What's Been Going On?

Forgive me, friends for not keeping my blog up to date. A lot has been going on in our household.

As some of you already know, we are expecting our 2^nd child and we are nearing week 36, a.k.a “The home stretch”. We’re running down the last leg of the track and we can see the yellow tape!

As you can imagine, there is A LOT going on.  The bigger my wife’s belly gets, (so does her need to rest) the less energy she has and for a full time kindergarten teacher and a mother of a fully developed, energetic 4 year old,  keeping your head above water can be quite the challenge.

This is where daddy comes into the picture *takes off glasses, runs into a telephone booth and bursts out in color coordinated, spandex outfit with a cape*

Replace the “S” with a “D” and you get the picture
Source

 

The scales that typically balance our daily chores have suddenly shifted on my end and I have been doing my best to not just carry that extra weight, but to hold it high above my head like a determined Olympic power lifter. As challenging has this experience is, I still consider myself very fortunate to be able to be such an integral part in helping usher in a new life.

This experience has given me so much to write about and I’m looking forward to sharing with you….that is, as soon as things settle down.  Thank you all for the continued support and stay tuned!

Product Review: CAT Iron Diesel Train Set

What is about trains that are so cool?

Is it the roaring engine chugging down the tracks? The billowing smoke that puffs in the air? Or maybe it’s that all familiar, echoing whistles?

In any case, trains have always possessed a certain kind of magic that sparks imagination and endless possibilities in the hearts of children for generations. As a young child, I remember getting my first taste of this magic when my father bought me and my older brother our first model train set. I have many fond memories of assembling that train set and pretending to go off to faraway lands. Because of this, you can only imagine my happiness in learning that my son also shares my love for trains. From Thomas the Tank Engine, to The Little Engine that could and even to the hibachi chef that creates a smoking train out of a stack of onions, it has been a blast for me to watch his interest blossom. 

So when I was contacted my Toy State to Test out their Iron DieselTrain set, I didn’t hesitate to sign up. The day it came in the mail, I walked into the house and the box that it was delivered in was also opened. I barely got the change to take kick off my shoes before my little guy grabbed me by the index finger and led me into the living room. From there, we opened the box and took out all of the pieces:

·         (1) Motorized Caterpillar engine

·         (1) Transport car with (2) detachable Caterpillar toy trucks

·         (1) Magnetic crane car with movable box

·         (1) Loading car

 

The first thing that struck me about the train set was the realistic look. Visually, the pieces look exactly like the larger scale Caterpillar trains that you would see at most construction sites. The set itself is made of plastic, which is far removed from the die cast of some higher end train sets; they certainly couldn’t take too much of a beating.  My son and I then laid out the 7 feet of track, which in my experience with other toy sets is about the average length.  On the front of the box, the company advertises that the set is “easy to assemble”. The term “easy” I suppose can be open to interpretation. While the design of the tracks were simple enough, they took a little more elbow grease to make each one snap together than I probably would have liked.  In an ideal scenario, my child should be able to pull the train out and assemble the tracks himself. I would advise that you do take the time to show your child how to ensure the tracks are connected correctly., because if the tracks aren’t aligned just right, there’s a strong chance that the train will derail. While that isn’t a complete deal breaker, it’s something to keep in mind.

 

While the tracks might be a slight hindrance, there are plenty of other features that are pretty simple. The first of which is the motorized engine, which runs on (2) AA batteries.  The bottom of the engine unscrews with a Phillip’s head screwdriver and once the batteries are inserted, you push the red button on top and it pulls the 3 other cars around the tracks. It doesn’t make the bell and whistle sounds that some train sets make, but depending on what you are looking for, that may or may not be an incentive to purchase (Hey, some parents like a quiet toy in the house every once in a while). The individual features of the others cars are fun and easy to use as well. As I mentioned in the beginning, the transport car comes with a mini dump truck and backhoe, both of which easily detach from the transport care and are operational. The magnetic crane is pretty cool and easy to operate too: It comes with a boxcar that you can pick up and move around with the crane. The loading car has a hinge that pulls out and snaps back together. My son really enjoyed putting random items in it (matchbox cars, action figures, etc.).

