Category: stories

Introducing Spider-Bat

According to the National Retail Federation, the most popular kids costume is a Princess.? Other popular costumes include Star Wars, witches, and Spiderman.? See below for the full list of the top 20 most popular kids costumes from 2005.

This year, I feel very comfortable saying that Thing 2 will be wearing a truly unique costume, one that I don’t think we’ll see as we trick or treat, and probably not one we’re likely to see again.

His costume started as Spiderman.? But he didn’t like the mask part, so for the last few weeks he’s been the unmasked Spiderman.? Then, SuburbanMommy got a Batman costume for Thing3, and Thing 2? loves the Batman mask.? But he also loves his Spiderman costume, especially since it is the kind that has the built in muscles.

To Thing 2, he isn’t just wearing a costume.? He believes he actually is Spiderman.? For several weeks now, when someone says his name, he impatiently corrects them and says No, I AM SPIDERMAN! (Some days he says he is Yucky Man, a character from a Backyardigans TV Show, but that’s a whole different story).

So, we have Spider-Bat.? Part Spiderman, part Batman.? Oh yeah, there is one more twist to the costume.? This new superhero creation, Spider-Bat, also wears womens high heel shoes.? Nothing too high, mind you, because that would make catching the bad guys difficult.? But still high enough to get noticed by the other superheroes.

Spider-Bat In High Heels

2005 Top Kids’ Costumes

# of Children

1

 Princess

11.8%

3,778,217

2

 Witch

5.2%

1,664,215

3

 Spiderman

4.5%

1,439,321

4

 Monster

4.1%

1,304,385

5

 Darth Vader

3.9%

1,259,406

6

 Superhero

3.9%

1,259,406

7

 Star Wars Character

2.5%

809,618

8

 Batman

2.4%

764,639

9

 Ninja

2.3%

719,660

10

 Clown

2.3%

719,660

11

 Pirate

2.1%

674,682

12

 Angel

2.0%

629,703

13

 Pumpkin

2.0%

629,703

14

 Power Rangers

1.8%

584,724

15

 Cinderella

1.7%

539,745

16

 Vampire

1.5%

494,767

17

 Cheerleader

1.5%

494,767

18

 Cat

1.5%

494,767

19

 Ghost/Ghoul

1.4%

449,788

20

 Soldier/Sailor

1.4%

449,788

How Did The Dinosaurs Die?

We go to dinosaur museums, and read books about dinosaurs all the time.? The kids know all about dinosaur bones and fossils.

Last night, after reading a dinosaur book with SuburbanMommy before bed, Thing 1 asked her “How did the dinosaurs die?”.? SuburbanMommy’s response: “Ask Daddy”.

It’s not a question I’ve thought about. At least not in a very long time.? Maybe I should have paid more attention when we visited the Natural History Museum.

My immediate answer was that a meteor crashed into the earth, causing so much smoke and ash, that the sun was blocked and the Ice Age ensued.? SuburbanMommy thought I was making it up.? Who knows where I got it from.? I probably got the idea from a movie.? Or an episode of Backyardigans.

Some Google searching this morning made me feel a little better, or not, about my answer.? I found some support for my meteor killing the dinosaurs theory.? But I also found several other explanations – disease, volcano, or climate change.

Last night’s question about dinosaurs has made me think of some questions of my own.? If a not even 5 year old can stump his parents, what’s going to happen when he gets a little older?? Forget about not being smarter than a 5th grader.? I’m not sure I am smarter than a 5 year old.

Back From The Beach

Another summer ends with a beach trip for Suburban Family.? It wasn’t much different than last year’s adventure.? We were happy we went, and happy when it was over.? It was one of those trips.

The kids had a great time, which is the whole point, right?? For Thing 3, it was his first time to a beach.? He loved diving head first into the water and eating sand.? When I say eating sand, I mean shoveling it in by the handful and laughing as he was doing it.? It may be all laughs going in, but it isn’t much fun when it comes out the other end if you know what I mean.

Eating Sand At The Beach

Thing 3 also had what was probably the single best time of his life, running through the spraypark fountain outside our restaurant.? It was a lot of fun to watch, even if most of the rest of the trip he was a handful.

Thing 1 and Thing 2 loved the beach, mini-golf, and getting to eat ice cream sometimes twice a day.? We decided to relax many of our regular rules while on vacation and go with the flow.? It worked for the most part.

