On the Way to Get Stitches...

via Instagram http://ift.tt/1s63dAb

On the way to get stitches after a rough fall this morning. Surprised this is the first one for any of the boys. Many more to come, I'm sure.

The hospital actually used the glue which I didn't even know existed and it worked really well. 

Dj RyB - Hit Pop Volume 17 - Captiva Island - 4.20.16

TRACKLIST
1) Over And Over Again (Noodles Radio Mix) - Nathan Sykes
2) 7 Years (Night Moves Club Mix) - Lukas Graham
3) Youth (Wideboys Bounce Extended) - Troye Sivan
4) Stressed Out (Dave Winnel Remix) - Twenty One Pilots
5) Cake By The Ocean (Jump Smokers Remix) - DNCE
6) Something In The Way You Move (Nikki X and Marquee Club Mix) - Ellie Goulding
7) Sound Of Your Heart (Jump Smokers Extended Mix) - Shawn Hook
8) Sugar (Henri PFR Remix)
9) Make Me Like You (Chris Cox Remix) - Gwen Stefani
10) Pillowtalk (Andy Visceral Remix) - ZAYN
11) Me Myself and I (STROM Remix) - G-Eazy f. Bebe Rexha
12) My House (Djskillzmusic Buzzin Scndl Bootleg) - Flo Rida
13) If It Aint Love (Intro) - Jason Derulo
14) Light It Up (Blinkie Remix) - Major Lazer f. Nyla
15) Never Forget You (Dj Rukus Intro Edit) - Zara Larsson and MNEK

Justin Bieber "Sorry" Parody | I'M 40 | The Holderness Family (FUNNY)

Check out this hysterical parody of Bieber's 'Sorry' from The Holderness Family called 'I'm 40'. Anyone with kids will appreciate this, even if you aren't 40 yet.

This is literally how my wife and I plan our nights out on the weekends. We purposely have the babysitter come early enough so we don't have to give the kids dinner or tubs, and don't have to deal with the hell that is bedtime.

We get some dinner and drinks in, maybe a movie, and we are still home early enough to get a good night's sleep and be ready for the torturous 6 AM wake up call that is our kids. It might sound lame to some, but it's definitely how you have a good night out when you get old. Funny stuff.

Interview for DIY Daddy's "Brilliant Dad Feature"

Check out my recent interview with Nige Higgins from DIYDaddyBlog.com for his "Brilliant Dad Feature". Every week or so, he asks Dad bloggers from around the world to answer a few questions about being a Dad and raising a family. I thought it came out pretty good. Let me know what you think!

 http://www.diydaddyblog.com/2016/01/brilliant-dad-feature-week-44.html?m=1  

1. Have you always wanted to be a dad?

Yes. I'm not sure why, but I always thought at a young age that it would be fun to be a dad when I was older. I think it was because I had a good relationship with my dad and we always had a lot of fun playing sports, going to games, and joking around. I just always pictured myself with a bunch of kids and having fun with them like we did together. I had no idea how difficult it would be but I wouldn't change it for the world.  

2. How did you feel when your children were born?

Other than marrying my wife, it was the greatest experience of my life. It was a crazy combination of excitement, happiness and some sadness when my first was born. My father passed away in 2007 and was sick for a few years prior to that. He would always ask "when are you going to have kids" because he wanted grandkids so badly.

When my first was born, it really hit me hard knowing that my dad would never meet them in person but at the same time, I feel him watching over us all the time. So in a way, I know he has met them. I always wanted to have at least one boy and I think he heard my wishes from up above and helped me out a little bit. It looks like he over corrected because now I have three!  

3. What have been your most rewarding experiences so far as a Dad?

There are too many to list because there is something new every day. Since they are young, it's more about seeing their everyday development and how they respond to our parenting and direction. It's great when something you put in place clicks and they react in a positive way.

Not everything is positive but we are all learning together. Seeing my boys showing love for each other and just being good kids feels great. They might fight at times but they also have each others backs which is great to see and will be helpful as they grow older together.  

4. What are some of funniest moments to have happened to you as a dad?

There have been plenty of peeing incidents when they were all little babies. It sucks at the time but there is nothing funnier than a baby peeing straight up into the air and all over you because you forgot to cover them up after a bath. My wife always thought it was hysterical until it happened to her!

Also, my middle boy was in the process of being potty trained and my wife forgot to tell me that he didn't have a diaper on under his shorts. Not sure how that happened but we won't tackle that now. He ended up pooping in the middle of the room and it came right out onto the ground through his shorts. I thought I picked it all up but the next day when the baby was crawling around, I saw him put something in his mouth and start to eat it. It wasn't food or a toy. I quickly realized what it was and before I puked, I was able to clean out his mouth and get myself together.

