#Emmet initially lived with them as well before deciding to move out

[kelpiemomma]

Rolling around Ingo/laventon ship in my head. Their adopted twins Akari and Rei.

[astererer]

Romy has a proper ref now hehe info under cut :))

Moved away from her parents in Opelucid to Nacrene City as soon as she was able to in order to pursue a career in art. They have a somewhat strained relationship due to Romy’s choice to live what they consider to be a less traditional lifestyle — they don’t see a future in an art based career, and as soon as they felt she was old enough, pushed for her to get married and start a family. Romy meanwhile has no interest in appeasing them.

Used to go on holidays to Hoenn to visit extended family in Lavaridge Town every summer up until she left home. She’d like to go back on her own at some point, without her parents, but is kind of nervous about doing so. She just misses her grandma…

Most of her team were caught on these holidays — Pepper, Okra, Lettuce and Beets are all from Hoenn, while Taro and Radish were found in Unova.

Day job is selling handmade custom plant pots. This gives her the money to get by and also work on more ambitious sculpting projects in her free time.

Side hobby is raising plants — virtually every room in her home is filled with greenery and flowers. Smells very fresh.

Competent at pokemon battles, attempted the Unovan League as a teenager and managed to get halfway through the E4, but no matter which order she tried them in she couldn’t get past the third fight. Decided to cut her losses and went home to focus on her art instead.

Still battles for fun, but not competitively. Tried the Battle Subway a few times but grew frustrated as she’s never been able to face either Ingo or Emmet on her own.

Aster used to live with her for around a year. At first they didn’t get along too well, and had a not-so-friendly rivalry. Aster would beat Romy every time, and try to offer some constructive criticism which Romy would initially reject out of stubbornness. After trying a suggested strategy out and it working, however, Romy decided to start listening and they gradually began hanging out and got to know each other better. When Aster decided she needed an actual place to stay in rather than going between camping and pokemon centre hopping like before, Romy offered a room.

Zero interest in romantic relationships, but likes sex. Is always upfront about this with people she gets into bed with, as she has no interest in leading people on.

While she enjoys an ongoing arrangement more than one off hookups, she tends to dump people pretty quickly either because she gets bored of them, or they didn’t listen when she said she doesn’t want romance and they try to make things romantic anyway. These tend to be pretty harsh, Romy’s the sort of girl to break things off over text then block all points of contact before the other party has a chance to respond.

Much more loyal towards her friends than people she lets into her bed (sometimes there is an overlap — those individuals do not get the previously mentioned treatment)

Very flippant in her interactions, does not hesitate to casually insult someone if they get on her nerves for any reason. Generally comes across as a bit cold and aloof to people she doesn’t know/care for.

Her flirting tactics are, by extension, pretty low key. Much like a venus flytrap, she’ll wait for someone to approach her first before proceeding to make use of subtle hints via body language, tone of voice, etc. Sometimes she’ll approach first, but usually doesn’t feel the need to. First encounters are intentially shallow, she’ll let you learn more about her when she deems you worth keeping around.

[madd-nix]

Lost and Found

Chapter 3

The case on Rosie's missing parents has been declared cold as Ingo, Emmet, and Piers suspect it was a case of abandonment. Now, Rosie has to decide where she wants to live now that her parents aren't returning for her. Also, Ingo deals with paperwork.

This is my self indulgent story where Ingo adopts a daughter, and you can read the first chapters here and here. You can also check my Subway Boss Rosie tag for more.

Also, shout out to @hoofpeet who came up with the last name for Ingo and Emmet and was kind enough to let me use it for fanfic purposes!

Words: 2,310

Rating: PG (ask to tag)

Rosie had a decision to make. Go to a foster home or an orphanage, or stay with Mr. Ingo and his family.

That night had been a pretty fitful night for Rosie. She had initially fallen asleep easily from the emotional exhaustion, but she later woke up during the night and fell in and out of sleep until morning. As light crept into the room through the window's curtains, she pulled the blanket up over her head to try and block it out. She was tired, but the amount of thoughts she had swimming in her brain was keeping her awake. It was all so frustrating. A few tears landed on the pillow. Oh. She was crying again.

It wasn't fair. None of this was fair. Why had her parents left her? Did she do something wrong? Did they not love her anymore? Where did they go and why did they leave her at the subway? Rosie doubted she would ever be able to answer any of these questions.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Um, Rosie?" It was Mr. Ingo. "I am sorry, but I heard crying. Are you alright? May I come in?"

"...Come in," Rosie whimpered. The door opened and Mr. Ingo walked in, still in his pajamas. He sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I understand you're going through a lot right now. Do you want to talk about it?" Mr. Ingo asked. "If not, that's okay too. Whatever makes you most comfortable."

Rosie sat up and scooted closer to lean against him. Mr. Ingo wrapped an arm around her. She sat quietly like this as she tried to gather her thoughts into words.

"Mr. Ingo? Why did my mommy and daddy leave?" she finally asked.

"I... I do not know," he said, seemingly a little startled by her question.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No." His answer was immediate and firm. "No, you did nothing wrong. I may not know why they left, but Rosie, I know that it was not your fault. If they had any issues with you, that was your parents' problem, not your's. There's nothing wrong that you could've done to make them leave. So please, don't blame yourself for this. Okay?"

Rosie nodded. Even though a small part of her still felt like she had done something to drive them away, Mr. Ingo's confidence in his words made that part of her shrink even smaller. He seemed so sure that Rosie had done nothing wrong, and it was comforting to hear him say that so firmly.

"Mr. Ingo, what would happen if I go to a foster home or an orphanage?"

"Well, we would make a good list of options and we would make sure that whatever home or orphanage takes you will be a good one," he explained, "and once you find one you like, you'll live there until you're adopted or until you're old enough to move out on your own."

"And if I stay here?" She wanted to know what both of her options were like before making a decision.

"I would sign off on the papers to officially adopt you and we would set up Marnie's room so that you could have a bed there and share the room with her. I would also make sure to find you a good school to go to, we would buy you plenty of new clothes, toys, and books, or anything else you might need, and I would simply be here to take care of you for as long as you need."

"So... you would be my new dad?" she asked.

"Oh, well, on paper, I suppose, yes," he replied, a little awkwardly. "But you would not have to force yourself to call me that if you don't want to."

