“My dad got dementia when I was 13. I was the first person he forgot and he started to hate me. I lost my relationship with my mom (which is rebuilding now, thank goodness!) and I was very alone. My dad passed 5 years later when I was 18.

At 27, I found out that my fiance was pregnant. I was terrified. My dad had missed so many major moments in my life I was lost, to say the least, thinking that something like that might happen to me.

My fiance got very sick due to nurse negligence and ended up with blood poisoning and major tremors. The fear of my son growing up without his mother was a real possibility. I cared for him for 2 weeks in the hospital by her side until she was cleared to leave.

Now I sit at home with the love of my life and my son and I can see only hope for the future.”

– Brandon Sawler

Want to share a story about fatherhood? Email [email protected]

Check out the previous editions of Father Figures here.

Being a teenager is a confusing and exciting time. You’re just learning to navigate the world, gaining independence that you didn’t have as a little kid. You have the opportunity to make big life decisions on your own, making mistakes and learning lessons as you go. Sometimes, the teenage years bring some form of rebellion as you begin to explore your newfound freedom. Other times, being a teen means using the lessons you learned throughout your childhood to change the world for the better.

Like many teens, 18-Year-old Teo Jordan from Covington, Kentucky has a part-time job. He’s saving up money to buy a car, so every hour of every shift counts. Recently, Teo reached into his pocket and took out some of his hard-earned money. But he wasn’t about to spend a chunk of his car fund on something frivolous – in fact, he wasn’t even spending the money on himself.

While at Kroger, the grocery store where Jordan works, he heard a cashier tell an elderly customer that he didn’t have enough money to pay for the groceries in his cart. Rather than helping the man put back some of his items, Jordan pulled $35 from his wallet and made sure the customer went home with all the food he needed.

“I just seen I wanted to help the guy,” Jordan told WLWT-TV. “I saw that he didn’t have the money for all the groceries that he wanted. The cashier told him he would have to put some of the thing back so I just thought in my head I would give him this $35 so he could have all the food that he wants.”

The kindness Jordan showed a complete stranger at that moment without hesitation speaks volumes of his character. Though the sole purpose of Jordan’s job is to take home a paycheck, this selfless teen took himself out of the equation when someone else needed the money more.

“Just treat people the way you want to be treated (and) always help out if someone needs it,” Jordan said, a lesson that some people take a lifetime to learn (while others never learn it at all).

Teo Jordan grew up watching the adults around him make choices, and as kids do, he learned from them. Though we can’t make decisions for our kids, we can teach them through doing. They aren’t guaranteed to take everything we say and do to heart, but moments like this remind us that we’re doing something right.

“I am proud of Teo. I’m overwhelmed with joy,” Jordan’s mom, Stephanie Burton said. “You try to instill in your kids right and wrong but you don’t know if they comprehend, so yes I’m very proud.”

A bit of old-school animation seems to be making a comeback!

Granted, by old-school I mostly mean the 90s, but still. Space Jam is getting a Lebron-starring sequel, The Animaniacs are coming back next month for more pop culture skewering, and now the Tiny Toons are being rebooted for HBO Max.

Tiny Toons Looniversity got a two-season order and will follow the stars of Tiny Toons Adventures into college.

The synopsis, from Deadline: “The Tiny Toons Adventures reboot follow the characters’ comedic ambitions all the way to Acme Looniversity, the esteemed institution of higher high-jinks learning, where young dreamers become professional toons. Here they form long-lasting friendships with one another and perfect their cartoony craft while studying under the greatest cartoon characters in history, the Looney Tunes.”

The series is one of several kids shows under development at HBO Max, including Unicorn: Warriors Eternal and three series from popular children’s book author Mo Willems.

“Tiny Toons Looniversity will capture all the clever, subversive and smart humor that made Tiny Toon Adventures such a standout series,” said Tom Ascheim, President of Warner Bros. Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics. “Fans old and new will love to laugh at and with these characters all over again.”

