Dad-alytics

Congratulations RGVFC Toros on defeating the Colorado Springs Switchbacks 3-0! One month ago, I collaborated with Ms. Gabriela Bernal on the RGV DADS Takeover event.  Our goal was to produce an event to celebrate Dads and their families.  It was a success! The event began with our children creating a Father's Day craft which included their hand prints.  Dads will cherish this memento for years to come!  Everybody enjoyed the time we spent in the VIP suite! Father's Day Craft Mr. Toro came by our suite to mingle with our children and take pictures!  He always brings a lot of energy and excitement wherever he goes. Mr. Toro and RGV DADS The Toros Girls were in attendance and took pictures with us.  They performed very well during the halftime festivities! Toros Girls H-E-B raffled off two gift baskets to the Dads at our event.  The baskets included:  H-E-B gift card, H-E-B chips, charcoal, lighter fluid, and other items for Dad...

We attended our first LEGO Monthly Mini Build on January 8, 2019.  JR and his LEGO team provided an excellent experience for my girls.  They were able to build a jet fighter and received the following items for free:  LEGO Friends set and posters!  Sign up for LEGO VIP Membership and you can sign up your children for the next Monthly Mini Build.  Everything is free and here are some things you should know: Monthly Mini Build Registration Website:   https://shop.lego.com/en-US/minibuild-registration Registration opens at 10 a.m. EST on the 15th of the month prior to the event Spaces are limited for each store, so don't wait! You will register for a specific date and time On the day of the event please arrive 5 minutes early and bring a valid photo ID  Children must be ages 6-14 Depending on the age/skill of your child, the build should take about 5-10 min. We are looking forward to the next one! If your organization is interested in ...

Like most children, our girls have been busy compiling their Christmas Wish Lists.  I transferred their Wish Lists to Amazon on Sunday evening.  You can even share lists with friends and family around the world if they would like to buy gifts for your children.  Evie and I started shopping via Amazon on Sunday night! ALWAYS compare prices online.  I typically compare Amazon, Walmart, and Target.  On Monday morning, we went to Target to get the items we could not find on Amazon.  It was nice to shop in person as the store was decorated for the holidays and the Christmas music was playing in the background.  I made sure to stop at Starbucks for my Love (we grabbed a taco for me too)! We were searching for a particular doll (the Target website stated they had some in stock...ALWAYS carry your iPhone), so Ryan (Target store associate) was kind enough to check in the back.  He found it and I told him he was our hero!  We found gifts for our fa...

LEGO has been around since 1932 and was founded by Ole Kirk Kristiansen.  I was given LEGOs in the mid-1980s and was hooked!  I enjoyed following the plans and building the various models.  It was even better when I constructed whatever was in my imagination. Several years ago I visited my parent's house and collected some of my childhood belongings.  I retrieved a blue Lego briefcase (1985) and inside was a skyscraper I had built as a child (broken in half so it could fit inside). Skyscraper and LEGO Briefcase LEGO - 1985 - Denmark My daughters have all kinds of LEGO sets and it has been exciting to see them progress from larger blocks to sets that contain thousands of pieces!  I appreciate the patience and step-by-step sequence that building a set provides for my girls. This past weekend, I learned that LEGO Master Builder Chris Steininger would be attending the Grand Opening for our LEGO store in McAllen, TX at La Plaza Mall.  Chris was s...

In about two weeks, our girls are headed back to school.  There are numerous things parents can do to ease the transition into the school schedule.  Taking action now can reduce stress on the entire family when school begins.  Students in our district are required to wear uniforms, so we made sure to shop for those items early.  We felt like we received a better deal on the uniforms this year and even received a credit back to help purchase new shoes!  We are also preparing for their return by having them go to sleep earlier.  We do not want our daughters to have trouble waking up in the morning.  During the school year, they use an alarm clock to wake up in the morning. This year we shopped for school supplies during Tax Free Weekend.  We stick to the list, but we let them pick out a few things that were special.  We felt like this would help them be more excited about return ing to school. Chosen Notebooks I asked family and fri...

Talking about money was not a popular topic of conversation in my family when I was growing up.  Some of the conversations I overheard regarding finances were negative.  My parents had a high school graduation dinner for me at Antonio's in Harlingen, Texas and thankfully I received some checks from family and friends.  I was 18 years old and my mother took me to First National Bank (now PlainsCapital Bank) to open my first checking account so I could cash those checks.  Like many of you, my past experiences shaped how I handle money today with my family. I have always taken my daughters with me wherever I go.  I have even taken them on some important errands to PlainsCapital Bank.  I feel like it is important for them to listen to me interact with bankers.  My daughters, like most children, are very perceptive.  There have been times when we return to the car and they ask questions or share comments that let me know they were listening! Girl...

Slime is still popular and it's even better when your children can make a mess somewhere else!  Chick-Fil-A (27th and Nolana in McAllen, TX) reached out to RGV DADS for their "It's Slime Time" event on July 17. I started RGV DADS on July 1 and have been working to partner with various organizations for kid-friendly events.  RGV DADS mission statement is  Creating opportunities for fathers in the Rio Grande Valley to network through meetups, blogs, and sharing information about fatherhood . It was over 100 degrees on July 17 and families were in a line that wrapped around the Chick-Fil-A restaurant!  The Chick-Fil-A mascot was in attendance to interact with the children and was available for photos. Chick-Fil-A Mascot My daughters and their friend were able to create slime by visiting a few stations to acquire the necessary ingredients.  The Chick-Fil-A employees are known for their customer service and hospitality, and they did not disappoint! ...