What Legacy of Loving Will I Leave for My Sons?

I have been to a couple of weddings in the past few months.  As one who has been married and divorced twice, I have felt myself wince each time when the couples have pledged to be together for life.

The wince registers on many levels I’m sure.  In part it registers an abiding sense of failure on my part, particularly with my second marriage.  I have two sons, now ages ten and twelve, from that marriage, and I share custody with their mother.  As I watch the boys go back and forth, with their own adaptive grace and resilience, I still think this is not the life I wanted for them and experience a sense of failure in not giving them the family life which I had hoped for them and which I worry, and sense, that they miss.

Love and Skateboarding: An Ollie at the Ends of the Earth

Photo by Tim Libretti

     

Our friend Dr. Tim Libretti had written another piece for his Fatherhood in Divorce series. For those of you that skateboard or have children that skateboard there is a lot more to it than riding a piece of wood with four wheels attached to them. 

Many years ago some Mennonite friends of mine invited me to their church for their baby daughter’s dedication ceremony.  While I cannot really speak to the finer points of Mennonite ritual, the ceremony, it might be fair to say, was the Mennonite version of a baptism, though no water was involved. 

The child received a blessing, and the parents, among perhaps other promises, confirmed themselves in their commitment to follow their daughter, in the words of the pastor, to “the ends of earth” in helping her fulfill her mission on this planet, whatever it turned out to be.

Check out Mickey and the Roadster Racers on the Big Screen!

Hey Friends, earlier this year we got the opportunity to check out the new Mickey and the Roadster Racers on the big screen before it's official release on January 16th and we are going to have that opportunity again.

TellTale Game's The Walking Dead: The New Frontier mini-review

Yesterday, Telltale Games released their latest Walking Dead game titled: The New Frontier and the Fandads got their hands on it. Now, while we did not get a chance to play both episodes yet, we are going to give you a little information on the game and our first initial reactions. 

Are you ready to rock with #RockDog?

Have you heard the one about the guard dog that wants to be a musician? If your answer is no, then check out the trailer for Rock Dog coming out next February. I really like movies that show characters going after their dreams because it's always a great message for our children. I think Rock Dog is going to be a fun movie and it has Eddie Izzard in it, so that's a bonus right there! 

The Many Faces of a #RussellDadlete. #sponsored

(Disclaimer: Russell provided the Fandads with one of their Premium Fleece Hoodies in exchange for this post. All thoughts, opinions and household chores are our own.)

In October I wrote about being a #RussellDadlete with Russell Cool Performance underwear. Back in those days, I was in pretty great shape, due to running every day as I trained for the Chicago Marathon. Since running the marathon, my running routine has dwindled down to the point where I hardly run anymore. Now how is a dad going to maintain the title of #Russelldadlete if he is not taking care of himself?  Let us look at what his options are.

Sharing photos made easy with Amazon Prime Photos. Plus a chance to win a $500 gift card provided by Amazon.com

(Disclaimer: Thanks to Amazon for sponsoring this post and providing prizes for the giveaway. All thoughts and opinions are our own.) 

The holidays are coming up and we all know what that means; time to take a million pictures of every thing your family does from the minute they walk in the door to the final gift being opened. So what happens to all those photos after the big day? Most of the time they end up downloaded on your computer to free up space on your phone or they end up in the cloud and are never seen again.  

Watching the Golden Globes with St. Jude

Photo courtesy of St Jude

With the announcement of the Gloden Globes yesterday, you might start thinking about where you are going to see it. Have you ever thought of dressing up and watching the show at a big event? Did I mention that this event is simultaneously taking place in four other cities and everyone that is gathered there is supporting a great cause? If your answer is yes, you should check out the St. Jude Red Carpet for Hope.

Creating a new routine to #ElevateTheSeason. #Sponsored

(Disclaimer: The Fandads were compensated with product and payment for our review of BulletProof Coffee. All words and opinions are our own.)

