaving. Was the weight of being a man to much for you?" - Overly Manly Man

I once saw a graphic on Reddit.com that looked something like this:

   Yes, that's exactly how things work in my life. The last razor hangs on forever, to the point of "shaving with a rusty razor" (what do you do with a drunken sailor!). That is, until I came home from vacation this past weekend and found a larger box atop my pile of recyclable mail fodder. I saw the phrase "Your greatest shave", and my attention was piqued. Anything that can save my skin from public flogging is certainly welcome. I thought this might be my escape from subjecting my neck to what feels like a cheese grater for a razor. (ouch, just the thought!)

   I'm no stranger to the Gillette product line. I've used various shave gels in the past. They've always done well on my skin. The razors have been purchased over the years also, and have been lost, stolen, graduated from, or grown so much scum on them that they look like an artifact from the Flying Dutchman captained by Davy Jones himself. Nay, this pirate was in need of something more than the pocket friendly 4 pack from whatever store I was at when they were needed. I slid my pocket knife through the seal of my new ProGlide sample and opened the box to the sound of a distant angelic choir. I beheld the greatness therein. "Precision meets sensitivity." We shall see Gillette, we shall see.

   I freed the contents of the box and found another treat. $5 off my next purchase of cartridge refills. Enticement to extend our relationship, should I come out of my first shave in 2 weeks unscathed. I washed my face in the shower and once done, lathered up in preparation of the first stroke down my face. It was like I was in the middle of a quiet meadow! Each stroke felt like a woman with baby soft fingers was gently brushing my cheek with the back of her hand. With four blades and a moisturizing strip, it was a VERY smooth shave. The swiveled neck allowed the razor to curve and hug the corners of my jawline like a Lamborghini taking corners with ease. I finished with no nicks or dings, and stared back at a satisfied customer.

   I highly recommend the Gillette ProGlide, and will be taking of advantage of the $5 coupon for sure. Let's just hope it doesn't take 6 months to do so!

J.

Don't forget to read my post on Men's Bath Products That Work For You.

'Da fine print: @Gillette products were a free sample received via post. All opinions are The Cheeky Daddy's and the smooth shave is for ALL to enjoy. 

Different Rules For Different People

 

"There will always be different rules for different people" - The Cheeky Grandpa

 

   One of my father's pet peeves were the four of us Cheeky boys handing out rules that were never lived by. My younger brother was the worst. He'd dictate hard and fast rules to our youngest brother, and promptly NOT live by them. Even my own father had the best advice in life that he preferred NOT to live by. The concept was that there will always be people that has certain rules they wanted everyone else to live by, that they themselves would never have to follow. Infuriating isn't it?

 

   Now that I'm a father, trying to teach the concept rules is tricky. What are the family rules verses the rules of society? What code of ethics and conduct do I teach my children to follow, and just what the heck am I teaching them about when EVERYONE else doesn't fall in line with that?

 

   We have a number of children in our neighborhood. A few of the parents could not care any less about what their kids do our in our 'hood. These neighbor children boss each other around, get into whatever they want, and eat whatever they want whenever they want. So when I have to tell our own children that we're not having whatever junk food is on the menu for the day, there's much complaining about what's "not fair" in their eyes. I have to explain that our family doesn't each a family size bag of Doritos right before dinner. I know, call me crazy, right?

 

   As I was writing this post, I struck up a conversation with my sister-in-law about the general idea around this topic of "how we do things as a family". Her bottom line was  that we might just get by if we all chill a bit. That includes me. She also reminded me how quickly we forget how we did things once upon a time. Parents of tweens forget what it was like to have newborn. Parents with young children don't yet know what it's like to party into the night with older ones when curfew doesn't apply.

 

   As was said before, there will always be different rules for different people. I suppose it's the duty of us all to respect each other's choice to rules and work together to co-exist in the best way possible. Thoughts?

 

J. 



