Those of you know me well know that I have a very weak stomach. I mean, the sight of blood, puke and sometimes poop makes me gag so bad I’ll just throw up; which brings us to this Thursday Adventure.
When Franklin was about a year old (he is now three) Rufus and I were in the family room playing a quiet game of Mr. Freeze (me) get’s captured. He and I had been playing for over an hour and Franklin was fast asleep. Rufus had decided he was tired of playing Batman. He wanted to play in his room so we cleaned up the mess and walked down the hall- only to find three large, smelly piles of dog poop on the carpet in his bedroom.
I don’t know how parents react in these situations, but I stood there for a moment, trying to figure out what to do. My dog just didn’t poop in the house like this, so I was unaccustomed to this sort-of thing.
Rufus: Aunt Char-char, is that dog poop inside my room?
Me: Yeah…yeah, sweetie it is.
Rufus: Oh, no! Well. Looks like you have to clean that up.
Me: Yeah, Rufus, I know. Just give me a second, I’m gonna try and figure out what to do.
Rufus: (marches up to the poop and looks at it, ignoring my protests) Oh, man that stinks.
That’s when I threw up in the sink and called my brother. That was a Thursday Adventure I’d like to forget.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
(Sorry for the large number of posts today- my computer had a bunch of viruses, so I hand wrote these and just had time to put them all up)
I don’t know if any of you have ever read the book, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs before, but as a kid if was one of my favorites. My Mom was really big on reading to us- whether it was picture books or chapter books, she always took the time to read to us each and every night and I am so grateful to her for it. My love of reading started at a young age, and I knew I wanted to be a writer when I was about six which I feel was in large part because she was always reading to us.
When I heard they were making Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs into a movie, I was so excited. I wasn’t sure how they would do it with such a short book, but I was looking forward to seeing it none the less. I have to say, I loved the movie. Though nothing like the book, I thought it had lots of great adult/child humor and I knew that Rufus and Franklin would love it the moment I saw it.
The morning began at 8 am, and Rufus and Franklin were in their P-jams when I arrived, as usual. We had breakfast, did the usual grooming stuff then read the book, which lead to the following conversation:
Rufus: I think it would be terrible if giant meatballs fell from the sky. I don’t like meatballs.
Me: No? I could have sworn you loved them!
Rufus: (making a face) Yuck!
Me: (laughing) I know, I know, you don’t really like meat that much.
Franklin: Well, I like meat! I like meatballs! And sausage! And Salami! Especially Sausage because it’s delicious. Grandma makes me sausage.
Me: (laughing) I know she does! I’m glad you like meat. I have a great idea. How about we do a drawing of what we would like it to rain? After that we can watch the movie. I brought happy face stickers we can use to decorate our papers too.
Both: OK!!
We raced off to the kitchen and got to work on our drawings. We each decided on the best thing it could rain and came up with the following:
Rufus, who has a sweet tooth, said he’d like it if it rained ice cream or jelly beans. Franklin, who has a deep appreciation for meat, said he’d like it if it rained hamburgers and sausage. I picked potato chips, as I prefer a salty snack.
After, we watched the movie and decided that the monkey, called Steve was the best part about the movie. When I asked whether they preferred the movie or the book- they said the movie. I can’t blame them; Steve the monkey was really funny after all. We talked about how fun it would be to have puddles filled with chocolate milk, and what it would be like if pancakes fell from the sky. It was great fun! In the end, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was another great Thursday Adventure.
I don’t know if any of you have ever read the book, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs before, but as a kid if was one of my favorites. My Mom was really big on reading to us- whether it was picture books or chapter books, she always took the time to read to us each and every night and I am so grateful to her for it. My love of reading started at a young age, and I knew I wanted to be a writer when I was about six which I feel was in large part because she was always reading to us.
When I heard they were making Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs into a movie, I was so excited. I wasn’t sure how they would do it with such a short book, but I was looking forward to seeing it none the less. I have to say, I loved the movie. Though nothing like the book, I thought it had lots of great adult/child humor and I knew that Rufus and Franklin would love it the moment I saw it.
