Touchy Feely

Kids learn a lot about their world by touching. Poking, turning things around in their hands, squishing, squeezing, shaking, seeing how far something can twist or pull before-- oops.

I mean, that's why you see so many Sensory Bin ideas  on Pinterest. Young kids love to touch stuff.

It's true, and it's a wonderful thing. But sometimes it feels like you've taken an octopus to the restaurant.

Reaching limbs everywhere. So much tactile learning in a toddler's reach radius. Restaurants, earring displays, produce pyramids... It's irresistible. Touch touch touch. No Impulse Buy rack goes unfondled if they have something to say about it.

It doesn't always stop with toddlerhood, either. but we went to the National Gallery a while back on a Family Pass. I think it's great for kids to experience all sorts of places in the city. Naturally, as good citizens, we also need to observe the required respectful behaviour. When it comes to the art gallery and all of their irreplaceable works on display, Just Looking with Eyes is a big part of it.

Actually, Just Looking with Eyes is pretty much all of it. That's a lot to ask of a four-year-old in a place full of colourful, shiny, textured, dangly stuff. Big Bro didn't find it easy.

And he did.

TBT: Engagement

It was my anniversary last weekend; well, mine and Hubs'. Six years and counting. So I thought I'd share this blast from the past that feels like both yesterday and a lifetime ago.

At our wedding reception, we featured a framed cartoon (drawn old-school, with a felt pen and markers on real paper) featuring the story of our engagement. Yes, we even had a cartoon at our wedding. Hubs was familiar with having a starring role in my work by then.

We'd been an item for a year at that point and were spending the weekend at a gorgeous spot in Wakefield, Quebec. Hubs suggested that, since dinner wasn't for a while yet, we should go check out the falls and take pictures.

Lovely idea, I thought. Let me get my camera (back when we took a separate camera)! Of course, I get there and am all overcome by the majesty and get in full-on picture-taking mode. Go figure. But Hubs had other plans and I was not making it easy.

What I MEANT by "are you serious?" was "is this wonderful moment really happening right now? Am I really seeing what I think I'm seeing?" not like, "ugh, seriously?" but he likes to give me a ribbing about it, retelling it like I practically booted him over the falls. But, I mean, it DID kind of come out of nowhere, like "hey, that sure is a lot of water-POW! RING IN YOUR FACE".

It was very sweet though. Ironically, I didn't think to get a picture of us then.

So anyway, there you have it. I ended up finding a bit of cartoon material there, too, even in one of my best memories.

Michel Lauzière at the Children's Festival

Earlier in the Spring, I was contacted by the Ottawa International Children's Festival and invited to take my family to a show of our choice in exchange for cartooning about our experience. How's that for an awesome deal? I was honoured and psyched all at once.

In case you aren't familiar with it (and I wasn't, before this year), The Children's Festival is a yearly outdoor celebration of "the best in live performing arts for children," featuring world-class performers as well as a variety of on-site activities for kids and families. Man, Ottawa's such a great city for raising kids, isn't it?

We went early in the day so we could check out the goings-on around the grounds before the show. I was most excited to see the Luminarium (an inflated world of light and colour!) and the Instrument Petting Zoo. I'm all about any exposure the boys can get to musical instruments. I took mental notes for activities I know the Brobeans will appreciate when they're older, too.  

When picking a show, it wasn't easy to decide which performance would be best to see with my two boys under 5. There were many options suitable for younger kids, including theatre and acrobatics combined with live music. Luckily, the festival's website included videos for many of the performers, so we could get a sense of what they would be like. I wanted a show with lots of visuals for the kids (and for cartoon material, natch). In the end, we decided on Michel Lauzière, the Master of Unusual Comedy. *I* was excited to see it. Never mind the kids.

We were one of the first in the circus tent, which meant we got some nice third-row-centre seats on the bleachers. Great seats for viewing, not-so-great seats for getting out of there if one of the kids doesn't make it, we realized as the venue filled to capacity. Uh oh. Before the show, they were starting to get restless:

This wasn't looking good. (what is it with this kid losing footwear out in public?). 

But, once Mr. Lauzière came onstage and showed us his Dishophone-- a big rack full of various mugs, plates and bowls-- and started playing a tune on it with a wooden spoon, the kids perked up like meerkats. 

What a great show! Lauzière has performed all over the world, in many languages at that, and is truly a world-class performer. Not only is he engaging with the kids, he's an incredibly talented inventor, musician and comedian.