San Francisco Exploratorium Review

 

"We are the music makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams," - Arthur O'Shaughnessy

 

   I remember elementary school field trips to the San Francisco Exploratorium. The building was next to the Palace of Fine Arts, but has moved to Pier 17, which is just as cool of a location. This is a great place to visit at any age. My children eat it up, as they can touch just about anything. Given the rules of the house, my 'Lil Man was so beside himself with glee, that the night before our visit he stated, "I can't wait to go to the place tomorrow, 'cuz I get to touch EVERYTHING!" It was clear that it was going to be a heck of a time. I mean, I can remember running hard and fast all day as a kid there. I came home burned out from a day of learning, trying things out, spinning on the centrifugal chair and trying not to throw up etc. I'd say about 40% of the exhibits were original. I asked a volunteer kid who was manning the suspension doodle pad how old he was. He told me he was 17, which meant the exhibit was there for me to see before this kid was born. Ouch! We be old!

 

   One of the exhibits was rather large for how little was in it. It was a large dark room with a large flat screen right in the middle. A ghosted image was visible with a small sign that instructed you to put your hand on the upper right of the screen. I did and the figure SLOWLY put her hand up to mine. Then she SLOWLY wiped the "mist" from where her eyes were, and put both hands down before staring at me. It was all prerecorded, but creeped me out. I had my 'Lil Man with me and I hear a soft voice say, "Daddy, I'm scared." We both jetted out of there. Seems there's better use of the space, but then, they have a ton of space to expand into, so I guess you can place odd modern art installations wherever you want. The rest of the stuff was hands on and a ton of fun. It messed with their senses, expanded their imaginations, and taught them a little bit about a LOT of stuff.

 

   In the end, it was a great time. There were a lot of people there, but I didn't really mind as there was a lot to do. As we had a baby in tow, we got there with 2 hours to closing and it was JUST enough time. We could have used another hour, but only because we'd been there over the years and knew what was worth our time for our families ages. A newbie might need most of the day to see it all. We ended in the sound room, where there were all types of xylophones to bang on. We missed it years back with our 'Lil Miss was a bit younger, and I'm glad we ended on that. It was just the Cheek Clan, making their own sweet obnoxious music. We all had a great time and each had our personal favorite exhibit. If you're in the area and are looking for some additional places to visit, this might be a great one for your family.

 

   Parking right across the street is $45 for the day, which is atrocious. We went another block away and it was $25 through 8pm. It's about a 20 minute walk to Pier 39, where there's a bunch of restaurants, shops, a carousel, and the famed sea lions resting on the docks.

   I love San Francisco. Born and raised, returned and appreciated. I'm glad we got to go, and happy we now have the memories.

 

J. 

Dumb Things That Kids Do

 

"A mistake is simply another way of doing things." - Katharine Graham

 

   I spent some time in my old stomping grounds this past two weeks for work. Along the highway near the house I grew up is a memory from my past. On the other side of the freeway from the main street near my childhood home, there is a business park. Center to that, along the highway fence, is a modern art structure that's been there since the early 80's. Pictured above, one can see why me and my brothers referred to it as "the cookie". My mother drove us over once or twice for us to climb up n it to play a short round of hide-and-seek.

   I made a few mistakes as a young man, and I give the description of "the cookie" to tell the tale of dumb things that kids do. An elementary school friend and I rode our bikes around A LOT. I was in the 5th grade or so, and I has told my buddy all about the fun and fame of the legendary "cookie". We rode our bikes along the main road outside my neighborhood to get a better look at the structure from across the freeway. As we didn't know the rules of America's highways, we scaled the chain link fence quite easily, and discussed our pathway to a few minutes of fun. We waited for gaps in traffic, and then hoofed it across 3 lanes of southbound madness. We hiked through 20 feet of shrubbery, then darted across 3 lanes of northbound insanity. After climbing the fence on the other side, we has arrived at the promised land. It was better than we ever dreamed, as it was earned at a higher price. No one would EVER believe it!

   After 20-30 minutes, we scaled the fence again, duplicated our "roadrunner" maneuvers, got past our last hurdle of the final fence, and were on our bikes once again. We headed to our own homes for the day, and when my father got home, I proudly announced the victory of the day. He was shocked, as was my mother. They read me the riot act, and then my mother called my friends mom. While I wasn't grounded (though I should have been), I felt the full weight of the stupidity of my actions.

   Given some of the stories The Wife has told me about HER childhood, we've discussed putting our three little ones in straight jackets as soon as possible. Just THINK of the things they'll do! Wish me luck!

 

J. 

