By Nick Nichelle Dael, "Being the kid" was originally posted at IN INDIE.

With electronic toys, save dance dance revolution and some other newer, not even guitar hero, it’s now a burden for new parents, like me, how to get them kids to enjoy active sports. Kids today no longer know how to hit a ball with a bat or dribble from point A to point X. Classic toys, I used to roll old bicycle tire on the pavement and other ride-on toys, offer great chance to present day kids to get it on and perspire.

What I love though about this new robotics and pc toys is that they develop kid’s ability to reason and create. That’s what the world needs! New sparks from these kids. Introducing them to magic springs and building sets is a good start. Then moving to the more complex and mind-bending toys.

Being a father to a four month old boy still I’d prefer more active hobbies for kids. I’d be there on his game day and cheer. I’ll make time. I will be the kid for my son and I also love action figures.

By Nick Nichelle Dael, "A blog for my son" was originally posted at IN INDIE.

I started a new public blog to record the growth of my son, Bjorn Carlos. Point your browser to bjorncarlos.blogspot.com. Excited to fill its pages with photos, videos and everything that I and my wife could come up with in celebrating the life with our first born.

If you are as excited as we are then become a follower of the blog through Google Friend Connect that’s on the sidebar of the blog.

By Nick Nichelle Dael, "Bjorn Carlos in photos #1" was originally posted at IN INDIE.

Here’s the batch that I took while my son, Bjorn Carlos Cabuhay-Dael, was still in Silliman University Medical Center’s nursery.

It’s true that words are short in explaining the level of happiness when I first saw my son.

By Nick Nichelle Dael, "Welcome to the world, Bjorn Carlos!" was originally posted at IN INDIE.

I received the best Christmas gift two days earlier.

A son.

Thanks to my wife’s enduring the challenges of childbirth without me on her side. I was a minute short upon arrival as she’s already moved to the delivery room – and having a friend inside did not even hinted a chance of getting in – so I have to wait. I’m waiting with my two aunts and mother-in-law. I don’t know if it was instinct or a powerful invisible language between a father and a son told me to walk over to the nursery to see my son being transported from the delivery to the nursery room. The feeling was nothing that I could ever explain before it happened. It is happiness at its best!

I was given full authority by my wife for the name and I loved her more for that!

The name is Bjorn Carlos. Bjorn has been the name that I wanted to be my own. It stands for bear. A strong and lovable symbol. Carlos is a tribute to my grandfather.

Welcome to the world, Bjorn Carlos!

By Nick Nichelle Dael, "Fatherhood: Visual art for baby" was originally posted at IN INDIE.

Here’s me holding another paintbrush after eight years or more. The last piece I made was a watercolor art of Santa Claus on a bond paper that many years ago, and that cheap, but it was done on pure passion of creating something beautiful and giving. I did offer help for my then girlfriend, now wife, when she tried on a scenery piece that if I’m right was a mix of watercolor and color pastel sometime three years ago but that wasn’t mine entirely so let’s agree on counting that off.

This one I’m doing it with much consciousness of introducing my son, as early as now(8-month old in her mama’s nurturing womb), in appreciating the wonders of colors and emotions. The gallery below shows the order of how I created the character in our room. How it evolved. Notice how the knife on his gizmo belt evolved into something sweet.

I also posted these photos at my Facebook account.

Original sketch(that’s printed on a bond paper that’s pasted on the wall that’s visible in the photos) is a property of Jason Williams.

By Nick Nichelle Dael, "Fatherhood: My son!" was originally posted at IN INDIE.