When I was a kid, the Looney Tunes were huge, and now it seems like they may be making a bit of a comeback. It’s pretty clever to incorporate them into the show as mentors for their younger counterparts.

My kids basically have no idea who Bugs Bunny even is, but thanks to HBO Max, it won’t be long before they do!

The Dude is feeling the love as he begins cancer treatments and is enormously grateful for it. Earlier this month, beloved actor Jeff Bridges announced he had been diagnosed with lymphoma. Bridges recently posted an update as he began treatment for it, and thanked everyone for the outpouring of support he’s seen.

As his treatment begins, he let his supporters know he’ll be keeping them updated via a journal on his website, and posted a “dramatic” picture from the hospital.

I want to thank you all for reaching out during this time, it feels good getting all the well wishes and love! I’ll be sharing more updates on https://t.co/tndalVJNn0 pic.twitter.com/0hGh7gs1Dp

— Jeff Bridges (@TheJeffBridges) October 29, 2020

His blog is simply titled “New shit has come to light- I’ve got cancer…” in a callback to his infamous line (one of many) in ‘The Big Lebowski’. In it, he opened by writing about all the love he’s felt.

“This cancer thing is bringing on feelings of preciousness, and gratitude, and good old fashion love, and lots of it, big time. I’m feeling so much of it comin’ my way, and man, I appreciate it. It’s contagious, all this love, like some kind of positive virus.”

He also wrote that cancer had made him appreciate mortality and impermanence, and left him ‘realizing that if I have s— to share, now’s the time.” His first batch of insights includes doodles on the importance of our environment and trees, a link to a music video from his band, and more.

He closes it with his heartfelt call to make the world a better place together:

“If you’re into it, I’ll be sharing my perspectives on this site. I’m looking to be in partnership with you guys in creating a beautiful life and world for all of us.

All in this together.”

We abide.

Dude, your yard looks great. The grass is at the right level. You finally found your groove for creating the perfect mow pattern. And that groundhog? Yeah, he’s gone. You’ve spent hours each week perfecting your lawn. You planted the bulbs your wife bought and even found a spot for the stupid sparkling gazing ball your kid “needed.” Lawn care was practically a part-time job for the last six-ish months. Now winter is coming and you’re packing away that lawnmower and looking forward to a break, right?

Ehhh… not so fast. In order to keep from basically starting over in the spring, you’ll need to put in just a bit more work in the fall with some winter lawn care best practices. It’s also a good idea to remain vigilant over your yard, even in the darkest days of winter. Here’s what you need to know and do.

Start winter lawn care in the fall

Do Leaf Control

We know both Finn and Fido love crunching through those autumn leaves. However, leaving them sitting on your grass can take its toll. For your absolute best bet at a healthy lawn, rake often and pick up the piles immediately. If you can’t get to them right away or they end up rain-soaked on your lawn, you leave your yard more susceptible to critters and your grass is likely to end up diseased. At the bare minimum, use your mower to mulch the leaves into dime-sized pieces.

Aerate Your Lawn

What’s it feel like when you walk across your lawn? Is it firm or do your feet sink into the earth? Aerating your yard is beneficial no matter what, but a harder ground is more likely to benefit.

What is aerating?

To aerate literally means to add air or give air. In other words, loosen the earth under your grass so it’s not so compacted.

How do you aerate?

You can do this in multiple ways. There are spikes you can strap onto your shoes so you can walk your lawn and push holes into the ground. There are also tools/machines you can buy that you push across your yard. As they roll over your grass, they pull out plugs of dirt and, again, leave holes to help loosen the dirt.

Why should you aerate?

An aerated lawn has multiple benefits. To begin, you already know that plants need oxygen. Those holes also allow better drainage during rain and snow. This not only brings water to your grass roots, it also helps avoid standing or pooling water. As an added bonus, it also helps with your next step…

Feed, seed, and treat your grass

Did you know there’s actually stuff you can put on your lawn now that will settle in over winter and help your yard look even better in the Spring? Scotts Turf Builder, for instance, has several different fall and winter lawn treatments you can use, depending on what your lawn needs.

