If you’ve been following the blog for the past week, you’ll know that I’m trying to find a way to keep from watching Disney’s Cars every night for the next two years. (Note: Part one of this story is A few updates. Part two is How Cars almost ruined the Super Bowl)
To bring you up to speed: I borrowed Cars for my 21-month old son, E, who had never seen a movie. He LOVED it. So much that he asks to watch EVERY NIGHT with a repeated plea of “Cars?” which is too cute to ignore.
I don’t know what I was thinking, bringing home a movie for my son.
He hardly even likes TV, save for Jack’s Big Music Show and commercials, which he dances to. And no, I’m not talking about commercials with good music. He’ll dance to ANY commercial with anything approaching music. Case in point, Subway’s annoying “Five dollar foot longs” ad campaign which makes me want to ram a screwdriver into my ear.
I had it made. I live in a house with a wife who doesn’t care for TV and a son who more or less ignores it. The remote is pretty much mine. Or was…
Until I brought home Cars, which apparently, is only the BEST MOVIE EVER, according to toddlers.
So I had a genius idea.
I was at the store and saw the movie, Elmo in Grouchland for the bargain price of $5.50. My son loves Elmo on Sesame Street, so I figure if I buy the DVD, it will expand his palette and maybe, just maybe, I could avoid a nightly barrage of “Cars?”
Great idea, right?
I’m fairly certain that I can outsmart a toddler. Right?
Last Monday, while E was finishing dinner in his high chair, I popped the Elmo DVD into the player.
Goodbye Cars, Elmo is here!
E’s eyes widened, his mouth agape, as he pointed, yelling at the TV. He lost his mind!
“ELMO!!!!!”
He kept pointing as if to say, “Mommy, daddy, look, it’s ELMO!! Look! Look! Look! Look!”
Then when he saw other characters he recognized, he cried out, “Bird!” and “Ster!” (for Cookie Monster).
So, I guessed he likes the movie. I breathed a sigh of relief, pleased with my purchase. Something I did actually worked!
15 minutes later, as I was getting something in another room, when I heard my son’s soft voice ask his mommy a question.
“Cars?”
Uh-oh.
10 minutes later, we were watching Cars. Again.
Apparently, this movie will be required nightly viewing whether I want it to be or not.
20 minutes later, my son asked, “Elmo?”
Now he wants to watch both!
Every night.
Outsmarted by a toddler.
Usually, I would end the post with a funny (well, semi-funny) one-liner like the one above. However, this story has a bonus.
After watching Elmo search all over Grouchland for his beloved blanket, my son said a new word, “blank-et” as he cuddled his own blue blanket, a huge goofy grin on his face!
I love this kid!
as always, thank you for reading,
david
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We have the same thing in this house with my daughter and The Wizard of Oz. I used to love that movie when I was little. Scared to death of the Wicked Witch mind, but now it plays in this house on constant loop. That and Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Aren’t 3 year old girls supposed to be into princesses and Tinkerbell and stuff?
Taras last blog post..Quotables
Loving the new look by the way . . .
Constantly keeping us guessing!
Taras last blog post..Quotables
I was wondering how you were going to outsmart a toddler. Sorry it didn’t work out so well – those toddlers are pretty dang smart.
Kool Aids last blog post..Daddies and daughters
Sugar, didn’t you read the Daddy Handbook they gave you at the hospital? Right there in the first paragraph of the Toddler section, they warn you not to use “outsmart” and “toddler” in the same sentence! The wee loves interpret that as a challenge…
Oh, wait…guys don’t read instructions or ask for directions, do they?
Better luck next time…
Shade and Sweetwater,
K
Kyddryns last blog post..Jekyll (no Hyde)
When you finally figure it out, they’re not toddlers any longer.
Give me Cars over Elmo in Grouchland any day, though. Mandy Patinkin and a super scary Vanessa Williams as the queen of garbage make daddy want to cry. I made the same mistake while at Walmart, but I wanted my $5.50 back.
Pssst.. E… ask for Toy Story (preferably Toy Story 2) and everyone might be happy.
Writer Dads last blog post..Father Daughter Dance
Word to the wise– never buy a movie you aren’t willing to sit through 10,000 times. Minimum.
And I love how you’re singing ‘Veggie Tales’ in the shower.
Don’t forget to come by and pick up your award!
GreenJellos last blog post..Announcing the First GreenJello Jiggler Award Winners!
Love, love, love Toy Story and TS2! Trey and I watched it before we even had kids. Great suggestion, WD! We’re on a rotation around here: Cars, Toy Story, Cars, Toy Story 2, Cars, Scooby Doo, Cars….
Kool Aids last blog post..Daddies and daughters
Backyardigans. Over and over and over. I know that theme song by heart. It drives me mental.
Matthew Drydens last blog post..Cee?
Dude,
Cars isn’t really all that bad. Besides, I can give you a list of a couple that my little boy loves…I see you already know the Veggie Tales tune from your banner, well, from the creator of Veggie Tales comes 3,2,1 Penguines. He will love it! Seriously. And it isn’t half bad either. I have a whole list, just ask and I will send it to you…
Sals last blog post..On Your Mark, Get Set, SCRAM!
It was our teenager….Friends…she and her friend Stephanie know every line…and laugh track….of every season…..We did not have a TV until high school and then just to play DVDs…..
We did read the same book everynight for years…and the kids sang up a storm to all the music tapes we had….which got very redundant…
This is a very nice post…and I really like the header…. no suggestions here on this new one….and no typing errors!
Patricias last blog post..I Request the Honor of your Comments
I love this kid, too! His dad isn’t half bad, either! As I’m reading this post, it is nearing bed time and Daddy is out in the living room with E giving him his night time snack. And then I hear a familiar sound. “Real Gone” by Sheryl Crow, the opening credits song from Cars!
I wonder if getting him the Cars soundtrack on CD would do any good at bedtime…just sayin.
Sals last blog post..On Your Mark, Get Set, SCRAM!
Oh man, I don’t know which is worse! I love the first mmm, 10 minutes of Elmo while he is singing his blankie song. After that it goes south fast.