Learn about 10 no-prep nature adventures to embark on with kids!
Tag: dad
The 5-Minute Dad Hack: Making Connections When Time is Tight
Feeling like you’re constantly juggling deadlines and diaper changes? You’re not alone. For today’s working fathers, finding quality time with kids often feels like searching for a matching sock in the laundry pile – possible but rarely successful. The Working Dad’s Dilemma The struggle is real. Between back-to-back meetings, urgent emails, and urgent meetings that…
Chop Wood, Carry Water
Chop Wood, Carry Water, and appreciate what you’ve got.
He’ll Make A Great Lawyer Someday…
The art of negotiating with a toddler
Coming Soon – Attack Of The Fifty Food Toddler
Coming soon! – Attack Of The Fifty Foot Toddler – They grow up so fast…
Thanksgiving With A Toddler
Today is the big kick off of the holiday season. For most of us, it will be the first inevitable family gathering of the season. Since this could set the tone for how public outings go for your toddler over the next month, it might be important to pull some tools out of your utility…
One Of The Hardest Things About Being A Dad In 2019
Hey there Incredidads. Maybe you haven’t noticed but I haven’t flipped on the IncrediSignal in a few weeks. I hope you haven’t noticed because that means, like me, you are trying to vanquish one of the vilest super-villains an IncrediDad can face; putting down the phone. In the Disney/Pixar film “The Incredibles”, the heroes face…
Picture Day
Day care sent home a letter that Picture day is next week. Now maybe it’s because we have cameras on our phones these days but I started asking myself, do I really need that? Don’t I have three hundred pictures of Boy Wonder in the same pose already? “Oh look! There’s another one of him…
From Gotham to Green Acres
IncrediDad discovers his Go Green super powers.
Super Hero Training
IncrediDad’s fall from Super Hero to Arch Villain
Pledge Week At Day Care
Forget about learning shapes, colors, and numbers at Day Care. I’ve got a theory about what really happens after we drop off our kids and head to work. To get the scoop, I’ve sent my faithful sidekick, Boy Wonder, deep under cover, to reveal what really happens over a week at daycare. At pick up…
On To The Next Adventure
Embracing change could be the greatest super power of all.
Save Money On Your Next Hotel Stay!!!
A road trip from California to New York with a toddler and a cat was unpredictable at best. The last thing that we wanted to worry about was making “good time” getting to a specific hotel every night. Have you ever noticed that Dads have an obsession with “making good time”? Not once have I…
National Lampoon’s Cross-Country Vacation
Cannibals, Cat, and more of the first day of our cross-country road trip.
Our San Franciscan Day
The first leg of our big road trip!
Raising Children Who Could Change The World
“There’s a lot of ugly things in this world, son. I wish I could keep ’em all away from you. That’s never possible.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird I read to Boy Wonder every night before bedtime. He listens for about a half and hour and then passes out for the night. So…
A House Is Not A Home
Moving day, Memories, and Moving On
Don’t Lie Or I’ll Tell Santa
Every parent lies to their kid and that is a fact. But I like to think of it as acting. In my humble opinion, if any casting agent witnessed the performances I’ve turned in to my kid, they’d have me on Broadway, Motion Pictures, maybe even Netflix! When I read “Car, Car, Truck, Jeep” for…
Table Manners, Toddlers, and A Tale Of Two Cities
An old childhood trauma resurfaced when I read an article in The Sunday Times today. The author, India Knight, talked about Etiquette vs. Manners. I’ve always found etiquette intimidating; a feeling that has recently returned since the birth of my son. Anyone with a toddler who can spin in circles faster the Tasmanian devil would…
Choose Your Own Adventure
For me, there is nothing more stressful than finishing a chapter of a Choose Your Own Adventure novel. Two-Face has Robin dangling over a vat of acid. You only have time to save Boy Wonder or catch the crook. Do you: a) Throw your batarang to slice through Robin’s ropes, or b) Tackle Two-Face and…
Translating For Boy Wonder
Boy Wonder’s vocabulary is expanding every day. It seems like just yesterday he said his first words, Da-da. Of course he did say that yesterday and this morning too. Basically whenever he wants something I get summoned with a hearty “Da-da!”. These days he says plenty of words clearly “Car!”, “Trucko!”, “Ice Cream Man!”, and…
Updated Resume and CV
Dear Selection Committee Of My Future Career, Being an IncrediDad is by far the most rewarding career I’ve ever had but even Bruce Wayne needed a day job. The last time I had to update my resume and cover letter, Barrack Obama was still serving his first term as President of the United States, The…
Simple Distractions
Simple Distractions – a new IncrediDad blog post
Spending Time With Your Sidekick Even When Life Is Busy.