Rosie thought about it. Getting sent to a foster home or orphanage would mean having to get used to a whole new place and all new people. And if she would be adopted by someone afterwards, that's another new situation to get used to. She didn't really like the idea of having to change and get used to so many new situations. But here with Mr. Ingo was nice. She liked him and Mr. Emmet, and Mr. Piers was really nice too, and she really liked playing with Marnie. She knew these people now and had gotten used to them. If she stayed here, she wouldn't have to move around as much and they all seemed ready to let her stay with them.

"You wouldn't mind letting me stay here?" She had to be sure. She had to know that this option was okay.

"Of course. I already discussed this option with Emmet and Piers, and last night after you went to bed, Marnie also said she wouldn't mind if you stayed with us."

"But what do you think, Mr. Ingo? Would you be okay with me staying here?" Mr. Ingo held her a little closer and it only took him a moment to think of his answer.

"Rosie, I'd be happy to take care of you and have you live with us. If you do choose to live elsewhere, then that's fine as well, but I will also happily accept you into this family if you choose to stay with us."

Rosie had her answer now. She buried her face on his shoulder as she hugged him. Mr. Ingo hugged her back.

"I... I wanna stay with you," Rosie said into his shirt.

"Then we can start talking about getting things prepared to have you stay here," he said. "Would you like to go shopping and pick out a new bed frame and new clothes?"

Rosie could only nod as Mr. Ingo rubbed her back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next few days were busy. They got Rosie a new bed and set it up on one side of Marnie's room. The room was split into two sides, with Marnie's belongings being pushed to one side while Rosie's new bed, new toys, and new dresser of clothes was set up on the other side. Along with getting the necessities for Rosie, they also had to get the paperwork filled out for the adoption. Luckily, Drayden, being a government official as the mayor of Opelucid City was more than happy to help. So, about a week later, Ingo and Rosie arrived in Opelucid to meet with Ingo's uncle.

After stepping out of the subway, Ingo held Rosie's hand and guided her through Opelucid to the government building where Drayden worked when he wasn't running his gym. They walked into his office where Drayden was sitting at his desk, waiting patiently for their arrival.

"Ah, there you are, Ingo. I'm glad you could make it," Drayden said. He stood from his desk and Rosie shyly hid behind Ingo a little.

"Uncle Drayden, thank you for helping me with the paperwork," Ingo said with a respectful nod. He then turned to the girl currently hiding behind him. "Rosie, this is my uncle, Drayden. He is the mayor of Opelucid, as well as the dragon type gym leader. And Uncle, this is Rosie."

Drayden bent down on one knee to lower himself closer to Rosie's height, then held out a hand to her.

"Rosie, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am sorry to hear about your parents, but you are in good hands with my nephew here," he said. His beard covered most of the lower half of his face, but the way his eyes crinkled upwards and the way his beard shifted, it was evident that he was smiling. Rosie took his hand and they shook.

"Hi Mr. Drayden. It's nice to meet you," she said politely.

Drayden nodded and stood back up, then guided them towards his desk. He sat down behind the desk while Ingo and Rosie sat in two chairs on the opposite side. He then slid a stack of papers and a pen over to Ingo.

"These are the papers you'll need to fill out and sign," Drayden explained. "I have already filled out anything that was my responsibility. Some of this is a report on the situation with Rosie's parents and you'll just need to sign that we're calling this a cold case. Then we have the papers to make you Rosie's legal guardian." Ingo nodded and turned to Rosie. She had a small activity pad and a pencil that she brought along with her.

"I will try to be quick about this," he said apologetically. "After we're finished, I'll take you somewhere for lunch."

"Okay, thanks," Rosie said with a smile. She then opened up the activity pad and flipped through the pages until she found a page with a connect the dots picture. She started to connect the dots and form the image, and Ingo turned to fill out the paperwork.

For a good while, Drayden simply directed Ingo through the paperwork while Rosie kept herself busy. Ingo was no stranger to paperwork, since the subway occasionally required different forms to be completed, but it was still tiring work. Ingo couldn't decide if he preferred doing this or some of his harder, more physically challenging tasks in Hisui. This was at least much more boring than any of his warden duties.

Eventually, they got through most of the paperwork and he was now filling out the actual adoption portion of the stack. After signing his name for the hundredth time, Ingo handed the paper to his uncle, then waited to be told what part of the next page to fill out now.

"Ah, this is a name changing form," Drayden explained. "It's in case Rosie wants to change her last name now that she's being adopted."

Ingo turned to Rosie. They hadn't really discussed this beforehand. To be honest, the idea of changing her last name hadn't even been a thought in Ingo's mind until now.

"Rosie," Ingo lightly tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention. She looked up. "I know we haven't discussed it until now, but would you like to change your last name to mine?" She seemed to think about it for a moment.

"What is your last name?" She asked.

Oh. He hadn't told her that yet, had he?

"Ah, my last name is Treyn. Ingo Treyn." Rosie giggled a bit.

"Train? Like a subway train?"

"Oh, no, Treyn. T-R-E-Y-N." He took her activity book and wrote the name on a blank space for her to see it spelled out.

"Treyn," she said, testing the name out. "It does still sound like train though," Rosie pointed out. "Which is funny 'cause you work with trains!"

"I suppose that's true." Ingo had never really paid much attention to his last name, but now that Rosie pointed it out to him, it was pretty funny how that worked out. "So, would you like to change your last name? If not, I won't force you to."

Rosie thought for a moment, then wrote her first name in front of Treyn. Rosie Treyn. She looked at it and seemed to be deep in thought about it. Suddenly, her eyes filled with tears. Ingo quickly wrapped an arm around her.

"Rosie! What's wrong?" he asked worriedly. She sniffled and dropped the activity pad and the pencil, then she moved to sit on his lap as she hugged him. Ingo held her and rubbed small circles into her back.

"I'm getting adopted," Rosie said in a quiet voice. "You're actually adopting me."

She was just realizing that now. Or at least, it was all finally hitting her that this was truly happening. And Ingo could understand how she felt. As he held her in his arms with the name Rosie Treyn swirling in his mind, it was just now hitting him that he was signing the paperwork to legally make her his daughter. He now had a little girl to raise and take care of. And she now had a whole new family.

"Yes, I'm adopting you." Ingo eventually found the words to speak as he continued holding her. "You're still okay with that, right?" She nodded.

"Yeah, it's more than okay," she mumbled in between sniffles. "A-and I wanna change my last name."

