This won’t make any sense at all unless you know something about our family: we reference everything. If we’ve watched it once, heard it, read it — we quote from it. Because we’re geeks, frequently the things we’re quoting are Star Trek, Star Wars, The Incredibles, MST3K, and random postings from online boards.
My Patient Husband and I are the worst, but the kids are picking it up too. Whenever a new guardian angel is introduced to the household, this is what happens:
Angel: Father? Did I do something wrong?
God: No, my son.
Angel: Am I being punished?
God: No, my son.
Angel: Because they’re lunatics.
God: Yes, my son.
Followed by:
New angel: So, um, do you have a reference guide for all the things they’re quoting?
Veteran angel: {hands over a fifteen-thousand page book.}
New angel: Can I have an abridged version?
Veteran angel: That is the abridged version.
We’re raising four children who consider this lunacy normal. Poor kids.
More background: Kiddo#4, enthralled with the sheep he sees at Kiddo#2’s riding lessons, has decided that every animal (including our cats) says “BAA!”
And finally, we all get a giggle out of “They’re taking the Hobbits to Isengard!” (if you haven’t seen it, the first 30 seconds should tell you as much as you need to know for this post.)
Okay, so with 200 words of background, maybe you’ll understand what happened spontaneously during lunch, although none of us can remember how it started:
Kiddo#2: {something normal}
Kiddo#1: What did you say?
Kiddo3: They’re taking the hobbits to Isengard.
Me: To Isengard?
Patient Husband: To Isengard! They’re taking the hobbits to Isengard.
Kiddo#1: What did you say?
And then, because the five year old is extremely silly:
Kiddo#3: They’re taking thirty cats to Isengard.
Me: What?
Baby: BAA!
Patient Husband: {laughs}
Me: A balrog of Morgoth goes baa?
Patient Husband: No, because Kiddo#3 said they’re taking the cats to Isengaard.
Me: To Isengard?
Patient Husband: To Isengard.
Kiddo#3: They’re taking thirty cats to Isengard!
Baby: BAA!
At which point my husband and I looked at one another and said, “Are we in a Star Trek time loop or something?”
My Patient Husband then pointed to Kiddo#1 and said, “he’s going to roll a six.”
I replied, “This is highly irregular.”
And yes, we’d jumped references there (bonus points if you can name the episode). Pass the Excedrin.
Have you ever seen Red Dwarf? If not, you truly must…
Neither my Patient Husband nor I have seen it, no. That’s why we always score low marks in our Geekitude. 😉 I could see if our local library can get it for us.
You’d love it! It may be NSF kiddos, unless you want to explain interesting slang…
We really only watch TV on Friday and Saturday nights after 9pm, so it’s not a problem about the kids. Our library network does have three copies of the first DVDs (two are out, one is available) so we may check them out. Thanks!
I had to look up the name of the episode, but I knew exactly what you were talking about.
I’ve told my husband our kids have little to no chance of not being geeks, too. Since they get the gene from both parents.
Yeah, sometimes it seems unfair that our kids lose the genetic non-geek crapshoot right from the first instant of their existence.
But on the other hand, geeks are loyal, intelligent, thoughtful, and make terrific friends. We also have interesting references even if we confuse everyone around us. So it’s not all bad.
Do they have pet friendly hotels in Isengard? Looks like a great place for a vacation.
BAA!
You’re family is teh awesome!
My DH and his friends can have very extended (as in 15 min + easily) conversations entirely in movie quotes.
Sadly, I’ve seen/read most of the required geekverse, I’m just not quick-witted enough to quote it in real time. 😛 bleh.
We have all of Red Dwarf on the hard drive hooked up to our DVD player…along with Start Trek Voyager, the original Star Trek and all of DS9…and most of Good Eats (we aren’t just sci-fi/fantasy geeks, we’re food geeks, too). TNG isn’t on the hard drive because we own in on DVD (and laser disc).
Oh, and the fact that your 5 year old knows what Isengard is and can say it, well that’s proof positive that you guys are doing something very right as parents! 🙂