Spending Time With Your Sidekick Even When LIfe Is Busy.
Excuses
Excuses. I’ve got a million of them.
Dance Class With IncrediDad and Boy Wonder
Up until a month ago, I thought a pirouette was a kind of cookie. Turns out, it is a dance move. You see, Boy Wonder has been taking Ballet Class once a week and we are both learning so much. For example, you wouldn’t believe how many ballet terms sound food related: Sauté (so-Tay): please…
I’m Alfred, Not Batman
All these years, I thought I was Batman. It turns out I’m Alfred.
Swimming Tips For Toddlers Under Two
If mermaids were real then my son would be Aquaman. He loves bath-time, shower-time, trips to the pool, and a day at the beach. If there’s water involved, Boy Wonder will play until his fingers are nice and pruny. Being part fish runs in the family though. IncrediMom and I are both swimmers from way…
Auld Lang Syne
Parents, tonight when the ball drops and everyone is trying to sing the song they can’t remember the words to, replace those “Auld lang syne” lyrics with “days gone by”. You’ll be able to sing along with confidence knowing the song’s true meaning. And know that, when you refill your glass, you’re celebrating not the days…
The Boubons
What to do when the common cold strikes your home!
Top 3 Unexpected Ways That Fatherhood Changed My Life
Top 3 Unexpected Ways Fatherhood Changed My Life
Incredible Leadership Lesson: First Aid Kits
Incredible Leadership Lesson: First Aid Kits
Incrdedible Leadership Lessons: Love and Patience
Incredible Leadership Lessons are back!
The First Year
A letter to Boy Wonder on his 1st Birthday.
The Sesame Effect
How am I supposed to teach my son to embody love when we live in a country that always seems on the brink of a second civil war? Between Twitter wars, gender politics, President Trump, and race relations, we are living in an age of outrage. How exhausting is that? Thankfully there is still one…
Another Super-Power Discovered
Another Super-Power Discovered
Future Engineer – A Student Of His World
Future Engineer – A Student Of His World
Meals You Know By Heart
In which our hero learns to defeat his own laziness by cooking healthy foods he knows how to make by heart.
Coffee vs. Red Bull vs. Water
A cage match of our favorite caffeinated beverages!
The One That Got Away
I’m fond of our bed. Bex would be surprised to hear that because I frequently said otherwise about this pile of mattress and metal when we first started dating. It was a love/hate relationship back then. You see, the bed actually belonged to Bex first. She was so proud of it because it was the first…
Where Is My Super-Suit?
