St. Patrick's Day pressure

I don't remember all the pressure around wearing green on St. Patrick's Day as a child. Sure, I usually wore green, and I've got auburn hair and am short, so I'm practically a Leprechaun, anyway...

But around this time of year my son usually comes home and says someone will get pinched if they don't wear green. I heard a kid in the hall at school say that someone would get punched if they don't wear green.

But what a classmate told my son this year really takes the prize. He said "*friend* says that anyone who doesn't wear green will be given a wedgie." I asked if he knew what a wedgie was, and he did. So, which is more surprising? That someone would say that, or that my 6 year old is familiar with wedgies?

Do you know of any other things that might go wrong if you don't wear green?

Rango tango mango

I can't say the name of the movie "Rango" without thinking of Scooby Doo. The way he mispronounces most words by making them start with an "R"...I can't help but wonder if he named the movie and it should actually be pronounced "Tango".

We went to a movie this weekend, and my son was given the choice between Gnomeo and Juliet and Rango, and he went with Rango. It wasn't awful, but I can't help but wonder if we would have been better off with Gnomeo and Juliet.

First of all, I'm not a big Johnny Depp fan. Particularly when it comes to children's films. His versions of Willy Wonka and Alice in Wonderland creep me out.

Rango did not creep me out, but it was definitely a little more raw than it had to be. To quote my husband, "Could they possibly have used the word 'hell' any more times?" It was unnecessary. Also, their use of the word "damn". Most recent animated films have managed to not use even mild obscenities.

There is almost always adult humor in animated films, and normally it goes undetected by kids and is fun for the adults. The humor in this one didn't amuse me much. Rango had a "friend" which was the top half of a naked barbie doll. In a conversation with said friend, he asks "Are those real?".

The best parts were a foursome of singing owls (But that, too was ruined when they showed them all hanging from nooses while they sang about someone who was supposed to die. Poor taste.) and a wise armadillo.

If your child really wants to see it, I guess go for it, but if you can convince your child to see Gnomeo and Juliet instead, that might be a better idea.

I'm more comfortable with the notion that it's a giant rabbit

My son, who will be 7 years old in a few months, commented the other day that we should leave carrots out for the Easter Bunny again this year "Because rabbits like carrots. And if it's a person dressed up like a rabbit who comes, maybe they will like carrots, too."

He's a smart boy. I know sheer logic alone will not allow him to believe in Santa or the Easter Bunny forever, but if he's anything like me, he will let the belief linger as long as possible just in case the end of those beliefs means the end of those holidays. Personally, I still see leaving things out late on Christmas Eve specifically from "Santa" long after my son stops visiting him and sitting in his lap. Even when you know he's not real, the magic can still be there.

Anyway, I was surprised to see the transition from pure belief in a huge rabbit barging into our house in the middle of the night with candy to the possibility of a person dressed as a rabbit coming into our home when we're asleep and eating our carrots. I'm glad he is comfortable with either notion, but myself...I think I'd prefer to believe it's an actual rabbit than some dude in a rabbit costume. :)