Once winter arrives

Keep off the grass!

No. Really. Your grass is much more fragile during colder temperatures. If your dog likes to run in the same path around the yard, look for ways to redirect him every few days, so he doesn’t wear down a path. And, while your kids’ occasional romp through the snow won’t do much damage, make sure they’re sticking to the walk or driveway on regular treks out of the house.

Treat your snow carefully

When managing snow, there are two things to keep in mind: How long snow piles will sit on your lawn and what you’re using on hard surfaces to melt the snow. If your neighborhood plows the street and you end up with snow piled on the easement, it might be worth getting out the shovel and moving it elsewhere. Piled up road slush carries a lot of weight… and harmful chemicals from cars. Leaving snow berms sitting on your grass can actually cause mold, too. Another way harmful chemicals seep into your grass? The chemicals in the “salt” used to melt the snow and ice off your walkways.

This is hard, right? If you have a pet, you might already be buying a special ice melt that’s less painful for your pooch. Is it safe for your lawn, too? There’s a ton of products out there. In the long run, it might be a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils. If you’re only worried about your lawn, calcium chloride is the best option. And if you must use straight rock salt? Use it as a pretreatment before the ice and snow arrive instead of using it after the fact. Why? You can use a lot less if you use it before instead of after.

Clear the yard of clutter

Finally, don’t shoot the messenger on this, but you need to bring in anything you can and cover the rest. Winter winds blow ornaments over and knock branches down. Part of your yard’s charm is the cute accessories. Don’t let winter ruin them — that crap is expensive! For bigger pieces, try to invest in covers or even just cheap tarps and bungee cords from any hardware store.

Just a heads up, if you buy stuff using the provided links, The Dad may collect a small commission.

We’re almost there, the spookiest time of the year is quickly approaching. Not spooky because of the ghosts and fake blood, but because the amount of candy kids consume in a few-hour period can turn them from kid-level goofy to a turbo-powered ball of energy until they inevitably crash on the floor at 9 pm with half a Twix bar hanging out of their mouths. In preparation for the long day ahead, take a few minutes and enjoy some good old parenting humor. We’ve rounded up 12 of the funniest parenting tweets this week because kids shouldn’t get all the treats on Halloween. This one’s just for the parents.

Sorry I’m late there was traffic in the living room

I’m very certain that my kids will be late to school, even if they lived inside the school

— Vinod Chhaproo (@Chhapiness) October 28, 2020

Usually, the answer is no

50% of parenting a toddler is deciding if the object they’re about to break is worth getting up off the couch

— Dad on my Feet (@dad_on_my_feet) October 27, 2020

They learn so young

6-year-old: Can I get a tattoo?

Me: No.

6: Can I have a snack?

Me: Sure.

Excellent negotiating.

— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@XplodingUnicorn) October 25, 2020

It’s like you’re not even trying

me: we’re going to go up an escalator! can you say ‘escalator’?

toddler: eeeskvatay

me: a simple ‘no’ is fine

— Henpecked Hal (@HenpeckedHal) October 27, 2020

If this isn’t art I don’t want to know what is

can’t decide whether my son’s pumpkin is lazy or a work of art pic.twitter.com/uT66pdm4Rk

— Fred Delicious (@Fred_Delicious) October 25, 2020

Wait until you see #2 – I mean, the second impression

my new baby: *crying*

me: ok, to begin with, terrible first impression

— MehGyver (@TheAndrewNadeau) October 27, 2020

He just aced middle school health class

Had to explain to my toddler why his 13yo cousin has changed lately, now when he sees someone upset or crying he goes “puberty?”

— WTFDAD (@daddydoubts) October 27, 2020

Crayola’s new “Existential Dread” line is killing it

Things I will never know:

Whether my 2 year old is repeating “no, no eat crayons” over and over at the table because he wants to show off his knowledge, or because he’s trying to talk himself through a significant inner struggle.

— Xennial Daddy (@Xennial_Daddy) October 17, 2020

Third time this week

KID 911: wats ur emergency

SON: cant find my shoes

KID 911: have you looked literally nowhere?

