The Royal Baby (Exclusive Photos)

I know that you are all waiting anxiously for pictures of the royal heir.

I have been given exclusive access to the hospital and am here to share with you photos that I have taken of the happy family.

Enjoy!

William and Kate entering the hospital

Our first look at the Royal Baby

Elton John visits

The Spice Girls show their support

David Bekham and Harry Potter stopped in

President Obama cleared his schedule

Finally the Queen interrupted her vacation to visit her Great grandchild

 We hope to be given this kind of exclusive access in the future.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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(Le)tting (Go)

For the past six years they have meant everything to my two boys.

Now I don't know what will happen to them.  My kids are growing up and they seem to moving on from something that has really become a part of our family.  

Legos.

They are part of our family

Thousands upon thousands of little plastic bricks and hundreds upon hundreds of minifigures just sitting by waiting for their turn again. But will it come?  The truth is my boys go through phases like I'm sure a lot of kids do and we as parents have fed their obsessions.  Whether it's been Toy Story, Star Wars, or Cars my kids get so wrapped up in it, that that's all they ask for for Christmas or their birthdays.  While some things have come and gone, one thing has remained constant... Legos.

You could always count on the boys to ask for them as gifts and I was always happy to oblige.  But things are starting to change.  Carter didn't ask for any sets for his birthday; he only wanted things that involved basketball or football.  I don't know how much he actually liked playing with them from the start, they sort of frustrated him. But Tyler was different, he could sit for hours and pretend that these guys were his friends.  

In many ways they have been. 

Tyler's birthday is this weekend and he is turning nine(!?) and this is the first birthday since he started to ask for presents that he hasn't asked us for Legos.  I knew that this day was coming, but I don't think I was fully prepared for it to arrive.  I could always count on going to the store and picking up a few sets as presents, but now the Lego aisle is starting to be one that I skip, just like the ones that have all the Star Wars, Toy Story, and Cars toys in them.

His latest obsession is baseball and more specifically the New York Mets.  While I am thrilled that he is able to find new things to love, especially something as fun as baseball is, I just wish he wouldn't move on from things from his past so soon.  

If it is so easy for him to let go, why is it so hard for me?  

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Summer Bath Schedule

Bath time lost its luster long ago.

When the kids were little, the thought of them splashing around always brought a smile to my face and bath time would take hours. Somewhere along the way everything changed. Bath time turned into an annoying splash filled soak fest (most of the time I would end up wetter than the kids.) Showers became the rage and if getting them clean took longer than two minutes you were really pressing your luck.

Fall, spring, and winter are the worst. They have to be all clean to go to school and having to do that EVERY DAY is torture. Don't say you enjoy, because you don't. Admitting it is the easiest part. Then summer roles along and every excuse NOT to give your kids a bath is used.

1. They went in the pool.
2. They went to the water park.
3. They went on a slip and slide.
4. They had a water gun fight.
5. They went in the ocean.
6. They are going in a pool tomorrow.
7. They are going to the water park tomorrow.
8. They are going to the beach tomorrow.

Basically what is boils down to is that the kids either got wet or they are going to get wet tomorrow. If they did get dirty somehow, why would you waste your time giving them a bath if there is the possibility that they might get cleaned off or dirty the next day? We can worry about it when school starts.

Summer... Why can't you last all year long?

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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The Graduate... Starring Legos

It's really hard to believe how big my kids are getting.

No sooner do you blink and six years passes right before your eyes.  My youngest has gone from this little tiny baby, to this smart, funny, energetic big kid.  Yesterday was his Kindergarten graduation. While I am not normally a fan of these types of ceremonies, it really is a time to look back at what your kid has become and where he is going.  He started the year off worried that he wasn't going to be able to read, he knew his ABCs but didn't know the entire order that they went in.  He couldn't add one plus one, and now he is basically multiplying three digit numbers together.  His growth has been amazing. In every way.

Not sure I am quite ready for that yet.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Darth Visits

We are all tough guys sitting in our easy chairs.

