Once upon a time, the boys, or at least Michael, danced freely with me, and even at parties. However, on Saturday night dancing the night away was not their heart's desire. I didn't want to let that stand, because in life you have more fun if you are out there doing instead of being glued to a chair.
Knowing that it is something that they would enjoy once they took the initial plunge, I sought to send them out on the dance floor. Of course, this was not a situation where you could just push them into the pool and get it over with (although I did try that by gently suggesting that they migrate away from the sidelines). My solution to let them save face and to increase the enticement factor was to let them "dance" in their socks. This allowed for slippy, slidey fun that was a gateway to the parquet and allowed me to witness an evening of fun as I watched glued to my chair.
RAP (8.6.2008)
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
A Good Childhood and a Solid Foundation
Michael and Alex have extensively traveled across America for such young lads; in the last 18 months the list includes New Orleans, Miami, New York, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Hawaii among others locals.
It is not just the breadth of their experiences, it is the depth. In our most recent trip they have seen old friends of theirs and of ours, gone to Comic Con and the seashore, experienced a Dodgers' victory on a crisp night and Universal Studios on a sunny day, all while slipping into a Southern California world entirely alien to their own. I am exhausted just chaperoning their lives. As their father I can give them a good childhood and a solid foundation; I hope that these sojourns, and the experiences from them, we have escorted them on contribute to both.
RAP (8.6.2008)
It is not just the breadth of their experiences, it is the depth. In our most recent trip they have seen old friends of theirs and of ours, gone to Comic Con and the seashore, experienced a Dodgers' victory on a crisp night and Universal Studios on a sunny day, all while slipping into a Southern California world entirely alien to their own. I am exhausted just chaperoning their lives. As their father I can give them a good childhood and a solid foundation; I hope that these sojourns, and the experiences from them, we have escorted them on contribute to both.
RAP (8.6.2008)
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Snoopy For President!
As we disembarked from the high speed, technological marvel known as "The Mummy" at Universal Studios Hollywood, Alex and Michael remarked that they could not find the "Snoopy for President" sign. I thought "Huh?" but moments later it came back to me.
Last summer, when we visited Universal with their cousins, the boys were reluctant to ride such a fearsome attraction. Being "The Mummy," it was ominous and foreboding, so I changed the narrative by suggesting that one of the ride engineers left an Easter Egg: one of the ghastly ghouls was holding up a sign that proclaimed "Snoopy For President." It worked. They rode it last year and liked it, and did not even flinch about riding it this year. I guess when you are looking for a silly beagle, things just aren't as scary.
RAP (8.5.2008)
Last summer, when we visited Universal with their cousins, the boys were reluctant to ride such a fearsome attraction. Being "The Mummy," it was ominous and foreboding, so I changed the narrative by suggesting that one of the ride engineers left an Easter Egg: one of the ghastly ghouls was holding up a sign that proclaimed "Snoopy For President." It worked. They rode it last year and liked it, and did not even flinch about riding it this year. I guess when you are looking for a silly beagle, things just aren't as scary.
RAP (8.5.2008)
Monday, August 4, 2008
One More Time
It has been a Simpsons' trip; first we met Matt Groening, and now we have experienced the just opened Simpsons ride at Universal Studios. The boys loved the Kwik-E-Mart and were tickled as pink as the Lard Lad donut that we bought there. As amusing as it was, it was merely an appetizer for the main event: the new attraction that took over the old Back to the Future ride. As you waited in queue, they showed much of a Simpsons episode where they skewed amusement parks, but sprinkled in footage that was exclusive to the ride.
Once we boarded the vehicle it was comic mayhem as Sideshow Bob tried to destroy the Simpsons. As you would expect the ride ends with the family on the couch, but on this particular journey it was peppered with laughter than the usual smirk generated by the opening. The boys liked it so much, that we had to catch a repeat later that day.
