Normally watching sports on TV is impossible with the kids. My daughter wants to watch The Hills or Gossip Girl or any show where beautiful teenagers complain about how misunderstood they are. “I’m so unhappy despite having plenty of money, low body fat and clear skin.” My son wants to watch anything she doesn’t, and his idea of sports is watching baggy pants twenty-somethings skateboard. And both of them demand to be taken to Mom’s if I want to watch baseball, football, hockey, tennis or MMA.
It’s essential to find a distraction for them and, since they are significantly under 19, we can’t go to the sports bar. And the Ex would frown on the presence of pole dancers.
Boston Pizza becomes the sports-and-family-friendly venue of choice for the Single Dad. We went this weekend so I could watch the Lakers play the Cavs. The kids knew why we were there, but as long as they can have mozzarella sticks and milkshakes, they could be at a lecture about database security and not care. The weird thing is if I made mozza sticks and milkshakes at home, I’d still get grief if I had a game on TV.
When we sat down, the kids were given coloring place mats and crayons. Now they are waaaay too old to color at home, but at Boston Pizza, they dove right in, arguing over who used up the blue or red Crayola. Around the restaurant were other families with kids diligently coloring between the lines, and a few Free-Thinkers coloring wherever they pleased.
It made me think about what point I stopped coloring; I remember loving it as a kid. I will still do other kids things if the opportunity presents itself: airplane models, jigsaw puzzles, running through the sprinklers in my underpants. But I would never consider sitting down with a black and white outline of a turtle and a box of crayons.
You can go online to http:/www.coloring.com/, select a new picture every day use the palette tool to fill in the shapes and post it. However, just like anything on-line (such as cooking or porn), you miss the smell and feel of the materials.
I must start coloring again, and let you know if it comes back like riding a bicycle. Or eating paste.
The Boy and the Pine Forest
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One day, his parents drove him several hours outside of the city and the
place that he knew as home. They passed by meadows, farms and forests on
the way t...
16 comments:
Great post. and I feel ya...with the sports on TV thing. Luckily my NFL season is over and the kids can resume with their Zack and Cody and Sponge Bob.
I tried alternatives...but they would not let the youngsters into the local Hooters....damn shame! LOL
Anyway...our 17 year old still swipes her little sisters' childrens' menus when we go out to eat so that she can color...maybe I'll give it a shot.
Thanks for the post Brotha!
Lesson #1...you're NEVER too old to color. I'm 37 and can't wait to fight my 6 year old nephew for the green (both his and my fave colors) at our local Applebees.
Rock on!
Great post...redux.
Love this. I love coloring at restaurants too-- and doing mazes and word finders. I wonder why I like it at a restaurant more than at home, hmm?
Love this. I love coloring at restaurants too-- and doing mazes and word finders. I wonder why I like it at a restaurant more than at home, hmm?
My kids (ages 8 and 3) are at the point where the youngest wants whatever color the oldest is using. Oh joy...
Boston Pizza? The link doesn't work. Where is that? I'm in the Boston suburbs and would love a good sports and family friendly place...
Colouring in is great fun and very relaxing .... until someone under the age of 10 yells at you because you're using their favourite box of textas.
My son learned very early to appreciate watching motor sports with his dad .... he played with his toys cars during the actual race and then becasme very interested when the girls in skimpy outfits appeared to present the trophys. He'd sit through a 2 hour race waiting for that moment!
Coloring is actually very relaxing. My SIL never misses a chance to do it.
May I recommend the Discovery Channel for tv everyone enjoys. We always enjoy Mythbusters, Dirty Jobs and the new show where they blow stuff up!
if you have a salt-craving palate, try play-dough. good times.
I don't know about paste eating, but sitting somewhere with kids makes the coloring urge surge back with a vengeance, at least for me.
I want to color circles around those amateurs every time, but I usually have to restrain myself.
Some day, though... some day.
mmmmmmmmm......Paste.
Minty, stick-to-your-Ribs, yummy.
Bedside: NFL may be over, but baseball opening day is not far off, and the NHL is coming down to the playoffs. It never ends...
Red: You could carry your own select crayons, perhaps in a stylish silver cigarette case. Like James Bond would, if he was to color.
Hubman: I fixed the link. Boston Pizza is a North American chain. Curios they don't have a store in Boston itself...
Mom-me: Your son will have something very interesting to tell the therapist in later life.
Submom: Thanks, the Discovery Channel is a big his in our house too.
Moomby: I'll give the Play-doh a try at coffee today.
Collector: Please tell me you're kidding.
Literal Dan: Coloring is only satisfying when you have made some pre-schooler cry. "In your face, Joshua!"
clll: It's the latest Hollywood diet fad.
Mama Dawg: Thanks, again.
Mariah: If you do it at a restaurant, it's ironic. If you do it at home, it's just sad.
I still color. =) I buy coloring books of animals or other appealing things to me and color. Or I buy a blank sketch pad and draw my own pictures with crayons. It's relaxing and so much fun.
Not gonna lie either. When I eat out with family or friends who have little ones, I'll totally color with them on the little things they give kids. If the kids will share. :)
Cool post. Finally one I can comment on, lol.
Oh AND I love Boston Pizza. That was my venue of choice for watching the Dallas Stars playoff games last season. :D
Coloring is very theraputic....
Try it... you may like it...
besides, if the games isnt up to par, and your team isnt winning, you have something else to focus your attentions on....
Got hooked with coloring together with the kids. We also use Thecolor.com as substitute for games.
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