"You do? You're sure?"

"Uh-huh. I wanna be Rosie Treyn."

Ingo smiled a little as he gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Then welcome to the family, Rosie."

This earned him a few sniffles and giggles from Rosie, who seemed to refuse to uncouple from him. That was fine. He leaned forward and filled out the name change form. Rosie Treyn. From there, he continued to fill out the rest of the paperwork with Rosie on his lap. Luckily, it didn't take long after that to finish the paperwork. Drayden collected the stack and made sure it was all organized, then he signed his name on the last page and stamped it to show it was all official.

"I'll make copies of all this for you later," Drayden explained. "But for now, it's official. Welcome to the family." Rosie looked up with slightly red eyes and smiled faintly.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

Ingo smiled a little and wiped at the few tears that still clung to her face.

"Would you like to get something to eat?" Ingo asked. "We can go wherever you want."

"Yeah, I'm hungry," Rosie said as she leaned her head on Ingo's shoulder. "Can we go to McDelibird's?"

"Of course," he said with a nod. He then turned to Drayden. "Uncle Drayden, are you free to join us?"

"I'll let my secretary know that I'll be out," he replied.

With that, Ingo helped Rosie stand up and picked up her activity booklet, then he took her hand and walked out with her, followed by Drayden. Their first meal together officially as a family.

[mx-ishikawa]

Pieces Of Us (2): Defend

Finally got the second installment of this series done! there's a little violence in this one but it's LEGO violence so it's not that bad XD" takes place in between the first and second movies~

           The Duplo wasn’t hard to miss. It was ginormous, with bright flashy colors covering its surface. But I wasn’t. I was carefully hidden among the buildings, watching its every move. It was terrorizing the people and destroying everything it decided it wanted to destroy. Jeez, this situation in Bricksburg was even worse than I thought. I mean, everybody was experiencing Duplo attacks, but the people of Bricksburg were hit by far the hardest, to the point where they had to adopt a whole new lifestyle centered around survival and constantly keeping the invaders at bay. But I had been training for this for over two years now.

           Ever since the first Duplo attack on Bricksburg, all I had wanted was to help fight off the invaders. If I couldn’t be a Master Builder, I felt I should at least contribute to the fight in some way or another. I had always struggled with finding my place in the world, and never felt like I fit in anywhere, so I felt that this would be my chance to finally make a name for myself. But since I was only sixteen at the time, I knew I had to finish school first. Thankfully, that gave me extra time to train and develop fighting skills. I did most of my weekend training in Gotham, since it seemed to be the only place out of all the realms that was devoid of Duplo attacks, and sometimes I was under the instruction of Batman himself. As a coach, Batman was strict and not very emotionally motivating, but he certainly knew his shit, so I was grateful to have him as a trainer. Also, he had a damn good taste in workout music.

           But I must admit that there was another reason I wanted to move to Bricksburg. And that reason’s name was Emmet Brickowski. I had already become fond of him in Cloud Cuckooland, but after getting separated from my dad during the raid and ending up alongside Emmet and Wyldstyle in the fight against Lord Business, I developed quite the crush on the heroic construction worker. I felt he was not all the negative things he initially described himself as; in fact, I found him much more brave, smart, skilled, and creative than he gave himself credit for. And even though he apparently lacked experience leading, I thought he was one of the best leaders I had ever seen in action. Never before had I seen someone corral a horde of Master Builders together the way he did. He had a strong voice, commanding but not cruel, and genuinely wanted to help. He had been torn from his old life and thrown into the ugly truth, adapted well, sacrificed himself and ended up gaining Master Builder abilities instead of dying, and saved the world—all without losing his kind-hearted character. And yet, he was completely humble about the whole thing, even saying that the prophecy was about everyone, not just himself. But what I admired most about him was his huge heart. Not once did he say anything bad about Lord Business, or anyone ever, and when the Duplos first came, he tried to make peace with them instead of jumping to fighting like everyone else wanted to do. It’s really no wonder why I fell for the guy. Though I didn’t really see him in the two years I trained, my heart still raced when I thought of him, and often wondered how he was doing. At the time, I thought it was just a silly schoolgirl crush, and that I’d surely wouldn’t feel much the next time I saw him. Boy how wrong I turned out to be…

           I quietly pulled my sword out from the holster on my back and began sneaking up on the Duplo. It was clearly more focused on thwarting the attacks from the citizens of Bricksburg. They were firing whatever they could at it—lasers, arrows, canons, you name it—but none of it affected the beast. If anything, it only became angrier. Though its anger was rather passive-aggressive: it giggled like a schoolgirl the more it was hit, but its body language made its true emotions clear. I scanned its back, looking for a weak spot I could target. Then I spotted a vertical crease in between the monster’s shoulders. Bingo.

           Being as swift as possible, I ran up to the Duplo, leaped into the air, and plunged my sword into the crease on the beast’s back. I heard a couple of cracking sounds as it screamed in agony, and it took all I had not to cover my ears and lose my grip. I held onto one of its shoulders, keeping the sword in place with my other hand, as the Duplo began spinning around in an effort to reach me. After a few rotations, it stopped as it realized that wasn’t working. I almost fell when it suddenly halted, but my reflexes luckily kicked in. Pulling my sword out, I kicked the alien monster right where I stabbed it, and down it went. My feet landed on top of it and I rose my sword to take a few whacks, but it swatted me away with one of its limbs. I heard a few gasps from the citizens as I flew backwards into a wall. I grunted in pain. That certainly wasn’t going to help my already existing back troubles. But I knew I couldn’t let the pain overtake me if I wanted to defeat this thing. So I lifted myself up and charged at it again, this time punching it square in the gut and bringing it down once more. It started to swing its limbs at me again, but it froze, likely in fear, as I held my sword directly to where its throat would’ve been if it had a noticeable neck. It whimpered like an upset child, and for a moment I almost felt sorry for the Duplo. But then I remembered this was one of the monsters that continually attacked our world for no apparent reason. I glared at it, leaning inward to try and assert dominance.

           “Get out,” I growled darkly, “or you’ll regret ever coming.”

           The Duplo glared back at me with its huge, almost pouty eyes. “You’re no fun,” it spoke in its childish voice. It rolled over, causing me to topple off, before leaving the scene and being beamed up into the mysterious spaceship it came from. I put my sword back in the holster and clapped my hands together, straightening myself out. I then turned around to find the citizens of Bricksburg all staring at me with various expressions. I shot them a cheeky, lopsided grin.