SON: yes!

KID 911: then it is lost forever

— *sigh*clops (@aotakeo) October 28, 2020

So heartwarming when they pay attention to your interests

*listening to the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack*

4: Daddy guess my favorite!

Me: Belle!

4: Yah! I know your favorite!

Me: You do? Who?

4: LeFou!

Me: What why?

4: He has beer!

Me: That’s true. Good call, sweetheart.

— QuaranTWIN Dad (@DadisGrumpy) October 24, 2020

A beautiful family moment

My wife was eating fries tonight and dropped ketchup on the newborn’s head. She then dipped another fry in the ketchup on his forehead and continued on. Warrior.

— Chef Andrew Gruel (@ChefGruel) October 27, 2020

And then they’ll tell you how you messed it up

I hope my kids enjoy watching me carve pumpkins again this year.

— Simon Holland (@simoncholland) October 29, 2020

Did you miss last week’s funniest parenting tweets?

It’s the crushing news you expect to hear every time you go to a McDonald’s: our ice cream machine is broken. It’s such a common experience it’s almost rarer to find a McDonald’s that will actually sell you ice cream. It’s even become fodder for stand-up comedy. But now a hero has emerged from our midst, a hero who created a website that tracks every single McDonald’s ice cream machine in America and whether or not it’s currently working.

There’s no questioning McDonald’s standing in the fast-food world. They even try to flex that by offering off-beat items like burger scented candles, just because they can. That doesn’t mean they are resting on their laurels, either, given their new spicy chicken nuggets were a hit. The constantly broken soft serve, machines, are a big hole in their offerings.

24-year-old software engineer Rashiq Zahid is at least making it easier to find the machines that are up in order to save yourself a disappointing trip. He built a website tracking the operational ability of every soft serve machine. How?

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Sweet.🍦

A post shared by McDonald’s (@mcdonalds) on Aug 7, 2014 at 1:54pm PDT

“I reverse engineered mcdonald’s internal api and I’m currently placing an order worth $18,752 every minute at every mcdonald’s in the US to figure out which locations have a broken ice cream machine,” he tweeted. So, by taking advantage of the online ordering (without actually completing his $20,000 ice cream order every minute), he gives real-time data on ice cream at McBroken.com.

I reverse engineered mcdonald’s internal api and I’m currently placing an order worth $18,752 every minute at every mcdonald’s in the US to figure out which locations have a broken ice cream machine https://t.co/2KsRwAdrMd

— rashiq (@rashiq) October 22, 2020

He certainly didn’t expect it to blow up the way it did, but it’s been a massive hit online. In less than two days, his site got more than 1.5 million unique users, with 16 million interactions with his McBroken map.

The entire project came from his attempt to order a McSundae using the digital app, but to no avail.

“I was like, there must be something that can be done about this,” he told The Verge. And thus, one bot later, McBroken.com was born, and we never have to be surprised by a McDonald’s soft serve machine again.

“This is my dad.

Okay, so he isn’t my biological father. But he has been a father figure for me for a long time. His gentleness and calmness has been an inspiration to me for so long.

When my real dad died before he could marry my husband and I, this man stepped in.

I couldn’t ask for a better second dad. He’s there when I’m freaking out at 3am and send a text, he’s there when I’m excited and I text him and Mom (his wife) and let them know about something good in our life.

When I was younger, I had just watched my brother get in an accident (he’s okay now, but has a skull fracture and a TBI). Some girls came up to me and said they hoped I was okay.

Shocked and scared, I got mad and told them I wasn’t the one who got hurt. My dad directed them away from the situation and pulled me in for a hug. He kept hugging me so I wouldn’t look back at my brother and wouldn’t tear into those girls.

He’s a good dad.”

– Ashley McKinney

Want to share a story about fatherhood? Email [email protected]

For almost half a century, Jerry Lewis dedicated himself to helping find a cure for muscular dystrophy. Muscular dystrophy is a genetic disease that causes muscle degeneration, weakness, trouble breathing, and sadly, its progressive nature means those symptoms get worse over time. Jerry Lewis wanted to see the suffering caused by MD end – he became the face and voice of the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s annual telethon, spending thousands of hours and helping to raise $2.45 billion for MD research between 1966-2009.

