Littlest dinosaur---Annoy-a-saur-ous Rex

As a learning activity at school they decided it would be great for the kids to learn how to act like a dinosaur. Stomp like a dinosaur. Slash your claws like a dinosaur. And roar like a dinosaur. My son really took this exercise to heart.

Being the dramatist he is, he roars frighteningly loud like a regular T-Rex. It has become his favorite greeting, especially to other kids. Walking within inches of their face, and yelling R-O-A-R over and over until he gets a reaction. Timid kids go running and screaming, otherwise it causes a near nuclear chain reaction with each child in the vicinity taking up the call of the Roaring Rex. I’ve watch helplessly as an entire playground has been transformed into Jurassic Park within five minutes of my son stepping foot on the bark chips.

I say helpless because try as we might we cannot break him of this habit. The more we make of it the more enjoyment he gets out of Roaring through the house, at the dinner table, and in public restrooms.

It would almost be funny if it weren’t so darn annoying, and loud. He times it for the exact wrong moments, a trademark of children to be sure, but nonetheless an acute skill for Tristan. In public, either people laugh or act horrified. The look of “can’t that father control his child” and “Kids now days have no manners because of parents like that” written all over their perfect Parenting magazine model citizen winner faces.

The only time I can’t help but laugh is when we check on him in the middle of the night and he bolts upright from a dead sleep to R-O-A-R before returning to his comatose state.