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"We made a gingerbread house with the boys... Nailed it! #nailedit #myfamilydidwhat #familia_jimenez"

App Of The Week... Holiday Edition (Santa Approved)

NORAD Tracks Santa by Visionbox, Inc.

 

Back in 1955 The Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) began tracking Santa. NORAD replaced CONAD in 1958. NORAD knew that tracking Santa was a very important for all the children. NORAD decided to continue CONAD's mission and track Santa each and every year. Visionbox has brought this app to you to help you moniter Santa's travels around the world. I used it just a few moments ago to show Nathaniel and Mark2 where Santa is. He is in Riga which is in the county Latvia right now (in case you are wondering). Just open the link at the bottom of this page to download this app from the App Store. If you don't have an iOS device you can also track Santa online at noradsanta.org

Now don't try to sneak a peak at Santa. Although NORAD can help you track Santa, everyone knows that you must be asleep for Santa to come to your house. 

NORAD Tracks Santa by Visionbox, Inc. - $Free

Our Photo With Santa

Finally got the boys to take a pic w/Santa. They wouldn't stay with Santa and bugged out a bit, so we had sit in with them. This was the only photo we could use. Mark2 kept shooting dirty looks.

App Of The Week - Holiday Edition (Toddler & Bobbler Approved)

Starring You Videos by Storybots- Personalized For Kids by JibJab Media Inc.

Do you enjoy videos of you and your family having holiday fun? My kids definitely do! This edition of Storybots stars you and your family. This edition of Storybots offers two videos with your choice of cast. Videos entertain my boys for hours because they play the videos over and over again. For an official description from the App Store please click on the link below.

Starring You Videos by Storybots- Personalized For Kids by JibJab Media Inc. - $FREE

Toddler Approved APP of The Week... Holiday Edition

Elf Dance by JibJab

Have you ever had the desire to see what it would be like to to dance around like an elf? My son Nathaniel has. In this this app you can create the cast from your photo roll and Share with family and friends. It's free in the AppStore so just click the link below.

Elf Dance by JibJab free in the App Store 

Happy Thankgiving from the Jimenez Family at My Family Did What...

It's very easy to take for granted what Thanksgiving is all about. It's not just about the turkey or all the other great food that you may be eating today. Take a moment and look around the table and look at the people that you are enjoying it with, your family. Take a moment to reflect on those family members that you have and also the ones that are no longer here. Be thankful for having them and having had them, no matter your differences...because life goes by too fast. That being said, I would now like to write about just a few of the things that I am thankful for. 

Although he passed and I'll miss him, I am thankful that my father is in a better place.

I am thankful for meeting my beautiful wife Lauren.

I am thankful for our two wonderful boys.

I am thankful for her and my siblings.

I am thankful for our parents. 

I am thankful for being given the opportunity to spend these last few months at home with my family. This time with have been amazing and for that I am the most thankful.

I truly hope that each and everyone of you has a Happy Thanksgiving. #Thanksgiving #MyFamilyDidWhat 

Bobbler Book Review...

My son Mark2 bites into the world of sharks in his riveting video review of the bath book "Silly Shark". If you like the video please subscribe to our YouTube channel.
http://youtu.be/JQvS4OmOb1A

Toddler and Bobbler Approved App of The Week...

Sago Mini Forest Flyer by Sago Sago


Sago Mini Forest Flyer is not just toddler approved but it's bobbler approved as well. The app revolves around a bird who's named Robin. It begins at Robyn's house with your child ringing his doorbell so that he can come out at play. Your toddler guides Robin through the forest and get him to interact with his environment. Guiding Robin is simple, and depends on your child to point Robin in the right direction. My toddler Nathaniel loves the fun animations as well as my bobbler Mark2. For an official description jand further information just tap the link below.

Sago Mini Forest Flyer by Sago Sago - $1.99 in the App Store 

Mark shared an Instagram photo with you

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"#myfamilydidwhat #dadstagram #familia_jimenez "

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The Instagram Team

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"Why won't you sleep? #dadstagram #myfamilydidwhat #familia_jimenez #nosleep "

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The Instagram Team

Nathaniel's First Trip to The Dentist...