Gross at the time but hysterical in retrospect. A lot of our life revolves around pee and poop with three little animals in the house and we don't have pets...  

5. Have there been any situations with your children that you have found difficult to cope with? 
Most of my frustrations revolve around whining, crying, screaming, and not listening. My wife tends to be the hands off, happy type of parent, whereas I tend to be the disciplinarian. I try not to yell because it doesn't seem to work well with young kids but sometimes I just get so frustrated and don't know what to do because no one is listening or is having a tantrum for no rational reason. When one starts, the other two tend to copycat that behavior and then it all spirals out of control.

It's tough to handle at times, and can really stress me out. I think we are starting to figure out a good strategy to keep this stuff to a minimum but it can be tough with daycare and a nanny in the mix since we both work full time. We can do everything possible to keep them from acting out but it can all be cancelled out if other caretakers don't follow the same strategies. It's a struggle to say the least.  

6. What are your dreams and hopes for your children? 

I want them to be the best people that they can, no matter what they choose to do as they grow older. I want them all to do well in school, sports, activities, and eventually their professional careers, but I really just want them to be good people that contribute positively to society, and be liked by their peers and friends. Hopefully we are helping lead them in the right direction and they will eventually be able to make the right decisions on their own, later in life.

The Preschool Magician and His Toddler Assistant

John learned his first magic trick recently and was excited to share it with the family. Do they teach this in preschool?  I have no idea where he learned this but it was pretty creative and funny.

He had some help from his little brother and assistant, James, who luckily cooperated this time around.  Surprisingly, they only needed one take! 

Kid Friendly/Adult Approved Party Mix Vol. 3 - Dj RyB

Here's Volume 3 of my Kid Friendly/Adult Approved Party Mix. You can listen in the playlist above or go directly to Spotify in the link below.  Enjoy!

https://open.spotify.com/user/djryb/playlist/0YPQQtCjqaa1lhRBUmnEEL

Funny Things My Kids Do - #2: Bouncin' Baby Gronk

As you can tell here, 3 year old James is a big kid for his size. Ever since he was a baby, I called him Baby Gronk (aka Baby Rob Gronkowski of the Patriots) and he really proved that wearing the jersey last weekend and doing some Gronk like things.

He has no fear and also gets a kick out of doing things that might get him or his brothers hurt but I think that is expected with the middle child. They love running and jumping on this big exercise ball and bouncing off it like a trampoline but this was one of the best I've seen in awhile.

Don't worry, he held his head for a second after but he was fine. He started laughing and thought it was hysterical. Patrick on the other hand, couldn't care less. He's more concerned with combining baseball and golf into one sport...

Funny Things My Kids Do - #1: Toddler Milk Chug

Whenever I hear a woman say "you guys are all the same", I get a little fired up because it's such a lame generalization or cliche. However, it's hard to argue with that when you see something like this. 

I don't even drink milk, yet alone chug it out of the bottle, so I have no idea where John got this idea. As he so clearly states, he learned it from "my brain". Fair enough, buddy. I can't fault you for the efficiency. Why bother getting a cup in the cabinet that you can't even reach when you can just pound it right there, put it back in the fridge, and be done with it.

I'm chalking it up to instincts that have been passed down from generation to generation. I'm not sure I want to know what's next. We can do some gross things as guys, now that I think about it...

How to Fit Three Car Seats Across in Almost Any Vehicle

A couple of years ago when we found out that my wife was pregnant with our third kid, we were obviously excited for the new addition to our family, but I was slightly stressed because i knew it was going to change our lives in quite a few ways. Of course there were the usual concerns like if we had enough space in our house, do we need new clothes and products (especially if we had a girl), daycare concerns, etc. The list goes on and on.

However, the one thing I didn’t realize would be a major issue was our car seat situation. I had a Jeep Grand Cherokee and my wife had a Volkswagen Jetta. I knew the backseat of the Jetta could be a concern because it was a little tight but I figured I would be fine with the Jeep since it had a big backseat.  You would assume a big SUV would have plenty of room, even if there wasn’t a third row. I quickly learned that assumption was very wrong.

After doing a little research to find the best and most affordable options, I soon realized that there really weren’t many options at all.  I’m sure a lot of you have noticed how car seats have gotten bigger and bigger over the years which is great for safety and comfort for the kids, but not so great for parents with 3 young kids that all need a seat or booster of some kind.

Laws vary slightly by state, but on average, kids need to be in a car seat or booster until the ages of about 7 or 8 or when they reach specific height and weight requirements.  

