Follow Us

Powered by WordPress.com VIP
×

This Santa Connects With Autistic Kids, Because He Has Autism Too

By Mike Julianelle
(Today/Kerry Magro)

Visiting Santa isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. We’ve all seen the hilarious photos of screaming children sitting on the big man’s lap. They’re confused and wondering why their parents put them in the clutches of a large man draped in blood red clothing. Most of us outgrow our trepidation and learn to toe the line to get the gifts, but some people have a tough time connecting with Kris Kringle for other reasons.

Like autism.

Kids with autism often have trouble connecting with people, especially strangers, and the experience of meeting Santa in a crowded mall witholors and noise can send their senses into overdrive. That’s what happened to Kyle Magro when he was a 6-year-old kid, when the flash on the camera was just too much for him.

“It was sad for me,” Magro, now 30, told Today. “I thought, why are those other kids able to do this, and not me? I didn’t have any friends, and I was really trying to find that connection.”

As an autistic kid, he didn’t find it, so now that he’s 30, he’s taken it upon himself to provide that connection for other autistic kids. Every Christmas for the past five years, Kerry dresses up as Santa and provides autistic kids with a special Christmas experience of their own. An autism educator and activist, Kerry called on some friends to help him devise an autistic-friendly Santa experience. The lights are low, the music is soft, and instead of being rushed, the visiting kids get 30 minutes each to get comfortable.

“There’s a lot of joy,” said Magro, who recently donned the iconic Santa outfit in New Jersey. “It’s a labor of love.”

Magro will get on the floor with kids, and allow them to touch or interact with his Santa in any way they like. Parents of autistic kids, so used to having to explain what their child can handle and how they communicate, are grateful for the experience.

(Today/Kerry Magro)

“She was trying her best, in her own way, to interact, and he is catching all those cues. It was just natural,” said Brian Calligy, who has been taking his daughter, who has non-verbal autism, to see Kerry for five years. “She was so excited; she’s jumping up and down, and he’s jumping up and down with her. She was so happy. She had a smile from ear to ear.”

There are a handful of Santas across the country who provide lower key experiences for kids with sensory issues, but Kerry may be the first with autism himself.

“As a parent, seeing what he’s doing not only for my daughter but for all the kids who are there, it’s special,” said Calligy. “Seeing a person with autism and the heights he is reaching, and he still is making time to come and do this — well, we look forward to it every year.”

Read More

Dad Shaves Toddler’s Head With Photoshop to Prank Wife

By Jordan Stratton
(Bobby Wesson)

Bobby Deacon, a writer from Birmingham, Alabama, knew his wife was feeling anxious about their first family photo shoot with their 3-year-old son, so he decided a little prank might lighten her spirits.

Rayena, his wife, works as a trauma nurse, so Bobby and Deacon get to have a lot of ‘guys nights’ during the week. Given the intensity of Rayena’s job, she rarely has time to respond to a bunch of text messages, so when a calmer than usual night finally arrived, Bobby struck.

(Bobby Wesson)

Putting his photoshop skills to use, Bobby doctored a photo of their son to make it look like he had buzzed off a giant patch of his hair.

“She went 0-100 quicker than Drake lyrics,” Bobby told GoodHousekeeping.com. “I knew she would.”

And he wasn’t even close to being done.

(Bobby Wesson)

(Bobby Wesson)

Yes, along with a devious looking photo to remind his wife of his own glorious locks, Bobby claimed to be willing to shave his own head, all in hopes of consoling their own son of course.

Because what father wouldn’t do such a thing for their kid, right?

(Bobby Wesson)
(Bobby Wesson)

Bobby finally decided to call it a day when it looked like “she was going to leave the hospital to put me in one,” as he put it.

(Bobby Wesson)

When she got home, they both (allegedly) had a good laugh about it, claiming that pranks are a standard in the Wesson household.

“We play jokes on each other all the time,” Bobby said. “I ended up with her name tattooed on my butt thanks to a bet lost last year.”

Bobby put the text exchange on social media and it, understandably, went viral almost immediately.