The morning began at 8 am, and Rufus and Franklin were in their P-jams when I arrived, as usual. We had breakfast, did the usual grooming stuff then read the book, which lead to the following conversation:
Rufus: I think it would be terrible if giant meatballs fell from the sky. I don’t like meatballs.
Me: No? I could have sworn you loved them!
Rufus: (making a face) Yuck!
Me: (laughing) I know, I know, you don’t really like meat that much.
Franklin: Well, I like meat! I like meatballs! And sausage! And Salami! Especially Sausage because it’s delicious. Grandma makes me sausage.
Me: (laughing) I know she does! I’m glad you like meat. I have a great idea. How about we do a drawing of what we would like it to rain? After that we can watch the movie. I brought happy face stickers we can use to decorate our papers too.
Both: OK!!
We raced off to the kitchen and got to work on our drawings. We each decided on the best thing it could rain and came up with the following:
Rufus, who has a sweet tooth, said he’d like it if it rained ice cream or jelly beans. Franklin, who has a deep appreciation for meat, said he’d like it if it rained hamburgers and sausage. I picked potato chips, as I prefer a salty snack.
After, we watched the movie and decided that the monkey, called Steve was the best part about the movie. When I asked whether they preferred the movie or the book- they said the movie. I can’t blame them; Steve the monkey was really funny after all. We talked about how fun it would be to have puddles filled with chocolate milk, and what it would be like if pancakes fell from the sky. It was great fun! In the end, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was another great Thursday Adventure.
Make-believe.
I have no kids of my own- so I can’t compare Rufus and Franklin to my own. I used to work in a daycare though, and I have to say, the imaginations kids have always inspire me. There are no boundaries, no limits, and nothing is too outlandish for them to come up with. This is something I try to emulate in my own books, and I’m so happy this is something I continue to learn from my nephews.
One of their favorite games is called ‘real life (insert your favorite action hero here, e.g., star wars guys, Lego guys, superhero, etc).’ I usually have to be whoever they tell me to, usually Cap’n Betty (the alligator killing Cajun-Jimmy Stewart sounding character I invented). If we are playing Star Wars, I have to be Wicket, or Yoda. If we are playing superheroes, I have to be Mr. Freeze- apparently he’s my favorite.
Their favorite choices are as follows:
Rufus likes to be Commander Cody, Captain Rex, Luke, or Anakin from Star Wars. For super heroes, he likes being Robin or Spiderman.
Franklin likes to be Batman, in all situations. Batman is Franklin’s hero.
To get around Franklin’s make-believe breech of etiquette, the game is then referred to as ‘Batman meets Star Wars guys in real life.’ Captain Betty can fit into any scenario, because she is just an addendum to whatever game we play for some reason.
Now, in order to take part in these make-believe scenarios, one has to be very patient. I am often told what to say, how to say it, and have to repeat what is said over and over. For example:
Franklin: Ok, first I say, ‘that guy is bad news.’ Then you say, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him.’ Ok? That’s what you say.
Me: Ok.
Franklin: That Guy is really bad news! (Whispering) Now you say, ‘Don’t worry! I’ll take care of him!’
Me: I’ll take care of him!
Franklin: No, you say, I say, ‘Don’t worry! I’ll take care of him!’
Me: (catching on) Ok. I say, don’t worry! I’ll take care of him!
And then we pretend to shoot the guy, or hit him with a torpedo and he’s destroyed.
Before you even ask, I have no idea why this process is so lengthily. For some reason, it is very important to both Franklin and Rufus that we repeat these same steps each and every time we approach any scenario. Does it make for a slow moving battle? Yes, but it’s a very amusing one.
Franklin very nearly dies (repeatedly) in battle, and then is brought back to life by whoever is closest. He is injured often, stranded places, and in general, wreckless in battle. Franklin seems to enjoy the drama involved in being saved or being brought back to life just inches from HIS IMAGINARY death for no matter how severe his injuries- he recovers from them immediately.
On the other hand, Rufus is terrific in a battle. He is very much how I remember his Dad being when we were kids. He is never hit; you always miss him with your fake bullets. He is never injured because he is just too quick for that. His battle skills are legendary and he has unparallel skill with a light saber, blaster, gun, sling-shot, bomb, grenade and torpedoes. Plus, he is always smarter than anyone else out there.
