Monthly Archives: January 2021

From Fun to Yuk

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Tuesday night I had a true guilty parent moment.

That afternoon in the mail we received an envelope from the Washington State Department of Health. It was branded under its Child Profile program and addressed to the parents of Beau Reser. In the envelope was a wealth of health and safety information for babies.

Among the papers enclosed in the correspondence was a sheet of stickers. The stickers bore the likeness of Mr. Yuk, a grimacing green face that is synonymous with poison. The idea is to put the stickers on household chemicals and toxins that would be harmful if ingested or introduced to the skin. When children see Mr. Yuk, in theory, they know to stay away from whatever substance he happens to be on.

These Mr. Yuk stickers were included in the envelope that arrived at our mailbox on Tuesday.

Knowing how much Sloan likes stickers, I decided to show her the sheet of Mr. Yuk faces. She thought it was really cool and she even affixed one of the stickers on one of our household cleaning bottles. As we talked about Mr. Yuk and what he means, I decided to enhance the lesson by enlisting the help of YouTube. This turned out to be a big mistake.

Sloan put this Mr. Yuk sticker on a bottle of cleaner.

After typing in the name of the subject we were learning about, I tapped on the first search result titled Mr. Yuk Commercial. It was only a minute long and I thought it would supplement what we had already learned by perhaps introducing Mr. Yuk and further explaining what he is used for.

To be fair, it did do these things…kind of. I just didn’t know the delivery would be so menacing. In an exorcist-type voice, a song is performed with the endearing lyrics of He’s Mean, He’s Green. The poisons that turn into demons, children in distress, and the fiery/strobe-effect backgrounds certainly fit with the musical score.

This video wasn’t the best thing for kids.

Needless to say, the educational impact of the video was lost on Sloan. Instead, she was petrified. Her excitement for Mr. Yuk turned to fear in those 67 seconds. After calming her down we went upstairs. I felt bad.

Fast forward about 90 minutes later. Sloan was asleep in her bed—or so I thought. I was right next to her under the covers as we try to re-introduce her to routine after a couple weeks out of town. Just as I was about to hop out of bed her little eyes opened wide.

Sloan was in distress just like this girl in the Mr. Yuk video.

“Daddy, I am scared of Mr. Yuk. Is he still downstairs?”

I tried to tell her she didn’t have to be afraid of Mr. Yuk but I assured her that he was no longer downstairs (a little white lie). Sloan being scared in the moment earlier in the evening was one thing, but the fact that the trauma extended to her sleep made me feel much worse. Thankfully, she ended up going back to sleep.

Early Wednesday morning I hid the Mr. Yuk stickers and removed the one she stuck on the cleaning bottle. This was a good lesson to screen YouTube videos before showing them to your child. Thankfully, Sloan has not expressed fear of Mr. Yuk over the past two days. Let’s just hope it stays that way. Don’t Blink.

Therapeutic Thursday Rundown

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Tough times for our country. Yesterday was a lot to digest and I wasn’t interested in writing nor did I think it was appropriate to do so. Tonight I am writing because it is offering me some therapeutic relief and because I believe some people might want to read something that is on the lighter side. Here is my first Thursday Rundown of 2021…

Wrong – It just happened yesterday, but there are already enough articulate and passionate condemnations to keep someone busy for multiple lifetimes. Because I can’t really add anything else of unique value, let me say this about the storming of the U.S. Capitol Building: It was wrong. It was also very troubling and sickening. But at its very core it was just plain wrong. What else can I say?

My Favorite Christmas Gift – Chalk it up to my wife for once again finding me the perfect Christmas present. She gifted me a lap desk! For anyone who likes to write with pen and paper (like me) while relaxing on the couch, a lap desk is a must. These days they are more popular than ever with so many people working from home. Yes, they are perfect to rest your lap top on! Don’t worry Sid, this gift is going to get a lot of use.

I love this lap desk that Sid got me for Christmas.

The Best Birthday Gift – If you are ever in a bind for a birthday gift, consider sticking some scratch offs in a card. I wrote that last sentence one year ago when I described my go-to envelope stuffer. You see, scratch offs are perfect for men and women, they don’t need to be wrapped, and they are readily attainable at any local gas station or grocery store. Need more evidence for why they are so great? Read my blog post from Jan. 7, 2020.

Scratch offs make great birthday gifts

Bets on the Next Host – It looks like the guy I was pulling for to replace Alex Trebek won’t get the opportunity—at least not permanently. Ken Jennings was a favorite to take over hosting duties on Jeopardy but a couple of social media controversies might have squashed his ambitions. Although he will still guest host, the gig will likely go to a bigger name with a news background. Katie Couric is reportedly a legitimate candidate for the coveted position. This L.A. Times article does a good job of speculating about other candidates and explaining why Jennings won’t get the job.

Ken Jennings is a very, very smart man but most likely won’t be landing the Jeopardy hosting gig (photo courtesy of USA Today).

Holiday Wrap Up – We were blessed to safely spend the holidays with Sid’s family. Although we hosted her parents in October, Sidney had not seen her sisters and their spouses/kids for seven months; for me, nine months. Most of our time was spent catching up and playing board games. We made some great memories and ate some really good food. I am extremely thankful for my Myrtle Beach family.

The cousins had plenty of time to hang out at the end of December and start of January.

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Please pray for peace. Thanks for reading what has been a therapeutic exercise for me. Don’t Blink.

Bracing For What 2021 Will Bring

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Well, almost four days into 2021 and so far so good. I say that of course as a pandemic continues to ravage our world. No, the coronavirus didn’t disappear when the clock struck midnight last Friday. But perhaps we are at least moving in the right direction?

2021 is here. What will the next 52 weeks bring?

In terms of 2021, I have found myself going back and forth between two different gut instincts. On one hand I am cautiously optimistic. I hope that the vaccine will be distributed globally to a large percentage of the population and we will turn a major corner. It can happen…it needs to happen. But what if it doesn’t happen? Or, what if it does, but mutations take us all back to square one? Thus, I have to be honest and say that I feel a little uneasy about this year too.

Of course, whatever direction the pandemic trends is where the lives of millions will trend as well—both directly and indirectly. Whether from a health, economic, or social perspective, this virus is ruthless. That is one lesson we learned in 2020 that we soon won’t forget. It goes without saying, this year depends entirely on what happens with the coronavirus.

As I mentioned, I do feel a little uneasy about 2021 and I am sure many others feel the same way. But we can’t let this natural feeling paralyze us with fear or prevent us from doing our own personal best to make this year successful. Yes, the coronavirus can sweep the rug from under us but we still need to proceed with the mindset that hard work, creativity, and kindness can still yield a bountiful harvest—even during what will be a challenging year.

There are things we can’t control. At any given moment a major curve ball could be thrown our way. In 2021, we need to step up to the plate ready to handle that curve but also ready to hit the fast ball out of the park. May we all have a positive 2021. Don’t Blink.