It's kind of ironic that in this month, the month of December, when children everywhere are eagerly anticipating Santa Claus to arrive with presents for them, I was the one that was eagerly awaiting a package from our friends at Bulletproof Coffee to arrive for me. Yes, I was looking out the window every time I would see the mail carrier, FedEx or UPS truck pull up to the front door wishing that today would be the day. After a few more days of grueling anticipation, it finally arrived.

Rogue One World Premiere and Giveaway

With Rogue One: A Star Wars Story coming out this week, the Fandads and Fandango have teamed up for an important mission for our friends. We have been given 10 gift cards...wait a minute! It seems like 2 cards have gone rogue and will appear later this week on our Facebook Page, but if you would like to win one of the eight cards keep reading.

Spider-Man: Homecoming Trailer

When I first found out that Spider-Man was going to be in Captain America: Civil War, I got really excited. I mean, Spider-Man has been one of my favorite superheroes since I was little and to see him again on the big screen with the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was just mind-blowing. It was great to see how they captured his humor and quirkiness in the few scenes that he was in and knowing that they were going to make a new movie with this version of Peter Parker was also intriguing.

New Rogue One Creature Featurette

With Rogue One hitting theaters next week, more and more commercials are being released giving us insight into the movie. This past Sunday, a new featurette was released that focuses on the new creatures we will see in the Rogue One. I guess you can call it a "Creaturette."! (Yes, dad jokes for the win!) 

Thankful for being able to keep a promise

(Note: I started this post during my first week at my new job and as it sat in the draft queue it changed a little. I hope you enjoy it.) 

This past week has been one of new challenges and some heartbreak. You see, I started a new job and as you can see from the picture above I am working in the downtown area. Everyday this week, I have been waking up at the crack of dawn, hopping on the train and spending eight hours in a building by the river, which I guess is better than living in a van down by the river, but let's get back on point.

Moana Movie Review

During the middle of Moana, the Demi-god Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson) makes a sly joke about most Disney movie princess stereotypes when Moana says she's is not a princess. I'm paraphrasing, but he says something to the extent of "You're the daughter of a chief with a animal for a best friend. That makes you a princess." Moana (played by newcomer Auli'l Carvalho) is more than that and I'm glad that my daughter and I got to experience this movie together, because Moana, like Ana and Elsa, show that being strong and independent is a great thing to be. 

Secret Life of Pets Blu-ray giveaway!

What do our pets do when we are not around? If you ask me, I think my dog has parties or finds a way to crawl into our bed and sleep. Now, while my imagination can only go so far when thinking about what she does when we are away, The Secret Life of Pets gives us a somewhat look into what our pets might be doing when we are away.

Are you ready for Moana?

Disney's Moana will be here before you know it and we have some fun activity sheets to share with you. I mean, what is not fun about coloring, making bookmarks or playing a memory game. Keep reading to see how you can download the acitivty sheets and how to win a Moana prize pack. 

Now What? We keep moving Forward

A few nights ago my daughter wanted to stay up with me and watch history happen. Sadly, that was not the case. My daughter fell asleep early and did not see Donald Trump become the President Elect for the United States of America. It sounds a little strange to say "United States of America" when the campaign run by this man seems to have divided the country. So what do we do now? How do we explain this to our children? What is our next step?

Chicago Toy and Game Week is Coming! #chitag

It's our favorite time of year again! It's almost time for the annual Chicago Toy and Game Fair and the Fandads will be there to cover all the fun and games that there will be on display. 

KUBO and the TWO STRINGS Blu-ray release and Giveaway

One of the movies that we saw this year that instantly became one of our favorites was Kubo and the Two Strings and it is coming to Digital HD on November 8 and on Blu-ray November 22.

What the Chicago Cubs win means to me.

By the time you read this, it would have finally happened: Chicago Cubs are World Series Champions. It's pretty crazy to say that and it's even crazier to see it happen. 

Peppa Pig: Sun, Sea and Snow DVD review

The one cool thing about cartoons is that they get recycled with your children. You spend countless hours watching one show with your child and when they grow out of it, you find yourself back watching the same how with your second child years later. One of those shows that have gone through that rotation in my house is Peppa Pig.