Batman has his cowl. Superman wears his tights. James Bond slips into a tuxedo like it’s his second skin. Indiana Jones never loses his hat. The Incredidad wears a tee-shirt and shorts. All of these men have three things in common: They’ve all saved the world from time to time. They have their own version…
Tips For Traveling With A Baby – Part II
This is your captain speaking. We’re cruising at 30,000 feet with blue skies ahead…Hold on…I’ve just received word that someone has brought a baby on board. Folks buckles in and stay seated. You’re in for a rocky flight. After watching the other passengers avoid us like we were diseased, the flight attendants glare at us…
Tips For Flying With A Baby – Part 1
Your Pre-Flight Check List If the CIA really wanted to get their terrorist suspects to talk, they should force them to take a long flight with a baby on their lap. That kind of unconstitutional torture is exactly what Bex and I willingly submitted too last month. If I had any State Secrets to share,…
It Takes A Village
When my cousins and I were little, my Gramma’s brother, Uncle Jack, would bring his family down to visit our wild tribe every once in a while. I was too young to experience it first hand but I’ve been told that he would always remark how everyone just seemed to pitch in when it came…
Acting Like A Super Villain
Bex, if you’re reading this, stop now. Just close it. X out and go do something else. If any other Incredi-Reader is near her, please take her phone and throw it out the window because we all know she’s not going to listen me. Waiting…waiting…Okay is she gone? Good. Today I’m going to talk about…
When Your Secret Identity Becomes Your Only Identity
We Lost Our Identity To Parenting! Last night we got Boy Wonder to bed pretty early (seven-thirtyish), which left Bex and I a few hours to ourselves. The nights when this happens are few and far between. We operate on different schedules and wind up being home together only two nights a week. Now, you…
Breastfeeding – A Guest Post by Bex!
If you’re like us, then the Trump Administration’s opposition to breastfeeding stunned you as much as it did the United Nations-affiliated World Health Assembly. So Bex decided to write a Guest Post about her own experiences with breastfeeding. As always, please join us in the conversation by adding to the comments below. ~The IncrediDad …
Daddy’s Test Kitchen: Avocado 2 Ways
Up until a few months ago, I had never eaten an avocado in my life. I’ve been told that’s a sin in Southern California. So after seven years of living out here I finally broke down and tried one. It was among the tastiest fruits I’ve ever had. Avocado is light, versatile, and you don’t…
IncrediDads: Top 5 Superhero Dad Quotes
While the greatest heroes seem to stand tall on their own, there is usually a pretty strong father figure who helped pull them to their feet in the first place. We can learn a lot from dad figures like Alfred Pennyworth, Jor-El, Uncle Ben, Joe West, Thomas Wayne. The thought came to me as I’ve been…
Time Flies
Now that we are half-a-year into this adventure, I think I’m finally ready to admit something. Time always seems to be the one thing I can’t get enough of. Coincidentally, it’s also something that won’t go by fast enough. From the beginning, time was the IncrediDad’s arch enemy. It didn’t seem like there was enough…
Lettuce Turnip The Beet
I’ve always loved eating. Whenever someone tries to talk to me about physical fitness I am too happy to correct them. “Fitness? More like fitness whole pizza in my mouth!” But the rising numbers on my scale have really turned the punchline of the joke into an elastic waistline. As much as I love food, I…
Jaws
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the nursery . . . he’s back! This time with teeth. At 7 months, Boy Wonder is biting his way through everything he can (Daddy’s fingers, cheeks, and nose included) with his two razor sharp teeth. He’s also producing enough drool to fill a…
Super Sitter
Like the Joker said, “Hubba, hubba, hubba. Money, money, money. Who do ya trust?” No really, he said it. Batman 1989. Go cue up your old VHS tape if you don’t believe me. Jack Nicholson may have just been vamping before his showdown with Batman but I took it as one of those “life” questions….
Oh Crap! – There’s A Baby In My Bathroom
I’m talking about the bathroom. We’ve all been there. But have we all been there with a freshly crawling baby? It’s a super-heroic feat in itself. It was also one of those things that no one warned me about before becoming a dad. I had to learn it the hard way. So IncrediDads-to-be, this post…
Shakespeare In The Tub
Have you heard about the hottest new show in town? Forget anything on Broadway this season. If you want to see one of the most energetic performances of this year, head on over to the Bath-tub Amphitheater to see the resident artists The Royal Feathertons. One critic said that their latest performance of “Quackbeth” left the…
Three Types of T.V. Dad Stereotypes
What’s up with the TV Dad stereotypes?