It’s not the first time the couple has achieved internet fame, though. Back in 2015, Bobby put his writing chops to use and penned a beautiful and sincere note about his wife and her amazing roles as both mother and nurse. It has over 920k likes and over 200k shares.

From these posts, it appears there’s rarely a dull moment in the Wesson home, but we doubt they’d prefer it any other way.

Read More

Teacher’s Test Has Unique Extra Credit Questions and a Savage Prank

By Jordan Stratton
Teacher's Extra Credit Questions
(Imgur/SharkyTheSharkDog)

An extra credit question is like finding a life-preserver in the middle of ocean. It won’t radically change your outlook, but might just be the one thing that saves your life.

And while most teachers tend to tack on an extra difficult or vague question at the end of an exam, one special scholar has thrown the extra credit rulebook out the window.

Imgur user SharkyTheSharkDog has been taking photos of the extra credit questions from this specific teacher and most of them are outrageously fun… with the most recent being a truly special kind of social torture.

1. How many seasons was “Full House” on the air?

 


2. Complete the verse… “I been in the game for ten years makin’ rap tunes…”

 


3. What color pants does Jake from State Farm wear?

 


4. “Yesterday, during my lecture, I quickly mentioned that only a pink pen will save you tomorrow. Draw a stick figure below in that pink pen.”

(brutal…)

 

5. Describe the dumbest conversation you overheard recently.

(extra extra credit!)

 


6. Including “The Revenant,” how many times has Leo DiCaprio been nominated for an Academy Award?

 

7. (And, finally, a savage test of one’s patience and reading comprehension skills…)

First person to read this, stand up proudly on your chair, and yell at the top of your lungs, “Oh Captain, My Captain!” will receive a 95% on this exam.

…

…

…

*Just kidding. Name the drummer for The Beatles.

(Imgur/SharkyTheSharkDog)

We proudly reward this fine teacher with an additional 10 points for their hilarious cruelty. Huzzah!

Read More

Aussie Airline Passenger Checks a Single Can of Beer as Luggage

By Ben Kleinman
Beer Luggage Check
(news.com.au/supplied)

Often times, beer is the answer.

The question? What is the only piece of luggage that an Australian man checked on a recent flight from Melbourne to Perth?

That’s right, no toothpaste, no underwear, and in turn, no hygiene. Dean—a beer lover through and through—checked only one item of luggage: a single can of Emu Export Lager.

Dean conceived the idea with the help of a friend who works at the Melbourne Airport, reassuring fellow fliers that practical jokes take greater priority than airline safety. I for one think that if the TSA pied people in the face while groping them then they wouldn’t have such a lousy reputation, but that’s just my opinion as a big Three Stooges fan.

As you can imagine, Dean wasn’t 100% sure his plan would work. However, in stereotypical Australian fashion, his beer was treated like precious cargo and loaded onto the airplane. Before Dean “hopped” on the flight, he snapped this picture:

Beer Luggage
(news.com.au/supplied)


The trip was no doubt a nerve-wracking one. Honestly, Dean could’ve used that beer to calm his nerves, which poses quite the conundrum since it was stowed away. But when he finally landed in Perth and approached baggage claim, something amazing happened:

Beer Checked
(news.com.au/supplied)

Wow, who knew Emu Export lager was as sturdy as it is refreshing.

The beer arrived in pristine condition and was given the same treatment that actors get from TMZ when they land at LAX, as fellow passengers took out their phones and begin feverishly snapping photos of the can.

Being either incredibly cheap or a stickler for technicalities, Dean was prepared to file a lost luggage report had his beer not arrived, but thankfully that wasn’t necessary.

Instead, Dean could sit back and enjoy a refreshing can of beer before realizing he had no changes of clothes for the days ahead. Also, it’s safe to assume that the can would be pretty shaken up after a turbulent flight, so hopefully he was careful opening it.

Cheers, mate!

Like beer as much as Dean? Well if you also like Breaking Bad, then you need to check out “Schraderbrau,” a beer brewed by one of the show’s stars himself.

