3/15/09
Out of hundreds of submissions, my wife and five others were chosen to attend a writer's conference in... yep, Positano, Italy. I think it's the greatest thing ever, and though we talked about my coming with her (and perhaps Lucy too), ultimately it seemed right for Tessa to shine by herself for a while.
She left on Friday, and she'll be gone for ten days, which is longer than either of us have ever been away from the Lulubeans. Previous to this trip, the longest Tessa had been apart from Lucy was two nights. They're workshopping her story today, which means she'll have the rest of the week to go back into critique mode, outline a screenplay, and walk through the dramatic vistas.
As for me, I'm swingin' bachelor-style with Lucy for the next week. We've already ordered shag rugs for the walls, a pony keg of Sun Country Wine Cooler and a big bowl for our Key Party. We're also planning a masquerade ball; I'll be getting a perm, donning a silk collar, and perfecting my Franklin Pierce, our 14th President. Lucy will be a fairy.
As such, we will be experimenting a little on these pages. Any questions you'd like to ask us? Lucy has LOTS of answers. Recipe ideas? Best episodes of the Backyardigans? Favorite state capital?
Posted by Ian Williams at March 15, 2009 11:10 PMI vote for the surfing episode of the Backyardigans where they sing about their various rad moves.
A recipe for Mr. Mom and Lulubeans: My kids' (and my) favorite QUICK and EASY and HEALTHY meatloaf recipe! Made with ground turkey. It's foolproof.
http://annenotations.blogspot.com/2008/05/meatloaf-and-yellow-rose.htmlMangia, you crazy kids.
Congratulations to Tessa. Very exciting news!
I would like to hear more about LILY.
I would like to know where to purchase a pony keg of SCWC. That would have been awesome when I was 16
"The Masked Retriever" is hands down my favourite Backyardigans episode.
As of yesterday, I have a one-track mind for the next few weeks. So my question is, are you doing an NCAA pool thingy this year?
I like "Movers of Arabia" and "Riding the Range"
Congrats to Tessa! How exciting! As for you two, I would like Lulubeans' opinion on the correct way to dress business casual, because I love her fashion sense.
I must be the only person around who doesn't like the Backyardigans. To me, it's like sitting in front of the television and listening to a dentist's drill for 30 minutes. I have friends who extol the virtues of all things related to the Backyardigans, but I just don't get it.
Put some Phineas & Ferb on in my house, though, and the two children and Dad are stuck in front of the television happily oblivious to all other things going on in the house.
As an aside, I think it's interesting how many fairly average pop bands make some pretty good TV theme songs -- BNL's theme from The Big Bang Theory and Bowling for Soup's theme for the aforementioned Phineas and Ferb being a couple of notable examples. They Might Be Giants have put out some pretty cool stuff, too, but I'd rate them a little better than an "average pop band".
To continue Big Scott's theme...I also find it interesting that some pop bands are making children's music. Not only TMBG but also Barenaked Ladies (the family favorite "When 7 8 9"). Then you have all of the children's movies that recycle old songs. One of my friends has told me several times that it is a riot to listen to my kids sing songs due to the eccletic nature of the collection, but they're all from Dreamworks/Pixar movies ("Everyone was Kung Fu Fighting," "I Like to Move It," and "I'm a Believer" come to mind first.
I'd like to know what is Lucy's favorite movie and what is her favorite dinner.
There's a 20 questions Facebook meme (like the previous 25 things) for kids going around now, maybe Lucy would like to try it:
1. What is something dad always says to you?
2. What makes dad happy?
3. What makes dad sad?
4. How does your dad make you laugh?
5. What was your dad like as a child?
6. How old is your dad?
7. How tall is your dad?
8. What is his favorite thing to do?
9. What does your dad do when you're not around?
10. If your dad becomes famous, what will it be for?
11. What is your dad really good at?
12. What is your dad not very good at?
13. What does your dad do for his job?
14. What is your dad's favorite food?
15. What makes you proud of your dad?
16. If your dad were a cartoon character, who would he be?
17. What do you and your dad do together?
18. How are you and your dad the same?
19. How are you and your dad different?
20. Where is your dad's favorite place to go?
Wow, bachelor with kid - you are gonna be a babe magnet! (Just kidding.) OK, a question for you or others on this board - why is it that people are so judgmental about parenting choices? If you have no kids, only one kid, or a whole bunch, people always have a mean comment or stereotype. Some people are infertile these days and can't have kids, and that doesn't make them 'selfish.' Some have one, and there's an assumption that that kid is going to be 'spoiled.' And yes, Octomom is getting death threats. Now, Octomom is weird, but death threats? I dunno, this is somethign that bothers me.
To Tessa - enjoy the conference!!!
Oh, yeah, also, people make mean comments about kids being put in day care (although it may be a strictly financial decision) or not, so I'll add that to the list. Whew.
lucy must share her brackets with us!
