Now It's Time To Say Goodbye

It's all about this kid!

"Times they are a changing" - Bob Dylan

I wasn't sure when this moment would come. I knew that blogging probably wouldn't be a "forever" thing in my life. I sort of anticipated that my time as a non-working at-home dad would be limited. Sometimes, life presents you with an opportunity that you cannot not take advantage of, and I am at that crossroads. I have been an at-home dad/dad blogger for two years, and I am sad to say that this will be my last post as "The Real Matt Daddy."

"Idiot Dad" Largely Absent From 2013 #SuperBowl Advertising

As a former advertising professional, I usually follow the trends of Super Bowl commercials. It seems that every year there's company that comes up short, falls flat, or makes a gigantic mistake. Now that I'm an at-home dad, I thought that I would look at the commercials from a different perspective. This year, I had my pen and paper ready. I planned to dissect the most watched (and most expensive) television messages of the year, looking for any hint of a company that used the "idiot dad" stereotype in their advertising. I planned to report the results to you here, and spend a good deal of time ripping each company apart for their blatant disregard for fathers. But I am happy to say that I have very little to report. After thorough examination, I have assembled the very best and worst(?) dad-related commercials from last night's big game.

#Ravens Linebacker @RayLewis On Retirement: "It's Okay To Be Daddy"

As a Baltimore Ravens fan, I was anxious to watch the video of the entire press conference where Ray Lewis announced his retirement. But I didn't expect to hear him talk so much about fatherhood, and how his role as a dad helped shape his decision to retire at this point in his career.

Click on the link below, and skip to the 3:40 mark to hear him begin to talk about being able to watch two of his sons play football on the same team while he was injured. From there, he continues to talk about his thought process through this decision, and he brings up fatherhood several more times, saying that his kids have had to sacrifice having him around for seventeen years and that he doesn't want them to grow up without a father like he did.

Dad Blogs: Best Posts of 2012

For those of you anxiously awaiting my return from "vacation mode," it won't be too much longer. I'm still working on remodeling our future home, and once we get moved in, I'll be back on a regular basis. I have so many stories to share with you - like why everyone is peeing on the floor, jokes to tell during a vasectomy, and much, much more.

In the meantime, I have some other great dad-related content that I think you would love. I'm part of a dad bloggers Facebook group that is 70 members strong (...and growing!). We decided that it would be fun to each share what we felt was our best post of the year. Some are funny; some are sweet; some will make you think; and others will make you cry. Here they are, in no particular order. (More may be added as they are posted this week, so be sure to check back!)