If I Used My Head, I Wouldn’t Have To Use My Feet
The other day, I had to take the IncrediMom Mobile into the shop. Now, IncrediDad thought he would be using his head by leaving before IncrediMom and Boy Wonder. Our mechanic has a nice waiting area, free coffee, and wifi. Really, there are worse places to be stranded without a car for a few minutes….
The Death And Life Of IncrediDad
At some point, early on in this crazy adventure called Fatherhood, I realized that I put a lot of unnecessary expectations on myself. I felt like a real world superhero. I seemed invincible, unstoppable, and beacon of hope. It didn’t take much time for Boy Wonder to bring my ego down a few pegs. It…
Parenting Is Like A Puzzle
Parenting can be a like a puzzle with one piece that is eternally missing. But every day, I add another piece that makes the task a little less daunting. Think of it like car maintenance. It’s a giant machine that should work. Should. But sometimes, it stops and you don’t know why. There are so many…
Dads Are No Babysitter . . . But We Probably Need One
I’m no babysitter, but I almost felt like one the other night. During our work week, I’m the morning parent and Bex is the nighttime parent. That’s been part of our routine since she went back to work. So far, it’s worked out pretty good for us. Famous last words, right? On Wednesday, Bex picked…
Look Who’s Talking Now
While I was getting busy talking about Incredible Leadership last week, Boy Wonder was doing something incredible himself. He said his first words. That’s right, he can talk now folks! Bex brought him to see me at work the other day and as we were saying goodbye, I could not believe my ears. I heard…
Incredible Leadership: Super Team
This is part 7, the last and final part of my series on Incredible Leadership. Click the links to read parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6. This post is dedicated my super team – to everyone who has helped become the leader I am today. There are too many to mention by name,…
Incredible Leadership: Change Is Inevitable
Part 6 of my week-long Incredible Leadership series. Click the links to read parts 1,2,3,4, and 5. In the beginning, we all wanted to save the world. That’s what superheroes do. But times change and so do the people around us. Attitudes evolve. Change is inevitable. Leaders must change to forge a better future. The world…
Incredible Leadership: Integrity
Part 5 of my Incredible Leadership Series. Click the links to read parts 1,2,3, and 4. A hero is only as good as his . . . integrity? You better believe it. A good leader and an Incredible Father does the right thing, even when he thinks no one is looking. Not doing so has…
Incredible Leadership – Three Ways I Handle Conflict
Part 3 of my week-long Incredible Leadership Series. As IncrediDad, it’s my job to lead Boy Wonder as he trains for life’s greatest adventures. But what if our family couldn’t conquer a baby meltdown or the morning routine because daddy had a bad attitude? That brings me to today’s Incredible Leadership Lesson – Three Ways…
Incredible Leadership: R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Day 2 of my series on Incredible Leadership You can check out Day 1 here! Like Aretha told us, it all starts with a little respect. It’s the golden rule that your mom talked about all those years ago, “Treat others like you want to be treated”. Whether I’m talking to my six month old…
Incredible Leadership: When Batman Met Robin
Day 1 of my week long series on Incredible Leadership. No matter how many times I save the world, prevent a spill, or soothe a crying kid, another problem will arise to take it’s place. Some days, it feels like a never ending cycle of change the diaper, stop a bad guy from robbing the…
Fascination With Facetime
A New Blog Post from www.TheIncrediDad.com
Mother’s Day – A Woman So Important, They Gave Her An Entire Day
I am undeniably lucky to have married a woman like Bex. She is energetic, hard-working, and takes incredible care of Luke and I. That’s because she’s an amazing wife, mother, and person. You better believe I’m sucking up here. Why? Because I love her. Without her, I’d be doing all the chores, laundry, changing diapers,…
This Is Why Superman Works Alone
Just after our wedding, minutes after Bex and I said I do, Uncle Mike came up to me shaking his head, looking so disappointed. “You had once chance to work ‘obey’ into the vows.” If only I had listened to him. Life would have been a lot easier if I had. Bex and I used to…
Stressed Out
