Each term, Tom's daycare centre runs a particular theme. This term it is caterpillars and bugs, and they are also learning about road safety. I think this is great, as someone other than me, gets to go over and over and over the same topics. This is great, of course, until it comes home.
Over a year ago now, one of the topics was dinosaurs. Tom had never seen toy dinos before, never watched a DVD with them on, never uttered their names, but ever since 2nd term 2007, our house (and our lives) are filled with the giant lizards. So much so, that I am starting to wonder if there are any more things that can be manufactured with dinosaurs featuring on them. It appears so.
Watching a show on the history channel on Austar the other night about dinosaurs, I learnt that they have recently seen a big revival. They apparently make more comebacks than John Farnham. I just thank my lucky stars that my son happened to be a toddler in one of those comeback periods. I mean, whatever would we fill our lives, our house and Tom's bed with?
What amazes me, is the vast, VAST array of merchanidise that can have a dinosaur slapped on it. Our dino dollar has been spent on doona covers, sheets, books, toys (of all sizes), lollies, clothes, gumboots, DVD's, web downloads, prints, cups, and drink bottles. These do not include the things that other people give Tom or make for him. My mum is making a quilt for his bed and it features about 15 of the buggers. My aunt made him a mozzie canopy with them on it.
I cannot complain too much, as I have contributed to the faze myself. But in my defense, I didn't know how far reaching this would end up. For Tom's 2nd birthday, I implored mum to cut out these huge dinos out of plywood and I painted them. They were initially just for party decoration, but they ended up coming out so well, that we have put them up on his walls in his room. And of course, it is me, not Tom, that buys all the books and dino paraphernalia. And it was me that suggested that we take a day trip to the Otway Fly (Lavers Hill) to see the dinosaur walk that they have constructed.
We set off this morning telling Tom that we would see some dinosaurs and he was so excited. The walk from the car to the visitor's centre is a short walk, and as you approach, you spot your first dino.....the King Lizard himself. The T-Rex. Tom takes one look and FREAKS!!! It is one thing to watch them on DVD or to look at them in books, but it is a hell of a lot different when one is towering over you and you are just a small boy. It was all we could do to get him to walk past it.
Thinking that he would warm to the idea of seeing them up close, we started off for the "Prehistoric Path". Oh God, how wrong we were. Even his 2nd favourite (T-Rex is his fav), Stegosaurus, did nothing to quell his nervousness. He hung around Mark's neck like some expensive peice of jewellery. But after abandoning the dino walk and taking the tree top walk, he was ready to face them again. I mean, he'd mastered walking high in the tree canopy on a walkway that you could see through. No mean feat for an almost 3yo!
As the photos show, he did put on a brave face and eventually went up to them, but there was no way he was going anywhere near that T-Rex!
I asked Tom what he wanted for his upcoming 3rd birthday party. "Dinosaurs" was the answer. But what about pirates? Or cowboys? Or underwater creatures? Please Thomas, anything but dinosaurs! But no, dinosaurs it firmly, stubbornly was to be. So I got out my pencils and good paper and set to work creating some invites based around the good ol' dino theme. At least I can recycle the decorations from last year.
So after about 15 months of living with this faze, I'm not sure that I can call it a faze anymore. It doesn't seem to be waning at all; his interest is as strong today as it ever was. And good on him. Maybe it'll be something that he creates a career out of. Maybe it'll bring him fame and fortune. And maybe it'll all be over next month. Who knows. But I do know that when (if) it all comes to an end, the toys, books, DVDs, clothes etc.. that we have will be no good to pass onto anyone else, because they are the best loved, most well worn kids things we have in our house.
Over a year ago now, one of the topics was dinosaurs. Tom had never seen toy dinos before, never watched a DVD with them on, never uttered their names, but ever since 2nd term 2007, our house (and our lives) are filled with the giant lizards. So much so, that I am starting to wonder if there are any more things that can be manufactured with dinosaurs featuring on them. It appears so.
Watching a show on the history channel on Austar the other night about dinosaurs, I learnt that they have recently seen a big revival. They apparently make more comebacks than John Farnham. I just thank my lucky stars that my son happened to be a toddler in one of those comeback periods. I mean, whatever would we fill our lives, our house and Tom's bed with?
What amazes me, is the vast, VAST array of merchanidise that can have a dinosaur slapped on it. Our dino dollar has been spent on doona covers, sheets, books, toys (of all sizes), lollies, clothes, gumboots, DVD's, web downloads, prints, cups, and drink bottles. These do not include the things that other people give Tom or make for him. My mum is making a quilt for his bed and it features about 15 of the buggers. My aunt made him a mozzie canopy with them on it.
I cannot complain too much, as I have contributed to the faze myself. But in my defense, I didn't know how far reaching this would end up. For Tom's 2nd birthday, I implored mum to cut out these huge dinos out of plywood and I painted them. They were initially just for party decoration, but they ended up coming out so well, that we have put them up on his walls in his room. And of course, it is me, not Tom, that buys all the books and dino paraphernalia. And it was me that suggested that we take a day trip to the Otway Fly (Lavers Hill) to see the dinosaur walk that they have constructed.
We set off this morning telling Tom that we would see some dinosaurs and he was so excited. The walk from the car to the visitor's centre is a short walk, and as you approach, you spot your first dino.....the King Lizard himself. The T-Rex. Tom takes one look and FREAKS!!! It is one thing to watch them on DVD or to look at them in books, but it is a hell of a lot different when one is towering over you and you are just a small boy. It was all we could do to get him to walk past it.
Thinking that he would warm to the idea of seeing them up close, we started off for the "Prehistoric Path". Oh God, how wrong we were. Even his 2nd favourite (T-Rex is his fav), Stegosaurus, did nothing to quell his nervousness. He hung around Mark's neck like some expensive peice of jewellery. But after abandoning the dino walk and taking the tree top walk, he was ready to face them again. I mean, he'd mastered walking high in the tree canopy on a walkway that you could see through. No mean feat for an almost 3yo!
As the photos show, he did put on a brave face and eventually went up to them, but there was no way he was going anywhere near that T-Rex!
I asked Tom what he wanted for his upcoming 3rd birthday party. "Dinosaurs" was the answer. But what about pirates? Or cowboys? Or underwater creatures? Please Thomas, anything but dinosaurs! But no, dinosaurs it firmly, stubbornly was to be. So I got out my pencils and good paper and set to work creating some invites based around the good ol' dino theme. At least I can recycle the decorations from last year.
So after about 15 months of living with this faze, I'm not sure that I can call it a faze anymore. It doesn't seem to be waning at all; his interest is as strong today as it ever was. And good on him. Maybe it'll be something that he creates a career out of. Maybe it'll bring him fame and fortune. And maybe it'll all be over next month. Who knows. But I do know that when (if) it all comes to an end, the toys, books, DVDs, clothes etc.. that we have will be no good to pass onto anyone else, because they are the best loved, most well worn kids things we have in our house.
With the raptor
With "baby" steggy
Being protected by daddy from T-Rex
Birthday invites
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