Nathaniel had his first trip to the dentist today. Everything was going fine until the dentist asked him to open his mouth so that he could see his teeth. My defiant son stared him straight straight in the face and said "No, mine!"... Then hilarity ensued

Nathaniel Teaches Us the Right Way to Ride Your Scooter...

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"How to ride your Radio Flyer scooter the right way #myfamilydidwhat #radioflyer #familia_jimenez "

Oscar the Grouch vs. Grumpy Cat

We're rooting for Oscar!

http://youtu.be/QDUyazvnLkc

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"Tried to teach the boys how to trace there hand. This was the final outcome #myfamilydidwhat " 

On Picking a Diaper Bag...

When my wife Lauren and I found out were having a baby we entered into an horrible compitition. Not the most common competition of who would love our child the most, or who would be the better parent, or who would be better with the baby. That was 2010 and now it's now 2013. The most memorable argument to me was about picking a diaper bag. That is an argument that will probably endure until our boys aren't in need of one. Let me take you back to the beginning ... Lauren picked a smaller dainty diaperbag and I bought a larger diaper bag that would be for me when I took out our son. That bag which I chose ended up being Lauren's bag. I then ordered Lauren a stylish diaper bag that would fit her needs and ordered for myself a fisher price messenger bag. This bag would be my biggest pick in the diaper bag wars between Lauren & I. That's when it happened... This would become our bag that we would use as a family. Our diaper bag... Not the diaper bag that I picked that wasn't the one she hadn't picked... This would be the diaper bag that would unite us as a family! Nathaniel was born in 2011 and Mark2 was born in 2012... We still use that same fisher price messenger bag to this day.

Toddler Approved App of the Week

Endless Alphabet by Originator Inc.

Endless Alphabet is an interactive educational app. Words are shown on the screen only to be displaced by a group of silly looking monsters running through the word. Then it's up to your child to drag the letters into the right order to form the word again. That is Nathaniel's favorite part. When he places is fingers on the letters they come to life. The letter that is being dragged makes the sound that you would do when using it in a word. But make sure that you dragged the letter to the right spot or it will get away from you. It's fun and educational. Be sure to click on the link below for an official description in the App Store.

Endless Alphabet by Originator Inc. - $4.99

Announcing a change to how we list our "App Of The Week" pick...

So let me just explained that we will be renaming our "Kid Approved App of Of The Week" post accordingly. Please Welcome The "Bobbler Approved App Of The Week" & "Toddler Approved App Of The Week"... They will now directly reflect which one of my kids likes the app. For my youngest Mark, it will be named "APP OF THE WEEK- BOBBLER APPROVED" and for the Apps from my oldest Nathaniel, it will be named "APP OF THE WEEK- TODDLER APPROVED". For those who aren't sure what a bobbler is... I will explain. I really thought that toddler was too generalizing and downplaying for that phenomenal year between 1 and 2 years old. For them it must be seem condescending to generalize such an important phase in their life. So I decided to created a new category between baby and toddler, so I thought that I could name that phase "bobbler". That akwerd year between baby and toddler, hence "bobbler". Hopefully this helps catorigize our app picks better. Please keep reading our app picks.

Adventures In Potty Training- Part 2

So it's been about 9 days since my last monologue on potty training Nathaniel. I've tried to be as encouraging as possible to Nathaniel but it really hasn't gotten much better. There has been a few incidents to say the least... Ripping of his diaper and flinging a poop filled diaper at his younger brother (pleas don't laugh because the poop splatter was horrible) ... Deciding to lift his leg and pee all over the railings in the hallway... Pooping in our kitchen and when we ran him to the potty he ran off and pooped into the the entrance to our bedroom... Baptizing our coffee table with pee... And today peeing all over the couch and as I preceded to clean the couch, our poor dog got a golden shower as well. You think that could be the worst... He pee'd our mattress, smh! So I'm reaching out to all you parents out there. Any advise to share? Please leave a comment and help me... Please!