New LEGO Dr. Strange Poster

With the release of Dr. Strange in a few days Marvel has released a new poster for the movie. As you can see this is the teaser poster redone in LEGO form. You can see the original poster below. 

Are You Ready to Boo it Forward?

(Disclaimer: The Fandads were provided with promotional materials for this post. All thoughts, opinions, and haunted ghosts are our own. Although if someone can get these ghosts, that would be greatly appreciated.)

With Halloween just around the corner, it means that it's almost time for a new tradition to start sweeping around the neighborhood. It's time to #BooItForward! What's that, you have never heard of this? Well, let me tell you about this fun tradition that has been picking up steam for the past few years.

Join Disney Junior at the Movies!

One staple in our household has always been Disney Junior. When my daughter was younger we would constantly have that channel on and do the "Hot Dog" dance with Mickey Mouse, get "ready" for our check-up with Doc McStuffins and "talk" to the animals like Sofia the First.

Steve Dillon

I'm not sure any of us are going to make it out of 2016.

I just found out that Steve Dillon passed away. For those of you that aren't familiar with his work, you may have heard of the new AMC show Preacher based on the comic he co-created with Garth Ennis. I grew up reading the books he worked on including Hellblazer, Preacher, and of course The Punisher.

The Punisher has always been my favorite comic book character and when I picture him I can't help but picture him the way Dillon drew him. Bullseye and so many other iconic characters looked their best when done by Dillon. The current Punisher series is always the first book I read on my pull list and it's not going to be the same without him.

Rest easy Mr. Dillon.

"Do you want a hug?" New Guardians of the Galaxy poster and teaser trailer released.

With the huge #DoctorStrangeEvent going on in California right now, Marvel has decided to release a treat for their fans to whet their appetite for the next movie in their line up: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Earlier today the first teaser poster was revealed showing the entire group just relaxing against a wall with little Groot almost hidden by Star Lord's boot, and a few minutes later the first teaser trailer was released. 

So much good stuff in this trailer and again some hilarity on how Drax is still trying to understand humans. What's with Rocket and Yondu walking all calmly with bodies falling around them? Also, is that Nebula that has the cloak removed from her? We'll find out the answer to all these questions when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 comes out next year on May 5th, 2017. 

Make sure to follow Guardians of the Galaxy on their social pages, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay up to date with all the latest Guardians news. 

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Character Posters Revealed

Jyn Erso

This past weekend has been great for Star Wars fans. With the upcoming release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story yesterday new character posters were released and each of these posters are pretty awesome. Check them out! 

I ran the Chicago Marathon and I feel fine!

As I was approaching the Charity Block Party at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, I could feel the energy from the tents of all the participating charities. My legs were starting to get tired but the energy and support from these tents gave me an extra boost to continue for a few more blocks.

I say a few more blocks because my thighs were starting to hurt, they were not cramping up, but it sure felt like it. I tried to block it out and keep running, but the pain was too much that I signaled to my running partner to keep going, hoping that I would catch up with him eventually. I started walking to soothe my legs and started thinking to myself "Why are you doing this?" "Do you think you can really finish?" I knew as soon as those thoughts started coming into my head I was in for some trouble.

The beginning of something big.

You know how when you see an amazing movie or hear a song that just blows your mind, you want to tell everyone about it? Next thing you know you have so much you want to say that it doesn't make sense or you end up sounding like a nonsensical idiot. Well, that's how I feel about my posts for St. Jude. I have so much I want to say, but I do not know where to begin. So let's begin at the beginning.

The Fandads are St. Jude Ambassadors.  It's kind of strange to say, or in this case, type that out, but we are St. Jude Ambassadors. In the past I ran the Warrior Dash as a St. Jude Warrior and in October I will be running the Chicago Marathon as a St. Jude Hero, but to say that we are ambassadors is pretty big. So what does this mean for the Fandads? What's going to happen in the coming months? Well, let's tell you a little about it.

This Fandad becomes a #Russelldadlete and it's pretty cool...down there.

(Disclaimer: The Fandads were provided with a pair of Russell CoolForce Performance Underwear in exchange for this post. All thought, opinions, tired legs and sweaty body parts are our own.) 