           “Thought you guys could use another fighter.”

           “Light?” a familiar voice gasped from the front of the crowd.

           “Ey, Wyldstyle!” I trudged up to her, and we hugged. “How’ve you been?”

           “What are you doing here?” she asked, dodging my question.

           “Come on, Wyld, you know I’ve been wanting to help you fight off these darn Duplos since the day they first came!”

           “How did you…” she struggled to find the words. “That… that was…”

           “That was AWESOME!”

           My heart shot up into my throat as my attention was drawn to the very object of my affections—Emmet.

           “Where did you learn to fight like that??” he excitedly inquired, running up to me. “Your swordsmanship is incredible!! Oh, and all those crazy kicks you were doing was sooooo cool! And when you hit that building I was afraid you were done for but you got back up! Wait, are you okay?? Gosh you must be in so much pain! How did you make such a fantastic comeback after getting hurt so badly?! Wow! You’re amazing!!!”

           “Okay Emmet, you’re impressed, we get it.” Wyldstyle pushed him out of the way so she could continue speaking to me. “You do realize what you’re getting yourself into, right?”

           I, however, had trouble speaking back up. Emmet thought that highly of my fighting? Emmet, the sweet and strong hero who saved the universe, thought I was amazing?? The guy I had been missing and crushing on for two years was really that impressed by unimpressive me? It was too good to be true.

           “Uhhh, yeah, of course I do! This stuff, this is a dangerous endeavor, but I’ve been training and honing my Duplo fighting techniques for two years, and now I’m finally ready to fight alongside you all in Bricksburg.”

           “Apocalypseburg.”

           “What?”

           “We’re actually calling it Apocalypseburg now,” Wyldstyle clarified.

           “Oh.” I scratched the back of my neck. “Of course. Leave it to me to never truly know what’s going on.”

           “So wait, let me get this straight,” Emmet interrupted our conversation once more. “You trained for two years, specifically so you could fight Duplos here?”

           “Exactamundo!” I made a “you got it” gesture. Emmet appeared very awestruck at this point; his wide eyes blinking in wonder and his mouth falling agape just a bit. A warm smile soon appeared on his face.

           “Wow… that’s really brave of you.”

           I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat as he looked up at me. Oh no, he’s even more adorable than I remembered. It was then that I realized that my crush on him hadn’t gone away even in the least bit.

           “I… well I mean, I figured I should give to the cause somehow. So uhh, here I am!”

           “Well now that you’re here…” Emmet paused to hold his hand out. “Welcome aboard!”

           I hesitated for a moment or two, because goddamn his face was way too adorable for his own good, before taking his outstretched hand and shaking it. I had to resist the urge to kiss his hand instead. “Thanks. I-it’s great to see you again, Emmet.”

           “Good to see you too, Light!” My heart fluttered as he smiled that adorable smile of his, but his smile quickly turned into a look of mild confusion. “Wait a minute, is it just me, or did you get taller?”

           “Uhh, maybe?” I aimlessly looked upward as if I were attempting to see the top of my own head. I was always on the tall side, and, indeed, I was even a little taller than Emmet. He giggled at my response to the question.

           “Alright, well, thanks for helping us out,” Wyldstyle continued, “but where are you going to live?”

           “Oh, I just figured I’d build myself a little apartment somewhere, no big deal.”

           “Oh, are you a Master Builder now??” Emmet eagerly inquired.

           “Actually, no, not yet,” I admitted. “But! I’m still working on it, and I’m not too terrible at building residencies, so all I need to do is find a plot to build on and some bricks to build with and I’m good to go!”

           “Good luck with that,” Wyldstyle deadpanned. “Competition is fierce around here. But I admire your enthusiasm anyway.” She patted my shoulder. “Come on Emmet, we’ve got stuff to take care of.”

           “Alright, I’m coming!” Emmet jovially responded as he started to follow her. “Take care, Light!” he shouted from over his shoulder. “Hey, we should get coffee together sometime!”

           “Y-yeah!” I sputtered, barely waving my hand before he turned back around to face Wyldstyle. As the pair walked off, I noticed just how… happy they looked together. Emmet was bouncing happily alongside Wyldstyle, and she had a genuine smile on her face as he mindlessly chattered with her (or so he appeared to be from where I was). He even excitedly grabbed her hand… oh no.

           I shook my head. Why am I so upset about the possibility that they’re dating? I haven’t even seen the guy in two years, and Wyld is my best friend. Am I really gonna let a dumb crush get in the way…?

           I sighed, making my way into the remaining ruins of the once great city. Well, I was here now, may as well tough out whatever comes at me.

[glowing-gravity]

☕️Rex

OKAY so the short version? I love rex a Whole Lot and honestly his existence made me appreciate emmet even more

the long version? I really love rex’s character bc once you’ve seen the movie and rewatched it, his actions make sense but they aren’t always actually... logical. like in some cases, they even kinda seem like a totally counterproductive idea. but they make sense for him, as a character, to believe/do. I kinda got into this in my response to this post, haha, but like?

you can really tell he’s still emmet, as much as he totally reinvented himself to try not to be. who else would go back in time to try to keep themself safe, even while in doing so preventing the event that initially shaped their life after that point? it’s so emmet to want to rescue himself and show himself how cool he’ll become, and then try to help him become cool the easier, safer way.

and emmet’s always struggled with feeling ignored, too boring and average, too naive and unhelpful. the whole first movie’s full of people telling him that. so of course when he decides to become someone else entirely- rex dangervest- he’s going to be Everything Exciting Possible. he’s going to be a galaxy-defending archaeologist-cowboy-raptor trainer, because who could ignore someone that cool? more action and skills means more noticeable, more memorable, someone people want to be around, someone who’s good at everything, right? (although the irony is, he’s still following the mainstream tropes, just different ones than before)

but then there’s that key thing that makes him not emmet anymore- his anger. that’s not to say emmet never got mad in either movie, but as we all know, rex kinda defined himself by it and the masterbreaking technique that came from it (but also?? he named it masterbreaking??? no matter how he tries to distance himself from emmet, that’s still such an emmet name). and it’s just?? it’s so interesting, how the anger has shaped him into someone that isn’t emmet but is still so recognizably, fittingly still emmet as soon as you think about his persona beyond the surface level. 