Sometimes I find myself yelling at the TV screen at people who I know can't hear me.  It's dumb really, but when you boo a player from your favorite baseball team, you never think about what it would be like if they were in your house... sitting right next to you.  When David Wright strikes out, you can call him a bum, but would you say that if you were in the same room?  Now I might be able to take David Wright, he's not that much bigger than me, but I think my attitude might change if I met him face to face.

What if that person on TV was Darth Vader? Side note... I had my picture taken with Darth Vader once!

Now I know that there is no way in heck I would say or do anything to piss him off if there was even the slightest chance that he would jump through my TV screen and force choke me to death.  He's Darth Vader.  He's probably the most evil character to grace the silver screen.  When he wants something, he gets it.

As you know by now I was chosen by Pringles and Lucasfilms to be an influencer in their The Force For Fun Campaign.  Each week I have shown you a video by one of the finalists in their competition and this weeks is titled "Darth Visits."  Film maker Steven Hauser shows us what happens when an on screen Darth Vader becomes very interested in a can of Pringles that a man is eating at home.  Vader uses his powers to try and wrestle the can away, but the man quips, "Not in my world."  Soon after the doorbell rings and you can pretty much guess who is there.

So now that we have visited the video, it's time to win a cool prize.  This week you can own a very cool Jawa plush doll.  It's not just any doll, it's eyes flash!  Be the envy of all of your Star Wars friends with this toy!

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Thank you all who stopped by and entered these contests over the past few weeks.  It's been a lot of fun!

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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The Roommate

We've all had that roommate.

You know the one that was always stealing our food or the one that didn't get you all of your phone messages?  We've all been there.  I had a roommate once, back in the days of dial up internet, that never unplugged his modem from the phone line.  He was also the one that had the answering machine connected, so when the modem was still plugged in, we could never get phone messages.  I was working freelance in television at the time, and while I had a beeper, I relied on the phone for work.  It took me a little to figure out why I wasn't getting any work.

Needless to say we had words one night and his television just so happened to go back into his room, leaving the rest of the house unable to watch Monday Night Raw.  Somehow I was to blame for this issue.

I know what you are thinking; beepers, dial up modems... it all seems so foreign now.

As you know I was chosen as an influencer by Pringles and Lucasfilms to help promote their Force For Fun campaign.  Each week I am showing you a video made by one of the finalists and this weeks video is titled "The Roommate." Filmmaker David Brashear shows us what happens when one possessive roommate finds out that someone is eating his Pringles.  Take a look:

So now that you have seen the video, it's time to win some prizes.  This weeks prize is an R2D2 folding chair.  You can be the envy of your town at any outdoor event with this sweet seat! Thanks for playing along!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Don't Hold Your Breath

For as along as I can remember, I've been trying to imitate the voice of Darth Vader.  If you are a guy, who hasn't.  

Every time that I put on my Darth Vader costume, which isn't that often mind you, there is this little part of you that just HAS to act out the whole character, and that includes his voice and his breathing.  Twice I went as Darth Vader for Halloween and while the costume is great, it just isn't the same if you are breathing right and force choking people.  I don't know if people in the neighborhood thought that I was funny, or if I was just being stupid.  I am sure that there were at least a few guys that looked at me like they knew I just had to take the character to the next level.

As you know I have been chosen as a Pringles and Star Wars influencer in it's Force For Fun Challenge.  Each week I am showcasing one video on behalf of Pringles and Star Wars.

This weeks The Force For Fun video takes what I used to do up a notch.  In this weeks video titled "Don't Hold Your Breath," filmmakers Matt Sklar and Colin Duffy have the main character pretend that he is talking like Darth Vader by speaking into a Pringles can.  I have to say that this is something that I have totally done, without the audience that this guy has of course.  I mean seriously if I were to walk around acting like Darth Vader someone might think I was crazy... oh wait, I've already done that.  One thing I haven't done though is thought about what it would be like to encounter the real Darth Vader acting like Darth Vader.  It might not be pretty.

Now that you've seen the video, you can enter to win this weeks cool giveaway.  Not only do you receive two cans of Pringles, but an AWESOME set of Star Wars headphones.  They would be perfect for you to listen to the Imperial March on your iPod while you are walking around town pretending to be Darth Vader.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was compensated by Pringles and Lucasfilm to help promote this competition.  All opinions are my own.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Poison Ivy... Starring Legos

I get poison ivy all the time.