RAP (8.4.2008)
Once we boarded the vehicle it was comic mayhem as Sideshow Bob tried to destroy the Simpsons. As you would expect the ride ends with the family on the couch, but on this particular journey it was peppered with laughter than the usual smirk generated by the opening. The boys liked it so much, that we had to catch a repeat later that day.
RAP (8.4.2008)
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Take, Take, Take and Give
In many ways Comic Con is all about the fans; we go there and we are given goods, buy exclusive merchandise, interact with out favorite creators and hustle sketches among many other ways. But it is not all take, take, take. We came across Jason Kruse who authored, "The World of Quest." Alex read it a few years ago and since then, it was picked up by the WB and transformed into a Saturday morning cartoon. Alex does not like some of the changes the network suits implemented when they animated it and he shared his laments with Mr. Kruse. He was overjoyed that Alex could talk about his work point for point and said that our little man was the first person he had met that had read the book instead of just watching the show. This gift of Alex's visibily made his day, and perhaps his convention.
RAP (7.30.2008)
RAP (7.30.2008)
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Sometimes the Best Things Aren't Planned
In the days leading up to Comic Con, we told the boys about some of the creators, and they got excited. Michael, in particular, was enthused to meet Jacob Chabot, author of the humorous tome, "The Mighty Skullboy Army." Until we found him in artist's alley, Michael kept querying, "Where is Jacob Chabot?"
Meeting him was the highlight of his Comic Con until we ran across a group of people huddled around a certain hero of Michael's: Matt Groening. He was kindly bidding adieu to the crowd, trying to escape the floor, and we were happy just watching him. As he lingered, generously making time for the children, Michael worked his way up through the masses, and engaged him in a conversation, the only one we saw him have with anyone. Michael told him about the letter he wrote and then shared his ideas: a Bartman villain named the "Choker" and an online Kwik-E Mart called the "Clicky Mart." Matt seemed to like his ideas and even gave Michael his business card. Sometimes the best things aren't planned and plotted; they just seem happen if you get yourself out where the action is.
RAP (7.29.2008)
Meeting him was the highlight of his Comic Con until we ran across a group of people huddled around a certain hero of Michael's: Matt Groening. He was kindly bidding adieu to the crowd, trying to escape the floor, and we were happy just watching him. As he lingered, generously making time for the children, Michael worked his way up through the masses, and engaged him in a conversation, the only one we saw him have with anyone. Michael told him about the letter he wrote and then shared his ideas: a Bartman villain named the "Choker" and an online Kwik-E Mart called the "Clicky Mart." Matt seemed to like his ideas and even gave Michael his business card. Sometimes the best things aren't planned and plotted; they just seem happen if you get yourself out where the action is.
RAP (7.29.2008)
Monday, July 28, 2008
New Spectacles
When Alex was first told he needed glasses he got a little teary. Then, at the final fitting, he became stoic trying not to let his disappointment seep through as he protested quietly about trivial things. It was not an atmosphere of joy and celebration so much as one of resignation. I tried to spin it as much as could, telling him about my first pair when I was 4 and welcoming him to the club; however, I wear contacts day to day and this stratagem had little success.
We were headed to Dayton to see my parents that morning, so I secretly called ahead and requested that my father wear his glasses this day as a subliminal show of solidarity. That seemed to work, so much so that when my dad took his off, Alex wanted to take his off too. At this point Alex conceded to himself, and the world, that he could read things far away that he could not before. Soon concession snowballed into enthusiasm, as he started comparing what he could spy at a distance with and without his new spectacles.
RAP (7.28.2008)
We were headed to Dayton to see my parents that morning, so I secretly called ahead and requested that my father wear his glasses this day as a subliminal show of solidarity. That seemed to work, so much so that when my dad took his off, Alex wanted to take his off too. At this point Alex conceded to himself, and the world, that he could read things far away that he could not before. Soon concession snowballed into enthusiasm, as he started comparing what he could spy at a distance with and without his new spectacles.
RAP (7.28.2008)
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