SuperLunchNotes: Back to School, or Why I Stopped Telling My Son I Loved Him
Holy Time-loss, Batman! Has it really been a year already?! For the first week of school, I wanted to come out strong on the lunch notes, as this was the start of my son’s second year of preschool. So I went back to where it all started…Batman. His image is the most iconic, most adaptable, and rife with puns to be played upon. I threw in some other favorites (Cyborg, GL), Daddy’s favorite (Aquaman, duh) and a first appearance from Booster Gold, who we’d watched on an episode of
And finally, for good measure I added “♥ Daddy” as a signature. This was to be a short-lived addition…
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BACK TO SCHOOL WEEK-ish: August 28 – September 5, 2014
Batman | Green Lantern | Mr. Fantastic | Aquaman | Cyborg | Booster Gold
We had spent the weekend watching some episodes of Ben 10 (check it out on Cartoon Network for some extremely imaginative characters), so on Monday I made a Ben 10 lunch note. He’s not an alien himself, but he turns into a bunch of them (10, to be exact), so he kicked off Alien Week. I followed up with Kilowog from the Green Lantern Corps, and then everyone’s second-favorite Kryptonian, Supergirl.
On the way home that day, I asked Jon (as I often do) if he liked his note.
“Yes…” he answered tentatively. He continued, “…but why it say ‘love Daddy’ on it?”
“Because Daddy loves you!” I answer cheerily.
“But I don’t want it to say ‘love Daddy.’“ Urp.
As you may have read from our other recent conversations, I’ve learned not to react too strongly if I want to find out what’s really going on.
“Why not?” I inquire calmly, bracing for a gut punch.
“I don’t know.”
I should have seen that coming. I decide to ask what I’m thinking, “Is it because you don’t want me to tell you I love you?”
“No. You do it ALL. THE. TIME!”
Guilty as charged.
“Did someone make fun of you at school?”
“No.”
I think a little harder, trying to look at things from his perspective, not mine.
“Is it because they’re not as cool with ‘love Daddy’ on them?”
“They’re cool…” he pauses, for dramatic effect (Proud Theatre Dad Moment) “…but when it don’t say ‘love Daddy’ it’s a LOT LOT times cooler.”
I get where he’s coming from. And I can live with that. (Although I thought this “I’m too cool for…” crap wasn’t supposed to happen for a few more years!) I tell him that I’ll not put my signature on the notes anymore, but remind him that I’m still going to tell him I love him as much as I want, whenever I want. He says he can live with that.
As we near home — since he’s on a roll — Jon makes another request, “On tomorrow’s note, can I have Godzilla?”
“Sure thing, buddy!” Though I cringe a bit as Godzilla’s not technically an alien. How dare my son muck up my theme?!?
He goes on, “…and can he breathe fire? And I want him to say ‘HAVE A ROAR DAY!’“
I smile and laugh with pride at my son’s attempt to create a pun like Dad (who studied under Master Punster, Grandpa). But now I’m wondering if I’ve created a monster, and will be doodling requests from here on out…
Come back next week to find out! Same Bat-Time! Same Bat-Channel!
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