I swear all it takes is for someone to say those two words and I will get a rash all over my body.  You just said it, didn't you?  For the most part I can tolerate the itching.  The problem is that it gets on your hands and well, your hands touch everything.  Your legs, your arms, your face, and well you know the rest.  There is one product that I have found works to relieve the itching for me, but it happens to be the most expensive thing on the market.  That's annoying, but not as annoying as getting poison ivy to begin with.

So I guess from now on either I go outside with a full body suit, or I hire someone to do the work for me.  I've had enough of this stupid plant.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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The Delectable Weapon

If you remember last week I told you about my nephew Dylan and his desire to only get Pringles for his birthday.  Well the family came through and he probably has more Pringles than most people in this world.  Most people that is besides me.  The day after Dylan's birthday I received a shipment in the mail from the fine folks at Pringles full of every brand of Pringles on the market.  That's 15 in all.  What a gift that would have been.

Dylan going ALL IN

Dylan hadn't see my Pringles collection until Sunday night.  I think he was amazed to say the least.  He along with my two boys decided to have a taste test to see what ones they liked and what ones they didn't.  Personally I like Sour Cream and Onion and am not a fan of the Dill Pickle.  To each his own I guess, that's why they make 15 varieties right?

So the kids decided to mix and match different Pringles together.  Some were actually quite delicious, like Ranch mixed with the Buffalo Wing variety (think happy hour... hmmm beer flavored.) Others not so much.  His first concoction was called El Diablo.  That had a mixture of Jalapeño, Barbecue, and every one of the spicy varieties that they made.  Nobody had the courage to eat it.  Then he came up with what you could call "The Delectable Weapon" something he called, ALL IN.

All In was a combination of all the Pringles that were made.  It was a something that would probably make your taste buds explode and something that you wouldn't have your worst enemy eat.  Well, Dylan tried it and needless to say, the Pringles went in, and they promptly came out.  Pleasant I know.

As you know I have been chosen to take part as an influencer in The Force for Fun video contest held by Pringles and Lucas Films

This weeks video that we are taking a look at is called The Delectable Weapon.

Film makers Ryan O'Rourke and John Griese have created a video where one guy wants to go watch a Star Wars marathon with his buddies.  The only think standing in his way is his Darth Vader like boss. With the help of his delectable weapon (Pringles) he tries to convince his boss to let him go home early.

The film makers are both lifelong Star Wars fans (who isn't?) and both lovers of Pringles.  While working on the pitch for the video, O' Rourke went through three cans of Pringles all by himself.  That sounds like something that my nephew Dylan would do.

This weeks giveaway is a talking Ewok.  I know that the Ewoks aren't everyones favorite Star Wars character, but my kids loved them when they were little.  Let's face it, they aren't Jar Jar Binks.  Just follow the instructions below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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A Drawer Full of Teeth

At some point I guess they have to go.

But when?

As it stands right now I have I have nine teeth sitting in my sock drawer in my bedroom.  They will be joined tonight by another one.  Tyler lost another tooth this morning.  Each time it happens now there is less and less fanfare involved.  There were no crazy outbursts like there used to be when he lost a tooth. He simply got a ziploc bag from the kitchen, put the tooth inside and put it under his pillow.

The tooth fairy is coming tonight.

Instead of whisking those teeth off to a far away place, she puts them in my sock drawer.  Then it's up to me to decide what to do with them.  So far I haven't a clue, much like a lot of the stuff I keep from when the kids were little.  Their first hair cuts, their first pair of shoes, even some of my favorite shirts of theirs from when they were babies.

I collect a lot of things.

But why?

Sure all of this stuff might be fun to look back on one day, but I honestly don't know if I will want to.  The thought of being an old man and rummaging through a box of teeth and old shoes might be too much for me to take.  Them getting older is something that I struggle with now, what will it be like in 20 years or even 50 if I'm still alive?