emmet’s not really the kind of person to hold a grudge. and honestly? I think rex still isn’t either. because even with how mad he was, he still had to consciously hold onto that anger. he had to be angry All the Time. and sometimes he couldn’t even do that- his face softens when he and emmet see their “brainwashed” friends (who rex is Definitely Mad At All The Way, except, is he?) at the wedding, for just a moment, but it’s clear he still cares about them somewhere deep down even if he’s trying his absolute best to convince himself he doesn’t.

he doesn’t even seem to have a clear idea who he’s getting revenge on in this plan- he centered it on protecting himself, but beyond that, it’s unclear. when working with emmet to save their friends, he takes the opportunity to twist it into destroying the temple and causing the apocalypse. he refers to watevra as an evil queen, and seems convinced (genuinely?) that their friends have all been brainwashed. so is he mad at his friends for being unable to save him because they weren’t in control of themselves? or is he mad at watevra and mayhem for taking them away and brainwashing them in the first place? and is he just mad at apocalypseburg in general for not believing in him?

either way, the anger seems to center on his friends when he’s explaining to emmet, but he seems to be mad at basically everyone. you could just take it as bad writing, a product of making the twist harder to figure out at the beginning, but I like to see it more as it being kind of a glimpse into rex’s actual thoughts- he really doesn’t know why no one came for him. he’s really not sure who he’s supposed to be mad at. but he saw everyone having a good time without him, so whether it was intentional, or they just forgot about him, he’s decided it’s best to be mad at everyone, just in case. it’s easier than confronting possibly complicated answers and the greyer areas of who the blame should fall on.

especially since he’ll never really get answers anyway (even if he wasn’t back-to-the-futured in the end) since he’s totally changed the timeline and it’ll never happen. he never got saved, and he’ll never know exactly why. it’s an unresolvable loose end he just has to deal with.

but then there’s still the exception of his raptors, which is another thing I love because... even when he’s decided it’s him against the world, he’s still emmet, and especially after years of being completely isolated from any interaction, he still needs something to connect to. so he adopts an entire pack of raptors. and he really does care about them! he looks totally distraught when they go missing on the jungle planet, and then again when he thinks they’ve been brainwashed.

no matter how he tries, he can’t totally maintain that gritty “I don’t care about anything but myself and being cool” attitude. he can fake it impressively well- he certainly wasn’t that good at lying, acting, or manipulating in the first movie- but he still breaks it regularly, whether it’s because emmet mentioned his friends, or because he loves his raptors, or because lucy’s there and he can’t stop glaring at her as if that’ll somehow resolve anything for him.

so I just... idk, I love that he kinda gives us an idea of the point where emmet’s positive attitude stops, but also how emmet would react to his greatest insecurities being an extreme reality- no one cares about him, he can’t do anything, he’s totally ignored and forgotten, everyone’s left him behind. we got a little glimpse of that in tlm when the police questioning didn’t work because no one knew him, but this is really a whole different ballpark. and his reaction being able to save himself from that nightmare- and, oh yeah, hurt everyone else before they get the chance to hurt him like that again- well, it’s just... it’s really telling about both of them.

ALSO HE CAN LITERALLY MOVE ON HIS OWN, HE’S GONE FULL TOY STORY, AND I CAN’T STOP THINKING ABOUT THAT. obviously emmet’s already had a glimpse of the world beyond theirs, but rex having lived in it- knowing it’s “real” and theirs is “fake”- has to have caused quite the existential crisis that I’m sure was the last thing rex’s disaster of a mental state at that point needed. I love when there’s One Character that really knows the full extent of the truth like that, and really, if there’s one thing I would’ve loved to see in tlm2 that they didn’t do, it’d be use that more, expand on it more. but hey, we’ve always got our theories!

as like, a final note on rex, I think part of the reason he’s so relatable is bc I’m pretty sure there’s not a single person on the planet who wouldn’t want to go back in time, given the opportunity, and help out their past self in some way? even something minor, like telling themselves they’ll make it through this, or showing themselves a glimpse of the future they have to look forward to? and rex DID that- but in doing so, got carried away, aimed too high, let himself become the villain, didn’t pay attention to the glaring fact that despite being from the future he didn’t know the full story. he got too caught up in the past, and didn’t think about his own present (he could’ve found his old friends, talked to them, asked them why) or his own future (he could’ve just moved on, let his anger go) and I mean? I think we all kinda know what that feels like, even if we don’t have the literal experience of going back like he did.

THIS GOT REALLY LONG AND I KINDA RAMBLED but hopefully it’s not too hard to follow?? ahaha like I said I have a LOT of thoughts on rex and also I kinda love doing character analysis stuff like this so. thank you SO MUCH for asking for my thoughts on him...... I owe you my life cosmic....

Send me a ☕️ and a topic and I’ll share my thoughts!

[bakudomaster]

Hot In Cleveland

Greetings to literally no one! Hopefully that will change....

I’ve had this account for a while now and I’ve finally thought about what I want to use it for.

Starting today, this will be a literary analysis of some of the entertainment media I have consumed over the years. Why you ask? Hmmmm, that’ll be for a later post. I hope that you enjoy reading this!

WARNING: THESE POSTS WILL UNASHAMEDLY CONTAIN SPOILERS!

Today, we’ll begin with a sitcom that’s very close to my heart - Hot In Cleveland

[cue title music - ba ba ba baaaa... ba ba baaa... dwing dwing HEY!]

PREMISE

Hot in Cleveland first premiered in 2010 on TV Land as their first ever original production. Up until that point, the network was well known for airing reruns of previously ended shows, such as The Cosby Show and The Golden Girls. One of the producers of the show was Sean Hayes of Will & Grace fame.

The show revolves around three middle-aged women bound for Paris to forget their troubles of broken hearts and struggling careers when their plane makes a emergency landing in Cleveland, Ohio. Deciding to explore the city, they find it a more compassionate and welcoming than the glamorous, youth obsessed Los Angeles and decide to relocate there. When they rent a house, they find it comes with a decidedly snarky housekeeper.