No matter what.
Once when we were kids, I waited in the loft of our barn with a plastic gun for a half hour as to ambush my older brother during a heated game of cops and robbers. I was certain this was the perfect plan, so I did not mind the wait. I was patient. I was diligent.
When the time finally came, somehow, miraculously, my well aimed immaginary bullet missed him, ricochet off a piece of metal on the wall and killed me instead. I died quickly and painfully in this pretend scenerio.
Playing with Rufus is much the same, but it sure makes for great Thursday Adventures.
One of their favorite games is called ‘real life (insert your favorite action hero here, e.g., star wars guys, Lego guys, superhero, etc).’ I usually have to be whoever they tell me to, usually Cap’n Betty (the alligator killing Cajun-Jimmy Stewart sounding character I invented). If we are playing Star Wars, I have to be Wicket, or Yoda. If we are playing superheroes, I have to be Mr. Freeze- apparently he’s my favorite.
Their favorite choices are as follows:
Rufus likes to be Commander Cody, Captain Rex, Luke, or Anakin from Star Wars. For super heroes, he likes being Robin or Spiderman.
Franklin likes to be Batman, in all situations. Batman is Franklin’s hero.
To get around Franklin’s make-believe breech of etiquette, the game is then referred to as ‘Batman meets Star Wars guys in real life.’ Captain Betty can fit into any scenario, because she is just an addendum to whatever game we play for some reason.
Now, in order to take part in these make-believe scenarios, one has to be very patient. I am often told what to say, how to say it, and have to repeat what is said over and over. For example:
Franklin: Ok, first I say, ‘that guy is bad news.’ Then you say, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him.’ Ok? That’s what you say.
Me: Ok.
Franklin: That Guy is really bad news! (Whispering) Now you say, ‘Don’t worry! I’ll take care of him!’
Me: I’ll take care of him!
Franklin: No, you say, I say, ‘Don’t worry! I’ll take care of him!’
Me: (catching on) Ok. I say, don’t worry! I’ll take care of him!
And then we pretend to shoot the guy, or hit him with a torpedo and he’s destroyed.
Before you even ask, I have no idea why this process is so lengthily. For some reason, it is very important to both Franklin and Rufus that we repeat these same steps each and every time we approach any scenario. Does it make for a slow moving battle? Yes, but it’s a very amusing one.
Franklin very nearly dies (repeatedly) in battle, and then is brought back to life by whoever is closest. He is injured often, stranded places, and in general, wreckless in battle. Franklin seems to enjoy the drama involved in being saved or being brought back to life just inches from HIS IMAGINARY death for no matter how severe his injuries- he recovers from them immediately.
On the other hand, Rufus is terrific in a battle. He is very much how I remember his Dad being when we were kids. He is never hit; you always miss him with your fake bullets. He is never injured because he is just too quick for that. His battle skills are legendary and he has unparallel skill with a light saber, blaster, gun, sling-shot, bomb, grenade and torpedoes. Plus, he is always smarter than anyone else out there.
No matter what.
Once when we were kids, I waited in the loft of our barn with a plastic gun for a half hour as to ambush my older brother during a heated game of cops and robbers. I was certain this was the perfect plan, so I did not mind the wait. I was patient. I was diligent.
When the time finally came, somehow, miraculously, my well aimed immaginary bullet missed him, ricochet off a piece of metal on the wall and killed me instead. I died quickly and painfully in this pretend scenerio.
Playing with Rufus is much the same, but it sure makes for great Thursday Adventures.
Cap'n Betty.
Cap’n Betty came to be on the banks of the Pierre Marquette river. My sister Whittney and I were stuck on a three hour rafting trip with my husband Ben and were trying to amuse ourselves. I enjoy our families’ yearly trip on the river, but towards the end I not only get bored, I get sand in my shorts which is just horrible. Anyway, Whittney and I kept saying things like, “There’s Gators in these waters!” and “I saw a gator eat a whole cow on these banks once!”