Stress isn’t fun to talk about. Usually, I sweep mine under the rug and dance around like it’s not there. Why? Because we all have it. The only thing that makes my stress more important than yours is that it’s mine. So, I won’t sit here and bore you with my problems because you’ve got…
Boy Wonder Discovers His Own Superpower
Parenting requires a ridiculous amount of attention, patience and energy. IncrediParenting takes even more. So, it’s understandable that we would want a few moments of peace every day. That’s what I use the Fortress of Solitude for. But my days of hiding in the bathroom are almost over. Boy Wonder has discovered a new super…
What Happens In My House Before You Arrive
“Where does this go?” “I dunno. Stash it under the bed.” “Quick, throw a quilt over that pile of junk. I’ve gotta go scrub the toilet!” This is what goes on in our house just before you arrive.Two adults running back and forth in a hurried panic while Boy Wonder sits in his playpen giggling…
A Not-So-Secret-Identity:
Boy Wonder’s Life Online
My Grandma has photo albums filled with embarrassing childhood photographs of me. I didn’t have a choice in what shots were taken, what made the books, and what should have been burned immediately. Lucky for me, those photo albums are buried on the bottom shelf of a bookcase in her dining room. Safely stored on…
A Guest Post from Our Friends @ Twinstuff.com
A twin pregnancy not only changes the life of the Mom but also the Dad. It is different from a singleton pregnancy in so many ways and in so many aspects. This is why it is important for both parents to know what to expect when expecting twins, especially for the first time. At the…
IncrediDad Vs. Baby Food
All superheros in training need the right food to fuel their bodies right? Recently, Boy Wonder has started branching out from the boob to a more sophisticated pallet. That means I’ve started exploring the baby aisle of my local grocery store. It was absolutely overwhelming. Believe it or not, I walked away with more questions…
Radio Towers
Boy Wonder has shown me so many big emotions on his tiny face. I’ve seen him at his happiest, his loudest, silliest, crankiest, and even his hungriest. That last one is my favorite because at each and every feeding he makes this gasping sound, like a man drinking water for the first time after emerging…
Baby’s First Road Trip
It all started with a text from my Aunt. We just booked our Vegas trip. That was all the motivation I needed to plan out our first road trip with the baby. I was so excited that I didn’t bother asking Bex if she wanted to go. I told her we were going. Luckily, I have…
Day Care Dilemma
At first it was a simple plan. Bex would work mornings. I’d work nights. We’d trade the baby off in the parking lot. I guess you can call it a perk of us working at the same company. What could possibly go wrong? To be honest, not much. Our day usually starts around four-thirty. When…
The Duchess Of Nausea – a guest post by Bex
Nothing could have prepared me for the shock of finding out I was pregnant. I mean, there were signs but I was too busy working a full time job and planning the wedding of my dreams to notice them. At first, it felt more like the flu. Then one morning, as I was getting ready…
Food For Thought
Of all the things I could pass on to my son, over eating was not high on the list. I admit it. I constantly have a bad case of the Munchies. I could eat lunch and twenty minutes later I’ll be foraging through the kitchen for a snack. As it turns out, Luke’s not much…
Spittle’s On The Other Shirt
For people without kids, parenting is weird. When I didn’t have a kid, I didn’t get it either. I didn’t know the joy of setting the little one down for a thirty minute (or second) nap. I didn’t rejoice in a quiet trip to the grocery store. I never felt like people were constantly watching…
A Critical Analysis Of Children’s Literature
The other day, I mentioned that I like to spice up whatever story du jour that I’m reading to Luke. It’s not that the stories I read him aren’t good, but they aren’t spectacular either. Every parent has their favourite kids book too. You’ll hear it if I talk about Dr. Seuss. It’s not that…
Three Things I Should Stop Doing, Now That I’m A Dad
Bad habbits. Everyone has them. Few people own up to them. Believe it or not, I even have a few of my own. My grannie grannie used to tell me that I’d argue with Jesus. I would always disagree with her, crying “No I wouldn’t.”. Thus proving her point. I have also been known to…
From Rut to What Did I do?