Sadly, Jerry Lewis passed away in 2017, devastating the community he worked so hard to help over the years.

The Muscular Dystrophy Association said in a statement following Lewis’s death, “MDA would not be the organization it is today if it were not for Jerry’s tireless efforts on behalf of ‘his kids.’ His enthusiasm for finding cures for neuromuscular disease was matched only by his unyielding commitment to see the fight through to the end. Jerry’s efforts on the annual MDA Telethon transformed the broadcast into an American tradition each Labor Day weekend for 45 years.”

The telethon, however, must go on. It’s what Jerry Lewis would have wanted – people continuing to use the fundraiser he made famous to raise as much money as possible for the cause he held so close to his heart. The first MDA telethon in six years has a new face (and a much shorter runtime) but was still packed with entertainment. Actor and comedian Kevin Hart stepped up to host the 2020 Muscular Dystrophy Association’s telethon, raising over $10.5 million during the two-hour event.

The October 24 telethon raised money for both the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Kevin Hart’s own Help From The Hart Charity, which provides scholarships to those in underserved communities and helps people struggling with medical needs. The event was star-studded and featured a variety of entertainment from comedy to musical performances.

Guests included Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, Usain Bolt, Whitney Cummings, Steph Curry, Adam Devine, Josh Gad, Michael B. Jordan, and more. Though the event itself is over, you can still watch the full telethon – and more importantly, you can still support the cause. Some auctions are still in progress, including a signed Stephen Curry jersey, a Zoom session with Zachary Levi, and several other one-of-a-kind items. If you just want to donate, you can do that here.

“At this point in my life and my career, it’s finding other things to hold on to,” Hart told ABC News. “Entertainment and comedy — it’s been a thing, it’s been what I’m known for, and I’ve pushed hard to be successful at it. If I can match that energy and switch the gears and start to do things for others and bring awareness and a high level of positivity to the world and hopefully bring people together, put smiles on the faces, heal some, do for some, I will feel like I’ve done my job while here.”

Video game movies and tv shows don’t always hit the mark, but if anyone is capable of a big swing, Netflix is the one. They nailed it with ‘The Witcher”, which is also getting a prequel series, and now they’ve got another beloved video game franchise they are developing into a show. We are finally getting an “Assassin’s Creed” show.

This is the result of a deal between Ubisoft and Netflix and is the first of several new series. According to a press release the deal will “tap into the iconic video game’s trove of dynamic stories with global mass appeal for adaptions of live-action, animated and anime series.” So, we could be getting a lot of Assassin’s Creed content, but the live-action show is up first.

Netflix + Assassin’s Creed pic.twitter.com/yI2sItnMgi

— NX (@NXOnNetflix) October 27, 2020

What do we know? OK, admittedly, not much beyond the fact that it’s going to happen. It could be set in almost any point in history, from the Crusades to the American Revolution, from Pirates to Vikings. Are we getting Ezio or Connor? Edward Kenway? Who knows??

The bottom line, whatever we’re gonna get is gonna come with extremely high expectations, as the video game franchise is one of the most successful over the past decade-plus and one of the best-selling games of all time. There is an enormous amount of potential if they give it the runway a series like this needs to be done correctly. For its part, Netflix is saying all the right things (which is the easy part).

“From its breathtaking historical worlds and massive global appeal as one of the best selling video game franchises of all time, we are committed to carefully crafting epic and thrilling entertainment based on this distinct IP and provide a deeper dive for fans and our members around the world to enjoy,” said Netflix original series vice president Peter Friedlander in a prepared statement.

Assassin’s Creed is full of great characters and great stories, but when you cut corners, you end up with the 2016 big screen adaption that was largely panned.

Still, after “The Witcher,” it’s hard not to have sky-high hopes for the possibilities of the new partnership.