Voice Acting Attempts

One of Shane's favorite, low-Daddy energy games involves me speaking for his toys.

Shane loves it. Once he starts 'bonding' with a toy, he wants to drag it (and me) everywhere. His interest is indefatigable.

My interest wanes while Shane's waxes. I have to start coming up with my own little games to keep myself zoned in.

Naming, for instance. I like to name and give a recurring personality to the toys Shane has me animate.

Meet Francis T Garbage Truck, "HUA!" He's an ex-ranger trash truck who's hauled trash in the most dangerous parts of the world.

You can call him, "Frank" for short.

The red garbage truck missus is Bertha. She was partially inspired by Frank Oz's description of Mrs. Piggy.

They seem to have become related in some way to every other garbage truck in the house. Who knew they were so close?

Shane's really the one who keeps driving the game. He remembers the names. He'll introduce new toys and he'll try to come up with his own names, too. One truck was named something pronounced in some alien baby tongue. I could never reproduce the name to Shane's satisfaction. We compromised. "Mr. Green Garbage Truck" stuck.

Carrie laughs, because I'm horrible with voices. My wife studied some drama and has talent. She says I have three voices: Me, me trying to sound like a girl, and me trying to sound like a man.

I don't know what that rates my normal voice as!

Ok, my wife never said that. Her jaw probably dropped as she read that, but I can't remember any of her actual jests and that line fit the self-deprecating humor bill I was looking for. It helped me to end on a joke, too.

Now look at my son wrestling with a puppet. Isn't he cute?

More Target Memories

Shane and I went to Target after church on Sunday. He likes to play with all the toys there, and I have my own fond memories of the place.

This time around, Shane shoved a wooden toy ambulance and turned it sideways. The blasted thing was stuck!

At first, I wasn't worried. Neither the ambulance or the garbage truck was very elastic. I figured that it would be geometrically impossible for Shane to stick something in the truck that could not also come out of the truck. I just had to figure out how it got in there in the first place!

It was really stuck.

I started to doubt myself and wonder how the cashier would ring up a toy within in a toy. Unlike the picture, the ambulance was wedged deep down and out of sight. Would they think I was trying to steal the cheap $3 car? Was I going to have to buy a $30 garbage truck I didn't want to?

Shane got bored of watching me jimmy with it and started messing with the toy trains. Target will be a great playground until Shane realizes he can beg me to buy stuff....I did not want the overpriced garbage truck to be my next purchase, though!

The ambulance came out. Hallelujah!

Shane and I spent an hour running amongst the aisles. I did let him pick out a $2 bath toy. I figured it was a cheap way to say "Thank You" to the store for letting us meander around for so long.

Shane picked out a yellow plane identical to the blue one he already has. I tried to show him dump trucks, boats, and front end loaders, but Shane would NOT be dissuaded. I thought about pulling the "Daddy knows what really want and it's not that one" card. However, Shane pulled out a blue plane (like the one at home) and started to pretend the planes were talking to each other! It was some cute imaginative play!

I promptly decided I didn't want to be the kind of parent who picks everything for my son and let Shane pick the toy he really wanted. I held up four toys, said "You get ONE," and the yellow plane leaped out of the line-up. You can see from the picture how happy Shane was!