You can read more state specific laws here: 
  http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/childsafety_laws.html

This creates quite a predicament when you have a 3 year old, a 1.5 year old, and a new baby on the way.  

Sidenote: 
If you are in a similar situation, keep in mind that you are going to have about 3+ years of three car seats and boosters in the back if your kids are close in age like mine. Your car will basically become a 1 adult passenger vehicle for many years to come. Slightly depressing if you like to drive your friends around at lunch or on the weekends, but a positive if you always want an excuse for why you can't drive!

My initial concerns were how to make this work with any car seats, yet alone with a baby bucket seat. As many of you know, these things are HUGE so that was my first concern. Second, the older two boys had the large/wide Britax seats which were not going to fit next to each other in any of our vehicles.  I had no idea what I was going to do.  

There wasn’t a ton of information out there when I did my initial research (a few years ago) but more websites and brands are starting to notice that this is an issue for many parents so there are a few more resources these days.

The best site I have found so far was  BabyCenter’s blog which keeps a running and updated tally of the brands and styles that can work three across. This would be a good place to start your research and help you find the options that best fit your budget.

http://blogs.babycenter.com/products_and_prizes/02052015-13-car-seats-that-fit-3-across-in-most-vehicles/

You should probably be able to get away with most of the bucket seats out there, as long as you have thinner seats for the other two. I found that the best move was two seats next to each other with the bucket near one of the doors for easy access. I'd recommend the right side behind the passenger seat for when you need street parking. That way you can access the seat and baby from the sidewalk and not be in the middle of traffic which can be a but more dangerous. 

What worked best for me was a brand called Diono. They smartly promote the ability to fit 3 car seats across in almost any vehicle so I knew they had tested this and I shouldn’t have any issues. 

Things vary slightly by model but their RadianRXT line is the best value in my opinion. They are thin and stylish, include special features such as folding for travel and transportation (think planes, or rental cars), an easy latch system for securing the seats quickly and safely, and a few other options you can see here:

https://us.diono.com/convertible-to-booster/radianrxt

The other great thing about this brand is that a good portion of their car seats are convertibles which means you can use them for infants at Day 1, all the way up to older kids that still need a booster.  This means you don’t need to purchase new seats/boosters every few years which is a huge cost saver and value over time.

It’s a bit costly upfront if you are going to be replacing all of your old car seats at once but after that initial purchase, you shouldn’t need anything else for the rest of their childhood. I use these in all of our vehicles and it was one of the best purchases I’ve ever made in terms of kid related products.

Amazon has some pretty good deals going right now which seem to be below MSRP if you are a PRIME member. If you are thinking about buying this model, click on the image below and hook a brother up with a few pennies in commission! 

Let me know in the Comments Section if you’ve had any experiences with fitting three across in your vehicle using other brands, and if you have any additional tips and tricks.

Kid Friendly/Adult Approved Party Mix Vol. 2 - Dj RyB

Here's Volume 2 of my Kid Friendly/Adult Approved Party Mix. You can listen in the playlist above or go directly to Spotify in the link below.  Enjoy!

https://open.spotify.com/user/djryb/playlist/5rasRSluW3SYSqlmKy54du

Moving Tips for Young Families

I’ve been off the grid for the past few weeks because my family recently moved to a new home. We’ve reluctantly become experts in this arena as my wife and I have moved 5 times since we got married in 2009. It’s not something I ever want to do again but since I’ve learned a few things along the way, I thought I would share some tips that could help you and your family, especially if you have young kids.

Plan Ahead -

Don’t wait until the last minute to get things done. It sounds simple but it is very easy to let things get away from you and all of a sudden, you are a week away from your move date and you haven’t done a thing.  I guarantee everything will take way more work and time than you think. You also have no idea how much CRAP you have accumulated over the years, especially if you have been living there for a long time.  Getting rid of stuff you don’t need is one of the smartest things you can do but if you wait too long, you will end up throwing it out or giving it away, instead of making some extra money on it. More on this to come in the “Purge” section.

Start Organizing and Strategizing Early -

As I mentioned before, this process takes a long time.  The earlier you can decide that you are moving, the better off you will be.  I had things hidden in our attic and garage that I completely forgot about and hadn’t used in years.  It took awhile to go through it all, as well as decide on what to keep, sell, give away, etc.   We bought a house quicker than we expected which meant we had to get our home ready for an open house just as quickly.  This leads to the next suggestion…

Staging for the Open House -

You want your house to look nice and clean, and as minimal as possible, while still looking like someone lives there. This means living on as little as possible for a few weeks which means you have to do something with all of that extra stuff. So if you are smart you will...

