FADE ININT – LIVING ROOM – NIGHT
MATTHEW and THE QUEEN are sitting on a couch in their living room, 20 minutes into the Season 2.5 finale of BATTLESTAR GALACTIC. They both appear to be ON EDGE, as if ANTICIPATING something.
SOUND EFFECT: THE DISTANT RATTLE OF A TINY HAND STRUGGLING TO TURN AN ADULT-SIZED DOORKNOB
The ratting continues for a few seconds and then STOPS ABRUPTLY. A moment passes.
Enter THE SQUIRRELLY, left
SQURRELLY: Hiya!
THE QUEEN: You little –
MATTHEW: God damn it!
MATTHEW pauses the DVD for the FORTY-HUNDREDTH TIME. He stands, grabs THE SQUIRRELLY, tucks the grinning toddler under has arm, and walks out of the frame.
MATTHEW: Come on, you.
Cut to:INT – SQUIRRELY’S BEDROOM – NIGHT
MATTHEW enters, carrying The SQUIRRELLY. He puts him in his BED for the FORTY-HUNDREDTH TIME.
MATTHEW: Now, look: it’s time to go to bed. Do you understand? I want you to stay in your bed. From now on. Do you understand?
THE SQUIRRELLY giggles MALEVOLENTLY
MATTHEW: No, I’m totally for-serious this time. Stay in your bed. It’s time for sleeping. Stay in your bed. Good night. Stay in your bed.
MATTHEW leaves the room, closing the DOOR behind him. The scene goes BLACK. Cut to:INT – LIVING ROOM – EVENING
Enter MATTHEW, left. He walks to the SOFA.
MATTHEW: He looked pretty tired. I think he’s going to stay in his room this time.
THE QUEEN: [Ominously] He’d better …
Enter THE SQUIRRELLY, left
SQURRELLY: Hiya!
MATTHEW: NNNRRRRGH!
THE SQUIRRELLY ambles up to his parents, smiling. THE QUEEN stands.
THE QUEEN: That’s it.
THE QUEEN takes THE SQUIRRELLY by the hand and leads him BRISKLY out of the frame. She is gone for a few minutes. When she reenters she is carrying a can of COOKING SPRAY.
THE QUEEN: He won’t bother us again.
MATTHEW: Why was the Pam in his bedroom?
THE QUEEN: It wasn’t. I brought it with me, and sprayed it on his inside doorknob.
THE QUEEN places the COOKING SPRAY back on a shelf, while MATTHEW looks on with PRIDE and ADORATION. She joins him on the SOFA and the two watch the conclusion of BATTLESTAR GALACTIC uninterrupted.SCENE
Your wife is a genius.
Posted by Celia on January 14th, 2007.
Brilliant.
Posted by schmutzie on January 14th, 2007.
Humor, science fiction, and parenting tips in a big bag of goodness.
Posted by Kyle on January 14th, 2007.
Cooking spray… who knew? That is a supreme stroke of brilliance that I’m going to have to remember and put to use at some point in the future.
Posted by Julie on January 14th, 2007.
And I was just worrying about investing in another set of doorknob covers, which I secretly suspect my child will immediately figure out. So much smarter. SO much cheaper.
Posted by Holley on January 14th, 2007.
I will have to remember that one!
Posted by Larisa on January 14th, 2007.
oh, well played madam.
mine isn’t even crawling yet, but that’s a keeper.
Posted by adam on January 14th, 2007.
Hell, mine hasn’t even been conceived yet, and I’m remembering that.
Posted by Teman on January 14th, 2007.
So weird. You described our evening here perfectly, substituting “Scoop” (please do not rent this movie, it is horrible) for BG, and substituting “parental groveling” for “Pam”…
Posted by matthew tiffany on January 14th, 2007.
Again, the Queen proving why she holds the title.
Other options to try cuz Pam’s really a gnarly substance. Have you ever had to clean up that stuff? Yuck.
Doorknob removal and replace with RFID lock.
(http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/security/77af/)
Cool but expensive.