CAST & CHARACTERS

Valerie Bertinelli as Melanie Moretti - a recently divorced one-time author, she has known very little beyond her roles as mother and wife. She tends to be very optimistic and romantic, often to the annoyance of her friends. Out of the younger trio, she takes the most to Cleveland and tries new things to broaden her horizons. She is the most compassionate out of the three, often being the glue that binds them together. Though she’s a very nice character to watch, she lacks true grit and comes off as a pushover at times. I don’t know much about Valerie’s work before the show, but she does do quite well, with her natural warmth and friendliness coming through.

Wendie Malick as Victoria Chase - an ambitious but ditzy soap opera actress, she has just had her show cancelled and falls into despair at not being in the public eye anymore. Self-centered and willing to do almost anything, Victoria is the least enthusiastic about moving to Cleveland due to the lack of botox and paparazzi among other things. Over time, she takes on various projects to try and revive her career, resulting in an Emmy & Oscar win. Wendie Malick is best known for her role on Just Shoot Me as well as her voice acting in various shows and movies, such as The Emperor’s New Groove and BoJack Horseman. She’s an absolute delight to watch here, completely immersing herself in the role and surrendering to Victoria’s insanity.

Jane Leeves as Rejoyla ‘Joy’ Scroggs - a beautician with a business that’s starting to fail, Joy’s real problem is being unlucky in love. From being abandoned by her teenage sweetheart when she fell pregnant by him, to being left at the altar on her wedding day, Joy’s endless parade of bad luck has left her cynical and just a tad yandere for any man who dares cross her (watch out boys...). She’s neutral to Cleveland, but secretly longs for romance and eventually settling down to start a family. Jane is best known for her work on Fraiser. She’s initially a bit frigid over the first two seasons but warms up to the role as she gains more prominence in the show over the later seasons.

Betty White as Elka Ostrovsky - an escapee from WWII Poland, she is a widow who lives in the house as a caretaker. Though she finds the LA trio’s obsession with glitz and glamour very strange, she quickly makes friends with them to varying degrees, often dispensing advice and acting as a voice of reason when the others get a bit too crazy or feel despondent. She is very proud of Cleveland, eventually becoming its mayor and is not averse to doing things outside of the law. Betty White has a career in television spanning over 80 years. She was initially only supposed to appear in the pilot episode but the audience response was quite positive so the producers upgraded her to series regular.

STRUCTURE, WRITING & DEVELOPMENT

The series plays out as a typical slice-of-life sitcom. The idea of older women living together and going through life isn’t new - think Golden Girls in the modern era and you pretty much have the gist of the show. However, is that such a bad thing? I think every TV era needs a show that focuses on the challenges one faces as the march of time proceeds; something that feels comfortable without pushing the boundaries too much and HiC was that for a generation who missed out on Betty White’s previous hit show. It wasn’t cerebral watching and it didn’t need to be.

In line with this, many of the plots are taken out from well known tropes that have developed over the years. Love triangles, a vapid rivalry in Hollywood, false pregnancies and lost loves returning all play part in the show’s six season run, edited and polished for character context. This is a big part of why the show felt so familiar to many viewers. Script structures followed one of three methods:

Characters A & B take part in subplot 1 whilst C & D take part in subplot 2 - this proves most effective for humor, balancing out the plot and giving each character something to work with

Characters A & B take part in subplot 1, C in subplot 2 and D in subplot 3 - this proves most effective for character development but can feel too scattered at times

Characters A, B, C & D take part in the main plot - this is most effective for plot lines, usually occurring at season premieres or finales

In terms of character development, the main trio of ladies find fulfillment in each other’s status. I’ll explain:

Melanie was an author but didn’t really have much experience in the working world, choosing instead to derive her satisfaction from being a mother and a wife. Now that her marriage is over and her kids are in college, she feels lost and doesn’t know what to do with herself. Over the course of the show, she has a series of meaningful relationships but develops the most in her career;becoming a column writer, a public relations assistant, a radio show host and a restaurant manager. This is what Victoria was trying to achieve at the beginning of the show.

Victoria is an out of work actress who has to resort to all sorts of tricks to get back into the public eye. Her approach is hit and miss, but she eventually goes on to win an Emmy and an Oscar, along with some work in critically acclaimed stage plays and a brief period as a news reporter. Despite this, she finds more satisfaction in her love life (despite being married EIGHT times!), eventually marrying her one true love at the end of the series. This is what Joy was trying to achieve at the start.

Joy is struggling as a beautician who looks for love in handsome men and one night stands, but never seems to catch a break. Her love life goes from bad to worse and her relationships fail due to a combination of her own issues with trust and the fact that the men she loves aren’t that great to begin with. She eventually puts her cynicism and stalking tendencies (I told you to watch out for her!) to good use, studying criminology and becoming a private detective. She also reconnects with her son that she gave up for adoption and gleefully accepts when she finds out that she’s a grandmother. Long story short, she’s looking for stability and finds it in the most unlikely man, becoming a wife and a mother at the end of the show. This is what Melanie was looking for at the start of the show.

Over the first three seasons, a heavy emphasis is placed on Elka due to the show trying to capitalize on Betty White’s resurgence in popularity at the time. This is in spite of the fact that Elka kind of feels like a lost puzzle piece. She doesn’t really fit in to the whole cohesiveness of the other three characters. This is changed in season 4, when the character of Mamie Sue (played by Georgia Engel, Betty’s costar from The Mary Tyler Moore Show) is promoted to a recurring character. It not only gives a nice chemistry to a previously ill fitting character, it creates a parallel with the LA trio: Mamie Sue is a combination of Victoria’s airheadedness and Melanie’s kindness to Joy’s cynicism found in Elka.

The show starts off quite shakily, despite its hype, but takes a turn for the better around the fourth season. The frivolous story lines from earlier episodes are eschewed for more long term plots with more emotional impact. Themes of loneliness, love at middle age and returning to correct past regrets are explored quite deeply. The show also loses some of the LA stereotypes as it goes on.

