Finding Nemo

This may be surprising to some, but up until last month, I had never watched the entire feature film "Finding Nemo". Don't judge. It's not that I didn't like the film - I knew the story (more or less), and loved the characters and animation - I just hadn't needed to have watched it all the way through. Perhaps I knew what was coming would more than make up for it?

Zac is obsessed.

I don't know when or how it began. I'm tempted to blame my nephew Ethan, (three months older than Zac, and responsible for teaching him nearly every word and action he is able to do) who displayed a similar sort of fixation with this underwater world a couple months back. All I know is that, one day, as we got in after work and daycare, Zac fetched the tv remote, placed it in my hand and said, "Mama, Nemo".

We happened to have a copy of Finding Nemo, but it did not last long. It was not great quality, and it got stuck in the middle, so Andel bought a new copy. And our lives have not been the same since. We watch this movie (from start to finish) an average of seven times a week, and when we're not watching it (because we know that telly time needs to be limited for a toddler), we're reading it. Over and over again. Like when we were at the airport two weeks ago...

When the cousins are together they watch together. Zac sets them up on the sofas, and then proceeds to stand in front of them, between the sofa and the tv! They're happy to watch independently and clap enthusiastically for all except one scene: as soon as the shark scene comes up, everyone hops on the nearest adults' lap for some 'comfort'!

Whether he has company or not though, as soon as the screen fills with colour, and the characters come alive, Zac is absolutely captivated. Cap-ti-vat-ed!

So, with Zac's birthday coming up next month, unless I am able to entirely wean Zac from Nemo in the next few weeks (we are getting there slowly: I even managed a stern no twice this week without prolonged protest) it seems we are going to have an underwater themed birthday and cake. Again. 

Wish me luck!