Ok, I know the title might be a little weird to you right now, but it will all be explained in due time. 

Lately, I have been running a lot. I am training for the Chicago Marathon so everyday I have miles to log for my training. With my daughter going back to school and my wife having a week off of work, I knew it would be the perfect time to log those miles after I dropped her off in the morning. 

Walking to school and prepared to run. 

Long Way North Movie Review

It's always great when you watch a movie with your daughter that has a strong female character in it. In a world where we see more princesses becoming independent, it's great when a movie comes along that shows a character finding her independence and gaining strength from it. In the movie LONG WAY NORTH, we see the two voyages with the main character Sacha: an internal voyage and external voyage.

Remembering The Exorcist #Giveaway

I remember seeing The Exorcist when I was a little boy. I saw most of the movie with my hands over my ears and my eyes closed. Just hearing Regan's demonic voice scared the crap out of me and I remember I would see her face everywhere after that movie ended. That movie really scared me.

Run like the wind or Look at me trying to be sporty 104

I know that is not how the songs goes, but it would have been strange to title this post "Run like the wind, Bullseye!" because I am not a fast runner like Bullseye the horse was. Since our last episode, I am still training for the upcoming Chicago Marathon.

The program I am on has me running 4 to 5 days a week and it has not always gone as planned. There have been a few hiccups here and there, but what has been bothering me lately is my running playlist.

Keep the party going with the Drizly app. #HeinekenSummer #Sponsored

Disclaimer - The Fandads received payment in the form of a gift card and coupon codes to try out Drizly from Smiley360. All thoughts and opinions are our own. You can join Smiley360 here. 

Hey friends, have you ever been in either of these situations: 1. You are invited to a party and on the way there you forget to buy drinks for the host or 2. You are having a lot of fun at your party and the beer runs out, but you do not want to do a beer run for fear of missing out on the fun that you and your guest are having. 

If these situations sound familiar, then you need to download the Drizly app before your next party. Let me tell you how this app came in handy and how easy it was to use. 

Kubo and the Two Strings review

From the nods to Ray Harryhausen and Akira Kurosawa, KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS is an instant masterpiece that will please all who watch it. Now I know that sounds like a big claim to make, but this movie is a breath of fresh air.

Cooking dinner in minutes with Minute® Ready to Serve Rice. #ReadySetServe

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine  alone. #ReadySetServe #CollectiveBias

When I was younger my dad cooked for us all the time. One of his first jobs when he came to America was a line cook at a local pancake house. For breakfast on the weekends my father would make my sisters and me different kinds of pancakes. He would make us: chocolate, strawberry or banana pancakes and we always loved eating them.

Unboxing and Reviewing the LEGO Nexo Knights

Disclaimer: The Fandads received a free AXL LEGO Nexo Knights figure for this review, but all words and opinions are our own. 

LEGO has been a big part of my life since I was a little boy. One of my favorite LEGO sets was the Police Rescue Boat that my parents got me one year.  I would play with that boat wherever there was water.

I stopped collecting LEGOs for a while, but started up again once they started making Star Wars sets. I loved the fact that I could create my favorite scenes and vehicles and then create something entirely new once I finished building one of my sets. That's the great thing about these sets: They let your build whatever your imagination wants to make.

What's coming soon from Hasbro?

The San Diego Comic-Con has come and gone and in it's wake it has left us with a barrage of images of toys that will be out later this year. Man, my wallet is already starting to hate me. Some of the toys we have highlighted below are from the Star Wars line and the Marvel Legends series. Which figures will you pick up when they are released? 

Frito-Lay helps children get wild this summer!

With summer already underway, parents are trying to find ways to keep their children busy and active until school starts. When it comes to my family, we try to be frugal with our summer adventures and try to take advantage of everything that our city has to offer us. One thing that we like to do is look online for offers that can save us a few dollars and luckily Frito-Lay® and Quaker Chewy® Bars are here to help us out again.

Passing the Torch

Pokemon GO! Am I right? It's taking over the nation, nay, the world. It's everywhere but don't worry this isn't another blog about Pokemon Go.

