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February 22, 2007
If It's Good Enough for the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus...
It's easy to underestimate Tammy's husband, Ron. On the outside – most especially around people he doesn't know – Ron is quiet. It's easy to believe that this is because he isn't thinking or doesn't have much to say, but it’s more that Ron won’t talk to people until he’s decided they’re worth the bother. He figures he has better things to do, and, generally, he does.
Of course, Ron’s displays of willful thinking aren’t always welcome. A few months ago, for instance, he decided that it would be a good idea to introduce Lucas to pro wrestling. We believe that Ron thinks this will give Lucas something to talk to other boys his age about, although why Ron thinks this is important, we don’t know. Lucas seems to get along just fine with other kids; he just prefers the company of adults, probably because we’re interesting and have the legal ability to drive. Anyway, when Lucas was telling me about his wrestling shows the other day, he started complaining about how one was only available in Spanish and how he was going to have to learn Spanish so he could understand what everyone was saying. I took the breath to say, “That show’s recorded in English. Someone has to be airing it.” But that’s when I realized Ron’s brilliance. Ron doesn’t mind if Lucas watches wrestling, but he doesn’t want him to hear what the participants are saying – and the show in Spanish provides a perfect solution. Lucas doesn’t understand the dialog, and he’s starting to see why it might be useful to learn a foreign language.
And people say you shouldn’t lie to your kids. Pshaw. See what good can come of it?
Posted by adrienne at February 22, 2007 10:00 PM
Comments
Ron is much like a summer storm, flashes of brilliance but mostly you just wonder why your plans were ruined.
Posted by: tonderdo at February 22, 2007 10:33 PM
Damn Ron, that's truly parental wisdom that will follow him into adulthood. They show Family Feud in Spanish here, and while I am afraid to shed brain cells on the English edition, I could sit there all day and try to decipher ¿Que Dice la Gente? Brilliant!
Posted by: Jen at February 23, 2007 02:20 PM