Read More

Evander Kane Loses Baby in Utero, Hockey Community Rallies

By Mike Julianelle
Hockey Rallies Around Evander Kane
(Getty/Brandon Magnum)

Learning that you’re going to have a baby is one of the most joyful moments a person can have, and the next nine months or so are among the most exciting you’ll ever experience. You spend that time rearranging your home and your head-space to accommodate the little person that is going to upend just about every aspect of your existence.

When something goes wrong and you are robbed of that experience, it can be absolutely devastating. It helps to have family and friends around to comfort you.

That’s what happened when hockey player Evander Kane announced that his wife had lost the daughter they were expecting. Earlier this month, Baby Eva passed away mid-pregnancy, at just 26 weeks. Kane took to Twitter to share the news with San Jose Sharks fans, many of whom had been wondering why he hadn’t been on the ice lately.

The player’s statement thanked the community for reaching out in the aftermath of their loss.

“I would like to thank everyone who has reached to to my wife and I during this extremely difficult time,” he wrote. “Over the weekend, our daughter, Eva, at 26 weeks, passed away. As expecting parents, this past week has broken us.


Evander’s statement was met with condolences from people throughout the NHL community, including the league itself, and his team.

Other players offered sympathy as well, including both Evander’s teammates and players on rival clubs.


The LA Kings mascot sent well wishes.


And fans.



Evander missed a handful of games for the Sharks, having departed in late February and taking two weeks to be with his wife as they dealt with the tragedy. The player was clearly relishing the chance to be a dad and was heartbroken to have his unborn daughter taken from him before he was able to become one.

“Words cannot express how excited we were to welcome our baby girl into the world and watch her grow,” Kane wrote. “Eva, you have been the absolute biggest blessing of our lives and we are so grateful for all the joy you brought us in such a short amount of time.”

Read More

Father Figures: Rainbow Baby

By Mike Julianelle

“I never thought i would be a great father. I grew up in a home with a father who had anger issues.

As the years went by, I got married to my first wife, and we decided to try to be parents. Time and time again it was pregnancy, doctor’s visits, then, a few months later: miscarriage.

I gave up hope, and life being life, we separated. 7 years later, I met my wife Julie. 2 years after that, I got the text: two blue lines.

I was ready for a repeat. The months and visits kept happening, and I began to see my child grow. Her heart was strong, and she began moving. Then the visits began in the middle of the night. My wife’s blood pressure kept climbing and the threat of losing yet another baby became real.

Then, three weeks early, I get the call: my wife is being induced. 33 hours later, I’m holding my little girl.

9:12 a.m. on July 18, 2018 Victoria Ruth VanHuss, my rainbow baby, stole my heart.”

– Evan VanHuss

Want to share a story about fatherhood? Email fatherfigures@thedad.com

Read More

6 Dads Who Made the Most out of Winter 2019 [WATCH]

By James R.C. Smith
6 Dads Who Made the Most out of Winter 2019
(Eric Fobbe)

Winter is the best season! There’s snow to play in, there’s ice to skate on, and sometimes the commute to work is just too tough to struggle through (even though you managed to drive to the good tobogganing spot without a problem).

While lots of people are content with snuggling up indoors with some cocoa and a movie, these Dads are showing the season who’s boss.

1. Dad builds a wheelchair accessible snow fort

Gregg Eichhorn of Cincinnati spent five hours building a wheelchair-accessible snow fort so his daughter and son could both wheel through it. And he has seven other kids, get the full amazing story here.


2. Snow+Batman = Snowman? oh.

Alan Wolfard in New Mexico built an 8-foot snow Batman in his front garden in Bloomfield. He said it took him about three hours to build and it’s been getting lots of attention from his neighbors. He followed up Batman with Wonder Woman shortly after.


3. B.C. Dad builds an ice rink for his hockey-loving son

The winters are notoriously temperamental in British Columbia, Canada. After waiting weeks for the cold weather to stay, Sam Dinter and his dad, Chris are skating around their own backyard.

