Avatar - the Last Airbender

My family and I are hotly anticipating the REAL Avatar movie coming out soon - "The Last Airbender".  We've recently got hooked on the cartoon, and my 8 year olds and 4 year old love it.  To be honest, my wife loves it too, and I think it's really great.  It's a perfect allegory tale about right and wrong, good and evil, protecting whats right - it's great.  And it's not your typical Manga style, like Yu Gi Oh or something that looks ridiculous.  Its a good story, funny and exciting.

 

Don't get my little quip wrong, though.  I like the James Cameren "Avatar" movie a lot - it just stole the name.  I recommend renting "Avatar - The last Airbender Book 1 - Water" at your local videostore or Netflix.  Even without kids I would have enjoyed it.  But the kids sure make it a whole lot funner.

First season plantings

The kids helped me put down the first indoor plantings of the season. Tomatoes, parsley, green peppers...going to be some tasty marinara in about 70 to 85 days! In the end it was a pretty cheap project - seeds were about 12 bucks for each kid to have their own plant they wanted, and a few leftover for dad. Kitty chose mint and Kassy got Chamomile - they'll be tea drinkers. The most expensive thing was the grow lights, but you don't need them necessarily if you have a good sunlight space in the house. And you won't have to worry about being put on a DEA watchlist.
I never thought I'd be a gardener (not much adrenaline involved) but the kids love it. I'm still cool, right? Just kidding. If you have to ask that, you're probably Not. So, yea. Greenthumb Edie. Greedie. Uber cool.
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When you can't afford bath toys

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THE FUNNY THING IS, I THINK HE WAS JUST AS INTERESTED IN THESE TOY BOATS AS HE IS IN ONES THAT ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE BOATS. :)

The power of imagination. And the thing is, if kids don't expect to have everything, they learn to adapt. It wasn't my idea to use the empty shampoo bottles to play with - HE asked to use them before I threw them away. But he asked because he didn't have an expectation of having some fancy toy in the bathtub. He just wanted something, so he came up with an idea on his own.

A kid who is handed toys that speak for him and move for him and take all the imagination away is unable to create worlds for himself when he doesn't have the aid of flashing lights and moving wheels and video games.

So, next time Junior asks to have the newest toy, tell him NO. You'll be a better parent for it.

Cereal for breakfast

we had cereal for dinner. We all got to go to the store and pick out our own cereals. Not something I would normally do, but something that was fun. Not surprisingly, the kids all picked out something sugary. I know its bad for them, but I think its worth it in the long run. A moment on the lips, forever in the memory. It was fun, and sometimes that's all that matters. Not everything has to be good for you.
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No Place Like Home for the Holidays

I love the Holidays. Thanksgiving is great, but there's nothing like Christmas. In my family we do Christmas right. We get together for about three days and don't leave until at least one of us has passed out, puked, screamed at one another, and hugged about a thousand times. It's always a great reminder of why we both love and hate our families. Or is it love to hate? I think it's that we love them so much, we sometimes hate them - becaytuse we can. It's a luxury we can afford. We kindof take them for granted - they're the only ones who will still love us unconditionally even though we DO take them for granted.
My brother and I are a great example of this. Two more similar - and more different at the same time - guys you'll never meet. Sometimes we'll both laugh at something no one else is laughing at, and if you asked us what is funny we couldn't tell you. It's like a psychic mind meld or something. On a spiritual level, we're the same.
But then it's like putting the same soul in both Mike Tyson and Andy Dick's body (I'm Iron Mike in this scenario). The same passion they have, the same creative forces, are going to be put toward equally opposite ventures. While I'm scheming ways to prepare for war, he's scheming ways to prepare for his mani/pedi (that's a maicure and pedicure guys).
And movies - it's like Ebert and Larry the Cable guy. (All right, I'll make myself Larry in this scenario - I'm not that selfish). With my brother it's all about the artistic merit of the film. He can't just allow himself to enjoy a movie just because it's fun. He's got to break down if it's realistic, if it's cheesy, if it's trite, if the acting is good, if the script is good...What about if it's just not boring? If it doesn't bore me, I'll be happy. Isn't that what it's supposed to be - entertainment? Who cares if it stands up to Hamlet? As long as I didn't fall asleep, as long as I laugh and cry and crap myself, I'm all good.
But that's just me. He can't just leave it at that. He has to make sure it's Oscar caliber. And sure, that's all okay. It takes different perspectives to make a family, and it takes all kinds to make a world. Sure, it's easier to get along when we all think the same way, but that would be soooooo boring. And you know how I hate boring. I had a nephew this Christmas who told me he was going to chuch it all and become an anarchist. And actually that was the one perspective I thought might be reasonable. Think about it.