I May Have Made a Mistake

For years, I have been trying to get Danger Lad! to watch Singin' in the Rain. It has largely been an epic failure. At one point, he burst into tears at the first sight of Debbie Reynolds in a yellow slicker. On another occasion, the movie was the inspiration for his first four syllable word. ("Acceptable." Which is what Singin' in the Rain is not.) Various authorities claim that Singin' in the Rain is the perfect movie for small children! There's nothing scary - gosh, there's hardly a plot at all. And there's dancing and singing and no sex to speak of. (There is some sex not spoken, because there's Cyd Charisse, but I trusted that Cyd would go right over Danger Lad!'s innocent little head, and indeed, she did. He disapproves of her for blowing smoke at Gene Kelly.)

Today, I played Mama's trump card: I refused to put the Errol Flynn Robin Hood in the DVD player. Flat out. I am so done with Errol Flynn. The last straw was the other day when I told DL! that I preferred to watch a movie with dancing, and he tried to convince me that the feast in Sherwood qualified. Deprived of his favorite, DL! conceded that he could watch Singin' in the Rain.

It took him a while to warm up. While Kathy Seldon and Don Lockwood were having it out about her opinion of film actors, DL! trotted into the kitchen to tell me that the movie was pretty boring, but he went back to it. He came back after Kathy hit Lina Lamont with a pie to let me know that the lady with cake on her head was scary. But then he giggled hysterically through "Make 'Em Laugh." I think he may actually have rolled on the floor laughing.

And then he got up, and tried to copy Donald O'Connor's flips.

I'm gonna have to talk to the daycare about this on Monday. They may forgive me. Maybe not. Here's hoping we don't have to go to the ER before then.