Ever since he was a boy, Chris wanted to build his own hockey rink in his garden and now, as a Dad, he can do it. Along with his sons, he put a liner down and filled it with a layer of water.

After weeks of worrying that the big freeze was never going to come, the weather finally cooperated and their garden was transformed from a shallow pool to the perfect ice rink.

4. Dad builds a monster snowman

Yet another dad putting our moderately proportioned snowman to shame, Eric Fobbe of Buffalo, Minnesota wanted to build ‘The Father of All Snowmen’.

He used a snowblower, a skidsteer, and a shovel to construct the 20-foot-tall ‘Snowskwatch’ in his yard. His neighbors must be so happy.


5. Saskatoon man builds an ice castle

Elsa has nothing on Don Greer of Saskatoon, Canada who built a 22-feet tall ice sculpture in the shape of a beautiful castle.

“Built with a one-by-two wood armature – with a chicken wire mesh that’s applied over that and then you begin to spray with a fine mist of water from a garden hose,” Greer said.

Inspired by Disney’s Frozen, it took Greer over 60 hours to finish and almost all of December.


6. Dad builds a snow tubing track in his front yard

Brian Johnson in Moorhead, Minnesota was inspired by the sheer amount of snow they’ve had this season. He has been working on the snow tubing track since February and is over 6 feet tall at the highest point. You can watch a video of the fun here.

“Just an epic tubing hill…of course, the children, they need something to do, keeps me busy,” he said.

In the spring Johnson said that he’ll turn it into a slip ‘n’ slide hill.

Wow! I wish he was my neighbor.

Dad Builds 6 Foot Snow Tube Hill
(KVRR Local News)

Looks like I’m going to have to up my game next winter!

Read More

Brewery Puts Lost Unicorn Stuffy to Work in Hopes of Getting Him Home

By Jordan Stratton
(Twitter/EurekaHeights)

Breweries offer a lot of things, most of which I am a big fan. One that surprised me recently, however, was stuffed animal recovery.

It started when a frantic dad ran into Eureka Heights Brew Co. looking for his kid’s stuffed unicorn. At the time, no one in the brewery had seen the toy so the dad left to look elsewhere.

When the little mythical creature turned up later, the brewers had no way of contacting the flustered dad, so they hopped on Twitter to try and get the word out.

And things didn’t stop there. Since things were taking longer than expected, the brew team decided the little guy should have to earn his keep.

In the end, the new four-legged brewer went through the entire beer-making process, from raw ingredients to canning.




With all of the social media hullaballoo, the dad eventually got in touch to rescue the newest Eureka Heights master brewer.

Hopefully, he grabbed a few cold ones on the way out that the two of them could share after such a hard day’s work.

Read More

Yippie-Ki-Yay! The Die Hard Board Game Is Almost Here

By Jordan Stratton
(20th Century Fox)

Welcome to the party, pal! The newest board game coming to market is based on the classic action film Die Hard and looks pretty promising.


Titled Die Hard: The Nakatomi Heist Board Game, the game is reportedly a one-versus-many asymmetrical experience, just like John McClain versus a skyscraper full of baddies.

(OP Games)

“Die Hard’s influence over the action-thriller genre is staggering, so we were beyond excited for the opportunity to harness the movie’s expert blend of action, intelligence and drama into a unique tabletop experience,” said Pat Marino, lead game designer for OP Games, in a press release. “We are developing a game that will deeply resonate with Die Hard enthusiasts, incorporating even the slightest details to create a rich and entertaining experience that properly pays tribute to arguably the greatest action movie of all time.”

OP Games is known for creating new licensed versions of classic games like Clue, Monopoly, and Risk.

Die Hard: The Nakatomi Heist Board Game is reportedly an all-new tabletop game developed internally at OP, not based on any classic games you might recognize.

The price of the game has yet to be announced, but $640 million in bearer bonds would be reasonable to the vast majority of Die Hard fans. Expect to see this bad boy on select retailer shelves this spring.


Read More