After tonight there will be ten teeth in my drawer.  Since Tyler is almost nine and learning the ways of the world, I don't know how many more teeth the Tooth Fairy will put in there.  One day that phase of our lives will be over.  Then what?

A drawer full of teeth... I might just have to leave them there.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Sounds Like a Party

I had no idea that Pringles were the go to gift for an eleven year old boy.

These are the Pringles he was hoping for

But that was the case for my nephew Dylan who last week celebrated his birthday and at the top of his list were everyone's favorite potato chips in a can.  I myself have been a huge Pringles fan my entire life.  I know that there are better things in the world to eat for a snack, but seriously I'm willing to take the chance that they are not going to kill me or make me morbidly obese. Face it, Pringles are great.

So I went out and bought him as many different cans of Pringles as I could find.  Sadly I could only come up with five at my local Walgreens.  It was going to have to do.

Apparently five cans was enough though, as he said something along the lines of it being the best present ever! (He also got a bunch more cans from other family member's so he should be set until he turns twelve.)

Wouldn't you know it that last week I was chosen to to be a Force For Fun influencer by Pringles to help promote their latest campaign involving Star Wars.  After a nationwide search for the best fan made Star Wars related Pringles ad, it is now down to the top seven.  Pringles has asked me to share these videos with you, and since it's PRINGLES and STAR WARS, who was I to say no?  In fact, now that I think about Pringles probably used some Jedi mind tricks to get me to do it.

For the next few weeks I will be sharing these videos with you and give you the opportunity to win some cool prizes.  More on that later.

This weeks video is titled "Sounds Like a Party." The two film makers Jared Hedges and Dave Cain literally grew up on Star Wars.  Hedges used to watch Return of the Jedi EVERY morning as a kid, while Cain used to make Star Wars videos where he would dress his sister as a stormtrooper.  This contest was a natural fit for them.

The idea behind their commercial is that three friends discover that eating Pringles has given them the magic ability to make actual Star Wars sounds.  They jump at the chance to recreate some of the most memorable Star Wars scenes with homemade props, costumes, and of course Pringles.

Actual movie scene on the left, recreated in the ad on the right

I have had the opportunity to watch all these videos and I have to say that they are really clever.  Given the chance to put Star Wars and Pringles together, I don't know what I would have come up with.  Chances are, probably not what Hedges and Cain were able to do:

So now it's your turn.  For the next five weeks I will be giving away prizes to one of my lucky readers. All you have to do in return is follow along and participate in the challenges outlined in the giveaway form below.  May the force be with you.

Sound like a party?

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Disclaimer:  Daddy's in Charge was compensated by Pringles to write about this contest.  His opinions about Pringles are all his own.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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The Worst Pain... Starring Legos

It seems that not a day goes by that I don't see some joke about how much it hurts to step on a Lego.  Facebook is filled with pictures that people made about how the worst pain in the world is stepping on a Lego in the middle of the night.  It might have been cute the first time I saw one of those jokes, but after the 17,896th time I have grown tired of it.  I might be the only person that just doesn't seem to find that sick kind of humor very funny.  Then again, I may be looking at things in a different way.

Why don't we all STOP making these dumb jokes and just clean up our Legos.  It will be much safer for everyone.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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The Brown Spots in My Yard

I can hear the landscapers from sun up to sun down in my neighborhood.  Now that spring has sprung everyone's yard is starting green up.  Everyone's that is but mine.

My yard has brown spots everywhere.

When we first moved into our house the yard was nice and green.  I took pride in knowing that I had the nicest crappy lawn in the neighborhood.  There were a few weeds here and there, but a little bit of fertilizer and weed killer through the years took care of that.  I've never had a landscaper mow my yard, as that is something that is soothing to me.  Perhaps it would look better if someone else did it, but at $25 a pop I would look at all the spots that they missed and just be annoyed.

So it's not as nice as the other immaculate lawns in my neighborhood, but I have learned to accept it. 

The brown spots in my yard aren't caused by a lack of care.  In fact there is a lot of care involved. That is where my boys like to play.  They run back and forth playing football, baseball, soccer, and whatever else comes into their minds.  We've hosted the Super Bowl, the World Series, and even the World Cup there.  It's not the ideal venue, but it works when you are a kid.