Cheap Summer Fun Activities

 

"If we didn't have any money, WE didn't know it." - Grandma Schofield

 

   My grandmother past away this past year, and one of the lessons she taught me was that you don't need money to have fun. She pointed out that the days as a married couple with little money were some of the best memories she had. Granted, looking back one can say that. While in the midst of things being tight, I can have a MUCH different perspective. As an adult you have a more complicated set of responsibilities.

   That being said, there are some fantastically cheap summer fun activities out there to participate in. When I was a kid, my mother bought a super cheap plastic pool, filled it with water, and then gave us old Cool Whip bowls to play with. If a toy or ball flew out into the dry weeds (no grass yet at that point), we'd put the bowls on our feet as "shoes" and walk into the brush to retrieve whatever was lost. We were young, broke, and happy.

   Fast forward to today, and while we're not "poor as church mice" as we were once labeled, we're still in a place where we need cheap entertainment. While on a work trip, we stayed with family and the weather got warm. My mother, in her traditional way, grabbed two buckets, turned on the hose, and my little ones were on their way to a pile of summer fun, right in the front yard. I came home to the scene pictured above. Memories came rushing back and I'm grateful The Wife and my mother could provide a much needed diversion for some VERY active minds.

   So here's my short list of cheap summer activities you can try out:

 

Home based water park - Get creative and it can be ten times the fun you think.

Treasure Maps – I did this with the kids once, and they now ask to do it again a least once every two weeks.

Public Library – Whether you grab some new books, or find a free event, there’s a lot to do there.

Costume Party – Mom or dad, you get dressed up too. Join the fun.

Home Theatre Production – This can follow on the heels of the costume party!

Craft Day – Throw down some newspaper and get messy.

Nature Walk – There’s more out there to look at than you’d think, if you’re looking.

Movie Night – You can rent movies for a buck these days. See something new.

Ice Cream Night – Grab a few flavors and a bunch of toppings and go “nuts”.

Fort Building – Find boxes, blankets, couch cushions and get to work. Combine with movie night! Childhood Outdoor Games – Hopscotch, kick the can, tag, hide-and-go-seek, kites, etc. all work.

Farmer’s Market – There’s always one nearby. Search one out and try something new.

Marshmallows – Get a fire going and toast some mallows. S’Mores optional.

Lemonade Stand – We’re doing our first this summer. They were always more work than profit, but fun regardless.

Picnic – Always a good excuse to get out, have lunch, play at the park, beach, or wherever.

Stargazing – Can be fun no matter the location, but I saw my first satellite fly over while looking at the stars with my dad.

Local Baseball – This can be super cheap and good old American fun.

 

Hope your summer will be as great as ours!

 



 

J. 



Even Superheros Need Love

Even superheros need love. 

   My 'Lil Man loves to be the bruiser. He's the first wrestle with me, the first into pretend skirmishes, and puts up one of the best manly fronts I've seen in a guy, young or old. It's that way, right up until it's not. It's incredible to see how fast our little ones go from a poker face, to a teary one. My older two, like most I've noticed, try to put on the bravest face possible. "I'm not tired." That's my favorite. It becomes historic when said through the tears of a tired and worn out child. 

   

   As I see my wee ones navigate their little lives in preparation for their big ones, I help, teach, and nurture along the way. I was at a mechanic recently, and took my two oldest along for the ride. I was on my tablet, typing away, when I looked down and saw my 'Lil Man holding onto my arm (pictured above). Given the shirt he was wearing that day, I thought, "Even superheros need love." They do, and they need it from you. Moms and dads alike.  

   I leave you withe The Superman Song, by the Crash Test Dummies. As it says towards the end, "Sometimes when Supe was stopping crimes, I'll bet that he was tempted to just quit and turn his back,.." Teach your little ones to press on, with you along the way to offer your arm if needed.

Stay strong,....super strong. 

J. 

Remembering Maurice Sendak - Part II

 

“And now," cried Max, "let the wild rumpus start!”

- Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak 

 

   I'm a sucker for good children's books. I remember hearing Maurice Sendak said he didn't write specifically for children, but that's where it seemed to be categorized. I wrote a post about the author of Where The Wild Things Are back in May of 2012 when he passed away. Please take a look at it if you have the time.

 

   In an NPR interview with Maurice, he states that he believes "children won't despair if you tell them the truth." I've tried to have more frank conversations with my 'Lil Miss. As she is 7 years old now, she's asking more about increasingly complex topics. It seems Maurice's take has been productive thus far.