Lauzière has MacGyvered crazy instruments out of household items, and he plays them-- and not like the lame-o coffee-can drums or shakers I've made at home. Better than that. He wears his instruments. He plays them by shooting them with water pistols, by blowing plastic darts through a tube or by just moving around with flair.

I tell you, you haven't lived until you've heard the Peter Gunn theme played with a turkey baster, plastic spoons, and a peanut butter jar being beaten by a shoelace on a rotating machine (aptly named the "toc-toc", if I recall). 

Click to Enlarge

The show was almost an hour long, and though my kids were up and down at times in their seats (sorry, kid in front of us, that my toddler kept attempting to rub your head) they were captivated nearly the whole time, which says a lot for 2- and 4- year-olds.

In fact, all the kids (and adults) in the audience were laughing, clapping along and interacting with Mr. Lauzière right up to the finale. I was hoping he would bring out the suit of horns I'd seen in the videos (AKA the Hornophone), and I wasn't disappointed. I'd see this show without kids. 

As an aside, I'd like to apologize to Mr. Lauzière: remember that toddler that briefly burst into tears during your 12 p.m. Tuesday show when you took out your broom-and-ketchup-bottle instrument? Yeah. That was mine. He'd gotten his leg stuck somehow when I was too busy being enthralled by the performance. It wasn't about the music, I swear. 

When we got home, Big Bro was all inspired musically. He treated his parents to his own one-man music show, complete with myriad shakers and bells and TWO (count 'em) kazoos.

It was... um... also good. I think I got a nosebleed.

Afterward, I encouraged him for some reason by taping a bunch of the instruments to his arms and legs, so we had our own little Master of Unusual Comedy in our living room. It was unusual, alright. If you saw a kid out on a balance bike Tuesday night with maracas and a tambourine masking-taped to his leg, that was also mine, and it was homage to the memorable performance of Michel Lauzière. 

BOLO 2015, and Big Bro's Interpretation of the Reading

What a great night it was at Blog Out Loud 2015. Tears and belly laughs all in the same hour, and wit like you wouldn't believe-- or maybe you would, if you are familiar with this year's bloggers. I was proud to be among such a great bunch of storytellers for the second year in a row. Check out the recap of the posts if you missed it. I hope to go back again!

Hello as well to any new readers. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you'll stick around. Follow Cartoon-Coloured Glasses on Twitter! I'm up to 50-some followers (woot! only 306,950-odd to go and I'm caught up with the Honest Toddler).

Yesterday, I was going over my reading for BOLO; namely, last November's post, The Time We Lost a Shoe at IKEA. I was showing Big Bro my depictions of the story in which he proudly starred. One of my biggest fans, he enjoyed seeing the events unfold in cartoon form almost as much as he seemed to in person. Several times. "I wanna see where you go 'ARRGH' again!"

He then surprised me with his own version of the same event, which he had drawn for me to colour. With permission, I'm sharing his work of art with a  few explanatory notes for you.

I'm impressed. He got all the sound effects, including the "dun dun dun" --you know, that music they make for an unpleasant surprise or reveal-- to go along with my discovering the lost shoe (did you know you can find that sound just by Googling "dun dun dun"?). He also got the "Arrrgh" on my part as we charged through the advancing crowd.

I don't know if I should be encouraging him... I just might be the subject of his own cartoons one day. But if he is one day lucky enough to be presenting as a cartoon blogger at BOLO in future years, you can say you saw it here first.

Knock, Knock

"WHOSE IDEA WAS IT TO TEACH THEM KNOCK-KNOCK JOKES?!" -Hubs

My older son loves jokes, as I've written about before, so I had the bright idea to introduce him to knock-knock jokes. Against my better judgment, we got a book of (the lamest ever) knock-knock jokes from the library and had a good time going through those. Groaners aplenty. Preschoolers don't always get the word play/double meanings yet, but the lead-up to a punchline is exciting. Who cares if said punchline makes sense or even has anything to do with the original question.

His favourite are the "Interrupting [insert animal here]" ones.

For you sheltered folks out there who have managed to live this long without experiencing one, here is an example of how the "Interrupting animal" knock-knock joke goes:

A: Knock knock.
B: Who's there?
A: Interrupting Cow.
B: Interrupting c--
A: MOO!
(Pause for laughter)


At first, delivery was a bit of a challenge. It was a big panic for Big Bro to get the punchline out in time so that there was actually an interruption.

