Never Predicted
I'm fortunate to live right down the street from one of my longtime friends. We went to school together from 8th grade through two years of Junior College. Then she moved away, I moved away, we lost touch. She got married, I got married. I had two kids, and she had one when she strolled up my front walk and knocked on my door, her daughter on her hip, just over four years ago.
My son and her daughter are both five, and in kindergarten classes that are right next door to each other. She watches my three-year old so I can volunteer in my son's class, and her two-year old son follows my daughter like a puppy. Just yesterday, we all played together at the park, and our two youngest children stood high on top of the play structure, hooting like owls, and rattling the safety bars like chimpanzees.
They should just spare themselves some future agony and decide to go to the prom with one another, so that any stories we trot out to share with their dates will be old hat.
Anyway.
Our kindergarteners are both reading now, and to encourage them, we've been giving them simple, repetitive books. I gave my friend a copy of a Dick and Jane treasury, and her daughter latched onto it with glee. She reads through the whole thing like a champ. Yay, right?
Except then you have the whole role playing thing. My friend's daughter has decided that she herself is Jane, and her brother is now Dick.
"Come on, Dick!"
"Hurry up, Dick!"
"Dick! Give me that back, Dick!"
When she told me about how she's getting funny looks from people, and feels like she should bring up the Dick and Jane anthology frequently and loudly, I laughed in that awkward way. That "oh yeah, I've been there" kind of way.
See, recently my youngest has fallen in love with "Oobi' - which is some sort of hand character on that Noggin channel. We do not actually get the Noggin channel. We do play some of the games online, and Oobi is rather unappealing, to my personal tastes.
But not so to my girl. She loves the hand. She loves Oobi enough to randomly ask for a chance to play these games when we are far, far from the computer. Like, say, in the park. Or the grocery store. She's got that single-minded three-year old thing going on, where she'll decide on The Thing that will make life worth living (usually something unavailable) and will work herself into a lather, alternating between sobbing and screaming and pleading and conversational attacks.
"Mommy, do you know what I want for lunch? Mommy, do you know what sounds good?"
"How about a sandwich?"
"I want Boobie! Booooooooooooooooooooooooobie!"
That's right. Asking for Oobi would be bad enough. But no. She calls it Boobie. So I've got my three-year old howling for Boobie in all sorts of interesting situations.
Fun. Endless fun.
Comments
Funny - Faith is obsessed with Oobi too.. and for awhile, thanks to someone else joking about the themesong being perfect for a spin-off called Boobie - she called it Boobie. Thankfully, that passed. Sadly, the Oobi fascination rages on. Sigh.
Posted by: holli | February 23, 2006 9:20 AM
1) I have Noggin. oobi totally creeps me out.
2) I called my brother Dick for a while too. But I was 17 and he really was being a dick.
Posted by: Sarah | February 23, 2006 10:00 AM
I guess it's good you're not into extended breastfeeding, huh? LOL
I'm so glad you posted this, my 3 yr old has always taken her hand and made a little puppet with it and called it "oovie". We NEVER knew what she was talking about - and I bet it's the same as the "boobie" at your house! I dont' know if we get Noggin or not. But, thanks for unraveling our mystery.
Posted by: Lisa | February 23, 2006 10:12 AM
I'm so glad to hear that we aren't the only ones with an "Oobi" addiction problem. Maybe we should think about starting a support group for these children before it gets out of hand.
Posted by: Debby | February 23, 2006 1:23 PM
We have Noggin. My kids love OObi! They have turned every set of eyes that belong to Mr. Potato Head and insist that they are Oobi Eyes. Or Ooma Eyes. Or Grandpoo Eyes. Whoever thought of the idea must be on permanent vacation in Maui these days!
Posted by: Erin (erin-erin-bo-berin) | February 23, 2006 1:50 PM
First off--I frickin' LOVE Oobie. It's brilliant. esp. the Superhero episode. Do not dis the hand. Sercon
Second--as one with a 3.5 year old who nurses...eh, never mind. :O) Luckily, my kids all just asked
for "milk." Never upsetting in situations in which I didn't want it known that my mother-of-the-bride
dress would have nursing flaps.
Posted by: Deana | February 23, 2006 8:23 PM
Ah, that took me back to when my 9 year old was 3. He loved trucks.
All he ever wanted was "Truck! Truck!" But he had a hard time with
his T's. He pronounced them with an F instead. Yeah, that sounds
alot like another word we don't want our kids yelling at the park.
Posted by: Crazy Lady | February 23, 2006 9:42 PM
Oobi is weird though I will take him over Boobahs anyday.
::shivers in disgust::
Posted by: Trish | February 23, 2006 9:59 PM
Jen, Firefox totally does not like your site re-design.
Posted by: Stephanie | February 23, 2006 10:22 PM
I would comment on the post, but I'm having trouble reading it b/c my little guy yells "The Monkeys!!!" every time I scroll down. Guess someone is a fan of the new look. He never yelled "Banana Lady" before, so I'm guessing that he wasn't as smitten with her. I will have the vision of a 5 year old ordering Dick around for a while. Classic.
Posted by: Mega Mom | February 24, 2006 4:41 AM
You don't have noggin? You lucky (bleep). You see, Oobi and his cohorts omit verbs regularly. As in
"Oobi lunch?" No, I am not kidding. As a teacher, I watch this and want to scream "This is educational television?"
But the "boobie" thing? bwahahahahaha
Posted by: Jenn2 | February 24, 2006 11:15 AM
I am having a similar dilemma. My almost-two-year-old frequently confuses "truck" and "clock", which she pronounces "cock." Today, a utility truck was parked across the street from our house and when I got her out of the car, she pointed and shouted "Big cock! Big cock!" all the way to the front door. Try and explain that one to people...
Posted by: Lucinda | February 24, 2006 2:11 PM
I love it.
Posted by: Tuesday Girl | February 24, 2006 4:27 PM
Heh, my husband's always wanting that for dessert.
And the site re-design looks good except I'm using Firefox, too, and something's a little off wiht the banner and the comments section. My type is going off the page in a weird way.
Posted by: Mary | February 24, 2006 8:50 PM
Oh, my gosh. Your "Oobie" discussion had me laughing my tail off.
Posted by: Karin | February 25, 2006 7:36 AM
I SELL OOBI EYES IN MY EBAY STORE... I AM FROGMOM1010 & MY STORE IS TADPOLES1010. SEE YOU THERE!
Posted by: susan | July 13, 2006 12:34 PM
looking for OOBI eyes. i sell all types & sizes now in my ebay store. come see me for all of your oobi needs.
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Posted by: Iounpjvpj | October 30, 2006 2:53 PM