Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Wonderful World Of Nothing's Parenting Question Of The Week

As most of you know, I have two identical 5 year old twin girls, Lucy and Ethel. Wait, that makes it sound like I have 4 girls or 2 pair of twins and I named two of them Lucy and two of them Ethel. That's not right though. Man I hate the English language.

Any hoo, I have decided to use the internet as the great resource it is and pose to you, my friends and readers, a parenting dilemma question every week (or so). Here is this week's parenting problem question:

Does dimming the lights, playing this CD over and over and sipping apple juice out of totty glasses with the twins like we are Vegas royalty while playing Wii bowling make me a bad father? Or is it setting up my girls for failure thinking that it's ok to live life as though they were middle aged men from the 1960s?

I thought it was all in good fun until I realized I was arm in arm with my twins singing Tom Jones' 'It's Not Unusual' and dancing as though we were the Brady Bunch performing on that local talent show to win something for Carol (or something like that; my memory is a little foggy about all the Brady details. But I DO remember the jumpsuits they were wearing. Holy crap, that's a scary memory).

Ok, I should also add that there is lots of finger snapping and thumb and index finger pointing, joined with words like doll, chick, way cool and baby in our best head and neck shaking Sammy Davis Jr. accents. And we're betting. Um, and I taught them to turn and point like Sean Connery points his gun at the beginning of James Bond films (but ONLY while the James Bond theme is playing). I just wanted you to be able to make a fully informed decision...

Thank you in advance for your feedback. It's not too obvious that I'm almost to 500 posts and just throwing anything up at this point to get there as soon as possible, is it? Bwahahahahahaha

24 comments:

CS said...

No! It makes you a fun father. And it makes you a friend to us shrinks, because you can be sure they'll be recounting this one on the couch someday.

Airam said...

Sorry ... laughing too much at this post ... can't formulate thoughts ...

Michael C said...

CS: I'm glad I can provide you some degree of job security. ;-)

Airam: Uh, I'll put that in the bad father category then? ;-)

Alison said...

No, it makes you a great father! Seriously. You're playing with your daughters while instilling them with tons of cultural references!

You rock.

Anonymous said...

Dood. You rock.


If I had you as a father when I was 5, I have a feeling I would have had a much better life.

Yeay almost 500th post! wheeeeee

Lis said...

Oh hey, where's the harm as long as they aren't wearing sequined jumpsuits while singing and dancing? ;)

Odat said...

I think that's just great Michael...yeah, the jumpsuits would work......I was made to listen to lots of the songs from the 40's and 50's when I was young...and we had singalongs too....I don't regret it one bit.
Peace

Lemon Stand said...

It makes you a wonderful father. Believe me, one of the best (and only) good memories I have of my father is him dancing with me to records of the 50s and 60s when I was a kid.

Anonymous said...

I think a CD with the Rat Pack, Vic Damone, Steve Lawrence and Wayne Newton is mandatory for proper child development. It hasn't done my son any harm. And I don't see anything wrong with him calling his teachers 'swingin' broads' or 'dollface.' They actually seem to like it!

Patti said...

You're a great dad. They must be the only kindergartners at their school who know who the Rat Pack was.

I had to listen to Lawrence Welk when I was a kid, so go figure. That's why I'm so 'with it' today.

chefmom said...

I think it's fantastic! It makes you a fun father and these are the things they'll remember most. I'd really like to hear how you guys sing Danke Schoen.....

Michael C said...

Alison: It is my hope that they will be good at trivial pursuit one day. Seriously.

Meleah: Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lis: What's wrong with sequined jumpsuits? Oh yeah, that's right.

Odat: Now that sounds like fun! Really.

Lemon Stand: The memories are important because when it's all said and done, that's all we have to keep.

Selma: Your son and I would get along very well!

Patti: I have Lawrence Welk's Christmas album. There, I admit it!

Chefmom: Answer: we don't sing it very well. ;-)

C said...

Can we come over and play? ^_^ Oh and bravo on the Bond stuff. VERY nice. :) I'll have to add that to my kids' education. I always knew I was missing something. . .

Michael C said...

Candace: Of course!!!!! I just found out that England has released the first in its series of James Bond stamps. Man what a great country!!!!



---I think it's safe to say now that I got away with posting the um 'doctored' Rat Pack photo
:-D

katherine. said...

my kids are 26, 20 and 17.

They can whoop anyone in any type of trivia game...especially "Scene It".

They know all kinds of movies and music...and understand what grownups are talking about.

keep up the good work.

The Exception said...

It makes you a fabulous dad with a great heart and lots of love for your kids. They are two lucky little girls!

Cheryl Lage said...

Oh my goodness, I daresay my son half of our 6 year old boy/girl twins (and maybe our daughter...who knows what puberty will bring...) may end up marrying one of your daughters.

My husband and I made sure they were born to the dulcet tones of Dean Martin, and both at four could identify facially Sammy, Dean and Frank. (We didn't push too hard on Peter Lawford or God rest him, the late great Joey Bishop.) At six, with about 75% accuracy they can identify one of the Rat Packers singing voice on the radio or CD.

See? I'm showing off about what you are questioning in yourself as bad parenting! So if it's indeed "bad;" take solace in the fact you're not alone...and we're doing it to a twosome as well.

Seriously, great post...glad I found you! (Maybe your girls can call me -- their future mother-in-law -- Mrs. Trumbull?

Michael C said...

Katherine: Now I want to challenge your kids. I heart trivia!!!

Exception: I feel pretty lucky too ;-)

Cheryl: Welcome! Your comment's second paragraph has me all a-twitter...and a little jealous. It looks lime me and the girls have a little catching up to do Rat Pack wise!!!! Thanks for stopping by!
;-)

magickat said...

I gotta say, all that stuff makes you sound like a really fun, really awesome dad.

It also sounds like all my family gatherings.

Just telling it like it is said...

I'm back I think for now!!! happy holidays to you all!!!

Michael C said...

Kat: Then book me in for you next family happening!

Just Telling: Welcome back, stranger!!

Rebecca said...

Hey, you've got to give them something to tell the shrink in 20 years! ;-)

C said...

Whoa! That's you in there! Sweet!

Bond stamps? Oooh, can't wait to lick those. Oh, wait. You don't lick stamps anymore. Oh well, doesn't mean I CAN'T. ^_^

Lemon Stand said...

I just wanted to let you know I linked to your wonderful post at The Lemon Stand - Around The Blogosphere :o)