Clarification: I am one of twenty+ writers, not one of five. It's still a great honor and great experience but I'm not that fancy.
On another note, I agree with CM - so many damning judgements... what's the point? - and, Big Scott, the charm of Backyardigans is lost on me too.
What about those painful Yo Gabba Gabba songs? I'm a fan of Jack's Big Music Show these days, as you occasionally get to see Andrew Bird as Dr. Stringz http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HmkLu24w2o At last, something for mommy, too!
Ian, I recommend baking with Lucy. All I do is fill the measuring cups and my kiddos handle the rest. Also, try preschool science experiments you can find online. Who doesn't love mixing baking soda and vinegar?!
Go Tessa!
just say no to backyardigans. but at least better than "hi-5", i give you that much. thumbs up to yo gabba gabba though - beats+babies=yay.
why don't you see if you can turn Lucy into a goth fairy before Tessa gets back, get her hooked on growing up creepy and the tim burton movies. i think they they carry kids clothes at hot topic. that'll be a nice surprise.
oh, and have you seen the new electric company? i have not, but we have the box set of the old one. i heard it's pretty ok.
Tessa, you are what my daughter would call "Big Stuff." Enjoy your honor and your trip!
CM - I think that most of the judgments originate from a general feeling of insecurity. Everyone wants to be a good parent and do "what is best", so by definition, what you end up doing is best, and alternatively, what you are NOT doing is NOT best. In truth, each parent probably has doubts about the road he/she has chosen, so holding on to the correctness of the choice becomes more and more important as a justification.
I find that now that Helen is 9 and in school, none of the judging and criticism really matters. Probably because I have become comfortable as a parent over the years, and you realize that the decisions you made were not as earth-shattering as you thought they would be. Helen was bottle-fed, and she is healthy and strong as a horse. I went back to work full-time when she was 10 weeks old and fretted over that decision endlessly -- not only does she NOT have any memory of her loving caregivers, but she barely remembers pre-school. Or all the birthday parties that I planned before she turned 5. Or all the Baby Einstein videos that I wasted my money on when she was an infant. She is a healthy, happy kid, and if I had realized when she was born that the most important thing is that she needs to be cared for with love and the rest of the stuff would fall into place, I would have saved myself a lot of worry.
That said, I still draw the line at the Octomom. I wish her the best, though.
You made me laugh with the Baby Einstein stuff. You never know, maybe it worked subconsciously!
There's also the new thing I keep hearing, how parents shouldn't have kids at an advanced age, because when the kids graduate high school, the parents will be in their sixties. My reaction: Who cares? I've never heard a kid complain that his parents are old.
Favorite Backyardigans eps: "The Two Musketeers" and "The Secret of Snow".
"Here Come the ABC's/123's" by TMBG is amazing. I'm convinced it helped Augie learn his alphabet at 18 months.
Speaking of brackets, Ian, are you hosting a challenge here again?
And please remember why Dad is great: he gives us chocolate cake.
I like the Backyardigans where they are pirates. The show that has grown to annoy me is Wonder Pets & also Pinky Dinky Doo. I also used to loathe Caillou (sp?) on PBS. What an annoying little whining dook-bound rugrat!
Ian once made a reference to Lucy's affection for Pingu. Pingu remains the only show the boys watch that makes me laugh, cry . . it's better than Cats.
My older kid is starting to get into the Nick shows like Fairly Oddparents. I like those ok.
One thing that Lucy'll love . . . pitch a tent in the backyard or the living room, fill it with books, a flashlight, pillows, blankets and snacks. Spend the afternoon in there together.
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I know I'm way too late for this (finally got the girls to bed), but I have to give a shout out to WordWorld on PBS. Not only is it helping my 3-year-old learn to read, but she belly laughs when she's watching it. And I don't mind watching it either. And I love the title of this post. Now I'm going to bed too.
Lara, Word World was the first tv show we showed our son and it has been on daily ever since. It's gorgeous on so many levels.
We prefer the Word Girl show on PBS with the Captain Huggypants Monkey dance!
Congratulations, Tessa!!!
We love Sid the Science Kid over here. I heart May, who is so charmingly hippy-dippy. Where else can you learn things like reversible change (we did the "freezing fruit in water" experiment two days ago) and why bananas turn brown 'n mushy?
Also huge fans of Fireman Sam and Roary the Racing Car.
We watch "Make Way for Noddy", a recent U.K. import, on PBS. My wife spent some of her childhood in the U.K. and has her old tattered Noddy books from that time that we've read to the kids, so they were thrilled to discover it on Sunday a.m. TV. The TV version is somewhat Americanized, but quirky enough to remind me of that not-quite-right sensation of a PBS Brit-com.
The Lego animation of the Thriller video on youtube is big at our house this week.