Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Mother Theresa had better watch her back

I recently admitted that I've become obsessed with bathroom tile. And I still am.

But I'm not obsessed with my obsession. And I know today's trip to Home Expo and Home Depot, while thrilling to the tile connoisseurs out there, might not do much for the rest of you. So I'm not going to talk about it.

So I'm going to talk about someone else's obsession for a change. Because I'm not the only one who is obsessed. My daughter is, too. With VW Beetles--known in these parts as "Slug Bugs." Or "Punch Buggies."

Now, my kids have always loved Beetles. Way back when they were a lot shorter and watched the Teletubbies, they decided that since we are a family of four, and the Teletubbies are a family of four, their father needed to buy each of us a Beetle, one in each of the four Teletubbies colors.

I objected to this on practical grounds. First of all, they don't make purple Beetles. Where would that leave Tinky Winky? Hasn't he been having a hard time with the religious right? Is it fair to slight him again? And where would we keep four Beetles? And anyway, there is no way my daughter was going to let me have the red Beetle. Even though red is my favorite color. Because it's her favorite color. So she'd get the Po Herbie. Leaving me driving the yellow one. And looking like a yellow-car-driving loser. GREAT.

(Stop me if this makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. And welcome to the world of being the parent of a three-year-old.)

Anyway, because in my limited amount of free time (take that! Anonymous) I do improving things like read the books of Jen Lancaster, I discovered the joys of playing Slug Bug! or Punch Buggy! (The name depending on how quickly my neurons are firing--for some reason Punch Buggy is easier for me to remember.)

And since we have a 45 minute drive to and from school every day, we play a LOT of Slug Bug! or Punch Buggy!

So today, after having spotted three Punch Buggies in a row, my daughter said:

"I wish everyone in the world could have a Herbie."

My goodness, what a philanthropist I spawned, I thought to myself smugly, glowing all over in the thought that I was rearing my daughter up to be so thoughtful and unselfish.

"Just think of all the people we could punch!" she added happily.

9 comments:

  1. My oldest daughter and I have an ongoing argument about Punch Buggies. In my opinion, Punch Buggies are always and only, old bugs, the ones with chrome bumpers and sewing machines for engines. In her opinion, Punch Buggies are new bugs. I posit that the New Bugs are far inferior to the Old Bugs and thus are prohibited from being used in the Punch Buggy game.

    So sayeth Mjr. Bedhead.

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  2. I never heard of the Punch Buggy game (or Slug Bug, either, for that matter). Is this a regional thing?

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  3. My girls love Punch Buggy too. When we're out they have to differentiate with color and if it's a new one or a class.

    For whatever reason, they've also started pointing out Jeeps (including color) and U-Haul vans.

    Luckily, there's no hitting or else they'd be black and blue and social services would be hauling me downtown for some questioning.

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  4. It was "Slug Bug" here and we had to stop playing when the boy started really clocking us.

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  5. Shame, as I was hoping to read about the tile thing.

    -J.

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  6. Tinky Winky.... that makes me *snort* tea right out my nose. I won't tell you what *winky* is a euphemism for in this house but... trust me... you'd snort and choke too.

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  7. I was watching porn* the other day and they were doing a New York subway tile (size and pattern) in a bathroom.

    I actually now have a daydream about those neat small rectangular white subway tiles stuck to the wall in a particular pattern and how I want it so and where I would have it in the dream house I, well, dream about.




    * my porn is This Old House and Kevin McLeod's Grand Designs

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  8. Oh, the only VW bugs (or beetles as we call them out here) that count are the old ones.

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  9. Your daughter is funny. I am cracking a smile. Thanks!

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Gentle Readers:

For the time being, I have turned off comment moderation. Please don't spam; it's not nice.

xxx, Poppy.