Memorial Day

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Don't Lose Sight

A couple of songs for you as we enjoy our Memorial Day weekends.
 Take sometime this weekend to remember what it stands for. Try to honor those that have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms. It's more than just hot dogs and hamburgers, its about brave men and women who died protecting us and our way of life.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Don't Wake a Sleeping Giant

Don't let the peacefulness of this little boy fool you...

...If you wake him up, he will probably punch you in the nose.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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My Life in Legos... a Back Story

In today's episode we are having a backstory... watch the movie!

I met Jenn working in TV

We got married

She was beautiful

Tyler was born

Carter was born

The Movie

 For those with an IOS devive

If you like what you saw you can also "like" my facebook page by clicking here!

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Home

Think for a minute about where you live. Do you consider that your hometown? I know that I don't. If you are like me you can see it in your Facebook profile, there is the place where you currently live, and then there is your hometown. At some point I am going to have to face facts and realize that my hometown is Old Bridge, New Jersey. Although I am not sure how that day will actually come about.

Downtown Geneseo, complete with a fountain

I grew up in rural upstate New York in a town called Geneseo. It was at the time a one stop light town, one and a half if you count the flashing yellow at one end of Main Street. It was one of those beautiful Rockwellian type places where most of the houses dated to the early 19th century. Its two biggest claims to fame are that it's the home of SUNY Geneseo and it has a fountain with a bronze bear smack in the middle of Main Street.  Life was very simple. As a kid I don't think I fully appreciated what the town had to offer and I know a lot kids couldn't wait to get out and see what the rest of the world was like.

The annual Memorial Day parade

I am headed to Geneseo this Memorial Day weekend. My family and I have made it yearly tradition that we visit grandma and grandpa to help them plant their garden, and to take in one of the nicest Memorial Day parades that you will find. It's so nice in fact, they do it twice, once each way down Main Street. It's one of those small town traditions that I just don't get where I live now. I love taking my boys to where I grew up and I know they love going there as well.

Tyler helping Grandma plant the garden

My mom and dad have lived in the same house for the past 43 years so it's easy for me to call the place home. I know there will be a day when they no longer live there, unfortunately we know how life works. I would like to think that there would still be a reason for me to get back to Geneseo, but I know that probably wouldn't be the case. Sure there would be the occasional high school reunion but it just wouldn't be the same anymore. I am not prepared yet to change the status of my hometown and hopefully I don't have to worry about it for many more years to come. I might not have fully appreciated it when I was a kid and I haven't lived there for over half my life, but it's always nice to know that wherever I am there is a place that I can call home.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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My Last Post?

This would be a really cool sight

Today is the day. It seems like I can do nothing to control it as I am certainly NOT in charge of what happens today. It's been a great run, I had a wonderful life. I have an amazing wife and two awesome kids, I only wish that it could have been longer. It would have been nice to see my boys grow up and be President of the United States or a fireman, but I will just have to be satisfied with them being great little kids and remember them as that. It would have been nice to finally buy that lake house that my wife and I have been talking about for the past 10 years, but I guess I can be happy with our humble suburban home here in central New Jersey.

I have met a lot of great people in my 37 years, from everyone in High School that I was looking forward to seeing in July at my 20th reunion, to all my awesome friends that I met in college who to this day remain some of my best friends. I have to thank my parents for their guidance over the years and not even they can tell me what to do today. Sometimes no one has the answers and you just have to wait it out and see what happens. There will be things I won't miss like laundry, doing the dishes, or yanking weeds out of my yard. Those three things drive me crazy as they are a constant battle, but I won't have to do them anymore. And no more Legos to pull out of every corner of my house, I guess I can thank the Lord for that.


So I'll be sitting here at 6:00, beer in hand waiting to see what happens. That reminds me, I have to thaw some chicken for dinner tonight. Screw it, we'll just go get sushi, we can have the chicken tomorrow.

They have been wrong before

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Time... It Does Go By Fast

"Time sure goes by fast huh daddy?" - My son Tyler this morning

Yeah Tyler, it sure does.

It seems just like like yesterday I was sitting outside the operating room crying hysterically both scared to death and happy all in the same moment.  Scared to death that your mother was having an emergency C section but also happy because it meant that you were on your way out.  I was also scared to death because my life would change forever, I was now going to be a dad, and I had no idea what that was actually going to mean.  Time sure does go by fast, I remember the first night you were home from the hospital, you were crying your little eyes out and we had no idea what the problem was.  The only thing that we could think of was to put a binky in your mouth, it worked wonders.  It still took you a long time until you slept through the night, but look at you now, you sleep like such a big kid, although you could go to bed on your own sometimes.

Time sure goes by fast, I can remember sitting in your bedroom late one night and you rolled yourself from your back to your front.  It was just you and me and I thought that nothing could be better than that moment.  Then you started to crawl, albeit like a wounded army man, and you could now get around on your own.  You didn't need me to carry you everywhere.  Look at you now, you are faster than a speeding bullet and you run everywhere you go.  We have had a lot of nights like that one in your bedroom, a lot of great moments.