Some really big names are booked as guest stars, some notable ones being:

Susan Lucci as a parody of herself, being Victoria’s arch-nemesis

Joe Jonas as Will, Melanie’s son

Craig Ferguson as Simon, Joy’s first love and babydaddy

Jon Lovitz as Artie Firestone, an eccentric billionaire who takes an interest in Joy

Heather Locklear as Chloe, one of Melanie’s bosses at her PR job

The entire cast of The Mary Tyler Moore Show as G.L.O.B. (Gorgeous Ladies of Bowling)

Alan Dale as Sir Emmet Lawson, a renowned actor and Victoria’s sixth husband

Rick Springfield as a parody of himself

BULLSEYES & IMPROVEMENTS

What the show gets right:

Exploring the crossroads many women face at middle age, in terms of the main aspects of life: family, love & career

Great acting, especially in the later seasons

Wendie Malick - she deserved an Emmy nomination for her acting here

Jennifer Love Hewitt as Emmy, Victoria’s eldest daughter. Seriously, watch her episodes and tell me they aren’t funny

The general lack of pressure - you don’t need much attention to cycle in and out of the show, it’s easy watching

The consistency and plot development post season 3

What I think should be improved upon:

Melanie can be TOO nice, something that’s actually picked upon by other characters. Her cancer subplot was a nice opportunity to get some grit, but most of it was just by the way and not fully delved into

Victoria’s job as a news reporter was forgotten as soon as she landed a part in a Woody Allen movie. It would have been nice for her to be in that occupation a bit more or go back to it after her Oscar win and give her a chance to be on the other side of fame

Elka’s love life - every boyfriend seems to be a copy of the other and there are way too many of them

CULTURAL & PERSONAL IMPACT

This article from the A.V. Club goes into detail about the show and I have to say, I agree with it wholeheartedly agree. HiC was a reminder of what was before the more intellectual comedies came along. It shamelessly pandered to an older generation who wanted something familiar in an ever changing landscape. The fact that it didn’t take many risks in its approach was a risk in itself. It was clearly one that paid off, given the six season run. It wasn’t a darling of the critics, but it didn’t need to be. This was a show that could be watched to generate a few laughs without the need for in depth discussion with a coworker in the break room the next day.

A few years after the show’s cancellation, Valerie Bertinelli expressed her anger at TV Land for the decision, calling it sexist. I can’t really comment on that, given that I’m not too familiar with TV Land’s other work, but I will say that HiC did what it had to do. Six seasons in an age where you’re lucky to get more than three is amazing. The plot lines tied up quite nicely at the end and in the end, that’s all that everyone wanted.

Personally, I watched this show at two very difficult times in my life. The first was at college during my final year, when deadlines loomed and twisted my stomach in anxiety. The second was a few months ago when I had quit my job and needed something to distract me from the depression. On both occasions, this show has really made me laugh and fall in love with its simplicity. It’s undemanding and solid, just what I need to get through a trying period.

WHERE TO WATCH IT

Seasons 1 to 5 are available on Amazon Prime Video

Seasons 1 to 4 are available on Hunnyhaha’s channel on Youtube

If you’re in Southern Africa, the entire series are available on Showmax

[ezatluba]

Pandemic Pet Therapy: What's So Special About A Critter Friend?

November 22, 2020

Karen McCullough never wanted a dog. "It would have tied me down, and I had a great, very busy life," she says.

Her career as a keynote speaker at conferences has taken her across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. "My job is to get everybody engaged, excited and ready to network," she says.

McCullough loved the travel — "cool hotels and not worrying about having anything at home," she says. "I don't even have any live plants in the house." As she sailed into 2020, she expected her best year yet.

Then "BOOM" — everything stopped, including conventions and conferences. The pandemic "took my life away," she says.

Karen McCullough found a way to alleviate the loneliness that was starting to sink in. "Rosie has been like this magnet; she's attracting me to people and it's good."

Karen McCullough

Living alone in Houston, she started feeling the stress — anxious and worried about money. On top of that, she couldn't see her three grandkids who live nearby. "I'm such an extrovert and it's just been crazy and hard."

The surprising solution, for McCullough and many other Americans in 2020, was often furry, with four feet: a pet dog or cat.

First, her son and his wife adopted a puppy. McCullough decided to do the same, quietly hoping that if she got a puppy, the grandkids "would want to come and visit me in the front yard." On Labor Day, 8-week-old Rosie, a Wheaten terrier, arrived.

Rosie opened a new world to McCullough — within just a few blocks. Strangers became new friends. "I know all my neighbors now," she says. "We have a routine and she gets me out there; we walk three times a day!"

The loneliness that had started to sink McCullough as the pandemic wore on is gone. "Rosie has been like this magnet; she's attracting me to people and it's good."

And there's some science to back up McCullough's feelings. Research from Australia finds the "pet factor" does bring people together in helpful ways: Pet owners are more likely to get to know people, form friendships and get the social support humans need.

Psychologist Lori Kogan, a professor of veterinary medicine at Colorado State University and chair of the Human-Animal Interaction Section of the American Psychological Association, has been cataloging stories like McCullough's during the pandemic.

Kogan and colleagues from Washington State University, University of San Francisco and Palo Alto University did two anonymous online surveys via social media to current pet owners — one regarding cats and another asking about dogs. The surveys asked participants to share their thoughts, experiences and concerns amid the pandemic.

They found a significant number of people reported feeling they have less social support from friends and family now than before COVID-19 spread across the U.S. For many, their pets have played a critical role in helping reduce feelings of depression, anxiety, isolation and loneliness in these tough months.

Pets, Kogan says, are "a respite from the difficulties of life" and provide their human companions "an outlet to give." And while relationships with friends and family can be fraught, she says, "relationships with animals are simple."

Here are more stories of pet owners discovering animal companions can be the unsung therapists of these difficult times:

Get up and get moving: Dr. Gregory Brown and Kai

Dr. Gregory Brown is a psychiatrist in Austin, Texas, and a spokesperson for the American Psychiatric Association. Brown says he has been seeing an increase in anxiety, insomnia and depression among patients he has counseled in the past six months. "People are definitely dealing with economic stressors, a hard time with money, and with just being idle" — not getting out of the house much.

A dog "nudging at your foot or barking because they want to go for a walk" can be a real motivation every day to get out and get moving, he says. And that's good emotionally as well as physically. "We know physical activity can help reducedepression."

Kai has kept Dr. Gregory Brown out and about with a 6:30 a.m. wake-up call ... "when she's not busy eating up my wife's favorite pair of shoes."

Gregory Brown

Though Brown says he's a fairly active guy, he found the reduced structure of these pandemic days meant he was getting to bed a bit later, getting up a bit later and sometimes letting his exercise schedule slide.

Then, about a month ago, he and his wife decided to adopt a 10-month old golden retriever/lab mix named Kai. Now, every day starts with her wake-up bark around 6:30 a.m., returning some sense of structure to their lives.