Now, after much (MUCH) practice, he's an old pro at the "Interrupting animal" knock-knock jokes. Plus, he's expanded well beyond animals to any sort of inanimate object that apparently likes to bellow in people's faces for laughs. And his brother is getting into it too, busting a gut over random disruptive nouns.

Car rides are delightful. And by "delightful", I mean I wouldn't mind having one of those windows that go up between the passengers and the driver's seat like they have in limos. Get your knock-knocks out, boys, then I'll put the window back down and we can have a civilized conversation. 

And also, fellas, it would help to have an idea of what you're planning to say joke-wise before you get all mad that I'm not saying "Who's there" fast enough.

It's not deliberately obnoxious; they just think we enjoy the hilarity and the element of surprise (??) as much as they do. Which we do, to a point. You wouldn't think you'd ever have to set personal boundaries vis-a-vis knock-knock jokes, but here we are.

That brings us to the other day, when Big Bro asked me "is there such thing as a song that's an infinity minutes long?"

I had an internal debate about whether to introduce him to the Song that Never Ends,  à la Lamb Chop. The bane of every school bus driver's existence in my day.

After some thought, I decided that I didn't know of any such song. I'm sure Hubs is grateful for that.


____


Don't forget, Blog Out Loud Ottawa 2015 is this Tuesday, April 28th! Read about the interesting bloggers who will be presenting here. Check out this flattering write-up on Cartoon-Coloured Glasses here. Mugs, you say. Hmm...

Hope to see you there!

Picky Eater... Sometimes

I see a lot of articles about picky toddlers. They don't pertain to me, though, because I don't have one of those. In fact, there are only two things my toddler doesn't like:

1. Produce
2. Protein

OK, maybe there are a few other things.

Maybe he doesn't even have to be at the table: a cursory glance as he passes by is enough to deduce he doesn't like what's on offer.

I offer an array of options on his plate like the experts suggest, but he's not easily impressed. He brings to mind that Looney Tunes king who laments, "Every day the same thing: Variety."

I know one day all I'll see is his butt sticking out of the fridge, but for now I often wonder how he's still alive. I'd be starving! Maybe those granola-bar-in-carseat or smartie-in-dustpan finds are keeping him going. People would think I don't feed the guy.

Some days, no amount of ketchup or syrup or "shakey cheese" can give a dish appeal for our selective son. But, later in the same day, we can barely keep him from putting his face into his bubble bath and resurfacing with a sudsy tongue (because hilarious), or taking in full cheeks of pool water at the Preschool Swim. The Preschool Swim, where there are a good 30 families, with babies and toddlers in swim diapers, marinating in the same pool.  I think I'm insulted. But I may be on to something.

__________

Two exciting upcoming events:

Blog Out Loud is back for 2015! Part of the Ottawa International Writers' Festival, it's an evening featuring bloggers (like me) who will read one of their best posts from the past year. It was a great show last year, with an awesome variety of contributors. This year, it's taking place at the Christ Church Cathedral, 414 Sparks Street in Ottawa, at 6:45 p.m. Hope to see you there!

The Ottawa International Childrens Festival is taking place May 4-13. The festival features award-wining theatre, dance, music and activities for children, youth and their families. I've been offered complimentary tickets to a show in exchange for writing/cartooning about my family's experience, and I can't wait! The show "Toutou" is already sold out, so we're going to check out Michel Lauziere, the "Master of Unusual Comedy," which will be just as fun for me as it will be for the kids (if not more), by the looks of the preview. More to come.

April Fool's

"Mama, I have a joke for you. I saw... a bunch of ghostses and T-Rexes. ... heh heh... APRIL FOOLS!"

Not bad for a four-year-old.

Anyone out there play pranks on their kids today? This year, I skipped all the "Best Pranks to Play on Your Kids" posts I saw in my news feed. Maybe in a few years. Although I'm sure they would've loved blue milk, now that I think of it.

My folks played some gags on my siblings and me over the years. My 6-year-old sister ended up with a rooster alarm clock that went off in her schoolbag. Genius (at least I think so; I didn't get a cock-a-doodle-doo blasting from MY schoolbag in the middle of class).

We used to play jokes on my parents, too, though. One year my brother and I thought it would be hilarious to swipe my dad's oats before we went to bed the eve of April Fool's. My dad, who has a bowl of oatmeal every morning without fail. If only we could see his face in the morning. This would be great.


I guess my dad didn't think so.

We were reminiscing about it this morning on Skype. Some things you just don't mess with, Dad said, not even on April Fool's Day. Draw the line at the rooster alarm clock.