We’re having a hard time convincing Johann he’s clearly outgrown some of his toys. There are some of them he just isn’t ready to part with for one reason or another. We will keep them until he is ready. Sometimes I do start to lose my patience with it, but then I remember how I felt when things were taken from me without my consent, and I convince Eric and myself to wait a while and then ask Johann if he’s ready to donate it then. One such toy is the firetruck. Some five year olds might still use it as a firetruck. I’m sure Fisher Price didn’t anticipate what our five year old would do with it.
A few months ago, Eric and Johann were watching a TV show on the Science Channel about early Roman technology. Johann soaked it all in. It became apparent how well he absorbed the information from the TV show a few days later when I saw Johann was studying his firetruck and deep in thought. I watched him for a while. He started to move the telescoping ladder back and forth as though he was trying to figure something out. Then he exclaimed, “Just like the Roman catapult that threw the javelin, Mommy!” He was referring to the ballista catapult, the precursor to the cannon. You can imagine how quickly the original intented use of the toy degraded into what soon transpired. Johann wanted to make his own catapult.
As an aside, I have to state here that this toy has always annoyed me. I’m very sensitive to loud noises and this thing is a battery-powered noisemaker. There’s the flashing lights and siren when you push one button. Then Firefighter Sheryl says different things in an incredibly annoying perky voice when you press her down into her seat. “I fight fires. My puppy helps.” “I hear an alarm. Let’s go!” “My truck is fast!” “My siren is loud!” “My horn is loud!”(No kidding?) “I’m Firefighter Sheryl. I rescue kittens.” (What, female firefighters can’t rescue people too?) “Let’s fight fires!” (Oh, shut up!)
I don’t like toys that direct play too much and eliminate the opportunity for the child to use his imagination. I have never heard Johann make his own siren noises or make up dialog or a name for Firefighter Sheryl like he does with other toys, because it’s already been provided for him. And, to me, what they have her say is insulting to the child’s intelligence as well. So when Johann chose Firefighter Sheryl to be the first toy to be flung by the catapult, I saw no need to discourage him.
Johann set up his catapult so that Firefighter Sheryl would be launched across the room and land in the back of his dump truck. It was a science experiment when you think about it. No, really. We helped him troubleshoot his system to get the results he wanted. First we showed him how to lift the front end of the firetruck to get the right arc for the toy (trajectory). After several trials, he saw how hard and fast he had to push the ladder down (the correct amount of force) to get the toy (er, subject) to go fast enough (the needed acceleration) to reach the dumptruck (target). He learned that the heavier objects being launched needed more force. We firgured out the best positions for the firetruck and the dumptruck in relation to each other for a slam dunk every time (you know, creating more consistent results, thereby reducing the margin of error). We even started using the magnet board as a basketball backboard (calculating angles!) We were making math and science accessible, right?
Firefighter Sheryl got dizzy after about a dozen launches, so Johann decided Puppy should go next. It didn’t take long for me to become just as enthusiastic as Johann. I held the firetruck steady while Johann pushed down the ladder. We steered him toward toys we were sure could handle the impact of being launched. After about 20 minutes, Eric relieved me as Johann’s assistant, while I went to take a shower and get dressed. As I was about to get into the shower, I wasn’t thinking about anything in particular. It was late morning, but I was already exhausted due to another sleepless night. I was feeling particularly frustrated about our situation, Eric being laid off, etc. And then, for no apparent reason, I imagined an animated Firefighter Sheryl getting into the firetruck and climbing up the ladder. She was standing in the bucket at the top of the ladder and said, “Hi! I’m Firefighter Sheryl and I fight fi-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ahhhhhhh!” (Another successful launch!!!) I could not stop laughing.
As I came out of the bathroom, I could hear that Eric and Johann had long since moved on to new subjects. They were launching the Playmobil people and animals. There was no doubt who was next when I heard them both yell, “When pigs fly!!!!” followed by, “Yaaaaaayyyy!!!” I smiled and giggled. I knew it had to be a slam dunk!
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