And Brown says that he spends at least some time outside daily, jogging and walking and that helps make the days seem "a bit more normal."

"She's just been a joy to be around when she's not busy eating up my wife's favorite pair of shoes," he says.

Breaking through the isolation: Karol Kullberg and Molly

As a psychiatric social worker in Rockville, Md., Karol Kullberg has spent most of her work life in a small room, listening to patients face to face — work she finds rewarding and fulfilling, she says. When the pandemic hit, she was able to work from home — a blessing in some ways, but not others. Offering therapy online, via telehealth appointments, has been convenient, Kulberg says, but she also finds it isolating and somewhat alienating.

"It's intensely stressful — I think for everyone," she says. "Certainly for patients as well as therapists, who weren't particularly technologically adept or even comfortable using Zoom or other platforms."

Reading patients' facial expressions and body language can be more difficult she says, and without colleagues to talk to in between therapeutic sessions, "you're very aware that you are suddenly working in a vacuum." Kullberg doesn't say she's lonely. She says it's more like being "profoundly alone."

By the end of March when it became clear that staying at home would be the norm for quite a while, she decided to adopt a dog.

Enter Molly, a 5-year-old terrier mix who "came right into my home, was perfectly well-behaved, perfectly housebroken, and even welcomed my cat — who didn't return the favor."

For Kullberg, Molly was "like getting something you didn't know you missed; you forgot how wonderful it was to have something you didn't notice until all of a sudden it's there again."

She finds Molly an extremely comforting presence, "like having somebody's arm around your shoulder without having to say anything. Sort of like a dance partner you don't have to teach; they just figure it out."

Today, Kullberg says she no longer feels alone. "I get up in the morning and Molly curls up in her bed and we go to work."

A source of joy amid grief: Peggy Pacy & Emmet

"My glorious chow chow mix died at the end of January and I was heartbroken" says Peggy Pacy, who initially planned to let some time pass before getting another dog. But, "a heart needs to love," she says, "and I started looking."

At the end of February she adopted a large and fluffy Great Pyrenees mix — she named him Emmet. It was just before lockdown in Washington, D.C., where Pacy lives and works as an independent producer of commercials. Emmet arrived "just in time" says Pacy, who lives alone. "No question, it's very easy to go down the dark path in the world we're in today."

Early on in the pandemic, the first three minutes of every morning would start with a "mild panic" she says. But then a "giant white paw lands on my shoulder and I wonder if it is possible to literally feel serotonin," she says, referring to one of the neurotransmitters thought to help stabilize mood.

Emmet spends much of his time chasing flies, unearthing clothing Pacy had forgotten she owned, and making friends with neighborhood kids — just watching him is diverting, she says. "All day long the kids drop by and yell for Emmet."

Even in times of despair, Emmet makes a difference. "I'm standing in my front hall, lost in thought ... wondering if I will ever work again, if my small business loan will be approved, if I will have to sell my house. And then, gazing in the direction of my couch, Emmet decides that a long slow back flip to the floor is in order." His antics pierce the grief and remind her to stay in the moment, she says — " be grateful for what I have."

Pacy has a Post-it on her door that says: "I have health insurance; my cabinets are full of food; I have a home; I have Emmet. This makes me happy."

A new focus to replace anxiety: Devin Green and Taco

Taco has kept Devin Green busy and her anxiety at bay. "I'm consumed with him more than the worries in my mind."

Devin Green

Devin Green, a small business consultant and life coach, who lives in Portland, Maine, started looking for a dog to adopt in May. After many false starts, a close friend helped her find the dog of her dreams, a miniature goldendoodle (a cross between a golden retriever and a small poodle).

Taco has "changed my life in ways I never expected," says Green. As he grows, his puppy fur is getting replaced by adult dog fur which can get matted. So Green brushes him nightly, giving — and recieving — needed physical touch. "If I'm having a bad day, he's very warm and snuggly."

She sometimes struggles with anxiety, she says, and soothing the pup's needs helped her get beyond that. "I'm consumed with him more than the worries in my mind," she says. "My brain space is now taken up by something far more productive than it used to be."

Green says she used to panic a little if she didn't have plans for the day, but Taco has introduced her to the neighborhood and helped her feel more a part of the community. Every morning, they walk to the nearby fire station — a big loop, Green says. "The fire station is his favorite place."

Taco runs inside and "loves on all the firefighters and they love him back. I had never even spoken to any of them before but now we're all buddies."

Choosing the right pet for you: advice from the "falcon whisperer"

As executive director of the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital in the United Arab Emirates, veterinarian Dr. Margit Gabriele Muller is known as her nation's "falcon whisperer." But her love for animals is thoroughly inclusive. She is the author of a new book, Your Pet, Your Pill: 101 Inspirational Stories About How Pets Can Lead You to a Happy, Healthy and Successful Life.

A falcon wouldn't be the right choice for everyone, Muller notes. "Falcons are good for people who can be extremely dedicated, adhere to strict time schedules and have a great understanding of the falcons' special needs and requirements," she says, noting that dogs, too demand the right kind of human companion.

"It's of utmost importance to find the right pet according to the person's personality, as well as personal circumstances and environment," she says. "This means if you don't have much time and you live in a very small apartment, a dog is not suitable for your lifestyle, and a cat, bird, rabbit or fish would be better for you."

All pets — dogs, cats, fish, rabbits, birds, snakes and, yes, falcons — can help people overcome numerous emotional and physical challenges, Muller says. And certainly during the global pandemic, when people are feeling locked down, isolated and lacking in human connection, pets can make a world of difference.

Just playing with a pet for five minutes or petting the animal for five minutes can reduce blood pressure and increase hormones associated with contentment research suggests.

Oxytocin, sometimes called the "bonding hormone" or "cuddle hormone," is oftenreleased with a gentle touch. And it's not just humans who benefit from increased oxytocin levels — dogs do too.

When you develop a bond with an animal companion, Muller says, you often get someone who "loves you unconditionally, who is there for you 24 hours a day, who doesn't mind how you look today," she says. "They are just there to love you and this brings a tremendous benefit for the entire family."

Withdrawn kids may particularly benefit. One family, she says, told her their son was always on the computer or iPad before they brought home a pet. Now he doesn't stop talking — about the pet.

"Once you plant that seed in children and they love animals and learn how to care for them, they learn responsibility," she says — skills that will prove incredibly valuable as they grow up.