While it may not look as nice as some of the other yards around, I still take a lot of pride in my yard for other reasons.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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How Disney Ruined Disney

"When I see things I don't like, I start thinking why do they have to be like this, and how can I improve them?" --Walt Disney

I don't know what there wasn't to like.  It was one of our favorite parts of Disney World and now it's gone.  If you are anything like our family, Toontown was a destination that we never missed.  Sadly we will never get that chance again.

Gone are the days of touring Mickey's house or seeing Minnie in her backyard. Even as a 39 year old man there was a sense of excitement every time I walked through the doors or their respective houses.  I always admired the way that Mickey decorated his home and could never figure out why his kitchen was never completed.  We would always find new Hidden Mickeys and take a photo with his Mickey shaped pumpkins.

After a stop in his house the wait to get a picture with him in the judges tent was never more than 15 minutes.  These are the trips that I will remember.

Then the word progress reared its ugly head.

Don't get me wrong the New Fantasyland will be an amazing place when it is finally completed.  The land of Belle and Ariel is going to be one of the top destinations for years to come, much like Toontown was in the past.  What I don't understand is why with this new expansion Toontown had to be eliminated.  

I know that Dumbo is one of these classic rides that everyone says you HAVE to go on. Some guidebooks even say that you should go there first upon entering the park.  I have never been on it, but I certainly understand the appeal.  Obviously with this new expansion something had to move and of course it was Dumbo.  It is now the feature of the new Storybook Circus which has replaced Toontown. Double the size of its former self, Dumbo anchors the new section of the park along with the highly overrated Goofy Roller Coaster.

I was anxious to see the new expansion- Fantasyland is not quite done- and was excited to see the improvements that had been made.  Much to my surprise the Storybook Circus area is a classic failure in my eyes.  Crowds will inevitably flock to the Dumbo ride and wait in line for over an hour for the 30 second "thrill" that is Goofy's Barnstormer (the line the day we went was well over 90 minutes.)  What else is there? A couple of big tops where you can buy souvenirs and meet a couple of the characters.

THAT'S IT.

Gone is Pete's garage. Gone is the Donald Duck boat. Gone is the little play area where the kids can run around, gone is Minnie's house, gone is Mickey's house, and most importantly gone is lifetime of memories for my two boys.

Maybe new memories will be made.  But I kind of like the old ones.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Basketball is His Favorite Sport

Carter gets obsessed with a lot of things.

At first it was Star Wars, then Toy Story, then Cars, the Star Wars again, then Legos, then Pokemon, and now it's sports.  Most recently it's been basketball because that is what is readily available on TV.  Before basketball it was football where somehow he became a huge New Orleans Saints fan.  I blame video games for that.

Basketball is all he ever talks about nowadays.  Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony  are his favorite players, while the Oklahoma City Thunder are his favorite team.  Much like his dad, who was a huge Michael Jordan and Chicago Bulls fan, Carter is very much a front runner.  When you are six you never want to see your team lose so naturally you pick teams that always win.  That is why there are so many Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys fans my age, because when I was a kid they were always the two best teams.  We don't realize it, but unless we live in an area that has pro sports teams, we always go for the winners.  So all of you lifelong Yankee, Steelers, Cowboys, Lakers, Celtics fans... you are nothing but a lifelong bandwagoner.

From sun up to sundown, Carter has basketball on the brain.

His birthday is next week and all that he wants is a basketball hoop and a bunch of jerseys, most notably the players mentioned before.  If he isn't checking scores on ESPN, he is playing basketball on the Xbox.  If he isn't playing on the Xbox, he is up in his room playing basketball on his little toy hoop that has been hanging up since before he was born.  And that is where you can see things like this:

For a six year old he has some crazy good skills.  Of course he is good at any sport that he plays right now.  It's something that I saw in him from an early age before he could even walk.

Right now he says that he has no interest in baseball, but I don't buy it.  I never saw this obsession with basketball coming but I am on the lookout to see what's next.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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End of the Little Days

Parenting is a hard job.

