Daddy Daddy The Track

– by Shannon Carpenter

heard a bridge yell? It sounds like chains rubbing against ropes as wooden planks protest the job they have been given.

Don’t Look Down

With the kids seat-belted, I gave the minivan some gas and off we went. Our tires hit the first two wooden planks and there was no turning back. Mainly because the bridge was too narrow to accomplish such a feat.

them, they like to slap up and down like the bridge itself is giving you applause. And it is loud.

My preteen daughter recorded from the backseat. The kids were laughing and screaming in the same breath. The video is fun, but with the undercurrent of my constant swears, it’s not fit to post online. I have a morality clause in my writing contracts.

“Go, dad! Go!” my son yelled.

Slowly, with thoughts on how long it takes rope to decay, we pushed forward until we came across to the other side. The kids cheered, and I was finally able to take a breath.

I know that this is the memory I’m looking to build. A little bit of excitement that will get embellished by my kids’ years down the road. The story will pass off from yesterday and enter the realm of myth. That legend, those that every family has that they tell around dinner tables, is what I am after. It’s the accidental August adventures that make it all possible.

Editor’s Note: We couldn’t resist asking Shannon, “How does your wife handle these dad “adventures”? She must have nerves of steel (or else you don’t tell her what you’re planning until after it’s over!!!). You can probably guess what his answer was!

At first, the bridge seemed to welcome us. “Come right on,” the bridge seemed to say. “I do this all the time.” Then the boards started coming up. It’s a funny thing with old construction like this. Nails and bolts get loose, and when you drive a ton of metal over

Shannon Carpenter is the father of three and has been a stay-at-home dad since 2008. He’s the author of the book “Stay-at-Home Dad: Your Essential Manual for Being an Awesome FullTime Father.” as well as the co-host of Dadhouse Pod. In addition to his writing on parenting, he is also a humor writer trained through the famous Second City. And we all know that having a sense of humor is essential to surviving parenthood!

Family Movie Options: In Theaters and Streaming Online

Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken

When Ruby takes an unexpected dip in the ocean, she learns the truth about herself and her family. She’s a kraken, granddaughter of the Queen of the Krakens, and destined to become a powerful guardian of the sea – if she can avoid monster-hunting sailors and crafty mermaids. This movie provides 90 minutes of decent storytelling, solid animation and good messages about selfacceptance. What it lacks is any sense of magic. Photo ©Universal Pictures

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

The Entity, a military AI program, has gone rogue and is imperiling the world. It can be controlled by a two-part key, so Ethan and his team set out to find both parts Every major power on earth wants to get the key – and so do other bad actors. This film doesn’t measure up to the rest of the franchise, being both incoherent and bloated. The expected action elements are derivative, and the pacing is agonizingly slow. And it’s only Part One Photo ©Paramount

Pictures

Indiana Jones and his goddaughter, Helena, are on a quest for Archimedes’ Dial, an ancient artifact reputed to predict astrological events. Also on the hunt is a Nazi scientist named Voller, who intends to retroactively change the outcome of World War II. Harrison Ford may well be getting old, but this film shows that he’s still got enough charisma to helm a major action movie. And this is a good one: despite a clumsy ending, this is a fast-paced action flick with enough nostalgia to please franchise fans. Photo © Walt

Disney Studios Motion Pictures

After spending 12 years tracking down child predators, Tim Ballard is on a mission to save children who are being trafficked. When the government revokes his authorization, he goes solo through Colombia’s rebel-held jungles and criminal underworld. This movie highlights a serious problem and gives a voice to abused children. Unfortunately, it offers simplistic solutions and, despite sensitive filming, feels bordeline exploitative. Photo ©Angel Studios

Ballister Boldheart is ready to become the first commoner to be knighted – until disaster strikes and he flees into the forest. Determined to clear his name and save the kingdom, he joins forces with Nimona, a rage-filled young shapeshifter This is a beautifully animated film with expansive world-building and a deeply layered story. Parents will want to be aware of some fantasy violence and a same-sex kiss when considering it for family viewing Photo ©Netflix

— by Dr. Donna Phillips

Emotions

The Noise Inside Boys: A Story About Big Feelings (Random House, New York, 2023, $18.99), written and illustrated by the award-winning Pete Oswald, is perfect for a trip to the beach with the boys and the antics that take place. Along with these antics come interactions and emotions. This is a wonderful and much needed book, with limited text that allows boys the space

Ahhhhh… Summer! Long hot days. The summer sounds in the still evening. Keeping cool in the pool, in the shade, in front of a fan, or indoors in the air conditioning. Tall cold drinks and short timeouts always help but are a temporary escape. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) relates summer to the Fire Element. This season is the time for warmth, activity, growth, movement, building relationships, emotions, and joy. (Learn more at https://www.rockvilleacupuncturemd.com/your-health-in-summerthe-five-elementtheory-the-season-ofabundance-and-joy/).

Summer is synonymous with heat. Heat with the heart. The heart with emotions. Cool the body, cool the heart, calm the emotions, settle the mind. As we look for ways to cool off and ways to keep calm, books are always a good choice. Here are some that speak to the many possibilities of summer!

Body

There is no better way to cool the body than to take a walk in the woods. The benefits of this are evidenced in the Japanese practice and science of Shining-Roku or Forest Bathing. It goes far beyond just the body and impacts the heart, emotions, and mind. If you are looking for a book to inspire such a walk and celebrate the summer season, Garden Walk (Gibbs Smith, Layton, 2023,

$16.99) is written and sketched by Virginia Brimhall Snow with “paints, pencils, and pixels.” As we walk through the world of growing things, we experience the sights and imagine the sounds, smells, textures, and even the tastes of the woods, fields, and garden. Just looking at this book will drop your blood pressure and cool you off.

Heart

Your heart is… finish the sentence. Your One and Only Heart (Dial Books, New York, 2023, $18.99), written by Rajani LaRocca, MD and illustrated by Laruen Paige Conrad, gives us ways to complete the thought through poetry and science. This unique combination will inspire and inform. The heart is singular and cooperative, simple yet complex, energetic and relaxed, constant yet changeable, electric and muscular, hidden and noticeable, selfish and selfless. How can that be? This book does an amazing job explaining it so even a young child can understand it. Notes at the end of the book provide more scientific explanations of these characteristics.

and freedom to explore and express their emotions, and encourages readers to create their own story to go along with the illustrations. As his father guides him through the frustrations of the day and the emotions they create, this young boy learns how to deal with them and express them in constructive positive ways. Through his father’s wise words he comes to the understanding that:

Mind

So many are struggling with mental wellness, especially our children. Where To Start: A Survival Guide to Depression and Other Mental Health Challenges (Rocky Pond Books, New York 2023, $19.99), from Mental Health America and illustrated by Gemma Correll, is not just another self-help book for teens and tweens. Its positive approach to the issues they face begins with an encouraging invitation on how to use the book. Subsequent chapters address “Am I Okay?, “Talking about Mental Health,” “Getting Professional Help,” and “DIY Mental Health.” Written with subheadings, cartoons, lists, and thought bubbles, this inviting book will help to develop confidence, curiosity, and conversation about these important issues and encourage children and adults to address them with compassion. Resources and plans of action make this book a reassuring way to help calm the mind and create the atmosphere to promote healing.

Let the heat of the month of August remind you to take care of yourself and store up that extra summer heat for the cooler months to come. A little attention now will reap great rewards in the future. And why not do it while the sun shines!

Dr. Donna Phillips is an associate professor in the College of Education at Niagara University where her specialty is literacy and children’s literature. She lives on Grand Island, NY and is the mother of two adult children and the grandmother of one.