Time sure does go by fast, you used to need us to read everything to you.  You didn't know your ABC's or how to count to ten.  But you figured that all out, you turned into such a smart little kid.  The smartest in fact!  You used to just scribble everything, before you knew how to write or draw.  But look at you now, look at what in incredible artist you are.  You amaze me everyday with that little brain of yours.

Time does go by fast, you used to be the only baby that we had.  It used to be only you, but then along came Carter.  We had an idea that you would be a great big brother, but seeing how you are with him, you really turned into the best big brother in the whole world.  He loves you so much!  You have gotten to be such an awesome little kid in these past seven years and you grew up so fast, it makes me wonder sometimes where it all went.

"Time sure goes by fast huh daddy?  I came into your room at 6:30, (fell back asleep) and now its already 7:45.  How did that happen?"

I have no idea Tyler, I have no idea.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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If I Became President

Every couple of months or so Tyler comes home with a project that the class was working on. Usually it's a collection of stories written by the kids based on a book that they have read in class. Today's project was a little different as he came home with a collection called "If I Became President". Now I credit the kids for trying but let's take a look at how life would be different if they were the president.


So here is a girl that wants to eat ice cream everyday and give everyone a home. Two problems here; first, you are certainly adding to the childhood obesity problem, you need to eat ice cream everyday? Let's put down the chocolate eclair and start munching on some broccoli. Second, giving everyone a home is what got us into this financial mess that the country is in. Let's start teaching these kids economics please!


Ok seriously, you are going to share your feelings with us? What are we going to do sit around and braid each others hair and talk about boys? Come on!


This girl has something here, everybody should have a pet dog. Now that seems like a platform that I could get behind, but again, you are eating too many cookies! And why are we celebrating for eight days? Is it hanukkah?


FOOD FIGHT!!! The only problem with this is that I believe this how WWI started.  Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated after throwing a meatball at Gavrilo Princip. So the idea that we might go through that again is probably not the best of ideas.


So you are just going to give people money. That seems like a wise use of my tax dollars. I could use an R2-D2 though, that's the best idea that I have seen so far!


Really? Just give it away? Whose money are these kids just handing out to people, because it certainly is not going to be mine. Besides, we already have a program like this in place, it's called welfare, as in if you don't start studying you will end up on welfare.


Cookies for breakfast! Who doesn't like that idea? I'll tell you who, the 20% of kids that are suffering from obesity in this country, and now you want to shove cookies down their throats, for breakfast no less. Talk about a real breakfast of champions right there.


This one was apparently written BY THE BULLY IN THE CLASS. He is trying to snuff out PEApol just like himself.  Lets learn how to spell before you star worrying about being president.


What is unfair about the laws? The fact the you are now allowed to only have a million sandwiches? Now you want to be able to eat a BILLION sandwiches? I didn't know there were laws governing these sort of things. Have looked at your big round head? You should probably cut down on the grilled cheese instead.

I guess they have a little bit of time to work on their campaign platforms.  At least we now know what kids in this country are concerned with.  There must be a serious lack of cookies and ice cream in their lives.

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John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Daddy's in Charge Foolproof Recipe (for the Wife)

Let's face it dinner time can be a very stressful time, there are just too many people to please. I know in my house dinner is usually a smorgasbord and I know that is wrong. The kids should eat what I make blah, blah, blah. I get all that. Sometimes though things have to be done to make the wife happy. When the wife is happy, daddy is usually happy if you catch what I am saying. This recipe is actually a pretty simple one that requires no actual cooking, some might not like this style of "cooking", but I have found that the misses is much nicer to me when I make this dish.

Shrimp Ceviche


The first ingredient is obviously shrimp. I usually use two pounds of raw shrimp. Make sure that you remove all of the stuff that you would normally not eat, like tails and rise other things that hang off of them.


Next you need to squeeze enough limes to make around 3/4 cup of juice. Makes sure that you have no open wounds or this will be a tortuous process. I have found out the hard way, it's pretty painful.


Pour that juice over the shrimp in a medium to large bowl and let that sit aside for about five minutes until it gets a little opaque.

In the meantime you are going to chop five Roma tomatoes and one medium to large onion. I know in the picture I have two that's only because I thought I had a bigger onion on hand, which I clearly did not. A reminder, make sure you have all of the ingredients to make this dish before you make it. Also while you are doing this you will finely chop one big bunch of cilantro. It usually yields about had a 1/2 cup which is perfect.
Once that is done mix it all together and put in the refrigerator for about an hour. The lime juice will actually "cook" the shrimp. I know that sounds kind of strange but it works.


While you are waiting you can chop up an avocado which will be added right before you serve this dish. Do not mix it in as the person eating this dish will take care if that.


The final two ingredients are simply for taste so you can put in as much or as kittle as you would like. I usually put in a few splashes of Worcestershire Sauce, and around a tablespoon of ketchup.


For sake of pictures I served this dish up in a wine glass, I know that doesn't make much sense, but I was looking for Martini glasses which would have been much cooler. Everything is cooler in a martini glass, think James Bond. Now that the dish is done hand it over to your wife and watch her go crazy. You my friend should be in for an enjoyable evening.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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