Winter here presents a bit of a conundrum for snobby types like me, who generally disdain fast food joints and kiddie media. Because though this has been a pretty warm season thus far, there are always a few good stretches when the mercury takes a nose dive and no matter how successful the transformation from small child to small child mummified in snow gear, the offspring just can't stay out in the sub-zeros for too long (and since it takes about 3 1/2 hours to get from "let's go outside!" to actually being outside, you have to really want to make the effort).
Enter the "indoor park," which is what Owain calls the McDonald's because I can't seem to get my mouth to form the word. Yes, there was once a time when the giant primary-colored habitrail barely registered as I drove by, contemplating my next blissfully child-free move. These days, I feel an immediate sense of relief mixed with a healthy dose of nausea as soon as those net-covered blue and yellow slides come into view. Where else can you get your recommended daily allowance of sugar, fat and meat while also picking up every virus and form of child-related bacteria known to Ronald?
Then there's Dora the Explora/Yella/Ghost Face Killah, Owain's latest annoying crush. This show is yet another shining example (read: cautionary tale) of what happens when animators get their hands on a big load of Peyote buttons. Why is it that shows for children must be completely nonsensical? Is it simply because they can? Or do they have other, more nefarious, motives? (My sister claims to have walked in on an episode where Dora was encouraging our children to "count Tico's nuts and Diego's banana!") I find myself hoping that Dora actually fails in one episode so I don't have to hear her sing that gawdawful song at the end of every show.
At any rate, here are a few recent snaps. As you can see, Owain has a new obsession with the solar system (thanks to Greg, Emily, Hope and Ellie for the planet pancake molds), so if you ever need to know about Neptune's moons or horsehead nebulas, you now know who to call. It's that much bigger of a bonus that Owain is now obsessed with the phone, too.
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