My Son or Yours?

I know the title is a bit um, weird, but I think it fits. Read on. Growing up I was generally too busy to watch TV much and Ryan, well, he found ways to get around issues like that and watched his share of TV. To get to my point, Tanner watches ....wait for it.... our computer.

We got rid of the TV because we as parents, would allow him, (I can't believe we encouraged this, and still do) to watch movies... some 2-4 hours a day...here and there...so we could get things accomplished for school, or just plain get the dishes done. Because we have no backbone, we ditched the TV- ( it, along with Ryan's really nice VCR :) and DVD setup) they are in the garage, and we now watch movies on our computer...it has a nicer picture anyhoo. :)

Today as we were watching Chicken Little, I am hearing phrases like, "Look! Sky Falling!" and his emotions are all over the place - completely reacting to the characters. His reactions to Fish getting sucked up into the space ship crack me up...and when Foxy Loxy starts to sing "Lollipop", he is grinning ear to ear and dancing along. It is hilarious to watch Tanner watch movies.

About two weeks ago, we let him watch Aladdin...now his FAVORITE movie. He will hiss when Jafar talks, and the way he says Jafar in a gruff little voice is so cute. He always gives me a kiss when Magic Carpet pushes Aladdin up to kiss Jazmin. And its like an "on the lips" kiss...Should I be worried for Kindergarten and Kissing Tag?

Last week we opened the Disney Movie Club package we've been meaning to 'return to sender', because we knew that the Jungle Book was inside (We totally cancled our membership in October because of this whole TV thing). After watching that, he walks like Mogli when Mogli is following the elephants, says, "Looking! Look!" when Mogli and the Girl from the man village experience "Love at First Sight", and carries the popcorn bowl on top of his head.

One benefit of the movie madness is that I've heard Tanner pick up on a lot of phrases - (good thing they're Disney, and G!) sometimes he even says them along with the movie. And that's where the "my son or yours?" comes in. Ryan can quote movies like he rehersed with the actors..whereas I just flounder.

Just so you don't turn me in to Child Services, I do realize that Tanner needs real interaction between parents and actual people, and we have really improved the last few months, but really, sometimes I just want to nurse Taylor without having to get up and see what Tanner flushed down the toilet, or what cooking ingredient he's fingerpainting in...(by the way, my flour and sugar are now in a childproofed cupbord...it only took him dumping them each out three times!)

I love my energetic two-year-old, and I love that he'll watch a movie for a few minutes so I can catch my breath. I FEAR the day he realizes and has a tantrum over situations when we skip to the last 'chapter' so the movie is 'over' and we "have to go play blocks" or "have to go read books". Heaven forbid we do something educational together as a family!

Hope you all had a fantastic St. Patrick's Day! If you're not wearing green, pinch yourself for me!