Back in 2016, I found myself in a rut, wondering when life was going to get going again. At the ripe old age of 28, I was washed up, hit my peak, no where to go. I found myself in the middle of a quarter-life crisis, wondering what I had to show for it. My…
And To All A Goodnight
Reading Clement C. Moore’s Christmas Classic “‘Twas The Night Before Christmas” on Christmas Eve is a tradition my parents started when I was a baby and now I am proud to pass it down to Luke. From the Gaygen Family to yours, we wish you all a very merry Christmas! Watch us read to Luke…
My IncrediDad
My gramma sent me some old pictures of my mom, my dad, and I earlier this week and it got me thinking of my own IncrediDad. A dad is someone brave and strong. They will protect their kid from bad guys. They’re able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Dads are incredible. Many…
Christmas Presents
To be honest, kids do not need most of the expensive things we buy them, but we get them anyway. This is our first Christmas with a kid but I can safely assume it will only get worse. What two month old, needs two electric cars he can ride in, a train he can ride…
Breaking Up With Sleep
I gave up on my relationship with sleep a long time ago. It never would have worked out between us anyways. I’m a night-owl and an early riser. It would wind up being more of a long distance relationship anyway. Bex, on the other hand, really loves her sleep. I think her secret life goal…
Oh The Places We’ll Go
Road Trips From Reading
”Twas two weeks before Christmas”
Twas two weeks before Christmas, On baby’s first year. It felt like his parents hadn’t slept in a year. Bills left unpaid, presents unbought, even the dog was left there unwalked The laundry was tossed on the floor without care. Why bother cleaning now? Next week our relatives will be there; But Luke was nestled…
Baby-cizing
You know what I loved most about Bex’s pregnancy? Our stomach’s were the same size, at least for a few weeks at the end. It was great. Now we could share t-shirts. What a laundry saver! Right after delivery, her belly was still puffed out. She was so upset about it that she would say…
Daddy’s Private Office
Listen up dearest family of mine; Just because I sit down on the toilet, it does not mean I want to hold an emergency family meeting. Contrary to popular belief, the bathroom is not the family board room. It is my Batcave, my fortress of solitude. It’s where I go to get a moment of…
“Groundhog Dad” Starring David Gaygen
Do you remember the movie “Groundhog Day” starring Bill Murray? I feel like my life has turned into a cruel and twisted version of that since I’ve gone back to work. In the film, a jaded weatherman has to relive the same day over and over until he gets it right. In real life, I…
Let’s Wrap
Just the other day, I found out that some countries think we’re strange for using a stroller. Can you believe that? Do you mean to tell me that Americans are wrong about something? When was the last time that happened? Uh. Hang on, the President just tweeted again . . . I love my stroller….
Sibling Rivalry
Sibling Rivalry
Our First Date
Bex and I had our first date the day before Thanksgiving. Actually it was our first date A.D. (After Delivery). It wouldn’t have happened except that my mom was in town and she offered her services as babysitter. That’s a polite way of saying that she kicked us out so she could spend quality time…
We aren’t fighting. We’re discussing.
“Mommy and Daddy aren’t fighting. We are having a discussion.” I’ve heard that line overused so many times in the movies. The scene is always the same. It happens when a child inadvertently walks in on a possible domestic dispute and the parents have to cover their tracks quick, lest their six year old…
It’s A Walk In the Park
And I thought Bex took forever to get ready . . . One morning, earlier this month, around eleven o’clock in the morning, we decided to take Luke on his very first trip to the neighborhood park. Somehow, we didn’t walk out the front door until three-thirty in the afternoon. Did I mention that the…