 

After a while, we decided to go “off the rails” (excuse the bad pun) and tried to find creative ways to play with the train. We used action figures, toy cars and block sets to build additional bridges and landscapes.However, if interested there are additional play sets available for purchase that will provide hours of additional play.

 

Overall, the Caterpillar Iron Diesel Train Set is a great buy. The durability concerns a parent might have are offset by the low price, multiple features and relative ease of use. I would absolutely recommend this set to a parent who has a child who has fledgling love for trains, but is not quite mature enough for the larger, more expensive trains that are on the market. This toy can be purchased at multiple locations, including Target and Amazon.
 

*Disclosure: The Iron Diesel Train Set was given to me at no cost, but the opinions expressed are completely my own*

Are Kids Today are Missing Something?

On March 17^th 2013 two high school athletes were tried and found guilty of taking part in the rape of another high school student. If you are unfamiliar with the trail that I am referring to, simply Google the word “Steubenville” and you will find all that you need in order to understand the chain of events that have led to what has eventually become a media circus.  The lives of that young woman, the accused and an entire community has been changed forever and although the trial is “over”, this event has been catapulted to the world stage, forcing all of us to take a hard look in the mirror and ask some serious questions about the “rape culture” we have perpetuated.

As a parent, my heart immediately went out to the victim. The assault in itself is bad enough but in addition, this case had garnered so much attention, I can only imagine the embarrassment and shame she must be feeling.  My wish for her is that she gets the help she needs in order to find peace, so that she may continue to grow and reach her fullest potential.

My thoughts then move to the attackers. There have been polarizing debates about whether or not they were been punished enough or if the additional students who were present and/or participated should be prosecuted as well.

Many look at this as an event that came out of nowhere and are completely confused as to why or how this could have occurred in such a typical, Anywhere, USA suburb and by kids no less. But if take a look at our culture and peel back the onion a bit, it seems to me there a systematic lack of empathy from our young people towards their fellow man that is unsettling as it is tragic. Don’t believe me? You don’t have to take my word for it. Check any reputable news outlet and I guarantee you will find a multitude of heinous and violent acts done by people over the last decade so young it will break your heart.

The cause of this missing empathy is up for debate: Many will blame the culture of athlete worship that encourages secrets and discourages whistle blowing. Perhaps some will accuse the popularity of shooting games for desensitizing our young people human suffering.  Or maybe, people will place culpability on music, specifically the hip hop culture of objectifying and over sexualizing women. 

Each of these potential “causes” may or may not be a factor and I am certain each will be thoroughly dissected by someone, somewhere in the media. Because families all over are so affected by this tragedy that they will searching for answers and looking to their favorite pundit for guidance.

I however won’t be doing that because frankly, I don’t think the solution is very complicated.

My son, who is a toddler, is currently shielded from the horrors and absurdities of this world. But someday, he will slowly lose the eyes of a sweet little boy and begin to notice that there is more to life than Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and popsicles.  Children tend to be deceptively observant of the words and actions of their parents. They are taking inventory of everything that we do in order to build the archetype of the adult that they will be in the future.

Therefore, the key to combat this empathy deficiency is quite simple: Take responsibility for our children’s actions by first taking responsibility of ourselves. Think about it this way: You ever tell your kids that they should behave well because they are an extension of you? Well, that principle also works the other way in the sense that WE are the direct source of THEIR morality. As such, we must all increase our resolve to not just preach to our kids about how they should live their lives, but rather be that example through our daily words and actions. This means treating everyone with respect and dignity, including those who you don’t particularly like and complete strangers.  It also means never letting a day go by without letting the ones you love the most (especially your children) how much you care for them. It means doing things for the benefit of others, such as performing random acts of kindness and volunteering your time to worthwhile causes. It also means not being afraid to speak up for what you believe is right, even if it may not be the most popular view mongst your peers. It means doing all of these things, then encouraging your child to do the same.

…and the list goes on.

It is only though love that we can combat those negative influences and instill the proper values that we wish to see in our future generations.