Nobody said that it wasn't, but there is nothing that can prepare you for the wave of emotions that you feel at any given moment.  Kids really do keep you on your toes as you just never know what they are going to hit with you with next.  Such was the case this morning.

My oldest Tyler had the ability to grow up slowly.  He liked all the usual little kid things: Cars, Toy Story, Nemo, Mickey Mouse, and of course Legos.  There was a natural progression that I am sure most first kids go through, although he was into Star Wars before most of his friends.  He has grown out most of these things, but still loves to play with Legos.  He has an iPod now and spends a lot of his time texting and Facetiming.  Basically he is growing up into BIG kid.

Which brings me to Carter.

He doesn't wear them on his head all the time

As the younger of the two he has spent most of his childhood trying to keep up with his older brother.  That means what ever Tyler was into, Carter was as well.  Before Carter could even say any letters or numbers he could tell you who every Star Wars character was.  He never really got into shows like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse or the Doodlebops; it's almost as if he skipped a few years and graduated right to shows like Phineas and Ferb and The Clone Wars.  While little, I almost feel like he's never been a little kid.

Currently Carter is obsessed with sports, and as a dad while that is great, part of me wishes it didn't happen so early.  He'll be six next month, but sometimes I feel like he is going on 16.  He no longer plays with toys and loves watching sports on TV.  Legos are out; basketball, football, and soccer are his thing now.  He just told me the other day that he doesn't like Mickey Mouse and his character shirts were too small on him (even though they aren't.)

But I always had something to hold onto, until today.

This was one of those moments that kicks you in the gut and tells you that your kids are growing up despite your best efforts to not let them.  Out of the blue Carter decided that he didn't want to wear his little boy underwear anymore.  I was blindsided to say the least.  For the past three years while I could see him getting bigger and moving onto to older kid things, I could always count on one thing, his little Toy Story underwear.  It's almost like they were the only thing that was holding him back from being a big kid.  While he got bigger and bigger I could put those little tiny underwear on him and keep him the little kid that he should be.

Sadly that will no longer be the case.  My little guy is growing up and there is nothing I can do to stop it.  

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Dads Round Table

In case you haven't already noticed, I've gotten myself involved with a new website called Dads Round Table. On top of my own blog and writing for Parent Society and Huffington Post, this new initiative is one that keeps me pretty busy.  I'm excited about this.  The idea behind it was that a bunch of us dads could get together and share our stories and hopefully learn a little bit about this whole parenting business.  I have heard that there is strength in numbers.

Anyway, I am the Creative Director behind this whole process.  What that title means is that I hopefully can put together a bunch of really cool videos to tell a story that we couldn't otherwise tell with words.  It's what I did for a living before I became a stay at home dad, and it's what I hopefully will do when I head back into the work force one day.

To give you a little teaser of what I am trying to come up with I present you with the following:

So there will be much more to come.  I have a lot of video that I have shot of my kids over the years, it's a matter of editing it all down.  It seems that nobody likes to do that but me.

So follow along with me at Dads Round Table. You can also follow us on Twitter or Facebook if that is your thing.  Pull up a chair.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Five Things Moms Say

As I was scrolling my Twitter timeline yesterday I came across an article about "Funny Things Dads Say." I'm always curious to see if other dads sound anything like me. Usually I'm screaming at the top of my lungs for someone to stop hitting their brother or to get down off the chandelier. To my surprise the article was not written by a dad, but by a mom.

Now normally I wouldn't get so sensitive to these sort of things, but this is a place where I happen to be a writer as well. (Check out my latest!!!) I have no problem if someone wants to write a self deprecating piece about what dads say, but to hear it out of the mouth of the opposite sex is something that I am growing tired of.

I understand that women make up the majority of people that read blogs, perhaps you are one of them, and if this was turned around and I wrote a piece about what moms say I might be vilified, regardless of whether it was intended to insult them or not.

Whoops, too late:


Listen, kids run around and inevitably they are going to fall down.  As much as you want to tell them about what is going to happen, they won't truly know until they find out themselves.  It's not so bad to let them get a little boo boo every now and then.


