Climb, or be climbed upon
Those are pretty much your only options in this place.… Read more
Those are pretty much your only options in this place.… Read more
Lesson #1: nod really fast while the picture’s being taken.
Thanks for that, buddy. Tune in next time for more valuable lessons from Little E on how to avoid having your picture taken.… Read more
Children challenge you in ways you hadn’t imagined, by forcing you to re-examine and explain/justify stuff you hold to be somewhat self-evident. Case in point:
Little E’s favorite movie right now (and mine too, if I’m to be honest) is WALL-E. He likes cute robots doing stuff without a lot of dialogue required to understand it. I think it’s actually a cracking good little high-concept science fiction piece that got snuck in the back door in the packaging of a kids’ movie (nicely done, Pixar!). And the soundtrack by Thomas Newman is just this side of brilliant – with the long, dialogue-free stretches of the first half of the movie, Newman has the responsibility of cluing the audience in on the implications of what’s going on.
During the scene where WALL-E is chasing a laser dot (part of the landing sensors of what he doesn’t realize is an approaching spacecraft), the music really kicks in, and at one point, out of the blue, on what had to be WALL-E viewing #39 at the very least, Little E said “Dad, why is that music doing that?”
That brought me up short. I was enjoying the music tremendously, but my enjoyment of music is very much an instinctual, gut-feeling sort of thing. And now I had to explain it. Uh…?
I quickly turned it around into a question. “How does the music make you feel?” (At about this point, WALL-E was burying himself to protect himself from the heat of the ship’s engines.)
“Scared,” he said.
“I bet WALL-E’s pretty scared right now too,” I told him.
He thought about it a moment. The movie continued and the music quieted down, and took a different tone as EVE started exploring the planet. “What is WALL-E feeling right now?” he asked.
I responded, “Well, what’s the music telling you?”
“I don’t know,” Little E said.
“Well, WALL-E doesn’t know anything about EVE yet either,” I said.
He either started to grok what I was saying, or he was tired of me answering his questions with further questions. It’s a very Zen teaching method, but I can also see where it’s an exasperating one at times. (I think that’s why I’m not a teacher.)
I really hope that it was the former, because the movie score (and its frequently budget-addled nephew, the television score) is an art form I love dearly, and I’d love to share my knowledge (and sheesh, my library) with him. He’s showing signs that he may just be “getting” music on the same gut-feeling level as his old man, who couldn’t sight-read sheet music to save his life or sing well enough for his supper. If this is an Area Of Interest, maybe some more intensive edumacation – more than what I’ve ever gotten – is something he’d be up for.
One thing that I think my mom got absolutely right with her parenting method was that she never, ever tried to steer me toward being a doctor, a lawyer, or anything like that. She waited for these Areas Of Interest to make themselves known and would kick some doors open to fuel those interests and see if there was Something There. That, too, is a bit unorthodox, but it’s something I intend to turn into a family tradition.
In the meantime, thanks to WALL-E, my son can hum “Also Sprach Zarathustra” from memory (I’ve played him the full version of the movement quoted briefly in the movie) and knows the words to that Peter Gabriel song in the end credits. Not a bad start.… Read more
…and by the wild thing, I mean Little E. Tonight we were at Wild Things Farm in Oklahoma. I really wanted to go meet some critters, but the little guy… well, he was all about the bounce-arounds.
The boy and I happened to have time to kill in Conway this afternoon (while mom was at a work-related function – things being what they are right now, she’s about the only one with work-related functions to attend), and not far from our hotel was a massive store with all sorts of video game logos in the windows: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii… whoa, wait, a vintage Atari logo? Since Little E is already my video gaming buddy (it just so happens that most of the games reviewed in Phosphor Dot Fossils these days are picked by him almost at random, which explains why recent reviews there have been such an eclectic mix) and an avowed Mario fan, we made it a point to visit this place called Game Point.
Sadly, this photo was taken as we were back at the car, so it doesn’t show the giant Atari logo … Read more
We have a fun little game that’s good for learning letters and words. This was the hand I wound up with this morning.
As you can see, this game is great for exercising our… braaaaaaiiiiiinnnnsssss… … Read more
Little E: I’m going to turn into… a peach!
Me: Why turn into a peach? Someone going to eat you.
Little E: I’m going to turn into… a FOOT!
Me: Just a foot?
[a pause while he considers]
Little E: I’m going to turn into a peach with a big foot!… Read more
The other night, while we were playing with Little E’s train track construction set…
Little E: Dad! Stop your train!
Me: Why? What?
Little E: Lightning McQueen is on the train tracks!
Me: Oh. Who put Lightning McQueen on the train tracks?
Little E: [pause] …BATMAN!
Only one will rule the night, and apparently he’s pretty brutal on parking violations. Ka-CHOW!… Read more
An actual conversation from right around bedtime tonight:
Me: Okay buddy, it’s almost bedtime. You need to take your last sip of water.
Little E: Okay. {slurp}
Me: Okay, ready for bed?
Little E: Not yet, dad. {slurrrrrp}
Me: Okay, one last sip.
Little E: I’m gonna take a lot of sips! {slurrrrrp}
Me: Um…
Little E: Dad, I’m gonna drink the whole thing! {slurrrrrp}
And indeed he did. Inch given, mile taken. Good night! {slurp}… Read more
A bizarre conversation tonight when I got home…
Little E: I’m Super Mario!
Me: You are?
Little E: Obi is Luigi! Mom is the princess! Maria is Bowser*!
Mom: Who is dad?
Little E: …
Mom: Dad is Donkey Kong!
Little E: Donkey Kong? Who is Donkey Kong?
Me: Hey, that makes you Donkey Kong Junior!
Little E: DONKEY KONG JUNIOR???!?
(* Little E has a long and distinguished history with Bowser. P.S. The tiniest kitten in the house is the big boss? Buddy, we gotta talk…)… Read more