Not that I've gotten to play that much anyway.

It's about the Pokemon trading card game! Sort of. Anyway, my daughters have been into Pokemon for about a year now. They started watching the show on Netflix and my oldest slowly became interested in the trading card game. Of course this was a huge moment for me. I've played trading card games on and off for over half of my life and I was excited to have another hobby I could share with my kids.

Xbox One Latest news and Comic-Con

As much as I love video games, my time to play has become limited due to work and my children. When I do play, it's mostly family games that I can play with my daughter. I have yet to upgrade to the latest Xbox One, but that is all about to change in hopefully the coming months. Here's why.

LEGO Ninjago is coming to Chicago!

If you are a fan of the LEGO Ninjago series, you are in for a treat this weekend in Chicago. The Orland Park Toys R Us is having a special Ninjago event that you can be a part of and potentially win a few prizes including a trip to LEGOLAND California. If you can't make the trip to Orland park keep reading to find out how you can win the Jay's Elemental Dragon set you see above. 

May the Force be with us! A look at what's to come from ROGUE ONE.

If you were living in a bubble this weekend or too busy playing Pokémon Go, you might have missed out on some MAJOR Star Wars news revealed at Star Wars Celebration Europe. During the ROGUE ONE: A Star Wars Story panel, the poster for the movie was released to the public. The poster shows a battle taking place on the beach with the Death Star ominously looming in the background. But, that is not all the news that was announced.

Conquering the Spartan Race or Look at me trying to be Sporty 103.

See that photo above? That's the look of victory! That's the look of accomplishment! That could also be the look of me saying, "Ow! You're standing on my toe!" In actuality, that's the look of redemption, at least for me. If you remember my post from my last Spartan Race I was on a mission this time. A mission that I prepared for and felt confident with at the starting line. A mission that took me almost four and a half hours to complete. Yep, four and a half hours!

What is your Dad Truth?

This past year at Dad 2.0, LEGO was asking dads to write out their Dad Truths that would be LEGO-ized at a later time. Well, a few weeks ago I received the image above with my Dad Truth: "Always try your best. You'll be surprised what can happen."

It's time for the Fandads Father's Day Guide 2016 #FDFDG2016

Disclaimer: Fandads were not compensated for this post. We did receive some of the items to review and affiliated links will be disclosed. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

Dad jokes, we all know we love them and we better be prepared to hear some this coming Father's Day. We here at Fandads have a few jokes up our sleeves, but first we wanted to share with you some ideas that we thought would make some great gifts for Father's Day 

#ThanksBaby for making me who I am today.

Disclosure: I have partnered with Life of Dad and Pampers promotion. 

In the picture above a lot of things are going through my head: "Don't drop her!" "Is this mask scaring you?" "Do you know what it means to be scared?" and "What is going to happen now?" Although all of this was going through my head, the main thing on my mind was relief.

I ran how many miles? or "Look at me trying to be Sporty 102"

First off, as you can see, this episode of me being a Sporty Dad is sequentially numbered from the previous ones. I felt that I needed to start doing this, because with the numbers going everywhere, I did not want people to think that I was traveling through time doing all of these events. So from this day forth, the numbers will be in order. 

Being A Smooth Dad with the #Mach3Signature Razor #AD

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #Mach3Signature #CollectiveBias

Can dads be smooth? Of course we can! Even though we are somewhat portrayed as bumbling idiots on television every now and then, dads can be the smoothest men in the room sometimes. Yeah, it took me a while to open up the packaging in the picture above, but that doesn't mean anything. I mean, we obviously had to be smooth if we got our wives to marry us, am I right? Anyone? Anyone?

Rethinking Snack time with Revolution Foods #Sponsored

(Disclaimer: Thank you to Revolution Foods for this giveaway. Although we did receive some of their products to write this post, all views and opinions are our own.) 

The first time my daughter went on a field trip for her school she asked if I can draw something on her lunch bag to make it easy for her to recognize. Ever since that trip she always tells me what movie or cartoon characters she wants and I try to draw them to the best of my ability. Now while the outside of the bag looks pretty cool, what's inside the bag is a little more important.