 

   Today's Google Doodle is what set my mind ablaze with thoughtful creativity. Check it out:





   

 

   Just watching the world's he created is enough to find myself lost in thought. I enjoy the worlds we create for our children through stories and imagination. I believe we need to actively defend against growing up too much.  We need creativity and imagination for our own sanity, but also to encourage our children to have dreams and goals.

   Stay young.

 

J.



Men's Bath Products That Work For You

"Shaving cream? Don't you mean water?" - Overly Manly Man, Reddit.com

   As a young man, I wanted to shave so badly. My friends were doing it, and I was sporting the peach fuzz. I've since regretted that wish. Not that I break out in a rash each time, but it's not the FIRST thing I want to do each day. I've had a goatee for the past 16 or so years, which means my shave regimen is less complicated than other gentlemen. I've lathered up with various products, from Gillette to hand soap. It's typically a chore, that can end in a generally satisfied customer, or a bloody, itchy mess. I've needed to find men's bath products that work for me. 

   Recently, I hooked up with Life of Dad and Johnson & Johnson, who supplied me men's shaving products by AVEENO® and their Active Natural's for Men. Skepticism set in, as I've tried a few competitor's products, with not-so-fun results. My biggest issues have been foam that isn't all that lubricating for the shave, and after-shave lotion that is too fragrant and makes my face feel oily WAY too soon. Thus I began using the product, with no high expectations.

   The AVEENO® Men's Face Wash (MSRP $5.99) is similar to some of the products The Wife has used. It was pleasant to use, had a mildly exfoliated, and didn't leave any kind of slippery residue. It's been said that it's best to exfoliate a bit before shaving, so I was game. My face felt clean afterward and wasn't overly dry throughout the day afterward.

   I moved onto the AVEENO® Men's Shave Gel (MSRP $3.99). What I noticed first was the mild fragrance. It was a pleasant surprise to be hit by some smell I didn't ask for. I understand why, but even when I'm not offended by the smell, I've never been a major cologne guy. This shave gel allows you to add on a cologne after if you wish, and not layer several before you leave the house. The gel lathered somethin' fierce, so a little goes a long way. I began shaving, and NO LIE, it was the smoothest shave I have EVER experienced. The experience of a "close, and smooth" shave was undeniable. The moisturizer certainly helped with keeping my face from drying out later in the day.

   The event was rounded out with the AVEENO® Men's After Shave Lotion (MSRP $5.99). It was nice to get the cooling and smooth affect of an after shave lotion, again, without the overpower smell of the added fragrance. My last after shave lotion made my face feel oily by lunchtime, and I've never enjoyed that. The AVEENO after shave did the job, and didn't feel oily ALL DAY. Nice.

   In all, this is a great product line. I'm planning on continuing the use of it when I run out. I know we'd all like to be so manly that we shave with our Bowie knife,....dry, but it's not to be. So happy shaving! I leave you with a manly man, shaving the way only a manly man can. 

(photo via www.9gag.com)

J. 

The products above were provided as a sample via Life of Dad for review. All opinions are The Cheeky Daddy's. 



30 Dads, 30 Days - Pondering Different Persona On Life of Dad Interview

"There's the private persona and the public persona and the two shall never meet." - Liev Schreiber

   I'm honored to be a part of Life of Dad's 30 Dads, 30 Days. This the dad community that brought you the hilarious and fun Cheetos Mix-Ups Art Contest. This has been a fun way to meet dad bloggers in our online community and have a little fun along the way. The questions were thought provoking and got me to thinking about the many persona that we have in each of our lives. 

   

   I was listening to NPR and there was a segment on the many persona that we carry in our various real life and online communities. It was discussed that we represent ourselves differently amongst family, friends, and our online relations. It was even pointed out that we represent ourselves differently from one social media platform to another. I thought this was ridiculous until I really thought about it and found myself agreeing completely. I blog in a way that represents me as a father. I Tweet in a way that tries to be funny in small sound bytes. I post in Instagram that tries to show me as pensive and thoughtful. 

   As I thought about what I was typing for the Life of Dad highlight, I tried to remain true to who I really thought I was. A father, trying to be funny, while enlisting his thoughtful side. Mission accomplished? Or perhaps, I've just carved out another persona. You be the judge. Check it out at Life of Dad. 

J.