01 August 2008

A conversation with D-: Party every day

Here's a little conversation I had with my 4-year-old son D-, wherein he spontaneously recalled a summer picnic thrown two years ago by the company I used to work for:

D-: Remember at [old company's name] there was a party, and there was a stick, and a bag* of candy that you could hit with the stick, and all the candy would come out?

Me: Yeah.

D-: We should go back there and hit that bag of candy with the stick, so we can eat some more of that candy.

Me: I don't think it's still there, bud-- that was a long time ago. Plus, that's a long way away**, back in Maine. Remember how long it took us to drive out here to Illinois?

D-: Yeah. But we should go there.


* This word was apparently selected for lack of a better one-- though they certainly don't have many Mexicans in Northern Maine outside of broccoli harvesting season, it was indeed a genuine piñata.

** It's also a long way away in the sense that the company as we knew it no longer exists, thanks to the people put in charge by the corporation that bought it.

20 comments:

Brittany said...

If there were blow pops in the pinata, then you should definitely go back there, I'm with D on this one.

Birdie said...

It's good to see that they remember the important things in life... Are you from Maine? I went there all the time as a kid because my mom's side of the family has lived there since well, always.

unmitigated me said...

A child's life has one center - the acquisition of candy. This I believe.

Anonymous said...

Aren't you glad you have given him the memory that candy is worth a very, very long drive. And I love that he thinks it's still sitting there just waiting for him to come back for more.

Mama Dawg said...

A child's recall is a very, very, very dangerous thing.

Believe me, I KNOW!!!!

Unknown said...

It always amazes me when children recall things with such clarity. As long as the recollection is not something that will embarrass the family in public!

Swirl Girl said...

How come kids can remember the color of the Skittles that they beat out of paper replica of Snow White 2 years ago- but can't remember to wipe their behinds and flush the toilet?

Pinatas are just plain wrong.

Me no likey!

Jasper Mockingbard said...

It is amazing what kids remember. You could improvise: give him a wiffle ball bat and a giant bag of M&M's.

Weith Kick said...

Ahh yes. Pinatas. I've bashed of few of them in my time and in the process bystanders standing near by. oops.

LiteralDan said...

Brittany: What do you think I am, an idiot?? Of course there were no blow pops in there, or we wouldn't have moved!

Birdie: I'm from out here in the Chicago area, but my wife is from Maine/Rhode Island, so we lived out there for several years.

Middle Aged woman: Yeah, I swear my son has Terminator-like reticule scanning across his field of vision, seeking out likely sources of candy. Much like a dog, all sources of crinkling are understood to be candy or snacks until proven otherwise.

Mary: Didn't you know the world is frozen in time until it's convenient for him, just like his ol' man? ...That's how I end up being late to everything.

Mama Dawg: That sounds like a blog post for next week-- do tell!

Mekhismom: I fear those days, but I feel they are coming soon. I have spent years heading it off as best I can by not providing him the material, whenever possible.

Swirl Girl: Because behinds are out of sight, out of mind. Smell isn't tied to memory, or awareness, until at least age 15.

What about a pinata filled with toothbrushes, and a punch bowl filled with all-purpose cleaner? Then you could tell them the pinata gods are sending them a message that scrubbing bathrooms and kitchens is the fun game they need to spend the rest of the party doing.

Jasper Mockingbard: I'll make them peanut M&Ms and then keep the bat for myself. Mmmmm...

Weith Kick: Was it a wooden stick or just plastic? Things can go from shared laughs and a great story to tense moments in the ER waiting room really easily.

Pauline said...

Pinatas rock! This coming from a non-Maine-residing Mexican who does not harvest broccoli.

LiteralDan said...

You should try it! It only smells a little like pee (and I like broccoli).

Also, you should go live in Maine just to confuse everyone, god bless 'em.

Trooper Thorn said...

Back in the predot com meltdown days, I worked for a company that provided free soda in the vending machines. They were all caffeine drinks so Code monkeys could work 24/7, so it was a good investment.

My kids loved visiting me at the office, or going in on weekends for the FREE SODA. No company I have worked for since has matched that one in my kids' minds.

Pinata sounds much classier than "bag of candy and a stick". I can see why the Mexicans went with that word instead.

The Microblogologist said...

It is so funny when they get old enough to start remembering things like that. Niecey raved about her birthday party at Chuckie Cheeses when she turned three. I drove from Iowa to Darien, IL the day of and barely made it before they were ready to leave. I basically missed the whole party (only reason I "made" it was because they were waiting for me to get there) but every time she brought up the party she would emphasize that I came.

She has learned the art of keeping a grudge now too, one day I got a phone call from her informing me that her father had woke her up early. She sat on the potty for a good half hour, pretending to pee, talking to me and "ignoring" him and Dad. She brought it up for several weeks following, she always told it in her indignant tone. Too funny!

LiteralDan said...

Trooper Thorn: Those were some heady days... the streets were paved with free pop, until they were paved with the corpses of stockbrokers.

You should bring your kids to your next salary negotiation, to get some of those little free perks. Just don't leave the room for a minute, or you might find yourself being paid only in Coke and Pop Rocks. And we all know what kind of deadly disaster you'd be asking for then.

Microblogologist: Good old Darien. It was nice of them to wait for you, and nice of you to keep hustling to get there.

I know the indignant toddler tone too well. But who can blame them when you think about from whom they learn it?

María said...

I'd go back for a bag* of candy too.

Andrea said...

Kids remember such random things! I am forever trying to recall things when they ask "Do you remember...?", but get them to remember relevant things? Good luck with that.

What shepe was the pinata, btw? We had a lips at a party-good times.

Carolyn...Online said...

Wouldn't it be nice if candy fell out of everything you hit with a stick? Candy could just shoot out of your sisters tushy.

Ann(ie) said...

What a cutie. There was a pinata at my mom's company picnic every year and that is that only part I cared about. And they put money in the pinata, too so that was even more fun. *sigh* Sucks getting old.

LiteralDan said...

Immoral Matriarch: I think we all have that great bag* of candy in the sky we'd love to warp time and space to revisit, don't you?

Andrea: Selective memory will definitely be an ongoing battle for the next 17 years or so, methinks. But I can fight fire with fire, for sure.

Speaking of which, I don't even remember what it was. Probably a dog or something. It would have been funnier if it was one of those Dora or Spongebob ones, to teach kids they should beat people they love with sticks, and good things will pour out.

Carolyn...Online: I hear that. But then, how do we know it doesn't if we don't try?? Let's do it!!

Ann(ie): I only got to hit a pinata maybe twice in my life. So, as you can tell, I was horribly deprived. I can promise you there was no money in either of them, so now I feel even more deprived. Thanks for the pick-me-up.