A big surprise was how well the two of them got along.? They actually shared a bedroom which I thought would be a disaster, but it worked out great.? One night, I overheard Thing 1 explaining to Thing 2 all the stuff they would do on the beach the next day.? Something about digging a hole and making sand castles.? And Thing 2 was actually listening to his big brother, hanging on every word.? Incredible.

Best Friends

Don’t let these photos fool you.? The trip was not easy.? When Thing 3 woke up at his usual 5:30am, everyone else had to get up at the same time because there is no keeping the noise down in a condo.? And the rooms were far from child friendly.? Every 2 minutes someone was either bumping their head or breaking something.? Especially Thing 3.? Fifteen months is a tough age to travel with.

I’ll sure I’ll have more stories, videos, and pictures to post from our trip in the coming weeks.? But, for now, I’m just happy to have survived another family vacation, and happy to be back from the beach.

No Win Situations

There are some parenting situations you just can’t win.? Case in point: Thing 1 and Thing 2 were at it again, in the throws of a heated sibling rivalry.? For a change.

I managed to get control of the situation and both agreed to sit down and quietly watch a TV show together.? They actually agreed on which show to watch, which is quite a win by itself.? Usually, there is an epic battle between The Backyardigans and Diego.? It really doesn’t matter who wants to watch what. Just that one doesn’t want whatever the other wants.

But this time, they agreed.? This time, SuburbanDaddy wins.? Well, not so fast.

Two minutes into it, Thing 1 says he can’t hear, so I make it louder.? Then, Thing 2 says it’s too loud and it’s hurting his ears.? Another heated sibling rivalry ensues.? Lots of screaming, crying, whining.? Some if it mine.? There is no winning.

Terrible Three’s Takes Over

The terrible three’s are upon us.? I don’t care what they say, the supposed terrible 2’s are nothing compared to the strengthening will and independence of a three year old.

I don’t know if it will quite reach the level we went through with Thing 1, but it is starting to look very familiar.

Thing 2, who used to love taking a bath and getting wet, now refuses to step foot in the bath tub.? We’ve reached the point where he will at least stand in the tub, but it takes a lot of coaxing.

I took him to get a haircut yesterday and it may as well have been the first time. Continue reading Terrible Three’s Takes Over

Kids And The City

Considering the name of this website, it’s no surprise that my kids are 100% suburban.? They are very much at home in a Target or Home Depot.? They know the difference between Panera and Starbucks.

We are only about 30 miles outside of a large city, Washington DC, but it may as well be 300 miles or some make believe place on television, since we stay mostly within our suburban world.? So we try to expose them to surroundings outside the suburbs, taking trips to the National Zoo or museums.

Last week we went to the National Museum of Natural History.? The museum was interesting enough to The Things.? The dinosaur skeletons are always a big hit.? But by far the highlights of the trip were the city elements we encountered.? To them, it was like an adventure to some far away place. Continue reading Kids And The City

The Daddy Rules

Kids are always complaining that there are too many rules to follow.? No running in the house.? No fighting with your brother.? No putting your fingers up your nose.

As I picked up the Things at daycare one day, I realized there are an awful lot of rules that I have to follow, too.

Rule #1: Bring snacks for the ride home.? Sure, it may not be the best idea before dinner, but it isn’t worth the price of crying and whining I’ll pay if I don’t have them.

Rule #2: Snacks must be the same, and that means the same size. God forbid Thing 1 or Thing 2 thinks they have the smaller snack.? If snacks are a sandwich bag of animal crackers, for example, the bags need to have the same number of crackers in them.

Rule #3: Go to Thing 1’s classroom before Thing 2’s.? I don’t know if it’s the break from the routine, or, more likely, that Thing 1 thinks he “wins” if he is first.? Failure to follow Rule #3 would most certainly result in another four year old meltdown.

Rule #4: There will be a fight to be first into the car. Not so much a rule as a statement of fact.? Thing 1 and 2 will push, claw, and grab each other to get into the car first.? Followed by the winner’s taunting of “I win”, to the loser’s crying.? Luckily I have something of value to hold over them to get them to quiet down (see Rule #1).

Rule #5: Daddy Eats Dinner Last. The kids eat first.? Then there are baths to be given.? Fights to be broken up.? Finally, after Thing 3 is down for the night, I can start to make my dinner.? Of course, as soon as Thing 1 and Thing 2 see it, they want some.? Which brings us to…

Rule #6: Always make more food than I can eat because I will end up giving most away.

I think I’d rather have the kids’ rules.