What can I say? I’m goofy and it was a very long trip, but a fun one because Whittney and I were cracking ourselves and everyone else up (with the exception of Ben who was annoyed because we weren’t rowing enough). I had on this goofy Captain’s hat, and my sister was wearing one that said first mate. We thought we were hilarious, as we usually do. I’m still not sure why Cap’n Betty sounded like a Cajun Jimmy Stewart; most likely because accents aren’t my high card. Anyway, that was the first day I discovered Cap’n Betty.*
One day when I was playing with Rufus and Franklin, Cap’n Betty came back for a visit. We had turned the sofa into our ship, which I called the Nautilus. Franklin was being Batman again, and this time Rufus was Robin (who incidentally had his own Robin Jet-ski and could do amazing tricks and jumps at any time and never be injured or die).
They were both sitting next to me when I remembered our rafting trip on the Pierre Marquette. So I turned to Rufus and Franklin and I said very seriously, “There’s gators in these waters. Not safe in these waters. I got a cage that takes you down deep…You go in the cage, cage goes in the water. There’s gators in these waters. Gators come…snap off your feet!” (Which I modified from Jaws.)
The boys just loved it! We fashioned torpedoes out of coasters and pillows and pretended the family dogs were the gators. Admittedly, the dogs were not thrilled with this arrangement, but you’ll have that.
The Lucy-gator and the Jade-gator didn’t stand a chance. With Cap’n Betty’s superior skills at the helm and Robin (Rufus) on the jet-ski, we managed to kill every gator in the water. Unfortunately, Batman (Franklin) didn’t fare so well. We had to fish him out after falling in a dozen times, and re-attach his legs and arms on numerous occasions. It was touch and go for a while, but in the end, he made it.
We shouted things like, “Don’t go in the water chief!” and “Smile you son-of-a sea turtle!” when there was a direct hit. This game lasted for nearly three hours until my brother got him. Since then, Cap’n Betty and the gators has been one our favorite Thursday Adventures.
*Side Note: My husband Ben will tell you that Cap’n Betty and her first mate were annoying. This is not true. He doesn’t know what funny is sometimes.
What can I say? I’m goofy and it was a very long trip, but a fun one because Whittney and I were cracking ourselves and everyone else up (with the exception of Ben who was annoyed because we weren’t rowing enough). I had on this goofy Captain’s hat, and my sister was wearing one that said first mate. We thought we were hilarious, as we usually do. I’m still not sure why Cap’n Betty sounded like a Cajun Jimmy Stewart; most likely because accents aren’t my high card. Anyway, that was the first day I discovered Cap’n Betty.*
One day when I was playing with Rufus and Franklin, Cap’n Betty came back for a visit. We had turned the sofa into our ship, which I called the Nautilus. Franklin was being Batman again, and this time Rufus was Robin (who incidentally had his own Robin Jet-ski and could do amazing tricks and jumps at any time and never be injured or die).
They were both sitting next to me when I remembered our rafting trip on the Pierre Marquette. So I turned to Rufus and Franklin and I said very seriously, “There’s gators in these waters. Not safe in these waters. I got a cage that takes you down deep…You go in the cage, cage goes in the water. There’s gators in these waters. Gators come…snap off your feet!” (Which I modified from Jaws.)
The boys just loved it! We fashioned torpedoes out of coasters and pillows and pretended the family dogs were the gators. Admittedly, the dogs were not thrilled with this arrangement, but you’ll have that.
The Lucy-gator and the Jade-gator didn’t stand a chance. With Cap’n Betty’s superior skills at the helm and Robin (Rufus) on the jet-ski, we managed to kill every gator in the water. Unfortunately, Batman (Franklin) didn’t fare so well. We had to fish him out after falling in a dozen times, and re-attach his legs and arms on numerous occasions. It was touch and go for a while, but in the end, he made it.
We shouted things like, “Don’t go in the water chief!” and “Smile you son-of-a sea turtle!” when there was a direct hit. This game lasted for nearly three hours until my brother got him. Since then, Cap’n Betty and the gators has been one our favorite Thursday Adventures.
*Side Note: My husband Ben will tell you that Cap’n Betty and her first mate were annoying. This is not true. He doesn’t know what funny is sometimes.
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