Fatherhood

Right Here, Around The Corner

Comedy, Fatherhood, Videos

Really enjoyed Ray Romano’s new Netflix special. Lotta laughs and relatable material, and the format of him going up at the two Comedy Cellar locations back-to-back for surprise guest spots was money. I highly recommend it.

And make sure you check out that new Sebastian Maniscalco special Stay Hungry on Netflix too!

Being Elmo

Fatherhood, Youth

My 16 month old son loves Elmo. That’s his G. And I’m not mad at Elmo, he’s actually really cool. This month, there is a documentary coming out about the puppeteer who created him and who’s been doing his voice and controlling his every move for the past twenty years. Yup, this dude Kevin Clash, pictured above, is the man behind (and underneath) everyone’s favorite furry character on Sesame Street. Watch the trailer for Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey below…

Also, here are two of my son’s favorite Elmo music videos (my wife and I love them too). The first is with Adam Sandler, and the one below it is with Ricky Gervais. They’re both excellent and will make you laugh and smile…

For more info on Being Elmo: A Puppeteers Journey, visit the movie’s official website HERE. Peace.

Baby Beats

Fatherhood

I was very hesitant at first to embrace these Rockabye Baby! CDs when I first discovered them while registering for my wife’s baby shower.  I heard a sample in the store, and I thought they were kind of weird and wack.  Although I was happy when we received the CDs as gifts, I figured I’d rather just put my son on to the real thing rather than lullaby renditions of songs by my favorite artists, which is basically what all these CDs are.  But now that my son is here, I’ve come to realize that they’re dope.  He really loves them!  We put them on in the car or in the crib, and he completely chills out to them.  In fact, during the first month or so of his life, he was having trouble relaxing in his car seat, but once we started thumping these in the whip, yo!  He was a changed baby!  Now in his car seat, whether he’s asleep or awake, he’s completely content, and I give some of that credit (even though he’s a really chill baby) to these Rockabye CDs.  Most of the time they just put him right to sleep.  And they’re fun for the parents because they’re songs we like, just baby muzak’d out with bells and shit.

Of course, I prefer actual music, but since my son is only a couple months old, I feel him on only wanting to hear soft sounds and melodies.  My dude can’t understand words yet or decipher the different sounds of mad instruments at once.  I mean, how the hell is he gonna understand song lyrics (especially rap) anyway at such a young age?  It must be frustrating for him.  Now, he can become familiar with the classic artists that his parents love, but on his own terms.  So to my new parents or parents-to-be, I recommend that you give these a shot.  They’re fun for you, but more importantly, your babies will love them.  At least ours does.  Check the new Kanye West one out (cover above), I just got it.  My other favorite is the Bob Marley joint.  Stream/buy them both below.

ROCKABYE BABY! LULLABY RENDITIONS OF BOB MARLEY & KANYE WEST

And check out the rest of their selection HERE.  They’ve got everyone from Elvis Presley to Metallica.  By the way, if you don’t have kids or don’t plan on having any soon, don’t bother checking these out.  You’ll just feel like you’re in a baby elevator with no floor to get out on.  But if one day you are expecting, refer back to this post.

*Bonus*

Kanye West just premiered a new song on Hot 97 this afternoon he supposedly recorded last night, featuring Beyonce.  Get it HERE, along with his half hour interview with Angie Martinez.  And follow him on Twitter HERE!

Dope Dads #1- Nathan Huffner

Fatherhood, The Good Old Days

Ok, I’m starting a new feature on Westcheddar called Dope Dads.  As a new father, I have a growing appreciation for other father’s parenting styles and the personalities that come along with them.  There are a bunch of Dads out there that I admire, in the real world and in the fictional world (TV, movies, books, etc), and I’m slowly but surely developing my own style and personality as a father.  So as a tribute to the fathers who inspire me, in the past and present, I present Dope Dads.

The first Dad I’d like to give props to is Rick Moranis’ nerdie character in the movie Parenthood, Nathan Huffner.  Remember this dude?  So funny.  I grew up watching this movie over and over as a kid, and Nathan Huffner popped into my head the other day and I started cracking up out loud to myself thinking of how outrageous he was.  Throughout the whole movie, he’s constantly teaching his daughter Patty, who’s probably about three years old, about the square root of numbers, martial arts, foreign languages, and other subjects she’s obviously way too young to be learning about.  I mean, look at the picture above.  She’s reading Franz Kafka!!!!  And it should be noted too that he has a hot wife.  Here’s some funny Nathan Huffner quotes from Parenthood…

1.  On hard work:

“Look Patty, all I’m saying is, if you want to have just an ordinary academic career, and attend an ordinary university, that’s your prerogative.  But I must tell you, I think you’re selling yourself way short.”

2.  On the importance of family:

“Grandma’s welcome to stay with us for a while.  It’d be valuable for Patty to have a multigenerational influence.”

3.  On staying ahead of the curve:

“See Grandma, Patty studies Eastern philosophy.  Our future leaders will have to be much more in tune with the Oriental mind.”

4.  On discovering new cultures:

“Patty, ven aqui.  That means “come here” in Spanish.  I’ve got a tape of a mariachi band.  An authentic indigenous native Mexican form of music.”

As funny as I think Nathan Huffner is, I have to admit it, he’s got the right idea.  I want my kid to be smart too!  I think it’s awesome to get your kids started on reading and math and language and stuff like that when they’re young.  But where Nathan went wrong in the movie, and the valuable lesson he learned, is that as much as you want to teach your kid to be intelligent and study, it’s very important that they have FUN too.  By the end of the movie, Nathan learns to be the goofy Dad, and falls back on being so rigorous about Patty’s studies.  He finally plays with her like she’s a kid, because she IS a kid!  So as my son gets older, I will take that lesson along with me.  As much as I joke that I’m gonna make my son mad smart by reciting him Shakespeare sonnets and teaching him long division when he’s in pre-school, I know that there has to be a balance.  Kids need to learn, but they also need to have loads of fun!!!!!  They need a Dad who will educate them, but also make them laugh and smile and enjoy their childhood.  Nathan Huffner found the balance, and I hope to find mine too.

Stay tuned for more Dope Dads in the coming months here at Westcheddar.  Special shout out to my own father Jimmy Izo who’s turning 65 this Sunday, the dopest Dad of all time!!!!  Feel free to leave your nominees for Dope Dads in the comments section.  Thanks for reading…