DaddySaidSo.com

My wife and I have been together for 11 years now and like most long-term couples we have developed our own language. We have our inside jokes and speak in a short-hand that those around us are often oblivious to. It’s not at their expense, and we’re not being mean, but there are just some things that we want to communicate to each other without having the whole world privy to as well.

Well, today you get to be privy to one of our inside jokes. When my wife and I go out places we often play a game. Call it an adult version of “I Spy.” Except instead of it being things like “I Spy a pumpkin patch” or “I Spy a mailman,” we prefer to point out amusing things like “I Spy a bad toupee”  or “I Spy a prison tattoo” (I see these in the ER where I work regularly).

Sometimes we assign point values to our finds. So a scooter shopper might be worth one point, but a scooter shopper with 7 kids is worth three. If the scooter shopper with 7 kids is wearing pajamas - 5 points. And so on. Usually we just make up the points on the spot.

Now, I know some of you might object to this sorta snobbish and elitist behavior, but our defense is that it is just a continuation of the black humor we have developed as a defense mechanism in our jobs. That being said, I’m starting to find that more and more people are getting in on the act. Like many of you, we’ve started getting emails from friends about The People of Wal-Mart. Three friends started the site in August of 2009 and it has grown in popularity since then. So apparently we’re not the only ones out there laughing at their neighbors. Good to know.

Below is my Wal-Mart bingo card from last Sunday’s trip to Mall-Wart. (Note that all I needed for the win was a hair curler lady or a kitten giveaway.) I’m also including a blank so you can feel free to play along. Click to enlarge.

WalMart Bingo Sunday Sept 27

WalMart Bingo Blank

I’ve mentioned before how much my kids like Yo Gabba Gabba and I maintain that kids’ shows today are WAY cooler than the ones we watched when we were kids.  I mean, seriously, how many kids’ shows in the 70s would have a ska or punk band play children’s music?

Lately, McKenna has been all about the Ting Tings.  So, usually around once a day she’ll ask me to play the video on youtube so she can sing along.  I love her to death, but her singing voice is only marginally better than nails on a chalk board.

Here’s a sample.  Listen at your own risk.

Here’s her favorite video.

Hey folks, I haven’t posted here in a while because I’ve been spending more time working on my other blog www.RunFasterDaddy.com. It’s not for lack of material mind you that I’ve been an absentee landlord, it’s just that there are only so many hours in the day that I can justify being on the computer. Anyway, enough of my pseudo-apology.

Last week, the family went down to the Cape for a great week of relaxation and some rest. We had two set of friends come to visit for a few days each during that week and despite some rather crappy weather at the beginning of the week, we had a great time.

Friday night April decided that she wanted to make a new lobster pasta dish, so she picked up 4 small lobsters and it was my job to cook and pick the little buggers so she could add the meat to her sauce.

Now, for years I’ve been amazing my friends and in-laws with my “put the lobster to sleep trick.” It’s really not that hard, you’ve just got to position them just so and rub them the right way and they will literally stand on their head asleep.

Here’s a short video of another old salt demonstrating the trick:

I was showing this trick to Justin so he could try it and McKenna was playing around in the kitchen close by. First I demonstrated the technique for Justin and then he tried it.

A few minutes later McKenna came up to me and tugged on my shorts leg and asked if she could see one of the lobsters. I encourage this sort of thing. When I catch snakes or turtles in the yard I make sure she gets to play with them and earlier in the week I caught a live horseshoe crab on Skaket beach and did a little science class for the kids. As a consequence, McKenna is not fearful and will pick up just about anything.

I took one of the lobsters out of the sink and put it on the kitchen floor for her.

Check out below what she did:

Step 1 - Grab lobster

Step 2 - Position and massage lobster

Step 3 - Balance lobster on head

Step 4 - Lobster Fast Asleep

That’s right! The whole time that I was showing Justin how to put them to sleep and she was playing nearby, she was really eavesdropping and paying attention. No disrespect to Justin, who did learn the trick, but McKenna got her lobster to sleep and in the tripod position even faster. Now, I would be proud of her if I had shown her how to do it and she was able to then repeat it, but I’m truly amazed by her ability to pick up everything around her. Her mind is like a sponge. No I take that back, it’s like the Sham-Wow.

Anyway, sorry it’s been so long since I last posted. You should check out my other blog too. It is geared more towards runners and triathletes, but I often post about my kids on that site too. If you have any stories about your kids doing something amazing, post a comment and let me know.