Doorknob obfuscator:
(http://www.totsafe.com/proddetail.asp?prod=6383)
Cheaper than RFID, but the anklebiter might figure this one out as Holley points out.
Though the old style ones work well http://www.totsafe.com/proddetail.asp?prod=6382%2D2. My grams used these in her daycare center and we never had any jailbreaks with them.
Posted by HDC on January 14th, 2007.
I bet hearts flew out of the top of your head. That was awesome!
Posted by flea on January 15th, 2007.
Wow. Just wow.
Posted by Melissa on January 15th, 2007.
All hail The Queen!
Posted by Lori on January 15th, 2007.
The Queen is a parenting genius, no doubt. For a longer-term solution, my I recommend the simple hook and eye latch placed high on the door?
Posted by Judy on January 15th, 2007.
My son (nearly same age as the Squirelly) recently found an uncovered can of Pam in the kitchen, and decided that he would “paint” his sheets and headboard. Needless to say, I agree with the comment above about “gnarly.” Maybe he was trying to coat it for his own “easy removal.”
Posted by north on January 15th, 2007.
Beautiful. My kid hasn’t figured out how to turn the handle yet, but I’m keeping this in reserve.
Posted by maggie on January 15th, 2007.
For-serious
Posted by AZ Dave on January 15th, 2007.
Nice!
Posted by ajitomatix on January 15th, 2007.
A+, more entertaining than “Bedtime for Frances.”
Posted by Lilly on January 16th, 2007.
Crazy glue would have made a more-permanent impression.
Posted by Hello on January 16th, 2007.
Wow, she should be up for some sort of award for that one!
Posted by Liz on January 16th, 2007.
First off love it you call the kid squirrely!
Second I agree with most of your other commenters your wife is a genius! I wish I would have had her around to advise me when mine were that young!
Posted by Squirrel on January 16th, 2007.
I love this. We actually have to gate our 2.5 year old in like some kind of convict. If only potty-training wasn’t on the horizon… No way to give him access to the bathroom and not to us… Guess it’s better than perpetually changing the sheets!
Posted by 2shews on January 16th, 2007.
Wow, we never even considered that one. After multiple threats, we just put a hook & eye on the outside of his door. Dept. of Child Services knocking in door in 5…4…3…2.
Posted by Scott on January 16th, 2007.
No wonder you married that woman!
Posted by JPed on January 16th, 2007.
I’m turning in to a freak for that show. When we are watching it, our kid wakes up, she cries and WE GO AND SLEEP WITH HER. Well, one of us lies down with her to put her to sleep and then we fall asleep with her.
Oh my God, we are the wimpiest parents in the world. You mean your kid actually sleeps in his own bed by himself some of the time/ever? I was just assuming they didn’t do that sort of thing.
I need the Queen. I would marry her tomorrow. Now THAT’S a parent.
Posted by ozma on January 16th, 2007.
I bow in awe before The King and Queen.
Posted by Anita on January 17th, 2007.
It’s so rare that I laugh out loud at anything on the internet, but I laughed at this. Thanks so much for sharing that little snapshot of your life with us!
Posted by Jonathan L on January 19th, 2007.
canola oil works great and is neater and easier to both apply and remove. Trust me, three girls will force you to be creative! Oh, by the way they’re 30, 28 and 16 now and no the last one is adopted not an accident.
Posted by kattonic on January 19th, 2007.
Hey there Matt. Long time reader, first time poster. Just wanted to drop a line and let you know you’ve been awarded one of the top 12 funniest people on the internet. I found the link from Digg.com Congrats on being so f-ing funny. Well man I’ll let you get back to stardom, don’t forget us little people.
http://www.valleywag.com/tech/comedy/the-12-funniest-people-on-the-internet-229808.php
Posted by Mike on January 19th, 2007.
THAT is absolutely awesome!!!!! I must remember the cooking spray tidbit for future use!!!!
Posted by Jana on January 21st, 2007.
Damnit! We have those darn Handicapped accessible door handles.
I like the way your wife thinks, though.
Posted by Matthew on January 22nd, 2007.