We have made a huge mistake. We watched Kung-Fu Panda.
Not that 'Panda' is a bad movie. It's actually quite funny, but it's one of those movies that incites violence.
Example: One day when Dad was laying on the floor innocently watching TV, Hayden climbed up on the coffee table and jumped on Dad. Then he did it again.
Lather...rinse...repeat.
After a while, Hayden realized that Dad was still breathing so he decided to up the ante. He squirmed his way up to Dad's head and began to sit on it, extend to a sort of crouching position and then fall - bottom first - back to the comfort of Dad's cranium.
The thing Dad dislikes most about this is not so much that it hurts. It's that it's excruciating!
After the third episode of this behavior in a week, Dad decided to do a little investigating to figure out why Hayden needed to pulverize Dad's already softened melon. It turns out it's because that's what happened in the movie. Panda is kung fu-ing the Leopard and they fall down some stairs. While falling, Leopard lands on a stair and Panda lands on the Leopard's head.
When Dad asked Hayden why he was crushing Dad's head, Hayden said "you're Leopard - I'm Panda!"
Everything came rushing back at that point...the exact scene and everything - apparently Hayden hadn't jumped on the lobe that deals with long-term memory.
So the moral of the story, if there is one, is never lay on your floor watching TV when your 3-year old son is in the room after having just watched Kung Fu Panda. You might end up with severe brain trauma.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Mini Vans are Cool!
A long time ago, before there was a Mom and Dad, Mom bought a truck. A little red truck. She liked it a lot. Go truck go.
When Dad came along, the truck was still useful because it held two people.
When Hayden came along, the truck's days were numbered...but it was kept around because 1) it could haul dirt a few times a year and 2) it was paid for.
Dad and Hayden went to visit some friends who live several miles away and on the way home drove by a used car lot/mechanic that sold a particular type of minivan that Mom had coveted and which Dad had resisted for at least two years.
Long story short, we now have a minivan. It's got leather seats and a DVD. Tons of space for dog and luggage and it's pretty comfortable. The day we picked it up, we told Hayden the truck was going bye-bye and he said 'Bye Truck!' and went off to school.
We picked him up in the minivan and he nearly freaked out. He got inside and was able to run around (there's literally that much room) and he figured out the DVD player in about 10 minutes. He was so excited, in fact, that when the adrenaline wore off during his first ride in the van he fell asleep...it took about 5 minutes.
Hayden is now a van man...and if this van's a rockin', please open the door because it means Hayden has probably been jumping on Dad for some time and Mom is either in a store shopping or too busy laughing to be much help.
When Dad came along, the truck was still useful because it held two people.
When Hayden came along, the truck's days were numbered...but it was kept around because 1) it could haul dirt a few times a year and 2) it was paid for.
Dad and Hayden went to visit some friends who live several miles away and on the way home drove by a used car lot/mechanic that sold a particular type of minivan that Mom had coveted and which Dad had resisted for at least two years.
Long story short, we now have a minivan. It's got leather seats and a DVD. Tons of space for dog and luggage and it's pretty comfortable. The day we picked it up, we told Hayden the truck was going bye-bye and he said 'Bye Truck!' and went off to school.
We picked him up in the minivan and he nearly freaked out. He got inside and was able to run around (there's literally that much room) and he figured out the DVD player in about 10 minutes. He was so excited, in fact, that when the adrenaline wore off during his first ride in the van he fell asleep...it took about 5 minutes.
Hayden is now a van man...and if this van's a rockin', please open the door because it means Hayden has probably been jumping on Dad for some time and Mom is either in a store shopping or too busy laughing to be much help.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Happy HalloweenThanksgivingChristmastime!
Hayden has been learning all about major holidays at school this fall. This is great because it means we can enjoy October, November and December that much more. There is, however, one very interesting thing that we hadn't noticed until Hayden pointed it out to us.