PRODUCT REVIEW- frē by LIFEPROOF

LIFEPROOF frē for iPhone 5

On October 7th 2013 Verizon broke the news to me that for the first time since I had owned my first iPhone(3G) I would not be able to upgrade to Apple's latest iPhone until November 2014. That news devasted me, but that's another story. That's when I realized that although I was meticulous with my mobile devises, I could not say the same for my youngest son Mark2. I needed my iPhone to make to survive for another year. I've never had an iPhone for more than one year so this made extremely nervous. As astray at home dad I also couldn't insure that Mark2 would let my current phone survive until my next upgrade. I'm not the kind of person who likes to cover his phone in big bulky cases because I like the way my phone looks. I needed to find a solution; I needed to find a case that would literally survive my life(kids). That's when I came across the frē by LIFEPROOF. 

The frē by LIFEPROOF comes with 1 microfiber cleaning cloth, 1 weatherproof headphone adapter, 2 headphone jack covers, 1 jack cover keeper, as well as the case itself. Unlike other cases which installation men's just slap it on, this is not with the frē. LIFEPROOF requires that you submerge the sealed case in water and weigh it down with a cup for one hour and inspect the the frē for leaks before you place for phone in the case. My wife and I found this this part of the installation cool considering that we thought about about doing our own water test. The case passed inspection and had it not, LIFEPROOF provides a website to visit in order to receive a replacement. They also offer 1year of of a total water protection program if your device receives any water damage.

Hour long water submersion test-passed... On to our own tests

LIFEPROOF advertises that the frē is submersible for 6.6ft and it's also protected from dirt + dust and snow + ice. It also advertises that the frē will survive drops from up to 6.6ft. The current climate doesn't allow for a snow + ice so we recruited my son Mark2 to devise his own testing for the frē. The frē proved that it was waterproof by LIFEPROOF's required test but would it survive Mark2's test? Mark2 is teething and and has used the frē as a teething tool. He has chewed and drooled on the frē for almost an entire month now; it has survived. He has tossed and thrown the frē and it has survived. He's flung it into dry dusty dirt and it has survived. Mark2 has provided some rigorous testing on the frē but I thought I could help as well. I must admit that I have tossed my phone into the tub (accidentally, yeah right) during bathtime throughout Mark2's testing of the frē. The frē by LIFEPROOF has proven that it is truly lifeproof and also kidproof. So for all you parents, I would like to inform you that LIFEPROOF is also KIDPROOF!

Mark2's own testing

My Family Did What 

Rates frē by LIFEPROOF

Adventures In Potty Training...

Nathaniel started show all the signs that he wanted to start potty training, so Lauren and I figured why not. Lauren read about this method that would have your child potty trained in three days. That was 3 weeks ago, and we're still working on it. It was going really well at first. He was telling us when he had to go potty. I was so impressed that he was doing so well. Success...NOT! The second week came around and he had a few accidents, but I figured that's to be expected from time to time. Let's be real, he's only two. As we went into week 3 I found that he flat he no longer wanted to let us know when he had to potty. I've had to just randomly place him on the potty and hope he goes. He also likes to give me a hard time when I do this, he does go and then we do all over again later. It's been this way for the last few days, but not today. Today was different. Today was the day that Nathaniel would manage to get poop on his brother, the couch and me. It was so comical kind of like a scene from a movie. There we where sitting on the couch, Mark2 on my lap and Nathaniel by my side. I thought I smelled something so I checked Mark2's diaper. There was nothing so I chalked it up to gas. At this point Nathaniel got up and moved and I thought nothing of it. I placed Mark2 where Nathaniel was sitting and continued to watch tv. There it was again, that smell, that lingering smell of poop. I turn to check Mark2's diaper and that's when I saw him standing in it. It was poop and it wasn't his. I quickly grabbed him off the coach and cried out "Oh no, he's got it on his legs" and then "Oh no, it's all over the couch. Mark2 had spread Nathaniel's poop all over the couch. Mark2 had manage to placed a huge blob of poop on his head. Yes, that's right...his head. Lauren and I cleaned up the boys and the couch and had a good laugh. We soon discovered that the couch incident wasn't the end of it though. At some point Nathaniel decided to use his toy box as a urinal. And so, the adventure continues 

💩

Kid Approved App Of Week...