Use Pods, Door to Door Storage, Storage Facilities, etc.

You can have units delivered directly to your driveway or street if you live in certain areas.  It’s nice and easy and everything can be moved away in a quick manner. You can also fit some large items like couches, chairs, etc. The main issue is that it has to be done in 2-3 days before they pick them up, so you better move quick.

Not everyone has this luxury though, so you may want to consider a local storage facility to get rid of that clutter. This can work out well if you PLAN AHEAD because you can drop off a few boxes and whatever else at all times of the day or night over the span of a few weeks or more. No need to rush around but it will be harder to move bigger things without borrowing or renting a truck.

I ended up putting a lot of stuff in storage to clean up for the open house, and eventually got rid of most of it when we got to the new house. It wasn’t ideal and would have preferred to have time to go through everything to make a real decision on whether to keep it or not. When you have to move quickly, you end up just keeping things because you aren’t sure if you will need it. If you give yourself time, you will most likely make better decisions.  This leads to the next point...

“Purge” aka Get Rid of Stuff You Don’t Need or Use -

As mentioned before, you probably have a lot of things you don’t need or use anymore. On top of that, there are plenty of people out there that could use those things that are still in good shape, and there might even be people willing to pay you for it.

My wife and I fight a bit when it comes to this because I am a bit of a packrat and can find a reason to keep almost anything since I “might” use it in the future. She likes to just throw everything out without even considering other options. So we are opposite ends of the spectrum.

Luckily after a few years, we’ve both gotten better at meeting in the middle. We have given away a ton of clothes, shoes, furniture, and miscellaneous housewares to organizations like Goodwill, shelters, and many other local alternatives. If you haven’t worn it or used it in about 2 years (maybe even just a year), you probably don’t need it or won’t use it again. Give it away to someone else that could benefit from it and would appreciate something nice.  

If you have things that can’t be donated, or aren’t in the best shape, consider a local transfer station.  Not all towns have them but if you can find one, they are an awesome option before and after a move. You can drop off things that can be fixed or reused, and most likely, someone else will pick it up right after you drop it off. They also offer areas for recycling glass, cardboard, paint, etc. which isn’t easy to get rid of and you will most likely have a large amount of before/after the move.

Other alternatives include a Yard Sale, Craigslist, eBay, etc. If you have the time and can make a little extra money on the side, why not give it a try? This will also help offset the cost of the move.  

Preparing the Kids Mentally -

If you can, let the Kids see or even visit/drive by the new house if you are doing a somewhat local move. Even if you are moving a few hours away, it might be worth the drive a few weeks in advance because the parents can get familiar with the location and learn what resources are nearby for the days following the move such as markets, hardware stores, coffee and sandwich shops, etc.

For the kids, they will hopefully, at the least, get to drive by the house and make it feel realer than just a few pictures. If the people who owned it are moved out before you close, maybe you can even walk around the yard and kind of “touch and feel” the house. Every little bit helps based on our experience.

We were lucky enough to move across town this time around, so we could randomly drive by and get the kids excited about the move instead of it feeling like a complete shake up of their lifestyle. It seemed to work well.  

Even if these things are not an option, I recommend talking about the move early so it’s not a shock and they have time to adapt mentally.  Speak positively about the move and why things will be better, discuss the possibility of new friends, a better playground, bigger yard, or whatever it may be that are upgrades over the old place. Anything you can do to do to get them excited will help you in the long run. Waiting to spring the change on them will just cause unnecessary drama.

Timing and Seasonality Issues -

If you plan on moving at the end of August or early September, be prepared to call around. This is prime moving season because of ending leases, as well as college kids going back to school. In the Boston area, the city and surrounding areas are a nightmare during this time and moving trucks or crews are hard to find or you will pay a premium.

Also, if you are in a location that gets hit hard with snow, rain, and ice in the winter, just be prepared to have delays and understand that the whole process will take much longer than just one day. Some things you just can’t control (like a snowstorm) and there will be unforeseen delays no matter what time of year you decide to move.

Find a Good Moving Company -

Some people prefer to move themselves but if you can afford it, get a moving company to do it for you. It was easy enough to move a few rooms and a couch when you were in your early 20’s but finding anyone to help you once you are older is almost impossible. Everyone gets busier and they’ve also learned through experience that moving sucks. It ends up being a stressful, all day affair and it’s like working a REAL job. No one wants to do that on the weekend and certainly no one is taking a day off from work to help. If you have kids in the house, this will virtually be impossible to do as well since no one will be keeping an eye on them and they will definitely get in the way at some point.