We all feel, at times, that from Halloween to New Year's it's all one big blur. Hayden feels it too...and he lets us all know when he wishes us the tidings of the season.
In October: Happy Halloween!
In November: Happy HalloweenThanksgiving!
In December: Happy HalloweenChristmas! or the more formal Happy MerryChristmastime!
Our boy drives us crazy a lot of the time because in most ways he's a normal rambunctious psychotic little 3-year old bundle of energy. But little things like this really make our boy unique and quirky and that makes us love him just that much more.
It also probably helps save his bacon a time or two when he's being a normal rambunctious psychotic little 3-year old bundle of energy.
We all feel, at times, that from Halloween to New Year's it's all one big blur. Hayden feels it too...and he lets us all know when he wishes us the tidings of the season.
In October: Happy Halloween!
In November: Happy HalloweenThanksgiving!
In December: Happy HalloweenChristmas! or the more formal Happy MerryChristmastime!
Our boy drives us crazy a lot of the time because in most ways he's a normal rambunctious psychotic little 3-year old bundle of energy. But little things like this really make our boy unique and quirky and that makes us love him just that much more.
It also probably helps save his bacon a time or two when he's being a normal rambunctious psychotic little 3-year old bundle of energy.
Santa, Bring Me Presents Please!
This year, Hayden was VERY excited for Christmas for the first time. This is, in large part, due to his teacher Kim and the rest of the folks at his school. At his old day care facility, they weren't allowed to have any Christmas decorations - they weren't technically supposed to even say the word 'Christmas'. The school he's at now is not bound by the same rules.
Kim has been incorporating Christmas themes throughout Hayden's lessons and play activities and this year he's been on board from the get go.
We did a lot of Santa activities this year. We phoned him a couple of times, visited him at the shopping mall, made lists, made cookies, made sure he had a clear entry/exit path in the chimney. We were ready.
When Hayden had his face-to-face with Santa, he kind of froze up and just said he'd like many presents. When he had regained his composure we discovered that Hayden's Christmas list included a horse - Santa brought him a new tricycle, and a Toy Story 'Jessie the Cowgirl' doll. Santa also put some nice things in Hayden's stocking.
Grandma and Grandpa came to visit and helped Hayden celebrate and have a lot of fun. And Hayden learned a new trick:
He learned that you have to be nice or Santa won't bring you presents. He learned it so well, in fact, that when Mom was driving around and wouldn't let Hayden out of his booster seat to have a better look at something, Hayden declared: "That is NOT nice. I want phone. I want call Santa."
It's a behavior modification tool that we can hopefully use to encourage Hayden to be nicer when we need it, but we didn't expect the worm to turn on us as fast as it did…and all thanks to Kim and Santa!
Kim has been incorporating Christmas themes throughout Hayden's lessons and play activities and this year he's been on board from the get go.
We did a lot of Santa activities this year. We phoned him a couple of times, visited him at the shopping mall, made lists, made cookies, made sure he had a clear entry/exit path in the chimney. We were ready.
 |
| Hayden asking Santa to bring him presents...MANY presents! |
When Hayden had his face-to-face with Santa, he kind of froze up and just said he'd like many presents. When he had regained his composure we discovered that Hayden's Christmas list included a horse - Santa brought him a new tricycle, and a Toy Story 'Jessie the Cowgirl' doll. Santa also put some nice things in Hayden's stocking.
Grandma and Grandpa came to visit and helped Hayden celebrate and have a lot of fun. And Hayden learned a new trick:
He learned that you have to be nice or Santa won't bring you presents. He learned it so well, in fact, that when Mom was driving around and wouldn't let Hayden out of his booster seat to have a better look at something, Hayden declared: "That is NOT nice. I want phone. I want call Santa."
It's a behavior modification tool that we can hopefully use to encourage Hayden to be nicer when we need it, but we didn't expect the worm to turn on us as fast as it did…and all thanks to Kim and Santa!
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