A STORYBOTS HALLOWEEN by JibJab Media

This app is really fun. You can cast your children in a Halloween themed story video for them to watch. Nathaniel got such a kick out of watching himself and the rest of the family on the screen. The app is free to download and comes with one Halloween themed story video. Other video can be unlocked through an in-app purchase. Sharing your video via email or social media is available but requires parents to enter a security pass code witch is picked by the parent during the initial setup of the app.

Download A STORYBOTS HALLOWEEN in the App Store now 

One and a half weeks in...

So it's been 1.5 weeks into my new role as the stay at home parent in our household. It's been a huge adjustment for Lauren and I. I see how much Mark2 developes throughout each day and I suddenly feel like I miss so much of Nathaniel's development during his first year. For us the biggest realization is that we both get a taste of what it is the other one did, and how things the kids did affected us both in different ways. For instance coming home from work. Knowing that as soon as I would walk in that front door Mark2's face would light up and Nathaniel would rush to greet me would fill me with so much joy. I could also see how that same scenario may have affected Lauren. Spending your entire day with the kids only to be pushed aside when the other parent gets home (not such a good feeling). That's just one example but there is so many more. I'd like to think that this will give us insight and make us appreciate what the other does and feels, thus hopefully strengthening our love. On the other hand there is also a matter of how other people/parents perceive fathers. When I'm out with the boys women feel the need to do things for me like I'm helpless because I'm a man. Please don't. Do not get me wrong,as a parent I welcome help from other parents because we should have each other's back. There are moments though when people overstep their bounderaries. Just yesterday a grandmother in the waiting room felt the need to aggressively lecture me on properly parent my kids. I wanted to yell and tell her to leave my children and me alone but I remained polite. When it came time to leave Nathaniel didn't want to put his jacket on. She at this point tried to take the jacket from me. When I didn't, she insisted that could do it for me. Once again I politely refused but she kept insisting. All the while her grandchild looked like he was punched in the face and not by another child's fist but by an adult fist (probably hers). I couldn't get out of there fast enough. There are also those moments when we are getting stared at out in public. Not disapproving stares but ones of encouragement approval. Those are very, very welcomed.

To My Dearest Wife...

When Lauren and I had Nathaniel we found ourselves facing some difficult choices. After several conversations we both could agree that one of us should stay home home with Nathaniel. Then we faced the most difficult choice of all. Who would be the one to stay at home. We mutually agreed that she would.  Now the roles have reversed and I have become the stay home parent. I always thought that I understood how hard it was. Boy was I wrong! It's so much tougher than I thought. Babe if your reading this.... I'm sorry for ever underestimating how hard it was for you. Your my hero! 

Kid approved app of the week...

Magic Piano by Smule

Although this app was not designed with small children in mind, it does help them with development. My first son Nathaniel and now Mark both enjoy this app. While Mark thinks he's creating melodic tones, he's actually working on his coordination skills. Hours of entertainment for your little one.

Magic Piano is available to download for free in the App Store.

Official description: From Bruno Mars to Mozart. play the hottest songs effortlessly on the at piano game, also available in HD for iPad and Pad mini! Get free songs every day and enjoy the largest catalog of songs in any piano app. Turn on game mode to unlock achievements and free songs, or just relax and play your favorite tunes. Join the over 25 million Magic Piano players and experience the fun of playing piano - no lessons needed! Featured in the New York Times. TIME. MacWorld. as the Apple iPhone App of the Week and one of Apple's "Amazing Apps on iPhone 5.• Magic Piano lets you experience the joy of making music and sharing your performances with the world. OVER 700 SONGS-NEW SONGS ADDED EVERY WEEK! 

App of the week...

