Thingamababy

Part 1: How to build a fun cardboard fort

AJ — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:21:14 +0000

In this installment we discuss spending 8 to 24 hours converting a room in your home to an awesome cardboard fort. I’ve done it three times, for my daughter’s 3rd, 5th and 6th birthdays. In Part 2, we’ll discuss a simple, low-key alternative for a year-round fort that will be the best toy your child will [...]

World’s worst baby name generator

AJ — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 05:07:35 +0000

Thanks BabyZone. Click the “girl names” or “boy names” buttons. For added fun, click “boy or girl names” and make it a gender-guessing game. Click your browser’s reload/refresh button for more. I like Ndirt for a boy and Sonar for a girl.

My best Craigslist ad ever

AJ — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 23:45:37 +0000

In my local baby/kids forum: I have one cardboard room free for pick-up. You will need a truck and some method of securing it to the bed, otherwise it will fly. (I know from prior experience.) It measures 82 inches long, 36 inches wide and is 36 inches tall. It is technically three cardboard lids secured by [...]

Using fire as an educational tool

AJ — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 01:08:02 +0000

The best family-friendly event held this weekend in my community wasn’t found on any event calendar. It was in the news section of the newspapers under such tantalizing headlines as “Live fire training planned.” At 10 a.m., a cadre of fire engines converged on a barren wasteland — a former field populated by natural grasses and [...]

Advice needed: picking a boy’s name

AJ — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 04:20:19 +0000

Thinga-googler Ed is in a debate with his wife over what to name his unborn child if it comes out sporting a penis. If it has a vagina, it’ll get his mother-in-law’s name. But the penis problem has Ed vexed. It seems some of the more interesting names you folks suggested in my Name My Baby [...]

A father’s message for abortion protestors

AJ — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:04:04 +0000

The Daddy Files is written by Aaron, a father with one son. He’s married, has two cats and one dog. They are trying to give birth to a second child. Here is a progression of recent events: 1. All out of miracles — Their last ultrasound reveals Sirenomelia, Mermaid’s Syndrome, a fatal defect almost as rare as [...]

Learning how to ride a bike

AJ — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 19:28:26 +0000

I don’t care. I laughed anyway. That’s Simon Pegg (responsible for awesomely funny movies) in the BBC sketch comedy Big Train. Don’t bother looking for it on the BBC America channel because that channel is in love with Star Trek: The Next Generation reruns. (Having one British actor in an American-made TV program qualifies Star Trek [...]

Update: Kids and football

AJ — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 07:09:31 +0000

It seems I’ve worried my parents by not blogging for a week. Here’s an update on my previous post, Using football to raise a world-wise child. Our almost entirely TV-free home has been obliterated in the name of watching World Cup games with my 6-year-old daughter. I bought a sparkly new 40″ TV and subscribed to cable, [...]

Live blogging a proud moment

AJ — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 18:24:27 +0000

As I type, my daughter has a friend over. Our front room is completely occupied by a massive cardboard fort. They are not in it. It’s sunny outside, the temperature is pleasant, and we have two swings hanging from our tree. They are not on them. They are sitting on a couch in our family room. [...]

A Grinchy T-Shirt

AJ — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:47:04 +0000

It’s okay as long as you don’t encounter any elementary school-age children. [Available from Zazzle]