Also, get referrals from friends or family nearby or look for good reviews online. I worked for a moving company back in college and know there is a big difference between a good moving company and a bad one. The problem is, you don’t really know ahead of time unless you get word from someone you trust. Good movers will not only save you money, but they will eliminate a lot of stress and worry by delivering your stuff efficiently and safely. It’s worth paying a little extra for a company that has a good reputation. You get what you pay for in this industry, more often than not.

Pay for People to Pack Your House -

Another thing to consider, if you can make it work monetarily, is having the movers pack everything for you. It will probably come close to doubling your cost but believe me, it will eliminate a ton of stress when you know someone else will do all the hard work and literally do the heavy lifting. Plus, they know how to properly pack things in boxes to keep breakage to a minimum, and they also offer insurance in case something actually does break. You won’t get that if you do it yourself and I guarantee boxes will get crushed in the move. That’s no bueno.

And if you have young kids, multiple kids, or even just one kid, you know it’s virtually impossible to get anything done for more than a few minutes at a time. Imagine trying to pack a whole house with them in the mix. It’s just a major challenge that would be best to avoid.

Call in Reinforcements -

If you have to do it yourself because of the cost, just do yourself a favor and call in reinforcements. Either pay for a babysitter for a few hours each weekend until you are done, or ask for family, friends, and neighbors to take the kids for a few hours. You will get a lot more done when you can just zone out and focus, as opposed to dealing with constant interruptions and delays. Which leads to...

Unpacking and Rearranging -

You will also want to do the same thing when you move into the new house/apartment to get some time to unpack, rearrange, etc. It might not be as easy to do this if you are moving a long distance or don’t know anyone in the area but do your best to find a local babysitter that can give you a few hours of relief.  This will be helpful during the unpacking process and go a long way for your sanity.

Also, unpack everything ASAP so you can get boxes out of the way and move to the trash/garage, etc.. These boxes will stack up quickly and take up space or just get in way.  Don’t forget to break down the boxes by taking out the paper and folding them up to save space. Empty boxes will take up your whole house or garage if you don’t keep up with this process.

Miscellaneous Issues and Things to Consider -

Call early for Cable/Satellite & Internet - There can be long wait times for getting this installed, especially during the fall moving season.  Being without TV isn’t the worst thing ever because you can always hook up an antenna to get a few channels or find other things to pass the time but being without internet can be a serious issue if you work from home, or just need something to distract the kids.

I had to wait about 10 days to get cable and internet from the time we moved in and this felt like an eternity. It’s not the end of the world but certainly something to consider, especially when the NFL season just started and I almost missed the first Patriots game!

Call Electric Company Ahead of Time - This is one of the most important things you can do to ensure the electricity  is on before you even show up. There is nothing worse than getting to a house that has no lights or electricity for refrigerators, appliances, etc. There will usually be an overlap from the when you move in and when the previous owners will be shut off, so you should be OK, but just do yourself a favor and get it out of the way early.

Appliances, Mattresses, Furniture, and Other Big Items - Be sure to order any new Washer/Dryer/Fridge, etc. as early as possible so you have them at the house when needed. Many retail locations may need at least a few weeks to deliver after you make the purchase (depending on the model and brand) so be sure you take care of this advance so you can schedule a day that is as close to your move.

You might want to consider the day after the move to bring these things in, or even the day before, if possible. We had a mattress delivered the same day as the movers and it was a bit of a nightmare having so many people in the house at the same time crossing paths. It will be easier for everyone involved if you can spread it out a bit.

That’s everything we dealt with in the last few weeks that I can think of but if you have any other tips that you can provide based on your own experiences, please leave a comment.

Kid Friendly/Adult Approved Party Mix Vol. 1 - Dj RyB

One thing that I am a fanatic about for a party or BBQ is good music. It makes all the difference between a fun party or a boring one.  Even if the songs are good, it can still be a flop if it doesn't have good flow. Nothing aggravates me more than hearing an uptempo song, to be followed by something slow or depressing.

Obviously my DJ background makes me care a little more than most people but I think it does make a huge difference when the music is good and accessible to people with varying degrees of musical taste. Most people don't care that much or have no control because they hit Random Play on iTunes or use Pandora which is all over the place.

I think you should start to care so that is why I decided to make it easy for you by putting together my new "Kid Friendly/Adult Approved" mixes on Spotify. If you like them, just "Follow" the playlist and you'll have an instant party mix ready to go for your next gathering.

Hit the Spotify button in the player above or use the following link:

https://open.spotify.com/user/djryb/playlist/6s4zkybsjD8Wf3XK2ieWV2

I'll try and put a new one out every few weeks and if you have any suggestions or songs you want to here, just let me know.