  Sprout Games & Videos  by PBS KIDS Sprout

Nathaniel loves this app. He is literally hypnotized by app. He's is all about the PBS Sprout channel and loves having all Sprout tv shows readily available. Although it only plays clips and not entire episodes it doesn't seem to phase him. He also likes playing the included games from Sproutonline.com This app is definitely a must if kids are little Sproutlets.

Sprout Games & Videos is available for free in the App Store

Official Description:  Sprout is the 24-hour preschool channel that parents and kids share together — for shows, activities. and adventures! Now you can enjoy Sprout on this app with the Sprout Games & Videos app, which recreates the interactive playtime of SproutOnline.com with these great features: Play two games. Lotsa Pops and Picture Maker, featuring beloved Sprout characters, Watch fun clips from Sprout shows with the video player. New videos are regularly added and automatically stream to the player each time your child launches it. Check out cute animations. funny voiceovers. and hidden surprises, sure to delight your Sproutlet! Get show times for your favorite Sprout TV shows. Link to other downloadable Sprout apps. including Send to Sprout, Tap. Pajanimals Play Time, and Super Sproutlet Show — Super Gear Adventure. Your child's privacy and protection are important to us! This app contains no Web links, no socrel-rnedia sharing, and no location-tracking functions. For detailed info about our privacy policy, please visit SproutOnline.com. 

Suggested videos to watch...

Convos With My 2 Year Old on You Tube
Check out this you tube channel... Although I don't have a daughter, I do have a two year old boy. I can definitely associate. They use an adult to reenact what the daughter has said to the father, making the visual affect even funnier. Extremely funny, a must see! 

http://youtu.be/zdtD19tXX30

Getting Mark2 to nap with a little help from Phish...

So my youngest Mark2 tries to mimick his big brother when it comes to everything, including not napping or sleeping. The no napping front is progressively getting worse. It wouldn't be so bad if he would just be calm. We all know that with no sleep comes the onslaught of crankiness. The battle to get him to nap had begun and I losing the battle. My bobbler would nap; I was determined. I tried cradling him, rocking him, swinging him nothing worked. Finally I had an epiphany... I should try using music. If music could tame a savage beast, well why not a cranky bobbler. So I began to sing to him... FAIL! Next I tried playing some lullybyes, that began to make him act up more...  EPIC FAIL!  I wasn't giving up, he will/must nap. I began playing some songs on iTunes. "I'm so Tired" by the Beatles seemed to be working but he was still a bit restless. It was then that I remembered that when my first born Nathaniel would be restless, I played music by Phish. It worked every time, specially when I played Phish's cover of "I'm so Tired". Would this work? I switched from the Beatles to Phish's cover of the song. About 5 minutes had past... SUCESS!!!

You download a copy of I'm So Tired (Live Phish Vol.13) on iTunes 

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Lauren & Mark Plus 2: NO NAPS!

Lauren & Mark Plus 2: NO NAPS!: So, Nathaniel's moving into no nap territory. He does NOT want to take any naps, he's only two years old. I didn't think this wo...

Freebies...

Here's a freebie from HomeMadeSimple.com  Order a free cabinet safety latch starter kit. Just click on the link to request the offer...     https://pgconsumercare.secure.force.com/ContactUs/PGSafetyContactUs?siteid=US-PGSafetySite

Read this post on the Huff Post blog regarding 20 things the author doesn't regret as a parent. I can agree with all 20. Here's the link, check it out...
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/3999578

Late night... Again

So I'm hanging out late night with Nathaniel at 2AM. So I've given up on getting Nathaniel to fall asleep. It's now 2AM and he is so wide awake. I'm so envious of Lauren who is with my other son Mark sleeping in the bedroom. Once again, he fights to stay wake while I fight to get get him to sleep. Earlier today he put up a fight when I tried to get him to take a nap around 3PM. He won that battle, although he eventually he passed out on the floor around 7pm.

I'm still amazed. When he does want to sleep he'll just crash anywhere randomly.

