Back to School at Dick's

Back to school soon!

My boys still have another week and a half before school starts.  It starts late here in New Jersey this year due to the Jewish Holidays that fall in the first week of September.  Normally we would head back right after Labor Day and this week I would be scrambling to get all of their supplies.  But I can put that off until next week when all the cool folders have been taken and my boys are left with plain blue and yellow ones.

It's the same thing every year.

One thing I have not put off buying is all of their new sports gear.  Like most kids they outgrow all of their stuff after one season and I am left to head to the sporting goods store to buy all the essentials.  This fall was no different.  Carter is now playing football and of course you want to be safe.  Two things that are mandatory in flag football are a mouth piece and a cup.

His cup runneth over

I never wore a cup when I was a kid playing sports.  I found them too restricting and uncomfortable.  Fortunately I never had an incident in either football or baseball.  Perhaps I was lucky in that regard, but not so lucky when it came to tennis. I should have had a cup then (oh the pain!)

But now that I have boys of my own we need to protect the family lineage, so off to Dick's Sporting Goods we went.  If you have never been to a place like Dick's you are really missing out.  I remember as a kid my first visit there and thinking how it totally put our local Swain Ski and Sports to shame.  The place was huge.  If you couldn't find what you were looking for, the sport probably didn't exist in the first place.

Buying a cup for your kid is a little weird.

You don't want to buy one that is too small and it won't protect them, but you don't want to buy one that is too big and have it be completely uncomfortable. Now I am not going to get into how well endowed my son is, let's just say the cup was not the smallest one there and he is now fully protected.  Thanks to Dick's my son will help carry on the Willey family name!

Of course you can get more than just sporting goods. They have a ton of backpacks (which I have way too many of) clothes, and everyones favorite disappearing item SOCKS.  Just click on the link and buy as many as you want. Be sure to check out the Backpack Selector to find the exact fit for you.

Dick's was kind enough to offer a $25 off coupon code to one of my lucky readers!  Just follow the simple instructions below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


*This is a post sponsored by Dick's. I was compensated, all opinions are my own.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Around the World in 17 Days

It's been a crazy past couple of weeks to say the least.

It started with a plane ride TO France and ended with a plane ride FROM Las Vegas. From seeing old world Provence towns to the very modern and glitzy Sin City. Two distinctly different places, but two absolutely amazing experiences. Each I will talk about much more in the future.

Sometimes I really need to slap myself to realize how lucky I am in life. Not only do I get to visit these amazing places but I have an amazing family to share it with. As my kids favorite T-shirts say... Life is Good.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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Somewhere Down There

Somewhere down there is a dad shoving a piece of toast in his mouth, kissing his family goodbye, and rushing out the door hoping to make the 7:29 train into the city and his job in finance.

Somewhere down there is mom knee deep in laundry with a newborn crying in the living room after being woken up by the neighbors barking dog.

Somewhere down there is a dad driving his rig across country on his eighth day on the road... kids at home wondering when daddy's coming home.

Somewhere down there is a mom at a sales conference wishing she was anywhere but in the windowless meeting room in yet another generic hotel.

Somewhere down there is a dad plowing a field, hoping for rain... But not too much like last year.

Somewhere down there is a mom pulling a stolen car over having one eye on her police issued revolver and the other on the noticeably drunk man in the drivers seat.

Somewhere down there is a dad driving a bus full of kids on his second of three jobs, needed to support his three kids and his wife who is expecting their fourth in the fall.

Somewhere down there is a mom interviewing the local Sheriff for the six o'clock news about a child predator who is stalking kids at local playground.

Somewhere down there is a dad who just lost his architect job wondering where the money for his mortgage and college tuition for his daughter is going to come from.

Somewhere down there is a mom cutting yet another persons hair, struggling to keep food on the table and a roof over her kids head.

Somewhere down there is a dad being deployed overseas for the next seven months, not sure if he will ever see his family again.

Somewhere down there is a mom working at a bowling alley spraying disinfectant into a pair of shoes not knowing how she will stay awake for her second job later that night.

EVERYWHERE down there are parents doing what they need to do to make sure their kids have the best life possible.
Somewhere up HERE I'm applauding each and every single one of you.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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