Yeah, thanks for making us out to be the bad guy.


Grab a chair, grab a light bulb, take out the old one, put in the new one.  It's not rocket science.


Your kid is five.  It's embarrassing seeing you hold your kids hand down the slide. Let him go and catch him at the bottom, it's way more fun.  Stop acting like he is going to fall off the playground.  Chances are he won't.


Stop.  Let's wait a few weeks to see what he is into next, before you take up an entire wing in your house with this over sized soon to be lego table.


In typical guy fashion, I can't count.  But at the end of the day, you know that you've said it.  Don't drink any of that White Zinfandel crap.  You might think that you are all classy, but please go for a Cabernet, or a Red Zinfandel, or maybe even a Reisling.  While we are talking about wine, please stop bringing Pinot Grigio as a gift... that's garbage.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Life Without Dad

I don't know how it happened, but somehow my Lego doppleganger got lost.  I am usually very good with these little guys and sometimes treat them nicer than I do my own kids.  Well I clean them off when they get cream cheese or food on them anyway, that is more than I can say about Tyler and Carter.  Needless to say it's been a rough few days around here.  When dad vanishes, things just aren't the same.

Hopefully we can find him soon before, the rest of the house starts to fall apart.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Why My Son Should Be the Next Bachelor

The Bachelor is my favorite show on television.

I always get ribbed by other dads saying that I should get my "Man Card" taken away because of that.  Of course none of them actually watch the show and don't understand the appeal of 25 women fighting over one guy. Ladies, smack some sense into that husband of yours because they might just realize that YOU are pretty darn normal compared what they will witness on television.

So Sean, The Bachelor, is down to his final three women. There are places that you can go to find out who won, but what is the appeal in that? It's usually at this point in the show that I start to wonder who out of these three women will end up being the next Bachelorette.  Yes, I obsess a little too much about this, but I know I am not alone. There are scores millions of guys just like me, it's just that you don't hear from them because I am the one with the blog.

He's got muscles

All of this got me to thinking about how my son would be perfect as the next Bachelor.  Sure he is five, soon to be six, and they probably have some sort of age restriction, but he could just be the perfect guy to star in the next installment.

As you can see Carter is strong.  He is also a very capable swimmer, which will certainly come in handy for the numerous times he will end up in a hot tub or when he is bound to jump off the back of a boat in the Caribbean.  You don't have to worry about him drowning, he is most excellent in the water. In fact he is very athletic and when they need to film him in slow motion, he does like to run around with his shirt off from time to time.  Ladies LOVE that.

He knows how to have fun

He likes to go on carnival rides.  ABC likes to send the Bachelor to an amusement every year, so obviously this is a no-brainer.  I know you are probably thinking that he is a little small, but I assure you that he is almost tall enough to go on a lot of the big kid rides now.  The only rides that scare him are rides like the Haunted Mansion.  But that's perfect because it shows his vulnerability and that obviously makes women swoon.

He likes to travel. If you've seen the Bachelor you know they go all over the world.  Well, Carter is worldly as he's been to a lot foreign countries and only proceeded to cause a scene in a few of them.  All ABC has to do is NOT go to Canada, Germany, Italy, or France.  I assure you he CAN travel to those countries, but it might be best that he doesn't.  Besides he probably has outgrown a lot of those issues, but even if he hasn't, that would make for great TV. Am I right?

He can treat ladies like royalty, sometimes

Most importantly Carter loves the ladies, most of the time. When he isn't telling his mom how ugly she is, he is constantly saying how sexy she is.  In fact he calls me sexy too.  I'm pretty sure it's his ONLY word right now. Imagine what he would do with a group of 25 women. ABC could have a field day with him, and sexiness would be everywhere. To heck with Justin Timberlake, Carter would bring sexy back.

There are some minor issues obviously. He can't read, he can't do math, and he can't drive a car yet.  He still refuses to wipe his own butt and there are very rare times when he wets his bed.  The bachelorettes might have to carry him around from time to time as well. ABC can certainly just edit those parts out.

Ratings gold I tell you.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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