I guess I have no one to blame but myself. You see,When I was a boy I would refuse to sleep. What's that old saying? Something about whatever you did to your parents you will also have to deal with, only worse. I now understand why my mother laughs when I tell her about my battle to get him to sleep early.
I think Nathaniel is starting to feel sorry for me at this point. He's combing through my hair with his fingers as I'm writing this.
I've tried several things to get him to fall asleep, but hs victories outweigh mine. I'm open to suggestions. Feel free to share your stories.

Teething Woes

Lauren & Mark Plus 2: Teething Woes: Teething, just the word alone sends shivers down the back of any parent. My youngest, Mark, is teething. What does this mean for me, a very ...

Jinxed myself...

Well I went ahead and jinxed myself...
rI did a heck of a lot of bragging to everyone I would speak to, about how my son Nathaniel was such an easy baby. I should have braced for the worst. You see my Nathaniel turned 2 back in June. It was official, my little bobbler had graduated to toddler. Him becoming a toddler also marked the beginning of what most parents would call his "terrible two's" phase. I can say that "terrible two's" is a name that hardly sums up what has been going on with this kid. He has become a ruthless tiny terrorist, so from here on this phase will be known as the "Terrorist Two's"!

Gonna need lots of coffee....

So Nathaniel was really tired so I let him take a nap around 5pm last night. Around 8 I was concerned that he wasn't waking up and it would wake up in the middle of the night. Lauren convinced me to let him. She was sure that he would sleep through the night, I wasn't. 10pm came around and guess who comes strolling out of the bedroom and ready to play. Yep you guess it, Nathaniel did. Lauren took the baby to bed and left Nathaniel with me. I tried to get Nathaniel to go back to bed but I was in for a long night. Finally I succeeded in getting him  to go to sleep. Victory! Or so I thought, I realized then that he had won for it was now almost 5am. So now it's Saturday morning. I was awakened with a invite to a birthday party. A children's party, which would also be this afternoon. Im going to needs lots of coffee. Café Bustello your going to be wind beneath my wings.

Oh NO, They're made of people!

So my son Nathaniel loves Vienna sausages. They're up there when it comes to his snack selection. This isn't a big deal but what he calls them is kind of disturbing. He calls them people... Yes, he calls them people. Some might say that I'm a bad dad for letting him think that Vienna sausages are people. Well the truth is that I did try to correct him several times. I even tried to teach him the Spanish name for sausage, which is salchicha. The name salchicha is a fun word to say and it evens sounds silly. I hate to admit but I'm repeating the name salchicha to myself several times as I'm writing this. Who wouldn't want to call it that? I'll tell you who...Nathaniel, that's who. So I tell myself to just let him call them people. It's not like he really thinks that Vienna sausages are made of people... Or does he? 

How it all began...

I'm just a regular guy who hasn't had a full nights sleep since 2011. In 2009 I decided it was finally time to grow up. In November I proposed to my wife Lauren. We agreed that we would take it slow and enjoy the engagement. I knew that my life was going to change so I thought that I could plan it out. We would get married and wait about two years to start a family. Boy was I a fool to forget that life is full of surprises. 2010 came around... New job... New apartment... Lauren's pregnant. Yes, Lauren was pregnant. So much for enjoying the engagement. 2011 came and Nathaniel was born... Lauren and I tied the knot. We decided that we should wait to have more children at this point. It was a year of many firsts as a family... Our first Halloween, first Thanksgiving, first Christmas and we would bring in the new year with a surprise. Lauren was pregnant again. 2012 began like a roller coaster ride. Lauren suffered from Hyperemesis Gravidarum which made things tough throughout the pregnancy. Nathaniel was such a easy baby (except for the fact that he would never sleep). June came and he easily transitioned from baby to bobbler (that in between phase from baby to Toddler). August came and so did my second son Mark. Lauren and I sighed with a gasp of relief. The worst over and everything from here on out would be a breeze, right? I can't say that I can easily answer that. I can say that I've learned to roll with life's surprises and that it's been an experience that I wouldn't change for anything in the world. Well maybe I would change one thing; maybe just a little more sleep.