Disney couldn’t be happier that Thing 3 had a total Toy Story Christmas.
Talking Buzz Lightyear? check. Toy Story DVD? check. Toy Story book and pajamas? Check and check.
This picture is right after he woke up. He slept with all these items in his crib. And he will carry them around with him all day.
This year Santa brought Thing 2 a transformer, Optimus Prime. It’s a robot that turns into a truck. The age range was 5+ but at 4 1/2 years I thought he could manage with some assistance from his big brother.
When I saw the instructions I knew immediately he’d have no chance to transform it. I dutifully started on step 1 of 28. It didn’t take long to realize this was no ordinary assembly.
I have successfully assembled hundreds of toys, bikes, cribs, and high chairs. I can install car seats.
As a kid I took stuff apart just to put it back together.
I have a degree in, of all things, mechanical engineering.
I write sophisticated computer programs for a living.
Yet, it took me 9 hours to transform Optimus Prime into a truck! Sort of… because the wheels still don’t lay flat.
Here is what it looked before and after:
Funky Monkey Snacks are freeze dried fruit snacks. All natural, nothing but “wholesome goodness”.
I applaud them for what they are trying to do. Packaged in colorful bags with silly names, Funky Monkey is attacking the age old problem of making healthy food appealing to kids. So, how did they stand up to the kid review panel of Thing 1 and Thing 2?
The packaging and marketing part worked. They couldn’t wait to try them. Even Thing 1, who won’t eat most fruits, tried the pineapple and mango. Even after I told him it was pineapple and mango fruits.
But the excitement faded after they had eaten a few. It’s no knock on Funky Monkey, but it’s just not easy to make freeze dried fruit taste as good as chocolate teddy bears or artificial fruit snacks.
Bottom line: The packaging is great so you might get a kid who won’t eat fruit to try some. But don’t expect miracles.
I still like my method to get kids to eat healthy food. Cover it with whipped cream.
This is the first real snowstorm the Things can remember.? The last one was in 2003, before Thing 1 was born.? We don’t get snow like this in DC very often, so it is a big event they will always remember.? More than 20 inches of snow.? Yesterday was mainly shoveling.? Today will be snowmen and snow forts.
Thing 1 (The Greek) added to his winning streak last week, picking the Colts over the Broncos.? He predicted the score would be higher, but in terms of point spread he picked it exactly.? He said the Colts would win by 12 points and they did.? Most of the experts in Vegas can’t do that consistently. One or two times could be a fluke.? Three times in a row?? He has a gift.
Thing 2’s (The Swami) record drops to 1-2.? But mainly that’s because he will usually pick the opposite from his brother.? It could also be because he is 4 years old.
Our Week 15 game of the week is Cowboys vs. Saints.? The Saints are undefeated but each game is tougher to keep the perfect streak alive.? The Cowboys are known for losing in December and they are determined to not have the same fate this year.? This will not be an easy game to pick.
Thing 1’s Pick: Saints 29, Cowboys 24
Thing 2’s Pick: Cowboys 38, Saints 35
This morning Thing 1 and Thing 2 were eating breakfast. Conversation was flowing, meaning both were talking at the same time, and neither was listening. A typical morning.
Out of nowhere, Thing1 was on the verge of tears. Very upset.
SuburbanDaddy: What’s wrong?
Thing 1: (tears in his eyes) He is talking so loud I forgot what was going to say.
File this under I didn’t see that coming. Today I got an email from Thing 3’s teacher. It was cryptic enough to send my imagination racing.
The teacher said, “Are you able to see the room? (there are web cameras) We need to talk when you come to pick him up”
I couldn’t imagine what I’d see. I figured he injured himself. Or trashed his clothes. Or broke something expensive.
This is what I saw. The one screen capture doesn’t do it justice. The classroom was completely trashed.
What you don’t see is the other half of the room, where there were shredded scraps of paper everywhere.
Thing 3 had been on a tear. Picking up containers and dumping them out. As soon as the teacher tried to clean up one mess, he was on to the next. He wasn’t angry or having a tantrum. He was just having a good time.
“It just happened so fast. I’ve never quite seen this before,” said the teacher. Coming from an experienced teacher with a room full of two year olds, that says something.
When I tell people Thing 3 is very active and into everything, even for a two year old, I don’t think the full impact comes across just how much work it is to keep up with him. This gives a glimpse. He is off the charts.
Thing 3 is the master of destruction, leaving a path of wreckage wherever he goes. Why should Christmas be any different?
We took the usual precautions and put the breakable ornaments out of his reach. Or so we thought. He’s already managed to break three ornaments. Usually by throwing the ball shaped ones. I have no idea how he gets them down. I suspect he throws things at the tree until one falls, like a squirrel getting acorns.
