Snow Monster!

So, apparently the tale of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is a little more complex than I initially thought.  I knew about the red nose part, the other reindeer not letting Rudy join in on their games (like Monopoly!), and then the whole saving Christmas situation by flying Santa's sleigh.  I didn't realize there was more to the story, because, really, does a story that good really need anything more?  It's got action, adventure, taunting from peers, and a situation that brings a sweet, slightly disfigured reindeer right to the brink of alcoholism.  What other components could add to such an already complete and complex tale?

There's a snow monster.  I learned this while reading the story to Andy, and now his favorite Christmas character is the terrifying snow monster who sets out to eat (I assume) Rudolph and his abusive parents, who originally tried to hide Rudy's red nose as opposed to teaching self-acceptance.  Andy loves this snow monster and has been talking about him for days.  When I tried to distract Andy from the snow monster by singing the "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" song to him, he insisted that I sing about the Snow Monster, too.  So, like any good parent and lyricist would do, I improvised a few lines about the Snow Monster into the Rudolph song, explaining that Snow Monster gave Rudy a fright, but still they had a party that night.  And while that Snow Monster used to be nasty, he's since undergone some rhinoplasty.  Hey, I was on the spot, and rhyming's not always easy.

Now the problem is that Andy will perhaps never learn the real words to the Rudolph song and nothing will sway him from obsessing over how awesome the snow monster is.

This is the problem with Andy.  He loves villains.  In "The Little Engine That Could" movie, which we've watched no less than seventy-three times, Andy asks, repeatedly, for the mean choo-choo.  When the villainous, scary choo-choo finally makes his appearance, Andy squeals, "There's the mean choo-choo!"  When the mean choo-choo gets defeated, Andy moans, "More mean choo-choo!"

This is the same Andy whose favorite part of every book is and always has been the moment when someone falls down, gets hurt, or cries.  Sure, Andy shows empathy for these characters, crying out, "Oh no!" when he sees the main character in the throes of a sticky situation, but he's obsessed with the images nonetheless and will not let you turn the page until he's soaked in as much of the bad part of the story as he can. I think it fuels him.

I have to believe that he likes the villains and the bad parts of stories because they provide interest beyond the mundane goodness that is so rampant in toddler fiction and film.  I certainly hope this is the case, anyway, and this love for naughtiness is not instead foreshadowing for actions Andy will later commit in life, such as hijacking a choo-choo train and/or being mean to a helpless reindeer with little to no self esteem.

It seems Andy's pleasure in the Snow Monster has derailed our journey into Christmas via stories.  We can't move past it.  Santa and the elves?  Candy canes and Christmas trees?  Baby Jesus asleep in the hay?  Forget about it.  Andy just wants to rehash the Snow Monster.  He also wants to sing the "dreidel" song.  So now there's two things I'm boning up on this year: Snow Monster lore and Hanukkah.   And thus, we begin some new traditions around here.  The dreidel is used for gambling, right?

That Andy, he keeps things interesting.