S is for Star Wars

What's the fad du jour at the Lee household? Star Wars! Only a month ago it was Bionicle this and Bionicle that, but as I witnessed in the play room the other day, those heroic toys have taken on new roles as storm troopers of the evil empire - mere cannon fodder for Jedi Stuart and Ethan.

This recent affectation began in earnest during our Easter vacation when Ethan did not want to leave the hotel room in fear that we may miss the Star Wars shorts on Cartoon Network. Since that time, we have been overwhelmed by the multi-media barrage of Star Wars paraphernalia including Kellogg's Episode III tie-in, lightsabre spoons. (By the way, does anyone know if they are going to bring back Yoda Soda?) How do you tell a 6-year-old that these trinkets will be worth more unopened, mint in the box? You can't... You just enjoy watching them eat bite after crunchy bite of Apple Jacks and Corn Pops with their glowing spoons and making the occasional light sabre sound effect - wha-wha-woo...

Speaking of sound effects, I don't know what kind of idiocy possessed me, but while watching the boys in a lightsabre battle, I started singing these stupid, made-up lyrics to the John Williams' Star Wars theme:

Star Wars!
Beautiful Star Wars!
Beautiful Star Wars!
Up in the sky...

The sad thing about it is that I can't get it out of my head. Even worse, the boys are singing it while playing... Ethan is known to hum the tune while sitting on the can...

Like all fads, Star Wars creeps into every aspect of our lives. A few weeks back we took the boys to a Renaissance Fair. They consented to go with us as we promised them that they would get to see kings, queens and knights in battle. It was a pretty good outing, though I must say that Renaissance Fair groupies are, if not pretentious, a bit too absorbed into their hobby at the expense of their sense of humor. Perhaps their tights are chaffing... Here is an exchange that Ethan had with one of them:

Ethan: Hey, are you a knight?
Man: Why yes I am. I am a knight.
Ethan: Are you a Jedi knight?
Man: What?
Ethan: Are you a Jedi knight?
Man: I do not know of these knights that you call Jedi...

I felt he was being unnecessarily rude to Ethan. Next time anyone does that to my son, I might just attack him with my sabre spoon. Worse yet, I'll sing the Star Wars theme... Talk about your purgatory...